bb
Anesthesia
noun loss of bodily sensation with or without loss of consciousness
Adulation
noun servile flattery; exaggerated and hypocritical praise
Absolution
noun the act of absolving or remitting; formal redemption as pronounced by a priest in the sacrament of penance; the condition of being formally forgiven by a priest in the sacrament of penance
Abhor
verb find repugnant
Imminent
adj. close in time; about to occur
Droll
adj. comical in an odd or whimsical manner
Serene
adj. completely clear and fine; not agitated; without losing self-possession
Devoid
adj. completely lacking; completely wanting or lacking
Aesthetic
adj. concerning or characterized by an appreciation of beauty or good taste; aesthetically pleasing; relating to or dealing with the subject of aesthetics; noun (philosophy) a philosophical theory as to what is beautiful
Pithy
adj. concise and full of meaning
Auspicious
adj. conducive to success; favorable.
Clandestine
adj. conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods
Surreptitious
adj. conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods; marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed
Esoteric
adj. confined to and understandable by only an enlightened inner circle
Untoward
adj. contrary to your interests or welfare; not in keeping with accepted standards of what is right or proper in polite society
Analogous
adj. corresponding in function but not in evolutionary origin; similar or equivalent in some respects though otherwise dissimilar
Commensurate
adj. corresponding in size or degree or extent
Inundated
adj. covered with water
Salacious
adj. crude
Incumbent
adj. currently holding an office; necessary (for someone) as a duty or responsibility; morally binding; lying or leaning on something else; noun the official who holds an office
Sinuous
adj. curved or curving in and out
Embroiled
adj. deeply involved especially in something complicated
Recondite
adj. difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge
Unwieldy
adj. difficult to work or manipulate; difficult to use or handle or manage because of size or weight or shape; lacking grace in movement or posture
Affable
adj. diffusing warmth and friendliness
Disaffected
adj. discontented as toward authority
Daunting
adj. discouraging through fear
Slothful
adj. disinclined to work or exertion
Acquisitive
adj. eager to acquire and possess things especially material possessions or ideas
Peevish
adj. easily irritated or annoyed
Petulant
adj. easily irritated or annoyed
Tractable
adj. easily managed (controlled or taught or molded); readily reacting to suggestions and influences
Maudlin
adj. effusively or insincerely emotional
Mawkish
adj. effusively or insincerely emotional
maudlin
adj. effusively or insincerely emotional
Holistic
adj. emphasizing the organic or functional relation between parts and the whole
Lax
adj. emptying easily or excessively; lacking in rigor or strictness; not taut or rigid; not stretched or held tight; pronounced with muscles of the tongue and jaw relatively relaxed (e.g., the vowel sound in `bet'); lacking in strength or firmness or resilience
Rapacious
adj. excessively greedy and grasping; devouring or craving food in great quantities; living by preying on other animals especially by catching living prey
Lugubrious
adj. excessively mournful
Understated
adj. exhibiting restrained good taste
Nominal
adj. existing in name only; insignificantly small; a matter of form only (`tokenish' is informal); being value in terms of specification on currency or stock certificates rather than purchasing power; pertaining to a noun or to a word group that functions as a noun; relating to or constituting or bearing or giving a name; named; bearing the name of a specific person; noun a phrase that can function as the subject or object of a verb
Beatific
adj. experiencing or bestowing celestial joy; marked by utter benignity; resembling or befitting an angel or saint
Arch
adj. expert in skulduggery; (used of behavior or attitude) characteristic of those who treat others with condescension;
Pejorative
adj. expressing disapproval
Concise
adj. expressing much in few words
Scurrilous
adj. expressing offensive reproach
Plaintive
adj. expressing sorrow
Articulate
adj. expressing yourself easily or characterized by clear expressive language;
Eloquent
adj. expressing yourself readily, clearly, effectively
Effusive
adj. extravagantly demonstrative; uttered with unrestrained enthusiasm
Execrable
adj. extremely bad or unpleasant, appalling
Squalid
adj. extremely dirty and unpleasant, especially as a result of poverty or neglect.
Repugnant
adj. extremely distasteful; unacceptable.
Diabolical
adj. extremely evil or cruel; expressive of cruelty or befitting hell; showing the cunning or ingenuity or wickedness typical of a devil
Fervent
adj. extremely hot; characterized by intense emotion
Harrowing
adj. extremely painful
Nefarious
adj. extremely wicked
Elated
adj. exultantly proud and joyful; in high spirits; full of high-spirited delight
Remiss
adj. failing in what duty requires
Derelict
adj. failing in what duty requires; in deplorable condition; forsaken by owner or keeper; worn and broken down by hard use; noun a person unable to support himself; a ship abandoned on the high seas
Surpassing
adj. far beyond what is usual in magnitude or degree; exceeding or surpassing usual limits especially in excellence
Egalitarian
adj. favoring social equality; noun a person who believes in the equality of all people
Repentant
adj. feeling or expressing remorse for misdeeds
Penitent
adj. feeling or expressing remorse for misdeeds; noun (Roman Catholic Church) a person who repents for wrongdoing (a Roman Catholic may be admitted to penance under the direction of a confessor)
Reverent
adj. feeling or showing profound respect or veneration; showing great reverence for god
Contrite
adj. feeling regret for a fault or offence; feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses
Vainglorious
adj. feeling self-importance
Nonplussed
adj. filled with bewilderment
Fraught
adj. filled with or destined to result in (something undesirable).
Steadfast
adj. firm and dependable especially in loyalty; marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable
Staunch
adj. firm and dependable especially in loyalty; verb stop the flow of a liquid
Resolute
adj. firm in purpose or belief; characterized by firmness and determination; characterized by quickness and firmness
Condign
adj. fitting or appropriate and deserved; used especially of punishment
Concomitant
adj. following as a consequence; noun an event or situation that happens at the same time as or in connection with another
Emphatic
adj. forceful and definite in expression or action; sudden and strong; spoken with emphasis
Exculpated
adj. freed from any question of guilt
Cowed
adj. frightened into submission or compliance
Sonorous
adj. full and loud and deep
Sapid
adj. full of flavor
Laudatory
adj. full of or giving praise
Garrulous
adj. full of trivial conversation
Loquacious
adj. full of trivial conversation
Benevolent
adj. generous in providing aid to others; intending or showing kindness; generous in assistance to the poor; showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding and generosity
Openhanded
adj. given or giving freely
Fastidious
adj. giving careful attention to detail; hard to please; excessively concerned with cleanliness; having complicated nutritional requirements; especially growing only in special artificial cultures
Crescendo
adj. gradually increasing in volume; noun (music) a gradual increase in loudness; verb grow louder
Encroaching
adj. gradually intrusive without right or permission
Sovereign
adj. greatest in status or authority or power; (of political bodies) not controlled by outside forces; noun a nation's ruler or head of state usually by hereditary right
Exorbitant
adj. greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation
Unconscionable
adj. greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation; lacking a conscience
Aerial
adj. growing in air; in or belonging to the air or operating (for or by means of aircraft or elevated cables) in the air; characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; as impalpable or intangible as air; noun a pass to a receiver downfield from the passer; an electrical device that sends or receives radio or television signals
Querulous
adj. habitually complaining
Slovenly
adj. habitually dirty and unkempt
Froward
adj. habitually disposed to disobedience and opposition
Acerbic
adj. harsh or corrosive in tone; sour or bitter in taste
Dour
adj. harshly uninviting or formidable in manner or appearance; showing a brooding ill humor; stubbornly unyielding
Cursory
adj. hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
Perfunctory
adj. hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough; as a formality only
Churlish
adj. having a bad disposition; surly; rude and boorish
relevant
adj. having a bearing on or connection with the subject at issue
Lucid
adj. having a clear mind; (of language) transparently clear; easily understandable; transmitting light; able to be seen through with clarity; capable of thinking and expressing yourself in a clear and consistent manner
Diurnal
adj. having a daily cycle or occurring every day; belonging to or active during the day
Reputable
adj. having a good reputation
Inveterate
adj. having a habit of long standing
Iridescent
adj. having a play of lustrous rainbow-like colors; varying in color when seen in different lights or from different angles
Undulate
adj. having a wavy margin and rippled surface; verb increase and decrease in volume or pitch, as if in waves; move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion; stir up (water) so as to form ripples; occur in soft rounded shapes
Affluent
adj. having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value; noun an affluent person; a person who is financially well off; a branch that flows into the main stream
Notorious
adj. having an exceedingly bad reputation
Pendulous
adj. having branches or flower heads that bend downward
Defunct
adj. having ceased to exist or live; no longer in force or use; inactive
Workmanlike
adj. having efficient competence.
Primeval
adj. having existed from the beginning; in an earliest or original stage or state
Primordial
adj. having existed from the beginning; in an earliest or original stage or state
Resplendent
adj. having great beauty and splendor
Ponderous
adj. having great mass and weight and unwieldiness; labored and dull; slow and laborious because of weight
Multifarious
adj. having many aspects
Viscous
adj. having the sticky properties of an adhesive; having a relatively high resistance to flow
Lackadaisical
adj. idle or indolent especially in a dreamy way; lacking spirit or liveliness
Halcyon
adj. idyllically calm and peaceful; suggesting happy tranquillity;
Pristine
adj. immaculately clean and unused; completely free from dirt or contamination
Avaricious
adj. immoderately desirous of acquiring e.g. wealth
Grasping
adj. immoderately desirous of acquiring e.g. wealth; noun the act of gripping something firmly with the hands; understanding with difficulty
Restive
adj. impatient especially under restriction or delay; being in a tense state
Incorrigible
adj. impervious to correction by punishment
incorrigible
adj. impervious to correction by punishment
Adamant
adj. impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, reason; noun very hard native crystalline carbon valued as a gem
Ineluctable
adj. impossible to avoid or evade:"inescapable conclusion"
Incontrovertible
adj. impossible to deny or disprove; necessarily or demonstrably true
Insatiable
adj. impossible to satisfy
Indomitable
adj. impossible to subdue
Headlong
adj. in a rush; with reckless haste.
Infinitesimal
adj. infinitely or immeasurably small; noun (mathematics) a variable that has zero as its limit
Redoubtable
adj. inspiring fear; having or worthy of pride
Ebullient
adj. joyously unrestrained
Poignant
adj. keenly distressing to the mind or feelings; arousing affect
Random
adj. lacking any definite plan or order or purpose; governed by or depending on chance; taken haphazardly
Nebulous
adj. lacking definition or definite content; lacking definite form or limits; of or relating to or resembling a nebula
Nondescript
adj. lacking distinct or individual characteristics; dull and uninteresting; noun a person is not easily classified and not very interesting
Licentious
adj. lacking moral discipline; especially sexually unrestrained
Rickety
adj. lacking physical strength or vitality
Decrepit
adj. lacking physical strength or vitality; worn and broken down by hard use
Vapid
adj. lacking significance or liveliness or spirit or zest; lacking taste or flavor or tang
Gauche
adj. lacking social polish
Languid
adj. lacking spirit or liveliness
Arid
adj. lacking vitality or spirit; lifeless; lacking sufficient water or rainfall
Pedestrian
adj. lacking wit or imagination; noun a person who travels by foot
Listless
adj. lacking zest or vivacity; marked by low spirits; showing no enthusiasm
Capacious
adj. large in capacity
Copious
adj. large in number or quantity (especially of discourse); affording an abundant supply
Voluminous
adj. large in volume or bulk; large in number or quantity (especially of discourse); marked by repeated turns and bends
Transitory
adj. lasting a very short time
Impeded
adj. made difficult or slow
Apathetic
adj. marked by a lack of interest; showing little or no emotion or animation
Sedulous
adj. marked by care and persistent effort
Impudent
adj. marked by casual disrespect; improperly forward or bold
Conformist
adj. marked by convention and conformity to customs or rules or styles; adhering to established customs or doctrines (especially in religion); noun someone who conforms to established standards of conduct (especially in religious matters)
Furtive
adj. marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed; secret and sly or sordid
Brusque
adj. marked by rude or peremptory shortness
Wily
adj. marked by skill in deception
Acrimonious
adj. marked by strong resentment or cynicism
Profane
adj. nonreligious
Moderate
adj. not extreme; being within reasonable or average limits;
Inimical
adj. not friendly
Discordant
adj. not in agreement or harmony; lacking in harmony
Unassuming
adj. not pretentious or arrogant; modest.
Unbridled
adj. not restrained or controlled
Quixotic
adj. not sensible about practical matters; unrealistic
Permeated
adj. occurring throughout
Austere
adj. of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect; severely simple; practicing great self-denial
Apropos
adj. of an appropriate or pertinent nature; adv. by the way; at an opportune time
Gargantuan
adj. of great mass; huge and bulky
Monastic
adj. of or relating to monks, nuns, or others living under religious vows, or the buildings in which they live.
Tangential
adj. of or relating to or acting along or in the direction of a tangent; of superficial relevance if any
Philanthropic
adj. of or relating to or characterized by philanthropy; generous in assistance to the poor
Genial
adj. of or relating to the chin or median part of the lower jaw; diffusing warmth and friendliness; agreeable, conducive to comfort
Unruly
adj. of persons; noisy and lacking in restraint or discipline; unwilling to submit to authority
Fetid
adj. offensively malodorous
Noisome
adj. offensively malodorous; causing or able to cause nausea
Inchoate
adj. only partly in existence; imperfectly formed
Remunerated
adj. pay (someone) for services rendered or work done.
Facile
adj. performing adroitly and without effort; arrived at without due care or effort; lacking depth; expressing yourself readily, clearly, effectively
Destitute
adj. poor enough to need help from others; completely wanting or lacking
Cogent
adj. powerfully persuasive
Mendicant
adj. practicing beggary; noun a pauper who lives by begging; a male member of a religious order that originally relied solely on alms
August
adj. profoundly honored; of or befitting a lord; noun the month following July and preceding September
Foster
adj. providing or receiving nurture or parental care though not related by blood or legal ties;
Grandiloquent
adj. puffed up with vanity; lofty in style
Imperative
adj. requiring attention or action; relating to verbs in the imperative mood; noun some duty that is essential and urgent; a mood that expresses an intention to influence the listener's behavior
Heinous
adj. shockingly brutal or cruel
Canny
adj. showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others
Dolorous
adj. showing sorrow
Lachrymose
adj. showing sorrow
Artless
adj. simple and natural; without cunning or deceit; (of persons) lacking art or knowledge; showing lack of art; characterized by an inability to mask your feelings; not devious
Profound
adj. situated at or extending to great depth; too deep to have been sounded or plumbed;
Deft
adj. skillful in physical movements; especially of the hands
Dexterous
adj. skillful in physical movements; especially of the hands
Oblique
adj. slanting or inclined in direction or course or position--neither parallel nor perpendicular nor right-angled; indirect in departing from the accepted or proper way; misleading; noun any grammatical case other than the nominative; a diagonally arranged abdominal muscle on either side of the torso
Soporific
adj. sleep inducing; inducing mental lethargy; noun a drug that induces sleep
Somnolent
adj. sleepy; drowsy.
