Magoosh GRE Flashcards Basic, Common & Advanced All 1000+

magisterial

A person who is magisterial can be distinguished and grand, or possibly just conceited and bossy. adjective: offensively self-assured or given to exercising unwarranted power Synonyms : autocratic , bossy , dominating , high-and-mighty , peremptory Mnemonic: A magistrate is a civil officer or lay judge who administers the law. Someone who is magisterial is bossy and tries to lay the law. Though she was only a third grade teacher, Ms. Martinet was magisterial in dealing with her class, lording over them like a queen. "managed the employees in an aloof magisterial way" adjective: used of a person's appearance or behavior; befitting an eminent person Synonyms: distinguished, grand, imposing "she reigned in magisterial beauty"

imposing

Imposing is an adjective reserved for those things that are impressive in the sense that they are large or serious, as in the US Capitol Building or even, say, a professional wrestler. adjective: used of a person's appearance or behavior; befitting an eminent person Mnemonic: Something that is imposing, imposes an impression upon you with its grand appearance Synonyms: distinguished, grand, magisterial "the monarch's imposing presence" adjective: impressive in appearance They are three in a sea of 4,400 gray-clad cadets walking briskly among the imposing stone buildings here.

buck

verb: resist Synonyms : go against The profits at our firm bucked the general downturn that affected the real estate industry.

irresolute

adjective: uncertain how to act or proceed He stood irresolute at the split in the trail, not sure which route would lead back to the camp.

boorish

adjective: ill-mannered and coarse or contemptible in behavior or appearance Synonyms : loutish , neandertal , neanderthal , oafish , swinish Bukowski was known for being a boorish drunk and alienating close friends and family.

canard

noun: a deliberately misleading fabrication The public will always be fooled by the media's canards.

decimation

noun: destroying or killing a large part of the population The decimation after atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki is incomprehensible.

perspicacious

adjective: acutely insightful and wise Synonyms : sagacious , sapient Many modern observers regard Eisenhower as perspicacious, particularly in his accurate prediction of the growth of the military.

incorporeal

adj without material form or substance "an incorporeal spirit" (Something that has no material form or physical substance can be described as incorporeal. If you believe in spirits or ghosts that can't be touched or seen but only felt, then you believe in the incorporeal. Incorporeal comes from a combination of the Latin root words in- meaning "not" and corpus meaning "body." Combined they form incorporeus, meaning "without body," which is precisely what something incorporeal is. A haunted house is plagued by incorporeal, or immaterial spirits. You don't see them, but they are there, rattling windows, slamming doors, scaring the living daylights out of you.) Mnemonic: incorporeal: things which can not be incorporated with the 'real' world. Synonyms: immaterial It's convenient to have an incorporeal bogey man to blame. It is a collection filled with extraordinary, incorporeal moments and with vanishing acts.

unequivocal

adjective: admitting of no doubt or misunderstanding; having only one meaning or interpretation and leading to only one conclusion Mnemonic: The singer's VOCALS were unequal to any other. The message in her lyrics was spread clearly without a doubt Synonyms : unambiguous , univocal The President's first statement on the subject was vague and open to competing interpretations, so when he spoke to Congress about the same subject later, he was cafeful to make his position completely unequivocal.

genial

adjective: agreeable, conducive to comfort Synonyms : kind Betty is a genial young woman: everyone she meets is put at ease by her elegance and grace.

hoary

adjective: ancient Synonyms : rusty Most workout gurus are young, fit people, whereas most yoga gurus are hoary men with long white beards.

amenable

adj: disposed or willing to comply (If a person or thing is amenable to something, they are ready, willing, or responsive.) Mnemonic: Amen is a word used in Islam and Christianity. Meaning of which is I agree. So amenable means something able to be agreed. Synonyms : conformable , tractable Even though she did not like the outdoors, Shirley was generally amenable and so her brother was able to persuade her to go camping. If your friends want to try sky diving and you're amenable to the idea, sounds like you're going to be jumping out of a plane. Claudia was on board, and when they broached the scheme to Paige, she seemed amenable, although the secretiveness bothered her. adjective: open to being acted upon in a certain way Synonyms: tractable, susceptible "the tumor was not amenable to surgical treatment" Childhood cancers might be particularly amenable to the approach, notes Sebire. adjective: liable to answer to a higher authority "the president is amenable to the constitutional court" Synonyms: responsible

supercilious

adj: looking down on others; having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy (adjective: haughty and disdainful) (Supercilious people think very highly of themselves, more highly than of others. If your sister tends to act snobby and superior, you can describe her as supercilious.) Mnemonic: Arrogant people think rest of the world is "super silly". Synonyms : disdainful , haughty , imperious , lordly , overbearing , prideful , sniffy , swaggering Nelly felt the Quiz Bowl director acted superciliously towards the underclassmen; really, she fumed, must he act so preternaturally omniscient each time he intones some obscure fact - as though everybody knows that Mt. Aconcagua is the highest peak in South America. He is a stern and supercilious man who would clearly rather be reading Jane Austen. adjective: expressive of contempt Synonyms : sneering , snide "curled his lip in a supercilious smile"

unpropitious

adjective: (of a circumstance) with little chance of success With only a bottle of water and a sandwich, the hikers faced an unpropitious task: ascending a huge mountain that took most two days to climb.

thrifty

adjective: (of a person or their behavior) using money and other resources carefully and not wastefully. (Being thrifty means being careful of your money and how you spend it. Think twice before you spend, but if you must shop, hitting the sales and using coupons are good ways to be thrifty.) Synonyms : careful; provident; economical;frugal; scotch; sparing; stinting; penny-wise Mnemonic: Thrifty and Safety go hand in hand. It is for our own safety to be thrifty (to use resources thoughtfully). He was economical, spending his money thriftily and on items considered essential.

derelict

adjective: (of a person) not doing one's duties Synonyms : delinquent , neglectful , remiss The teacher was derelict in her duties because she hadn't graded a single student paper in three weeks. noun: (of a building) abandoned At one time the waterfront factories were busy and productive, but now they stand derelict and will be torn down.

mercurial

adjective: (of a person) prone to unexpected and unpredictable changes in mood Synonyms : erratic , fickle , quicksilver The fact that Ella's moods were as mercurial as the weather was problematic for her relationships - it didn't help that she lived in Chicago.

glib

adjective: (of a person) speaking with ease but without sincerity Synonyms : pat , slick I have found that the more glib the salesman, the worse the product.

internecine

adjective: (of conflict) within a group or organization The guerilla group, which had become so powerful as to own the state police, was finally destroyed by an internecine conflict.

discursive

adjective: (of e.g. speech and writing) tending to depart from the main point Synonyms : digressive , excursive , rambling Many readers find it tough to read Moby Dick since the author is discursive, often cutting the action short to spend 20 pages on the history of a whale.

turgid

adjective: (of language) pompous and tedious Synonyms : bombastic , declamatory , large , orotund , tumid The amount of GRE vocabulary he used increased with his years--by the time he was 60, his novels were so turgid that even his diehard fans refused to read them.

perspicuous

adjective: (of language) transparently clear; easily understandable "a perspicuous argument" Synonyms: crystal clear, limpid, lucid, luculent, pellucid (Perspicuous is an adjective describing language that is clear and easy to understand. When you give a presentation, you should speak in a perspicuous manner so that everyone will be able to follow you. Someone who is perspicuous speaks in a way that makes the meaning absolutely clear.) Though she drew on the familiar and frighteningly massive catalog of offensives, her most perspicuous broadsides may have been against Trump's lack of substance. One must be extremely exact, clear, and perspicuous, in everything one says, otherwise, instead of entertaining, or informing others, one only tires and puzzles them. His writings are generally perspicuous and full of light, and often they discover the sardonic and sharp smile of Voltaire.

lucid

adjective: (of language) transparently clear; easily understandable "lucid directions" Synonyms : crystal clear , limpid , luculent , pellucid , perspicuous Though Walters writes about physics and time travel, his writing is always lucid, so readers with little scientific training can understand difficult concepts. In a review of the program, The New York Times called it an "admirably lucid account." The e-mail recounting all this was lucid, clearly written, apologetic. (Something that's lucid is clear and understandable. Lucid writing is important in journalism, so that readers easily get the point of the article they're reading. When what you write or say is lucid, it's straightforward and its meaning is crystal clear. You can also use the adjective lucid to describe your mind or thoughts when you're thinking in a rational, sensible way: "I was worried about my grandmother's confusion yesterday, but she seems really lucid today." Another meaning is "translucent," or letting light shine through — which makes sense since lucid comes from the Latin lucidus, "light or clear," with its root of lux, "light.") adjective: having a clear mind "a lucid moment in his madness" Synonyms: sane Straining to remain lucid, Delilah focused on the thought. adjective: capable of thinking and expressing yourself in a clear and consistent manner "a lucid thinker" Synonyms: coherent, logical The passion isn't about arithmetic or economics or even lucid calculations of cost-benefit analyses of time commitments. adjective: transmitting light; able to be seen through with clarity "lucid air" Synonyms: crystal clear, crystalline, limpid, pellucid, transparent

plodding

adjective: (of movement) slow and laborious Synonyms : leaden, effortful Charlie may seem to run at a plodding pace, but he is an ultramarathoner, meaning he runs distances of up to 100 miles, and can run for ten hours at a stretch. "The Marines thought the Army was cautious, too slow, too plodding," said Tom Kelly, professor emeritus of history and American studies at Siena College. And economies in the United States and abroad are plodding along at a pace that hardly suggests robust health. noun: the act of walking with a slow heavy gait Synonyms: plod noun: hard monotonous routine work Synonyms: donkeywork, drudgery, grind Instead of forcing Vegas fans to watch several years of plodding franchise-building, the NHL wants the Golden Knights to be decent from the start. adjective: (of a person) thorough and hard-working but lacking in imagination or intelligence. Unfortunately, this character is spun through the sluggish changes of a plodding, obvious, and oblivious story for more than two hours. Why stifle innovation within the plodding, punishing ivory tower?

unruly

adjective: (of persons) noisy and lacking in restraint or discipline; unwilling to submit to authority Synonyms : boisterous , rambunctious , robustious , rumbustious,disobedient Walk in to any preschool and I am sure that you will find an unruly and chaotic scene - unless it's nap time.

untenable

adjective: (of theories etc) incapable of being defended or justified Synonyms : indefensible With the combination of Kepler's brilliant theories and Galileo's telescopic observations, the old geocentric theory became untenable to most of the educated people in Europe.

inclement

adjective: (of weather) unpleasant, stormy Synonyms: intemperate After a week of inclement weather, we finally are able to go outside and enjoy the sun. adjective: used of persons or behavior; showing no mercy "the harsh sentence of an inclement judge" Synonyms: unsparing, merciless, unmerciful Marcus Aurelius, though a fair man, was inclement to Christians during his reign, persecuting them violently. (Inclement usually refers to severe or harsh weather that is cold and wet. When packing for a trip to the Caribbean bring tank tops and shorts, but don't forget a raincoat in case of inclement weather. This adjective can also refer to a person or action that is harsh and unmerciful. Inclement is from a Latin root formed from the prefix in- "not" plus clemens "clement." This English adjective clement can mean either mild or merciful; the more commonly used noun clemency can mean mildness or mercy.)

derivative

adjective: (or a creative product, e.g. music, writing, etc.) not original but drawing on the work of another person Because the movies were utterly derivative of other popular movies, they did well at the box office. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

detrimental

adjective: (sometimes followed by "to") causing harm or injury Synonyms : damaging , prejudicial , prejudicious Many know that smoking is detrimental to your health, but processed sugar in large quantities is equally bad.

slipshod

adjective: (typically of a person or method of work) characterized by a lack of care, thought, or organization When someone does something in a slipshod manner, they do it in a way that's careless and sloppy — that isn't right. Mnemonic: "Shod" = shoddy. Synonyms: haphazard, slapdash, sloppy, careless They rely too much on hunches gleaned from watching a workout or drawn through slipshod research. It does a great job doing what Google designed it to do: Running Android in its purest form, untainted by slipshod third-party apps.

ignominious

adjective: (used of conduct or character) deserving or bringing disgrace or shame Synonyms : black , disgraceful , inglorious , opprobrious , shameful Since the politician preached ethics and morality, his texting of revealing photographs was ignominious, bringing shame on both himself and his party.

complicit

adjective: Associated with or participating in an activity, especially one of a questionable nature. While the grand jury cleared the senator of all criminal charges, in the public mind he was still complicit in the corruption.

pristine

adjective: Unspoiled, untouched (usu. of nature) The glacial lake was pristine and we filled our canteens to drink deeply. adjective: Immaculately clean and unused Drill sergeants are known for demanding pristine cabinets, uniforms, and beds, and often make new recruits clean and clean and clean until they meet the expected high standards.

ductile

adjective: able to be deformed without losing toughness; pliable, not brittle "ductile metals" synonyms: pliable, pliant, flexible, supple, plastic, tensile; soft, malleable, workable, bendable; informal:bendy (If you can bend or shape a substance, especially if it's made of metal, it is ductile. If they can stretch a metal into a thin wire, scientists consider it to be ductile. If you agree with what everyone else does or says, you too might be ductile, or easily manipulated. Some more commonly used synonyms for ductile are malleable, for both senses of the word, and pliable or flexible, for the literal sense.) adjective: (of a person) docile or gullible. "efforts to keep the oppressed people ductile" synonyms: docile, obedient, submissive, meek, mild, lamblike; willing, accommodating, amenable, cooperative, compliant, malleable, tractable, biddable, persuadable adjective: (of a metal) able to be drawn out into a thin wire

derisive

adjective: abusing vocally; expressing contempt or ridicule Synonyms : gibelike , jeering , mocking , taunting I was surprised by her derisive tone; usually, she is sweet, soft spoken, and congenial.

palatable

adjective: acceptable to the taste or mind Synonyms : toothsome MIkey didn't partake much in his friends' conversations, but found their presence palatable. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

comely

adjective: according with custom or propriety "comely behavior" Synonyms: becoming, comme il faut, decent, decorous, seemly adjective: very pleasing to the eye "a comely face" Synonyms: bonnie, bonny, fair, sightly As she is a comely, well-to-do widow, much of it wants to marry her. (Comely means attractive or appropriate. A comely girl is pretty. A comely hairstyle is flattering. If your manners are comely, it means you know the right way to act to put people at their ease. Comely is related to the word becoming, in the sense of something's being attractive and appropriate--you're comely wearing that becoming blouse, the way she told the story was becoming to a comely young lady. Comely is the opposite of the similar-looking homely, which means plain-looking, almost ugly.) That is, of course, until she meets Xavier and falls under the sway of his half-opened plaid shirts and comely thatch of chest hair.

indignant

adjective: angered at something unjust or wrong Synonyms : incensed , outraged , umbrageous Mnemonic: indignant == in (a negative prefix) + dignant (resembles dignity) So, what happens when someone questions your dignity? You feel angry and insulted as it is unjust and unworthy. (When you're indignant, you're angry about an unfair situation. If you discovered that a teacher gave ten extra points on a test to all students who sat in the front row, you'd be indignant.) When the cyclist swerved into traffic, it forced the driver to brake and elicited an indignant shout of "Hey, punk, watch where you're going!" "I remember him feeling so indignant that anyone would even suggest to a virologist the virus was not the cause of AIDS," Dr. Bekker said.

facile

adjective: arrived at without due care or effort; lacking depth Many news shows provide facile explanations to complex politics, so I prefer to read the in-depth reporting of The New York Times.

overweening

adjective: arrogant; presumptuous Synonyms : excessive , extravagant , exuberant,uppity Mark was so convinced of his basketball skills that in his overweening pride he could not fathom that his name was not on the varsity list; he walked up to the basketball coach and told her she had forgotten to add his name.

factitious

adjective: artificial; not natural The defendant's story was largely factitious and did not accord with eyewitness testimonies

tempestuous

adjective: as if driven by turbulent or conflicting emotions; highly energetic and wildly changing or fluctuating Synonyms : angry , furious , raging , wild Chuck and Kathy had always been stable and agreeable people on their own, but when they got involved, it was a tempestuous relationship.

obsequious

adjective: attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner; attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery Synonyms : bootlicking , fawning , sycophantic , toadyish The obsequious waiter did not give the couple a moment's peace all through the meal, constantly returning to their table to refill their water glasses and to tell them what a handsome pair they made.

forthcoming

adjective: available when required or as promised Synonyms : approaching , coming , upcoming The President announced that the senators were about to reach a compromise, and that he was eager to read the forthcoming details of the bill. adjective: at ease in talking to others Synonyms : extroverted , outgoing As a husband, Larry was not forthcoming: if Jill didn't demand to know details, Larry would never share them with her.

evasive

adjective: avoiding or escaping from difficulty or danger or commitment His responses were clearly evasive; he obviously did not want to take on any responsibility or any new work. adjective: deliberately vague or ambiguous Every time I call the bank, I receive the same evasive answers about our mortgage and never get a clear response.

economical

adjective: avoiding waste, efficient Synonyms : frugal , scotch , sparing , stinting Journalists favor an economical style of writing, in which no unnecessary words are used and every sentence is as short as possible.

arbitrary

adjective: based on a random, groundless decision One of the arbitrary decrees in place during the emperor's rule is that all citizens pay him weekly homage at his palace. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

specious

adjective: based on pretense; deceptively pleasing, حسن المظهر Synonyms : gilded , meretricious Almost every image on TV is specious and not to be trusted. adjective: plausible but false, مزيف Synonyms : spurious He made a career out of specious arguments and fictional lab results, but lost his job and reputation when his lies were exposed by an article in The New York Times.

obtain

adjective: be valid, applicable, or true Synonyms : hold , prevail The custom of waiting your turn in line does not obtain in some countries, in which many people try to rush to front of the line at the same time. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

chivalrous

adjective: being attentive to women like an ideal knight Synonyms : gallant , knightly Marco's chivalrous ways, like opening doors and pulling out chairs, was much appreciated by his date.

impertinent

adjective: being disrespectful; improperly forward or bold Synonyms : fresh , impudent , overbold , sassy , saucy , smart , wise Dexter, distraught over losing his pet dachshund, Madeline, found the police officer's questions impertinent - after all, he thought, did she have to pry into such details as to what Madeline's favorite snack was? (adj) not pertinent to the matter under consideration Synonyms : extraneous , immaterial , orthogonal

tantamount

adjective: being essentially equal to something Synonyms : equivalent In many situations, remaining silent is tantamount to admitting guilt, so speak to prove your innocence.

rudimentary

adjective: being in the earliest stages of development; being or involving basic facts or principles Synonyms : fundamental , underlying I would love to be able to present a fully polished proposal to the board, but right now, our plans for the product are still in the most rudimentary stages.

coterminous

adjective: being of equal extent or scope or duration Synonyms : coextensive , conterminous The border of the state is coterminous with geographic limits on travel; the east and north are surrounded by a nearly uncrossable river and the south by a desert.

apocryphal

adjective: being of questionable authenticity The web is notorious for sandwiching apocryphal stories between actual news.

moribund

adjective: being on the point of death; declining rapidly losing all momentum in progress Synonyms : stagnant Whether you like it or not, jazz as a genre is moribund at best, possibly already dead.

mordant

adjective: biting and caustic in thought, manner, or style Synonyms : caustic , corrosive , erosive , vitriolic,black , grim While Phil frequently made mordant remarks about company policy overall, he always was considerably gentler in discussing any person in particular.

elegiac

adjective: expressing sorrow Few can listen to the elegiac opening bars of the Moonlight sonata without feeling the urge to cry.

beatific

adjective: blissfully happy synonyms: rapturous, joyful, ecstatic, seraphic, blissful, serene, happy, beaming "a beatific smile" adjective: resembling or befitting an angel or saint Synonyms : angelic , angelical , sainted , saintlike , saintly (That blissful grin on your face? It could be described as beatific, meaning it projects a peaceful sense of joy. If you have a beatific smile on your face, then the happiness it shows is the real thing. This word doesn't describe phony smiles or quick grins that show a little amusement. Use beatific to describe something characterized by complete and perfect joy. It's often used to describe a smile, but it can be used to describe anything in a state of bliss.) But she brought a serene, nearly beatific energy to her last tour, in 2012, for her album "Sun." Often we imagine all monks to wear the beatific smile of the Buddha, but, like any of us, a monk can have a bad day and not look very happy.

peremptory

adjective: bossy and domineering Synonyms : autocratic , bossy , dominating , high-and-mighty , magisterial My sister used to peremptorily tell me to do the dishes, a chore I would either do perfunctorily or avoid doing altogether.

doughty

adjective: brave; bold; courageous I enjoy films in which a doughty group comes together to battle a force of evil.

crestfallen

adjective: brought low in spirit Synonyms : chapfallen , chopfallen , deflated I asked Maria on a date and she refused without a moment's thought; I was crestfallen.

serene

adjective: calm and peaceful Synonyms : tranquil , unagitated I'd never seen him so serene; usually, he was a knot of stress and anxiety from hours of trading on the stock exchange.

malleable

adjective: capable of being shaped or bent or drawn out Synonyms : ductile , pliable , pliant , tensile , tractile The clay became malleable and easy to work with after a little water was added. The body, however, is not an infinitely malleable instrument. (A malleable personality is capable of being changed or trained, and a malleable metal is able to be pounded or pressed into various shapes. It's easier to learn when you're young and malleable. Similarly, there are ductile metals that can be hammered out into wire or thread; gold, silver, and platinum are examples.) adjective: easily influenced "Anna was shaken enough to be malleable" "a malleable young woman" Synonyms : ductile, pliable, easily influenced, suggestible, susceptible, impressionable, amenable, compliant, tractable; biddable, complaisant, manipulable, persuadable, like putty in someone's hands My little brother is so malleable that I can convince him to sneak cookies from the cupboard for me. He might not be quite as malleable as some suggest.

provident

adjective: careful in regard to your own interests; providing carefully for the future In a move that hardly could be described as provident, Bert spend his entire savings on a luxurious cruise, knowing that other bills would come due a couple months later.

discreet

adjective: careful to protect one's speech or actions in order to avoid offense or gain an advantage The professor thought that he was discreet, subtly wiping the stain off of his shirt, but as soon as he stepped off the podium a member of the audience pointed out the large ketchup stain.

slapdash

adjective: carelessly and hastily put together Synonyms : haphazard , slipshod , sloppy Mnemonic: Something that's slapped together in a dash. (If you just slapped something together and then dashed when you were done, it was slapdash. The paint job was slapdash: it looked like they did it in an hour, without brushes.) The office building had been constructed in a slapdash manner, so it did not surprise officials when, during a small earthquake, a large crack emerged on the façade of the building. It would be foolish to proceed with the slapdash proposal now in the pipeline.

nettlesome

adjective: causing irritation or annoyance Synonyms : annoying , bothersome , galling , irritating , pesky , pestering , pestiferous , plaguey , plaguy , teasing , vexatious , vexing Maria found her coworker's cell phone nettlesome, because every few minutes it would buzz to life with another text message.

chary

adjective: cautious, suspiciously reluctant to do something Synonyms : cagey , cagy Having received three speeding tickets in the last two months, Jack was chary of driving at all above the speed limit, even on a straight stretch of highway that looked empty for miles ahead.

autocratic

adjective: characteristic of an absolute ruler or absolute rule; having absolute sovereignty Synonyms : authoritarian , despotic , dictatorial , tyrannic , tyrannical The last true autocratic country is certainly North Korea; nowhere does a leader exercise the absolute control over all aspects of a people the way that Kim Jong-un does. adjective: offensively self-assured or given to exercising usually unwarranted power Synonyms : bossy , dominating , high-and-mighty , magisterial , peremptory The manager was finally fired for his autocratic leadership, which often bordered on rude and offensive.

belligerent

adjective: characteristic of one eager to fight Synonyms : aggressive Tom said that he was arguing the matter purely for philosophical reasons, but his belligerent tone indicated an underlying anger about the issue.

rustic

adjective: characteristic of rural life; awkwardly simple and provincial Synonyms : countrified , countryfied,bumpkinly , hick , unsophisticated The vacation cabin had no electricity and no indoor plumbing, but despite these inconveniences, Nigel adored its rustic charm.

provincial

adjective: characteristic of the a limited perspective; not fashionable or sophisticated Maggie's enthusiasm about her high school teams seemed provincial to her college classmates, all of whom were following a nationally ranked college team.

diligent

adjective: characterized by care and perseverance in carrying out tasks Synonyms : persevering Michael was a diligent gardener, never leaving a leaf on the ground and regularly watering each plant.

staid

adjective: characterized by dignity and propriety Synonyms : sedate Frank came from a staid environment, so he was shocked that his college roommate sold narcotics.

forthright

adjective: characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion Synonyms : blunt , candid , frank , free-spoken , outspoken , plainspoken , point-blank , straight-from-the-shoulder I did not expect the insurance agent to give us any straight answers, but I was pleasantly surprised by how forthright he was.

laborious

adjective: characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion; especially physical effort Synonyms : arduous , backbreaking , grueling , gruelling , hard , heavy , operose , punishing , toilsome The most laborious job I've had was working 20 hours a day as a fisherman in King Salmon, Alaska.

scrupulous

adjective: characterized by extreme care and great effort Synonyms : conscientious , painstaking Because of his scrupulous nature, Mary put him in charge of numbering and cataloging the entire collection of rare stamps. adjective: having a sense of right and wrong; principled Everyone trusted what he said and followed his example because he was scrupulous and honest.

decorous

adjective: characterized by good taste in manners and conduct Sally's parties are decorous affairs, and instead of the usual beer and music, there is tea and intellectual conversation.

industrious

adjective: characterized by hard work and perseverance Synonyms : hardworking , tireless , untiring Pete was an industrious student, completing every assignment thoroughly and on time.

jocular

adjective: characterized by jokes and good humor Synonyms : jesting , jocose , joking Mnemonic: Joke(joc) + cooler (cular). Imagine a cooler which throws out jokes. (jocular = said or done as a joke) My uncle was always in a jocular mood at family gatherings, messing up people's hair and telling knock-knock jokes to anyone who would listen. Following his death in 1764, his comrades arranged for a jocular headstone inscription warning of the dangers of drink. Do you like to make a lot of jokes? Are you often silly? Are you usually happy? If so, then you are a jocular person. Being jocular has to do with being both jokey and fun. A jocular suggestion is not a serious suggestion — it's a joke. Some people are more jocular than others: anyone who is ultra-serious and always frowning is not jocular. A comedian makes a job of being jocular. Class clowns can't stop being jocular, though the teacher might just see them as obnoxious. Being jocular is usually considered a good thing: it's not just about making a lot of jokes; it's about being happy and pleasant to be around.) adverb: with humor Synonyms: jocosely Trump also mocks the weight of men, but usually in a more jocular way than his remarks about women.

ethereal

adjective: characterized by lightness and insubstantiality Synonyms : aerial , aeriform , aery , airy Because she dances with an ethereal style, ballet critics have called her Madame Butterfly.

precocious

adjective: characterized by or characteristic of exceptionally early development or maturity (especially in mental aptitude) Though only seven years old, she was a precocious chess prodigy, able to beat players twice her age.

trenchant

adjective: characterized by or full of force and vigor; having keenness and forcefulness and penetration in thought, expression, or intellect Synonyms : hard-hitting,searching Jill presented a rather superficial treatment of sales in Asia, but her trenchant analysis of sales in Europe inspired a number of insights into how to proceed in that market.

impetuous

adjective: characterized by undue haste and lack of thought or deliberation Synonyms : brainish , hotheaded , impulsive , madcap , tearaway Herbert is rarely impetuous, but on the spur of the moment, he spent thousands of dollars on a motorcycle today.

gossamer

adjective: characterized by unusual lightness and delicacy Synonyms : ethereal The gossamer wings of a butterfly, which allow it to fly, are also a curse, so delicate that they are often damaged.

winsome

adjective: charming in a childlike or naive way She was winsome by nature, and many people were drawn to this free and playful spirit.

limpid

adjective: clarity in terms of expression Synonyms : crystal clear , crystalline , lucid , pellucid , transparent,perspicuous Her limpid prose made even the most recondite subjects accessible to all.

exculpatory

adjective: clearing of guilt or blame Synonyms: absolvitory, exonerative, forgiving Mnemonic: exculpatory: He was a culprit , er, an ex-culprit. Today he is cleared of his guilt. (Does the blood on the kitchen knife not match that on the accused's clothes? That's exculpatory evidence: anything that clears someone or something of guilt or blame is exculpatory.) In other words, Trump loyalists may look for exculpatory crumbs, but this opening statement intensifies the crisis facing the Trump presidency. Any exculpatory evidence must be disclosed to the defense, though attorneys need security clearances to see classified information.

facetious

adjective: cleverly amusing in tone Synonyms : bantering , tongue-in-cheek Facetious behavior will not be tolerated during sex eduation class; it's time for all of you to treat these matters like mature adults.

impending

adjective: close in time; about to occur Synonyms : at hand , close at hand , imminent , impendent The impending doom of our world has been a discussed and debated for 2000 years - maybe even longer.

relevant

adjective: closely connected to the topic and therefore important I think Professor McGarry can give you some relevant books to help you write that essay.

maladroit

adjective: clumsy Syn: bumbling, gauche, unskillful As a child she was quite maladroit, but as an adult, she has become an adept dancer. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

nonchalant

adjective: coming across as uninterested or unconcerned; overly casual Synonyms : casual , insouciant The twenty-somethings at the coffee shop always irked Sheldon, especially the way in which they acted nonchalantly towards everything, not even caring when Sheldon once spilled his mocha on them.

expansive

adjective: communicative, and prone to talking in a sociable manner Synonyms : talkative After a few sips of cognac, the octogenarian shed his irascible demeanor and became expansive, speaking fondly of the "good old days". This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

arrant

adjective: complete and wholly (usually modifying a noun with negative connotation) Synonyms : complete , consummate , double-dyed , everlasting , gross , perfect , pure , sodding , staring , stark , thoroughgoing , unadulterated , utter An arrant fool, Lawrence surprised nobody when he lost all his money in a pyramid scheme that was every bit as transparent as it was corrupt.

replete

adjective: completely stocked or furnished with something "sensational popular fiction, replete with adultery and sudden death" synonyms: filled, full, well stocked, well supplied, crammed, packed, jammed, teeming, overflowing, bursting verb: to fill to satisfaction Synonyms: fill, sate, satiate (Replete means full, often in a satisfying way. "The library was replete with bound first editions, and Lucy, a bookworm, was happier there than any place else.") Only weeks after the hurricane made landfall, the local supermarket shelves were replete with goods, so quick was the disaster relief response. The bits of Cobb and two neighbouring counties of which it is comprised are replete with smart housing developments and pristine lawns.

involved

adjective: complicated, and difficult to comprehend Synonyms : byzantine , convoluted , knotty , tangled , tortuous The physics lecture became so involved that the undergraduate's eyes glazed over.

eclectic

adjective: comprised of a variety of styles Joey was known for his eclectic tastes in music, one moment dancing to disco the next "air conducting" along to Beethoven's 9th symphony.

cosmopolitan

adjective: comprising many cultures; global in reach and outlook Synonyms : ecumenical , general , oecumenical , universal , world-wide , worldwide There are few cities in the world as diverse and cosmopolitan as New York.

aesthetic

adjective: concerned with the appreciation of beauty Synonyms : aesthetical , esthetic , esthetical The director, not known for his aesthetic sensibilities, decided not to use costumes at all, and put on the play in everyday clothing. noun: a set of principles underlying and guiding the work of a particular artist or artistic movement. The artist operated according to a peculiar aesthetic, not considering any photograph to be worth publishing unless it contained a marine mammal.

pithy

adjective: concise and full of meaning Synonyms : sententious, succinct, terse, concise, compact, short (and sweet), brief, condensed, to the point, epigrammatic, crisp, thumbnail; significant, meaningful, expressive, telling; I enjoy reading the Daodejing for its pithy and insightful prose; it always gives me something to think about. Without seeing his face, I listened intently to the pithy anecdotes and surprisingly wise histories he told night after night. Yet another of his pithy designs sports a heart symbol inside an outline of the Mountain State's borders: "All Heart. All West Virginia." (A pithy phrase or statement is brief but full of substance and meaning. Proverbs and sayings are pithy; newspaper columnists give pithy advice.)

sanguine

adjective: confidently optimistic and cheerful Synonyms:optimistic Mnemonic: Sanguine - Penguin : Kids cheer up when they see penguins .. Penguins are very cheerful and hopeful (Ref the movie "Happy Feet") adjective: inclined to a healthy reddish color often associated with outdoor life; a blood-red color "a fresh and sanguine complexion" Synonyms : florid , rubicund , ruddy With the prospect of having to learn 3,000 words during the course of the summer, Paul was anything but sanguine. To be disturbed when nearly all one's Republican colleagues are sanguine about injustice is not a bad thing. Not because its new blood-red load screens are sanguine reminders of what you'll be hemorrhaging as you fumble through the starting area.

esoteric

adjective: confined to and understandable by only an enlightened inner circle Map collecting is an esoteric hobby to most, but to geography geeks it is a highly enjoyable pasttime.

equivocal

adjective: confusing or ambiguous The findings of the study were equivocal - the two researchers had different opinions on what the results signified.

heterogenous

adjective: consisting of elements that are not of the same kind or nature (The adjective heterogenous is a somewhat comparative word, suggesting that two or more things are unlike in substance or nature, as in a heterogenous mixture containing two substances that do not totally combine, like oil and water.) adjective: originating outside the body Synonyms:heterogeneous Every four years, we learn something new and important about our huge, complex, heterogenous and dynamic country. They may be assemblies of nanoparticles, crystals with strategically placed defects in their structures, or heterogenous materials made by intertwining different compounds and phases.

vociferous

adjective: conspicuously and offensively loud; given to vehement outcry Synonyms : blatant , clamant , clamorous , strident In giving Marcia a particular vociferous response, Paul caused people at every other table in the restaurant to turn around an look at them angrily.

discrete

adjective: constituting a separate entity or part Synonyms : distinct What was once known as Czechoslovakia has since split into two discrete, independent nations.

complacent

adjective: contented to a fault with oneself or one's actions Synonyms : self-complacent , self-satisfied After the water polo team won their sixth championship, they became complacent and didn't even make it to the playoffs the next year.

illicit

adjective: contrary to or forbidden by law Synonyms : illegitimate , outlaw , outlawed , unlawful Though Al Capone was engaged in many illicit activities, he was finally arrested for income tax evasion, a relatively minor offense.

unprepossessing

adjective: creating an unfavorable or neutral first impression Synonyms : unpresentable World leaders coming to meet Gandhi would expect a towering sage, and often would be surprised by the unprepossessing little man dressed only in a loincloth and shawl.

embroiled

adjective: deeply involved especially in something complicated (e.g. argument or contention) Mnemonic: Broil: To expose to great heat. Embroiled: To get wrapped up in something heated. Synonyms : entangled These days we are never short of a D.C. politician embroiled in scandal—a welcome phenomenon for those who, having barely finished feasting on the sordid details of one imbroglio, can sink their teeth into a fresh one. There she quickly finds herself embroiled in a second murder, which might be connected to the first.

inimitable

adjective: defying imitation; matchless Mozart's music follows a clear pattern that, anyone could imitate, but his music gives an overall sense of effortlessness that is inimitable.

iconoclastic

adjective: defying tradition or convention Jackson Pollack was an iconoclastic artist, totally breaking with tradition by splashing paint on a blank canvas.

arduous

adjective: demanding considerable mental effort and skill; testing powers of endurance Synonyms : straining , strenuous In order to deal with the arduous cross-country journey, truck drivers often survive on a string of caffeinated drinks, staying awake for up to 30 hours at a time.

stringent

adjective: demanding strict attention to rules and procedures Synonyms : rigorous , tight Most of the students disliked the teacher because of his stringent homework policy, but many students would later thank him for demanding so much from them.

stalwart

adjective: dependable; inured to fatigue or hardships Synonyms : stout,hardy ,sturdy Despite all the criticism directed at the President during this scandal, Lisa has remained his stalwart supporter.

snide

adjective: derogatory or mocking in an indirect way; expressive of contempt "snide remarks about my mother" "at his final snide comment, she slapped him across the face" synonyms: disparaging, derogatory, deprecating, denigratory, insulting, contemptuous, dismissive; mocking, taunting, sneering, scornful, derisive, sarcastic, spiteful, nasty, mean, supercilious (Snide means insulting or contemptuous in an indirect way. If your friend is wearing too much purple eye shadow and your other friend whispers to you, "What? Was she in a car wreck?" that's a snide comment. Snide remarks are the kinds of things people say with a sneer on their face. When you leave a movie theater and your friend says, "I can't believe someone was actually paid to write that screenplay," he's being snide. Instead of saying, "That movie was terrible," he's expressing his disdain in a more underhanded and indirect way.) The chairman interpreted Taylor's question about promotions as a snide remark, but in all innocence Taylor was trying to figure out the company's process. According to one report, snide comments were heard in the audience that perhaps his invisible people were government spies. At this point, review-savvy readers are probably expecting a snide dismissal of both book and author.

convivial

adjective: describing a lively atmosphere The wedding reception was convivial; friends who hadn't seen each other for ages drank and ate together before heading to the dance floor.

implausible

adjective: describing a statement that is not believable Synonyms : farfetched The teacher found it implausible that the student was late to school because he had been kidnapped by outlaws on horseback.

pyrrhic

adjective: describing a victory that comes at such a great cost that the victory is not worthwhile George W. Bush's win in the 2000 election was in many ways a pyrrhic victory: the circumstances of his win alienated half of the U.S. population.

concomitant

adjective: describing an event or situation that happens at the same time as or in connection with another Synonyms : accompaniment , attendant , co-occurrence Concomitant with his desire for nature was a desire for the culture and energy of a big city.

estimable

adjective: deserving of esteem and respect Synonyms : good , honorable , respectable After serving thirty years, in which he selflessly served the community, Judge Harper was one of the more estimable people in town.

creditable

adjective: deserving of praise but not that amazing Critics agreed the movie was creditable, but few gave it more than three out of five stars.

preemptive

adjective: designed or having the power to deter or prevent an anticipated situation or occurrence "a preemptive business offer" (A preemptive action is made to keep some other action from being taken. Before you could be accused of eating the whole cake, you decided to make a preemptive apology, which was met with awkward silence. Tired of being disturbed by your roommate's loud music, your preemptive strike was to crank up your favorite opera as soon as you arrived home. Unfortunately, he'd already made a preemptive strike of his own by borrowing your stereo. Don't confuse preemptive with peremptory, a word meaning "arrogant." You don't have to be arrogant to make a preemptive move, just cautious.) Just as Martha was about to take the only cookie left on the table, Noah preemptively swiped it. Even when the Staples Center stage preemptively started turning around before he finished his last song, it was a little endearing.

capricious

adjective: determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason Synonyms : impulsive , whimsical Nearly every month our capricious CEO had a new plan to turn the company around, and none of them worked because we never gave them the time they needed to succeed.

whimsical

adjective: determined by impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason Synonyms : capricious , impulsive Adults look to kids and envy their whimsical nature at times, wishing that they could act without reason and play without limitation.

depraved

adjective: deviating from what is considered moral or right or proper or good "depraved criminals" Mnemonic: GRAVE!!! is ready for a depraved person.... since he is morally corrupt. Synonyms: perverse, perverted, reprobate (Depraved is the way to describe perverse behavior lacking moral decency. It's hard to be depraved when you spend your days defining words at your computer, but the mind does wander.)

vacuous

adjective: devoid of intelligence Synonyms : asinine , fatuous , inane , mindless, To the journalist's pointed question, the senator gave a vacuous response, mixing a few of his overall campaign slogans with platitudes and completely avoiding the controversial subject of the question. He also quotes Lillian Hellman's great description of a vacuous actress: "Her face is unclouded by thought." (Reserved for the harmlessly stupid and truly meaningless, vacuous is a smart-sounding way to describe something dumb. Celebrity gossip and reality TV are usually pretty vacuous, even if they're fun. If someone smiles at you in a way that seems fake or empty, you could describe the smile as vacuous. An example of a vacuous comment would be a politician promising to make things better without explaining how. If something is vacuous, it's like a vacuum — hollow, empty, devoid of substance.) adjective: devoid of significance or point "vacuous comments" Synonyms: empty, hollow The Right is not only lacking in class and style - they are ethically vacuous. I mean, why not stuff your paper full of vacuous pointers to your own work or that of your colleagues? adjective: devoid of matter "a vacuous space" Synonyms: empty adjective: void of expression Synonyms: blank

abysmal

adjective: extremely bad Synonyms : abyssal , unfathomable Coach Ramsey took his newest player off the field after watching a few painful minutes of her abysmal performance.

edacious

adjective: devouring or craving food in great quantities (Watching your edacious uncle at an all-you-can-eat buffet would be an alarming experience, since edacious means eating huge amounts of food ravenously. If you go all day without eating, you're bound to be edacious by dinner time.) Mnemonic: EDibly vorACIOUS = EDACIOUS Synonyms: esurient, rapacious, ravening, ravenous, voracious, wolfish I reminded my talented young parishioner and friend that Concord Bridge had long since yielded to the edacious tooth of Time.

voracious

adjective: devouring or craving food in great quantities; approaching an activity with gusto (Voracious is an adjective used to describe a wolflike appetite. It might be a craving for food or for something else, such as power, but the word usually denotes an unflattering greediness.) Synonyms : edacious, esurient, rapacious, ravening, ravenous, wolfish Steven was a voracious reader, sometimes finishing two novels in the same day. adjective: excessively greedy and grasping "paying taxes to voracious governments" Synonyms: rapacious, ravening He added, "The system is voracious, it would crush him."

elusive

adjective: difficult to find, catch, or achieve. "success will become ever more elusive" synonyms: difficult to find; evasive, slippery Navigating between those two poles requires a delicate balance that looks elusive for now. Perfection seemed elusive as he toured the 70th floor with senior production coordinator, Grit Leipert. (Things that are elusive are hard to find, pin down, or remember. They slip right out of your grasp. Ever try to catch a mouse? It's not easy, because mice are quick and elusive — they're tough to catch. Rabbits are speedy, so they're elusive too. Also, things that are tough to understand or describe are elusive — like the concepts of love and beauty. If you had an idea and then forgot it, the idea is elusive: it slipped away. Anything you can't get hold of, with your hands or with your brain, is elusive.) adjective: hard to comprehend or solve or believe "her elusive husband" Synonyms: baffling, knotty, problematic, problematical, tough adjective: difficult to describe "a haunting elusive odor" Synonyms: unidentifiable Many first time skydivers say that describing the act of falling from the sky is elusive. adjective: difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze "that elusive thing the soul" Synonyms: subtle adjective: difficult to remember or recall. "the elusive thought he had had moments before" synonyms: indefinable, intangible, impalpable, ambiguous "an elusive quality" The problem is also the elusive nature of metaphor, the trauma of becoming a self that the body represents. It is always changing; it is immense, elusive and in its most accessible form to all of us - the weather - subjective and variable.

cumbersome

adjective: difficult to handle or use especially because of size or weight Synonyms : cumbrous Only ten years ago, being an avid reader and a traveler meant carrying a cumbersome backpack stuffed with books--these days we need only an e-reader.

recondite

adjective: difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge Synonyms : abstruse , deep I found Ulysses recondite and never finished the book, waiting instead to read it with someone else so we could penetrate its meaning together.

abstruse

adjective: difficult to understand; incomprehensible Synonyms : deep , recondite Physics textbooks can seem so abstruse to the uninitiated that readers feel as though they are looking at hieroglyphics.

telltale

adjective: disclosing unintentionally synonyms: revealing; telling Mnemonic: Something that tells the whole tale without saying anything. The many telltale signs of chronic smoking include yellow teeth, and a persistent, hacking cough. noun: someone who gossips indiscreetly Synonyms : blabbermouth , talebearer , taleteller , tattler , tattletale And teeth, she said, "are the telltale, visible sign of wealth."

disaffected

adjective: discontented as toward authority Synonyms : ill-affected , malcontent , rebellious After watching his superior take rations from the soliders, he quickly became disaffected and rebeled.

sardonic

adjective: disdainfully or ironically humorous; scornful and mocking A stand-up comedian walks a fine line when making jokes about members of the audience; such fun and joking can quickly become sardonic and cutting.

ignoble

adjective: dishonorable Synonyms : ungentle , untitled In the 1920s, the World Series was rigged--an ignoble act which baseball took decades to recover from.

becoming

adjective: displaying or setting off to best advantage "a becoming new shade of rose" "a becoming portrait" Synonyms: flattering adjective: according with custom or propriety; appropriate Synonyms : comely , comme il faut , decent , decorous , seemly (Something that's becoming is charming, or looks good. It's a compliment — or a sales tactic — if a salesperson gushes, "That dress is so becoming on you!" Clothing that's becoming is well-suited to the person wearing it, flattering him and making him look great. You can also use the adjective to mean "appropriate," as when a stern kindergarten teacher scolds, "That behavior is not becoming, boys.") Her dress was becoming and made her look even more beautiful.

macabre

adjective: disturbing and horrifying because of involvement with/ depiction of death and injury; gruesome "macabre tales of war and plague in the Middle ages" "macabre tortures conceived by madmen" (The adjective macabre is used to describe things that involve the horror of death or violence. If a story involves lots of blood and gore, you can call it macabre.) Synonyms : ghastly , grim , grisly ,sick, gruesome Edgar Allen Poe was considered the master of the macabre; his stories vividly describe the moment leading up to - and often those moments after - a grisly death. The bodies floated to the surface on consecutive days, macabre signposts of suffering amid the spring foliage in Central Park. There is a macabre fascination to seeing blood spilled onstage.

hegemony

adjective: dominance over a certain area Until the Spanish Armada was defeated in 1587, Spain had hegemony over the seas, controlling waters stretching as far as the Americas.

sedulous

adjective: done diligently and carefully Synonyms : assiduous An avid numismatist, Harold sedulously amassed a collection of coins from over 100 countries - an endeavor that took over fifteen years, and to five continents.

perfunctory

adjective: done routinely and with little interest or care Synonyms : casual , cursory , passing The short film examines modern perfunctory cleaning rituals such as washing dishes, doing laundry and tooth-brushing.

precipitous

adjective: done with very great haste and without due deliberation Synonyms : hasty , overhasty , precipitant , precipitate He was expecting a precipitous rise in the value of a "hot" tech stock, so he was disappointed when it only inched up a dollar or two each day.

humdrum

adjective: dull and lacking excitement Synonyms : commonplace , prosaic , unglamorous , unglamourous,monotonous Having grown up in a humdrum suburb, Jacob relished life in New York City after moving.

prosaic

adjective: dull and lacking imagination Synonyms : earthbound , pedestrian , prosy,commonplace , humdrum , unglamorous , unglamourous Unlike the talented artists in his workshop, Paul had no such bent for the visual medium, so when it was time for him to make a stained glass painting, he ended up with a prosaic mosaic.

insipid

adjective: dull and uninteresting Synonyms : bland , flat , flavorless , flavourless , savorless , savourless , vapid The movie director was known for hiring beautiful actors in order to deflect attention away from the insipid scripts he would typically use.

jejune

adjective: dull; lacking flavor Synonyms : insubstantial,insipid Although many top chefs have secured culinary foam's popularity in haute cuisine, Waters criticizes it for being jejune and unfilling. adjective: immature; childish Synonyms : adolescent , juvenile , puerile Her boss further cemented his reuptation for being jejune after throwing a fit when the water cooler wasn't refilled.

pugnacious

adjective: eager or quick to argue, quarrel, or fight. "the increasingly pugnacious demeanor of politicians" Synonyms: combative, aggressive, antagonistic, belligerent, bellicose, warlike, quarrelsome, argumentative, contentious, disputatious, hostile, threatening, truculent adjective: tough and callous by virtue of experience Synonyms: hard-bitten, hard-boiled Mnemonic: a pug is an aggressive asiatic breed of dog. So a pugnacious pug.. (Pugnacious means ready for a fight. If you're pugnacious, you might find it hard to make friends. On the other hand, you might be a very successful professional boxer one day. Your brother is a pugnacious thug--always ready to use his fists to settle arguments, and he has the strength to do so. That's the literal sense of pugnacious. You can use pugnacious figuratively, too. When two candidates face off in a debate during a close election, one or the other might be pugnacious. He looks to pick a fight with his opponent and is willing to say almost anything, no matter how outrageous, to make his opponent look bad.) The comedian told one flat joke after another, and when the audience started booing, he pugnaciously spat back at them, "Hey, you think this is easy - why don't you buffoons give it a shot?"

venial

adjective: easily excused or forgiven; pardonable Synonyms : excusable , forgivable His traffic violations ran the gamut from the venial to the egregious - on one occasion he simply did not come to a complete stop; another time he tried to escape across state lines at speeds in excess of 140 mph.

docile

adjective: easily handled or managed; willing to be taught or led or supervised or directed Synonyms : gentle Barnyard animals are considerably more docile than the wild animals.

petulant

adjective: easily irritated or annoyed Synonyms : cranky , fractious , irritable , nettlesome , peckish , peevish , pettish , scratchy , techy , testy , tetchy When Ed first met Ruth, he didn't realize she was so petulant, but now that they are three months into their relationship, Ed feels a day doesn't go by in which she isn't whining about some minor issue.

peevish

adjective: easily irritated or annoyed Synonyms : cranky , fractious , irritable , nettlesome , peckish , pettish , petulant , scratchy , techy , testy , tetchy Our office manager is peevish, so the rest of us tip-toe around him, hoping not to set off another one of his fits.

sentimental

adjective: effusively or insincerely emotional, especially in art, music, and literature Synonyms : bathetic , drippy , hokey , kitschy , maudlin , mawkish , mushy , schmaltzy , schmalzy , slushy , soppy , soupy I don't like romanticism for the same reason I don't like melodramatic acting and soap operas - overly sentimental.

cadaverous

adjective: emaciated; gaunt; resembling a corpse in being very pale, thin, or bony. Synonyms : bony ,haggard , pinched , skeletal , wasted cadaverous: of or relating to a cadaver or corpse "we had long anticipated his cadaverous end" Synonyms: cadaveric Some actors take challenging roles in which they have to lose so much weight that they appear cadaverous. Opposition activists have uploaded horrific pictures and videos depicting cadaverous children subsisting on water and spices.

poignant

adjective: emotionally touching Synonyms : affecting , touching After the Montagues and Capulets discover the dead bodies of Romeo and Juliet, in the play's most poignant moment, the two griefstricken familes agree to end their feud once and for all. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

interminable

adjective: endless (often used hyperbolically); tiresomely long; seemingly without end "an interminable sermon" "we got bogged down in interminable discussions" "the interminable silence was finally broken by the plaints of her crying infant" (Use interminable to describe something that has or seems to have no end. Your math class. Your sister's violin recital. A babysitting job where five kids are going through your purse and the parents didn't leave a number. Something that is interminable is often boring, annoying, or hard to bear, such as an interminable noise. A near synonym is incessant, which also refers to something unpleasant that continues without stopping.) synonyms: (seemingly) endless, never-ending, unending, nonstop, everlasting, ceaseless, unceasing, incessant, constant, continual, uninterrupted, sustained; monotonous, tedious, long-winded, overlong, rambling The original incarnation of the coalition Dr Mahathir might soon be running was formed in the late 1990s to oppose his own interminable rule. If we are still worthy of the name "nation," that's what will happen with this already interminable saga. The interminable MLB draft rolled on after Cousins' selection in its midway point.

complementary

adjective: enhancing each other's qualities (for two things or more). Synonyms : complemental , completing The head waiter was careful to tell the amateur diners that red wine was complementary with beef, each bringing out subtle taste notes in the other.

edifying

adjective: enlightening or uplifting so as to encourage intellectual or moral improvement Synonyms : enlightening I recently read an article in the Times about whether good literature is edifying or not; specifically, does reading more make a person more moral.

errant

adjective: erring or straying from the proper course or standards. "he could never forgive his daughter's errant ways" Synonyms: offending, guilty, culpable, misbehaving, delinquent, lawbreaking; troublesome, unruly, wayward, disobedient adjective: uncontrolled motion that is irregular or unpredictable "an errant breeze" adjective: (literary) traveling in search of adventure; wandering "a knight errant" Synonyms: traveling, wandering, itinerant, roaming, roving, voyaging Mnemonic: same as Aberrant. Mnemonic: errant=err(error)+ ant = An ant wandering off path in error is errant. (Something or someone described as errant has gone astray or done wrong by going in an unexpected direction. An errant bird might end up in northern Canada while his friends fly to southern Mexico for the winter. Although errant is commonly used as a synonym for "misbehaving" or "naughty," it also refers to things that are just out of place. An errant bomb can hit a house instead of an army base, and an errant lock of hair can get in your eyes. Errant can be intentional, as in "the errant boys skipped school to go to the movies," or unintentional, as in "an errant snowball hit your neighbor instead of your arch enemy.") Unlike his peers, who spent their hours studying in the library, Matthew preferred errant walks through the university campus. His opening round included six birdies, and fittingly, an errant drive in the rough that resulted in an unplayable lie and a bogey.

pernicious

adjective: exceedingly harmful; working or spreading in a hidden and injurious way Synonyms : baneful , deadly , pestilent,insidious , subtle The most successful viruses are pernicious: an infected person may feel perfectly healthy for several months while incubating and spreading the virus.

hagiographic

adjective: excessively flattering toward someone's life or work Most accounts of Tiger Woods life were hagiographic, until, that is, his affairs made headlines.

presumptuous

adjective: excessively forward Synonyms : assuming , assumptive Many felt that Barney was presumptuous in moving into the large office before the management even made any official announcement of his promotion

avaricious

adjective: excessively greedy Synonyms : covetous , grabby , grasping , greedy , prehensile Since avaricious desire is similar to gluttony or lust--sins of excess-it was listed as one of the seven deadly sins by the Catholic church.

ravening

adjective: excessively greedy and grasping "ravening creditors" (Someone who's ravening is ferociously hungry, like a wild animal. A ravening monster in a horror film hunts its prey for food. While a ravening wolf is fierce and brutal in its hunger, you can also use ravening to describe someone who acts wild or brutish in other ways. A businessman's ravening greed is so savage that he doesn't care who's hurt in his pursuit of money. A crowd of ravening children might dive for candy beneath a piñata, shoving each other out of the way.) Mnemonic: think ravenous Synonyms: rapacious, voracious The old virtues alone, however, might not have saved him from the Lower East Side's ravening wolves. No, not Ebola but the fever known as ravening fear, which, as always, is fueled by rumor and agitation. adjective: devouring or craving food in great quantities Synonyms: edacious, esurient, rapacious, ravenous, voracious, wolfish First, by almost single handedly keeping the ravening media beast fed, he creates space for other elephants to make their way through the primary jungle. adjective: living by preying on other animals especially by catching living prey "ravening wolves" Synonyms: predatory, rapacious, raptorial, vulturine, vulturous

lugubrious

adjective: excessively mournful At the funeral, lugubrious songs filled the small church.

artful

adjective: exhibiting artistic skill Picasso is generally considered the most artful member of the Cubist movement. adjective: clever in a cunning way Bernie Madoff's artful Ponzi scheme stole billions of dollars from investors and is considered the largest financial fraud in U.S. history.

dictatorial

adjective: expecting unquestioning obedience; characteristic of an absolute ruler Synonyms : authoritarian , overbearing,authoritarian , autocratic , despotic , tyrannic , tyrannical The coach was dictatorial in his approach: no players could ever argue or question his approach.

vicarious

adjective: experienced at secondhand; felt or undergone as if one were taking part in the experience or feelings of another "read about mountain climbing and felt vicarious excitement" Synonyms: secondary (If something is vicarious, it delivers a feeling or experience from someone else. If your child becomes a big star, you might have a vicarious experience of celebrity. Vicarious comes from the Latin work vicarius, which means substitute. If you have vicarious enjoyment, you have a second hand thrill. You might get vicarious thrills of adventure by reading your friend's letters from overseas. If you're mad at your wife but you take it out on your dog, that's vicarious punishment. Vicarious can also be used as a medical term meaning "occurring in an unexpected part of body.") adjective: suffered or done by one person as a substitute for another "vicarious atonement" Synonyms: exchangeable adjective: occurring in an abnormal part of the body instead of the usual site involved in that function "vicarious menstruation" Synonyms: abnormal, unnatural On its surface, this is a classic what-would-you-do? thriller meant to elicit the vicarious horror of a core readership of middle-class moms. The advent of twitter is a celebrity stalker's dream, as he or she can - through hundreds of intimate "tweets" - vicariously live the life of a famous person.

derogative

adjective: expressed as worthless or in negative terms Synonyms : derogatory , disparaging Never before have we seen a debate between two political candidates that was so derogative and filthy.

pejorative

adjective: expressing disapproval (usu. refers to a term) Synonyms : dislogistic , dyslogistic Most psychologists object to the pejorative term "shrink", believing that they expand the human mind, not limit it. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

approbatory

adjective: expressing praise or approval Synonyms : affirmative , approbative , approving , plausive Although it might not be her best work, Hunter's new novel has received generally approbatory reviews.

inflammable

adjective: extremely controversial, incendiary It only takes one person to leave an inflammable comment on an Internet thread for that thread to blow up into pages upon pages of reader indignation. He attacked his new job with characteristic gusto—what George Pocock later called "inflammable enthusiasm." They should be aware that the situation remains volatile and inflammable and start serious work on contingency planning to avoid an economic and human disaster. Mnemonic: easily set "in flames" of controversy adjective: easily ignited Synonyms: flammable, incendiary, combustible (Inflammable can be a tricky word, since the in- prefix often means "not." But in this case, the in- isn't really a prefix, because the word is built from the verb inflame which means "to set on fire." Some inflammable things might literally go up in flames, but we also use it metaphorically. Someone with a quick temper could be described as "inflammable," and if you fall in love easily, then you have an inflammable heart.) He sprinkled the pages with cider to make them more inflammable, touched a match to them, and a little jet of flame curled upward.

parsimonious

adjective: extremely frugal; miserly Synonyms : penurious Katie is so parsimonious that she only buys a pair of socks if all of her other socks have holes in them.

esurient

adjective: extremely hungry "fell into the esurient embrance of a predatory enemy" (Esurient means extremely hungry. It would be dangerous to leave your esurient brother in charge of the three dozen cupcakes you baked for a birthday party. Esurient describes someone who's famished or capable of eating an unbelievable amount of food. That's why an esurient group of high school kids might consume an alarming number of pizzas, and a people-eating monster with an esurient glimmer in its eye would make you run the other way. The word implies a greediness that goes beyond mere hunger.) Mnemonic: Esuriency- sounds like He sure is ..(hungry/greedy) isn't he" Synonyms: famished, ravenous, sharp-set, starved hungry Lowest of all are those whose esurient vanity, acting on a frivolous levity of mind, urges them to make Literature a plaything for display. adjective: (often followed by `for') ardently or excessively desirous Synonyms: avid, devouring, greedy desirous, wishful adjective: devouring or craving food in great quantities Synonyms: edacious, rapacious, ravening, ravenous, voracious, wolfish

ravenous

adjective: extremely hungry; devouring or craving food in great quantities Synonyms : esurient , famished , sharp-set , starved,edacious , esurient , rapacious , ravening , voracious , wolfish John didn't eat much at all during the week he had the flu, so now that he is regaining his health, it's not surprising that he has a ravenous appetite.

Pollyannaish

adjective: extremely optimistic Synonyms : cheerful , upbeat Even in the midst of a lousy sales quarter, Debbie remained Pollyannaish, never losing her shrill voice and wide smile, even when prospective customers hung up on her.

excruciating

adjective: extremely painful Synonyms : agonising , agonizing , harrowing , torturesome , torturing , torturous After the boulder rolled a couple of feet, pinning my friend's arm, he experienced excruciating pain.

equitable

adjective: fair to all parties as dictated by reason and conscience Synonyms : just The equitable distribution of ice cream to a group of 5 year olds will ensure little to no fighting - at least until the ice cream is gone.

benighted

adjective: fallen into a state of ignorance Synonyms : nighted,dark Far from being a period of utter benightedness, The Medieval Ages produced some great works of theological speculation.

auspicious

adjective: favorable, the opposite of sinister Despite an auspicious beginning, Mike's road trip became a series of mishaps, and he was soon stranded and penniless, leaning against his wrecked automobile.

intrepid

adjective: fearless Synonyms : audacious , brave , dauntless , fearless , hardy , unfearing Captain Ahab was an intrepid captain whose reckless and fearless style ultimate leads to his downfall.

reverent

adjective: feeling or showing profound respect or veneration Synonyms : godly , worshipful The professor could speak objectively about the other composers, but he always lectured about Brahms with a particularly reverent air, unable to offer a single criticism of his compositions.

mettlesome

adjective: filled with courage or valor Synonyms : game , gamey , gamy , gritty , spirited , spunky For its raid on the Bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Seal Team Six has become, for many Americans, the embodiment of mettle.

doleful

adjective: filled with or evoking sadness Synonyms : mournful No event is more doleful than the passing of my mother; she was a shining star in my life, and it brings me great sadness to think that she is now gone.

staunch

adjective: firm and dependable especially in loyalty Synonyms : steadfast , unswerving No longer a staunch supporter of the movement, Todd now will openly question whether its goals are worthwhile.

entrenched

adjective: fixed firmly or securely By the time we reach 60-years old, most of our habits are so entrenched that it is difficult for us to change.

quotidian

adjective: found in the ordinary course of events Synonyms : everyday , mundane , routine , unremarkable , workaday Phil gets so involved thinking about Aristotle's arguments that he totally forgets quotidian concerns, such as exercising and eating regularly.

precarious

adjective: fraught with danger Synonyms : parlous , perilous , touch-and-go People smoke to relax and forget their cares, but ironically, in terms of health risks, smoking is far more precarious than either mountain-climbing or skydiving.

impartial

adjective: free from undue bias or preconceived opinions Synonyms : unprejudiced The judge was not impartial since he had been bribed by the witness's family.

guileless

adjective: free of deceit Synonyms : transparent At first I thought my niece was guileless, but I then found myself buying her ice cream every time we passed a shop.

unimpeachable

adjective: free of guilt; not subject to blame; beyond doubt or reproach Synonyms : blameless , inculpable , irreproachable After his long and unimpeachable service to the company, Sharat felt that a gold watch was a slap in the face rather than an honor.

affable

adjective: friendly, good-natured, or easy to talk to; likeable (Affable means friendly, pleasant, and easy to talk to. An affable host offers you something to drink and makes you feel at home. If you're stuck on an airplane next to someone affable, the trip won't be so bad because that person will be easy to chat with but won't talk your ear off. Affable people generally seem like they're in a good mood and are happy to see you.) Mnemonic: affection+able=affection to others Synonyms : amiable , cordial , genial For all his surface affability, Marco was remarkably glum when he wasn't around other people.

jubilant

adjective: full of high-spirited delight because of triumph or success Synonyms : exultant , exulting , prideful , rejoicing , triumphal , triumphant,elated , gleeful , joyful My hardwork paid off, and I was jubilant to receive a perfect score on the GRE.

jovial

adjective: full of or showing high-spirited merriment, i.e. happiness Synonyms : gay , jocund , jolly , merry , mirthful The political candidate and his supporters were jovial once it was clear that she had won.

garrulous

adjective: full of trivial conversation Synonyms : chatty , gabby , loquacious , talkative , talky Lynne was garrulous: once, she had a fifteen minute conversation with a stranger before she realized the woman didn't speak English.

disparate

adjective: fundamentally different or distinct in quality or kind "such disparate attractions as grand opera and game fishing" "disparate ideas" Synonyms: different (The trunk of some people's cars may contain items as disparate as old clothes, rotting food, and possibly a missing relative. Disparate things are very different from each other.) adjective: including markedly dissimilar elements "a disparate aggregate of creeds and songs and prayers" Synonyms: heterogeneous, heterogenous With the advent of machines capable of looking inside the brain, fields as disparate as religion and biology have been brought together by scientists trying to understand what happens in the brain when people have a religious experience. In an age of big data and artificial intelligence, are businesses that look disparate really similar?

cavalier

adjective: given to haughty disregard of others Synonyms : high-handed Percy dismissed the issue with a cavalier wave of his hand.

demonstrative

adjective: given to or marked by the open expression of emotion When Sally told James that she wanted to break up with him, she expected he would react demonstratively, but he quietly nodded his head and left without saying a word.

patent

adjective: glaringly obvious Synonyms : apparent , evident , manifest , plain , unmistakable Since the book had been through no fewer than six proof runs, the staff was shocked to see such a patent spelling mistake remaining, right in the middle of the front cover! This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

adequate

adjective: good enough for what you need "she had adequate training" "her training was adequate" "she was adequate to the job" Synonyms : decent , enough (When you want to say that something is enough or good enough for a particular need, use the adjective adequate. You might have an adequate amount of flour for a batch of pancakes, but not a lot extra. Adequate can also describe something that is acceptable or satisfactory, but not any better than that. You might say that a student's grades are adequate but need improvement.) adjective: about average; acceptable "more than adequate as a secretary" Synonyms: fair to middling, passable, tolerable A very light jacket will be adequate for Los Angeles's warm winter.

exorbitant

adjective: greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation Synonyms : extortionate , outrageous , steep , unconscionable , usurious Shelley made one exorbitant purchase after another, buying new clothes and taking vacations even though she earned a limited salary.

pragmatic

adjective: guided by practical experience and observation rather than theory Synonyms : hard-nosed , hardheaded , practical Rather than make a philosophical appeal to the Congressmen, the Speaker decided to take a far more pragmatic approach, making small side-deals that would add votes to his bill.

inveterate

adjective: habitual Synonyms : chronic He is an inveterate smoker and has told his family and friends that there is no way he will ever quit.

querulous

adjective: habitually complaining Synonyms : fretful , whiney , whiny The querulous old woman was begining to wear down even the happier members of the staff with her ceaseless complaining.

taciturn

adjective: habitually reserved and uncommunicative While the CEO enthusiastically shares his plans and agenda with all who will listen, the CFO is far more taciturn, rarely revealing his perspective.

inadvertent

adjective: happening by chance or unexpectedly or unintentionally Synonyms : accidental Although Prohibition was rooted in noble ideals, the inadvertent and costly consequences of making alcohol illegal in the U.S. led its the repeal.

deleterious

adjective: harmful to living things Mnemonic: most computer viruses DELETE files and hence they are HARMFUL Synonyms : hurtful , injurious The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was deleterious to the fishing industry in the southern states.

innocuous

adjective: harmless and doesn't produce any ill effects Mnemonic: in(not)+nocuous(noxious)........ means not noxious......something which is not noxious is harmless... Synonyms : innocent Everyone found Nancy's banter innocuous - except for Mike, who felt like she was intentionally picking on him.

acerbic

adjective: harsh in tone Synonyms : acerb , acid , acrid , bitter , blistering , caustic , sulfurous , sulphurous , virulent , vitriolic Most movie critics are acerbic towards summer blockbusters, often referring to them as garbage.

vitriolic

adjective: harsh or corrosive in tone Synonyms : acerb , acerbic , acid , acrid , bitter , blistering , caustic , sulfurous , sulphurous , virulent While the teacher was more moderate in her criticism of the other student's papers, she was vitriolic toward Peter's paper, casting every flaw in the harshest light.

genteel

adjective: marked by refinement in taste and manners Synonyms : civilised , civilized , cultivated , cultured , polite A live string quartet would provide a more genteel air to the wedding than would a folk singer.

precipitate

adjective: hasty or rash Synonyms : hasty , overhasty , precipitant , precipitous Instead of conducting a thorough investigation after the city hall break-in, the governor acted precipitately, accusing his staff of aiding and abetting the criminals. verb: to cause to happen The government's mishandling the hurricane's aftermath precipitated a widespread outbreak of looting and other criminal activity. This word has other definitions but these are the most important ones to study

truculent

adjective: having a fierce, savage nature Standing in line for six hours, she became progressively truculent, yelling at DMV employees and elbowing other people waiting in line.

debonair

adjective: having a sophisticated charm Synonyms : debonaire , debonnaire , suave James Bond is known for his good looks, high tech gadgets, and debonair manner.

affluent

adjective: having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value synonyms: flush, loaded, moneyed, wealthy; rich Mnemonic: af + fluent. Someone who is fluent in a language knows an abundance of words. noun: affluent person; a person who is financially well off The center of the city had sadly become a pit of penury, while, only five miles away, multi-million dollar homes spoke of affluence. Many affluent buyers are willing to pay a premium for tropical-modern homes.

flush

adjective: having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value "a speculator flush with cash" Synonyms: affluent, loaded, moneyed, wealthy noun: the period of greatest prosperity or productivity Synonyms: bloom, blossom, efflorescence, flower, heyday, peak, prime adjective: to be in abundance Synonyms : bloom , blossom , efflorescence , flower , heyday , peak , prime The exam's passage is flush with difficult words, words that you may have learned only yesterday. (When you empty something out with a liquid, you flush it. You might also be flush with cash, meaning you have a lot of it. Just don't flush that cash down the toilet! Your face can flush, and the sky can flush at sunset when it glows with shades of pink. You can also use flush as an adjective to mean "lined up" or "level," like when you hang a medicine cabinet in your bathroom, making sure it's flush against the wall. Yet another meaning of a flush is a peak or boom — a professional poker player might describe her period of winning game after game as a flush.) verb: to rinse, clean, or empty with a liquid "flush the wound with antibiotics" Synonyms: purge, scour verb: to flow freely "The garbage flushed down the river" verb: to cause to flow or flood with or as if with water "flush the meadows" verb: to glow or cause to glow with warm color or light "the sky flushed with rosy splendor" verb: to turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame Synonyms: blush, crimson, redden adjective: of a surface exactly even with an adjoining one, forming the same plane "a door flush with the wall" "the bottom of the window is flush with the floor" Synonyms: even verb: to make level or straight Synonyms: even, even out, level adverb: squarely or solidly "hit him flush in the face"

piquant

adjective: having an agreeably pungent taste Synonyms : savory , savoury , spicy , zesty The chef, with a mere flick of the salt shaker, turned the bland tomato soup into a piquant meal.

noisome

adjective: having an extremely bad smell Synonyms : fetid , foetid , foul , foul-smelling , funky , ill-scented , smelly , stinking Each August, when the winds moved in a south easterly direction, the garbage dump would spread noisome vapors through the small town.

malodorous

adjective: having an unpleasant smell Synonyms : ill-smelling , malodourous , stinky , unpleasant-smelling Some thermally active fountains spew sulfur fumes--the air around them is sometimes so malodorous that many have to plug their noses.

scintillating

adjective: having brief brilliant points or flashes of light "the scintillating stars" (Something scintillating is flashing briefly and sharply with light. Scintillating conversations are smart and captivating. To be scintillating is to be sharp. Things that are scintillating are exciting: they grab your attention with sparkles, flashes of light, or sheer brilliance. Most often, we talk about scintillating conversations and speakers. If you say someone is scintillating, then they are clever — people want to listen to them. This is a word often used sarcastically. If someone is boring, you might say "Well, that was scintillating," while rolling your eyes.) Synonyms: aglitter, coruscant, fulgid, glinting, glistering, glittering, glittery, scintillant, sparkly adjective: marked by high spirits or excitement "scintillating personality" Synonyms: bubbling, effervescent, frothy, sparkly The tasting was bookended by two scintillating sparkling wines that bowled me over. Everyone wants the England team to play a scintillating brand of football, and I am sure Southgate aspires to it. adjective: brilliantly clever "scintillating wit" "a play full of scintillating dialogue" Richard Feynman was renowned for his scintillating lectures—the arcana of quantum physics was made lucid as he wrote animatedly on the chalkboard. Britain's Lewis Hamilton put in a scintillating performance to set the pace in second practice at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

sagacious

adjective: having good judgement and acute insight Synonyms : perspicacious , sapient Steve Jobs is surely one of the most sagacious CEOs, making Apple the most recognizable and valuable companies in the world.

unprecedented

adjective: having never been done or known before; novel When America first created its national parks, the idea of setting aside the most beautiful land in a country was unprecedented in the history of mankind.

incisive

adjective: having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions Synonyms : acute , discriminating , keen , knifelike , penetrating , penetrative , piercing , sharp The lawyer had an incisive mind, able in a flash to dissect a hopelessly tangled issue and isolate the essential laws at play.

amiable

adjective: having or displaying a friendly and pleasant manner Synonyms : affable , cordial , genial Mnemonic: amiable ~ am I able; I am able to make friends because of my amiable nature. Amy's name was very apt: she was so amiable that she was twice voted class president. Being an amiable person, she will surely build a cheerful home. adjective: disposed to please Synonyms: good-humored, good-humoured Generally amiable, he's gotten into a few rough exchanges with other CNN pundits, most notably Van Jones on election night.

halcyon

adjective: idyllically calm and peaceful; suggesting happy tranquillity; marked by peace and prosperity Synonyms : golden , prosperous The first decade after WWI was a halcyon period in America with new-found wealth and rapidly improving technology.

stolid

adjective: having or revealing little emotion or sensibility; not easily aroused or excited; (of a person) calm, dependable, and showing little emotion or animation ""a silent stolid creature who took it all as a matter of course"-Virginia Woolf" "her face showed nothing but stolid indifference" "her stolid facade is somewhat unnerving" synonyms: impassive, phlegmatic, unemotional, cool, calm, placid, unexcitable; dependable; unimaginative, dull Elephants may appear stolid to casual observers, but they actually have passionate emotional lives. The prose is dry and stolid, accompanied by neither rhetorical flourish nor lavish praise. "Finally, there are younger candidates. Finally, there are more women. And finally, there are new ideas in a staid, stolid system. That's renewal." Mnemonic: when you are stolid your face is solid (A stolid person can't be moved to smile or show much sign of life, in much the same way as something solid, like a giant boulder, is immovable. Both are expressionless. It's hard to get excited about the word stolid. It refers to emotionless people or things, and it even sounds pretty dull. Your face may be stolid, as you plod through the unemotional history of the word born in the 17th century of little more than Latin words for "foolish." In some definitions, stolid does have more complimentary synonyms, such as "dependable" or "calm," but these can be overshadowed by other words for stolid — "empty," "blank," and "vacant," to name a few.) Maybe I was too stolid to track these feelings.

impassive

adjective: having or revealing little emotion or sensibility; not easily aroused or excited; not feeling or showing emotion. "impassive passersby ignore the performers" "Woodgate sat with his arms folded and remained impassive" synonyms: stolid, phlegmatic, expressionless, unexpressive, inexpressive, inscrutable, unreadable, blank, deadpan, poker-faced, straight-faced; stony, wooden, unresponsive, cold, unmoved, indifferent; serene, calm, peaceful, unruffled, dispassionate, cool, unemotional (Someone who doesn't seem to react — who is always "taking a pass" in the conversation of life can be described as impassive. Impassive is tricky, as it sounds it should be the opposite of passive. It's not, though. The fact is you can be passive and impassive at the same time. When a passive person gets passed over for a promotion at work, their face might remain impassive upon hearing the news.) Mr. Trump, according to two people in his orbit, was preoccupied, uncharacteristically impassive but in generally decent spirits. Offred's face is impassive, but at times her fear and disgust briefly breaks through.