Torpid
adj. slow and apathetic; in a condition of biological rest or suspended animation
Politic
adj. smoothly agreeable and courteous with a degree of sophistication; marked by artful prudence, expedience, and shrewdness
Abysmal
adj. so deep as to be unmeasurable; very great; limitless
Antiquated
adj. so extremely old as seeming to belong to an earlier period
Prodigious
adj. so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe; far beyond what is usual in magnitude or degree; of momentous or ominous significance
Rotund
adj. spherical in shape; excessively fat; (of sounds) full and rich
Diffuse
adj. spread out; not concentrated in one place; lacking conciseness; (of light) transmitted from a broad light source or reflected; verb move outward; cause to become widely known; spread or diffuse through
Pervasive
adj. spreading or spread throughout
Coherent
adj. sticking together; marked by an orderly, logical, and aesthetically consistent relation of parts; capable of thinking and expressing yourself in a clear and consistent manner
Extant
adj. still in existence; not extinct or destroyed or lost
Aghast
adj. struck with fear, dread, or consternation
Fractious
adj. stubbornly resistant to authority or control; easily irritated or annoyed
Pertinacious
adj. stubbornly unyielding
Risque
adj. suggestive of sexual impropriety
Incisive
adj. suitable for cutting or piercing; having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
Potable
adj. suitable for drinking; noun any liquid suitable for drinking
Palatial
adj. suitable for or like a palace; relating to or being a palace
Opportune
adj. suitable or at a time that is suitable or advantageous especially for a particular purpose
Funereal
adj. suited to or suggestive of a grave or burial
Satiated
adj. supplied (especially fed) to satisfaction
Satiate
adj. supplied (especially fed) to satisfaction; verb fill to satisfaction; overeat or eat immodestly; make a pig of oneself
Unctuous
adj. sycophantic, ingratiating, obsequious, fawning, grovel
Remedial
adj. tending or intended to rectify or improve; tending to cure or restore to health
Perfidious
adj. tending to betray; especially having a treacherous character as attributed to the Carthaginians by the Romans
Dismissive
adj. tending to dismiss or reject; showing indifference or disregard
Captious
adj. tending to find and call attention to faults
Truncated
adj. terminating abruptly by having or as if having an end or point cut off; cut short in duration
Truncate
adj. terminating abruptly by having or as if having an end or point cut off; verb make shorter as if by cutting off; approximate by ignoring all terms beyond a chosen one; replace a corner by a plane
Desiccated
adj. thoroughly dried out; lacking vitality or spirit; lifeless; preserved by removing natural moisture
Minatory
adj. threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
Timorous
adj. timid by nature or revealing timidity
Interminable
adj. tiresomely long; seemingly without end
Ineffable
adj. too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words.
Myriad
adj. too numerous to be counted; noun a large indefinite number
Coagulate
adj. transformed from a liquid into a soft semisolid or solid mass; verb change from a liquid to a thickened or solid state; cause to change from a liquid to a solid or thickened state
Mercenary
adj. used of soldiers hired by a foreign army; profit oriented; marked by materialism; noun a person hired to fight for another country than their own
Menial
adj. used of unskilled work (especially domestic work); noun a domestic servant
Verbose
adj. using or containing too many words
Waspish
adj. very irritable
Diminutive
adj. very small; noun a word that is formed with a suffix (such as -let or -kin) to indicate smallness
Vivacious
adj. vigorous and animated
Boisterous
adj. violently agitated and turbulent; noisy and lacking in restraint or discipline; full of rough and exuberant animal spirits
Indolent
adj. wanting to avoid activity or exertion; lazy.
Dilatory
adj. wasting time; inclined to waste time and lag behind; using cautious slow strategy to wear down opposition; avoiding direct confrontation
Eldritch
adj. weird and sinister or ghostly.
Bygone
adj. well in the past; former; noun past events to be put aside
Renowned
adj. widely known and esteemed
Feral
adj. wild and menacing
Contumacious
adj. wilfully obstinate; stubbornly disobedient
Docile
adj. willing to be taught or led or supervised or directed; easily handled or managed; ready and willing to be taught
Malevolent
adj. wishing or appearing to wish evil to others; arising from intense ill will or hatred; having or exerting a malignant influence
Gratuitous
adj. without cause; unnecessary and unwarranted; costing nothing
Amorphous
adj. without real or apparent crystalline form; lacking the system or structure characteristic of living bodies; having no definite form or distinct shape
Denuded
adj. without the natural or usual covering
Pernicious
adj. working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way; exceedingly harmful
Epistolary
adj. written in the form of or carried on by letters or correspondence
Callow
adj. young and inexperienced
Nettle
cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations
Sangfroid
composure or coolness, sometimes excessive, as shown in danger or under trying circumstances.
Solipsistic.
extreme preoccupation with and indulgence of one's feelings, desires
Tumid
adj. (especially of a part of the body) swollen.
Etiolated
adj. (especially of plants) developed without chlorophyll by being deprived of light
Antiseptic
adj. (extended sense) of exceptionally clean language; clean and honest;
Picayune
adj. (informal) small and of little importance
Discursive
adj. (of e.g. speech and writing) tending to depart from the main point or cover a wide range of subjects; proceeding to a conclusion by reason or argument rather than intuition
Calamitous
adj. (of events) having extremely unfortunate or dire consequences; bringing ruin
Arable
adj. (of farmland) capable of being farmed productively
Nomadic
adj. (of groups of people) tending to travel and change settlements frequently
Platonic
adj. Platonic describes a relationship that is purely spiritual and not physical.
Arbitrary
adj. based on or subject to individual discretion or preference or sometimes impulse or caprice
Marginal
adj. being close to a lower limit or or of lower class; producing at a rate that barely covers production costs; of a bare living gained by great labor; at or constituting a border or edge; of questionable or minimal quality; just barely adequate or within a lower limit
Tantamount
adj. being essentially equal to something
Rudimentary
adj. being in the earliest stages of development; not fully developed in mature animals; being or involving basic facts or principles
Apocryphal
adj. being of questionable authenticity; of or belonging to the Apocrypha
Apposite
adj. being of striking appropriateness and pertinence
Divine
adj. being of such surpassing excellence as to suggest inspiration by the gods; emanating from God; being or having the nature of a god; appropriate to or befitting a god; devoted to or in the service or worship of a deity; resulting from divine providence; noun terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God; a clergyman or other person in religious orders; verb search by divining, as if with a rod; perceive intuitively or through some inexplicable perceptive powers
Moribund
adj. being on the point of death; breathing your last; not growing or changing; without force or vitality
Vernacular
adj. being or characteristic of or appropriate to everyday language; noun the everyday speech of the people (as distinguished from literary language); a characteristic language of a particular group (as among thieves)
Ubiquitous
adj. being present everywhere at once
Strident
adj. being sharply insistent on being heard; unpleasantly loud and harsh;
Acidulous
adj. being sour to the taste
Implicit
adj. being without doubt or reserve; implied though not directly expressed; inherent in the nature of something
Objective
adj. belonging to immediate experience of actual things or events; undistorted by emotion or personal bias; based on observable phenomena; emphasizing or expressing things as perceived without distortion of personal feelings,
Nocturnal
adj. belonging to or active during the night; of or relating to or occurring in the night
Bourgeois
adj. belonging to the middle class;
Mundane
adj. belonging to this earth or world; not ideal or heavenly; concerned with the world or worldly matters; found in the ordinary course of events
Wry
adj. bent to one side; humorously sarcastic or mocking
Inordinate
adj. beyond normal limits
Idolatrous
adj. blindly or excessively devoted or adoring; relating to or practicing idolatry
Obstreperous
adj. boisterously and noisily aggressive; noisily and stubbornly defiant
Laconic
adj. brief and to the point; effectively cut short
Terse
adj. brief and to the point; effectively cut short
Curt
adj. brief and to the point; effectively cut short; marked by rude or peremptory shortness
Succinct
adj. briefly giving the gist of something
Scintillating
adj. brilliantly clever; having brief brilliant points or flashes of light; marked by high spirits or excitement
Reprehensible
adj. bringing or deserving severe rebuke or censure
Ludicrous
adj. broadly or extravagantly humorous; resembling farce; incongruous; inviting ridicule
Crestfallen
adj. brought low in spirit
Affront
insult, offend, treat, mention, or speak to rudely
Discreet
adj. careful and circumspect in one's speech or actions, especially in order to avoid causing offense or to gain an advantage.
Prudent
adj. careful and sensible; marked by sound judgment
Vigilant
adj. carefully observant or attentive; on the lookout for possible danger
Estranged
adj. caused to be unloved
Cohesive
adj. causing cohesion; cohering or tending to cohere; well integrated
Enervating
adj. causing debilitation
Quiescent
adj. causing no symptoms; being quiet or still or inactive; not active or activated; marked by a state of tranquil repose
Grievous
adj. causing or marked by grief or anguish; causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm; shockingly brutal or cruel; of great gravity or crucial import; requiring serious thought
Ossified
adj. changed into bone; hardened by deposits of mineral matter; set in a rigidly conventional pattern of behavior, habits, or beliefs
Histrionic
adj. characteristic of acting or a stage performance; often affected
Colloquial
adj. characteristic of informal spoken language or conversation
Worldly
adj. characteristic of or devoted to the temporal world; concerned with secular rather than sacred matters; very sophisticated especially because of surfeit; versed in the ways of the world
Provincial
adj. characteristic of the provinces or their people; of or associated with a province; noun (Roman Catholic Church) an official in charge of an ecclesiastical province acting under the superior general of a religious order; a country person
Totalitarian
adj. characterized by a government in which the political authority exercises absolute and centralized control; of or relating to the principles of totalitarianism according to which the state regulates every realm of life; noun an adherent of totalitarian principles or totalitarian government
Pert
adj. characterized by a lightly pert and exuberant quality
Impertinent
adj. characterized by a lightly pert and exuberant quality; improperly forward or bold; not pertinent to the matter under consideration
Dynamic
adj. characterized by action or forcefulness or force of personality; of or relating to dynamics; expressing action rather than a state of being; used of verbs (e.g. `to run') and participial adjectives (e.g. `running' in `running water'); noun an efficient incentive
Ingenuous
adj. characterized by an inability to mask your feelings; not devious; lacking in sophistication or worldliness
Irascible
adj. characterized by anger; quickly aroused to anger
Diligent
adj. characterized by care and perseverance in carrying out tasks; quietly and steadily persevering especially in detail or exactness
decorous
adj. characterized by propriety and dignity and good taste in manners and conduct; according with custom or propriety
Lenient
adj. characterized by tolerance and mercy; not strict; tolerant or lenient
Tumultuous
adj. characterized by unrest or disorder or insubordination
Ethereal
adj. characterized by unusual lightness and delicacy; of or containing or dissolved in ether; characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; as impalpable or intangible as air; of heaven or the spirit
Complement
noun something added to complete or make perfect; either of two parts that mutually complete each other; a word or phrase used to complete a grammatical construction; number needed to make up a whole force; a complete number or quantity; one of a series of enzymes in the blood serum that are part of the immune response; verb make complete or perfect; supply what is wanting or form the complement to
Pretext
noun something serving to conceal plans; a fictitious reason that is concocted in order to conceal the real reason; an artful or simulated semblance
Quandary
noun state of uncertainty or perplexity especially as requiring a choice between equally unfavorable options; a situation from which extrication is difficult especially an unpleasant or trying one
Composure
noun steadiness of mind under stress
Equanimity
noun steadiness of mind under stress
Fortitude
noun strength of mind that enables one to endure adversity with courage
Chagrin
noun strong feelings of embarrassment; verb cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of
Pluck
noun take hold of (something) and quickly remove it from its place; pick.
Cobbler
noun tall sweetened iced drink of wine or liquor with fruit; a person who makes or repairs shoes; made of fruit with rich biscuit dough usually only on top of the fruit
Reservoir
noun tank used for collecting and storing a liquid (as water or oil); lake used to store water for community use; anything (a person or animal or plant or substance) in which an infectious agent normally lives and multiplies; a large or extra supply of something
Renunciation
noun the act of renouncing; sacrificing or giving up or surrendering (a possession or right or title or privilege etc.); an act (spoken or written) declaring that something is surrendered or disowned; rejecting or disowning or disclaiming as invalid; the state of having rejected your religious beliefs or your political party or a cause (often in favor of opposing beliefs or causes)
Winnow
noun the act of separating grain from chaff; verb blow away or off with a current of air; separate the chaff from by using air currents; blow on; select desirable parts from a group or list
Temperance
noun the act of tempering; the trait of avoiding excesses; abstaining from excess
Abort
noun the act of terminating a project or procedure before it is completed; verb terminate a pregnancy by undergoing an abortion; cease development, die, and be aborted; terminate before completion
Contusion
noun the action of bruising; an injury that doesn't break the skin but results in some discoloration
Pathology
noun the branch of medical science that studies the causes and nature and effects of diseases; any deviation from a healthy or normal condition
Camaraderie
noun the quality of affording easy familiarity and sociability
Congruity
noun the quality of agreeing; being suitable and appropriate
Candor
noun the quality of being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech.
Caterwaul
noun the yowling sound made by a cat in heat; verb utter shrieks, as of cats
Salutation
noun word of greeting used to begin a letter; (usually plural) an acknowledgment or expression of good will (especially on meeting); an act of honor or courteous recognition
Collateral
something pledged as security for repayment of a loan, to be forfeited in the event of a default.
Aggrandize
verb add details to
Espouse
verb adopt or support, marry
Transmute
verb alter the nature of (elements); change in outward structure or looks; change or alter in form, appearance, or nature
Reciprocate
verb alternate the direction of motion of; act, feel, or give mutually or in return
Beseech
verb ask for or request earnestly
Entreat
verb ask for or request earnestly
Relegate
verb assign to a class or kind; refer to another person for decision or judgment; assign to a lower position; reduce in rank; expel, as if by official decree
Abet
verb assist or encourage, usually in some wrongdoing
Abet
verb assist or encourageusually in some wrongdoing
Impugn
verb attack as false or wrong
Assail
verb attack someone physically or emotionally; attack in speech or writing; launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with
Importune
verb beg persistently and urgently
Dissemble
verb behave unnaturally or affectedly; hide under a false appearance; make believe with the intent to deceive
Deprecate
verb belittle; express strong disapproval of; deplore
Vindicate
verb clear of accusation, blame, suspicion, or doubt with supporting proof; maintain, uphold, or defend; show to be right by providing justification or proof
Reconcile
verb come to terms; bring into consonance or accord; make compatible with; accept as inevitable
Proscribe
verb command against
Emulate
verb compete with successfully; approach or reach equality with; imitate the function of (another system), as by modifying the hardware or the software; strive to equal or match, especially by imitating
Coddle
verb cook in nearly boiling water; treat with excessive indulgence
Beatify
verb declare (a dead person) to be blessed; the first step of achieving sainthood; make blessedly happy; fill with sublime emotion; tickle pink
Deface
verb deface a building facade, for example; mar or spoil the appearance of
Contravene
verb deny the truth of; go against, as of rules and laws
Elicit
verb derive by reason; deduce (a principle) or construe (a meaning); call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
Subvert
verb destroy completely; cause the downfall of; of rulers; destroy property or hinder normal operations; corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality
Discern
verb detect with the senses
Refract
verb determine the refracting power of (a lens); subject to refraction
Disclose
verb disclose to view as by removing a cover; make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret
Bowdlerize
verb edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate
Disparage
verb express a negative opinion of
Upbraid
verb express criticism towards
Decry
verb express strong disapproval of
Evince
verb give expression to
Inhibit
verb limit the range or extent of; to put down by force or authority
Amortize
verb liquidate gradually
Dissipate
verb live a life or pleasure, especially with respect to alcoholic consumption; spend frivolously and unwisely.
Revere
verb love unquestioningly and uncritically or to excess; venerate as an idol; regard with feelings of respect and reverence; consider hallowed or exalted or be in awe of
Debase
verb lower in value by increasing the base-metal content; corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones; corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality
Placate
verb make (someone) less angry or hostile.
Concoct
verb make a concoction (of) by mixing; prepare or cook by mixing ingredients; devise or invent; invent
Expiate
verb make amends for
Refurbish
verb make brighter and prettier
Emend
verb make improvements or corrections to
Exasperate
verb make worse; make furious; exasperate or irritate
Calibrate
verb mark (a gauge or instrument) with a standard scale of readings.
Fathom
verb measure the depth of (a body of water) with a sounding line; come to understand
Convene
verb meet formally; call together
Confound
verb mistake one thing for another; be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly
Conflate
verb mix together different elements
Disperse
verb move away from each other; to cause to separate and go in different directions; cause to separate; cause to become widely known; distribute loosely
Vacillate
verb move or sway in a rising and falling or wavelike pattern; be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action
Expunge
verb remove by erasing or crossing out or as if by drawing a line
Desecrate
verb remove the consecration from a person or an object; violate the sacred character of a place or language
Excavate
verb remove the inner part or the core of; form by hollowing; find by digging in the ground; lay bare through digging
Renovate
verb restore to a previous or better condition; give new life or energy to; make brighter and prettier
Constrain
verb restrict; hold back
Supplant
verb take the place or move into the position of
Reprove
verb take to task
Raze
verb tear down so as to make flat with the ground
Defenestrate
verb throw through or out of the window. remove or dismiss (someone) from a position of power or authority.
Immerse
verb thrust or throw into; enclose or envelop completely, as if by swallowing; engross (oneself) fully; cause to be immersed
Acquiesce
verb to agree or express agreement
Coerce
verb to cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means :"She forced him to take a job in the city"
Interject
verb to insert between other elements
Peregrinate
verb travel around, through, or over, especially on foot
Retract
verb use a surgical instrument to hold open (the edges of a wound or an organ); formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure; pull inward or towards a center; pull away from a source of disgust or fear
Deplete
verb use up (resources or materials)
Modulate
verb vary the frequency, amplitude, phase, or other characteristic of (electromagnetic waves); adjust the pitch, tone, or volume of; change the key of, in music; fix or adjust the time, amount, degree, or rate of; vary the pitch of one's speech
Enervate
verb weaken mentally or morally; disturb the composure of
Covet
verb wish, long, or crave for (something, especially the property of another person)
Scotch
a slight surface cut (especially a notch that is made to keep a tally); verb make a small cut or score into; hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of
Vacuous
adj. devoid of matter; void of expression; devoid of significance or point; devoid of intelligence
Voracious
adj. devouring or craving food in great quantities; excessively greedy and grasping
Arduous
adj. difficult to accomplish; demanding considerable mental effort and skill; characterized by toilsome effort to the point of exhaustion; especially physical effort; taxing to the utmost; testing powers of endurance
Cumbersome
adj. difficult to handle or use especially because of size or weight; not elegant or graceful in expression
Abstruse
adj. difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge
Sardonic
adj. disdainfully or ironically humorous; scornful and mocking
Bashful
adj. disposed to avoid notice; self-consciously timid
amiable
adj. disposed to please; diffusing warmth and friendliness
Audacious
adj. disposed to venture or take risks; unrestrained by convention or propriety; invulnerable to fear or intimidation
Divisive
adj. dissenting (especially dissenting with the majority opinion)
Bifurcated
adj. divided into or made up of two parts
Flaccid
adj. drooping without elasticity; wanting in stiffness; lacking in strength or firmness or resilience; out of condition; not strong or robust; incapable of exertion or endurance
Pugnacious
adj. eager or quick to argue, quarrel, or fight.
Incandescent
adj. emitting light as a result of being heated; characterized by ardent emotion or intensity or brilliance
Callous
adj. emotionally hardened; having calluses; having skin made tough and thick through wear; verb make insensitive or callous; deaden feelings or morals
Sentient
adj. endowed with feeling and unstructured consciousness; consciously perceiving
Piquant
adj. engagingly stimulating or provocative; having an agreeably pungent taste; attracting or delighting
Disparate
adj. essentially different in kind; not allowing comparison.
Malign
adj. evil or harmful in nature or influence; having or exerting a malignant influence; verb speak unfavorably about
Finicky
adj. exacting especially about details
Euphoric
adj. exaggerated feeling of well-being or elation
Idyllic
adj. excellent and delightful in all respects; suggestive of an idyll; charmingly simple and serene
Rife
adj. excessively abundant; encountered generally especially at the present time
Frenetic
adj. excessively agitated; transported with rage or other violent emotion
Presumptuous
adj. excessively forward
Parsimonious
adj. excessively unwilling to spend
Penurious
adj. excessively unwilling to spend; not having enough money to pay for necessities
Verboten
adj. excluded from use or mention
Felicitous
adj. exhibiting an agreeably appropriate manner or style; marked by good fortune
Mimetic
adj. exhibiting mimicry; characterized by or of the nature of or using mimesis
Intrepid
adj. fearless; adventurous
Ecstatic
adj. feeling great rapture or delight
Rapturous
adj. feeling great rapture or delight
Clairvoyant
adj. foreseeing the future; perceiving things beyond the natural range of the senses; noun someone who has the power of clairvoyance
Prophetic
adj. foretelling events as if by supernatural intervention
Quotidian
adj. found in the ordinary course of events
Magnanimous
adj. generous and understanding and tolerant; noble and generous in spirit
Willful
adj. habitually disposed to disobedience and opposition; done by design
Taciturn
adj. habitually reserved and uncommunicative
Deleterious
adj. harmful to living things
Cryptic
adj. having a puzzling terseness; of an obscure nature; having a secret or hidden meaning
Disputatious
adj. inclined or showing an inclination to dispute or disagree, even to engage in law suits
Submissive
adj. inclined or willing to submit to orders or wishes of others or showing such inclination; abjectly submissive; characteristic of a slave or servant
Amorous
adj. inclined toward or displaying love; expressive of or exciting sexual love or romance
Comprehensive
adj. including all or everything; broad in scope; noun an intensive examination testing a student's proficiency in some special field of knowledge
Recrudescent
adj. increased severity of a disease after a remission
Cumulative
adj. increasing by successive addition
Sanctimonious
adj. making a show of being morally superior to other people. "what happened to all the sanctimonious talk about putting his family first?"
Manifold
adj. many and varied; having many features or forms;
Perverse
adj. marked by a disposition to oppose and contradict; marked by immorality; deviating from what is considered right or proper or good; resistant to guidance or discipline
Zealous
adj. marked by active interest and enthusiasm
Nonchalant
adj. marked by blithe unconcern
Assiduous
adj. marked by care and persistent effort
Intimate
adj. marked by close acquaintance, association, or familiarity; thoroughly acquainted through study or experience;
Plebeian
adj. of the common people of ancient Rome; of or associated with the great masses of people; noun one of the common people
Cosmopolitan
adj. of worldwide scope or applicability; composed of people from or at home in many parts of the world; especially not provincial in attitudes or interests; growing or occurring in many parts of the world; noun a sophisticated person who has travelled in many countries
Obsolete
adj. old; no longer in use or valid or fashionable; no longer in use
Turbid
adj. opaque, cloudy, unclear,
Aquatic
adj. operating or living or growing in water; relating to or consisting of or being in water; noun a plant that lives in or on water
Terrestrial
adj. operating or living or growing on land; of this earth; concerned with the world or worldly matters; of or relating to or characteristic of the planet Earth or its inhabitants; of or relating to or inhabiting the land as opposed to the sea or air
Indigenous
adj. originating where it is found
Bombastic
adj. ostentatiously lofty in style
Cloying
adj. overly sweet
Saccharine
adj. overly sweet
Treacly
adj. overly sweet
Extenuating
adj. partially excusing or justifying
Idiosyncratic
adj. peculiar to the individual
Prescient
adj. perceiving the significance of events before they occur
Tangible
adj. perceptible by the senses especially the sense of touch; (of especially business assets) having physical substance and intrinsic monetary value;
Quizzical
adj. perplexed (as if being expected to know something that you do not know); playfully vexing (especially by ridicule)
Apoplectic
adj. pertaining to or characteristic of apoplexy
Specious
adj. plausible but false; based on pretense; deceptively pleasing
benign
adj. pleasant and beneficial in nature or influence; kindness of disposition or manner; not dangerous to health; not recurrent or progressive (especially of a tumor)
Rarefied
adj. reserved for an elite group; of high moral or intellectual value; elevated in nature or style; having low density
Servile
adj. submissive or fawning in attitude or behavior; relating to or involving slaves
Vicarious
adj. suffered or done by one person as a substitute for another; occurring in an abnormal part of the body instead of the usual site involved in that function; experienced at secondhand
Dyspeptic
adj. suffering from dyspepsia; irritable as if suffering from indigestion; noun a person suffering from indigestion
Bilious
adj. suffering from or suggesting a liver disorder or gastric distress; relating to or containing bile; irritable as if suffering from indigestion
Picturesque
adj. suggesting or suitable for a picture; pretty as a picture; strikingly expressive
Uncanny
adj. suggesting the operation of supernatural influences; surpassing the ordinary or normal
Statuesque
adj. suggestive of a statue; of size and dignity suggestive of a statue
Companionable
adj. suggestive of companionship
Sensuous
adj. taking delight in beauty
Protean
adj. taking on different forms
Subjective
adj. taking place within the mind and modified by individual bias; of a mental act performed entirely within the mind
Garish
adj. tastelessly showy
Prolix
adj. tediously prolonged or tending to speak or write at great length
Humdrum
adj. tediously repetitious or lacking in variety; not challenging; dull and lacking excitement; noun routine, and lack of variety
Compelling
adj. tending to persuade by forcefulness of argument; driving or forcing
Salutary
adj. tending to promote physical well-being; beneficial to health
Evanescent
adj. tending to vanish like vapor
Harried
adj. troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances
Askew
adj. turned or twisted toward one side; adv. turned or twisted to one side
Impregnable
adj. unable to be captured or broken into
Incoherent
adj. unable to express yourself clearly or fluently; without logical or meaningful connection
Equivocal
adj. uncertain as a sign or indication; open to two or more interpretations; or of uncertain nature or significance; or (often) intended to mislead; open to question
Ambivalent
adj. uncertain or unable to decide about what course to follow
Odious
adj. unequivocally detestable
Fidelity
noun accuracy with which an electronic system reproduces the sound or image of its input signal; the quality of being faithful
Forage
noun the act of searching for food and provisions; animal food for browsing or grazing; verb wander and feed; collect or look around for (food)
Concede
verb be willing to concede; admit, make a clean breast of; acknowledge defeat; give over; surrender or relinquish to the physical control of another
Congeal
verb become gelatinous
Subjugate
verb make subservient; force to submit or subdue; put down by force or intimidation
Fabricate
verb make up something artificial or untrue; put together out of components or parts
Validate
verb make valid or confirm the validity of; prove valid; show or confirm the validity of something; give evidence for; declare or make legally valid
Debilitate
verb make weak
Oscillate
verb move or swing from side to side regularly; be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action
Skulk
verb move stealthily; avoid responsibilities and duties, e.g., by pretending to be ill; lie in wait, lie in ambush, behave in a sneaky and secretive manner
Propagate
verb multiply sexually or asexually; cause to propagate, as by grafting or layering; transmit or cause to broaden or spread; transmit; travel through the air; transmit from one generation to the next; cause to become widely known; become distributed or widespread
Counteract
verb oppose and mitigate the effects of by contrary actions; destroy property or hinder normal operations; act in opposition to; oppose or check by a counteraction
Quell
verb overcome or allay; suppress or crush completely
Permeate
verb spread or diffuse through; penetrate mutually or be interlocked; pass through
Vex
verb subject to prolonged examination, discussion, or deliberation; be a mystery or bewildering to; change the arrangement or position of; disturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress; cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations
Defer
verb submit or yield to another's wish or opinion; hold back to a later time
Succumb
verb submit, surrender, capitulate
Recapitulate
verb summarize briefly; repeat stages of evolutionary development during the embryonic phase of life; repeat an earlier theme of a composition
Corroborate
verb support with evidence or authority or make more certain or confirm; establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts; give evidence for
Extirpate
verb surgically remove (an organ); pull up by or as if by the roots; destroy completely, as if down to the roots
Capitulate
verb surrender under agreed conditions
Distend
verb swell from or as if from internal pressure; cause to expand as it by internal pressure; become wider
Vitiate
verb take away the legal force of or render ineffective; make imperfect; corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality
Gainsay
verb take exception to
Accede
verb take on duties or office; to agree or express agreement; submit or yield to another's wish or opinion
Arrogate
verb take or claim (something) without justification.
Usurp
verb take the place of; seize and take control without authority and possibly with force; take as one's right or possession
Inculcate
verb teach and impress by frequent repetitions or admonitions
Wrath
noun belligerence aroused by a real or supposed wrong (personified as one of the deadly sins); intense anger (usually on an epic scale)
Perfidy
noun betrayal of a trust; an act of deliberate betrayal
Meld
noun blend; combine.
Palette
noun board that provides a flat surface on which artists mix paints and the range of colors used; the range of colour characteristic of a particular artist or painting or school of art; one of the rounded armor plates at the armpits of a suit of armor
Resurgence
noun bringing again into activity and prominence
Veneer
noun coating consisting of a thin layer of superior wood glued to a base of inferior wood; an ornamental coating to a building; verb cover with veneer
Probity
noun complete and confirmed integrity; having strong moral principles
Duress
noun compulsory force or threat
Scuttle
noun container for coal
Ardor
noun feelings of great warmth and intensity; enthusiasm or passion.
Fervor
noun feelings of great warmth and intensity; the state of being emotionally aroused and worked up
Festoon
noun flower chains suspended in loops between points; an embellishment consisting of a decorative representation of a string of flowers suspended between two points;
Dint
noun force; power
Imprimatur
noun formal and explicit approval
Gravitas
noun formality in bearing and appearance
Gumption
noun fortitude and determination; sound practical judgment
Restitution
noun getting something back again; the act of restoring something to its original state; a sum of money paid in compensation for loss or injury
Serendipity
noun good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries
Aplomb
noun great coolness and composure under strain
Relish
noun great enjoyment.
Censure
noun harsh criticism or disapproval; the state of being excommunicated; verb rebuke formally
Asperity
noun harshness of manner; something hard to endure
Sagacity
noun having or showing keen mental discernment and good judgment; shrewd.
Nurture
noun helping someone grow up to be an accepted member of the community; the properties acquired as a consequence of the way you were treated as a child; verb help develop, help grow; provide with nourishment; bring up
Grandiloquence
noun high-flown style; excessive use of verbal ornamentation
Parody
noun humorous or satirical mimicry; a composition that imitates somebody's style in a humorous way; verb make a spoof of or make fun of; make a parody of
Panacea
noun hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases; once sought by the alchemists; (Greek mythology) the goddess of healing; daughter of Aesculapius and sister of Hygeia
Prattle
noun idle or foolish and irrelevant talk; verb speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly
Clergy
noun in Christianity, clergymen collectively (as distinguished from the laity)
Wont
noun in the habit of doing something; accustomed.
Hypocrisy
noun insincerity by virtue of pretending to have qualities or beliefs that you do not really have; an expression of agreement that is not supported by real conviction
Implement
noun instrumentation (a piece of equipment or tool) used to effect an end;
Nostrum
noun patent medicine whose efficacy is questionable; hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases; once sought by the alchemists
Bedlam
noun pejorative terms for an insane asylum; a state of extreme confusion and disorder
Doggedness
noun persistent determination
Pulchritude
noun physical beauty (especially of a woman)
Linchpin
noun pin inserted through an axletree to hold a wheel on; a central cohesive source of support and stability
Novice
noun someone new to a field or activity; someone who has entered a religious order but has not taken final vows
Scapegoat
noun someone punished for the errors of others
Confidant
noun someone to whom private matters are confided
Iconoclast
noun someone who attacks cherished ideas or traditional institutions; a destroyer of images used in religious worship
Libertarian
noun someone who believes the doctrine of free will
Misanthrope
noun someone who dislikes people in general
Interloper
noun someone who intrudes on the privacy or property of another without permission
Recidivist
noun someone who lapses into previous undesirable patterns of behavior; someone who is repeatedly arrested for criminal behavior (especially for the same criminal behavior)
Pander
noun someone who procures customers for whores (in England they call a pimp a ponce); verb arrange for sexual partners for others; yield (to); give satisfaction to
Celerity
noun a rate that is rapid
Rapport
noun a relationship of mutual understanding or trust and agreement between people
Debauch
noun a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity; verb corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality
Aberration
noun an optical phenomenon resulting from the failure of a lens or mirror to produce a good
Aberration
noun an optical phenomenon resulting from the failure of a lens or mirror to produce a good image; a disorder in one's mental state; a state or condition markedly different from the norm
Demagogue
noun an orator who appeals to the passions and prejudices of his audience
Bard
noun an ornamental caparison for a horse; a lyric poet; verb put a caparison on
Neophyte
noun any new participant in some activity
Wax
noun any of various substances of either mineral origin or plant or animal origin; they are solid at normal temperatures and insoluble in water; verb go up or advance; increase in phase; cover with wax
Blight
noun any plant disease resulting in withering without rotting; a state or condition being blighted; verb cause to suffer a blight
Oblivious
adj. (followed by `to' or `of') lacking conscious awareness of; failing to keep in mind
Resigned
adj. (followed by `to') having come to accept; showing utter resignation or hopelessness
Replete
adj. (followed by `with')deeply filled or permeated; filled to satisfaction with food or drink; verb fill to satisfaction
Placid
adj. (of a body of water) free from disturbance by heavy waves; living without undue worry; taking life easy; not easily irritated
Tranquil
adj. (of a body of water) free from disturbance by heavy waves; not agitated; without losing self-possession
Effervescent
adj. (of a liquid) giving off bubbles; marked by high spirits or excitement; used of wines and waters; charged naturally or artificially with carbon dioxide
Newfangled
adj. (of a new kind or fashion) gratuitously new
Indefatigable
adj. (of a person or their efforts) persisting tirelessly, tireless
Rampant
adj. (of a plant) having a lush and unchecked growth; unrestrained and violent
Soluble
adj. (of a substance) capable of being dissolved in some solvent (usually water); susceptible of solution or of being solved or explained
Occluded
adj. (of a substance) taken into and retained in another substance; closed off
Inviolate
adj. (of a woman) having the hymen unbroken; must be kept sacred
Seminal
adj. (of a work, event, moment, or figure) strongly influencing later developments. influential
Verdant
adj. (of countryside) green with grass or other rich vegetation.