consummate

adjective: having or revealing supreme mastery or skill Synonyms : masterful , masterly , virtuoso Tyler was the consummate musician: he was able to play the guitar, harmonica, and the drum at the same time. But if the night celebrated the outsider, it was the consummate showbiz insider who was its biggest star. verb: to make perfect and complete in every respect The restoration of the ancient church was only consummated after a twenty years of labor. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade hadn't been consummated. (Consummate means complete, finished, or masterful. If you refer to someone as a consummate chef, then you are saying he is the ultimate chef. If you say someone is a consummate jerk, then you are saying he is the ultimate jerk. Consummate can be used to describe something good or bad: consummate joy, a consummate liar. To consummate means to bring something to completion, but it often refers specifically to making a marriage complete by having sexual relations.) adjective: without qualification; used informally as (often pejorative) intensifiers "a consummate fool" Synonyms: arrant, complete, double-dyed, everlasting, gross, perfect, pure, sodding, staring, stark, thoroughgoing, unadulterated, utter Quantum mechanics is the consummate theory of particles, so it naturally describes measurements and interactions. verb: to fulfill sexually "consummate a marriage"

imperious

adjective: having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy Synonyms : disdainful , haughty , lordly , overbearing , prideful , sniffy , supercilious , swaggering Children are imperious with each other before they learn that earning someone's respect is better than demanding.

pious

adjective: having or showing or expressing reverence for a deity "pious readings" (If someone is deeply religious and visibly follows all the moral and ethical codes of his religion, he is pious. Don't become a priest if you're not prepared to live a pious life.) Mnemonic: We give thanks to God for the PIe he has given US. Synonyms: devotional "Amen," the pious few say quickly, and the rest of us follow. For the truly pious, Orthodoxy is the closest modern equivalent to the church of the Apostles, they say.

erudite

adjective: having or showing profound knowledge Synonyms : learned Before the Internet, the library was typically were you would find erudite readers.

pertinent

adjective: having precise or logical relevance to the matter at hand Synonyms : apposite , apt While the salaries of the players might draw attention in the media, such monetary figures are not pertinent to the question of who plays the best on the field.

convoluted

adjective: highly complex or intricate Synonyms : byzantine , involved , knotty , tangled , tortuous Instead of solving the math problem in three simple steps, Kumar used a convoluted solution requiring fifteen steps.

dogmatic

adjective: highly opinionated, not accepting that your belief may not be correct Bryan is dogmatic in his belief that the earth is flat, claiming that all pictures of a spherical earth are computer generated.

vaunted

adjective: highly or widely praised or boasted about For years, they had heard of New York City's vaunted skyline, and when they finally saw it, the spectacular cityscape did not disappoint them in the least.

percipient

adjective: highly perceptive Synonyms : clear Even the most percipient editor will make an occasional error when proofreading.

eccentric

adjective: highly unconventional or unusual (usually describes a person) Synonyms : eccentric person , flake , geek , oddball Mozart was well-known for his eccentricities, often speaking words backward to confuse those around him.

inimical

adjective: hostile (usually describes conditions or environments) Synonyms : unfriendly Venus, with a surface temperature that would turn rubber to liquid, is inimical to any form of life.

ribald

adjective: humorously vulgar Synonyms : bawdy , off-color The speaker was famous for his ribald humor, but the high school principal asked him to keep the talk G-rated when he spoke to the student body.

morose

adjective: ill-tempered and not inclined to talk; gloomy "a morose and unsociable manner" Synonyms : dark , dour , glowering , glum , moody , saturnine , sour , sullen (A morose person is sullen, gloomy, sad, glum, and depressed — not a happy camper. When someone is morose, they seem to have a cloud of sadness hanging over them. This word is stronger than just sad — morose implies being extremely gloomy and depressed. We all can be morose at times, like after the death of a friend or family member. Whether you're morose due to an event or just because you're feeling blue, you should try skipping or whistling a little tune to perk things up.) After Stanley found out he was no longer able to go on vacation with his friends, he sat in his room morosely. Skepticism and cynicism abound, as does disaffection and a morose outlook on life. Still, minority Democrats were morose because their priorities continue to be ignored.

phantasmagorical

adjective: illusive; unreal Synonyms : phantasmagoric , surreal , surrealistic Those suffering from malaria fall into a feverish sleep, their world a whirligig of phantasmagoria; if they recover, they are unsure of what actually took place and what was simply a product of their febrile imaginations.

impregnable

adjective: immune to attack; incapable of being tampered with Synonyms : inviolable , secure , strong , unassailable , unattackable As a child, Amy would build pillow castles and pretend they were impregnable fotresses.

unassailable

adjective: immune to attack; without flaws Synonyms : impregnable , inviolable , secure , strong , unattackable,bulletproof , unshakable , watertight Professor Williams is so self-assured as to seem arrogant, presenting each and every opinion as an unassailable fact.

incorrigible

adjective: impervious to correction by punishment Tom Sawyer seems like an incorrigible youth until Huck Finn enters the novel; even Sawyer can't match his fierce individual spirit.

ineluctable

adjective: impossible to avoid or evade: Synonyms : inescapable , unavoidable For those who smoke cigarettes for years, a major health crisis brought on by smoking is ineluctable.

irrefutable

adjective: impossible to deny or disprove Synonyms : incontrovertible , positive The existence of life on earth is irrefutable; the existence of intelligent life on earth is still hotly debated.

inexorable

adjective: impossible to stop or prevent Synonyms : adamant , adamantine , intransigent The rise of the computer was an inexorable shift in technology and culture.

impudent

adjective: improperly forward or bold Synonyms : fresh , impertinent , overbold , sassy , saucy , smart , wise In an impudent move, the defendant spoke out of order to say terribly insulting things to the judge.

muted

adjective: in a softened tone Synonyms : hushed , quiet , subdued Helen preferred muted earth colors, such as green and brown, to the bright pinks and red her sister liked. adjective: not expressed strongly or openly. "muted anger" "the muted hum of traffic" synonyms: muffled, faint, indistinct, quiet, soft, low; restrained, suppressed, subdued "I would say a few things," Chelsea Clinton offered, deliberately, through a muted smile. The effect of the travel ban this time may be more muted compared with the effort in January, but the restrictions are still broad.

copious

adjective: in abundant supply Synonyms : ample , plenteous , plentiful , rich, voluminous In midsummer, there are copious popiscle stands at the beach; in the winter, there are none.

embryonic

adjective: in an early stage of development Synonyms : embryotic, embryologic , embryonal The Board of Directors is hoping to launch a new product soon, but planning for the Z7 is in an embryonic stages. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

subversive

adjective: in opposition to a civil authority or government Synonyms : insurgent , seditious The ruling political party has begun a campaign to shut down subversive websites that it deems as a threat to "national safety."

dilapidated

adjective: in terrible condition Synonyms : bedraggled , broken-down , derelict , ramshackle , tatterdemalion , tumble-down The main house has been restored but the gazebo is still dilapidated and unuseable.

infelicitous

adjective: inappropriate Synonyms:defective During the executive meeting, the marketing director continued to make infelicitous comments about the CEO's gambling habit.

irrevocable

adjective: incapable of being retracted or revoked Synonyms : irrevokable Once you enter your plea to the court, it is irrevocable so think carefully about what you will say.

implacable

adjective: incapable of making less angry or hostile Win or lose, the coach was always implacable, never giving the athletes an easy practice or a break.

surly

adjective: inclined to anger or bad feelings with overtones of menace Synonyms : ugly Every morning, Bhavin was a surly unhappy person, but once he ate breakfast, he became loving, laughing, and a joy to be around.

soporific

adjective: inducing mental lethargy; sleep inducing Synonyms : hypnagogic , hypnogogic , somniferous , somnific , soporiferous,narcotic Although the professor is brilliant, his bland monotone gives his lectures a soporific effect.

redoubtable

adjective: inspiring fear or awe Synonyms : formidable , unnerving On television basketball players don't look that tall, but when you stand in front of a seven-foot tall NBA player, he is truly redoubtable.

didactic

adjective: instructive (especially excessively) Synonyms : didactical Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Illyich is a didactic novel, instructing the reader on how to live a good life.

prolific

adjective: intellectually productive Synonyms : fecund , fertile Schubert was the most prolific composer, producing hundreds of hours of music before he died at the age of 31.

fecund

adjective: intellectually productive Synonyms : fertile , prolific The artist had entered a fecund period, producing three masterpieces in the span of two months.

ostentatious

adjective: intended to attract notice and impress others; tawdry or vulgar Synonyms : pretentious, متباه Matt wanted to buy stone lions for front of the house, but Cynthia convinced him that such a display would be too ostentatious for a modest house in an unassuming neighborhood.

insufferable

adjective: intolerable, difficult to endure Synonyms : impossible , unacceptable , unsufferable Chester always tried to find some area in which he excelled above others; unsurprisingly, his co-workers found him insufferable and chose to exclude him from daily luncheons out.

byzantine

adjective: intricate and complex Synonyms : convoluted , involved , knotty , tangled , tortuous Getting a driver's license is not simply a matter of taking a test; the regulations and procedures are so byzantine that many have found themselves at the mercy of the Department of Motor Vehicles.

officious

adjective: intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner Synonyms : busy , busybodied , interfering , meddlesome , meddling The professor had trouble concentrating on her new theorem, because her officious secretary would barge in frequently reminding her of some trivial detail involving departmental paperwork.

sordid

adjective: involving ignoble actions and motives; arousing moral distaste and contempt; foul and run-down and repulsive Synonyms : seamy , seedy , sleazy , squalid,flyblown The nightly news simply announced that the senator had had an affair, but the tabloid published all the sordid details of the interaction. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

cerebral

adjective: involving intelligence rather than emotions or instinct Synonyms : intellectual A cerebral analysis of most pop music finds it to be simple and childish, but that ignores the point--the music's effect on the listener. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

thoroughgoing

adjective: involving or attending to every detail or aspect of something; performed comprehensively and completely "a thoroughgoing reform of the whole economy" (Anything thoroughgoing is comprehensive — it pays extremely careful attention to details. Your thoroughgoing research most likely involved endless hours of sifting through multiple sources. A thoroughgoing paint job will be neatly edged and precisely done, and a thoroughgoing government reform will involve a huge, involved overhaul of the system.) Synonyms : exhaustive, thorough As a thoroughgoing bibliophile, one who had turned his house into a veritable library, he shocked his friends when he bought a Kindle. Repeal or thoroughgoing reform of that destructive law is certainly a key step toward an economic recovery. adjective: exemplifying a specified characteristic fully; absolute. "a thoroughgoing chocoholic" This Prince shyness even happened with Questlove, who is as thoroughgoing a Prince fan as any living human being. If nothing else, this is a thoroughgoing failure of Democratic messaging.

fractious

adjective: irritable and is likely to cause disruption Synonyms : cranky , irritable , nettlesome , peckish , peevish , pettish , petulant , scratchy , techy , testy , tetchy We rarely invite my fractious Uncle over for dinner; he always complains about the food, and usually launches into a tirade on some touchy subject.

bilious

adjective: irritable; always angry Synonyms : atrabilious , dyspeptic , liverish Rex was bilious all morning, and his face would only take on a look of contentedness when he'd had his morning cup of coffee.

ebullient

adjective: joyously unrestrained Synonyms : exuberant , high-spirited Can you blame him for his ebullient mood? He just graduated from medical school.

benign

adjective: kind I remember my grandfather's face was wrinkled, benign, and calm. adjective: (medicine) not dangerous to health; not recurrent or progressive The tumor located in your ear lobe seems to be benign and should not cause you any trouble.

wanting

adjective: lacking Synonyms : deficient , lacking She did not think her vocabulary was wanting, yet there were so many words that inevitably she found a few she didn't know.

lethargic

adjective: lacking energy Synonyms : unenrgetic Nothing can make a person more lethargic than a big turkey dinner.

anemic

adjective: lacking energy and vigor Synonyms : anaemic After three straight shows, the lead actress gave an anemic performance the fourth night, barely speaking loudly enough for those in the back rows to hear.

myopic

adjective: lacking foresight or imagination Synonyms : short , shortsighted , unforesightful The company ultimately went out of business because the myopic managers couldn't predict the changes in their industry. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

pedestrian

adjective: lacking imagination Synonyms : earthbound , prosaic , prosy While Nan was always engaged in philosophical speculation, her brother was occupied with far more pedestrian concerns: how to earn a salary and run a household. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

immaterial

adjective: lacking importance; not mattering one way or the other "so long as the band kept the beat, what they played was immaterial" (Things that are immaterial have no physical form [like a ghost] or are unimportant [like most ghost stories]. Something that's material has substance, right? You can touch it or it's important. So the opposite is the word immaterial, which means something that doesn't matter, or has no physical substance, or which adds nothing to the subject at hand.) Synonyms : irrelevant, unimportant, inconsequential, insignificant adjective: not pertinent to the matter under consideration synonyms: extraneous, impertinent, orthogonal, The judge found the defendant's comments immaterial to the trial, and summarily dismissed him from the witness stand. adjective: not consisting of matter; spiritual, rather than physical. "we have immaterial souls" synonyms: intangible, incorporeal, bodiless, disembodied, impalpable, ethereal, insubstantial, metaphysical

incongruous

adjective: lacking in harmony or compatibility or appropriateness The vast economic inequality of modern society is incongruous with America's ideals.

churlish

adjective: lacking manners or refinement The manager was unnecessarily churlish to his subordinates, rarely deigning to say hello, but always quick with a sartorial jab if someone happened to be wearing anything even slightly mismatching.

penurious

adjective: lacking money; poor Synonyms : hard up , impecunious , in straitened circumstances , penniless , pinched Truly penurious, Mary had nothing more than a jar full of pennies. adjective: miserly Synonyms : parsimonious Warren Buffett, famous multi-billionaire, still drives a cheap sedan, not because he is penurious, but because luxury cars are gaudy and impractical.

impecunious

adjective: lacking money; poor Synonyms : hard up , in straitened circumstances , penniless , penurious , pinched In extremely trying times, even the moderately wealthy, after a few turns of ill-fortune, can become impecunious.

bumbling

adjective: lacking physical movement skills, especially with the hands Synonyms : bungling , butterfingered , ham-fisted , ham-handed , handless , heavy-handed , left-handed Within a week of starting, the bumbling new waiter was unceremoniously fired.

disreputable

adjective: lacking respectability in character or behavior or appearance Mnemonic: not reputable (so... NOT... having a good reputation) (If a person or organization is disreputable, they have an image problem. They are — or at least appear to be — crooked, shady, or just plain bad news. See how the word reputation is partially hidden in disreputable? If a person is disreputable, they have a bad reputation for some reason. A student caught cheating will get a bad reputation with teachers and become disreputable. A politician caught in a scandal could become disreputable. If an airline crashes a plane, they will become disreputable. When someone or something is disreputable, people no longer trust them. Even if the reality is different, it's hard to shake off a disreputable image.) Synonyms: dishonorable, dishonourable But this book's focus is particularly laserlike — a whir of financial angst, disreputable Wall Street behavior and hang-in-there optimism about slogging through President Trump's reign. Ethics committees must draw up guidelines for distinguishing reputable from disreputable journals.

hackneyed

adjective: lacking significance through having been overused Synonyms : banal , commonplace , old-hat , shopworn , stock , threadbare , timeworn , tired , trite , well-worn Cheryl rolled her eyes when she heard the lecturer's hackneyed advice to "be true to yourself."

gauche

adjective: lacking social polish Synonyms : graceless , unpolished Sylvester says the most gauche things, such as telling a girl he liked that she was much prettier when she wore makeup.

appreciable

adjective: large enough to be noticed (usu. refers to an amount) "appreciable amounts of noxious wastes are dumped into the harbor" Synonyms: considerable (Movie theater popcorn tastes much better than microwave popcorn. The difference between them is appreciable — that is, you notice it. A good way to remember appreciable is to think of the related word appreciate. You appreciate the quality of the popcorn at the movie theater because it is significantly better than what you make at home. Of course, appreciable differences aren't always appreciated. There has been an appreciable improvement in the quality of televisions in the last 20 years, but if you've got an old TV, that isn't much comfort.) There is an appreciable difference between those who say they can get the job done and those who actually get the job done. There is no evidence whatsoever that voter fraud occurs on any appreciable scale.

transitory

adjective: lasting a very short time Mnemonic: Brief transitions are the best. Synonyms : ephemeral , fugacious , passing , short-lived , transient If we lived forever and life was not transitory, do you think we would appreciate life less or more?

ephemeral

adjective: lasting a very short time Mnemonic: Sounds like e-funeral. E-funerals are for EXTRA short lives. Synonyms : fugacious , passing , short-lived , transient , transitory The lifespan of a mayfly is ephemeral, lasting from a few hours to a couple of days.

fugacious

adjective: lasting a very short time Something that's fugacious lasts a very short time. You say you'll wear your trendy new jeans for years but the truth is, their style is so fugacious you'll feel silly in them long before they wear out. Mnemonic: The word is derived from word fugitive which means fleeing.... Synonyms: ephemeral, passing, short-lived, transient, transitory When you live in Maine, the summer seems fugacious, and after looking forward all year to your senior prom, you'll find the night so fugacious that it seems to last only an hour. The moment you catch the tiger by the tail, there's a new tiger whose fugacious tail requires catching.

transient

adjective: lasting a very short time Synonyms : ephemeral , fugacious , passing , short-lived , transitory The unpredictable and transient nature of deja vu makes it a very difficult phenomenon to study properly.

perennial

adjective: lasting an indefinitely long time; eternal; everlasting Even at the old-timers games, Stan Musial would get the loudest cheer: he was a perennial favorite of the fans there. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

feckless

adjective: lazy and irresponsible Synonyms : inept Two years after graduation, Charlie still lived with his parents and had no job, becoming more feckless with each passing day.

lascivious

adjective: lecherous; sexually perverted Synonyms : lewd , libidinous , lustful Lolita is a challenging novel for many, not necessarily because of the elevated prose style but because of the depravity of the main character, Humbert Humbert, who, as an old, lascivious man, falls in love with a girl.

erratic

adjective: liable to sudden unpredictable change "erratic behavior" Synonyms : fickle , mercurial , quicksilver It came as no surprise to pundits that the President's attempt at re-election floundered; even during his term, support for his policies was erratic, with an approval rating jumping anywhere from 30 to 60 percent. Later that afternoon she drives me to town, one foot hesitantly on the gas pedal and the other, at erratic intervals, on the brake. adjective: likely to perform unpredictably "erratic winds are the bane of a sailor" Synonyms: temperamental The most prominent characteristic of our era is not the monolithic power of one party, but the erratic personality of one man. But that's soon at odds with a needy streak that produces spasms of erratic, hurtful behavior she begs to be forgiven for. adjective: having no fixed course "an erratic comet" Synonyms: planetary, wandering

unviable

adjective: not able to work, survive, or succeed (also spelled inviable). The plan was obviously unviable considering that it lead to complete environmental destruction in the river valley.

fickle

adjective: liable to sudden unpredictable change, esp. in affections or attachments Synonyms : erratic , mercurial , quicksilver She was so fickle in her politics, it was hard to pinpoint her beliefs; one week she would embrace a side, and the next week she would denounce it.

meteoric

adjective: like a meteor in speed or brilliance or transience The early spectacular successes propelled the pitcher to meteoric stardom, but a terribly injury tragically cut short his career.

contentious

adjective: likely to argue Synonyms : combative , disputatious , disputative , litigious Since old grandpa Harry became very contentious during the summer when only reruns were on T.V., the grandkids learned to hide from him at every opportunity.

invidious

adjective: likely to cause resentment At a time when many others in the office were about to be laid off, many considered Cheryl's fine clothes that day an invidious display. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

tendentious

adjective: likely to lean towards a controversial view Synonyms : tendencious Because political mudslinging has become a staple of the 24-hour media cycle, most of us, despite protestations to the contrary, are tendentious on many of today's pressing issues.

disdainful

adjective: looking down on others; having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy (Disdainful means scornful and arrogant. To be disdainful is to act mean and superior.) Mnemonic: divide it like dis+dain(rhymes with vain)....someone who is disdainful disses others b/c he is vain Synonyms: haughty, imperious, lordly, overbearing, prideful, sniffy, supercilious, swaggering "some economists are disdainful of their colleagues in other social disciplines" adjective: expressing extreme contempt Synonyms : contemptuous , insulting , scornful

haughty

adjective: looking down on others; having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy Mnemonic: Haughty sounds like hottie --- Hot girls usually have "ARROGANTLY SUPERIOR AND DISDAINFUL" behavior towards others. Synonyms : disdainful , imperious , lordly , overbearing , prideful , sniffy , supercilious , swaggering The haughty manager didn't believe that any of his subordinates could ever have an insight as brilliant his own.

antic

adjective: ludicrously odd Synonyms : fantastic , fantastical , grotesque The clown's antic act was too extreme for the youngest children, who left the room in tears. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

disheartened

adjective: made less hopeful or enthusiastic Synonyms : demoralised , demoralized , discouraged After the visiting team scored nine times, the home team's fans were disheartened, some leaving the game early. "I am disheartened that we would send this bill back." (When you're disheartened, you feel discouraged or let down. It's easy to become disheartened if the grades on your report card don't reflect the hard work and dedication you exerted. You might be disheartened to read about the high unemployment rate in the newspaper, or disheartened by the way your carefully constructed rocket ship cake flopped. When you feel your spirits sink or your courage fail, you're disheartened. The first recorded use of the word dishearten showed up in Shakespeare's play Henry V, where he invented it to mean the opposite of hearten, or "encourage.")

sanctimonious

adjective: making a show of being morally superior to other people; excessively or hypocritically pious; holier-than-thou (The sanctimonious person sounds like a hypocrite when he preaches to a friend about the evils of drugs, while he drinks one beer after another. Sanctimonious is a twist on the words sanctity and sacred, which mean holy or religious. A sanctimonious person might think he's holy, but their attitude comes across more like "holier-than-thou." Though sanctimonious people might try to act like saints, their actions are far from pure or holy, which just makes them sound like hypocrites.) Mnemonic: saint+money...acting like a saint for money..they're false, displaying false piety Synonyms : holier-than-thou, pharisaic, pharisaical, pietistic, pietistical, self-righteous Even during the quiet sanctity of evening prayer, she held her chin high, a sanctimonious sneer forming on her face as she eyed those who were attending church for the first time. It worked until a sanctimonious parenting book, citing the AAP, told me I was doing everything wrong. Religious conservatives, for example, are typically attacked by liberals for being preachy and sanctimonious.

conducive

adjective: making a situation or outcome more likely to happen Studying in a quiet room is conducive to learning; studying in a noisy environment makes learning more difficult.

extenuating

adjective: making less guilty or more forgivable; partially excusing or justifying "extenuating circumstances" Synonyms: exculpatory, mitigating, excusing, exonerative, palliative, justifying, justificatory, vindicating (You'll be furious that your friend didn't bake the cupcakes she promised for your bake sale — until you learn the extenuating circumstances: her dog climbed onto her kitchen counter and ate all the cupcake batter. Extenuating means "making forgivable." The adjective extenuating is unusual because it's almost always used with the word circumstances; the phrase extenuating circumstances describes the specific reasons that excuse or justify someone's actions.) The jury was hardly moved by the man's plea that his loneliness was an extenuating factor in his crime of dognapping a prized pooch.

rakish

adjective: marked by a carefree unconventionality or disreputableness Synonyms : devil-may-care , raffish As soon as he arrived in the city, the rakish young man bought some drugs and headed straight for the seedy parts of town.

apathetic

adjective: marked by a lack of interest Synonyms : indifferent Mr. Thompson was so talented at teaching math that even normally apathetic students took interest.

pedantic

adjective: marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning especially its trivial aspects Synonyms : academic , donnish Professor Thompson was regarded as an expert in his field, but his lectures were utterly pedantic, focused on rigorous details of the most trivial conventions in the field.

furtive

adjective: marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed Synonyms : sneak , sneaky , stealthy , surreptitious While at work, George and his boss Regina felt the need to be as furtive as possible about their romantic relationship.

avid

adjective: marked by active interest and enthusiasm "an avid sports fan" Synonyms : zealous Martin is an avid birdwatcher, often taking long hikes into remote mountains to see some rare eagle. He is an avid hunter whose closest friends are not considered New York elite, but are people who enjoy the outdoors and are gun enthusiasts. (Avid usually means very eager or enthusiastic. If you're an avid reader, it means you read as much as you can, whenever you can. But this adjective can also mean wanting something so much that you can be thought of as greedy. For example, a person can be avid for success or power.) adjective: (often followed by `for') ardently or excessively desirous "avid for adventure" "an avid ambition to succeed" "the esurient eyes of an avid curiosity" Synonyms: devouring, esurient, greedy

elaborate

adjective: marked by complexity and richness of detail Synonyms : luxuriant Thomas, on returning from Morocco, replaced his dirty gray carpet with an elaborate one he'd brought back with him. verb: explain in more detail Synonyms : dilate , enlarge , expand , expatiate , exposit , expound , flesh out , lucubrate Most high school physics teachers find themselves elaborating the same point over and over again, since many concepts confuse students.

ornate

adjective: marked by complexity and richness of detail Synonyms: elaborate, luxuriant The ornate Victorian and Edwardian homes spread throughout San Francisco are my favorite part of the city. This detail is realized through ornate ruffs, thickly embroidered dresses and iconographic props such as flowers and fruit. (If something is ornate — whether it's a ball gown, a set of dishes, or a poem — it seems to be covered in ornaments. It's lavish, flowery, or heavily adorned. Look at the first four letters of ornate, and you'll spot the beginning of its close relative ornament. Ornate most often describes how something looks, but it doesn't have to be visual. The prose in Victorian love letters was more ornate than the email messages people send today. The ornate gilded mirrors and enormous chandeliers in the palace at Versailles were the height of fashion in Marie Antoinette's time, but home decor is simpler today. Now, it seems too ornate.) adjective: marked by elaborate rhetoric and elaborated with decorative details ""ornate rhetoric taught out of the rule of Plato"-John Milton" Synonyms : flowery The ornate style of Christian's narrative suits both this rich historical period and the courtly language of Prague, this "city of masks and make-believe." To renege is to go back on your word or fail to keep a promise. Not quite lying, reneging is more a sin of omission — failing to do what you said you would. The Latin negāre means "to deny," so by reneging on your word, you are denying someone whatever you promised them. In card games, you are said to renege if you play against the rules. To renege may be wrong, but it's not necessarily a punishable offense (unless you put that promise legally binding in writing). Still, it certainly doesn't make you look good!

plucky

adjective: marked by courage and determination Synonyms : gutsy,feisty , spunky Some scouts initially doubted Pedroia because of his short stature, but he is a plucky player, surprising everyone with his boundless energy and fierce determination.

foolhardy

adjective: marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences Synonyms : heady , rash , reckless The police regularly face dangerous situations, so for a police officer not to wear his bullet-proof vest is foolhardy.

rash

adjective: marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences; imprudently incurring risk Synonyms : foolhardy , heady , reckless Although Bruce was able to make the delivery in time with a nightime motorcycle ride in the rain, Susan criticized his actions as rash. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

smug

adjective: marked by excessive complacency or self-satisfaction Synonyms : self-satisfied When Phil was dating the model, he had a smug attitude that annoyed his buddies.

meticulous

adjective: marked by extreme care in treatment of details The Japanese noodle maker was meticulous in making his noodles and would never let another person take over the task.

vehement

adjective: marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions Synonyms : fierce , tearing , trigger-happy , violent While the other employees responded to the bad news in a measured way, Andrew responded in a vehement manner, tipping over his desk and shouting at the top of his lungs.

steadfast

adjective: marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable Synonyms : firm , steady , stiff , unbendable , unfaltering , unshakable , unwavering A good captain needs to be steadfast, continuing to hold the wheel and stay the course even during the most violent storm.

haphazard

adjective: marked by great carelessness; dependent upon or characterized by chance Synonyms : slapdash , slipshod , sloppy, hit-or-miss Many golf courses are designed with great care, but the greens on the county golf course seem entirely haphazard.

effervescent

adjective: marked by high spirits or excitement Synonyms : bubbling , frothy , scintillating , sparkly After the sales result, the manager was in an effervescent mood, letting several employees leave work early that day. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

forlorn

adjective: marked by or showing hopelessness After her third pet dog died, Marcia was simply forlorn: this time even the possibility of buying a new dog no longer held any joy.

checkered

adjective: marked by periods of varied fortune or discreditable incidents. "his checkered past might hurt his electability" synonyms: varied, mixed, up and down, full of ups and downs, vicissitudinous; unstable, irregular, erratic, inconstant "a checkered history" One by one, the presidential candidates dropped out of the race, their respective checkered pasts - from embezzlement to infidelity - sabotaging their campaigns. (The author who sells a million copies of her first book, four of the second, wins a prize for the third and dies at the ceremony has had a checkered career: it's got bright spots and dark ones, like a checkerboard.) This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

punctilious

adjective: marked by precise accordance with details Synonyms : meticulous The colonel was so punctilious about enforcing regulations that men feel compelled to polish even the soles of their shoes.

impervious

adjective: not admitting of passage or capable of being affected Synonyms : imperviable I am not impervious to your insults; they cause me great pain.

tortuous

adjective: marked by repeated turns and bends; not straightforward Synonyms : twisting , twisty , voluminous , winding Because the logic behind McMahon's side of the debate was so tortuous, his audience came out either completely confused or, worse, feeling they'd been tricked.

discriminate

adjective: marked by the ability to see or make fine distinctions "discriminate judgments" "discriminate people" Synonyms: discriminating (When you discriminate between two things, you can tell the difference between them and can tell them apart. The ability to discriminate between similar objects is important. For example, if you want to be a good root farmer, it helps if you can discriminate between a turnip and a parsnip. However, some people take it too far and discriminate against other people, treating them differently based on their physical characteristics or abilities. To be able to discriminate between a turnip and a radish is good, but to discriminate against people is not.) verb: to distinguish "I could not discriminate the different tastes in this complicated dish" synonyms: discern, distinguish, make out, pick out, recognise, recognize, spot, tell apart An online marketplace of ideas "that is incapable of discriminating information on the basis of quality." verb: to recognize or perceive the difference Synonyms: know apart, separate Sarah couldn't discriminate between a good wine and a bad wine, so she avoided wine tastings. verb: to treat differently on the basis of sex or race Synonyms: separate, single out In the 19th century, Irish immigrants were severely discriminated against; in 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act denied that population citizenship.

aberrant

adjective: markedly different from an accepted norm Synonyms : deviant , deviate When the financial director started screaming and throwing food at his co-workers, the police had to come in to deal with his aberrant behavior.

malfeasance

adjective: misconduct or wrongdoing (especially by a public official) Not even the mayor's trademark pearly-toothed grin could save him from charges of malfeasance: while in power, he'd been running an illegal gambling rink in the room behind his office.

ambivalent

adjective: mixed or conflicting emotions about something Sam was ambivalent about studying for the exam because doing so ate up a lot of his time, yet he was able to improve his analytical skills.

tempered

adjective: moderated in effect Synonyms : hardened , toughened , treated The wide-eyed optimism of her youth was now tempered after she had worked many years in the criminal justice system.

saturnine

adjective: morose or gloomy Synonyms : dark , dour , glowering , glum , moody , morose , sour , sullen Deprived of sunlight, humans become saturnine; that's why in very northerly territories people are encouraged to sit under an extremely powerful lamp, lest they become morose.

inviolate

adjective: must be kept sacred Synonyms : inviolable , sacrosanct While the literary critic subjected most of the classics to the harshest reviews, he regarded Cervantes as inviolate, and had nothing but praise for him.

cryptic

adjective: mysterious or vague, usually intentionally Synonyms : cabalistic , cryptical , kabbalistic , qabalistic , sibylline Since Sarah did not want her husband to guess the Christmas present she had bought him, she only answered cryptically when he would ask her questions about it.

parochial

adjective: narrowly restricted in scope or outlook Synonyms : insular Jasmine was sad to admit it, but her fledgling relationship with Jacob did not work out because his culinary tastes were simply too parochial; "After all," she quipped on her blog, "he considered Chef Boyardee ethnic food."

endemic

adjective: native to or confined to a certain region; originating where it is found "the islands have a number of interesting endemic species" "endemic folkways" Synonyms : autochthonal , autochthonic , autochthonous , indigenous Irish cuisine makes great use of potatoes, but ironically, the potato is not endemic to Ireland. There are too many cars and not enough trees, a problem perhaps endemic to Los Angeles but acute here. (If you want to underscore just how commonly found and present something is within a particular place, try the word endemic. Tight pants are endemic in my lunch room! Although endemic meaning "prevalent" often describes a plant or disease, it can also refer to something less tangible and more unwanted such as violence or poverty. Many complain of endemic corruption in the local government. Despite its -ic ending, endemic can also be used as a noun to signify a plant or animal that is prevalent in a certain region. If an endemic is brought to another area which it takes over, destroying the local population, it's classified as an invasive species. And researchers have cataloged several new African endemics.) adjective: of or relating to a disease (or anything resembling a disease) constantly present to greater or lesser extent in a particular locality; prevalent "diseases endemic to the tropics" "endemic malaria" "food shortages and starvation are endemic in certain parts of the world" Synonyms: endemical The problems facing Gaza - where high levels of unemployment are endemic - is most obvious in the poorest areas. American rival Johnson & Johnson is creating innovative drugs to tackle lung cancer and hepatitis B, endemic in China. If you like good food, civil unrest, high art, common-law marriage, beautiful architecture and endemic corruption: bienvenue! "It is by no means endemic, and by no means as bad as the president claims it is." noun: a plant that is native to a certain limited area "it is an endemic found only this island" One species endemic to South Africa, however, is not likely to be at risk any time soon, adorning balconies throughout the world as it does.

incontrovertible

adjective: necessarily or demonstrably true; impossible to deny or disprove Synonyms : demonstrable,irrefutable , positive Unless you can provide incontrovertible evidence, I will remain skeptical.

incumbent

adjective: necessary (for someone) as a duty or responsibility Middle managers at times make important decisions, but real responsibility for the financial well-being of the corporation is ultimately incumbent on the CEO.

inviolable

adjective: never to be broken, infringed, or dishonored Synonyms : impregnable , secure , strong , unassailable , unattackable To many the grass at Wimbledon is inviolable and only greater tennis players are able to enjoy a game there.

magnanimous

adjective: noble and generous in spirit, especially towards a rival or someone less powerful, رحب الصدر Synonyms : greathearted He was a great sportsman: in defeat he was complementary and in victory he was magnanimous.

obstreperous

adjective: noisily and stubbornly defiant; willfully difficult to control Synonyms : casual , insouciant When the teacher asked the obstreperous student simply to bus his tray, the student threw the entire tray on the floor, shouted an epithet, and walked out.

immutable

adjective: not able to be changed Synonyms : changeless Taxes are one of the immutable laws of the land, so there is no use arguing about paying them.

impermeable

adjective: not allowing fluid to pass through. "an impermeable membrane" "an impermeable vault" synonyms: watertight, waterproof, damp-proof, airtight, (hermetically) sealed, vacuum-packed, zip-locked The sand bags placed on the river formed an impermeable barrier, protecting the town from flooding. Are our moviegoing bubbles as impermeable as our political ones? (If you have a waterproof raincoat, you could say that your coat is impermeable to the rain. Something that is impermeable does not allow water or liquid to pass through it. Made up of the prefix im-, meaning "not," and the adjective permeable, meaning "allowing to pass through," impermeable is used in much the same way as impervious or impenetrable. However, more so than these words, impermeable is especially associated with liquids and is often used in a scientific or technical context. Some gadgets, like waterproof watches and underwater cameras, are designed to be impermeable.) adjective: not liable to be affected by pain or distress; insusceptible or imperturbable. "women who appear impermeable to pain"

opaque

adjective: not clearly understood or expressed Synonyms : unintelligible The meaning of the professor's new research was opaque to most people, so no one asked any questions. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

inauspicious

adjective: not conducive to success; unpromising; boding ill fortune "it was an inauspicious beginning to the long and complex entanglement" Mnemonic: something that puts you "in" "awe" b/c it's "suspicious". (Reaching into your hat to pull out a rabbit and instead removing a sock can seem like an inauspicious start to your magic show. Inauspicious describes something that seems unpromising or unlikely to be successful. If it's unlucky, badly timed, or it seems to point to an unhappy outcome, it's inauspicious. A dark, stormy sky on the day of a wedding can be seen as inauspicious, and so can an awkward job interview.) synonyms: unpromising, unpropitious, unfavorable, unfortunate, infelicitous, unlucky, ill-omened, ominous After such an inauspicious beginning, how did Joseph find quick and stunning success? Despite this inauspicious beginning, the two sides stuck at it. adjective: contrary to your interests or welfare Synonyms: adverse, untoward

untrammeled

adjective: not confined or limited Synonyms : untrammelled The whole notion of living untrammeled inspired the American Revolution and was enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

placid

adjective: not easily irritated Synonyms : equable , even-tempered , good-tempered Doug is normally placid, so we were all shocked to see him yelling at the television when the Mets lost the game.

unflappable

adjective: not easily perturbed or excited or upset; marked by extreme calm and composure Synonyms : imperturbable The house shook and the ground quaked, but my dad was unflappable and comforted the family.

inscrutable

adjective: not easily understood; unfathomable Synonyms : cryptic , cryptical , deep , mysterious , mystifying His speech was so dense and confusing that many in the audience found it inscrutable.

improvident

adjective: not given careful consideration Synonyms : ill-considered , ill-judged , shortsighted Marty was improvident, never putting money aside for the future but spending it on decorating the interior of his home.