Pellucid
adj. (of language) transparently clear; easily understandable; transmitting light; able to be seen through with clarity
Limpid
adj. (of language) transparently clear; easily understandable; transmitting light; able to be seen through with clarity; clear and bright
Incessant
adj. (of something regarded as unpleasant) continuing without pause or interruption.
Motile
adj. (of spores or microorganisms) capable of movement; noun one whose prevailing mental imagery takes the form of inner feelings of action
Tempestuous
adj. (of the elements) as if showing violent anger; characterized by violent emotions or behavior
Tremulous
adj. (of the voice) quivering as from weakness or fear
Cognizant
adj. (sometimes followed by `of') having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception
Gaudy
adj. (used especially of clothes) marked by conspicuous display; tastelessly showy.
Ignominious
adj. (used of conduct or character) deserving or bringing disgrace or shame
Rancid
adj. (used of decomposing oils or fats) having a rank smell or taste usually due to a chemical change or decomposition; smelling of fermentation or staleness
Miserly
adj. (used of persons or behavior) characterized by or indicative of lack of generosity
Defamatory
adj. (used of statements) harmful and often untrue; tending to discredit or malign
Figurative
adj. (used of the meanings of words or text) not literal; using figures of speech; consisting of or forming human or animal figures
Conversant
adj. (usually followed by `with') well informed about or knowing thoroughly
Sectarian
adj. a group of people with somewhat different religious beliefs
Surrogate
adj. a substitute, especially a person deputizing for another in a specific role or office.
Imperious
adj. able to deal authoritatively with affairs
Pallid
adj. abnormally deficient in color as suggesting physical or emotional distress; lacking in vitality or interest or effectiveness; (of light) lacking in intensity or brightness; dim or feeble
Turgid
adj. abnormally distended especially by fluids or gas; ostentatiously lofty in style
Palatable
adj. acceptable to the taste or mind
Toothsome
adj. acceptable to the taste or mind; having strong sexual appeal; extremely pleasing to the sense of taste
Sapient
adj. acutely insightful and wise
Perspicacious
adj. acutely insightful and wise; mentally acute or penetratingly discerning
Orthodox
adj. adhering to what is commonly accepted; of or pertaining to or characteristic of Judaism; of or relating to or characteristic of the Eastern Orthodox Church
Demure
adj. affectedly modest or shy especially in a playful or provocative way
Precarious
adj. affording no ease or reassurance; not secure; beset with difficulties; dangerously insecure; fraught with danger
Homogeneous
adj. all of the same or similar kind or nature
Reprobate
adj. an unprincipled person
Ashen
adj. anemic looking from illness or emotion; made of wood of the ash tree
Incensed
adj. angered at something unjust or wrong
Indignant
adj. angered at something unjust or wrong
Plausible
adj. apparently reasonable and valid, and truthful; given to or characterized by presenting specious arguments
Precocious
adj. appearing or developing early; characterized by or characteristic of exceptionally early development or maturity (especially in mental aptitude)
Verisimilar
adj. appearing to be true or real
Suitable
adj. appropriate for a condition or purpose or occasion or a person's character, needs; worthy of being chosen especially as a spouse; meant or adapted for an occasion or use
Risible
adj. arousing or provoking laughter
Stilted
adj. artificially formal
Flabbergasted
adj. as if struck dumb with astonishment and surprise
Fawning
adj. attempting to win favor by flattery; attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
Obsequious
adj. attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner; attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
Cunning
adj. attractive especially by means of smallness or prettiness or quaintness; showing inventiveness and skill; marked by skill in deception; noun crafty artfulness (especially in deception); shrewdness as demonstrated by being skilled in deception
Frugal
adj. avoiding waste
Appalling
adj. awful; terrible.
Splenetic
adj. bad-tempered; spiteful.
Fallacious
adj. based on an incorrect or misleading notion or information; containing or based on a fallacy; intended to deceive
Illusory
adj. based on or having the nature of an illusion
Tenable
adj. based on sound reasoning or evidence
Hypothetical
adj. based primarily on surmise rather than adequate evidence; noun a hypothetical possibility, circumstance, statement, proposal, situation, etc.
Prolific
adj. bearing in abundance especially offspring; intellectually productive
Nascent
adj. being born or beginning
Torrid
adj. burning hot; extremely and unpleasantly hot; emotionally charged and vigorously energetic; characterized by intense emotion
Deliberate
adj. by conscious design or purpose; marked by careful consideration or reflection; with care and dignity; produced or marked by conscious design or premeditation; carefully thought out in advance; verb discuss the pros and cons of an issue; think about carefully; weigh
Delectable
adj. capable of arousing desire; extremely pleasing to the sense of taste
Pliable
adj. capable of being bent or flexed or twisted without breaking; able to adjust readily to different conditions; capable of being shaped or bent or drawn out; susceptible to being led or directed
Venal
adj. capable of being corrupted
Accessible
adj. capable of being reached; easy to get along with or talk to; friendly; easily obtained; capable of being read with comprehension
Malleable
adj. capable of being shaped or bent or drawn out; easily influenced
Incendiary
adj. capable of catching fire spontaneously or causing fires or burning readily; arousing to action or rebellion; involving deliberate burning of property; noun a bomb that is designed to start fires; is most effective against flammable targets (such as fuel); a criminal who illegally sets fire to property
Solvent
adj. capable of meeting financial obligations; noun a liquid substance capable of dissolving other substances; a statement that solves a problem or explains how to solve the problem
Mutable
adj. capable of or tending to change in form or quality or nature
Fecund
adj. capable of producing offspring or vegetation; intellectually productive
Analgesic
adj. capable of relieving pain; noun a medicine used to relieve pain
Anodyne
adj. capable of relieving pain; noun a medicine used to relieve pain
Choleric
adj. characterized by anger; quickly aroused to anger; easily moved to anger
Dogmatic
adj. characterized by assertion of unproved or unprovable principles.
Staid
adj. characterized by dignity and propriety
Extraneous
adj. not essential; irrelevant or unrelated to the subject being dealt with.
Impecunious
adj. not having enough money to pay for necessities
Innocuous
adj. not injurious to physical or mental health; not causing disapproval; lacking intent or capacity to injure; unlikely to harm or disturb anyone
Inextricable
adj. not permitting extrication; incapable of being disentangled or untied
Insipid
adj. not pleasing to the sense of taste; lacking interest or significance; lacking significance or impact; lacking taste or flavor or tang
Latent
adj. not presently active; potentially existing but not presently evident or realized
Unkempt
adj. not properly maintained; not neat or cared for; slovenly; not neatly combed
Frivolous
adj. not serious in content or attitude or behavior
Tortuous
adj. not straightforward; marked by repeated turns and bends; highly complex or intricate
Immutable
adj. not subject or susceptible to change or variation in form or quality or nature
Intractable
adj. not tractable; difficult to manage or mold
Convivial
adj. occupied with or fond of the pleasures of good company
Fortuitous
adj. occurring by happy chance; having no cause or apparent cause
Contemporaneous
adj. occurring in the same period of time; of the same period
Transient
adj. of a mental act; causing effects outside the mind; lasting a very short time; noun (physics) a short-lived oscillation in a system caused by a sudden change of voltage or current or load; one who stays for only a short time
Vitriolic
adj. of a substance, especially a strong acid; capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action; harsh or corrosive in tone
Caustic
adj. of a substance, especially a strong acid; capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action; harsh or corrosive in tone; noun any chemical substance that burns or destroys living tissue
Corrosive
adj. of a substance, especially a strong acid; capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action; noun a substance having the tendency to cause corrosion (such a strong acids or alkali)
Eminent
adj. of imposing height; especially standing out above others; having achieved eminence; standing above others in quality or position; (used of persons) standing above others in character or attainment or reputation
Nugatory
adj. of no real value
Puerile
adj. of or characteristic of a child; displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity
Pragmatic
adj. of or concerning the theory of pragmatism; concerned with practical matters; guided by practical experience and observation rather than theory; noun an imperial decree that becomes part of the fundamental law of the land
Demotic
adj. of or for the common people; of or written in or belonging to the form of modern Greek based on colloquial use; noun a simplified cursive form of the ancient hieratic script; the modern Greek vernacular
Polemic
adj. of or involving dispute or controversy; noun a controversy (especially over a belief or dogma); a writer who argues in opposition to others (especially in theology)
Draconian
adj. of or relating to Draco or his harsh code of laws
Magisterial
adj. of or relating to a magistrate; used of a person's appearance or behavior; befitting an eminent person; offensively self-assured or given to exercising usually unwarranted power
Physiological
adj. of or relating to the biological study of physiology; of or consistent with an organism's normal functioning
legacy
an amount of money or property left to someone in a will. "a legacy from a great aunt" a thing handed down by a predecessor.
Fraternize
verb be on friendly terms with someone, as if with a brother, especially with an enemy
Hector
noun (Greek mythology) a mythical Trojan who was killed by Achilles during the Trojan War; verb be bossy towards
Kismet
noun (Islam) the will of Allah
Pinnacle
noun (architecture) a slender upright spire at the top of a buttress of tower; a lofty peak; the highest level or degree attainable; the highest stage of development; verb raise on or as if on a pinnacle; surmount with a pinnacle
Culmination
noun (astronomy) a heavenly body's highest celestial point above an observer's horizon; a concluding action; the decisive moment in a novel or play; a final climactic stage
Outstrip
verb be or do something to a greater degree; go far ahead of
Microcosm
noun a miniature model of something
Procure
verb get by special effort; arrange for sexual partners for others
Rescind
verb annul by recalling or rescinding
Apprehend
verb anticipate with dread or anxiety; get the meaning of something; take into custody
Embezzle
verb appropriate (as property entrusted to one's care) fraudulently to one's own use
Cadge
verb ask for and get free; be a parasite
Captivate
verb attract; cause to be enamored
Beguile
verb attract; cause to be enamored; influence by slyness
Impute
verb attribute or credit to; attribute (responsibility or fault) to a cause or source
Eschew
verb avoid and stay away from deliberately; stay clear of
Circumvent
verb avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues); beat through cleverness and wit; surround so as to force to give up
Malinger
verb avoid responsibilities and duties, e.g., by pretending to be ill
Foment
verb bathe with warm water or medicated lotions; try to stir up public opinion
Perplex
verb be a mystery or bewildering to; make more complicated
Emote
verb give expression or emotion to, in a stage or movie role
distribute
verb give out;
Consign
verb give over to another for care or safekeeping; commit forever; commit irrevocably; send to an address
Abdicate
verb give up, such as power, as of monarchs and emperors, or duties and obligations
Abdicate
verb give upsuch as power, as of monarchs and emperors, or duties and obligations
Enfranchise
verb grant voting rights; grant freedom to; as from slavery or servitude
Aspire
verb have an ambitious plan or a lofty goal
Impinge
verb have an effect or impact, especially a negative one.
Encumber
verb hold back
Enthrall
verb hold spellbound
Undermine
verb hollow out as if making a cave or opening; destroy property or hinder normal operations
Encompass
verb include in scope; include as part of something broader; have as one's sphere or territory
Prognosticate
verb indicate by signs; make a prediction about; tell in advance
Castigate
verb inflict severe punishment on; censure severely
Cajole
verb influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
Insinuate
verb introduce or insert (oneself) in a subtle manner; give to understand
insinuate
verb introduce or insert (oneself) in a subtle manner; give to understand
Prescribe
verb issue commands or orders for
Forestall
verb keep from happening or arising; make impossible; act in advance of; deal with ahead of time
Eradicate
verb kill in large numbers; destroy completely, as if down to the roots
Decimate
verb kill one in every ten, as of mutineers in Roman armies; kill in large numbers
Ascertain
verb learn or discover with certainty; be careful or certain to do something; make certain of something; establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study; find out, learn, or determine with certainty, usually by making an inquiry or other effort
Bequeath
verb leave or give by will after one's death
Forsake
verb leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
Belittle
verb lessen the authority, dignity, or reputation of; express a negative opinion of; cause to seem less serious; play down
abridge
verb lessen, diminish, or curtail; reduce in scope while retaining essential elements
abridge
verb lessendiminish, or curtail; reduce in scope while retaining essential elements
Garble
verb make false by mutilation or addition; as of a message or story
Elucidate
verb make free from confusion or ambiguity; make clear; make clear and (more) comprehensible
satisfy
verb make happy or satisfied; fulfil the requirements or expectations of; fill or meet a want or need
Preclude
verb make impossible, especially beforehand; keep from happening or arising; make impossible
Efface
verb make inconspicuous; remove completely from recognition or memory; remove by or as if by rubbing or erasing
Divulge
verb make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret
Slake
verb make less active or intense; cause to heat and crumble by treatment with water; satisfy (thirst)
Mollify
verb make less rigid or softer; make more temperate, acceptable, or suitable by adding something else; moderate; cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of
Mitigate
verb make less severe or harsh; lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of
Embellish
verb make more beautiful; add details to; make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.; be beautiful to look at
Obfuscate
verb make obscure or unclear
Compensate
verb make payment to; compensate; make amends for; pay compensation for; adjust for; do or give something to somebody in return; make reparations or amends for; make up for shortcomings or a feeling of inferiority by exaggerating good qualities
Construe
verb make sense of; assign a meaning to
Stupefy
verb make senseless or dizzy by or as if by a blow; be a mystery or bewildering to; make dull or stupid or muddle with drunkenness or infatuation
Becalm
verb make steady
Byzantine
adj. characterized by elaborate scheming and intrigue; devious; highly complex or intricate; of or relating to or characteristic of the Byzantine Empire or the ancient city of Byzantium; of or relating to the Eastern Orthodox Church or the rites performed in it; noun a native or inhabitant of Byzantium or of the Byzantine Empire
Painstaking
adj. characterized by extreme care and great effort
Conscientious
adj. characterized by extreme care and great effort; guided by or in accordance with conscience or sense of right and wrong
Chary
adj. characterized by great cautious and wariness
Vehement
adj. characterized by great force or energy; marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions; inclined to react violently; fervid
Industrious
adj. characterized by hard work and perseverance; working hard to promote an enterprise
Jocose
adj. characterized by jokes and good humor
Prurient
adj. characterized by lust
Reductive
adj. characterized by or causing diminution or curtailment
Strenuous
adj. characterized by or performed with much energy or force; taxing to the utmost; testing powers of endurance
Decorous
adj. characterized by propriety and dignity and good taste in manners and conduct; according with custom or propriety
Gossamer
adj. characterized by unusual lightness and delicacy; so thin as to transmit light; noun a gauze fabric with an extremely fine texture; filaments from a web that was spun by a spider
Winsome
adj. charming in a childlike or naive way
Manifest
adj. clear or obvious to the eye or mind.