bleak

adjective: not hopeful or encouraging; unlikely to have a favorable outcome. "he paints a bleak picture of a company that has lost its way" synonyms: unpromising, unfavorable, unpropitious, inauspicious, black, dim Unremitting overcast skies tend to lead people to create bleak literature and lugubrious music - compare England's band Radiohead to any band from Southern California. The future of conscious capitalism appears equally bleak. adjective: unpleasantly cold and damp "bleak winds of the North Atlantic" Synonyms: cutting, raw "It was a very bleak, tough, windy, stormy few days." adjective: (of an area of land) lacking vegetation and exposed to the elements; providing no shelter or sustenance "the bleak treeless regions of the high Andes" Synonyms: bare, barren, desolate, stark Cattle no longer roam along Wilmington Street, but the remaining junkyards and woodlands reveal the withering bones of a bleak neighborhood.

unseemly

adjective: not in keeping with accepted standards of what is right or proper in polite society Synonyms : indecent , indecorous , unbecoming , uncomely , untoward He acted in an unseemly manner, insulting the hostess and then speaking ill of her deceased husband.

indecorous

adjective: not in keeping with accepted standards of what is right or proper in polite society Synonyms : indecent , unbecoming , uncomely , unseemly , untoward Eating with elbows on the table is considered indecorous in refined circles.

languid

adjective: not inclined towards physical exertion or effort; slow and relaxed Synonyms : dreamy , lackadaisical , languorous As the sun beat down and the temperature climbed higher, we spent a languid week lying around the house.

uncompromising

adjective: not making concessions Synonyms : inflexible , sturdy The relationship between Bart and Hilda ultimately failed because they were both so uncompromising, never wanting to change their opinions.

anomalous

adjective: not normal According to those who do not believe in climate change, the extreme weather over the last five years is simply anomalous - daily temperatures should return to their old averages, they believe.

orthogonal

adjective: not pertinent to the matter under consideration Mnemonic: To "ortho"donists "gon"norhea is completely irrelevant Synonyms: extraneous, immaterial, impertinent Silver continued on in another tweet, writing, "There are lessons from that, but they're almost totally orthogonal to the 'data journalism' vs. 'traditional journalism' beef." The Black Lives Matter activists see systemic racial discrimination as orthogonal to economics, even if they intersect. adjective: statistically unrelated Synonyms: unrelated Meta Analysis and studies are completely orthogonal in relation to validity when compared to properly controlled studies. In fact, in most samples, grit and talent are either orthogonal or slightly negatively correlated.

antiquated

adjective: old-fashioned; belonging to an earlier period in time Synonyms : antediluvian , archaic Aunt Betty had antiquated notions about marriage, believing that a man should court a woman for at least a year before receiving a kiss.

extraneous

adjective: not pertinent to the matter under consideration "an issue extraneous to the debate" (Extraneous means coming from the outside, like the extraneous noise you hear when you're in a theater and a train passes by. Extraneous can also mean not relevant or essential, like all the extraneous information in your long-winded science report. In Latin, extra means outside, as in extraordinary "outside the ordinary," or extraterrestrial 'coming from outside earth.' The meaning of extraneous also extends to more abstract things that come from the outside: extraneous details are ones that don't matter.) Mnemonic: Think of news channels....EXTRA+NEWS...In order to get ratings, news channels show irrelevant or unrelated things hence the news are most of the times EXTRANEOUS Synonyms: immaterial, impertinent, orthogonal Maybe his legacy will actually improve after he leaves, or maybe he'll be seen as extraneous. There are too many extraneous people and conflicts in Kevin's story. adjective: not essential "the ballet struck me as extraneous and somewhat out of keeping with the rest of the play" Synonyms: extrinsic Father Collins said the Vatican walls are "entirely extraneous" to the ministry of Pope Francis. adjective: not belonging to that in which it is contained; introduced from an outside source "water free of extraneous matter" Synonyms:foreign The shielding protects against extraneous radio signals that might interfere with the lab tests, as well as prying eyes.

inconspicuous

adjective: not prominent or readily noticeable Mnemonic: Con(can)+ s(see) + the + pic(picture) --> can see the clear picture of the situation. So inconspicuous means that you can NOT see the picture easily. (Inconspicuous describes something that doesn't stand out or attract attention. The bad news? You just got pizza sauce on your shirt. The good news? It landed in an inconspicuous spot, so no one will notice.) Synonyms: invisible, obscure, unnoticeable "he pushed the string through an inconspicuous hole" You want to be inconspicuous when skipping around; drawing attention to your act is not the way to go.

ersatz

adjective: not real or genuine; phony Synonyms : substitute The car dealer's ersatz laughter was immediately followed by a price quote, one that Shelley found highly inflated.

unconscionable

adjective: not right or reasonable. "the unconscionable conduct of his son" (Something that is almost unimaginably unacceptable is unconscionable. Think of it as being something that no reasonable person would even think of doing or saying — something unbelievable, outrageous, and often horrible.) Nmemonic: unbelievable of poor conscience synonyms: unethical, amoral, immoral, unprincipled, indefensible, unforgivable, wrong Highly visible in a toxic Islamophobic environment, Muslim women in hijab endure all kinds of unconscionable abuse daily. Rep. Paul Thissen of Minneapolis says it's unconscionable that a measure that won almost unanimous support would be removed. It's unconscionable that there is no condemnation from this administration. adjective: greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation "unconscionable spending" Synonyms: exorbitant, extortionate, outrageous, steep, usurious The lawyer's demands were so unconscionable that rather than pay an exorbitant sum or submit himself to any other inconveniences, the defendant decided to find a new lawyer. The price-gouging measure, which is the first of its kind in the nation, is limited to generic and off-patent pharmaceuticals that experience "unconscionable" price increases. adjective: lacking a conscience "an unconscionable liar" Synonyms:conscienceless

frivolous

adjective: not serious in content or attitude or behavior Compared to Juliet's passionate concern for human rights, Jake's non-stop concern about football seems somewhat frivolous.

frugal

adjective: not spending much money (but spending wisely) Synonyms : economical , scotch , sparing , stinting Monte was no miser, but was simply frugal, wisely spending the little that he earned.

disingenuous

adjective: not straightforward; giving a false appearance of frankness Synonyms : artful Many adults think that they can lie to children, but kids are smart and know when people are disingenuous.

oblique

adjective: not straightforward; indirect Synonyms : devious Herbert never explicitly revealed anything negative about Tom's past, but at times he would obliquely suggest that Tom was not as innocent as he seemed. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

imprudent

adjective: not wise Hitler, like Napoleon, made the imprudent move of invading Russia in winter, suffering even more casualties than Napoleon had.

conspicuous

adjective: obvious to the mind or eye; without any attempt at concealment Synonyms : blatant , blazing (Keep your eye on the adjective conspicuous for something that stands out so much you notice it right away — like that zit in the center of your friend's forehead.) Mnemonic: Con(can)+ s(see) + the + pic(picture) --> can see the clear picture of the situation. So conspicuous means that which can be easily seen. American basketball players are always conspicuous when they go abroad-not only are they American, but some are over seven feet tall.

fortuitous

adjective: occurring by happy chance; having no cause or apparent cause Synonyms : causeless, uncaused, تصادفي While the real objects are vastly different sizes in space, the sun and the moon seem to have the same fortuitous size in the sky.

fallacious

adjective: of a belief that is based on faulty reasoning Synonyms : unsound,Synonyms, deceitful , fraudulent The widespread belief that Eskimos have forty different words for snow is fallacious, based on one false report.

catholic

adjective: of broad scope; universal Jonah's friends said that Jonah's taste in music was eclectic; Jonah was quick to point out that not only was his taste eclectic but it was also catholic: he enjoyed music from countries as far-flung as Mali and Mongolia.

puerile

adjective: of or characteristic of a child; displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity Synonyms : adolescent , jejune , juvenile Helen enjoyed blowing soap bubbles, but Jim regarded this as puerile, totally unworthy of a woman with a Ph.D.

cardinal

adjective: of primary importance; fundamental "a cardinal rule" "two cardinal points must be borne in mind" Synonyms : central , fundamental , key , primal Mnemonic: 'cardial' means pertaining to the 'heart' and the heart is the 'most important' part of our body. It is responsible for the working of our body. Most cultures consider gambling a cardinal sin and thus have outlawed its practice. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

portentous

adjective: ominously prophetic Synonyms : fateful , foreboding When the captain and more than half the officers were sick on the very first night of the voyage, many of the passengers felt this was portentous, but the rest of the voyage continued without any problems.

laconic

adjective: one who says very few words Synonyms : crisp , curt , terse While Martha always swooned over the hunky, laconic types in romantic comedies, her boyfriends inevitably were very talkative - and not very hunky.

inchoate

adjective: only partly in existence; imperfectly formed Synonyms : incipient Inchoate ideas about the relation of humans to other animals had been discussed since the Middle Ages but the modern theory really began with Darwin.

aboveboard

adjective: open and honest (If something is aboveboard, it's done in a completely honest, straightforward way. When a company's business dealings are aboveboard, they act in an honorable, open manner.) Synonyms : straightforward Mnemonic: above the boards of darkness, out in the open and honest The mayor, despite his avuncular face plastered about the city, was hardly aboveboard - some concluded that it was his ingratiating smile that allowed him to engage in corrupt behavior and get away with it. At his confirmation hearing, Mr. Price said, "Everything that I did was ethical, aboveboard, legal and transparent." adverb: in an honest manner "was known for dealing aboveboard in everything" Synonyms: honestly

moot

adjective: open to argument or debate; undecidable in a meaningless or irrelevant way Synonyms : arguable , debatable , disputable Since the Board just terminated Steve as the CEO, what the finance committe might have thought of his proposed marketing plan for next year is now a moot point. This dispute would be moot if people were in the habit of using a variety of search engines. (When a point is moot, it's too trivial to think about. If your basketball team loses by 40 points, the bad call by the official in the first quarter is moot: it isn't important. Though moot can mean to debate endlessly without any clear decision or to think about something carefully, it most often describes ideas and arguments that don't really matter. If your plane is crashing, whether or not your socks match is a moot point. When someone accuses you of making a moot point, he's basically saying, "Come on! Let's talk about what's important." As with so many things, people don't always agree on what's moot and what's not.) verb: to bring up a topic for discussion Synonyms: broach, initiate A cabal surrounding Mr Bouteflika's influential brother, Said, are already mooting a fifth presidential term, once the fourth expires in 2019. verb: to think about carefully; weigh Synonyms: consider, debate, deliberate, turn over A cabal surrounding Mr Bouteflika's influential brother, Said, are already mooting a fifth presidential term, once the fourth expires in 2019.

ambiguous

adjective: open to more than one interpretation Synonyms : equivocal The coach told his team, "Move towards that side of the field"; because he did not point, his directions were ambiguous, and the team had no idea to which side he was referring.

leery

adjective: openly distrustful and unwilling to confide Synonyms : mistrustful , suspicious , untrusting , wary Without checking his references and talking to previous employers, I am leery of hiring the candidate.

candid

adjective: openly straightforward and direct without reserve or secretiveness; characterized by directness in manner or speech Synonyms : blunt , forthright , frank , free-spoken , outspoken , plainspoken , point-blank , straight-from-the-shoulder Mnemonic: candidates in a interview are recommended to be straight forward,outspoken and honest (Straightforward and truthful talk might be described with the adjective candid. If you're always candid, your parents will know that they can trust you.) Even with a perfect stranger, Charles was always candid and would rarely hold anything back. adjective: informal or natural Synonyms: uncontrived, unstudied "a candid photograph" "a candid interview"

indigenous

adjective: originating in a certain area (Use indigenous to describe a plant, animal or person that is native or original to an area. Though Switzerland is known for its chocolates, chocolate, which comes from the cocoa plant, is indigenous to South America.) Synonyms : autochthonal , autochthonic , autochthonous , endemic, native The plants and animals indigenous to Australia are notably different from those indigenous to the U.S - one look at a duckbill platypus and you know you're not dealing with an opossum. Several advocates says poor black, Hispanic, Asian and indigenous families will be devastated if lawmakers agree to Trump's cuts.

fastidious

adjective: overly concerned with details; fussy Synonyms : exacting Whitney is fastidious about her shoes, arranging them on a shelf in a specific order, each pair evenly spaced.

maudlin

adjective: overly emotional and sad Synonyms : bathetic , drippy , hokey , kitschy , mawkish , mushy , schmaltzy , schmalzy , sentimental , slushy , soppy , soupy Just as those who were alive during the 70's are mortified that they once cavorted about in bellbottoms, many who lived during the 80's are now aghast at the maudlin pop songs they used to enjoy - really, just what exactly is a total eclipse of the heart?

mawkish

adjective: overly sentimental to the point that it is disgusting Synonyms : bathetic , drippy , hokey , kitschy , maudlin , mushy , schmaltzy , schmalzy , sentimental , slushy , soppy , soupy The film was incredibly mawkish, introducing highly likeable characters only to have them succumb to a devastating illnesses by the end of the movie.

craven

adjective: pathetically cowardly Synonyms : recreant Though the man could have at least alerted the police, he crouched cravenly in the corner as the old woman was mugged.

carping

adjective: persistently petty and unjustified criticism Synonyms : faultfinding What seemed like incessant nagging and carping about my behavior from my mother turned out to be wise and useful advice that has served me well.

spurious

adjective: plausible but false Synonyms : specious When listening to a politician speak, it is hard to distinguish the spurious claims from the authentic ones.

sporadic

adjective: recurring in scattered and irregular or unpredictable instances The signals were at first sporadic, but now we detect a clear, consistent pattern of electromagnetic radiation eminating from deep space.

profuse

adjective: plentiful; produced or growing in extreme abundance (Profuse is a word for a lot of something or even way too much — a profuse rainfall is a serious amount of rain. This word has to do with extravagance or abundance. If you're bleeding profusely, you're bleeding a lot. If you lavish profuse gifts on your pet, you might have too much money on your hands. When you give someone profuse praise, you're probably laying it on a little thick. If you're a farmer and your crops are profuse, that's great because you have a lot of crops. Anything profuse is happening in great amounts.) Synonyms : exuberant , lush , luxuriant , riotous (note riotous: "their riotous blooming") During mile 20 of the Hawaii Marathon, Dwayne was sweating so profusely that he stopped to take off his shirt, and ran the remaining six miles wearing nothing more than skimpy shorts. The labor was prolonged—more than twenty hours—and her swearing was profuse. As northern vegetation grows more profuse, some species lose habitat.

destitute

adjective: poor enough to need help from others Synonyms : impoverished , indigent , necessitous , needy , poverty-stricken Jean Valjean, is at first destitute, but through the grace of a priest, he makes something of his life. adjective: completely wanting or lacking (usually "destitute of") Synonyms : barren , devoid , free , innocent Now that the mine is closed, the town is destitute of any economic activity.

indigent

adjective: poor; having very little Synonyms : destitute , impoverished , necessitous , needy , poverty-stricken In the so-called Third World, many are indigent and only a privileged few have the resources to enjoy material luxuries. noun: a poor or needy person The indigents, huddled under the overpass, tried to start a small bonfire in the hope of staying warm.

puissant

adjective: powerful Over the years of service, and quite to his surprise, he became a puissant advisor to the community.

cogent

adjective: powerfully persuasive "a cogent argument" Synonyms : telling , weighty Mnemonic: Cogent - Gent - Gentleman - Gentleman always uses fine-toned words to convince others. Gentleman's convincing manners convinces anybody. (When you make a cogent argument, it means your argument is clear and persuasive. In these days of 24-hour entertainment news and sound-bite sized explanations of complex government policy, it's hard to find a cogent argument amidst all the emotional outbursts. Cogent comes from a Latin word meaning to drive together, so cogent thinking is well-organized: it hangs together. If you try to convince your mayor to build a new park by saying that playgrounds are good, seeing the sky is nice, and raccoons are cool...well that's not a cogent argument; it's just random. But you could cogently argue that parks contribute to civic happiness by providing space for exercise, community, and encounters with nature.) A cogent argument will change the minds of even the most skeptical audience.

austere

adjective: practicing self-denial Synonyms : ascetic , ascetical , spartan His lifestyle of revelry and luxurious excess could hardly be called austere. adjective: unadorned in style or appearance Late Soviet architecture, although remaining largely austere, moved into experimental territory that employed previously unused shapes and structures. adjective: harsh in manner of temperament The principal of my elementary school was a cold, austere woman; I could never understand why she chose to work with children.

ascetic

adjective: practicing self-denial Synonyms : ascetical , austere , spartan His ascetic life is the main reason he inspired so many followers, especially since he gave up wealth and power to live in poverty. noun: one who practices great self-denial Synonyms : abstainer Historically, ascetics like Ghandi are often considered wise men partially because of their restraint.

propitious

adjective: presenting favorable circumstances; likely to result in or show signs of success The child's heartbeat is still weak, but I am seeing many propitious signs and I think that she may be healing.

factious

adjective: produced by, or characterized by internal dissension Synonyms : dissentious , divisive The controversial bill proved factious, as dissension even within parties resulted

futile

adjective: producing no result or effect; unproductive of success Synonyms : ineffectual , otiose , unavailing,bootless , fruitless , sleeveless , vain I thought I could repair the car myself, but after two days of work with no success, I have to admit that my efforts were futile.

efficacious

adjective: producing the intended result Synonyms : effective , effectual Since Maggie's cough syrup, which had expired five years back, was no longer efficacious, she coughed through the night.

choleric

adjective: prone to outbursts of temper; easily angered Synonyms : hot-tempered , hotheaded , irascible , quick-tempered , short-tempered While a brilliant lecturer, Mr. Dawson came across as choleric and unapproachable - very rarely did students come to his office hours.

grandiloquent

adjective: puffed up with vanity Synonyms : overblown , pompous , pontifical , portentous The dictator was known for his grandiloquent speeches, puffing his chest out and using big, important-sounding words.

irascible

adjective: quickly aroused to anger Synonyms : choleric , hot-tempered , hotheaded , quick-tempered , short-tempered If Arthur's dog is not fed adequately, he becames highly irascible, even growling at his own shadow.

prodigal

adjective: rashly or wastefully extravagant Synonyms : extravagant , profligate , spendthrift Successful professional athletes who do not fall prey to prodigality seem to be the exception - most live decadent lives.

tractable

adjective: readily reacting to suggestions and influences; easily managed (controlled or taught or molded) Synonyms : amenable,manipulable Mnemonic: traction=movement so, tractable=can be moved easily i.e. easily manageable Compared to middle school students, who have an untamed wildness about them, high school students are somewhat more tractable. Feedback is turning the incalculable Trump into a tractable, potentially successful president. One example: If the first rep isn't proving tractable enough, hang up and dial again and try your luck with another.

protean

adjective: readily taking on different roles; versatile Peter Sellers was truly a protean actor - in Doctor Strangelove he played three very different roles: a jingoist general, a sedate President and a deranged scientist.

adamant

adjective: refusing to change one's mind Synonyms : adamantine , inexorable , intransigent Civil rights icon Rosa Parks will forever be remembered for adamantly refusing to give up her seat on a public bus--even after the bus driver insisted, she remained rooted in place.

sartorial

adjective: related to fashion or clothes Monte was astute at navigating the world of finance; sartorially, however, he was found wanting - he typically would attempt to complement his beige tie with a gray suit and white pants.

pecuniary

adjective: relating to or involving money Synonyms : monetary The defendent was found guilty and had to serve a period of community service as well as pay pecuniary damages to the client.

pastoral

adjective: relating to the countryside in a pleasant sense Synonyms : arcadian , bucolic Those who imagine America's countryside as a pastoral region are often disappointed to learn that much of rural U.S. is filled with cornfields extending as far as the eye can see.

bucolic

adjective: relating to the pleasant aspects of the country Synonyms : peasant , provincial The noble families of England once owned vast expanses of beautiful, bucolic land.

germane

adjective: relevant and appropriate The professor wanted to tell the jury in detail about his new book, but the lawyer said it wasn't germane to the charges in the cases.

self-effacing

adjective: reluctant to draw attention to yourself Synonyms : reticent , retiring The most admirable teachers and respected leaders are those who are self-effacing, directing attention and praise to their students and workers.

reticent

adjective: reluctant to draw attention to yourself; temperamentally disinclined to talk Synonyms : untalkative, retiring , self-effacing When asked about her father, Helen lost her outward enthusiasm and became rather reticent.

trite

adjective: repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse Synonyms : banal , commonplace , hackneyed , old-hat , shopworn , stock , threadbare , timeworn , tired , well-worn Many style guides recommend not using idioms in writing because these trite expressions are uninteresting and show a lack of imagination on the part of the writer.

banal

adjective: repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse Synonyms : commonplace , hackneyed , old-hat , shopworn , stock , threadbare , timeworn , tired , trite , well-worn The professor used such banal expression that many students in the class either fell asleep from bordeom or stayed awake to complete his sentences and humor friends.

mundane

adjective: repetitive and boring; not spiritual Nancy found doing dishes a thorougly mundane task, although Peter found a kind of Zen pleasure in the chore. adjective: relating to the ordinary world Synonyms : terrene Though we think of the pope as someone always dealing in holy matters, he is also concerned with mundane events, such as deciding when to set his alarm each morning.

exacting

adjective: requiring and demanding accuracy Synonyms : exigent,stern , strict Though his childhood piano teacher was so exacting, Max is thankful now, as a professional pianist.

arcane

adjective: requiring secret or mysterious knowledge Most college fraternities are known for arcane rituals that those hoping to the join the fraterntiy must learn.

obstinate

adjective: resistant to guidance or discipline; stubbornly persistent Synonyms : cussed , obdurate , unrepentant, contrary , perverse , wayward The coach suggested improvements Sarah might make on the balance beam, but she remained obstinate, unwilling to modify any of the habits that made her successful in the past.

restive

adjective: restless Synonyms : edgy , high-strung , highly strung , jittery , jumpy , nervy , overstrung , uptight The crowd grew restive as the comedian's opening jokes fell flat.

resurgent

adjective: rising again as to new life and vigor Synonyms : renascent The team sank to fourth place in June, but is now resurgent and about to win the division.

insolent

adjective: rude and arrogant Lilian could not help herself from being insolent, commenting that the Queen's shoes were showing too much toe.

contemptuous

adjective: scornful, looking down at others with a sneering attitude Synonyms : disdainful , insulting , scornful Always on the forefront of fashion, Vanessa looked contemptuously at anyone wearing dated clothing.

paradoxical

adjective: seemingly contradictory but nonetheless possibly true Synonyms : self-contradictory That light could be both a particle and a wave seems paradoxical, but nonetheless, it is true.

superfluous

adjective: serving no useful purpose (When something is so unnecessary that it could easily be done away with, like a fifth wheel on a car or a fifth person on a double date, call it superfluous.) Mnemonic: divide it as super+flow.. when there is large(super) flow of water, it becomes EXCESSIVE / UNNECESSARY Synonyms : otiose , pointless , purposeless , senseless , wasted How can we hope to stay open if we don't eliminate all superfluous spending, like catered meetings and free acupuncture Tuesday? In the novel, these vignettes sometimes felt superfluous, but they supply many of the series' emotional highlights. adjective: more than is needed, desired, or required Synonyms : excess , extra , redundant , spare , supererogatory , supernumerary , surplus The third paragraph in your essay is superfluous and can be deleted.

prodigious

adjective: so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe Synonyms : colossal , stupendous After the relatively small homerun totals in the "dead ball" era, Babe Ruth's homerun totals were truly prodigious: every year, he set a new all-time record.

colossal

adjective: so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe Synonyms : prodigious , stupendous Few appreciate the colossal scale of the sun: if hollow, it could contain a million Earths.

tenacious

adjective: stubbornly unyielding Synonyms : dogged , dour , persistent , pertinacious , unyielding Even the most tenacious advocates for gun ownership must admit some of the dangers that firearms present.

redolent

adjective: serving to bring to mind ""cannot forbear to close on this redolent literary note"- Wilder Hobson" "a campaign redolent of machine politics" Synonyms: evocative, remindful, reminiscent, resonant The former are light and transparent, redolent of urchin shells, clam shells and jellyfish. Photos of the original workers are so redolent of the rough sons of the soil in Shakespeare's play that they inspired ideas for the staging. (When something is redolent of something, it makes you think of that thing by making a pretty strong impression on you. He had a shifty eye redolent of years of lying and petty crime. People used to use redolent of something with a strong, distinctive odor. Now, think of it as "stinks of" — but in a fancy way. If you're touring an old castle, you might say that the worn carpet and handsome woodwork are redolent of the place's former glory, though otherwise it's a dump.) adjective: (used with `of' or `with') noticeably odorous "the hall was redolent of floor wax" "air redolent with the fumes of beer and whiskey" Synonyms: smelling On a recent morning, bakeries were redolent with the scent of warm baguettes. adjective: having a strong pleasant odor ""the pine woods were more redolent"- Jean Stafford" Synonyms: aromatic

admonitory

adjective: serving to warn; expressing reproof or reproach especially as a corrective Synonyms : cautionary , exemplary , monitory , warning At the assembly, the high school vice-principal gave the students an admonitory speech, warning them of the many risks and dangers of prom night.

amorphous

adjective: shapeless Synonyms : formless , shapeless , unstructured His study plan for the GRE was at best amorphous; he would do questions from random pages in any one of seven test prep books.

antithetical

adjective: sharply contrasted in character or purpose Synonyms : antithetic His deep emotional involvement with these ideas is, in fact, antithetical to the disattachment Buddhism preaches.

sullen

adjective: showing a brooding ill humor Synonyms : dark , dour , glowering , glum , moody , morose , saturnine , sour Herbert took board games too seriously, often appearing sullen after losing.

obliging

adjective: showing a cheerful willingness to do favors for others Synonyms : complaisant Even after all his success, I found him to be accommodating and obliging, sharing with me his "secret tips" on how to gain wealth and make friends.

complaisant

adjective: showing a cheerful willingness to do favors for others Synonyms : obliging On her first day at the job, Annie was complaisant, fulfilling every request of her new employee and anticipating future requests.

urbane

adjective: showing a high degree of refinement and the assurance that comes from wide social experience Synonyms : polished , refined , svelte Because of his service as an intelligence officer and his refined tastes, W. Somerset Maugham became the inspiration for the urbane and sophistcate spy James Bond.

solicitous

adjective: showing hovering attentiveness Our neighbors are constantly knocking on our door to make sure we are ok, and I don't know how to ask them to stop being so solicitous about our health. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

flippant

adjective: showing inappropriate levity Synonyms : light-minded Although Sam was trying to honor Mark's sense of humor, many found it quite flippant that he wore a comic nose and glasses mask to Mark's funeral.

phlegmatic

adjective: showing little emotion Synonyms : phlegmatical Arnold is truly noble, remaining reserved until an issue of significance arises, but Walter is simply phlegmatic: he doesn't have the energy or inclination to care about anything.

diffident

adjective: showing modest reserve; lacking self-confidence Synonyms : shy , timid , unsure As a young girl she was diffident and reserved, but now as an adult, she is confident and assertive.

deferential

adjective: showing respect Synonyms : deferent , regardful If you ever have the chance to meet the president, stand up straight and be deferential.

lachrymose

adjective: showing sorrow Synonyms : dolorous , dolourous , tearful , weeping Lachrymose and depressed, Alexei Alexandrovich walked two miles home in the rain after learning that his wife was having an affair.

dolorous

adjective: showing sorrow Synonyms : dolourous , lachrymose , tearful , weeping Chopin's ballades are filled with sharp changes in moods--a dolorous melody can give way to a lighthearted tempo.

empathetic

adjective: showing understanding and ready comprehension of other peoples' states and emotions Synonyms : empathic Most discrimination and hatred is based on a lack of empathetic awareness of people that have the same aspirations and fears.

telling

adjective: significant and revealing of another factor "a telling smile" Synonyms: revealing, telltale Her unbecoming dress was very telling when it came to her sense of fashion. adjective: powerfully persuasive "a telling presentation" Synonyms: cogent, weighty

analogous

adjective: similar in some respects but otherwise different Synonyms : correspondent In many ways, the Internet's transformative effect on society has been analogous to that of the printing press.

obtuse

adjective: slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity; lacking in insight or discernment Synonyms : dense , dim , dull , dumb , slow Jackson was the most obtuse member of the team: the manager's subtle ironies were always lost on him. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

mellifluous

adjective: smooth and sweet-sounding Synonyms : dulcet , honeyed , mellisonant , sweet Chelsea's grandmother thought Franz Schubert's music to be the most mellifluous ever written; Chelsea demurred, and to her grandmother's chagrin, would blast Rihanna on the home stereo speakers.

philistine

adjective: smug and ignorant towards artistic and cultural values Synonyms : anti-intellectual Jane considered Al completely philistine, because he talked almost exclusive about video games; she was entirely unaware of how well read he really was. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

archaic

adjective: so old as to appear to belong to a different period Synonyms : antediluvian , antiquated Hoping to sound intelligent, Mary spoke in archaic English that was right out of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice--needless to say, she didn't have many friends. It was the beginning of a "timid" crusade to bring a little-known, mostly archaic term into popular usage. (If you use the adjective archaic you are referring to something outmoded, belonging to an earlier period. Rotary phones and cassette players already seem so archaic! The adjective archaic means something that belongs to an earlier or antiquated time. It can also mean something that is outdated but can still be found in the present and therefore could seem out of place.) adjective: little evolved from or characteristic of an earlier ancestral type "archaic forms of life" Synonyms: primitive Does that mean a small group of archaic humans left Africa early, and interbred before the big migration?

negligible

adjective: so small as to be meaningless; insignificant Synonyms : paltry , trifling The GRE tests cumulative knowledge, so if you cram the night before it is, at best, likely to only have a negligible impact on your score.

aphoristic

adjective: something that is concise and instructive of a general truth or principle Sometimes I can't stand Nathan because he tries to impress everyone by being aphoristic, but he just states the obvious.

profligate

adjective: spending resources recklessly or wastefully Synonyms : extravagant , prodigal , spendthrift The composer Wagner, while living on a limited salary, was so profligate as to line all the walls of his apartment with pure silk. noun: someone who spends resources recklessly or wastefully Most lottery winners go from being conservative, frugal types to outright profligates who blow millions on fast cars, lavish homes, and giant yachts.

eminent

adjective: standing above others in quality or position Mnemonic: Like the real slim and shady "EMINEM" who is STANDING ABOVE OTHER rap artists IN QUALITY AND POSITION Anyone highly regarded or prominent is eminent. Eminent people are very successful at their jobs. If you've heard of Neil deGrasse Tyson, it's probably because he's an eminent astrophysicist. Shakespeare is an eminent author in the English language, but I find his writing uninteresting and melodramatic. adjective: of imposing height; especially standing out above others Synonyms : lofty , soaring , towering "an eminent peak"

egregious

adjective: standing out in negative way; shockingly bad Synonyms : crying , flagrant , glaring , gross , rank The dictator's abuse of human rights was so egregious that many world leaders demanded that he be tried in an international court for genocide.

surreptitious

adjective: stealthy, taking pains not to be caught or detected Synonyms : furtive , sneak , sneaky , stealthy Since his mom was a light sleeper, Timmy had to tiptoe surreptitiously through the entire house, careful to not make the floors creak, until he at last was able to enjoy his plunder: a box of chocolate chip cookies.

extant

adjective: still in existence (usually refers to documents). Despite many bookstores closing, experts predict that some form of book dealing will still be extant generations from now.

intermittent

adjective: stopping and starting at irregular intervals The intermittent thunder continued and the night was punctuated by cracks of lightning - a surreal sleepless night.

robust

adjective: strong and healthy; vigorous; sturdy and strong in form, constitution, or construction "the Caplans are a robust, healthy lot" "Unleashing our full energy potential in this country will lead to robust job growth and expansion in every sector of our economy." (Use robust to describe a person or thing that is healthy and strong, or strongly built. This adjective also commonly describes food or drink: a robust wine has a rich, strong flavor. If your school has a robust sports program, it means they offer lots of different kinds of sports and that a lot of kids participate. If you have a robust speaking voice, it means you have a voice that's deep and loud and strong.) adjective: (of wine or food) strong and rich in flavor or smell. synonyms: strong, full-bodied, flavorful, rich "a robust red wine" Chris preferred bland and mild beers, but Bhavin preferred a beer with more robust flavor. adjective: rough and crude "a robust tale" Synonyms: unrefined

besotted

adjective: strongly affectionate towards Even though her father did not approve, Juliet became besotted with the young Romeo. adjective: very drunk Synonyms : blind drunk , blotto , cockeyed , crocked , fuddled , loaded , pie-eyed , pissed , pixilated , plastered , slopped , sloshed , smashed , soaked , soused , sozzled , squiffy , stiff , tight , wet Never before have I seen my mom so besotted, and honestly, I hope it's the last time she drinks so much.

obdurate

adjective: stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action. "the brass were also obdurate in their opposition to having women in any combat positions" Mnemonic: OB+DURA(RELATE IT TO WORD DURABILITY)..SO anything which has durability..has the resisting power, and something which can resist, is stubborn. synonyms: stubborn, obstinate, intransigent, inflexible, unyielding, unbending, pigheaded, bullheaded, mulish, stiff-necked; headstrong, unshakable, intractable, unpersuadable, immovable, inexorable, uncompromising, iron-willed, adamant, firm, determined No number of pleas and bribes would get him to change his obdurate attitude. These weekend warriors form the obdurate bedrock of Trump Nation: white, rural and working class. (Obdurate is a formal word meaning stubborn. If you want to major in English, but your parents are obdurate that you should go premed, they might go so far as to threaten not to pay your tuition. This adjective descends from Latin obdurare "to harden." A near synonym is adamant, from Latin adamas "hard metal, diamond." So both of these synonyms derive from the quality of hardness being associated with a stubborn personality.) adjective: showing unfeeling resistance to tender feelings "the child's misery would move even the most obdurate heart" Synonyms: flint, flinty, granitic, stony The predestination here is to perennially reckon with unruly and obdurate feeling: people cannot help what moves them, what makes them feel alive. adjective: stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing Synonyms: cussed, obstinate, unrepentant While Islamist terrorism is the deadliest threat facing Europe, obdurate separatists in northern Ireland and Spain continue to pose problems for authorities.

refractory

adjective: stubbornly resistant to authority or control Synonyms : fractious , recalcitrant Used to studious high school students, Martha was unprepared for the refractory Kindgergarteners who neither sat still nor listened to a single word she said. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

uncanny

adjective: suggesting the operation of supernatural influences; surpassing the ordinary or normal Synonyms : eldritch , unearthly , weird,preternatural Reggie has an uncanny ability to connect with animals: feral cats will readily approach him, and sometimes even wild birds will land on his finger.

martial

adjective: suggesting war or military life Synonyms : warlike,soldierlike , soldierly , warriorlike Americans tend to remember Abraham Lincoln as kindly and wise, not at all martial, despite the fact that he was involved in the fiercest war America has even fought.

appurtenant

adjective: supply added support Synonyms : accessory , adjunct , adjuvant , ancillary , auxiliary In hiking Mt. Everest, sherpas are appurtenant, helping climbers both carry gear and navigate treacherous paths.

tawdry

adjective: tastelessly showy; cheap and shoddy Synonyms : brassy , cheap , flash , flashy , garish , gaudy , gimcrack , loud , meretricious , tacky , tatty , trashy,cheapjack , shoddy Carol expected to find New York City magical, the way so many movies had portrayed it, but she was surprised how often tawdry displays took the place of genuine elegance.

treacherous

adjective: tending to betray Synonyms : perfidious , punic Even though Jesse James was an outlaw, his killer, Robert Ford, is remembered more for his treacherous actions than for eliminating a criminal and murder. adjective: dangerously unstable and unpredictable Synonyms : unreliable The bridge built from twine and vine is treacherous to walk across, and so I think I will stay put right here.

evanescent

adjective: tending to vanish like vapor The storm flashed into existence above us and lasted only a short time - an evanescent turbulence of wind and cloud.

fell

adjective: terribly evil Synonyms : barbarous , brutal , cruel , roughshod , savage , vicious For fans of the Harry Potter series, the fell Lord Voldemort, who terrorized poor Harry for seven lengthy installments, has finally been vanquished by the forces of good - unless, that is, JK Rowling decides to come out of retirement. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

base

adjective: the lowest, class were without any moral principles Synonyms : foot , foundation , fundament , groundwork , substructure , understructure She was not so base as to begrudge the beggar the unwanted crumbs from her dinner plate. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

baleful

adjective: threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments Synonyms : forbidding , menacing , minacious , minatory , ominous , sinister , threatening Movies often use storms or rain clouds as a baleful omen of evil events that will soon befall the main character.

timorous

adjective: timid by nature or revealing fear and nervousness Synonyms : fearful , trepid Since this was her first time debating on stage and before an audience, Di's voice was timorous and quiet for the first 10 minutes.

jaundice

adjective: to be biased against due to envy or prejudice Shelly was jaundiced towards Olivia; though the two had once been best friends, Olivia had become class president, prom queen, and, to make matters worse, the girlfriend of the one boy Shelly liked.

arch

adjective: to be deliberately teasing Synonyms : condescending , patronising , patronizing The baroness was arch, making playful asides to the townspeople; yet because they couldn't pick up on her dry humor, they thought her supercilious. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

diabolical

adjective: to be extremely wicked like the devil (Diabolical means "evil." This is a strong word. Too much math homework might seem unfair, but it probably isn't diabolical. Diabolical things are also intentional. If you got hit by lightning, that's awful and harmful, but it's not diabolical. If someone deliberately runs you over with a car, that's much more diabolical.) Synonyms : demonic , diabolic , fiendish , hellish , infernal , satanic , unholy,devilish , diabolic , mephistophelean , mephistophelian The conspirators, willing to dispatch anyone who stood in their way, hatched a diabolical plan to take over the city. They're likely to continue to support the Republicans so long as they believe that Democrats represent a diabolical threat to the nation.

remiss

adjective: to be failing in what duty requires Synonyms : delinquent , derelict , neglectful Mnemonic: repeat+miss, A negligent person will repeatedly miss important things Remiss in his duty to keep the school functioning efficiently, the principal was relieved of his position after only three months. Although The-Dream is rightfully proud of the work he's done alone, he'd be remiss not to at least acknowledge the gems he's gifted others with.

commensurate

adjective: to be in proportion or corresponding in degree or amount The convicted felon's life sentence was commensurate to the heinousness of his crime.

gregarious

adjective: to be likely to socialize with others Often we think that great leaders are those who are gregarious, always in the middle of a large group of people; yet, as Mahatma Gandhi and many others have shown us, leaders can also be introverted.

demure

adjective: to be modest and shy Synonyms: coy, overmodest Mnemonic: Demure(adjective) is for a shy or modest person Demur (verb) is to voice opposition..[which in a sense is not something a shy person will do] coming down on "e" changes everything: going from mellow to oppositional (A demure person can be described as polite and a little shy. A demure outfit is a modest one--think high neckline and low hem. Demure is a word you don't hear a lot these days, but it used to be a huge compliment for a woman or a girl, for them to be considered shy and quiet and modest. Those days are over, thank goodness, because demure people are nice and all, but they're also a little boring.) The portrait of her in a simple white blouse was sweet and demure. "I get recognized now and then," she said with a demure smile.

sententious

adjective: to be moralizing, usually in a pompous sense The old man, casting his nose up in the air at the group of adolescents, intoned sententiously, "Youth is wasted on the young."

ingenuous

adjective: to be naïve and innocent Synonyms : innocent Two-years in Manhattan had changed Jenna from an ingenuous girl from the suburbs to a jaded urbanite, unlikely to fall for any ruse, regardless of how elaborate.

histrionic

adjective: to be overly theatrical Synonyms : melodramatic Though she received a B- on the test, she had such a histrionic outburst that one would have thought that she'd been handed a death sentence.

contrite

adjective: to be remorseful; feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses Synonyms: remorseful, rueful, ruthful (We are sorry to inform you that the adjective contrite means regretful, remorseful, or even guilty. Someone who feels remorse or guilt is contrite and in addition to feeling sorry, part of the definition includes wanting to atone for having done something wrong.) Though he stole his little sister's licorice stick with malevolent glee, Chucky soon became contrite when his sister wouldn't stop crying. Casually using the n-word or veering into Islamophobia is easy to recover from: just apologise and look contrite or don't bother saying sorry at all. Joyce was immediately contrite—offering an outpouring of grief that is rare among officials.

retiring

adjective: to be shy, and to be inclined to retract from company; reluctant to draw attention to yourself (If you are a retiring person, you avoid being at the center of attention. You can often be found in the library and other quiet places, and if someone compliments you, you're likely to blush and change the subject. If you call someone retiring, it isn't necessarily clear whether you mean it as a compliment or something closer to a put-down. Usually, the word is used to describe someone who is shy or modest to a fault. But it can also be used to suggest that someone isn't arrogant, which is usually a good thing. And, of course, retiring can also refer to someone who stepped down from their last job and doesn't intend to work anymore.) Mnemonic: old people retire and when they fall sick they usually speak less and they seem to be reserved all the time. They also sometimes feel shy to get help from their kids or to depend on anyone for the rest of their life. Synonyms : reticent , self-effacing Nelson was always the first to leave soirees - rather than mill about with "fashionable" folk, he was retiring, and preferred the solitude of his garret. "you have to be fairly resilient and not too much of a shy retiring type" adjective: not arrogant or presuming Synonyms: unassuming

vituperate

adjective: to criticize harshly; to berate Synonyms : rail , revile , vilify Jason had dealt with disciplinarians before, but nothing prepared him for the first week of boot camp, as drill sergeants vituperated him for petty oversights such as forgetting to double knot the laces on his boots.

blinkered

adjective: to have a limited outlook or understanding In gambling, the addict is easily blinkered by past successes and/or past failures, forgetting that the outcome of any one game is independent of the games that preceded it.

vindictive

adjective: to have a very strong desire for revenge (It is no fun hanging out with vindictive people, who are forever out to get back at people they think have hurt them. If you forget to say hello to them one day in the hall, they will carry a grudge against you into next week.) Synonyms: revengeful, vengeful, unforgiving adjective: showing malicious ill will and a desire to hurt; motivated by spite Synonyms: despiteful, spiteful, malicious Though the other girl had only lightly poked fun of Vanessa's choice in attire, Vanessa was so vindictive that she waited for an entire semester to get the perfect revenge. Thus, these laws are incredibly punitive, vindictive and irrational.

undermine

adjective: to weaken (usually paired with an abstract term) The student undermined the teacher's authority by questioning the teacher's judgment on numerous occasions.

ineffable

adjective: too sacred to be uttered; defying expression or description Synonyms : unnameable , unspeakable , unutterable,indefinable , indescribable , unspeakable , untellable While art critics can occasionally pinpoint a work's greatness, much of why a piece captures our imaginations is completely ineffable.

pellucid

adjective: transparently clear; easily understandable Synonyms : crystal clear , limpid , lucid , luculent , perspicuous The professor had a remarkable ability make even the most difficult concepts seem pellucid.

peripatetic

adjective: traveling by foot Synonyms : wayfaring Jim always preferred a peripatetic approach to discovering a city: he felt that he could see so many more details while walking.

itinerant

adjective: traveling from place to place to work Synonyms : gipsy , gypsy Doctors used to be itinerant, traveling between patients' homes.

picayune

adjective: trifling or petty (a person) Synonyms : fiddling , footling , lilliputian , little , niggling , petty , piddling , piffling , trivial English teachers are notorious for being picayune; however, the English language is so nuanced and sophisticated that often such teachers are not being contrary but are only adhering to the rules.

harried

adjective: troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances Synonyms : annoyed , harassed , pestered , vexed With a team of new hires to train, Martha was constantly harried with little questions and could not focus on her projects.

veracious

adjective: truthful Synonyms : right While we elect our leaders in the hope that every word they speak will be veracious, history has shown that such a hope is naive.

veritable

adjective: truthfully, without a doubt Synonyms : authentic , bona fide , unquestionable Frank is a veritable life-saver - last year, on two different occasions, he revived people using CPR.

insolvent

adjective: unable to pay one's bills; unable to meet or discharge financial obligations synonyms: bankrupt; belly-up Mnemonic: in + solvent = one who cant solve his debts. (Piggy bank empty? Nothing but lint in your pockets? Then you're probably unable to meet any financial obligations. In other words, you are insolvent.) With credit card bills skyrocketing, a shockingly large number of Americans are truly insolvent. noun: someone who has insufficient assets to cover their debts

dispassionate

adjective: unaffected by strong emotion or prejudice Synonyms : cold-eyed A good scientist should be dispassionate, focusing purely on what the evidence says, without personal attachment.

disinterested

adjective: unbiased; neutral The potential juror knew the defendant, and therefore could not serve on the jury, which must consist only of disinterested members.

raffish

adjective: unconventional and slightly disreputable, especially in an attractive manner. "his raffish air" ""a cocktail party given by some... raffish bachelors"- Crary Moore" synonyms: rakish, unconventional, Bohemian, devil-may-care Mnemonic: riff-raff (Someone raffish is a bit of a scoundrel, carelessly making mischief. Your raffish classmate might constantly play mean practical jokes, always denying responsibility with a charming smile. Though you're pretty much bad news, you pull off your dastardly deeds in an attractive manner. Someone with a raffish look is intriguing as well as disreputable. Raffish comes from riff-raff, "generally undesirable people,") adjective: marked by up-to-dateness in dress and manners Synonyms: dapper, dashing, jaunty, natty, rakish, snappy, spiffy, spruce The men found him raffish, but the women adored his smart clothes and casual attitude. Swallow your doubts: There's conviction in everything he plays, and often a sense of raffish provocation. A raffish and intrepid adventurer, Blood led one of those colorful lives that people who read too much secretly wish could be theirs.

unforthcoming

adjective: uncooperative, not willing to give up information The teacher demanded to know who broke the window while he was out of the room, but the students understandably were unforthcoming.

provisional

adjective: under terms not final or fully worked out or agreed upon Synonyms : probationary , provisionary , tentative Until the corporate office hands down a definitive decision on use of the extra offices, we will share their use in a provisional arrangement.

untoward

adjective: unfavorable; inconvenient Synonyms : indecent , indecorous , unbecoming , uncomely , unseemly,adverse , inauspicious Some professors find teaching untoward as having to prepare for lectures and conduct office hours prevents them from focusing on their research.

bereft

adjective: unhappy in love; suffering from unrequited love Synonyms : lovelorn , unbeloved After 64 years of marriage, William was bereft after the death of his wife. adjective: sorrowful through loss or deprivation Synonyms : bereaved , grief-stricken , grieving , mourning , sorrowing "You are not bereft if you haven't played on your Xbox in the past week," his mother said.

desiccated

adjective: uninteresting, lacking vitality Synonyms : arid , desiccate Few novelists over 80 are able to produce anything more than desiccated works-boring shadows of former books. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

incessant

adjective: uninterrupted in time and indefinitely long continuing; (of something regarded as unpleasant) continuing without pause or interruption. "the incessant beat of the music" "their dog's incessant barking" synonyms: ceaseless, unceasing, constant, continual, unabating, interminable, endless, unending, never-ending, everlasting, eternal, perpetual, continuous, nonstop, around/round-the-clock, uninterrupted, unbroken, unremitting, persistent, relentless, unrelenting, unrelieved, sustained (Something incessant continues without interruption. When you're on a cross-country flight, it's tough to tolerate the incessant crying of a baby. A near synonym is continual, but something incessant is more relentless; ceaseless is a closer synonym. It's rare to find incessant used in a positive way. Even incessant sunshine would grow boring.) I don't mind small children in brief doses, but I think the incessant exposure that their parents have to them would quickly wear me down.

brazen

adjective: unrestrained by convention or propriety Synonyms : audacious , bald-faced , barefaced , bodacious , brassy , brazen-faced , insolent Their large "donations" to the local police department gave the drug cartel the brazen confidence to do their business out in the open.

spartan

adjective: unsparing and uncompromising in discipline or judgment; practicing great self-denial Synonyms : severe After losing everything in a fire, Tim decided to live in spartan conditions, sleeping on the floor and owning as little furniture as a possible.

intransigent

adjective: unwilling to change one's beliefs or course of action Synonyms : adamant , adamantine , inexorable Despite many calls for mercy, the judge remained intransigent, citing strict legal precedence.

loath

adjective: unwillingness to do something contrary to your custom (usually followed by 'to') Synonyms : loth , reluctant, antipathetic , antipathetical , averse , indisposed I was loath to leave the concert before my favorite band finished playing.

taxing

adjective: use to the limit; exhaust Synonyms : burdensome , onerous The hike to the summit of Mt. Whitney was so taxing that I could barely speak or stand up. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

unstinting

adjective: very generous Synonyms : lavish , munificent , overgenerous , too-generous , unsparing , unstinted Helen is unstinting with her time, often spending hours at the house of a sick friend.

munificent

adjective: very generous Synonyms : lavish , overgenerous , too-generous , unsparing , unstinted , unstinting Uncle Charley was known for his munificence, giving all seven of his nephews lavish Christmas presents each year.

splenetic

adjective: very irritable Synonyms : bristly , prickly , waspish Ever since the car accident, Frank has been unable to walk without a cane, and so he has become splenetic and unpleasant to be around.

dilatory

adjective: wasting time Synonyms : laggard , pokey , poky Lawyers use dilatory tactics so that it takes years before the case is actually decided.

ponderous

adjective: weighed-down; moving slowly Synonyms : heavy , lumbering Laden with 20 kilograms of college text books, the freshman moved ponderously across the campus.

cohesive

adjective: well integrated, forming a united whole A well-written, cohesive essay will keep on topic at all times, never losing sight of the main argument.

illustrious

adjective: widely known and esteemed; having or conferring glory Synonyms : celebrated , famed , famous , far-famed , notable , noted , renowned Einstein was possibly the most illustrious scientist in recent history.

quixotic

adjective: wildly idealistic; impractical Synonyms : romantic , wild-eyed For every thousand startups with quixotic plans to be the next big name in e-commerce, only a handful ever become profitable.

audacious

adjective: willing to be bold in social situations or to take risks Synonyms : brave , dauntless , fearless , hardy , intrepid , unfearing As all of the other campers cowered in their tents, Bill, armed only with a flashlight, audaciously tracked down the bear that had raided their food.

malevolent

adjective: wishing or appearing to wish evil to others; arising from intense ill will or hatred Synonyms : evil , malefic , malign Villians are known for their malevolent nature, oftentimes inflicting cruetly on others just for enjoyment.

blatant

adjective: without any attempt at concealment; completely obvious Synonyms : blazing , conspicuous Allen was often punished in school for blatantly disrespecting teachers.

wanton

adjective: without check or limitation; showing no moral restraints to one's anger, desire, or appetites Synonyms : easy , light , loose , promiscuous , sluttish Due to wanton behavior and crude language, the drunk man was thrown out of the bar and asked to never return.

artless

adjective: without cunning or deceit Synonyms : uncultivated , uncultured Despite the president's seemingly artless speeches, he was a skilled and ruthless negotiator.

impeccable

adjective: without fault or error Synonyms : faultless , immaculate He was impeccably dressed in the latest fashion without a single crease or stain.

inarticulate

adjective: without or deprived of the use of speech or words Synonyms : unarticulate Although a brilliant economist, Professor Black was completely inarticulate, a terrible lecturer.

evenhanded

adjective: without partiality Teachers often have trouble being evenhanded to all of their varied students.

unscrupulous

adjective: without scruples or principles In the courtroom, the lawyer was unscrupulous, using every manner of deceit and manipulation to secure a victory for himself.

insidious

adjective: working in a subtle but destructive way Synonyms : pernicious , subtle Plaque is insidious: we cannot see it, but each day it eats away at our enamel, causing cavities and other dental problems.

laudable

adjective: worthy of high praise Synonyms : applaudable , commendable , praiseworthy To say that Gandhi's actions were laudable is the greatest understatement; he overthrew an empire without violence.

commendable

adjective: worthy of high praise "a commendable sense of purpose" Synonyms : applaudable , laudable , praiseworthy The efforts of the firefighters running into the burning building were commendable. That order is a commendable initiative to hold officials accountable for safeguarding sensitive personal information, such as voter information. (If something's commendable it deserves whatever praise it receives. When you developed a car that could run on solar power, that was a commendable accomplishment. Now, it's time to move from Seattle.) adverb: in an admirable manner Synonyms: admirably, laudably, praiseworthily Most commendably, Adams focuses on details that serve his larger artistic themes rather than self-aggrandizement.

callow

adjective: young and inexperienced Synonyms : fledgling , unfledged Both Los Angeles and New York are known for callow out-of-towners hoping to make it big.

fledgling

adjective: young and inexperienced; describing any new participant in some activity; a person or organization that is immature, inexperienced, or underdeveloped. "the fledgling democracies of eastern Europe" "a fledgling enterprise" "a fledgling skier" Mnemonic: fully fledged = mature or experienced.. but fledgling means the one who isn't matured , i.e. is a neophyte (newbie = noob) Synonyms : callow , unfledged,entrant , fledgeling , freshman , neophyte , newbie , newcomer , starter, emerging, emergent, sunrise, dawning, embryonic, infant, nascent; developing, in the making, budding, up-and-coming, rising Murray has years of experience in family practice, but he is just a fledgling in surgery. Others close to the fledgling peace effort denied that Trump felt misused or misled by Netanyahu. She works for the Dodgers now, as one of 15 employees in the team's fledgling department of research and development. (A fledgling is a fuzzy baby bird just learning to fly, or someone (like a baby bird) who's brand new at doing something. Awww. If you're not talking about a baby bird, fledgling is often used as an adjective describing a new participant in something, like a fledgling senator still learning the ropes of how to legislate, or a fledgling drama program trying to build audiences for its plays. It can also mean inexperienced and young, like the fledgling photographer for the school paper who accidentally erases all the pictures. If you're British, spell it fledgeling if you like, both spellings are correct.) noun: young bird that has just fledged or become capable of flying (or just acquired its flight feathers) Synonyms: fledgeling

scattergood

noun: someone who spends money prodigally Synonyms: spend-all, spender, spendthrift Mnemonic: someone who's good at making their money scatter.

amuck

adverb: behave uncontrollably and disruptively; wildly "stone-throwing anarchists running amuck" synonyms: amok, go berserk, get out of control, rampage, riot, run riot, go on the rampage, behave like a maniac, behave wildly, behave uncontrollably, become violent, become destructive (When things go amuck, they are wildly out of control. Someone running amuck is showing no self-control. This is a word that has to do with chaos and disorder. A riot is an example of people running amuck. In a cafeteria, if people are yelling and throwing food, they are going amuck. This word applies to times when control has been lost: people are showing no self-control, and the situation is out of hand. Sometimes, going amuck is positive, though. If a football player scores five touchdowns in a game, you could say he's running amuck.) adverb: in a murderous frenzy "rioters running amuck and throwing sticks and bottles and stones" Wherever the bowl haircut teen-idol went, his legions of screaming fans ran through the streets amuck, hoping for a glance at his boyish face. If you really want to avail the college to all; control the run amuck tuition fee increases which are totally unjustified.

brusquely

adverb: in a blunt, direct manner Synonyms : bluffly , bluntly , flat out , roundly Not one for social pleasantries, the Chief of Staff would brusquely ask his subordinates anything he wanted, even coffee.

amply

adverb: more than is adequate Synonyms : fully The boat was amply supplied for its year at sea - no man would go hungry or thirst.

askance

adverb: with a look of suspicion or disapproval Mnemonic: ASKew + glANCE The old couple looked askance on the teenagers seated next to them, whispering to each other, "They've got rings through their noses and purple hair!"

assiduously

adverb: with care and persistence The top college football program recruits new talent assiduously, only choosing those who were the top in their county.

minutely

adverb: with great attention to detail; meticulously. "systems of politics are examined minutely by academics" (Do something minutely and you'll do it in an attentive or meticulous, careful way. If you minutely edit your English paper, you'll be sure to catch every last mistake. A detective might investigate a crime minutely, examining every possible clue in an intent way. Minutely can also modify an adjective, as in a minutely detailed news report or a minutely precise dollhouse version of Buckingham Palace.) Today, they welcome having their sexual and other social interactions minutely subjected to government regulations administered by Pecksniffs with PhDs. Our inability to see everything minutely and clearly is due merely to the infirmity of our senses.

autonomously

adverb: with the freedom to act independently. "each canton in Switzerland operates almost autonomously" Many of the factory workers are worried about being replaced by machines and computers that will work completely autonomously. Nevertheless, both firms say the future of transport is definitely autonomous, and companies need to start adapting fast. adjective: autonomous: (of persons) free from external control and constraint in e.g. action and judgment Synonyms: self-directed, self-reliant (Autonomous describes things that function separately or independently. Once you move out of your parents' house and get your own job, you will be an autonomous member of the family. This adjective autonomous is often used of countries, regions, or groups that have the right to govern themselves: Vatican City, where the Catholic pope lives, is an autonomous territory located within the city limits of Rome. The corresponding noun is autonomy, referring to the state of existing or functioning independently.) adjective: autonomous: (of political bodies) not controlled by outside forces "an autonomous judiciary" Synonyms: independent, self-governing, sovereign

bellicose

bellicose: demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight; warlike; inclined to quarrel "a group of bellicose patriots" Synonyms: belligerent, aggressive, hostile, warlike, warmongering, hawkish, antagonistic, pugnacious, truculent, confrontational, contentious, militant, combative; Known for their bellicose ways, the Spartans were once the most feared people from Peloponnesus to Persia. Megyn Kelly's interview Sunday night with the bellicose conspiracy theorist Alex Jones was certainly dreaded, but, in execution, it was far from dreadful. The problem is that, just as in other policy areas, Trump threatens to undermine his own counterterrorism strategy by his bellicose mode of communication.

subterfuge

n: deceit used in order to achieve one's goal. (n: Subterfuge is the use of tricky actions to hide or get something.) (noun: something intended to misrepresent the true nature of an activity) Mnemonic: sub = under; turf = to cover with turf; subterfuge = to cover the truth under a lie Synonyms : blind Finally deciding to abandon all subterfuge, Arthur revealed to Cindy everything about his secret affair over the past two years. If you want to surprise your mom with a sweatshirt, but don't know her size, it might take an act of subterfuge, like going through her closet, to find it out. She employed a very clever subterfuge to get the information she needed.

anathema

noun: a detested person; the source of somebody's hate Synonyms : bete noire Hundreds of years ago, Galileo was anathema to the church; today the church is anathema to some on the left side of the political spectrum.

capacity

noun noun: the amount or volume something can hold ability (especially mental) The hotel is full to maximum capacity; there are no empty rooms. Few birds have the capacity to recognize themselves when looking in a mirror; most act as though there is a second bird behind the glass.

shrew

noun: a bad-tempered or aggressively assertive woman. Mnemonic: Split Shrew like SHE+SCREW or SHE SCREWED UP, that mean scolding woman (Use the noun shrew — at your own risk — to refer to a woman who is argumentative, nagging, and ill tempered.) synonyms: virago, dragon, termagant, fishwife, witch, tartar, hag Then historians recast her as a controlling shrew.

idiosyncrasy

noun: a behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual Synonyms : foible , mannerism Peggy's numerous idiosyncrasies include wearing mismatched shoes, laughing loudly to herself, and owning a pet aardvark.

foible

noun: a behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual Synonyms : idiosyncrasy , mannerism When their new roommate sat staring at an oak tree for an hour, Marcia thought it indicated a mental problem, but Jeff assured her it was a harmless foible.

philippic

noun: a bitter attack or denunciation, especially a verbal one. (A philippic is a bitter rant against someone or something. Unfortunately your impassioned philippic condemning your parents' midnight curfew rule only resulted in you being grounded for a week.) Mnemonic: In the Phillipines laws are unjust hence their ppl verbally attack the politicians. Synonyms: broadside, tirade

jargon

noun: a characteristic language of a particular group Synonyms : argot , cant , lingo , patois , slang , vernacular To those with little training in medicine, the jargon of doctors can be very difficult to understand.

constituent

noun: a citizen who is represented in a government by officials for whom he or she votes The mayor's constituents are no longer happy with her performance and plan to vote for another candidate in the upcoming election. noun: an abstract part of something Synonyms : component , element , factor , ingredient The constituents of the metal alloy are nickel, copper, and tin.

ploy

noun: a clever plan to turn a situation to one's advantage Synonyms : gambit,stratagem Dennis arranged an elaborate ploy, involving 14 different people lying for him in different situations, so that it could appear that he was meeting Mary completely by chance at the wedding reception.

egotist

noun: a conceited and self-centered person Synonyms : egoist , swellhead An egotist, Natasha had few friends because of her inability to talk about anything except her dream of becoming the next American Idol.

melee

noun: a confused fight, skirmish, or scuffle. "several people were hurt in the melee" synonyms: fracas, disturbance, rumpus, tumult, commotion, ruckus, disorder, fray, scrimmage, battle royal Mnemonic: sounds like Bruce Lee...famous for his fights. ME and Bruce LEE in a fight, who would win? ME VS LEE noun: a confused mass of people. "the melee of people that was always thronging the streets" (A melee is a noisy free-for-all or rowdy fight — a no holds barred, battle royal, if you will. It's what pro wrestlers engage in every night, and shoppers endure at the toy store every holiday season. If you think melee sounds like a fancy French way to say "crazy bar brawl," you're right: It comes from the French mêlée which means "confused fight or mixture." What makes a melee different than any other fight is that element of chaos or confusion — so don't jump into a brewing melee unless you're really ready to bring the ruckus.) After enduring daily taunts about my name, I became enraged and pummeled the schoolyard bully and his sycophantic friends in a brutal melee. During the melee, three people were killed and at least 16 people were injured.

hodgepodge

noun: a confused mixture "Rob's living room was a hodgepodge of modern furniture and antiques" Synonyms : farrago , gallimaufry , hotchpotch , melange , mingle-mangle , mishmash , oddments , odds and ends , omnium-gatherum , ragbag (A hodgepodge is a random assortment of things. A dorm room might be furnished with a hodgepodge of milk crates, antique mirrors, and a poster of a kitten hanging on a branch with one paw. Hodgepodge is a funny-sounding word for a somewhat funny occurrence — a grouping of things or people that don't fit together. If you made a stew with bacon, oatmeal, and chocolate cake, you've made a hodgepodge (and a bellyache waiting to happen).) Those in attendance represented a hodgepodge of the city's denizens: chimney sweepers could be seen sitting elbow to elbow with stockbrokers.

imbroglio

noun: a confusing and potentially embarrassing situation Synonyms : embroilment The chef cook-off featured one gourmand who had the unfortunate distinction of mixing the wrong broths, creating an imbroglio that diners would not soon forget.

despot

noun: a cruel and oppressive dictator Synonyms : autocrat , tyrant The Emperor Claudius was regarded as a fair-minded leader; his successor, Nero, was an absolute despot.

melancholy

noun: a deep, long-lasting sadness Hamlet is a figure of tremendous melancholy: he doesn't have a truly cheerful scene throughout the entire play.

aberration

noun: a deviation from what is normal or expected Synonyms : aberrance , aberrancy , deviance Aberrations in climate have become the norm: rarely a week goes by without some meteorological phenomenon making headlines.

conundrum

noun: a difficult problem Synonyms : brain-teaser , enigma , riddle Computers have helped solve some of the mathematical conundrums which have puzzled man for many centuries.

malady

noun: a disease or sickness Synonyms : illness , sickness , unwellness The town was struck by a malady throughout the winter that left most people sick in bed for two weeks. Her arthritis, a common malady in people older than 50, was moderately painful but not debilitating. (A malady is an illness, like a malady that keeps you home, sick in bed for days, or something that causes you to have trouble or to suffer, like jet lag — a malady that affects travelers. Malady, pronounced "MAL-uh-dee," comes from the Latin words male, meaning "bad or ill" and habitus for "have, hold." When you have a malady, it is like something bad is holding you, such as an illness — the common cold: a malady of winter. Some bad habits cause maladies, such as never having any money — the malady of people who spend freely, not thinking of the future.) noun: any unwholesome or desperate condition "what maladies afflict our nation?" Conservative writers and politicians who criticize the president are often also accused of the distinctly partisan malady.

imponderable

noun: a factor that is difficult or impossible to estimate or assess. "there are too many imponderables for an overall prediction" adjective: difficult or impossible to estimate, assess, or answer. "an imponderable problem of metaphysics" (Imponderable describes a situation that isn't able to be completely explained. "Where did we come from?" is one of those imponderable questions that defy human's ability for understanding. If something is ponderable, it is capable of being assessed or weighed; stick im- in front and you get the opposite effect. Use imponderable to describe something that is elusive and vague, perhaps even evasive. When your question doesn't have a definitive answer, you are in imponderable territory: "Life has many imponderable questions, such as why you park in a driveway and drive on parkway.") According to many lawmakers, the huge variety of factors affecting society make devising an efficient healthcare system an imponderable task. One of the great imponderables in climate science is how long forests will continue to buffer climate change as CO2 levels continue to spiral.

umbrage

noun: a feeling of anger caused by being offended Synonyms : offence , offense Since he was so in love with her, he took umbrage at her comments, even though she had only meant to gently tease him.

presentiment

noun: a feeling of evil to come Synonyms : boding , foreboding , premonition On the night that Lincoln would be fatally shot, his wife had a presentiment about going to Ford's Theater, but Lincoln persuaded her that everything would be fine.

solicitude

noun: a feeling of excessive concern Synonyms : solicitousness I walked to his house in the rain to make sure he had enough to eat while he was sick, but he seemed not to appreciate my solicitude.

euphoria

noun: a feeling of great (usually exaggerated) elation "the euphoria of victory" Synonyms : euphory, elation, happiness, joy, delight, glee; excitement, exhilaration, jubilation, exultation; ecstasy, bliss, rapture The euphoria of winning her first gold medal in the 100 meter dash overwhelmed Shelly-Ann Fraser and she wept tears of immense joy. But the euphoria quickly turned to alarm and then despair in the weeks and months that followed. (Use euphoria to describe a feeling of great happiness and well-being, but know that euphoria often more than that--it's unusually, crazy happy, over the top. Euphoria can even be classified as a mental illness.)

charlatan

noun: a flamboyant deceiver; one who attracts customers with tricks or jokes Synonyms : mountebank You may call him a "motivational speaker," but I call him a charlatan--he doesn't have any idea what he's really talking about.

juggernaut

noun: a force that cannot be stopped Synonyms : steamroller Napoleon was considered a juggernaut until he decided to invade Russia in winter; after which, his once indomitable army was decimated by cold and famine.

panegyric

noun: a formal expression of praise Synonyms : encomium , eulogy , paean , pean Dave asked Andrew to do just a simple toast, but Andrew launched into a full panegyric, enumerating a complete list of Dave's achievements and admirable qualities.

contingent

noun: a gathering of persons representative of some larger group A small contingent of those loyal to the king have gathered around the castle to defend it. adjective: possible but not certain to occur Whether the former world champions can win again this year is contingent upon none of its star players getting injured.

curmudgeon

noun: a grouchy, surly person Since Uncle Mike was the family curmudgeon, each Thanksgiving he was plied with copious amounts of wine, in the hope that he would become less grouchy.

termagant

noun: a harsh-tempered or overbearing woman. synonyms: shrew, harridan, virago, harpy, vixen, nag, hag, crone, dragon, ogress Mnemonic: TERRIBLE MY AUNT = TER MA GANT (Termagant is an insulting name for a woman who likes to nag, scold, or complain. Termagant is an old-fashioned insult for a woman. A termagant is like a shrew (another old-fashioned term). Termagants are always in a bad mood, whining and complaining, and generally making life miserable for everyone around them. You might also see termagant used as an adjective, as in "that termagant wife of yours is trouble.") I appreciate this one because we so rarely hear what the groom ends up thinking when he watches his betrothed turn into a termagant.

paucity

noun: a lack of something Synonyms : dearth Mnemonic: paucity=scarcity. (The word paucity means not enough of something. If you've got a paucity of good cheer, for example, you'd better cheer up! One good way to remember the meaning of paucity is that it's a bit like pauper, as in The Prince and the Pauper. The prince had too much money, and the pauper had a paucity. There are a lot of words that mean "little" or "small," but paucity is used when you mean specifically "not enough" or "too little." People in LA don't understand how New Yorkers can live with such a paucity of space. For what New Yorkers pay for a tiny apartment, Angelenos get a house and a yard.) There is a paucity of jobs hiring today that require menial skills, since most jobs have either been automated or outsourced. There is a complete absence of men on the island, but no paucity of makeup.

myriad

noun: a large indefinite number Synonyms : countless , infinite , innumerable , innumerous , multitudinous , numberless , uncounted , unnumberable , unnumbered , unnumerable There are a myriad of internet sites hawking pills that claim to boost energy for hours on end.

raft

noun: a large number of something Synonyms : batch , deal , flock , good deal , great deal , hatful , heap , lot , mass , mess , mickle , mint , mountain , muckle , passel , peck , pile , plenty , pot , quite a little , sight , slew , spate , stack , tidy sum , wad Despite a raft of city ordinances passed by an overzealous council, noise pollution continued unabated in the megalopolis. It boasts a raft of guest stars, but their contributions are woven into the patchwork seamlessly. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

dissolution

noun: a living full of debauchery and indulgence in sensual pleasure Synonyms : dissipation , licentiousness , looseness , profligacy Many Roman emperors were known for their dissolution, indulging in unspeakable desires of the flesh.

tirade

noun: a long angry speech of criticism or accusation (A tirade is a speech, usually consisting of a long string of violent, emotionally charged words. Borrow and lose your roommate's clothes one too many times, and you can bet you'll be treated to a heated tirade.) Synonyms : broadside , philippic Mnemonic: sounds like tired.. your mom gets tired after a TIRADE..i.e. long angry denunciatory speech In terms of political change, a tirade oftentimes does little more than make the person speaking red in the face. Young unleashed a "heated" tirade, one ex-House staffer said, calling his young assistant stupid and telling him, using the f-word, to shut his mouth.

harangue

noun: a long pompous speech; a tirade (n: to speak to someone or a group of people, often for a long time, in a forceful and sometimes angry way, esp. to persuade them or to express disapproval) Synonyms : rant , ranting Mnemonic: HAR - RANG .... HER long-winded, angry voice RANG in my ears. Dinner at Billy's was more a punishment than a reward, since anyone who sat at the dinner table would have to listen to Billy's father's interminable harangues against the government. verb: to deliver a long pompous speech or tirade Tired of his parents haranguing him about his laziness and lack of initiative, Tyler finally moved out of home at the age of thirty-five.

gambit

noun: a maneuver or risk in a game or conversation, designed to secure an advantage Synonyms : ploy , stratagem Randy played a gambit, telling his boss that he would leave at the end of the week if he didn't get a raise.

amalgam

noun: a mixture of multiple things The band's music was an amalgam of hip-hop, flamenco and jazz, blending the three styles with surprising results.

label

noun: a name or phrase given to a group of things to identify them (often negative) verb: to give a label to something Synonyms : mark , tag The meaning of the label ""punk"" has changed greatly in the last 30 years. Children are often unkind and label others who look different as outsiders.

virago

noun: a noisy or scolding or bad-tempered or domineering woman Mnemonic: Virgo. Virgo is symbol of lady. So a Virgo with a big EGO => Virago synonyms: harridan, shrew, dragon, termagant, vixen noun: a large, strong, and courageous woman Synonyms: amazon (A virago is a loud, bossy woman, like your next door neighbor who is always yelling at kids to get off her lawn. You can use the noun virago when you're describing a particularly mean and scolding woman. It's not a compliment to call someone a virago, although its origins are much nobler than the shrewish, screechy character it implies today. Originally, a virago was a brave or heroic woman.) Poor Billy was the victim of the virago's invective - she railed at him for a good 30-minutes about how he is the scum of the earth for speaking loudly on his cellphone in public. Virago no more: Nancy Grace, who once embodied a particular kind of television outrage culture, has become so unpopular that she's lost her show.

mendicant

noun: a pauper who lives by begging Synonyms : beggar Tolstoy was an aristocrat, but he strove to understand the Christianity of the Russian peasants by wandering among them as a mendicant.

respite

noun: a pause from doing something (as work) Synonyms : break , recess , time out, relief , rest , rest period Every afternoon, the small company has a respite in which workers play foosball or board games. (A respite is a break from something that's difficult or unpleasant. If you're cramming for exams, take an occasional walk to give yourself a respite from the intensity. If you've been fighting with your partner, a visit from a friend might offer a brief respite from the argument, but the fight will pick up again when she leaves.) noun: a (temporary) relief from harm or discomfort Synonyms: reprieve Stopping for dead kangaroos offered a somewhat gloomy respite from the boredom. Perhaps the serotonin-producing chocolate in this recipe did, in fact, provide a small respite at a deeply upsetting time. noun: an interruption in the intensity or amount of something Synonyms: abatement, hiatus, reprieve, suspension verb: to postpone the punishment of a convicted criminal, such as an execution Synonyms: reprieve

savvy

noun: a perceptive understanding Synonyms : apprehension , discernment , understanding Although a great CEO, he did not have the political savvy to win the election. verb: get the meaning of something Synonyms : apprehend , compass , comprehend , dig , get the picture , grasp , grok The student savvies the meaning of astrophysics with little effort. adjective: well-informed or perceptive With his savvy business partner, the company was able to turn a profit within a year.

raconteur

noun: a person skilled in telling anecdotes Synonyms : anecdotist Jude is entertaining, but he is no raconteur: beyond the handful of amusing stories he has memorized, he has absolutely no spontaneous story-telling ability.

proponent

noun: a person who advocates a theory, proposal, or project. "a collection of essays by both critics and proponents of graphology" "a proponent of the youth basketball program" synonyms: advocate, champion, supporter, backer, promoter, protagonist, campaigner, booster, exponent, cheerleader Ironically, the leading proponent of Flat-Earth Theory flies all over the world in an effort to win more adherents.

reprisal

noun: a retaliatory action against an enemy in wartime The Old Testament doctrine of an eye for an eye is not the kind of retaliation practiced in war; rather, an arm, a leg, and both ears are the reprisal for the smallest scratch.

exponent

noun: a person who believes in and promotes the truth or benefits of an idea or theory. "an early exponent of the teachings of Thomas Aquinas" "the new premier is an exponent of free trade" synonyms: advocate, supporter, proponent, upholder, backer, defender, champion; promoter, propagandist, campaigner, fighter, crusader, enthusiast, apologist; The documentary acknowledges the gorilla in the garden: Monsanto, a leading exponent of modification, is "one of the most-hated companies in the world." But as the creator and leading exponent of a new theatrical art-form, she demands nothing less of herself. (An exponent is a person who is a big promoter of something. Are you an exponent of the four-day school and work week?) noun: someone who expounds and interprets or explains Type of: intellect, intellectual

miscreant

noun: a person who breaks the law Synonyms : reprobate "Come back you miscreant!" yelled the woman who just had her purse stolen.

misogynist

noun: a person who dislikes women in particular Synonyms : woman hater Many have accused Hemingway of being a quiet misogynist, but recently unearthed letters argue against this belief.

apostate

noun: a person who has abandoned a religious faith or cause Synonyms : deserter , ratter , recreant , renegade , turncoat An apostate of the Republican Party, Sheldon has yet to become affiliated with any party and dubs himself an independent.

arriviste

noun: a person who has recently reached a position of power; a social climber Synonyms : nouveau-riche , parvenu , upstart The city center was aflutter with arrivistes who each tried to outdo one another with their ostentatious sports cars and chic evening dress.