Trenchant
adj. clearly or sharply defined to the mind; characterized by or full of force and vigor; having keenness and forcefulness and penetration in thought, expression, or intellect
Facetious
adj. cleverly amusing in tone
Hermetic
adj. completely sealed; completely airtight
Sanguine
adj. confidently optimistic and cheerful; inclined to a healthy reddish color often associated with outdoor life; noun a blood-red color
Heterogeneous
adj. consisting of elements that are not of the same kind or nature; originating outside the body
Prominent
adj. conspicuous in position or importance; having a quality that thrusts itself into attention
Vociferous
adj. conspicuously and offensively loud; given to vehement outcry
Egregious
adj. conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible
Flagrant
adj. conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible
Discrete
adj. constituting a separate entity or part
Integral
adj. constituting the undiminished entirety; lacking nothing essential especially not damaged; existing as an essential constituent or characteristic
Constituent
adj. constitutional in the structure of something (especially your physical makeup); noun (grammar) a word or phrase or clause forming part of a larger grammatical construction; a member of a constituency; a citizen who is represented in a government by officials for whom he or she votes;
Illicit
adj. contrary to accepted morality (especially sexual morality) or convention; contrary to or forbidden by law
Prepossessing
adj. creating a favorable impression
Desolate
adj. crushed by grief; providing no shelter or sustenance; verb devastate or ravage; reduce in population; leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
Truculent
adj. defiantly aggressive
Meager
adj. deficient in amount or quality or extent
Inimitable
adj. defying imitation; matchless
Stringent
adj. demanding strict attention to rules and procedures
Empirical
adj. derived from experiment and observation rather than theory; relying on medical quackery
Culpable
adj. deserving blame or censure as being wrong or evil or injurious
Estimable
adj. deserving of respect or high regard; deserving of esteem and respect; may be computed or estimated
Hapless
adj. deserving or inciting pity
Meritorious
adj. deserving reward or praise
Whimsical
adj. determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason
Capricious
adj. determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason; changeable
Devious
adj. deviating from a straight course; indirect in departing from the accepted or proper way; misleading; characterized by insincerity or deceit; evasive
Atypical
adj. deviating from normal expectations; somewhat odd, strange, or abnormal; not representative of a group, class, or type
Fatuous
adj. devoid of intelligence
Inane
adj. devoid of intelligence
Emollient
adj. having a softening or soothing effect especially to the skin; noun toiletry consisting of any of various substances in the form of a thick liquid that have a soothing and moisturizing effect when applied to the skin
Utilitarian
adj. having a useful function; having utility often to the exclusion of values; noun someone who believes that the value of a thing depends on its utility
Variegated
adj. having a variety of colors
Despoiled
adj. having been robbed and destroyed by force and violence
Nonpareil
adj. having no match or equal; unrivaled. matchless
Vertiginous
adj. having or causing a whirling sensation; liable to falling
Hirsute
adj. having or covered with hair
Tendentious
adj. having or marked by a strong tendency especially a controversial one
Stolid
adj. having or revealing little emotion or sensibility; not easily aroused or excited
Impassive
adj. having or revealing little emotion or sensibility; not easily aroused or excited; deliberately impassive in manner
Virtuoso
adj. having or revealing supreme mastery or skill; noun a musician who is a consummate master of technique and artistry; someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
Bellicose
adj. having or showing a ready disposition to fight
Haughty
adj. having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy
Erudite
adj. having or showing profound knowledge
Scrupulous
adj. having scruples; arising from a sense of right and wrong; principled; characterized by extreme care and great effort
Piebald
adj. having sections or patches colored differently and usually brightly
Motley
adj. having sections or patches colored differently and usually brightly; consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds (even to the point of incongruity); noun a multicolored woolen fabric woven of mixed threads
Storied
adj. having stories as indicated; having an illustrious past
Paramount
adj. having superior power and influence
Melodramatic
adj. having the excitement and emotional appeal of melodrama; characteristic of acting or a stage performance; often affected
Audible
adj. heard or perceptible by the ear; noun a football play is changed orally after both teams have assumed their positions at the line of scrimmage
Circumspect
adj. heedful of potential consequences
Ribald
adj. humorously vulgar; noun a ribald person; someone who uses vulgar and offensive language
Intransigent
adj. impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, reason
Inexorable
adj. impossible to stop or prevent.
Grandiose
adj. impressive because of unnecessary largeness or grandeur; used to show disapproval; affectedly genteel
Venerable
adj. impressive by reason of age; profoundly honored
Rash
adj. imprudently incurring risk; marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences; noun a series of unexpected and unpleasant occurrences; any red eruption of the skin
Stupefied
adj. in a state of mental numbness especially as resulting from shock; as if struck dumb with astonishment and surprise
Disgruntled
adj. in a state of sulky dissatisfaction
Embryonic
adj. in an early stage of development; of an organism prior to birth or hatching
Insurgent
adj. in opposition to a civil authority or government; noun a person who takes part in an armed rebellion against the constituted authority (especially in the hope of improving conditions); a member of an irregular armed force that fights a stronger force by sabotage and harassment
Subversive
adj. in opposition to a civil authority or government; noun a radical supporter of political or social revolution
Modish
adj. in the current fashion or style
Dormant
adj. inactive but capable of becoming active; of e.g. volcanos; not erupting and not extinct; in a condition of biological rest or suspended animation
Lethargic
adj. inactive, underactive, slow, torpid, lifeless
Wanting
adj. inadequate in amount or degree; not existing
Implacable
adj. incapable of being placated
Irrevocable
adj. incapable of being retracted or revoked
Maverick
adj. independent in behavior or thought; noun an unbranded range animal (especially a stray calf); belongs to the first person who puts a brand on it; someone who exhibits great independence in thought and action
Virulent
adj. infectious; having the ability to cause disease; harsh or corrosive in tone; extremely poisonous or injurious; producing venom
Omniscient
adj. infinitely wise
Punitive
adj. inflicting punishment
Arboreal
adj. inhabiting or frequenting trees; resembling a tree in form and branching structure; of or relating to or formed by trees
Noxious
adj. injurious to physical or mental health
Peremptory
adj. insisting on immediate attention or obedience, especially in a brusquely imperious way. lordly
Gregarious
adj. instinctively or temperamentally seeking and enjoying the company of others; (of animals) tending to form a group with others of the same species;
Didactic
adj. instructive (especially excessively)
Conciliatory
adj. intended or likely to overcome animosity or hostility; making or willing to make concessions
Ostentatious
adj. intended to attract notice and impress others; of a display that is tawdry or vulgar
Spurious
adj. intended to deceive; born out of wedlock; plausible but false
Mendacious
adj. intentionally untrue; given to lying
Fitful
adj. intermittently, not regular or steady
Officious
adj. intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner
Incarnate
adj. invested with a bodily form especially of a human body; possessing or existing in bodily form; verb make concrete and real; represent in bodily form
Picaresque
adj. involving clever rogues or adventurers especially as in a type of fiction
Cerebral
adj. involving intelligence rather than emotions or instinct; of or relating to the cerebrum or brain
Consonant
adj. involving or characterized by harmony; in keeping; noun a speech sound that is not a vowel; a letter of the alphabet standing for a spoken consonant
Contentious
adj. involving or likely to cause controversy; inclined or showing an inclination to dispute or disagree, even to engage in law suits
Peripatetic
adj. itinerant
Jubilant
adj. joyful and proud especially because of triumph or success; full of high-spirited delight
Myopic
adj. lacking foresight or scope; unable to see distant objects clearly
Scanty
adj. lacking in amplitude or quantity; noun short underpants for women or children (usually used in the plural)
Pusillanimous
adj. lacking in courage and manly strength and resolution; contemptibly fearful
Feckless
adj. lacking initiative or strength of character; irresponsible, useless, worthless
Obtuse
adj. lacking intellectual acuity
Jejune
adj. lacking interest or significance; displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity; lacking in nutritive value
Diffident
adj. lacking self-confidence; showing modest reserve
Ephemeral
adj. lasting a very short time; noun anything short-lived, as an insect that lives only for a day in its winged form
Fleeting
adj. lasting for a markedly brief time
Wizened
adj. lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness
Sublime
adj. lifted up or set high; inspiring awe; of high moral or intellectual value; elevated in nature or style; worthy of adoration or reverence; verb vaporize and then condense right back again; change or cause to change directly from a solid into a vapor without first melting
Avuncular
adj. like an uncle in kindness or indulgence; being or relating to an uncle
Meretricious
adj. like or relating to a prostitute; based on pretense; deceptively pleasing; tastelessly showy
Crepuscular
adj. like twilight; dim
Invidious
adj. likely to arouse or incur resentment or anger in others.
Fallible
adj. likely to fail or make errors; having the attributes of man as opposed to e.g. divine beings
Archaic
adj. little evolved from or characteristic of an earlier ancestral type; so extremely old as seeming to belong to an earlier period
Streamlined
adj. made efficient by stripping off nonessentials; designed or arranged to offer the least resistant to fluid flow
Disheartened
adj. made less hopeful or enthusiastic
Homespun
adj. made of cloth spun or woven in the home; of textiles; having a rough surface; characteristic of country life; noun a rough loosely woven fabric originally made with yarn that was spun at home
Brazen
adj. made of or resembling brass (as in color or hardness); unrestrained by convention or propriety; verb face with defiance or impudence
Elaborate
adj. marked by complexity and richness of detail; developed or executed with care and in minute detail; verb work out in detail; add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing; produce from basic elements or sources; change into a more developed product; make more complex, intricate, or richer
Duplicitous
adj. marked by deliberate deceptiveness especially by pretending one set of feelings and acting under the influence of another
Fickle
adj. marked by erratic changeableness in affections or attachments; liable to sudden unpredictable change
Cocksure
adj. marked by excessive confidence
Fanatic
adj. marked by excessive enthusiasm for and intense devotion to a cause or idea.
Effete
adj. marked by excessive self-indulgence and moral decay
Decadent
adj. marked by excessive self-indulgence and moral decay; noun a person who has fallen into a decadent state (morally or artistically)
Meticulous
adj. marked by extreme care in treatment of details; marked by precise accordance with details
Slipshod
adj. marked by great carelessness
Scathing
adj. marked by harshly abusive criticism
Negligent
adj. marked by insufficient care or attention; characterized by neglect and undue lack of concern
Circuitous
adj. marked by obliqueness or indirection in speech or conduct; deviating from a straight course
Forlorn
adj. marked by or showing hopelessness
Astute
adj. marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
Punctilious
adj. marked by precise accordance with details
Efficacious
adj. marked by qualities giving the power to produce an intended effect; producing or capable of producing an intended result or having a striking effect
Recalcitrant
adj. marked by stubborn resistance to authority; stubbornly resistant to authority or control
Discriminate
adj. marked by the ability to see or make fine distinctions; noting distinctions with nicety; verb recognize or perceive the difference; distinguish; treat differently on the basis of sex or race
Judicious
adj. marked by the exercise of good judgment or common sense in practical matters
Impetuous
adj. marked by violent force; characterized by undue haste and lack of thought or deliberation
Sordid
adj. meanly avaricious and mercenary; foul and run-down and repulsive; unethical or dishonest; morally degraded
Putrid
adj. morally corrupt or evil; in an advanced state of decomposition and having a foul odor; of or relating to or attended by putrefaction
Unsavory
adj. morally offensive; not pleasing in odor or taste
Superfluous
adj. more than is needed, desired, or required; serving no useful purpose; having no excuse for being
Salient
adj. most noticeable or important.
Lithe
adj. moving and bending with ease
Agile
adj. moving quickly and lightly; mentally quick
Sacrosanct
adj. must be kept sacred
Inviolable
adj. must be kept sacred; incapable of being transgressed or dishonored; not capable of being violated or infringed; able to withstand attack
Illiberal
adj. narrow-minded about cherished opinions
Insular
adj. narrowly restricted in outlook or scope; suggestive of the isolated life of an island; relating to or characteristic of or situated on an island
Swarthy
adj. naturally having skin of a dark color
Requisite
adj. necessary for relief or supply; noun anything indispensable
Penultimate
adj. next to the last; noun the next to last syllable in a word
Blase
adj. nonchalantly unconcerned; uninterested because of frequent exposure or indulgence.
Impervious
adj. not admitting of passage or capable of being affected
Retiring
adj. not arrogant or presuming; moving toward a position farther from the front; reluctant to draw attention to yourself; of a person who has held and relinquished a position or office
Impeccable
adj. not capable of sin; without fault or error
Prosaic
adj. not challenging; dull and lacking excitement; lacking wit or imagination; not fanciful or imaginative
Obscure
adj. not clearly understood or expressed; not drawing attention; not famous or acclaimed; marked by difficulty of style or expression;
Dubious
adj. not convinced; fraught with uncertainty or doubt; open to doubt or suspicion
Onerous
adj. not easily borne; wearing
Novel
adj. pleasantly new or different; original and of a kind not seen before; noun a printed and bound book that is an extended work of fiction; a extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
Mellifluous
adj. pleasing to the ear
Indigent
adj. poor enough to need help from others
Ascetic
adj. practicing great self-denial; pertaining to or characteristic of an ascetic or the practice of rigorous self-discipline; noun someone who practices self denial as a spiritual discipline
Ominous
adj. presaging ill fortune; threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
Innate
adj. present at birth but not necessarily hereditary; acquired during fetal development; being talented through inherited qualities; not established by conditioning or learning
Propitious
adj. presenting favorable circumstances; likely to result in or show signs or success
Profuse
adj. produced or growing in extreme abundance
Pacific
adj. promoting peace; disposed to peace or of a peaceful nature; relating to or bordering the Pacific Ocean; noun the largest ocean in the world
Reclusive
adj. providing privacy or seclusion; withdrawn from society; seeking solitude
Admonished
adj. punished especially by reproof or reprimand
Effulgent
adj. radiating or as if radiating light
Refulgent
adj. radiating or as if radiating light
Spendthrift
adj. recklessly wasteful; noun someone who spends money prodigally
Resilient
adj. recovering readily from adversity, depression, or the like; elastic; rebounds readily
Perennial
adj. recurring again and again; lasting three seasons or more; lasting an indefinitely long time; suggesting self-renewal; noun a plant lasting for three seasons or more
Florid
adj. red-faced
Chronological
adj. relating to or arranged according to temporal order
Guttural
adj. relating to or articulated in the throat; like the sounds of frogs and crows; noun a consonant articulated in the back of the mouth or throat
Filial
adj. relating to or characteristic of or befitting an offspring; designating the generation or the sequence of generations following the parental generation
Glacial
adj. relating to or derived from a glacier; extremely cold; devoid of warmth and cordiality; expressive of unfriendliness or disdain
Parochial
adj. relating to or supported by or located in a parish; narrowly restricted in outlook or scope
Bucolic
adj. relating to shepherds or herdsmen or devoted to raising sheep or cattle; used of idealized country life; noun a short descriptive poem of rural or pastoral life; a country person
Reticent
adj. reluctant to draw attention to yourself; temperamentally disinclined to talk; cool and formal in manner
Banal
adj. repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
Hackneyed
adj. repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
Trite
adj. repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
Redundant
adj. repetition of same sense in different words; more than is needed, desired, or required
Delineate
adj. represented accurately or precisely; verb describe in vivid detail; trace the shape of; make a mark or lines on a surface; determine the essential quality of; show the form or outline of
Ostensible
adj. represented or appearing as such; pretended; appearing as such but not necessarily so
Archetypal
adj. representing or constituting an original type after which other similar things are patterned
Quintessential
adj. representing the perfect example of a class or quality
Exigent
adj. requiring precise accuracy; demanding attention
Exacting
adj. requiring precise accuracy; severe and unremitting in making demands; having complicated nutritional requirements; especially growing only in special artificial cultures
Arcane
adj. requiring secret or mysterious knowledge
Sedentary
adj. requiring sitting or little activity
Enigmatic
adj. resembling an oracle in obscurity of thought; not clear to the understanding
Obstinate
adj. resistant to guidance or discipline; stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing; tenaciously unwilling or marked by tenacious unwillingness to yield; verb persist stubbornly
Derivative
adj. resulting from or employing derivation; noun (linguistics) a word that is derived from another word; the result of mathematical differentiation; the instantaneous change of one quantity relative to another; df(x)/dx; a financial instrument whose value is based on another security
Inept
adj. revealing lack of perceptiveness or judgment or finesse; generally incompetent and ineffectual; not elegant or graceful in expression
Opulent
adj. rich and superior in quality
Ornate
adj. rich in decorative detail; marked by elaborate rhetoric and elaborated with decorative details
Convoluted
adj. rolled or coiled together; highly complex or intricate
Robust
adj. rough and crude; physically strong; strong enough to withstand or overcome intellectual challenges or adversity; marked by richness and fullness of flavor
Covert
adj. secret or hidden; not openly practiced or engaged in or shown or avowed; (of a wife) being under the protection of her husband; noun a flock of coots; a covering that serves to conceal or shelter something
Stoic, Stolid
adj. seeming unaffected by pleasure or pain; impassive; someone who is seemingly indifferent to emotions
Eclectic
adj. selecting what seems best of various styles or ideas; noun someone who selects according to the eclectic method
Bumptious
adj. self-assertive or proud to an irritating degree.