parvenu

noun: a person who has suddenly become wealthy, but not socially accepted as part of a higher class Synonyms : arriviste , nouveau-riche , upstart The theater was full of parvenus who each thought that they were surrounded by true aristocrats.

heretic

noun: a person who holds unorthodox opinions in any field (not merely religion) Synonyms : misbeliever , religious outcast Though everybody at the gym told Mikey to do cardio before weights, Mikey was a heretic and always did the reverse.

sybarite

noun: a person who indulges in luxury Synonyms : voluptuary Despite the fact that he'd maxed out fifteen credit cards, Max was still a sybarite at heart: when the police found him, he was at a $1,000 an hour spa in Manhattan, getting a facial treatment.

apologist

noun: a person who offers an argument in defense of something controversial. "an enthusiastic apologist for fascism in the 1920s" "an apologist for capital punishment" synonyms: defender, supporter, upholder, justifier, vindicator, advocate, proponent, exponent, propagandist, champion, campaigner; cheerleader (An apologist is a person who argues in favor of something unpopular. If you're an apologist for deep sea oil drilling, you would argue that drilling in the ocean is necessary and the benefits make up for any environmental damage. Apologists tend to be seen in a negative light, as defensive people who make excuses. The word apologist comes from the Greek word apologia, meaning "speaking in defense." Not all apologists are bad news; some just defend an unpopular idea. Even though apologist is similar to apology, don't confuse them — if you make an apology you're admitting to being wrong. But if you're an apologist, you justify your belief or action, and would do it all again!) That story soon collapsed, leaving Trump's apologists scrambling for other excuses. Jean Ziegler, a Swiss revolutionary apologist for Fidel Castro and Qaddafi, is an adviser to the council. The Daily Mail ran a front-page photograph of Corbyn and two of his close colleagues under the headline: "APOLOGISTS FOR TERROR."

jingoist

noun: a person who thinks that their country should be at war Synonyms : chauvinist , flag-waver , hundred-percenter , jingo , patrioteer In the days leading up to war, a nation typically breaks up into the two opposing camps: doves, who do their best to avoid war, and jingoists, who are only too eager to wave national flags from their vehicles and vehemently denounce those who do not do the same.

sycophant

noun: a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage Synonyms : ass-kisser , crawler , lackey , toady The CEO was unaware of the damaging consequences of his choices, largely because he surrounded himself with sycophants who would never dare criticize him.

chauvinist

noun: a person with a prejudiced belief in the superiority of his or her own kind (A chauvinist is someone who blindly and enthusiastically believes in the superiority of his cause or people. If you grew up in New York and refuse to eat at any pizzeria beyond a five-mile radius of the Empire State Building, you could be described as a New York pizza chauvinist.) The chauvinist lives on both sides of the political spectrum, outright shunning anybody whose ideas are not consistent with his own. Seven years after that episode, in 2007, Christian chauvinists once again displayed their intolerance for other faiths when the U.S. noun: an extreme bellicose (combative) nationalist Synonyms: flag-waver, hundred-percenter, jingo, jingoist, patrioteer In seeking to reject Trump's chauvinist vision, they end up excluding too much of what a unifying counternarrative would require.

corollary

noun: a practical consequence that follows naturally A corollary of Hurricane Sandy, which ravaged the east coast of the U.S., is a push to build higher sea walls to protect against future hurricanes.

atavism

noun: a reappearance of an earlier characteristic; throwback Synonyms : reversion , throwback Much of the modern art movement was an atavism to a style of art found only in small villages through Africa and South America.

stipend

noun: a regular allowance (of money) A stipend is a fixed, regular payment, usually meant to pay for something specific. It's kind of like an allowance, but for grownups — a college scholarship might include a stipend each semester for books, for example. He was hoping for a monthly allowance loan from the government, but after no such stipend was forthcoming he realized he would have to seek other means of paying for his college tuition.

simulacrum

noun: a representation of a person (especially in the form of sculpture) Synonyms : effigy , image The Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center showcases a simulacrum of all the present and approved buildings in the city of Shanghai. noun: a bad imitation The early days of computer graphics made real people into a simulacrum that now seems comical.

perquisite

noun: a right reserved exclusively by a particular person or group (especially a hereditary or official right) Synonyms : exclusive right , prerogative , privilege Even as the dishwasher at the French restaurant, Josh quickly learned that he had the perquisite of being able to eat terrific food for half the price diners would pay.

dearth

noun: a scarcity or lack of something. "there is a dearth of evidence" "a dearth of trained specialists" synonyms: lack, scarcity, paucity, shortage, shortfall, want, deficiency, insufficiency, inadequacy, sparseness, scantiness, rareness; absence Mnemonic: dearth = death + r (reason) reason for death is scarcity(of food, shelter,health) thus dearth is scarcity I am surprised by the dearth of fast food chains; this is America and I assumed they were on every street. Brazilian strategists say that a dearth of military adversaries does not justify skimping on defense. With the U.S. unemployment rate at a 16-year low of 4.3 percent, employers across the country are dealing with a dearth of potential hires. (If there is a dearth of something, there is not enough of it. A dearth of cupcakes is unfortunate, but a dearth of nutritious food is a serious problem. Dearth is an Old English noun formed from the adjective deore, "precious, costly," and the noun-forming suffix -th. Though the relationship of dearth meaning "lack, insufficient amount" to the adjective dear is not so obvious, it is still easy to imagine that something precious is probably also in short supply. Dearth is used almost exclusively in the phrase "a dearth of.") noun: an acute insufficiency Synonyms: famine, shortage

aphorism

noun: a short instructive saying about a general truth Synonyms : apophthegm , apothegm Nietzsche was known for using aphorisms, sometimes encapsulating a complex philosophical thought in a mere sentence.

maxim

noun: a short saying expressing a general truth Synonyms : axiom Johnson initially suggests that the secret to business can be summarized in a single maxim but then requires a 300-page book to explain exactly what he means.

apothegm

noun: a short, pithy instructive saying Synonyms : aphorism , apophthegm Winston Churchill is famous for many apothegms, but this might be his most famous: "It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried."

smattering

noun: a slight or superficial understanding of a subject; a small amount of something Synonyms : handful I know only a smattering of German, but Helen is able to read German newspapers and converse with natives.

inkling

noun: a slight suggestion or vague understanding Synonyms : glimmer , glimmering , intimation Lynne speaks four Romance languages, but she doesn't have an inkling about how East Asian languages are structured.

pittance

noun: a small amount (of money) (Pity + Allowance = a very sad payment...) Vinny's uncle beamed smugly about how he'd offered his nephew fifty dollars for his Harvard tuition; even twice the amount would have been a mere pittance.

modicum

noun: a small or moderate or token amount If my sister had even a modicum of sense, she wouldn't be engaged to that barbarian.

solecism

noun: a socially awkward or tactless act Synonyms : faux pas , gaffe , gaucherie , slip Mother Anna was always on guard against any solecism from her children and scolded them immediately if any of them talked out of place in public. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

gaffe

noun: a socially awkward or tactless act Synonyms : faux pas , gaucherie , slip , solecism In a famous gaffe, Vice President Quayle attempted to correct the spelling of a grade school student, only to find that the child was correct.

tumult

noun: a state of chaos, noise and confusion Synonyms : garboil , tumultuousness , uproar,commotion , din , ruckus , ruction , rumpus Riots broke out just in front of our apartment building, and the tumult continued late into the night. The purchase provided an opportunity for Cirque to diversify its portfolio after years of financial tumult. (If a principal steps into a classroom and is greeted by a tumult of voices, with the teacher shouting for his kids' attention, she will not be pleased. A tumult is a state of noisy confusion. Very often a crowd of people will cause a tumult. But your mind can also be in tumult, when you're confused and overwhelmed by strong emotions.) noun: violent agitation Synonyms: turmoil noun: the act of making a noisy disturbance Synonyms: commotion, din, ruckus, ruction, rumpus

enmity

noun: a state of deep-seated ill-will Synonyms : antagonism , hostility Charles rude remark toward Sarah yesterday was due to his illness, not due to any real enmity toward Sarah.

culpability

noun: a state of guilt Synonyms : blameworthiness , culpableness Since John had left his banana peel at the top of the stairwell, he accepted culpability for Martha's broken leg.

flux

noun: a state of uncertainty about what should be done (usually following some important event) Ever since Elvira resigned as the head of marketing, everything about our sales strategy has been in a state of flux. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

prognostication

noun: a statement made about the future Synonyms : forecasting , foretelling , prediction When the Senator was asked about where the negotiations would lead, he said that any guess he could make would be an unreliable prognostication.

miser

noun: a stingy hoarder of money and possessions (often living miserably) (A miser is someone who hoards his or her own wealth and doesn't share or spend any of it. If you remember the old saying "You can't take it with you!" — then you won't end up acting stingy like a miser. The most famous fictional miser is probably Scrooge in Dickens's A Christmas Carol. The image of his shivering with cold while he counts his coins illustrates the misery often associated with misers. To be a miser, your impulse to hoard means you won't even indulge yourself by spending money for fear of depleting your stash.) Monte was no miser, but was simply frugal, wisely spending the little that he earned. You become what researchers call a cognitive miser, hoarding your energy.

martinet

noun: a strict disciplinarian Synonyms : disciplinarian , moralist The job seemed perfect to Rebecca, until she found out that her boss was a total martinet; after each project the boss would come by to scrutinize - and inevitably criticize - every little detail of the work Rebecca had done.

harridan

noun: a strict, bossy, or belligerent old woman. "a bullying old harridan" synonyms: shrew, termagant, virago, harpy, vixen, nag, hag, crone, dragon, ogress (You might call the old lady next door who yells at you to stay off her lawn a harridan. When you see the word harridan, think of the Wicked Witch of the West — a mean-tempered, sharp-tongued old woman.) It appeared to label President Obama a "tyrant" and Hillary Clinton one of many "hapless old harridans." Voters could consider her a canny, fearless provocateur — or simply a shrill harridan.

predilection

noun: a strong liking Synonyms : penchant , preference , taste Monte had a predilection for the fine things in life: Cuban cigars, 200 dollar bottles of wine, and trips to the French Riviera.

diatribe

noun: a strong verbal attack against a person or institution Synonyms : fulmination Steve's mom launched into a diatribe during the PTA meeting, contending that the school was little more than a daycare in which students stare at the wall and teachers stare at the chalkboard.

polemic

noun: a strong verbal or written attack on someone or something. The professor launched into a polemic, claiming that Freudian theory was a pack of lies that absolutely destroyed European literary theory. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

nuance

noun: a subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude Synonyms : nicety , refinement , shade , subtlety Because of the nuances involved in this case, I hired an outside consultant to advice us and help.

epiphany

noun: a sudden revelation or moment of insight Gary one day had an epiphany that he was a people person; he prompty quit his factory job and began working as a salesman.

recapitulation

noun: a summary (think of recap) Synonyms : recap , review Every point of the professors lesson was so clear that the students felt his concluding recapitulation was not necessary.

boon

noun: a thing that is helpful or beneficial. "the navigation system will be a boon to both civilian and military users" synonyms: blessing, godsend, bonus, plus, benefit, advantage, help, aid, asset Modern technology has been a boon to the travel industry. Another boon for consumers: other staple items are also cheaper for barbecues. Today Sad Hill is a popular draw and a boon to the local economy, said Alba, 36, who owns a bar named in Leone's honour. Mnemonic: boon - boonus = bonus - something helpful (Boon means something beneficial to a specific person, entity, or cause. "Getting called out of school on the day of the test was a boon for Sam, as he hadn't remembered to study." Think of boon as a favor that no one has necessarily asked for, something extra. "We'd just spent our last dollar on a cup of coffee so it was a real boon to find a ten dollar bill lying on the sidewalk." Boon can also be an adjective for someone friendly and welcoming, as in "a boon companion.") adjective: very close and convivial "boon companions" He was a boon companion to many, and will be sadly missed.

quisling

noun: a traitor Synonyms : collaborationist , collaborator History looks unfavorably upon quislings; indeed they are accorded about the same fondness as Nero—he who watched his city burn down while playing the violin.

platitude

noun: a trite or obvious remark Synonyms : banality , bromide , cliche , commonplace The professor argued that many statements regarded as wise in previous times, such as the Golden Rule, are now regarded as mere platitudes.

bromide

noun: a trite or obvious remark Synonyms : banality , cliche , commonplace , platitude Instead of sharing his umbrella, the cheeky stranger offered Martha the following bromide: "Looks like it's raining."

banality

noun: a trite or obvious remark Synonyms : bromide , cliche , commonplace , platitude Herbert regarded the minister's remark as a mere banality until Sharon pointed out profound implications to the seemingly obvious words.

conflagration

noun: a very intense and uncontrolled fire Synonyms : inferno In the summer months, conflagrations are not uncommon in the southwest, do to the heat and lack of rain.

epigram

noun: a witty saying Synonyms : quip My favorite epigram from Mark Twain is "A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn no other way."

quip

noun: a witty saying or remark Synonyms : epigram,crack , sally , wisecrack In one of the most famous quips about classical music, Mark Twain said: "Wagner's music is better than it sounds." verb: to make a witty remark, to say in jest Synonyms : gag When a old English teacher criticized Churchill for ending a sentence with a preposition, he quipped, "This is the kind of criticism up with which we will not put!"

yen

noun: a yearning for something or to do something (Yen means a casual desire. You can have a yen for sushi, and if you're in Japan, you can pay for the sushi with the yen in your wallet. Sometimes yen can even work as a verb--you can yen for pancakes, or yen for truffles, or yen for a time when you yenned for things other than food.) Synonyms: hankering Mnemonic: "I sometimes have a yen, to go back home again." verb: have a desire for something or someone who is not present Synonyms: ache, languish, pine, yearn

invective

noun: abusive or denunciatory language Synonyms : vitriol , vituperation The Internet has unleashed the invectives in many of us; many people post stinging criticism on the comments section underneath newspaper articles or YouTube videos.

vitriol

noun: abusive or venomous language used to express blame or bitter deep-seated ill will Synonyms : invective , vituperation His vitriol spewed forth from a deep-seated racism that consumed his whole life.

audacity

noun: aggressive boldness in social situations Synonyms : audaciousness , temerity She surprised her colleagues by having the audacity to publically criticize the findings of an distinguished scientist.

collusion

noun: agreement on a secret plot Synonyms : connivance Many have argued that Lee Harvey Oswald, JFK's assassin, was in collusion with other criminals; others maintain that Oswald was a lone gunman.

apathy

noun: an absence of emotion or enthusiasm Synonyms : indifference , numbness , spiritlessness Widespread apathy among voters led to a very small turnout on election day.

travesty

noun: an absurd presentation of something; a mockery Synonyms : farce , farce comedy,burlesque , charade , lampoon , mockery , parody , pasquinade , put-on , sendup , spoof , takeoff What I expected to be an intelligent, nuanced historical documentary turned out to be a poorly-produced travesty of the form.

cornucopia

noun: an abundant supply of good things of a specified kind "the festival offers a cornucopia of pleasures" "these scouts have brought in a cornucopia of young talent" synonyms: an abundance, a profusion, a plentifulness, a profuseness, a copiousness, an amplitude, a lavishness, a bountifulness, a bounty; a host, a riot; plenty, quantities, scores, a multitude, profusion, richness Synonyms : profuseness , profusion , richness The International Food Expo was a cornucopia of culinary delights: gourmet foods from every continent were under one roof. It doesn't hurt that the Yakima Valley offers a cornucopia of fresh produce, too. But it's in the nature of a music season to produce a cornucopia of such choices: masters vying for our attention. (A grocery store with a large selection of fruits and vegetables could be said to have a cornucopia of produce. A cornucopia is a lot of good stuff. Around Thanksgiving in the United States, you'll often see cornucopias or horn-shaped baskets filled with fruit and other goodies as centerpieces. Originally, a cornucopia was a goat's horn filled with corn and fruit to symbolize plenty. Nowadays, a cornucopia is probably made of some kind of plaster or wicker, but it still symbolizes the same thing — a good harvest season.) noun: a goat's horn filled with grain and flowers and fruit symbolizing prosperity Synonyms: horn of plenty

screed

noun: an abusive rant (often tedious) (A screed is a long, boring speech or piece of writing with a bad attitude, like a rant. If you've had enough and you're not going to take it anymore, go ahead and write an angry screed.) (noun: a long monotonous harangue) Mnemonic: screed =scathingly read someone = a long boring, scathing read , as in he read that gurl. Joey had difficulty hanging out with his former best friend Perry, who, during his entire cup of coffee, enumerated all of the government's deficiencies--only to break ranks and launch into some screed against big business. Thompson responded to his firing with a 5,000-word Medium screed accusing his former employer and the media at large of racism.

perfidy

noun: an act of deliberate betrayal; a breach of a trust Synonyms : betrayal , treachery , treason,perfidiousness , treachery The lowest circles in Dante's Inferno were for those who had practiced perfidy, and among these, the very lowest was for those, such as Judas, who had been treacherous to one of their benefactors.

enormity

noun: an act of extreme wickedness Synonyms : outrageousness The enormity of Pol Pot's regime is hard to capture in words--within months hundreds of thousands of Cambodians lost their lives. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

redress

noun: an act of making something right Synonyms : remediation , remedy Barry forgot his wife's birthday two years in a row, and was only able to redress his oversight by surprising his wife with a trip to Tahiti.

bastardization

noun: an act that debases or corrupts Synonyms : bastardisation The movie World War Z is a complete bastardization of the book with little more in common than zombies and a title.

broadside

noun: an advertisement (usually printed on a page or in a leaflet) intended for wide distribution Synonyms : bill , broadsheet , circular , flier , flyer , handbill , throwaway Political broadsides are usually strongest in the weeks leading up to a national election. noun: a strong verbal attack Mnemonic: To verbally knock that BROAD on her SIDE. (noun: a speech of violent denunciation) Synonyms: philippic, tirade The home secretary's broadside over encryption is only one part of a wider struggle with technology companies. The declassified findings formed part of a coordinated broadside against Russia from the White House, State Department and Pentagon. adverb: with a side facing an object "the train hit the truck broadside" "the wave caught the canoe broadside and capsized it"

junta

noun: an aggressive takeover by a group (usually military) (When a government is overthrown, the coalition or group that forms and takes control is called a junta. If the military has seized control, as so often happens, then the group is called a military junta. Junta is pronounced with an initial h sound, which gives you a clue to its origins. It's from the Spanish junta, for a military or political group ruling the country after it has been taken over.) As dangerous of a threat as North Korea is, some analysts believe that were a junta suddenly to gain power, it could be even more unpredictable and bellicose than the current leadership

dilettante

noun: an amateur who engages in an activity without serious intentions and who pretends to have knowledge Synonyms : dabbler , sciolist,dilettanteish , dilettantish , sciolistic Fred has no formal medical training; while he likes to claim authority on medical issues, he is little more than a dilettante

row

noun: an angry dispute Synonyms : dustup , quarrel , run-in , words , wrangle The Prime Minister looked very foolish after his row with the foreign dignitary was caught on video and posted on youtube. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

pastiche

noun: an artistic work in a style that imitates that of another work, artist, or period. "the operetta is a pastiche of 18th century styles" Mnemonic: PASTi+CHE......pasti...PASTE...........we do copy PASTE......while copying we imitate the style of others and paste it where we want synonyms: imitation, parody; informal takeoff "a pastiche of eighteenth-century style" verb: imitate the style of (an artist or work). "Gauguin took himself to a Pacific island and pastiched the primitive art he found there" (The next time you see a movie that you think is a cheap imitation of an older, better movie, you can sound like a film critic by dismissing the picture as a thoughtless pastiche. A pastiche is an artwork that copies the style of another work or that combines various, distinct styles together into one work. A pastiche can also be a musical medley, or the piecing together of various songs.)

duplicity

noun: deceitfulness, pretending to want one thing but interested in something else Synonyms : fraudulence A life of espionage is one of duplicity: an agent must pretend to be a totally different person than who she or he actually is.

truculence

noun: defiant aggressiveness Synonyms : truculency When the boss confronted Aaron about his earlier remarks, Aaron responded with utter truculence, simply throwing a glass of water in the boss' face and walking away.

presumption

noun: an assumption that is taken for granted Synonyms : given , precondition When Mr. Baker found out the family car was gone, he acted under the presumption that his rebellious son had taken the car, calling his son's phone and yelling at him; only later did Mr. Baker realize that Mrs. Baker had simply gone out to get her nails done. noun: audacious (even arrogant) behavior that you have no right to The new neighbor quickly gained a reputation for her presumption; she had invited herself to several neighbors' homes, often stopping over at inopportune times and asking for a drink.

accolade

noun: an award or praise granted as a special honor Synonyms : award , honor , honour , laurels Jean Paul-Sartre was not a fan of accolades, and as such, he refused to accept the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1964.

alacrity

noun: an eager willingness to do something Synonyms : briskness , smartness The first three weeks at his new job, Mark worked with such alacrity that upper management knew it would be giving him a promotion.

cataclysm

noun: an event resulting in great loss and misfortune Synonyms : calamity , catastrophe , disaster , tragedy The introduction of smallpox was a cataclysm for Native Americans, killing off more than half of their population.

superlative

noun: an exaggerated or hyperbolical expression of praise. (There are times, however, when a superlative is an exaggerated expression of praise, as when a movie reviewer gets carried away with compliments and says in January that this is "the best film of the year.") "the critics ran out of superlatives to describe him" Trump tends to speak in superlatives about his political allies - often deploying words like "tremendous" and "fantastic" to describe them. And the unfortunate string of superlatives is set to continue this week. adjective: highest in quality (When your history test results are superlative, it means you've gotten a perfect score — you've done as well as can be done, if not better than everyone else. ) Mnemonic: superb. Synonyms: greatest, sterling, superior He mentioned her gender, he wrote, "because a man of her superlative gifts would surely be an international superstar today." The idea became obsolete when Gessen published her own superlative piece on the same theme, "Autocracy: Rules for Survival." noun: the highest level or degree attainable; the highest stage of development "so many highest superlatives achieved by man" Synonyms: acme, elevation, height, meridian, peak, pinnacle, summit, tiptop, top The nation's first female leader, Park would also achieve another superlative: the first South Korean president to be removed from office through impeachment. noun: the superlative form of an adjective or adverb "`fastest' is the superlative of the adjective `fast'" "`least famous' is the superlative degree of the adjective `famous'"

precedent

noun: an example that is used to justify similar occurrences at a later time Synonyms : case in point The principal explained that even though one student had done modelling work outside of school, the outfits that student wore in those photographs in no way established a precedent for what could be worn at school dances.

surfeit

noun: an excessive amount of something Synonyms : excess , overabundance There was no such thing as a surfeit of shopping for Nancy--she could stay at the outlet stores from opening to closing time.

glut

noun: an excessive supply Synonyms : oversupply , surfeit The Internet offers such a glut of news related stories that many find it difficult to know which story to read first. verb: supply with an excess of Synonyms : flood , oversupply In the middle of economic crises, hiring managers find their inboxes glutted with resumes.

dispensation

noun: an exemption from a rule or obligation Since her father is a billionaire, she is given dispensation from many of the school's policies. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

intimation

noun: an indirect suggestion Synonyms : breath , hint At first the hostess tried intimation, praising the benefits of cutlery; when Cecil continued eating with his hands, the hostess told him to use a fork at dinner.

powwow

noun: an informal meeting or discussion (To powwow or have a powwow is to have a quick meeting. People powwow when they need to discuss something.) Before the team takes the field, the coach always calls for a powwow so that he can make sure all the players are mentally in the right place.

antipathy

noun: an intense feeling of dislike or aversion Synonyms : aversion , distaste Maria had an antipathy for tour groups, often bolting to the other side of the museum as soon as she saw a chaperone leading a group of wide-eyed tourists.

sinecure

noun: an office that involves minimal duties The position of Research Director is a sinecure: the job entails almost no responsibilities, nor does the person in that position have to answer to anyone.

pariah

noun: an outcast Synonyms : castaway , ishmael The once eminent scientist, upon being found guilty of faking his data, has become a pariah in the research community.

semblance

noun: an outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleading Synonyms : color , colour , gloss While the banker maintained a semblance of respectability in public, those who knew him well were familiar with his many crimes.

deluge

noun: an overwhelming number or amount (Feeling overwhelmed, like you're underwater? You might be experiencing a deluge — like when you've been given a deluge of homework over vacation: a dozen term papers, two dozen books to read, and a mile-high stack of math problems. The noun deluge is an overwhelming amount of something in general, such as work, people, or questions. Because of its Latin roots, however, in particular it means an overwhelming amount of water. ) Mnemonic: there was a flood/rush of people for the job opening at del(l) company. Synonyms: flood, inundation, torrent The result was a deluge of strikes, and dominance. What will likely happen will be a stronger deluge of college recruitment materials cluttering the family's mailbox. verb: fill or cover completely, usually with water; to flood or overwhelm Synonyms: inundate, submerge Herbert's office was deluged with phone calls and emails before he signed the measure into law in March. noun: a heavy rain

turpitude

noun: depravity; a depraved act During his reign, Caligula indulged in unspeakable sexual practices, so it not surprising that he will forever be remembered for his turpitude.

reprobate

noun: an unprincipled person (often used humorously or affectionately); a person without moral scruples (There's no way around it, a reprobate is a bad egg. The black sheep of the family, missing a moral compass — a reprobate's been called everything from a deviant to an evildoer to a scoundrel. Selfish, depraved, disreputable, a reprobate is not known for his inner goodness.) Mnemonic: rape+rob+ate...change ate to eat...a person does unscrupulous things like this...hardened in sin..rep-rob-ate Synonyms : miscreant; rogue, rascal, scoundrel, miscreant, good-for-nothing, villain, wretch, rake, degenerate, libertine, debauchee Those old reprobates drinking all day down by the river-they are not going to amount to much. She was committed to the National Training School for girls after stealing $10 from an "old reprobate who fondled young girls." You couldn't find a more comprehensive group of Republican has-beens and reprobates if you turned over every rock on a Superfund site. adjective: deviating from what is considered moral or right or proper or good "the reprobate conduct of a gambling aristocrat" Synonyms: depraved, perverse, perverted verb: express strong disapproval of "These ideas were reprobated" Synonyms: condemn, decry, excoriate, objurgate verb: abandon to eternal damnation "God reprobated the unrepenting sinner" verb: reject (documents) as invalid

reservation

noun: an unstated doubt that prevents you from accepting something wholeheartedly Synonyms : arriere pensee , mental reservation I was initially excited by the idea of a trip to Washington, D.C. but now that I have read about the high crime statistics there, I have some reservations. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

apprehension

noun: anxiety or fear that something bad or unpleasant will happen. "he felt sick with apprehension" synonyms: anxiety, worry, unease, nervousness, nerves, misgivings, disquiet, concern, tension, trepidation, perturbation, consternation, angst, dread, alarm, fear, foreboding Test day can be one of pure apprehension, as many students worry about their test scores. This is due to general confusion over Google's business tactics and an overall apprehension to trust the company with sensitive data, the report says. (Apprehension is fear or anxiety about something - you might feel apprehension about an upcoming test. Apprehension is also the capture of a criminal, when they get apprehended, or caught. It can mean "understand an idea" too. Get it? Given the crook's record of evading arrest, the chief had real apprehensions about being able to catch him. Eventually though, she activated the whole police force in an effort to ensure the crook's apprehension. And it paid off! They caught him red-handed. But it wasn't until he saw the video of the crime in progress that the guy apprehended just how much trouble he was in. It was that apprehension that led him to make a deal with the district attorney.) noun: understanding; grasp. "the pure apprehension of the work of art" noun: the action of arresting someone. "they acted with intent to prevent lawful apprehension" "the apprehension of a perpetrator" synonyms: arrest, capture, seizure; detention, imprisonment, incarceration; informal: collar, nabbing, bagging, busting She's been free pending trial on charges of hindering apprehension of a felon and money laundering.

litany

noun: any long and tedious account of something Mr. Rogers spoke to a Senate committee and did not give a litany of reasons to keep funding the program, but instead, appealed to the basic human decency of all present.

empiricism

noun: any method that derives knowledge from experience, used in experimental science as a way to gain insight and knowledge Synonyms : empiricist philosophy , sensationalism Empiricism does not always lead to knowledge; an experience or experiment may raise more questions than it answers.

effrontery

noun: audacious (even arrogant) behavior that you have no right to Synonyms : assumption , presumption , presumptuousness The skateboarders acted with effrontery, skating through the church grounds and spray-painting signs warning trespassers.

credence

noun: belief in something He placed no credence in psychics, claiming that they offered no special powers beyond the ability to make people part with their money.

acrimony

noun: bitterness and ill will Synonyms : acerbity , bitterness , jaundice , tartness , thorniness The acrimonious dispute between the president and vice-president sent a clear signal to voters: the health of the current administration was imperiled.

prolixity

noun: boring verbosity Synonyms : long-windedness , prolixness , windiness , wordiness I loved my grandfather dearly, but his prolixity would put me to sleep, regardless of the topic.

sangfroid

noun: calmness or poise in difficult situations The hostage negotiator exhibited a sangfroid that oftentimes was more menacing than the sword at his throat, or the gun at his head.

vicissitude

noun: change in one's circumstances, usually for the worse Even great rulers have their vicissitudes - massive kingdoms have diminished overnight, and once beloved kings have faced the scorn of angry masses.

duress

noun: compulsory force or threat The witness said he signed the contract under duress and argued that the court should cancel the agreement.

tact

noun: consideration in dealing with others and avoiding giving offense Synonyms : tactfulness In a tremendous display of tact, Shelly was able to maintain a strong friendship with Marcia, even though Marcia's husband, Frank, confessed to finding Shelley more attractive than Marcia.

graft

noun: corruption, usually through bribery In countries with rampant graft, getting a driver's license can require no more than paying an official. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

veneer

noun: covering consisting of a thin superficial layer that hides the underlying substance Mark Twain referred to the Victorian Period in America as the "Gilded Age", implying the ample moral corruption that lay beneath a mere veneer of respectability

exegesis

noun: critical explanation or analysis, especially of a text The Bible is fertile ground for exegesis - over the past five centuries there have been as many interpretations as there are pages in the Old Testament.

artifice

noun: cunning tricks used to deceive others Synonyms : ruse The mayoral candidates both spent much of the campaign accusing each other of artifices designed to mislead the voting public.

panache

noun: distinctive and stylish elegance Synonyms : dash , elan , flair , style Jim, with his typical panache, came to the wedding reception with a top hat, a cane, and a long cape covered in sequins.

apotheosis

noun: exaltation to divine status; the highest point of development Synonyms : ideal , nonesuch , nonpareil , nonsuch , paragon , saint,deification , exaltation As difficult as it is to imagine, the apotheosis of Mark Zuckerberg's career, many believe, is yet to come.

largess

noun: extreme generosity and giving Synonyms : largesse , magnanimity , munificence , openhandedness Uncle Frank was known for his largess, so his nephew was sad when he did not receive a present for his birthday.

avarice

noun: extreme greed for wealth or material gain. synonyms: (Avarice is a fancy word for good old-fashioned greed. It's one of what some call "the seven deadly sins." Do you want more and more money? Or cookies? Or video games? Or anything? Then your heart is full of avarice, which you probably know better as greed. When people talk about greed, it's clearly not a good thing, but avarice has an even worse flavor to it. Avarice is often looked upon as a sin, and it's always considered despicable and evil.) Mnemonic: avarice- a + very + rich > a strong greed to be 'a very rich' person. synonyms: greed, greediness, acquisitiveness, cupidity, covetousness, rapacity, materialism, mercenariness The Spanish conquistadors were known for their avarice, plundering Incan land and stealing Incan gold. He acknowledges Rasputin's personal ambition, but does not dwell on his evident avarice or scheming.

eminence

noun: fame or recognized superiority, especially within a particular sphere or profession. (Eminence is superior status. If you become a world famous actor, the folks in your home town might treat you as an eminence when you come home for Thanksgiving.) Mnemonic: Like the real slim and shady "EMINEM" who is STANDING ABOVE OTHER rap artists IN QUALITY AND POSITION Synonyms: distinction, note, preeminence "a scholar of great eminence" As the New York Times crossword editor, Will Shortz holds a position of great eminence in the world of puzzles.

jingoism

noun: fanatical patriotism Synonyms : chauvinism , superpatriotism , ultranationalism North Korea maintains intense control over its population through a combination of jingoism and cult of personality.

chauvinism

noun: fanatical patriotism; belief that one's group/cause is superior to all other groups/causes Synonyms : jingoism , superpatriotism , ultranationalism Vegetarians argue that man is chauvinistic in his belief that animals do not consciously feel the pain we humans do. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

temerity

noun: fearless daring Synonyms : audaciousness , audacity No child has the temerity to go in the rundown house at the end of the street and see if it is haunted.

aplomb

noun: great coolness and composure under strain Synonyms : assuredness , cool , poise , sang-froid Nancy acted with aplomb during dangerous situations--she once calmly climbed up an oak tree to save a cat.

cupidity

noun: greed for money Synonyms : avarice , avariciousness , covetousness Some believe people that amassing as much wealth as possible is the meaning to life - yet they often realize that cupidity brings anything but happiness.

asperity

noun: harshness of manner Synonyms : sharpness The editor was known for his asperity, often sending severe letters of rejection to amateur writers.

panacea

noun: hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases; a universal solution Synonyms : catholicon , cure-all , nostrum While the company credit card has made most large purchases easier, it is no panacea: some smaller basic transactions still must be conducted in cash.

moment

noun: importance in effect or influence "virtue is of more moment than security" "the issues were of little moment to the electorate" Mnemonic: something of little moment, only lasts a moment in the perception of others. something of great moment, last forever in our minds, bc it's important. synonyms: importance, import, significance, consequence, note, weight, concern, interest "issues of little moment" Despite the initial hullabaloo, the play was of no great moment in Hampton's writing career, and within a few years the public quickly forgot his foray into theater arts. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

torpor

noun: inactivity resulting from lethargy and lack of vigor or energy Synonyms : listlessness , torpidity , torpidness After work, I was expecting my colleagues to be enthusiastic about the outing, but I found them in a state of complete torpor.

inequity

noun: injustice by virtue of not conforming with rules or standards Synonyms : unfairness After decades of racial inequity, the "separate but equal" doctrine was successfully overturned.

probity

noun: integrity, strong moral principles The ideal politician would have the probity to lead, but reality gravely falls short of the ideal of morally upright leaders.

animosity

noun: intense hostility The governor's animosity toward his rival was only inflamed when the latter spread false lies regarding the governor's first term.

schadenfreude

noun: joy from watching the suffering of others From his warm apartment window, Stanley reveled in schadenfreude as he laughed at the figures below, huddled together in the arctic chill.

discord

noun: lack of agreement or harmony Synonyms : strife Despite all their talented players, the team was filled with discord--some players refused to talk to others--and lost most of their games.

insouciance

noun: lack of concern Synonyms : carefreeness , lightheartedness , lightsomeness Surprisingly, Hank had become a high-powered CEO; his high school friends remembered him as "Hanky Panky", who shrugged off each failed class with insouciance.

pundit

noun: someone who has been admitted to membership in a scholarly field Synonyms : initiate , learned person , savant Steven Pinker's credentials are unquestioned as a pundit; he has taught at MIT and Stanford, teaches at Harvard, and has published a number of influential books on cognition, language, and psychology.

disdain

noun: lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike Mnenonic: think Dang ol' disrespect/ dislike Synonyms: contempt, despite, scorn Even inside the permissive Warwick philosophy department, the CCRU's ever more blatant disdain for standard academic practice became an issue. If you feel that something isn't worthy of your consideration, you may disdain it (or treat it with disdain). The alignment between Oubre's impact on the series and Boston's disdain toward him is off. noun: a communication that indicates lack of respect by patronizing the recipient Synonyms: condescension, patronage verb: look down on with disdain; to reject with contempt Synonyms: contemn, despise, scorn

clemency

noun: leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice Synonyms : mercifulness , mercy In the final moments of the trial, during his closing speech, Phillips was nearly begging the judge for clemency.

raillery

noun: light teasing Synonyms : backchat , banter , give-and-take The new recruit was not bothered by the raillery, finding most of it light-hearted and good-natured.

calumny

noun: making of a false statement meant to injure a person's reputation mnenonic: Calumny sounds like columns, imagine writing lies about someone in a newspaper column to defame them. Synonyms : calumniation , defamation , hatchet job , obloquy , aspersion , slander , denigration , traducement With the presidential primaries well under way, the air is thick with calumny, and the mud already waist-high.

paragon

noun: model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal Synonyms : apotheosis , ideal , nonesuch , nonpareil , nonsuch , saint Even with the rise of Kobe Bryant, many still believe that Michael Jordon is the paragon for basketball players. noun: an ideal instance; a perfect embodiment of a concept Synonyms : beau ideal , idol , perfection Some say that Athens was the paragon of democracy, but these people often forget that slaves and women were still not allowed to vote.

recrimination

noun: mutual accusations The two brothers sat and cried, pointing fingers and making elaborate recriminations of the other's guilt

aesthete

noun: one who professes great sensitivity to the beauty of art and nature Synonyms : esthete A true aesthete, Marty would spend hours at the Guggenheim Museum, staring at the same Picasso.

spendthrift

noun: one who spends money extravagantly Mnemonic: Spend+thirst=Someone who is thirsty for spending money. (Spendthrift is actually a misnomer...split it as SPEND+THRIFT. Thrifty means, careful use of resources, so a spendthrift should actually mean someone who carefully spends money, but it means SOMEONE WHO WASTES MONEY.) Synonyms : scattergood , spend-all , spender Taking weekly trips to Vegas, Megan was a spendthrift whose excesses eventually caught up to her. That independence can, for example, provide a tax advantage or prevent a spendthrift beneficiary from plowing through an inheritance. adjective: recklessly wasteful synonyms: extravagant, prodigal, profligate

hauteur

noun: overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner toward inferiors Synonyms : arrogance , haughtiness , high-handedness , lordliness As soon as she won the lottery, Alice begin displaying a hauteur to her friends, calling them dirty-clothed peasants behind their backs.