Cardinal
adj. serving as an essential component;
Expedient
adj. serving to promote your interest; appropriate to a purpose; practical; noun a means to an end; not necessarily a principled or ethical one
Sensual
adj. sexually exciting or gratifying; marked by the appetites and passions of the body
Grisly
adj. shockingly repellent; inspiring horror
Macabre
adj. shockingly repellent; inspiring horror
Morose
adj. showing a brooding ill humor
Urbane
adj. showing a high degree of refinement and the assurance that comes from wide social experience
Consummate
adj. showing a high degree of skill and flair; complete or perfect, superb, ultimate.
Speculative
adj. showing curiosity; not based on fact or investigation; not financially safe or secure
Rancorous
adj. showing deep-seated resentment
Deferential
adj. showing deference
Overweening
adj. showing excessive confidence or pride.
Dilettante
adj. showing frivolous or superficial interest; amateurish; noun an amateur who engages in an activity without serious intentions and who pretends to have knowledge
Solicitous
adj. showing hovering attentiveness; full of anxiety and concern
Flippant
adj. showing inappropriate levity
Ingenious
adj. showing inventiveness and skill; skillful (or showing skill) in adapting means to ends; (used of persons or artifacts) marked by independence and creativity in thought or action
Phlegmatic
adj. showing little emotion
Vindictive
adj. showing malicious ill will and a desire to hurt; motivated by spite; disposed to seek revenge or intended for revenge
Circumscribed
adj. showing or determining a boundary; subject to limits or subjected to limits
Wistful
adj. showing pensive sadness
Obdurate
adj. showing unfeeling resistance to tender feelings; stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing
Cordial
adj. sincerely or intensely felt; showing warm and heartfelt friendliness; diffusing warmth and friendliness; noun strong highly flavored sweet liquor usually drunk after a meal
Diaphanous
adj. so thin as to transmit light
Luminous
adj. softly bright or radiant
Consecrate
adj. solemnly dedicated to or set apart for a high purpose; verb render holy by means of religious rites; dedicate to a deity by a vow; give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause; appoint to a clerical posts
Grating
adj. sounding harsh and unpleasant.
Quaint
adj. strange in an interesting or pleasing way; very strange or unusual; odd or even incongruous in character or appearance; attractively old-fashioned (but not necessarily authentic)
Pungent
adj. strong and sharp; "the pungent taste of radishes"; capable of wounding
Refractory
adj. stubborn or unmanageable.
Hidebound
adj. stubbornly conservative and narrow-minded
Gallant
adj. unflinching in battle or action; having or displaying great dignity or nobility; being attentive to women like an ideal knight; lively and spirited; noun a man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance; a man who attends or escorts a woman
Lovelorn
adj. unhappy in love; suffering from unrequited love
Bereft
adj. unhappy in love; suffering from unrequited love; sorrowful through loss or deprivation
Fulsome
adj. unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating in manner or speech
Raucous
adj. unpleasantly loud and harsh; disturbing the public peace; loud and rough
Skittish
adj. unpredictably excitable (especially of horses)
Bootless
adj. unproductive of success
Profligate
adj. unrestrained by convention or morality; recklessly wasteful; noun a recklessly extravagant consumer; a dissolute man in fashionable society
Insolent
adj. unrestrained by convention or propriety; marked by casual disrespect
Stingy
adj. unwilling to spend; deficient in amount or quality or extent
Conniving
adj. used of persons; acting together in secret toward a fraudulent or illegal end
Congenial
adj. used of plants; capable of cross-fertilization or of being grafted; suitable to your needs or similar to your nature
Tedious
adj. using or containing too many words; so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness
Boon
adj. very close and convivial; noun a desirable state
Munificent
adj. very generous
Lavish
adj. very generous; characterized by extravagance and profusion; verb expend profusely; also used with abstract nouns
Emaciated
adj. very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold
Haggard
adj. very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold;
Tenuous
adj. very thin in gauge or diameter; having thin consistency; having little substance or significance
Lurid
adj. very vivid in color, especially so as to create an unpleasantly harsh or unnatural effect.
Impromptu
adj. with little or no preparation or forethought; adv. without advance preparation; noun an extemporaneous speech or remark; a short musical passage that seems to have been made spontaneously without advance preparation
Despondent
adj. without or almost without hope
Inarticulate
adj. without or deprived of the use of speech or words
Insidious
adj. working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way; intended to entrap; beguiling but harmful
Laudable
adj. worthy of high praise
Hallowed
adj. worthy of religious veneration
Vehemently
adv. in a vehement manner
Non
adv. negation of a word or group of words
Apace
adv. with rapid movements
Complaint
noun (civil law) the first pleading of the plaintiff setting out the facts on which the claim for relief is based; an expression of grievance or resentment; (formerly) a loud cry (or repeated cries) of pain or rage or sorrow;
Foreground
noun (computer science) a window for an active application; the part of a scene that is near the viewer; verb move into the foreground to make more visible or prominent
crime
noun (criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act; an evil act not necessarily punishable by law
Demur
noun (law) a formal objection to an opponent's pleadings; verb take exception to; enter a demurrer
Injunction
noun (law) a judicial remedy issued in order to prohibit a party from doing or continuing to do a certain activity; a formal command or admonition
Litigant
noun (law) a party to a lawsuit; someone involved in litigation
Posit
noun (logic) a proposition that is accepted as true in order to provide a basis for logical reasoning; verb take as a given; assume as a postulate or axiom; put before; put (something somewhere) firmly
Paradox
noun (logic) a statement that contradicts itself
Mores
noun (sociology) the conventions that embody the fundamental values of a group
Tome
noun a (usually) large and scholarly book
Idiosyncrasy
noun a behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual
Epitome
noun a brief abstract (as of an article or book); a standard or typical example
Coup
noun a brilliant and notable success; a sudden and decisive change of government illegally or by force
Shard
noun a broken piece of a brittle artifact
Luminary
noun a celebrity who is an inspiration to others
Gambit
noun a chess move early in the game in which the player sacrifices minor pieces in order to obtain an advantageous position; an opening remark intended to secure an advantage for the speaker; a maneuver in a game or conversation
Caucus
noun a closed political meeting; verb meet to select a candidate or promote a policy
Compress
noun a cloth pad or dressing (with or without medication) applied firmly to some part of the body (to relieve discomfort or reduce fever); verb squeeze or press together; make more compact by or as if by pressing
Bludgeon
noun a club used as a weapon; verb overcome or coerce as if by using a heavy club; strike with a club or a bludgeon
Farce
noun a comedy characterized by broad satire and improbable situations;
Disdain
noun a communication that indicates lack of respect by patronizing the recipient; lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike; verb reject with contempt; look down on with disdain
Metamorphosis
noun a complete change of physical form or substance especially as by magic or witchcraft; transformation, mutation
Travesty
noun a composition that imitates somebody's style in a humorous way; a comedy characterized by broad satire and improbable situations; verb make a travesty of
Demarcation
noun a conceptual separation or distinction; the boundary of a specific area
Apothegm
noun a concise saying or maxim; an aphorism.
Welter
noun a confused multitude of things; verb be immersed in; toss, roll, or rise and fall in an uncontrolled way; roll around, "pigs were wallowing in the mud"
Turpitude
noun a corrupt or depraved or degenerate act or practice
Depravity
noun a corrupt or depraved or degenerate act or practice; moral perversion; impairment of virtue and moral principles
Machination
noun a crafty and involved plot to achieve your (usually sinister) ends
Juggernaut
noun a crude idol of Krishna; a massive inexorable force that seems to crush everything in its way; an avatar of Vishnu
Boor
noun a crude uncouth ill-bred person lacking culture or refinement
Ruffian
noun a cruel and brutal fellow
Despot
noun a cruel and oppressive dictator
Curmudgeon
noun a crusty irascible cantankerous old person full of stubborn ideas
Harrow
noun a cultivator that pulverizes or smooths the soil; verb draw a harrow over (land)
Retrenchment
noun a cutting down or off, as by the reduction of expenses
Artifice
noun a deceptive maneuver (especially to avoid capture)
Ruse
noun a deceptive maneuver (especially to avoid capture)
Forbearance
noun a delay in enforcing rights or claims or privileges; refraining from acting; good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence
Discrepancy
noun a difference between conflicting facts or claims or opinions; an event that departs from expectations
Prevaricate
verb be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information
Dissent
noun a difference of opinion; (law) the difference of one judge's opinion from that of the majority; the act of protesting; a public (often organized) manifestation of dissent; verb withhold assent; be of different opinions; express opposition through action or words
Conundrum
noun a difficult problem
Plenipotentiary
noun a diplomat who is fully authorized to represent his or her government
Bonhomie
noun a disposition to be friendly and approachable (easy to talk to)
Propensity
noun a disposition to behave in a certain way; a natural inclination; an inclination to do something
Irreverence
noun a disrespectful act; an irreverent mental attitude
Trepidation
noun a feeling of alarm or dread
Umbrage
noun a feeling of anger caused by being offended
Rancor
noun a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will
Compunction
noun a feeling of deep regret (usually for some misdeed)
Indignation
noun a feeling of righteous anger
Flotilla
noun a fleet of small craft; a United States Navy fleet consisting of two or more squadrons of small warships
Confluence
noun a flowing together; a place where things merge or flow together (especially rivers); a coming together of people
Presage
noun a foreboding about what is about to happen; a sign of something about to happen; verb indicate by signs
Encomium
noun a formal expression of praise
Kowtow
noun a former Chinese custom of touching the ground with the forehead as a sign of respect or submission; verb try to gain favor by cringing or flattering; bend the knees and bow in a servile manner
Effluvium
noun a foul-smelling outflow or vapor (especially a gaseous waste)
Plenitude
noun a full supply
Largess
noun a gift or money given (as for service or out of benevolence); usually given ostentatiously; liberality in bestowing gifts; extremely liberal and generous of spirit
Wane
noun a gradual decline (in size or strength or power or number); verb decrease in phase; become smaller; grow smaller
Solecism
noun a grammatical mistake in speech or writing.
Canvas
noun a heavy, closely woven fabric
Cache
noun a hidden storage space (for money or provisions or weapons);
Asylum
noun a hospital for mentally incompetent or unbalanced person; a shelter from danger or hardship
Exodus
noun a journey by a large group to escape from a hostile environment; the second book of the Old Testament: tells of the departure of the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt led by Moses; God gave them the Ten Commandments and the rest of Mosaic law on Mount Sinai during the Exodus
Excursion
noun a journey taken for pleasure; wandering from the main path of a journey
Marshal
noun a law officer having duties similar to those of a sheriff in carrying out the judgments of a court of law; (in some countries) a military officer of highest rank; verb arrange in logical order; place in proper rank; lead ceremoniously, as in a procession; make ready for action or use
Harangue
noun a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion; verb deliver a harangue to; address forcefully
Malediction
noun a magical word or phrase uttered with the intention of bringing about evil or destruction; a curse.
Artifact
noun a man-made object taken as a whole
Stratagem
noun a maneuver in a game or conversation; an elaborate or deceitful scheme contrived to deceive or evade
Levity
noun a manner lacking seriousness; feeling an inappropriate lack of seriousness
Blemish
noun a mark or flaw that spoils the appearance of something (especially on a person's body); verb mar or impair with a flaw; add a flaw or blemish to; make imperfect or defective; mar or spoil the appearance of
Exponent
noun a mathematical notation indicating the number of times a quantity is multiplied by itself; someone who expounds and interprets or explains; a person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea
Automaton
noun a mechanism that can move automatically; someone who acts or responds in a mechanical or apathetic way
Approval
noun a message expressing a favorable opinion; a feeling of liking something or someone good; acceptance as satisfactory; the formal act of approving
Commendation
noun a message expressing a favorable opinion; an official award (as for bravery or service) usually given as formal public statement
Surmise
noun a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence; verb infer from incomplete evidence; imagine to be the case or true or probable
Coin
noun a metal piece (usually a disc) used as money; verb make up; form by stamping, punching, or printing
Reproach
noun a mild rebuke or criticism; disgrace or shame; verb express criticism towards
Hiatus
noun a missing piece (as a gap in a manuscript); a natural opening or perforation through a bone or a membranous structure; an interruption in the intensity or amount of something
Bauble
noun a mock scepter carried by a court jester; cheap showy jewelry or ornament on clothing
Elegy
noun a mournful poem; a lament for the dead
Medley
noun a musical composition consisting of a series of songs or other musical pieces from various sources
Ballad
noun a narrative poem of popular origin; a narrative song with a recurrent refrain
Rift
noun a narrow fissure in rock; a gap between cloud masses; a personal or social separation (as between opposing factions)
Defile
noun a narrow pass (especially one between mountains); verb place under suspicion or cast doubt upon; spot, stain, or pollute; make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically
Proclivity
noun a natural inclination
Parley
noun a negotiation between enemies; verb discuss, as between enemies
Choreography
noun a notation used by choreographers; the representation of dancing by symbols as music is represented by notes; a show involving artistic dancing
Conduit
noun a passage (a pipe or tunnel) through which water or electric wires can pass
Respite
noun a pause from doing something (as work); a pause for relaxation; the act of reprieving; postponing or remitting punishment; an interruption in the intensity or amount of something; a (temporary) relief from harm or discomfort; verb postpone the punishment of a convicted criminal, such as an execution
Sybarite
noun a person addicted to luxury and pleasures of the senses
Delegate
noun a person appointed or elected to represent others; verb give an assignment to (a person) to a post, or assign a task to (a person); transfer power to someone
Behemoth
noun a person of exceptional importance and reputation; someone or something that is abnormally large and powerful
Colossus
noun a person of exceptional importance and reputation; someone or something that is abnormally large and powerful
Raconteur
noun a person skilled in telling anecdotes
Precursor
noun a person who goes before or announces the coming of another; a substance from which another substance is formed (especially by a metabolic reaction); an indication of the approach of something or someone
Poseur
noun a person who habitually pretends to be something he is not
Gourmand
noun a person who is devoted to eating and drinking to excess
Pariah
noun a person who is rejected (from society or home)
Dupe
noun a person who is tricked or swindled; verb fool or hoax
Interlocutor
noun a person who takes part in a conversation; the performer in the middle of a minstrel line who engages the others in talk
Sycophant
noun a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage
Toady
noun a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage; verb try to gain favor by cringing or flattering
Miscreant
noun a person without moral scruples
Denizen
noun a plant or animal naturalized in a region; a person who inhabits a particular place
Plutocracy
noun a political system governed by the wealthy people
Maelstrom
noun a powerful circular current of water (usually the result of conflicting tides)
Predilection
noun a predisposition in favor of something; a strong liking
Combustion
noun a process in which a substance reacts with oxygen to give heat and light; a state of violent disturbance and excitement; the act of burning something
Forum
noun a public facility to meet for open discussion; a public meeting or assembly for open discussion
Pathos
noun a quality that arouses emotions (especially pity or sorrow); a style that has the power to evoke feelings; a feeling of sympathy and sorrow for the misfortunes of others
Inquisitor
noun a questioner who is excessively harsh; an official of the ecclesiastical court of the Inquisition
Riposte
noun a quick clever reply to an insult or criticism.
Chronicle
noun a record or narrative description of past events; verb record in chronological order; make a historical record
Cadence
noun a recurrent rhythmical series; the close of a musical section; (prosody) the accent in a metrical foot of verse
Patois
noun a regional dialect of a language (especially French); usually considered substandard; a characteristic language of a particular group (as among thieves)
Compliment
noun a remark (or act) expressing praise and admiration; verb say something to someone that expresses praise; express respect or esteem for
Platitude
noun a remark or statement that has been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful. cliche
Watershed
noun a ridge of land that separates two adjacent river systems; an event marking a unique or important historical change of course or one on which important developments depend
Potentate
noun a ruler who is unconstrained by law
Maxim
noun a saying that is widely accepted on its own merits; English inventor (born in the United States) who invented the Maxim gun that was used in World War I (1840-1916)
Minion
noun a servile or fawning dependant
Fetter
noun a shackle for the ankles or feet; verb restrain with fetters
Portent
noun a sign of something about to happen
Simper
noun a silly self-conscious smile; verb smile affectedly or derisively
Artisan
noun a skilled worker who practices some trade or handicraft
Intimation
noun a slight suggestion or vague understanding; an indirect suggestion
Modicum
noun a small or moderate or token amount
Apartheid
noun a social policy or racial segregation involving political and economic and legal discrimination against people who are not Whites; the former official policy in South Africa
Gaffe
noun a socially awkward or tactless act
Morass
noun a soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfoot
Quagmire
noun a soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfoot
Dirge
noun a song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person
Tirade
noun a speech of violent denunciation
Grandstand
noun a stand at a racecourse or stadium consisting of tiers with rows of individual seats that are under a protective roof; the audience at a stadium or racetrack; verb perform ostentatiously in order to impress the audience and with an eye to the applause
Ignominy
noun a state of dishonor
Opprobrium
noun a state of extreme dishonor; state of disgrace resulting from public abuse
Penury
noun a state of extreme poverty or destitution
Repose
noun a state of rest, sleep, or tranquility.
Penchant
noun a strong liking
Nuance
noun a subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude
Debacle
noun a sudden and violent collapse; flooding caused by a tumultuous breakup of ice in a river during the spring or summer; a sound defeat
Furor
noun a sudden outburst (as of protest); an interest followed with exaggerated zeal
Paroxysm
noun a sudden uncontrollable attack
Prowess
noun a superior skill that you can learn by study and practice and observation
Buttress
noun a support usually of stone or brick; supports the wall of a building; verb make stronger or defensible; reinforce with a buttress
Bravado
noun a swaggering show of courage
Sojourn
noun a temporary stay, reside temporarily
Milquetoast
noun a timid man or boy considered childish or unassertive
Vestige
noun a trace of something that is disappearing or no longer exists.
Anxiety
noun a vague unpleasant emotion that is experienced in anticipation of some (usually ill-defined) misfortune; a relatively permanent state of anxiety occurring in a variety of mental disorders
Goad
noun a verbalization that encourages you to attempt something;
Imbroglio
noun a very embarrassing misunderstanding; an intricate and confusing interpersonal or political situation
Conflagration
noun a very intense and uncontrolled fire
Soupcon
noun a very small quantity of something.
Precipice
noun a very steep cliff
Magnate
noun a very wealthy or powerful businessman
Sap
noun a watery solution of sugars, salts, and minerals that circulates through the vascular system of a plant;
Debauchery
noun a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity
Pastiche
noun a work of art that imitates the style of some previous work; a musical composition consisting of a series of songs or other musical pieces from various sources
Iniquity
noun absence of moral or spiritual values; an unjust act; morally objectionable behavior
Sobriety
noun abstaining from excess; moderation in or abstinence from alcohol or other drugs; a manner that is serious and solemn; the state of being sober and not intoxicated by alcohol
Invective
noun abusive or venomous language used to express blame or censure or bitter deep-seated ill will
Permutation
noun act of changing the lineal order of objects in a group; complete change in character or condition; the act of changing the arrangement of a given number of elements; an event in which one thing is substituted for another
Redress
noun act of correcting an error or a fault or an evil; a sum of money paid in compensation for loss or injury; verb make reparations or amends for
Privation
noun act of depriving someone of food or money or rights; a state of extreme poverty
Duplicity
noun acting in bad faith; deception by pretending to entertain one set of intentions while acting under the influence of another; a fraudulent or duplicitous representation
Cordon
noun adornment consisting of an ornamental ribbon or cord; cord or ribbon worn as an insignia of honor or rank
Dexterity
noun adroitness in using the hands
Consensus
noun agreement in the judgment or opinion reached by a group as a whole
Attribute
noun an abstraction belonging to or characteristic of an entity; a construct whereby objects or individuals can be distinguished; verb attribute or credit to; decide as to where something belongs in a scheme
Calumny
noun an abusive attack on a person's character or good name.
Rebuke
noun an act or expression of criticism and censure; verb censure severely or angrily
Semaphore
noun an apparatus for visual signaling with lights or mechanically moving arms; verb convey by semaphore, of information; send signals by or as if by semaphore
Calamity
noun an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
Dither
noun an excited state of agitation; verb make a fuss; be agitated; act nervously; be undecided; be uncertain
Connoisseur
noun an expert able to appreciate a field; especially in the fine arts
Kudos
noun an expression of approval and commendation
Condolence
noun an expression of sympathy with another's grief
Encore
noun an extra or repeated performance; usually given in response to audience demand; verb request an encore, from a performer
Paragon
noun an ideal instance; a perfect embodiment of a concept; model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal
Balk
noun an illegal pitching motion while runners are on base; the area on a billiard table behind the balkline; one of several parallel sloping beams that support a roof; something immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progress; verb refuse to comply
Legerdemain
noun an illusory feat; considered magical by naive observers
Pittance
noun an inadequate payment
Misnomer
noun an incorrect or unsuitable name
Harbinger
noun an indication of the approach of something or someone; verb foreshadow or presage
Innuendo
noun an indirect (and usually malicious) implication
Circumlocution
noun an indirect way of expressing something; a style that involves indirect ways of expressing things
Euphemism
noun an inoffensive expression that is substituted for one that is considered offensive
Repulse
noun an instance of driving away or warding off; verb force or drive back; cause to move back by force or influence; be repellent to; cause aversion in
Oration
noun an instance of oratory
Simulacrum
noun an insubstantial or vague semblance; a representation of a person (especially in the form of sculpture)
Paucity
noun an insufficient quantity or number
Dearth
noun an insufficient quantity or number; an acute insufficiency
Petulance
noun an irritable petulant feeling
Requisition
noun an official form on which a request in made; the act of requiring; an authoritative request or demand, especially by a military or public authority that takes something over (usually temporarily) for military or public use;
Edict
noun an official order
Onus
noun an onerous or difficult concern
Semblance
noun an outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleading; picture consisting of a graphic image of a person or thing; an erroneous mental representation
Flounder
noun any of various European and non-European marine flatfish; flesh of any of various American and European flatfish; verb behave awkwardly; have difficulties; walk with great difficulty
Carp
noun any of various freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae; the lean flesh of a fish that is often farmed; can be baked or braised; verb raise trivial objections
Atrophy
noun any weakening or degeneration (especially through lack of use); a decrease in size of an organ caused by disease or disuse; verb undergo atrophy
Salve
noun anything that remedies or heals or soothes; semisolid preparation (usually containing a medicine) applied externally as a remedy or for soothing an irritation; verb apply a salve to, usually for the purpose of healing; save from ruin, destruction, or harm
Succor
noun assistance in time of difficulty; verb help in a difficult situation
Effrontery
noun audacious (even arrogant) behavior that you have no right to
Propriety
noun correct or appropriate behavior
Politesse
noun courtesy towards women
Dissonance
noun disagreeable sounds; the auditory experience of sound that lacks musical quality; sound that is a disagreeable auditory experience; a conflict of people's opinions or actions or characters
Prudence
noun discretion in practical affairs; knowing how to avoid embarrassment or distress
Profligacy
noun dissolute indulgence in sensual pleasure; the trait of spending extravagantly
Schism
noun division of a group into opposing factions; a split or division between strongly opposed sections or parties,
Ferret
noun domesticated albino variety of the European polecat bred for hunting rats and rabbits; musteline mammal of prairie regions of United States; nearly extinct; verb hunt with ferrets;
Gluttony
noun eating to excess (personified as one of the deadly sins); habitual eating to excess
Fruition
noun enjoyment derived from use or possession; the condition of bearing fruit; something that is made real or concrete
Plaudits
noun enthusiastic approval
Raiment
noun especially fine or decorative clothing; verb provide with clothes or put clothes on
Infamy
noun evil fame or public reputation; a state of extreme dishonor
Preponderance
noun exceeding in heaviness; having greater weight; a superiority in numbers or amount; superiority in power or influence
Parsimony
noun extreme care in spending money; reluctance to spend money unnecessarily; extreme stinginess
Plethora
noun extreme excess
Cupidity
noun extreme greed for material wealth
Jingoism
noun fanatical patriotism; an appeal intended to arouse patriotic emotions
Nepotism
noun favoritism shown to relatives or close friends by those in power (as by giving them jobs)
Consternation
noun fear resulting from the awareness of danger
Temerity
noun fearless daring
Revulsion
noun intense aversion
Clemency
noun leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice; good weather with comfortable temperatures
Munificence
noun liberality in bestowing gifts; extremely liberal and generous of spirit
Nostalgia
noun longing for something past
Clamor
noun loud and persistent outcry from many people; a loud harsh or strident noise; verb make loud demands; utter or proclaim insistently and noisily; compel someone to do something by insistent clamoring
Cacophony
noun loud confusing disagreeable sounds; a loud harsh or strident noise
Squelch
noun make a soft sucking sound such as that made by walking heavily through mud.
Retrospection
noun memory for experiences that are past; reference to things past
Vicissitude
noun mutability in life or nature (especially successive alternation from one condition to another); a variation in circumstances or fortune at different times in your life or in the development of something
Fracas
noun noisy quarrel
Approbation
noun official recognition or approval; official approval
Scofflaw
noun one who habitually ignores the law and does not answer court summonses
Hubris
noun overbearing pride or presumption
Waffle
noun pancake batter baked in a waffle iron; verb pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
Logorrhea
noun pathologically excessive (and often incoherent) talking
Grouse
noun popular game bird having a plump body and feathered legs and feet; flesh of any of various grouse of the family Tetraonidae; usually roasted; flesh too dry to broil; verb hunt grouse; complain
Perusal
noun reading carefully with intent to remember
Avarice
noun reprehensible acquisitiveness; insatiable desire for wealth (personified as one of the deadly sins); extreme greed for material wealth
Carouse
noun revelry in drinking; a merry drinking party; verb engage in boisterous, drunken merrymaking
Rectitude
noun righteousness as a consequence of being honorable and honest
Collusion
noun secret agreement; agreement on a secret plot
Stricture
noun severe criticism;
Quail
noun small gallinaceous game birds; flesh of quail; suitable for roasting or broiling if young; otherwise must be braised; verb draw back, as with fear or pain
Fudge
noun soft creamy candy; verb fake or falsify.
Pith
noun soft spongelike central cylinder of the stems of most flowering plants; the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience; verb remove the pith from (a plant)
Arbiter
noun someone chosen to judge and decide a disputed issue; someone with the power to settle matters at will
Hedonist
noun someone motivated by desires for sensual pleasures
Bane
noun something causes misery or death
Credulity
noun tendency to believe readily
Segue
noun the act of changing smoothly from one state or situation to another; verb proceed without interruption; in music or talk
Congregation
noun the act of congregating; an assemblage of people or animals or things collected together.
Consolation
noun the act of consoling; giving relief in affliction; the comfort you feel when consoled in times of disappointment
Consumption
noun the act of consuming something; the process of taking food into the body through the mouth (as by eating); (economics) the utilization of economic goods to satisfy needs or in manufacturing; involving the lungs with progressive wasting of the body
Convention
noun the act of convening; something regarded as a normative example; (diplomacy) an international agreement; a large formal assembly; orthodoxy as a consequence of being conventional
Confection
noun the act of creating something (a medicine or drink or soup etc.) by compounding or mixing a variety of components; a food rich in sugar; verb make into a confection
Entail
noun the act of entailing property; the creation of a fee tail from a fee simple; land received by fee tail; verb impose, involve, or imply as a necessary accompaniment or result; have as a logical consequence; limit the inheritance of property to a specific class of heirs
Ostracism
noun the act of excluding someone from society by general consent; the state of being banished or ostracized (excluded from society by general consent)
Distension
noun the act of expanding by pressure from within; the state of being stretched beyond normal dimensions
Pretense
noun the act of giving a false appearance; imaginative intellectual play; pretending with intention to deceive; an artful or simulated semblance; a false or unsupportable quality
Inclination
noun the act of inclining; bending forward; an attitude of mind especially one that favors one alternative over others
Infusion
noun the act of infusing or introducing a certain modifying element or quality; (medicine) the passive introduction of a substance (a fluid or drug or electrolyte) into a vein or between tissues (as by gravitational force); the process of extracting certain active properties (as a drug from a plant) by steeping or soaking (usually in water); a solution obtained by steeping or soaking a substance (usually in water)
Laceration
noun the act of lacerating; a torn ragged wound
Volition
noun the act of making a choice; the capability of conscious choice and decision and intention
Obeisance
noun the act of obeying; dutiful or submissive behavior with respect to another person; bending the head or body or knee as a sign of reverence or submission or shame
Juxtaposition
noun the act of positioning close together (or side by side); a side-by-side position
Reprieve
noun the act of reprieving; postponing or remitting punishment; a warrant granting postponement (usually to postpone the execution of the death sentence); a (temporary) relief from harm or discomfort;
Enamor
verb be filled with a feeling of love for.