hubris

noun: overbearing pride or presumption Bill Clinton was criticized for his hubris, since he believed he could get away with anything once in the White House.

decorum

noun: propriety in manners and conduct Synonyms : decorousness "You will obey the rules of decorum for this courtroom or spend the night in a jail cell," said the judge to the prosecutor.

gumption

noun: resourcefulness and determination Synonyms : backbone , grit , guts , moxie , sand Wallace Stegner lamented the lack of gumption in the U.S. during the sixties, claiming that no young person knew the value of work.

resource

noun: some saved material that can be used for a purpose (especially money, anything used to make energy such as oil, or information sources such as books) Many of the richest countries have surprisingly few natural resources and must buy oil or gas from other countries. Never forget to make use of the library during your studies; it's full of great resources.

iconoclast

noun: somebody who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions Lady Gaga, in challenging what it means to be clothed, is an iconoclast for wearing a "meat dress" to a prominent awards show.

tyro

noun: someone new to a field or activity Synonyms : beginner , initiate , novice , tiro All great writers, athletes, and artists were tyros at one time—unknown, clumsy, and unskilled with much to learn.

malingerer

noun: someone shirking their duty by pretending to be sick or incapacitated Synonyms : shammer , skulker At one time, our country was full of hardworking respectful people, but now it seems that everyone is a malingerer with little inclination to work.

firebrand

noun: someone who deliberately creates trouble Synonyms : inciter , instigant , instigator , provoker Freddie is a firebrand: every time he walks into the office, he winds up at the center of heated argument.

misanthrope

noun: someone who dislikes people in general; a hater of mankind (A misanthrope is a person who hates or mistrusts other people. Your great aunt Edna who lashes out at anyone who approaches, convinced they'll steal the jewelry she keeps in her handbag on her lap? A misanthrope indeed. This is a formal word, derived from Greek misanthrōpos "hating mankind," from misein "to hate" plus anthrōpos "a man." From the same root, we get the English word anthropology "the study of humans." If you make a statement or do something that is particularly hostile or untrusting, you can call that misanthropic.) Mnemonic: "misien"in greek means " to hate" and "anthropos" means "mankind" so misanthrope means one who hates mankind Synonyms : misanthropist Kevin is such a misanthrope that he refused to attend the Christmas party, claiming that everyone's happiness was "fake" and "annoying." He is an epic misanthrope and equal-opportunity bigot whose every utterance is filled with invective or despair.

maverick

noun: someone who exhibits great independence in thought and action Synonyms : rebel Officer Kelly was a maverick, rarely following police protocols or adopting the conventions for speech common among his fellow officers.

desideratum

noun: something desired as a necessity (n: A desideratum is something you desire or want. It's a fancy word for a must-have.) Mnemonic: desire The desideratum of the environmental group is that motorists should rely on carpooling. The desiderata for a vacation are time and money. The other was older voters whose stated highest political desideratum was to get the government off their backs and out of their bedrooms.

chimera

noun: something desired or wished for but is only an illusion and impossible to achieve Many believe that a world free of war is a chimera—a dream that ignores humanity's violent tendencies.

palimpsest

noun: something that has been changed numerous times but on which traces of former iterations can still be seen The downtown was a palimpsest of the city's checkered past: a new Starbucks had opened up next to an abandoned, shuttered building, and a freshly asphalted road was inches away from a pothole large enough to swallow a small dog.

anachronism

noun: something that is inappropriate for the given time period (usually something old). Synonyms : misdating , mistiming Dressed in 15th century clothing each day, Edward was a walking anachronism.

anomaly

noun: something that is not normal, standard, or expected After finding an anomaly in the data, she knew that she would have to conduct her experiment again.

constraint

noun: something that limits or restricts Synonyms : restraint We don't have many resources, so we'll have to work with some very tight constraints.

anodyne

noun: something that soothes or relieves pain Synonyms : analgesic , pain pill , painkiller Muzak, which is played in department stores, is intended to be an anodyne, but is often so cheesy and over-the-top that customers become irritated. adjective: inoffensive Synonyms : analgesic , analgetic Wilbur enjoyed a spicy Mexican breakfast, but Jill preferred a far more anodyne meal in the mornings.

catalyst

noun: something that speeds up an event (A catalyst is an event or person causing a change. Getting kicked out of your parents' house might be a catalyst for becoming more independent.) Synonyms : accelerator Rosa Park's refusal to give up her bus seat acted as a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement, setting into motion historic changes for African-Americans. The catalyst for that protest was a dispute between several students on social media and how campus police responded to it.

exemplar

noun: something to be imitated Synonyms : example , good example , model Lena's homework is on the wall because it is an exemplar of clean, neat, and thoughtful work.

tribulation

noun: something, especially an event, that causes difficulty and suffering Synonyms : trial , visitation As of 2013, nearly 1.5 million Syrians have fled their country hoping to escape the tribulations of a civil war tearing their country to pieces.

celerity

noun: speed, rapidity Synonyms : quickness , rapidity , rapidness , speediness We aim to respond to customers' questions with celerity and accuracy, with no longer than a 24 hour wait time.

zeitgeist

noun: spirit of the times Each decade has its own zeitgeist - the 1990's was a prosperous time in which the promise of the American Dream never seemed more palpable.

quandary

noun: state of uncertainty or perplexity especially as requiring a choice between equally unfavorable options Mnemonic: Remember QUESTION! Synonyms : dilemma; predicament Steve certainly is in a quandary: if he doesn't call Elaine, she will blame him for everything, but if he does call her, the evidence of where he currently is could cost him his job.

chagrin

noun: strong feelings of embarrassment Synonyms : humiliation , mortification Much to the timid writer's chagrin, the audience chanted his name until he came back on the stage. verb: cause to feel shame; hurt the pride o Synonyms : abase , humble , humiliate , mortifyf She never cared what others said about her appearance but was chagrined by the smallest comment from her mother.

credulity

noun: tendency to believe readily Virginia's wide-eyed credulity as a five-year old was replaced by suspicion after she learned that Santa Claus didn't really exist.

access

noun: the ability to go into (when somebody or something must allow you to enter) Synonyms : accession , admission , admittance , entree verb: to go into something when allowed to enter Only students have access to the university library. There is a large amount of oil under the ice, but we have not be able to access it.

resignation

noun: the acceptance of something unpleasant that can't be avoided Synonyms : surrender Since Jack could not think of a convincing reason why he had to miss the seminar, he attended it with a sense of resignation. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

verisimilitude

noun: the appearance of truth All bad novels are bad for numerous reasons; all good novels are good for their verisimilitude of reality, placing the readers in a world that resembles the one they know.

venality

noun: the condition of being susceptible to bribes or corruption Even some of the most sacred sporting events are not immune to venality, as many of the officials have received substantial bribes to make biased calls.

malapropism

noun: the confusion of a word with another word that sounds similar Synonyms : malaprop Whenever I looked glum, my mother would offer to share "an amusing antidote" with me - an endearing malapropism of "anecdote" that never failed to cheer me up.

contrition

noun: the feeling of remorse or guilt that comes from doing something bad Synonyms : attrition , contriteness Those who show contrition during their prison terms--especially when under review by a parole board--often get shortened sentences.

denouement

noun: the final resolution of the many strands of a literary or dramatic work; the outcome of a complex sequence of events At the denouement of the movie, all questions were answered, and the true identity of the robber was revealed.

meridian

noun: the highest level or degree attainable; the highest stage of development Mnemonic: everything's merry at the meridian, cuz you're at your height. Synonyms: acme, elevation, height, peak, pinnacle, summit, superlative, tiptop, top The meridian of your chess career may have been when you took out the champ from a rival school. adjective: being at the best stage of development Synonyms: prime Your favorite skater was at his meridian form when he won the Olympic gold medal. adjective: of or happening at noon "meridian hour"

pinnacle

noun: the highest point (Going as far into the sky as you can go on foot, you'll reach the highest point, or pinnacle, of the Himalayas. A successful climb like that might also become the pinnacle, or peak, of your success. A pinnacle can be a physical thing, like the top of a high mountain or the antenna on the very top of a building, or it can be a high point that can't be measured with a ruler, like an achievement or a goal. Whatever the pinnacle is, reaching it is almost always a completion of something where you have gone the highest you can go. "Acme" is a great synonym for pinnacle.) Synonyms : acme , elevation , height , meridian , peak , summit , superlative , tiptop , top At its pinnacle, the Roman Empire extended across most of the landmass of Eurasia, a feat not paralleled to the rise of the British Empire in the 18th and 19th century.

apex

noun: the highest point Mnemonic: ape+x an APE can climb to the TOPMOST/HIGHEST POINT Synonyms : acme , peak , vertex The Ivy League is considered the apex of the secondary education system.

apogee

noun: the highest point Synonyms : culmination The apogee of the Viennese style of music, Mozart's music continues to mesmerize audiences well into the 21st century.

acme

noun: the highest point of achievement Synonyms : elevation , height , meridian , peak , pinnacle , summit , superlative, tiptop , top Mnemonic: Like acne=high points on skin(pimple). Acme=Highest point in ones work. The new Cessna airplanes will be the acme of comfort, offering reclining seats and ample legroom.

zenith

noun: the highest point; culmination (Zenith means the high point--it comes from astronomy, where it describes the highest point in an arc traveled by a star or a planet or another celestial body. The sun reaches its zenith when it is as high in the sky as it is going to go on that day. Zenith — and its opposite, nadir — have been appropriated by non-astronomers and are used to describe high and low points in non-astronomical contexts. For example, you can say that the high school quarterback hit his zenith in high school, and it was all downhill from there. Do yourself a favor and try to delay your zenith so you'll have something to look forward to in your future!) Mnemonic: Those who practice Zen stands in high position in spirituality. Synonyms: highest point, high point, crowning point, height, top, acme, peak, pinnacle, apex, apogee, crown, crest, summit, climax, culmination, prime, meridian At the zenith of his artistic career, Elvis was outselling any other artist on the charts. The Rite of Spring was the zenith of musical modernism in the early twentieth century.

nadir

noun: the lowest point Synonyms : low-water mark For many pop music fans, the rap and alternative-rock dominated 90s were the nadir of musical expression.

pith

noun: the most essential part of something Synonyms : center , centre , core , essence , gist , heart , heart and soul , inwardness , kernel , marrow , meat , nitty-gritty , nub , substance , sum When Cynthia hears a speaker presenting a complex argument, she is always able to discard the irrelevant details and extract the pith of what the speaker is trying to convey. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

eponym

noun: the name derived from a person (real or imaginary); the person for whom something is named Alexandria, Egypt is an eponym because it is named after Alexander the Great.

serendipity

noun: the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way "a fortunate stroke of serendipity" (If you find good things without looking for them, serendipity — unexpected good luck — has brought them to you. The meaning of the word, good luck in finding valuable things unintentionally, refers to the fairy tale characters who were always making discoveries through chance. You can thank serendipity if you find a pencil at an empty desk just at you walk into an exam and realize that you forgot yours.) By pure serendipity, Sarah discovered, at a flea market in Peoria, a matching earring to replace the one that fell down the storm drain back home.

summit

noun: the peak or highest point Synonyms : acme , elevation , height , meridian , peak , pinnacle , superlative , tiptop , top, crest , crown After hiking for two days, the climbers finally reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. (A summit can mean either a meeting between people who are interested in the same subject or the peak of the mountain.) noun: a meeting of high-level leaders Since climate change policy has been mired in congressional fighting, this summit should help set the goals for president's next term. More than 50 Muslim leaders are expected to attend the summit in Riyadh.

efflorescence

noun: the period of greatest prosperity or productivity Synonyms: bloom, blossom, flower, flush, heyday, peak, prime Artistically, these posters represent a genuine efflorescence of talent in the field of graphic arts. "All of these young gay men really benefited from the efflorescence of feminism, but we didn't have to do the heavy lifting of consciousness raising." (If your artistic career is in a period of efflorescence, that means you are producing the most work of your life, and it's very good. When something is in efflorescence, it is in bloom. Inside of efflorescence you see the Latin root flora which means plant. Use this to remember the blooming nature of the word. Try not to confuse this word with effervescent, which means bubbly and light, like a glass of seltzer or a cheerleader.) noun: the time and process of budding and unfolding of blossoms Synonyms: anthesis, blossoming, florescence, flowering, inflorescence noun: any red eruption of the skin Synonyms: rash, roseola, skin rash

heyday

noun: the pinnacle or top of a time period or career; the period of greatest prosperity or productivity Synonyms : bloom , blossom , efflorescence , flower, flush, peak, prime During the heyday of Prohibition, bootlegging had become such a lucrative business that many who had been opposed to the 18th Amendment began to fear it would be repealed. n its heyday, the band was a staple on radio stations and released albums ranked among the best in rock history.

ingenuity

noun: the power of creative imagination; the quality of being clever, original, and inventive Synonyms : cleverness , ingeniousness , inventiveness Daedalus was famous for his ingenuity; he was able to fashion his son Icarus with a pair of wings, using wax to hold them together.

prescience

noun: the power to foresee the future Synonyms : prevision, علم الغيب Baxter's warnings about investing in technology stocks seemed like an act of prescience after the whole market declined significantly.

profusion

noun: the property of being extremely abundant Synonyms : cornucopia , profuseness , richness When Maria reported that she had been visited by Jesus Christ and had proof, a profusion of reporters and journalists descended on the town.

dispatch

noun: the property of being prompt and efficient Synonyms : despatch , expedition , expeditiousness She finished her thesis with dispatch, amazing her advisors who couldn't believe she hadn't written 60 scholarly pages so quickly. verb: dispose of rapidly and without delay and efficiently As soon as the angry peasants stormed the castle, they caught the king and swiftly dispatched him. This word has other definitions but these are the most important ones to study

candidness

noun: the quality of being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech Synonyms : candor , candour , directness , forthrightness , frankness Although I was unhappy that the relationship ended, I appreciated her candidness about why she was ready to move on from the relationship.

exiguity

noun: the quality of being meager Synonyms : leanness , meagerness , meagreness , poorness , scantiness , scantness After two months at sea, the exiguity of the ship's supplies forced them to search for fresh water and food.

variance

noun: the quality of being subject to variation (A change to the norm is called a variance. It suggests a difference or shifting away from the expected or usual, an example being snow in July, which is a variance in the weather of the United States, even in Minnesota.) Synonyms: variability, variableness The cynic quipped, "There is not much variance in politicians; they all seem to lie". Even within a single category, there are variances. noun: an activity that varies from a norm or standard or expectations Synonyms: variation, discrepancy, variant noun: discord that splits a group Synonyms: division noun: an official dispensation to act contrary to a rule or regulation (typically a building regulation) The move would require a variance with the city zoning board because the proposed restaurant would need parking for at least 100 vehicles. But it was in an area that was zoned for residential use, and so required a public variance to convert. In the end, the vote was 4-3 in favor of the variance that the mosque needed to function in the residential neighborhood.

artlessness

noun: the quality of innocence Synonyms : ingenuousness , innocence , naturalness I, personally, found the artlessness of her speech charming.

volubility

noun: the quality of talking or writing easily and continuously Synonyms : articulateness , fluency The professor's volubility knows no bounds; he could talk through a hurricane and elaborate a point from one St. Patrick's Day to the next.

altruism

noun: the quality of unselfish concern for the welfare of others Synonyms : selflessness Albert Schweitzer spent most of his life doing missionary work as a doctor in Africa, seeking no reward, apparently motivated only by altruism.

rapprochement

noun: the reestablishing of cordial relations Synonyms : reconciliation Although Ann hoped that her mother and her aunt would have a rapprochement, each one's bitter accusations against the other made any reconciliation unlikely.

primacy

noun: the state of being first in importance The primacy of Apple Computers is not guaranteed, as seen in the recent lawsuits and weak growth.

infirmity

noun: the state of being weak in health or body (especially from old age) Synonyms: debility, feebleness, frailness, frailty, valetudinarianism (A weakness or disability, especially due to old age, is called an infirmity. The noun infirmity, when used alone, is generally understood to mean physical frailty. If you want to imply mental weakness or some other disability, then use an adjective for clarity. His "mental infirmity" was caused by early onset Alzheimer's disease. Don't confuse infirmity with infirmary. The latter is a place where the sick and infirm go to recover: "Because of her infirmity, she often ended up being seen by doctors at the infirmary.") Kennedy's Vieth concurrence established the specific constitutional infirmity in gerrymanders. Innovation in health care is a co-evolutionary endeavour: there is no progress without understanding the root cause of infirmity.

ascendancy

noun: the state that exists when one person or group has power over another; occupation of a position of dominant power or influence "the ascendancy of good over evil" synonyms: ascendance,dominance, domination, supremacy, superiority, paramountcy, predominance, primacy, dominion, hegemony, authority, control, command, power, rule, sovereignty, lordship, leadership, influence Mnemonic: having ascended to power (When you assume ascendancy over someone else, you become more powerful than they are. Ascendancy is the state of being in a higher position. If you look at ascendancy, you see the word, ascend, which means to go up. Ascendancy is not so much about going up, but about being up. Another word for it is dominance, especially in the context of foreign or domestic relations. In school, if you question a teacher's ascendancy, you might be told to go to the principal's office. In this case, you're challenging the teacher's authority.) The ascendancy of the Carlsbad water polo team is clear—they have a decade of championships behind them. Big fat novels by older white men are no longer in the ascendancy as they once were. In the absence of anything resembling eloquence, what explains the ascendancy of Donald Trump? As I've written throughout Trump's ascendancy in politics, his behavior is creating damage to the system.

mendacity

noun: the tendency to be untruthful. I can forgive her for her mendacity but only because she is a child and is seeing what she can get away with.

temperance

noun: the trait of avoiding excesses Synonyms : moderation,sobriety Welles wasn't known for his temperance--he usually ate enough for two and drank enough for three.

gall

noun: the trait of being rude and impertinent Synonyms : cheekiness , crust , freshness , impertinence , impudence , insolence Even though Carly was only recently hired, she had the gall to question her boss's judgment in front of the office. noun: feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will Synonyms : bitterness , rancor , rancour , resentment In an act of gall, Leah sent compromising photos of her ex-boyfriend to all his co-workers and professional contacts.

indifference

noun: the trait of seeming not to care Synonyms : apathy , numbness , spiritlessness, emotionlessness , impassiveness , impassivity , phlegm , stolidity , unemotionality In an effort to fight indifference, the president of the college introduced a new, stricter grading system.

diminutive

noun: to indicate smallness He prefers to be called a diminutive of his name: "Bill" instead of "John William." adjective: very small Synonyms : bantam , flyspeck , lilliputian , midget , petite , tiny When he put on his father's suit and shoes, his appearance was that of a diminutive youth.

capitulate

noun: to surrender (usually under agreed conditions) Paul, losing 19-0 in a ping-pong match against his nimble friend, basically capitulated when he played the last two points with his eyes closed.

inanity

noun: total lack of meaning or ideas Synonyms : mindlessness , pointlessness , senselessness , vacuity Bill's poem was nothing more than a list of impressive sounding words, so there was no point in trying to take meaning from the inanity.

qualm

noun: uneasiness about the fitness of an action Synonyms : misgiving , scruple While he could articulate no clear reason why Harkner's plan would fail, he neverless felt qualms about committing any resources to it.

travail

noun: use of physical or mental energy; hard work; agony or anguish Synonyms : effort , elbow grease , exertion , sweat While they experienced nothing but travails in refinishing the kitchen, they completed the master bedroom in less than a weekend.

opulence

noun: wealth as evidenced by sumptuous living Synonyms : luxuriousness , luxury , sumptuousness Russian oligarchs are famous for their opulence, living in fancy homes and dining on expensive cavier.

despite

preposition: even with (when an event is surprising because of some difficulty) We enjoyed our vacation despite the rain.

imperil

transitive verb. to put at risk; endanger; synonyms: endanger, hazard, jeopardize

inveigh

v: to speak/ rant against something with hostility and passion. (v: to make a violent verbal attack; talk or write bitterly) Synonyms : declaim Mnemonic: INVEIGH -> VEIN. When I get angry and impassioned, the VEINS in my neck enlarge. There were politicians who inveighed against immigrants to get votes. During the Vietnam War, war protesters held rallies where young men burned their draft cards and inveighed against the imperialist motives by which our country was being driven and the war's escalation without its ever being properly authorized in Congress. v: to complain bitterly Synonyms : rail Picture an old man banging his fist on the dinner table, inveighing against the evils of teenagers being allowed to listen to music and dance.

misattribute

verb: To erroneously attribute; to falsely ascribe; used especially of authorship. I made a mistake; I misattributed "Crime and Punishment" to Leo Tolstoy when it was actually written by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

eke

verb: To live off meager resources, to scrape by Stranded in a cabin over the winter, Terry was able to eke out an existence on canned food.

morph

verb: To undergo dramatic change in a seamless and barely noticeable fashion. The earnestness of the daytime talk shows of the 1970's has morphed into something far more sensational and vulgar: today guests actually standup and threaten to take swings at one another.

countermand

verb: a contrary command cancelling or reversing a previous command By the time the colonel countermanded his soldiers not to land in enemy territory, a few helicopters had already touched down amid heavy gunfire.

finagle

verb: achieve something by means of trickery or devious methods Synonyms : manage , wangle Steven was able to finagle one of the last seats on the train by convincing the conductor that his torn stub was actually a valid ticket.

concede

verb: acknowledge defeat I concede. You win! verb: admit (to a wrongdoing) Synonyms : confess , profess After a long, stern lecture from her father, Olivia conceded to having broken the window. verb: give over; surrender or relinquish to the physical control of another Synonyms : cede , grant , yield The Spanish were forced to concede much of the territory they had previously conquered.

expound

verb: add details or explanation; clarify the meaning; state in depth Synonyms : dilate , elaborate , enlarge , expand , expatiate , exposit , flesh out , lucubrate The CEO refused to expound on the decision to merge our department with another one, and so I quit.

tout

verb: advertize in strongly positive terms; show off Synonyms : blow , bluster , boast , brag , gas , gasconade , shoot a line , swash , vaunt At the conference, the CEO touted the extraordinary success of his company's Research & Development division.

lionize

verb: assign great social importance to Synonyms : celebrate , lionise Students in the U.S. learn to lionize Jefferson, Franklin, and Washington because they are the founding fathers of the nation.

relegate

verb: assign to a lower position Synonyms : break , bump , demote , kick downstairs When Dexter was unable to fulfill his basic duties, instead of firing him, the boss relegated him to kitchen cleanup.

posit

verb: assume as fact Synonyms : postulate Initially, Einstein posited a repulsive force to balance Gravity, but then rejected that idea as a blunder.

impugn

verb: attack as false or wrong Though many initially tried to impugn Darwin's theory, in scientific circles today, the is idea taken as truth.

assail

verb: attack in speech or writing Synonyms : assault , attack , lash out , round , snipe In the weekly paper, the editor assailed the governor for wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars in public projects that quickly failed.

entice

verb: attract or tempt by offering pleasure or advantage. "a show that should entice a new audience into the theater" synonyms: tempt, lure, allure, attract, appeal to; invite, persuade, convince, beguile, coax, woo, court; seduce, lead on; informal: sweet-talk (Let's say your friend wants to go to the movies and you don't want to. Your friend might try to entice you by offering to buy you popcorn and a soda. Entice means to persuade with promises of something. The word entice means to lure or tempt someone by promising them something that they like. It is a little manipulative but in a fairly straightforward way. You always know it when someone is enticing you. If a company really wants to hire you, they will entice you with a good salary and generous benefits. The promise of a gold star is often enough to entice small children to get good grades.) Harold enticed his wife, Maude, to go on a vacation to Hawaii, with promises of luaus on the beach and all-you-can-eat seafood buffets. Oman is also planning to entice traffic away from Dubai's giant port of Jebel Ali. But if pessimistic forecasts of climate change materialise, lush Brazil might look enticing to desperate foreign powers.

enamor

verb: attraction or feeling of love Synonyms : becharm , beguile , bewitch , captivate , capture , catch , charm , enamour , enchant , entrance , fascinate , trance She is completely enamored with Justin Bieber, and goes to all his concerts on the East coast.

impute

verb: attribute (responsibility or fault) to something Synonyms : ascribe , assign , attribute He imputed his subpar performance on the test to a combination of stress and poor sleep.

ascribe

verb: attribute or credit to Synonyms : assign , attribute , impute History ascribes The Odyssey and The Iliad to Homer, but scholars now debate whether he was a historical figure or a fictitious name.

eschew

verb: avoid and stay away from deliberately; stay clear of Synonyms : shun Politicians are the masters of eschewing morals; academics are the masters of eschewing clarity.

differentiate

verb: be a distinctive feature, attribute, or trait (sometimes in positive sense) Synonyms : distinguish , mark Mozart's long melodic lines differentiate his compositions from other works of late 18th century music. verb: evolve so as to lead to a new species or develop in a way most suited to the environment Synonyms : specialise , specialize , speciate Animals on Madagascar differentiated from other similar animal species due to many years of isolation on the island.

impede

verb: be a hindrance or obstacle to Synonyms : hinder Since the police sergeant had to train the pair of new hires, progress in his own case was impeded. But whether they're real or not, Barrett said these divisions are barriers that impede progress for communities across Kentucky, including Louisville. (To impede something is to delay or block its progress or movement. Carrying six heavy bags will impede your progress if you're trying to walk across town in a hurry. Impede comes from the Latin impedire which literally means "to hold the feet," formed from the prefix in- "in" plus pes "foot." Think about walking with a cast on your foot--how slow and awkward that would be. If you struggle with reading, that might impede your progress in your social studies class. An impediment is something that impedes, such as a physical defect that affects speech--a speech impediment.) verb: block passage through Synonyms: block, close up, jam, obstruct, obturate, occlude Africa's north-south axis also seriously impeded the spread of livestock.

flummox

verb: be a mystery or bewildering to Synonyms : amaze , baffle , beat , bewilder , dumbfound , get , gravel , mystify , nonplus , perplex , pose , puzzle , stick , stupefy , vex Mary's behavior completely flummoxes me: I never have any idea what her motivations might be.

denote

verb: be a sign or indication of; have as a meaning Synonyms : refer Even if the text is not visible, the red octagon denotes "stop" to all motorists in America.

browbeat

verb: be bossy towards; discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner Synonyms : ballyrag , boss around , bully , bullyrag , hector , push around , strong-arm During the interrogation, the suspect was browbeaten into signing a false confession.

exemplify

verb: be characteristic of Synonyms : represent Lincoln exemplified the best of not only America, but also the potential greatness that exists within each person. verb: clarify by giving an example of Synonyms : illustrate , instance Please present some case studies that exemplify the results that you claim in your paper.

confound

verb: be confusing or perplexing to Synonyms : bedevil , befuddle , confuse , discombobulate , fox , fuddle , throw Though Harry loved numbers, he found calculus confounding. verb: mistake one thing for another Synonyms : confuse Americans often confound sweet potatoes with yams, and refer to both vegetables by the same name.

vacillate

verb: be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action Synonyms : hover , oscillate , vibrate,fluctuate , waver Some students vacillate between schools when deciding which to attend, while others focus only on one school. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

prevail

verb: be widespread in a particular area at a particular time; be current: During the labor negotiations, an air of hostility prevailed in the office. verb: prove superior Before the cricket match, Australia was heavily favored, but India prevailed

languish

verb: become feeble Synonyms : fade Stranded in the wilderness for four days, the hiker languished, eating protein bars and nuts.

importuned

verb: beg persistently and urgently After weeks of importuning the star to meet for a five-minute interview, the journalist finally got what she wanted.

elicit

verb: call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses) Synonyms : arouse , enkindle , evoke , fire , kindle , provoke , raise Just smiling-even if you are depressed--can elicit feelings of pleasure and happiness.

rescind

verb: cancel officially Synonyms : annul , countermand , lift , overturn , repeal , reverse , revoke , vacate The man's driver's license was rescinded after his tenth car accident, which meant he would never be allowed to legally drive again.

rile

verb: cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations Synonyms : annoy , bother , chafe , devil , get at , get to , gravel , irritate , nark , nettle , rag , vex Dan is usually calm and balanced, but it takes only one intense glare from Sabrina to rile him.

stultify

verb: cause one, through routine, to lose energy and enthusiasm Synonyms : cripple As an undergraduate Mark felt stultified by classes outside his area of study; only in grad school, in which he could focus solely on literary analysis, did he regain his scholarly edge.

placate

verb: cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of Synonyms : appease , assuage , conciliate , gentle , gruntle , lenify , mollify , pacify I was able to placate the angry mob of students by promising to bring cookies on Monday.

disseminate

verb: cause to become widely known Synonyms : broadcast , circularise , circularize , circulate , diffuse , disperse , distribute , pass around , propagate , spread Before the effects of anaethesia were disseminated, patients had to experience the full pain of a surgery.

perpetuate

verb: cause to continue If you do not let him do things for himself, you are merely perpetuating bad habits that will be even harder to break in the future.

crystallize

verb: cause to take on a definite and clear shape Synonyms : crystalise , crystalize , crystallise Only after fifteen minutes of brainstorming did Samantha's ideas for the essay crystallize. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

transmute

verb: change or alter in form, appearance, or nature Synonyms : metamorphose , transform,transubstantiate One of the goals of alchemy was to find the substance or process that would transmute lead into gold.

denigrate

verb: charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone Synonyms : asperse , besmirch , calumniate , defame , slander , smear , smirch , sully Count Rumford denigrated the new theory of heat, demonstrating that it was wholly inadequate to explain the observations.

abstain

verb: choose not to consume or take part in (particularly something enjoyable) Synonyms : desist , refrain Considered a health nut, Jessica abstained from anything containing sugar-even chocolate.

circumvent

verb: cleverly find a way out of one's duties or obligations Synonyms : dodge , duck , elude , evade , fudge , hedge , parry , put off , sidestep , skirt One way of circumventing the GRE is to apply to a grad school that does not require GRE scores.

glean

verb: collect information bit by bit Synonyms : harvest , reap Herb has given us no formal statement about his background, but from various hints, I have gleaned that he grew up in difficult circumstances

derive

verb: come from; be connected by a relationship of blood, for example Synonyms : come , descend Many words in the English language are derived from Latin, including the word "derive." verb: reason by deduction; establish by deduction Synonyms : deduce , deduct , infer From the multiple set of footprints in the living room, the investigator derived an important clue: Sheila was not alone in the room at the time of the murder.

vanquish

verb: come out better in a competition, race, or conflict Synonyms : beat , beat out , crush , shell , trounce For years, Argentina would dominate in World Cup qualifying matches, only to be vanquished by one of the European countries during the late stages of the tournament.

proscribe

verb: command against Synonyms : disallow , forbid , interdict , nix , prohibit , veto My doctor proscribes that I not eat donuts with chocolate sauce and hamburger patties for breakfast.

vie

verb: compete for something Synonyms : compete , contend While the other teams in the division actively vie for the championship, this team seems content simply to go through the motions of playing.

dissemble

verb: conceal one's true motives, usually through deceit Synonyms : affect , feign , pretend , sham To get close to the senator, the assassin dissembled his intentions, convincing many people that he was a reporter for a well-known newspaper.

proselytize

verb: convert to another religion, philosophy, or perspective Synonyms : proselytise Lisa loves her Mac but says little about it; by contrast, Jake will proselytize, interrogating anyone with an Android about why she didn't purchase an iPhone.

implicate

verb: convey a meaning; imply Synonyms : entail By saying that some of the guests were uncomfortable, the manager implicated to the hotel staff that it needed to be more dilligent. verb: to indicate in wrongdoing, usually a crime The crime boss was implicated for a long list of crimes, ranging from murder to disturbing the peace.

adulterate

verb: corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones "adulterate liquor" Synonyms: debase, dilute, load, stretch (If you adulterate something, you mess it up. You may not want to adulterate the beauty of freshly fallen snow by shoveling it, but how else are you going to get to work? The verb adulterate comes from the Latin word adulterare, which means "to falsify," or "to corrupt." Whenever something original, pure, fresh, or wholesome is marred, polluted, defaced, or otherwise made inferior, it has been adulterated. Your grandfather may, for instance, believe that bartenders adulterate the name "Martini" by applying it to combinations of vodka, chocolate or anything other than a mixture of five parts gin to one part dry vermouth, on the rocks, with a twist.) Closed June 19 because of rodents and adulterated food. My inner wine purist screams "No!" at the thought of adulterating a nice rosé with fruit juice. adjective: mixed with impurities Synonyms: adulterated, debased He was accused of attempting to falsify a drug test by adulterating or substituting a urine sample, a misdemeanor.

lambast

verb: criticize severely or angrily Synonyms : bawl out , berate , call down , call on the carpet , chew out , chew up , chide , dress down , have words , jaw , lambaste , lecture , rag , rebuke , remonstrate , reprimand , reproof , scold , take to task , trounce Showing no patience, the manager utterly lambasted the sales team that lost the big account.

rebuke

verb: criticize severely or angrily; censure Synonyms : bawl out , berate , call down , call on the carpet , chew out , chew up , chide , dress down , have words , jaw , lambast , lambaste , lecture , rag , remonstrate , reprimand , reproof , scold , take to task , trounce The police chief rebuked the two officers whose irresponsible decisions almost led to the deaths of seven innocent by-standers.

besmirch

verb: damage the good name and reputation of someone Synonyms : asperse , calumniate , defame , denigrate , slander , smear , smirch , sully The prince's distasteful choice of words besmirched not only his own name, but the reputation of the entire royal family.

lacerate

verb: deeply hurt the feelings of; distress The teacher was fired for lacerating a student who wrote a poor essay. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

gainsay

verb: deny or contradict; speak against or oppose Synonyms : challenge , dispute I can't gainsay a single piece of evidence James has presented, but I still don't trust his conclusion.

disenfranchise

verb: deprive of voting rights Synonyms : disfranchise The U.S. Constitution disenfranchised women until 1920 when they were given the right to vote. (Enfranchise means to give someone the right to vote. Disenfranchise means to take it away. The U.S. has a shameful history of disenfranchising African-American citizens through bogus laws and outright intimidation. Being disenfranchised can make you feel like you don't belong or that you have no power. When kids feel disenfranchised in school--when they feel like what they're being asked to learn doesn't matter, or that their teachers don't care about them, that whether they try or not they're going to fail--they stop learning.) verb: to deprive (someone) of a right or privilege. "a measure that would disenfranchise people from access to legal advice" Forget the moral aspect of disenfranchising millions from health care. adjective: disenfranchised: deprived of power; marginalized. "a hard core of kids who are disenfranchised and don't feel connected to the school"

delineate

verb: describe in detail After a brief summary of proper swimming technique, the coach delineated the specifics of each stroke, spending 30 minutes alone on the backstroke.

enumerate

verb: determine the number or amount of Synonyms : count , number , numerate The survey enumerates the number of happy workers and the number of unhappy workers. verb: specify individually, one by one Synonyms : itemise , itemize , recite I sat and listened as she enumerated all of the things she did not like about the past three months.

perturb

verb: disturb in mind or cause to be worried or alarmed Synonyms : cark , disorder , disquiet , distract , trouble , unhinge Now that Henry is recovering from a major illnesses, he no longer lets the little trivialities, such as late mail, perturb him.

deign

verb: do something that one considers to be below one's dignity Synonyms : condescend , descend The master of the house never deigned to answer questions from the servants.

quail

verb: draw back, as with fear or pain Synonyms : cringe , flinch , funk , recoil , shrink , squinch , wince Craig always claimed to be a fearless outdoorsman, but when the thunderstorm engulfed the valley, he quailed at the thought of leaving the safety of his cabin. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

extrapolate

verb: draw from specific cases for more general cases Synonyms : generalise , generalize , infer By extrapolating from the data on the past three months, we can predict a 5% increase in traffic to our website.

flag

verb: droop, sink, or settle from or as if from pressure or loss of tautness; become less intense Synonyms : droop , sag , swag After the three crushing defeats in the last three games, the team's enthusiasm began to flag. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

bowdlerize

verb: edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate Synonyms : bowdlerise , castrate , expurgate , shorten To receive an R rating, the entire movie was bowdlerized because it contained so much violence and grotesque subject matter.

machinate

verb: engage in plotting or enter into a conspiracy, swear together Synonyms : cabal , complot , conjure , conspire The rebels met at night in an abandoned barn to machinate.

augment

verb: enlarge or increase; improve Ideally, the restaurant's augmented menu will expand its clientele and increase its profits.

hail

verb: enthusiastically acclaim or celebrate something Synonyms : herald Many college superstar athletes are hailed as the next big thing, but then flop at the professional level. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

elude

verb: escape understanding Synonyms : bilk , evade Even a basic understanding of physics can elude most high schools students.

ostracize

verb: exclude from a community or group Synonyms : ban , banish , blackball , cast out , ostracise , shun Later in his life, Leo Tolstoy was ostracized from the Russian Orthodox Church for his writings that contradicted church doctrine.

banish

verb: expel from a community, residence, or location; drive away Synonyms : ban , blackball , cast out , ostracise , ostracize , shun The most difficult part of the fast was banishing thoughts of food. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

debunk

verb: expose as false ideas and claims, especially while ridiculing Synonyms : expose Richard Dawkins tries to debunk religious belief, but his ridicule tends to push people away from his points rather than convince them.

bemoan

verb: express discontent or a strong regret Synonyms : bewail , deplore , lament While the CFO carefully explained all the reasons for the cuts in benefits, after the meeting employees bemoaned the cuts as further evidence that management was against them.