Dispatch
noun the act of sending off something; killing a person or animal; the property of being prompt and efficient; an official report (usually sent in haste); verb kill without delay; send away towards a designated goal; dispose of rapidly and without delay and efficiently; complete or carry out; kill intentionally and with premeditation
Aspersion
noun the act of sprinkling water in baptism (rare); an abusive attack on a person's character or good name; a disparaging remark
Pillage
noun the act of stealing valuable things from a place; goods or money obtained illegally; verb steal goods; take as spoils
Larceny
noun the act of taking something from someone unlawfully
Aversion
noun the act of turning yourself (or your gaze) away; a feeling of intense dislike
Increment
noun the amount by which something increases; a process of becoming larger or longer or more numerous or more important
Brevity
noun the attribute of being brief or fleeting; the use of brief expressions
Perspicacity
noun the capacity to assess situations or circumstances shrewdly and to draw sound conclusions; intelligence manifested by being astute (as in business dealings)
Coronation
noun the ceremony of installing a new monarch
Mandate
noun the commission that is given to a government and its policies through an electoral victory; a document giving an official instruction or command;
Mettle
noun the courage to carry on
Hegemony
noun the dominance or leadership of one social group or nation over others
Apotheosis
noun the elevation of a person (as to the status of a god); model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal
Milieu
noun the environmental condition
Lucre
noun the excess of revenues over outlays in a given period of time (including depreciation and other non-cash expenses); informal terms for money
Facade
noun the face or front of a building; a showy misrepresentation intended to conceal something unpleasant
Enmity
noun the feeling of a hostile person; a state of deep-seated ill-will
Ennui
noun the feeling of being bored by something tedious
Complacency
noun the feeling you have when you are satisfied with yourself
Flotsam
noun the floating wreckage of a ship
Paradigm
noun the generally accepted perspective of a particular discipline at a given time; systematic arrangement of all the inflected forms of a word; a standard or typical example; the class of all items that can be substituted into the same position (or slot) in a grammatical sentence (are in paradigmatic relation with one another)
Antithesis
noun the juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas to give a feeling of balance; exact opposite
Revoke
noun the mistake of not following suit when able to do so; verb annul by recalling or rescinding; fail to follow suit when able and required to do so
Hierarchy
noun the organization of people at different ranks in an administrative body; a series of ordered groupings of people or things within a system
Vocation
noun the particular occupation for which you are trained; a body of people doing the same kind of work
Heyday
noun the period of greatest prosperity or productivity
Novitiate
noun the period or state of being a novice
Zenith
noun the point above the observer that is directly opposite the nadir on the imaginary sphere against which celestial bodies appear to be projected
Nadir
noun the point below the observer that is directly opposite the zenith on the imaginary sphere against which celestial bodies appear to be projected; an extreme state of adversity; the lowest point of anything
nadir
noun the point below the observer that is directly opposite the zenith on the imaginary sphere against which celestial bodies appear to be projected; an extreme state of adversity; the lowest point of anything
Husbandry
noun the practice of cultivating the land or raising stock
Juvenescence
noun the process of growing into a youth
Proximity
noun the property of being close together; a Gestalt principle of organization holding that (other things being equal) objects or events that are near to one another (in space or time) are perceived as belonging together as a unit; the region close around a person or thing
Burnish
noun the property of being smooth and shiny; verb polish and make shiny
Corpulence
noun the property of excessive fatness
Beneficence
noun the quality of being kind or helpful or generous; doing good; feeling beneficent
Glut
noun the quality of being so overabundant that prices fall; verb overeat or eat immodestly; make a pig of oneself; supply with an excess of
Liability
noun the quality of being something that holds you back; the state of being legally obliged and responsible; an obligation to pay money to another party
Cherish
verb be fond of; be attached to
Knell
noun the sound of a bell rung slowly to announce a death or a funeral or the end of something; verb ring as in announcing death; make (bells) ring, often for the purposes of musical edification
Disrepute
noun the state of being held in low esteem
Surfeit
noun the state of being more than full; eating until excessively full; the quality of being so overabundant that prices fall; verb indulge (one's appetite) to satiety; supply or feed to surfeit
Renown
noun the state or quality of being widely honored and acclaimed
Ascendancy
noun the state that exists when one person or group has power over another
Etymology
noun the study of the sources and development of words; a history of a word
Discretion
noun the trait of judging wisely and objectively; knowing how to avoid embarrassment or distress; freedom to act or judge on one's own; the power of making free choices unconstrained by external agencies; refined taste; tact
Dialect
noun the usage or vocabulary that is characteristic of a specific group of people
Sophistry
noun the use of fallacious arguments, especially with the intention of deceiving
Chicanery
noun the use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract money from them)
Guile
noun the use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract money from them); the quality of being crafty; shrewdness as demonstrated by being skilled in deception
Foible
noun the weaker part of a sword's blade from the forte to the tip; a behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual
Lumber
noun the wood of trees cut and prepared for use as building material; an implement used in baseball by the batter; verb move heavily or clumsily; cut lumber, as in woods and forests
Synergy
noun the working together of two things (muscles or drugs for example) to produce an effect greater than the sum of their individual effects
Diatribe
noun thunderous verbal attack
Empathy
noun understanding and entering into another's feelings
Miasma
noun unhealthy vapors rising from the ground or other sources; an unwholesome atmosphere
Revel
noun unrestrained merrymaking; verb celebrate noisily, often indulging in drinking;
Veracity
noun unwillingness to tell lies
Skulduggery
noun verbal misrepresentation intended to take advantage of you in some way
Doggerel
noun verse or words that are badly written or expressed.
Expatriate
noun voluntarily absent from home or country; verb move away from one's native country and adopt a new residence abroad; expel from a country
Lassitude
noun weakness characterized by a lack of vitality or energy; a feeling of lack of interest or energy; a state of comatose torpor (as found in sleeping sickness)
Polarize
verb become polarized in a conflict or contrasting situation; cause to concentrate about two conflicting or contrasting positions; cause to vibrate in a definite pattern
Implicate
verb bring into intimate and incriminating connection; impose, involve, or imply as a necessary accompaniment or result
Ingratiate
verb bring oneself into favor with someone by flattering or trying to please them.
Innovate
verb bring something new to an environment
Engender
verb call forth; make children
Descry
verb catch sight of
Espy
verb catch sight of
Inure
verb cause to accept or become hardened to; habituate
Stultify
verb cause to appear foolish; prove to be of unsound mind or demonstrate someone's incompetence; deprive of strength or efficiency; make useless or worthless
Disseminate
verb cause to become widely known
soothe
verb cause to feel better; give moral or emotional strength to
Proliferate
verb cause to grow or increase rapidly; grow rapidly
Germinate
verb cause to grow or sprout; produce buds, branches, or germinate; work out
Daunt
verb cause to lose courage
Discomfit
verb cause to lose one's composure
Disconcert
verb cause to lose one's composure; cause to feel embarrassment
Kindle
verb cause to start burning; catch fire; call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
Stagnate
verb cease to flow; stand without moving; cause to stagnate; stand still; be idle; exist in a changeless situation
chastise
verb censure severely
Berate
verb censure severely or angrily
Chide
verb censure severely or angrily
Catalyze
verb change by catalysis or cause to catalyze
Denigrate
verb charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone; cause to seem less serious; play down
Ruminate
verb chew the cuds; reflect deeply on a subject
Apportion
verb distribute according to a plan or set apart for a special purpose; give out as one's portion or share
Expurgate
verb edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate
Connive
verb encourage or assent to illegally or criminally; form intrigues (for) in an underhand manner
Augment
verb enlarge or increase; grow or intensify
Assess
verb estimate the value of (property) for taxation; charge (a person or a property) with a payment, such as a tax or a fine; place a value on; judge the worth of something; set or determine the amount of (a payment such as a fine)
Elude
verb evade or escape from (a danger, enemy, or pursuer), typically in a skillful or cunning way.
Bilk
verb evade payment to; cheat somebody out of what is due, especially money.
Scrutinize
verb examine carefully for accuracy with the intent of verification; to look at critically or searchingly, or in minute detail
Exacerbate
verb exasperate or irritate; make worse
Condone
verb excuse, overlook, or make allowances for; be lenient with
Debunk
verb expose while ridiculing; especially of pretentious or false claims and ideas
Deplore
verb express strong disapproval of; regret strongly
Exult
verb feel extreme happiness or elation; to express great joy
pacify
verb fight violence and try to establish peace in (a location); cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of
Inundate
verb fill or cover completely, usually with water; fill quickly beyond capacity; as with a liquid
Exhort
verb force or impel in an indicated direction; urge on or encourage especially by shouts
Dispel
verb force to go away; used both with concrete and metaphoric meanings; to cause to separate and go in different directions
Recant
verb formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure
Coalesce
verb fuse or cause to grow together; mix together different elements
Reap
verb gather, as of natural products; get or derive
Transgress
verb pass beyond (limits or boundaries); act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises; spread over land, especially along a subsiding shoreline; commit a sin; violate a law of God or a moral law
Badger
verb persuade through constant efforts; annoy persistently
Shelve
verb place on a shelf; hold back to a later time
Curtail
verb place restrictions on; terminate or abbreviate before its intended or proper end or its full extent
Cavort
verb play boisterously
Blandish
verb praise somewhat dishonestly
Extol
verb praise, glorify, or honor
Cultivate
verb prepare for crops; foster the growth of; adapt (a wild plant or unclaimed land) to the environment; train to be discriminative in taste or judgment
Exculpate
verb pronounce not guilty of criminal charges
Exonerate
verb pronounce not guilty of criminal charges
Refute
verb prove to be false or incorrect; overthrow by argument, evidence, or proof
Palliate
verb provide physical relief, as from pain; lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of
Assuage
verb provide physical relief, as from pain; satisfy (thirst); cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of
Abduct
verb pull away from the body; take away to an undisclosed location against their will and usually
Promulgate
verb put a law into effect by formal declaration; state or announce
Quash
verb put down by force or intimidation; declare invalid
Disgruntle
verb put into a bad mood or into bad humour
Exalt
verb raise in rank, character, or status; praise, glorify, or honor; fill with sublime emotion; tickle pink; heighten or intensify
Attain
verb reach a point in time, or a certain state or level; reach a destination, either real or abstract; find unexpectedly; to gain with effort
Induce
verb reason or establish by induction; cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner; cause to arise; cause to occur rapidly; produce electric current by electrostatic or magnetic processes
Demean
verb reduce in worth or character, usually verbally
Repudiate
verb refuse to acknowledge, ratify, or recognize as valid; reject as untrue, unfounded, or unjust; refuse to recognize or pay; cast off or disown
Disavow
verb refuse to acknowledge; disclaim knowledge of; responsibility for, or association with
Venerate
verb regard with feelings of respect and reverence; consider hallowed or exalted or be in awe of
Bemoan
verb regret strongly
Extricate
verb release from entanglement of difficulty
Regurgitate
verb repeat after memorization; feed through the beak by regurgitating previously swallowed food; pour or rush back; eject the contents of the stomach through the mouth
Allege
verb report or maintain
Rhapsodize
verb say (something) with great enthusiasm; recite a rhapsody
Cleave
verb separate or cut with a tool, such as a sharp instrument; make by cutting into; come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation
Instigate
verb serve as the inciting cause of; provoke or stir up
Demarcate
verb set, mark, or draw the boundaries of something; separate clearly and as if by boundaries
Whet
verb sharpen by rubbing, as on a whetstone; make keen or more acute
Grovel
verb show submission or fear
Macerate
verb soften or become softened by soaking in a liquid.
Substantiate
verb solidify, firm, or strengthen; establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts; make real or concrete; give reality or substance to; represent in bodily form
Opine
verb speak one's opinion without fear or hesitation; expect, believe, or suppose
Denounce
verb speak out against; give away information about somebody; announce the termination of, as of treaties; to accuse or condemn or openly or formally or brand as disgraceful
Revile
verb spread negative information about
Vituperate
verb spread negative information about
Perturb
verb throw into great confusion or disorder; disturb in mind or make uneasy or cause to be worried or alarmed; cause a celestial body to deviate from a theoretically regular orbital motion, especially as a result of interposed or extraordinary gravitational pull; disturb or interfere with the usual path of an electron or atom
Aver
verb to declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true; report or maintain
Commiserate
verb to feel or express sympathy or compassion
Revamp
verb to patch up or renovate; repair or restore; provide (a shoe) with a new vamp
Inoculate
verb treat (a person or animal) with a vaccine to produce immunity against a disease.
Deride
verb treat or speak of with contempt
Flout
verb treat with contemptuous disregard; laugh at with contempt and derision
Reverberate
verb treat, process, heat, melt, or refine in a reverberating furnace; be reflected as heat, sound, or light or shock waves; have a long or continuing effect; spring back; spring away from an impact; to throw or bend back or reflect (from a surface); ring or echo with sound
Deter
verb try to prevent; show opposition to; turn away from by persuasion
Dissuade
verb turn away from by persuasion
Atone
verb turn away from sin or do penitence; make amends for
Annul
verb annul by recalling or rescinding; declare invalid
Accost
verb approach with an offer of sexual favors; speak to someone
Abate
verb become less in amount or intensity; make less active or intense
Abstain
verb choose not to consume; refrain from voting
Allocate
verb distribute according to a plan or set apart for a special purpose
Adhere
verb follow through or carry out a plan without deviation; stick to firmly; be a devoted follower or supporter; be compatible or in accordance with; come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation; be loyal to
Abjure
verb formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure
Ameliorate
verb get better; to make better
Adorn
verb make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.; furnish with power or authority; of kings or emperors; be beautiful to look at
Abduct
verb pull away from the body; take away to an undisclosed location against their will and usually in order to extract a ransom
Accentuate
verb put stress on; utter with an accent; to stress, single out as important
Abide
verb put up with something or somebody unpleasant; dwell
Adumbrate
verb report or represent in outline.
Abrogate
verb revoke formally
Abscond
verb run away; usually includes taking something or somebody along
Allay
verb satisfy (thirst); lessen the intensity of or calm
Admonish
verb take to task; admonish or counsel in terms of someone's behavior; warn strongly; put on guard
Antedate
verb establish something as being earlier relative to something else; be earlier in time; go back further
Amenable
adj. (of a person) open and responsive to suggestion; easily persuaded or controlled.
Anachronistic
adj. chronologically misplaced
Anonymous
adj. having no known name or identity or known source; not known or lacking marked individuality
Acute
adj. having or experiencing a rapid onset and short but severe course; of critical importance and consequence; extremely sharp or intense; having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions; of an angle; less than 90 degrees; ending in a sharp point; noun a mark (') placed above a vowel to indicate pronunciation
Adept
adj. having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude; noun someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
Accommodating
adj. helpful in bringing about a harmonious adaptation; obliging; willing to do favors
Adverse
adj. in an opposing direction; contrary to your interests or welfare
Amalgamate
adj. joined together into a whole; verb to bring or combine together or with something else
Adulterate
adj. mixed with impurities; verb corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones
Antecedent
adj. preceding in time or order; noun the referent of an anaphor; a phrase or clause that is referred to by an anaphoric pronoun; a preceding occurrence or cause or event; anything that precedes something similar in time; someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)
Adorned
adj. provided with something intended to increase its beauty or distinction; clothed or adorned with finery
Adroit
adj. quick or skillful or adept in action or thought; skillful (or showing skill) in adapting means to ends
adroit
adj. quick or skillful or adept in action or thought; skillful (or showing skill) in adapting means to ends
Aloof
adj. remote in manner; adv. in an aloof manner
Abject
adj. showing humiliation or submissiveness; of the most contemptible kind; most unfortunate or miserable; showing utter resignation or hopelessness
Antediluvian
adj. so extremely old as seeming to belong to an earlier period; of or relating to the period before the biblical flood; noun any of the early patriarchs who lived prior to the Noachian deluge; a very old person
Alias
adv. as known or named at another time or place; noun a name that has been assumed temporarily
Accretion
an increase by natural growth or addition; (geology) an increase in land resulting from alluvial deposits or waterborne sediment;
Affinity
close connection marked by community of interests or similarity in nature or character;
Anthology
noun a collection of selected literary passages
Affectation
noun a deliberate pretense or exaggerated display
Animosity
noun a feeling of ill will arousing active hostility
Anathema
noun a formal ecclesiastical curse accompanied by excommunication; a detested person
Advocate
noun a person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea; a lawyer who pleads cases in court; verb speak, plead, or argue in favour of; push for something
Acrimony
noun a rough and bitter manner
accolade
noun a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction
Acumen
noun a tapering point; shrewdness shown by keen insight
Annex
noun an addition that extends a main building; verb attach to; take (territory) as if by conquest
Anarchist
noun an advocate of anarchism
Anachronism
noun an artifact that belongs to another time; a person who seems to be displaced in time; who belongs to another age; something located at a time when it could not have existed or occurred
Antipode
noun direct opposite
Acclaim
noun enthusiastic approval; verb praise vociferously; clap one's hands or shout after performances to indicate approval
Anguish
noun extreme mental distress; extreme distress of body or mind; verb suffer great pains or distress; cause emotional anguish or make miserable
Aegis
noun kindly endorsement and guidance; armor plate that protects the chest; the front part of a cuirass
Alacrity
noun liveliness and eagerness
Altercation
noun noisy quarrel
approbation
noun official recognition or approval; official approval
Amenity
noun pleasantness resulting from agreeable conditions
Abnegation
noun renunciation of your own interests in favor of the interests of others; the denial and rejection of a doctrine or belief
adulation
noun servile flattery; exaggerated and hypocritical praise
Anecdote
noun short account of an incident (especially a biographical one)
Annotation
noun the act of adding notes; a comment or instruction (usually added)
Antipathy
noun the object of a feeling of intense aversion; something to be avoided; a feeling of intense dislike