objurgate

verb: express strong disapproval of Synonyms : condemn , decry , excoriate , reprobate The manager spent an hour objurgating the employee in the hopes that he would not make these mistakes again.

decry

verb: express strong disapproval of Synonyms : condemn , excoriate , objurgate , reprobate The entire audience erupted in shouts and curses, decrying the penalty card issued by the referee.

renege

verb: fail to fulfill a promise or obligation Synonyms : go back on , renege on , renegue on We will no longer work with that vendor since it has reneged on nearly every agreement. Now, more than ever, residents fear China is reneging on the deal. (To renege is to go back on your word or fail to keep a promise. Not quite lying, reneging is more a sin of omission — failing to do what you said you would. The Latin negāre means "to deny," so by reneging on your word, you are denying someone whatever you promised them. In card games, you are said to renege if you play against the rules. To renege may be wrong, but it's not necessarily a punishable offense (unless you put that promise legally binding in writing). Still, it certainly doesn't make you look good!) noun: the mistake of not following suit when able to do so Synonyms: revoke

inundate

verb: fill or cover completely, usually with water; to flood or overwhelm (To inundate means to quickly fill up or overwhelm, just like a flood. Your bathroom could be inundated with water if the pipes burst, and hopefully your inbox is inundated with nice emails on your birthday. Commonly used to refer to a deluge of water, inundate can also refer to an overflow of something less tangible, like information. Right before the holidays, toy stores are often inundated with eager parents scrambling to get the latest action figures and video games. Attempt to read the entire dictionary in one sitting and you'll inundate your mind with vocabulary.) Synonyms : deluge , submerge, flood , swamp The newsroom was inundated with false reports that only made it more difficult for the newscasters to provide an objective account of the bank robbery.

dovetail

verb: fit together tightly, as if by means of a interlocking joint Synonyms : dovetail joint Although Darwin's evolution and Mendel's genetics were developed in isolation from one another, they dovetail very well.

abjure

verb: formally reject or give up (as a belief) Synonyms : forswear , recant , resile , retract While the church believed that Galileo abjured the heliocentric theory under threat of torture, he later wrote a book clearly supporting the theory.

coalesce

verb: fuse or cause to grow together Synonyms : blend , combine , commingle , conflate , flux , fuse , immix , meld , merge , mix Over time, the various tribes coalesced into a single common culture with one universal language.

ingratiate

verb: gain favor with somebody by deliberate efforts Even though Tom didn't like his new boss, he decided to ingratiate himself to her in order to advance his career.

delegate

verb: give an assignment to (a person) Synonyms : assign , depute , designate Since the senior manager had to go on many international business trips, she was forced to delegate many of her responsibilities to two lower-level managers. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

sanction

verb: give authority or permission to Synonyms :approve , o.k. , okay The authorities have sanctioned the use of the wilderness reserve for public use; many expect to see hikers an campers enjoying the park in the coming months. noun: a legal penalty for a forbidden action International sanctions have been placed on certain shipping lanes that were thought to be involved in human trafficking.

underscore

verb: give extra weight to (a communication) Synonyms : emphasise , emphasize , underline While the hiking instructor agreed that carrying a first aid kit could be a good idea under certain circumstances, he underscored the importance of carrying enough water.

enjoin

verb: give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority Synonyms : order , say , tell The government agency enjoined the chemical company to clean up the hazardous dump it had created over the years.

engender

verb: give rise to Synonyms : beget , bring forth , father , generate , get , mother , sire The restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles were so severe that they engendered deep hatred and resentment in the German people.

rankle

verb: gnaw into; make resentful or angry Synonyms : eat into , fret , grate His constant whistling would rankle her, sometimes causing her to leave in a huff.

burgeon

verb: grow and flourish China's housing market is burgeoning, but some predict that the growth is merely a bubble and will burst much like the U.S. real estate bubble of 2008.

subvent

verb: guarantee financial support of "The opera tour was subvented by a bank" Synonyms: subvention, underwrite Mnemonic: You need financial SUPport in order to INVENT. Subvent. The expedition was partly a national affair, subvented by Government: and if ever ship was well-found it was the Boreal.

besiege

verb: harass, as with questions or requests; cause to feel distressed or worried Synonyms : beleaguer , circumvent , hem in , surround After discovering a priceless artifact in her backyard, Jane was besieged by phone calls, emails, and reporters all trying to buy, hold or see the rare piece of history.

thwart

verb: hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of Synonyms : baffle , bilk , cross , foil , frustrate , queer , scotch , spoil (A villain's worst nightmare is the superhero who always seems to thwart his efforts, preventing him from carrying out his plans to take over the world. Thwart is a word you'll hear in a lot of action movies, and usually it's the hero who is trying to thwart the evil plan of some super-villain. Yet even mere mortals can be thwarted in their efforts; the word simply means to prevent someone from carrying out his or her plans. An aggressive driver can thwart your attempt to snag a parking space at a crowded mall by pulling into the space before you. An aggressive shopper at that same mall can thwart your efforts to buy the last Dancing Snoopy doll by grabbing it off the shelf first.) I wanted to spend a week in New York this autumn, but the high costs of travel and lodging thwarted my plans. A similar opposition bid to oust the speaker was thwarted in March when the government defeated it by 48 votes, with none opposing.

frustrate

verb: hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of Synonyms : baffle , bilk , cross , foil , queer , scotch , spoil , thwart, I thought I would finish writing the paper by lunchtime, but a number of urgent interruptions served to frustrate my plan. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

scotch

verb: hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of To scotch is, most often, to prevent plans, efforts, or desires from coming about. You might say, "Our plans for spending the weekend camping in the mountains were scotched by the blizzard. No camping for us." Think of scotching as similar to throwing a wrench into someone's plans. Mnemonic: Drinking Scotch is one way to scotch your efforts to remain sober. Synonyms: baffle, bilk, cross, foil, frustrate, queer, spoil, thwart "a spokesman has scotched the rumors" adjective: avoiding waste Synonyms: economical, frugal, sparing, stinting Mnemonic: using scotch tape instead of glue avoids waste verb: make a small cut or score into noun: Synonyms: mark, nock, score noun: a slight surface cut (especially a notch that is made to keep a tally) Synonyms: score Mnemonic: Scotch = Notch

stymie

verb: hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of Synonyms : block , blockade , embarrass , hinder , obstruct , stymy The engineers found their plans stymied at every turn and were ultimately able to make almost no progress on the project.

encumber

verb: hold back Synonyms : constrain , cumber , restrain The costume encumbered all my movements and caused me to sweat profusely.

enthrall

verb: hold spellbound Synonyms : delight , enchant , enrapture , enthral , ravish , transport She was so enthralled by the movie that she never heard people screaming, "Fire! Fire!" in the neighboring theater.

mesmerize

verb: hold the attention of (someone) to the exclusion of all else or so as to transfix them; to spellbind or enthrall Synonyms : bewitch , magnetise , magnetize , mesmerise "she was mesmerized by the blue eyes that stared so intently into her own" (You meet someone and you can't take your eyes off them, like you are connected by an invisible cord and can't break free. Those kinds of people have the power to mesmerize, holding your attention like you're under hypnosis.) The plot and the characters were so well developed that many viewers were mesmerized, unable to move their eyes from the screen for even a single second. I remember feeling mesmerized, entranced and charmed because the actors were my age. verb: to induce hypnosis in Synonyms: hypnotise, hypnotize, mesmerise

misconstrue

verb: interpret in the wrong way Synonyms : be amiss , misapprehend , misconceive , misinterpret , misunderstand The politician never trusted journalists because he though that they misconstrue his words and misrepresent his positions.

construe

verb: interpreted in a particular way Synonyms : interpret , see The author's inability to take a side on the issue was construed by both his opponents and supporters as a sign of weakness.

irk

verb: irritate or vex Synonyms : gall My little sister has a way of irking and annoying me like no other person.

preclude

verb: keep from happening or arising; make impossible Synonyms : forbid , foreclose , forestall , prevent The manager specified that all other gates be locked, to preclude the possibility of persons without tickets entering the arena undetected.

guffaw

verb: laugh boisterously Synonyms : laugh loudly Whenever the jester fell to the ground in mock pain, the king guffawed, exposing his yellow, fang-like teeth. What in that coming-of-age thriller works as a jump scare that startles audiences elicited instead, at my screening, guffaws. (A guffaw is a belly laugh: a laugh that bubbles up with good feeling and plenty of volume. At the end of a stressful day of work, it's good to have some guffaws with your friends. Guffaw operates just like the word laugh: you can give a guffaw, or you can guffaw.) noun: a burst of deep loud hearty laughter Synonyms: belly laugh We are more likely to find the joke or situation funny and chuckle, giggle, or guffaw.

extenuate

verb: lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of; to make (guilt or an offense) seem less serious or more forgivable Mnemonic: rhymes with attenuate meaning WEAKEN "there were extenuating circumstances that caused me to say the things I did" (To extenuate is to make less of something or try to minimize its importance. The fact that you walked your little sister to school because she missed the bus might extenuate your teacher's response when you show up late.) synonyms: excuse, mitigate, palliate, make allowances for, make excuses for, defend, vindicate, justify; diminish, lessen, moderate, qualify, play down "I've no wish to extenuate his transgressions There is no economic analysis that can extenuate bigotry.

belittle

verb: lessen the importance, dignity, or reputation of Synonyms : diminish,denigrate , derogate , minimize A good teacher will never belittle his students, but will instead empower them.

hamstrung

verb: made ineffective or powerless The FBI has made so many restrictions on the local police that they are absolutely hamstrung, unable to accomplish anything.

reconcile

verb: make (one thing) compatible with (another), وفق بين Synonyms : accommodate , conciliate Peggy was unable to reconcile her kind friend Jane with the cruel and merciless character Jane played on television.

elucidate

verb: make clearer and easier to understand Synonyms : clear , clear up , crystalise , crystalize , crystallise , crystallize , enlighten , illuminate , shed light on , sort out , straighten out Youtube is great place to learn just about anything-an expert elucidates finer points so that even a complete novice can learn.

tarnish

verb: make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically Synonyms : defile , maculate , stain , sully Pete Rose was one of the best baseball players of his generation, but his involvement with gambling on baseball games has tarnished his image in the eyes of many.

incense

verb: make furious Synonyms : exasperate , infuriate When Herb bought football tickets for a game on the day of their wedding anniversary, Jill was incensed. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

mitigate

verb: make less severe or harsh Synonyms : extenuate , palliate I can only spend so much time mitigating your disagreements with your wife, and at certain point, you need to do it on your own. verb: lessen the severity of an offense If it weren't for the mitigating circumstances, he would have certainly lost his job.

embellish

verb: make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.; make more beautiful Synonyms : adorn , beautify , decorate , grace , ornament , fancify , prettify McCartney would write relatively straightforward lyrics, and Lennon would embellish them with puns and poetic images.

compound

verb: make more intense, stronger, or more marked Synonyms : deepen , heighten , intensify Her headache was compounded by the construction crew outside, which had six jackhammers going at the same time. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

rarefied

verb: make more subtle or refined Jack's vulgar jokes were not so successful in the rarefied environment of college professors.

ossify

verb: make rigid and set into a conventional pattern Synonyms : petrify , rigidify Even as a young man, Bob had some bias against poor people, but during his years in social services, his bad opinions ossified into unshiftable views. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

ameliorate

verb: make something bad better Synonyms : amend , better , improve , meliorate "Three Cups of Tea" tells the story of western man who hopes to ameliorate poverty and the lack of education in Afghanistan.

assuage

verb: make something intense less severe Her fear that the new college would be filled with unknown faces was assuaged when she recognized her childhood friend standing in line.

buttress

verb: make stronger or defensible China's economy has been buttressed by a global demand for the electronic parts the country manufactures.

obscure

verb: make unclear Synonyms : becloud , befog , cloud , fog , haze over , mist , obnubilate On the Smith's drive through the Grand Canyon, Mr. Smith's big head obscured much of Mrs. Robinson's view, so that she only saw momentary patches of red rock. adjective: known by only a few Synonyms : unknown , unsung Many of the biggest movie stars were once obscure actors who got only bit roles in long forgotten films. This word has other definitions but these are the most important ones to study

exacerbate

verb: make worse Synonyms : aggravate , exasperate , worsen Her sleeplessness exacerbated her cold--when she woke up the next day, her sinuses were completely blocked.

conflate

verb: mix together different elements or concepts Synonyms : blend , coalesce , combine , commingle , flux , fuse , immix , meld , merge , mix In her recent book, the author conflates several genres--the detective story, the teen thriller, and the vampire romance--to create a memorable read.

tender

verb: offer up something formally "he tendered his resignation as leader" Synonyms : bid Mnemonic: On TINDER men offer themselves up to women. The government was loath to tender more money in the fear that it might set off inflation. For those and innumerable other atrocities, the House and Senate tendered their formal regrets. More than half of the 29 companies allowed to bid for Iran's much-anticipated first tender on oil and gas projects are from Asia or Russia. He then became an Exclusive Rights Free Agent but was not tendered a contract by the team, becoming an unrestricted free agent. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

appease

verb: pacify by acceding to the demands of Synonyms : assuage , conciliate , gentle , gruntle , lenify , mollify , pacify , placate Neville Chamberlain, the British prime minister during WWII, tried to appease Hitler and in doing so sent a clear message: you can walk all over us.

cede

verb: relinquish possession or control ove Synonyms : deliver , give up , surrenderr Eventually, all parents must cede control of their growing childrens' educations and allow their offspring some autonomy.

devolve

verb: pass on or delegate to another Synonyms : degenerate , deteriorate , drop The company was full of managers known for devolving tasks to lower management, but never doing much work themselves. verb: grow worse (usually "devolve into") The dialogue between the two academics devolved into a downright bitter argument.

juxtapose

verb: place side by side The appeal of her paintings comes from a classical style which is juxtaposed with modern themes.

exalt

verb: praise or glorify Synonyms : extol , glorify , laud , proclaim The teenagers exalted the rock star, covering their bedrooms with posters of him.

antedate

verb: precede in time Synonyms : antecede , forego , forgo , precede , predate, foredate Harry was so unknowledgable that he was unaware the Egyptian pharaohs antedated the American Revolution.

hamper

verb: prevent the progress or free movement of Synonyms : cramp , halter , strangle As the rain water began to collect in pools on the highway, it began to hamper the flow of traffic. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

exonerate

verb: pronounce not guilty of criminal charges Synonyms : acquit , assoil , clear , discharge , exculpate The document clearly indicated that Nick was out of the state at the time of the crime, and so served to exonerate him of any charges.

refute

verb: prove to be false or incorrect Synonyms : controvert , rebut No one could refute his theories or propositions, and that is why he was esteemed by all his colleagues in the philosophy department.

afford

verb: provide with an opportunity The summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro affords a panoramic view that encompasses both Tanzania and Kenya. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

retract

verb: pull inward or towards a center; formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure Synonyms : draw in,abjure , forswear , recant , resile Email is wonderfully efficient, but once something awkward or damaging has been sent, there is no way to retract it.

brook

verb: put up with something or somebody unpleasant Synonyms : abide , bear , digest , endure , put up , stand , stick out , stomach , suffer , support , tolerate While she was at the chalkboard, the teacher did not brook any form of talking--even a tiny peep resulted in afternoon detention. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

culminate

verb: reach the highest or most decisive point Synonyms : climax Beethoven's musical genius culminated in the 9th Symphony, which many consider his greatest work.

bristle

verb: react in an offended or angry manner Synonyms : abound , burst As we discussed the painting, I noticed the artist's wife bristling at our criticisms, ready to defend her husband's work.

degrade

verb: reduce in worth or character, usually verbally Synonyms : demean , disgrace , put down , take down Jesse had mockingly pointed out all of Nancy's faults in front of their friends, publicly degrading the poor girl. (Degrade means to put down--a degrading comment is one that makes the subject feel bad, a degraded field is one whose soil has been worn out. If you move from an A average to a B, you've been degraded. When you whistle at a passing woman, you're being disrespectful--your behavior is degrading to women. In science, degrade means to break down. Old paper or photographs can degrade when left in the light--their material breaks down so that they crumble at a touch.) verb: to lower the grade of something; reduce its worth Synonyms: cheapen As collagen degrades, our skin loses its elasticity and smoothness, leading to wrinkles.

truncate

verb: reduce the length of something Synonym: abridge The soccer game was truncated when the monsoon rain began to fall.

debase

verb: reduce the quality or value of something; degrade "the love episodes debase the dignity of the drama" "the moral code has been debased" Mnemonic: de(means without)+base..so think of someone /something without having any base or value. Synonyms : degrade, devalue, demean, cheapen, prostitute, discredit, drag down, tarnish, blacken, blemish; disgrace, dishonor, shame; damage, harm, undermine The third-rate script so debased the film that not even the flawless acting could save it from being a flop. (To debase something is to make it corrupt or impure. If your lemonade stand sells "pure lemonade," you'd insist on using real lemons instead of a mix; using a mix would debase your product. Debase is often used in the context of two things: coins and people. To debase a coin is to replace some of the precious metal in the coin with metal of lesser value. To debase a person is to corrupt them, often by driving them to perform an immoral act like (gasp!) using the lemonade mix. Just promise us you won't do it.) verb: corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality; lower the moral character of (someone) "war debases people" Synonyms: corrupt, debauch, demoralise, demoralize, deprave, misdirect, pervert, profane, subvert, vitiate To buoy his ego, they debase themselves, and what you heard them doing in that meeting wasn't just swallowing their pride but choking on it. His name will always be a reminder of the degree to which Republicans debased themselves and their country to maintain control of the Supreme Court. To get at Oscar, however, they must once more endure the debasing effects of Hollywood. verb: corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones Synonyms: adulterate, dilute, load, stretch

snub

verb: refuse to acknowledge; reject outright and bluntly Synonyms :cut , disregard , ignore, rebuff , repel Wheeler was completely qualified for the committee, but the board snubbed him, choosing an obviously lesser qualified candidate instead.

balk

verb: refuse to comply Synonyms : baulk , jib , resist The students were willing to clean up the broken glass, but when the teacher asked them to mop the entire floor, they balked, citing reasons why they needed to leave.

repudiate

verb: reject as untrue or unfounded Many in the public believed the rumors of a UFO crash outside town, so the chief of police did everything he could to repudiate the rumors.

spurn

verb: reject with contempt Synonyms : disdain , freeze off , pooh-pooh , reject , scorn , turn down She spurned all his flattery and proposals, and so he walked off embarrassed and sad.

circumscribe

verb: restrict or confine Synonyms : confine , limit Their tour of South America was circumscribed so that they saw only popular destinations and avoided the dangerous parts of cities. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

abrogate

verb: revoke formally As part of the agreement between the labor union and the company, the workers abrogated their right to strike for four years in exchange for better health insurance.

pillory

verb: ridicule or expose to public scorn Synonyms : gibbet After the candidate confessed, the press of the opposing party took the opportunity to pillory him, printing editorials with the most blatantly exaggerated accusations. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

lampoon

verb: ridicule with satire Synonyms : satirise , satirize Mark Twain understood that lampooning a bad idea with humor was the most effective criticism.

scour

verb: rub hard or scrub "scour the counter tops" Synonyms: abrade verb: to rinse, clean, or empty with a liquid Synonyms: flush, purge verb: to examine minutely "The police scoured the country for the fugitive" Gary and a colleague, John Kauza, like to scour online auction sites looking for Coast Guard memorabilia. (If you're going to scour those dishes, you'll need a good scouring pad. To scour also means to examine something very, very closely. Having lost his contact lens at the party, Robert asked everyone to scour the room to help him find it. When you scour something with your eyes, you examine or search it very closely. For example, when the girl went missing, the police used dogs and helicopters to scour the area. When you scour something with your hands, you scrub it very hard—often with a brush or pad—until the surface is spotless. For example, to remove the graffiti from the wall outside the restaurant you'll have to scour it by hand, probably for hours. Looking for a job? Scour those classified ads!)

arrogate

verb: seize and control without authority Synonyms : assume , seize , take over , usurp Arriving at the small town, the outlaw arrogated the privileges of a lord, asking the frightened citizens to provide food, drink, and entertainment.

resolve

verb: settle or find a solution to (a problem, dispute, or contentious matter). "this matter cannot be resolved overnight" "the firm aims to resolve problems within 30 days" synonyms: settle, sort out, solve, find a solution to, fix, straighten out, deal with, put right, put to rights, rectify; informal hammer out, thrash out, figure out Increasingly, Mr. Trump is also looking to other Asian nations, including Japan and South Korea, for help in resolving the crisis. (To resolve is to settle or make a decision about something — often formal. A college's board of directors might resolve to recruit more minority students. As a noun, resolve refers to a strong determination to do something. If you make a New Year's resolution to exercise every day, you'll need plenty of resolve to stick with your program.) verb: to reach a decision; reach a conclusion after a discussion or deliberation "he resolved never to drink again" synonyms: conclude After much thought, Ted resolved not to travel abroad this summer because he didn't have much money in his bank account. verb: decide firmly on a course of action. "she resolved to call Dana as soon as she got home" "Bob resolved not to wait any longer" synonyms: determine, decide, make up one's mind, make a decision noun: firm determination to do something. "she received information that strengthened her resolve" "he made a resolve not to go there again" synonyms: decision, resolution, commitment We must fight the war on poverty in a manner that reflects the great American spirit: with impatience, investment, and unwavering resolve. noun: the trait of being resolute Synonyms: firmness, firmness of purpose, resoluteness, resolution Her resolve holds even amid reports on bias incidents targeting Muslims. verb: to make clearly visible "can this image be resolved?" "Hubble was able to resolve six variable stars in M31" Type of: discern, distinguish, make out, pick out, recognise, recognize, spot, tell apart verb: (of something seen at a distance) turn into a different form when seen more clearly. "the orange glow resolved itself into four lanterns" "the gray smudge resolved into a sandy beach" synonyms: turn, change, be transformed, be converted verb: to reduce a subject, statement, etc., by mental analysis into (separate elements or a more elementary form). "the ability to resolve facts into their legal categories" synonyms: analyze, dissect, break down, categorize verb: to separate or cause to be separated into components. "the compounds were resolved into their active constituents" synonyms: break down/up, separate, reduce, divide verb: to understand the meaning of Synonyms: answer

grovel

verb: show submission or fear Synonyms : cower , crawl , creep , cringe , fawn Every time Susan comes to the office, Frank grovels as if she were about to fire.

palaver

verb: speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly Synonyms : blab , blabber , chatter , clack , gabble , gibber , maunder , piffle , prate , prattle , tattle , tittle-tattle , twaddle During the rain delay, many who had come to see the game palavered, probably hoping that idle chatter would make the time go by faster. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

advocate

verb: speak, plead, or argue in favor of; to push for something Synonyms : preach, urge, recommend While the senator privately approved of gay marriage, he was unwilling to advocate for the cause in a public venue. Lawmakers from both political parties advocate for increased infrastructure spending to revive the American economy and rebuild cities both big and small. The editorial board of a newspaper, particularly one that advocates as strongly for transparency as this one, asking to withhold public records would be hypocritical. (An advocate (AD-və-kit) is someone who supports a cause, like an advocate for outdoor recess. Advocate (AD-və-kate) is also a verb meaning to speak in favor of, so you can advocate for that outdoor recess by urging your school to play outside! As a noun, an advocate is a person who represents another person's interests, like a lawyer does. In fact, the word comes from the courtroom - it's from Latin advocare, to "add" a "voice." To advocate is to add a voice of support to a cause or person. An advocate is anyone who adds that voice by representing another person in court, or by supporting or working toward a particular course of action.) noun: a person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea Synonyms : advocator , exponent , proponent Martin Luther King Jr. was a tireless advocate for the rights of African-Americans in the United States. The trail is a critical part of that effort, officials and bike advocates say.

squander

verb: spend thoughtlessly; waste time, money, or an opportunity Synonyms : blow , waste,consume , ware Fearing his money would be squandered by his family, he gave all of it to charity when he died.

vilify

verb: spread negative information about Synonyms : rail , revile , vituperate Todd was noble after the divorce, choosing to say only complimentary things about Barbara, but Barbara did not hesitate to vilify Todd.

recrudesce

verb: to break out or happen again Synonyms : break , develop, erupt After years of gamblers anonymous, Tony thought he'd broken his compulsive slot machine playing, but it took only one trip to the Atlantic City for a full recrudescence--he lost $5k on the one armed bandit.

dissipate

verb: squander or spend money frivolously Synonyms : fool , fool away , fritter , fritter away , frivol away , shoot The recent graduates dissipated their earnings on trips to Las Vegas and cruises in Mexico. verb: to disperse or scatter Synonyms : break up , dispel , disperse , scatter,spread out Kathleen's perfume was overwhelming in the cramped apartment, but once we stepped outside the smell dissipated and we could breathe once again.

promulgate

verb: state or announce Synonyms : exclaim , proclaim The President wanted to promulgate the success of the treaty negotiations, but he had to wait until Congress formally approved the agreement.

emulate

verb: strive to equal or match, especially by imitating; compete with successfully To really become fluent in a new language, emulate the speech patterns and intonation of people who speak the language.

stint

verb: supply sparingly and with restricted quantities "he doesn't stint on wining and dining" Synonyms : scrimp , skimp verb: subsist on a meager allowance "to avoid having to stint yourself, budget in advance". Synonyms : scrimp , skimp (As a verb, stint means to be sparing or frugal, or restrict in a stingy manner ("to skimp"). "The school board chose to make cuts at the administrative level, rather than stint on the children's education.") Mnemonic: STUNT means to LIMIT growth. STINT means to LIMIT supply. (Adjective: stinting economical or frugal about spending or providing something.) Answer: Here's another case where stinting on an estate planning attorney's fee probably cost the heirs vastly more. But it manages to do that without stinting on the humor and lightness that are also crucial to the piece. Never stinting on the work's beauty but making the score newly rollicking, Mr. Jacobs peels off deep layers of calcification.

bolster

verb: support and strengthen The case for the suspect's innocence was bolstered considerably by the fact that neither fingerprints nor DNA were found at the scene. Synonyms : bolster up This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

squelch

verb: suppress or crush completely Synonyms : quell , quench After the dictator consolidated his power, he took steps to squelch all criticism, often arresting any journalist who said anything that could be interpreted as negative about his regime.

preempt

verb: take the place of or have precedence over Synonyms : displace A governmental warning about an imminent terrorist attack would preempt ordinary network programming on television.

supplant

verb: take the place or move into the position of Synonyms : replace , supercede , supersede , supervene upon For many, a cell phone has supplanted a traditional phone; in fact, most 20-somethings don't even have a traditional phone anymore.

conniving

verb: taking part in immoral and unethical plots The queen was so conniving that, with the help of the prince, she tried to overthrow the king.

pontificate

verb: talk in a dogmatic and pompous manner The vice-president would often pontificate about economic theory, as if no one else in the room were qualified to speak on the topic. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

bridle

verb: the act of restraining power or action or limiting excess Synonyms : check , curb New curfew laws have bridled people's tendency to go out at night. verb: anger or take offense The hostess bridled at the tactless dinner guests who insisted on eating before everybody had gotten their food.

deliberate

verb: think about carefully; weigh the pros and cons of an issue Synonyms : consider , debate , moot , turn over Emergency situations such as this call for immediate action and leave no room to deliberate over options. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

subsume

verb: to absorb, contain or include something into something else. Mnemonic: subsume -- sub + sum + e. Sum -- summing. summing something means adding up and hence to include everything. The rogue wave quickly subsumed the pier and boardwalk, destroying everything in its path. When a new company takes over the old company so that the old company becomes one with the new, this is an example of where the new company subsumes the old. verb: to classify or include in a more comprehensive category or under a general principle. Synonyms : colligate "When late eighteenth-century Americans spoke of politics, they referred to a broad set of principles that they subsumed under the heading of republicanism" Don Quixote of La Mancha subsumes all other modern novels, demonstrating modern literary devices and predating even the idea of a postmodern, metanarrative. verb: to absorb (something) into or cause (something) to be overshadowed by something else. "The moment's regret was subsumed in the needs of the next moment."

espouse

verb: to adopt or support an idea or cause Synonyms : adopt , embrace , sweep up As a college student, Charlie espoused Marxism, growing his beard out and railing against the evils of the free-market.

maintain

verb: to assert Synonyms : defend The scientist maintained that the extinction of dinosaurs was most likely brought about by a drastic change in climate. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

perceive

verb: to be aware of, to sense or feel Synonyms : comprehend If hunters are skilled, the animals will not perceive their presence.

qualify

verb: to be eligible for a role, status, or benefit by meeting specific requirements Synonyms : measure up If James had made more than $50,000 last year, then he wouldn't have qualified for the low-income scholarship. verb: to make less severe; to limit (a statement) Synonyms : restrict Chris qualified his love for San Francisco, adding that he didn't like the weather as much as the weather in Los Angeles.

behooves

verb: to be one's duty or obligation The teacher looked down at the student and said, "It would behoove you to be in class on time and complete your homework, so that you don't repeat freshman English for a third straight year."

kowtow

verb: to bow or act in a subservient manner Synonyms : bootlick , fawn , kotow , suck up , toady , truckle Paul kowtowed to his boss so often the boss herself became nauseated by his sycophancy.

hector

verb: to bully or intimidate Synonyms : ballyrag , boss around , browbeat , bully , bullyrag , push around , strong-arm The boss's hectoring manner put off many employees, some of whom quit as soon as they found new jobs.

bilk

verb: to cheat somebody out of what is due, especially money; evade payment to "He bilked his creditors" Type of: cheat, chisel, rip off A whistle-blower now says insurers bilked the system of billions of dollars. The now-defunct Trump University ran an aggressive scam to bilk thousands of people for millions of dollars in credit card payments. For five years, he corresponded with Madoff, who is serving a 150-year sentence for bilking billions of dollars from investors. (Ever paid a restaurant bill only to discover they charged you for stuff you never had? What they did was bilk you — cheat you out of money that was justly yours. Shady companies are forever bilking their investors. To bilk someone is slightly different from plain robbing them, though the effect is the same; it implies a non-violent, subtle and devious method masquerading as legitimate. Bernie Madoff, the Ponzi scheme king, was a classic bilker. On a more enjoyable note, one of the greatest bilkers in TV history was the appropriately named Sergeant Bilko, played by the comedian Phil Silvers. His eternal card games, promotions and get-rich-quick schemes were all designed to part some poor sucker from their cash. Watch and learn from the master.) verb: to escape, either physically or mentally Synonyms: elude, evade verb: to hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of Synonyms: baffle, cross, foil, frustrate, queer, scotch, spoil, thwart

chortle

verb: to chuckle, laugh merrily Synonyms : chuckle , laugh softly Walking past the bar, I could hear happy, chortling people and the blast of horns from a jazz band.

vindicate

verb: to clear of accusation, blame, suspicion, or doubt with supporting arguments or proof Synonyms : justify Even seven Tour de France wins cannot vindicate Lance Armstrong in the eyes of the public--that the athlete used performance enhancing drugs invalidates all those wins.

eradicate

verb: to completely destroy Synonyms : exterminate , extirpate , root out , uproot, annihilate , carry off , decimate , eliminate , extinguish , wipe out I tried eradicating the mosquitos in my apartment with a rolled up newspaper, but there were too many of them.

corroborate

verb: to confirm or lend support to (usually an idea or claim) Synonyms : affirm , confirm , substantiate , sustain, bear out , support , underpin To corroborate is to back someone else's story. If you swear to your teacher that you didn't throw the spitball, and your friends corroborate your story by promising that you were concentrating on math homework, she might actually believe you. Her claim that frog populations were falling precipitously in Central America was corroborated by locals, who reported that many species of frogs had seemingly vanished overnight.

excoriate

verb: to criticize very harshly Synonyms : condemn , decry , objurgate , reprobate Entrusted with the prototype to his company's latest smartphone, Larry, during a late night karaoke bout, let the prototype slip into the hands of a rival company - the next day Larry was excoriated, and then fired.

execrate

verb: to curse and hiss at Synonyms : accurse , anathematise , anathematize , anathemise , anathemize , comminate Though the new sitcom did decently in the ratings, Nelson railed against the show, saying that it was nothing more than an execrable pastiche of tired cliché's and canned laughter.

hoodwink

verb: to deceive or trick someone Synonyms : bamboozle , lead by the nose , play false , pull the wool over someone's eyes , snow Someone tried to hoodwink Marty with an email telling him that his uncle had just passed away, and to collect the inheritance he should send his credit card information.

fleece

verb: to deceive; to rip off; to ask an unreasonable price Synonyms : gazump , hook , overcharge , pluck , plume , rob , soak , surcharge (You can also use fleece in an informal way to mean cheating someone. Remember how Mary had a little lamb whose fleece was white as snow? Well, it was such a nice, clean fleece that Mary tricked the lamb into trusting her, then robbed him of his fleece and turned it into a bomber jacket and a pair of boots. She totally fleeced him!) Many people have been fleeced by Internet scams and never received their money back. Legions of self-satisfied rationalists and armchair logicians who pride themselves on their superior intellect were effectively fleeced. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

mulct

verb: to defraud or swindle Synonyms : bunco , con , defraud , diddle , gip , goldbrick , gyp , hornswoggle , nobble , rook , scam , short-change , swindle , victimize The so-called magical diet cure simply ended up mulcting Maria out of hundreds of dollars, but did nothing for her weight.

sublimate

verb: to direct energy or urges into useful activities; to express (socially or personally unacceptable impulses, specif. sexual impulses) in constructive, acceptable forms, often unconsciously He's a devoted, meticulous, fanatical realist whose clear, tough, physical dramas sublimate themselves into undertones and overtones, murmurs and intimations, reminiscences and dreams. How did he sublimate all that energy and rage into light? For his part, Chabon appears aware of this tendency to sublimate pain into fantasy. Mnemonic: lime juice refines us.. (When you're at a lecture and you feel restless, you've got to sublimate the desire to move around. That means you force the desire to be more subtle so you can continue listening — even if you don't want to. Psychologists use the verb sublimate to describe the process of channeling intense energy into something useful or appropriate. Freud sublimated his desire to live at home with his mother, and he moved into his own apartment. Sublimate is related to the word sublime — both words come from the Latin word sublimare, which means "to raise up" or "to exalt." So Freud's finally getting his own place is, arguably, a superior — a more exalted — living situation.) verb: to make more refined or subtle or purified Synonyms: rarefy, subtilize This is pretty beautiful writing, a moment when the self becomes sublimated to something larger. Where the latter must obscure or sublimate their influences, the former are free to simply cite. verb: to have a purifying or ennobling influence or effect on That's the very definition of a director: someone who turns the stars into themselves, who sublimates the accidental photographic miracle and exalts it into art. verb: to change or cause to change directly from a solid into a vapor without first melting Synonyms: sublime

deter

verb: to discourage (someone) from doing something, typically by instilling doubt or fear of the consequences "only a health problem would deter him from seeking re-election" "the high cost deterred many" Synonyms : discourage, dissuade, put off, scare off; dishearten, demoralize, daunt, intimidate; disincentivize His mother tried to deter him from joining the army, but he was too intoxicated with the idea of war to listen. This trend is more than just annoying — asking consumers to pay more for everything deters many from getting the care they need. (Deter means to discourage. Many believe that the use of capital punishment deters people from committing murder. Others think that is hogwash. From the Latin de meaning "away" and terrere meaning "frighten," deter means to frighten away. "Hopefully the idea of being expelled will deter kids from cheating in school." Teddy Roosevelt's foreign policy dictum "walk softly but carry a big stick" was meant to deter other countries from messing with the United States.) verb: prevent the occurrence of "strategists think not only about how to deter war, but about how war might occur" "the presence of a guard deters crime" synonyms: prevent, stop, avert, fend off, stave off, ward off, block, halt, check; hinder, impede, hamper, obstruct, foil, forestall, counteract, inhibit, curb The government's primary job should involve deterring paths to war, not finding ways to start them. He also parks huge trucks in front of the shop to deter thieves from plowing their own vehicles through the storefront.

unnerve

verb: to disturb the composure of; to make nervous or upset verb: to deprive of courage, strength, or steadiness Mnemonic: Un-nerve = to make someone UNbelievably NERVous. Synonyms : enervate , faze , unsettle At one time unnerved by math problems, she began avidly "Magoosh-ing", and soon became adept at even combinations and permutations questions. Ukrainian officials were unnerved by Trump's statements in support of Putin. The shootings unnerved residents of a largely Latino neighborhood, leading some people to remain inside after dark.

imbibe

verb: to drink or absorb as if drinking Synonyms : absorb , draw , soak up , sop up , suck , suck up , take in , take up Plato imbibed Socrates' teachings to such an extent that he was able to write volumes of work that he directly attributed, sometimes word for word, to Socrates.

expunge

verb: to eliminate completely Synonyms : excise , scratch , strike When I turned 18, all of the shoplifting and jaywalking charges were expunged from my criminal record.

immure

verb: to enclose, usually in walls Synonyms : gaol , imprison , incarcerate , jail , jug , lag , put away , put behind bars , remand The modern supermarket experience makes many feel claustrophobic, as they are immured in walls upon walls of products.

begrudge

verb: to envy someone for possessing or enjoying something Synonyms : resent Sitting all alone in his room, Harvey begrudged the happiness of the other children playing outside his window. verb: to give reluctantly We never begrudge money spent on ourselves.

beg

verb: to evade or dodge (a question) By assuming that Charlie was headed to college - which he was not - Maggie begged the question when she asked him to which school he was headed in the Fall. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

censor

verb: to examine and remove objectionable material Every fall, high school English teachers are inundated by requests to censor their curriculum by removing The Catcher in the Rye and Scarlet Letter from their reading lists. Artificial intelligence may help China better censor the internet, a task that often blocks Chinese researchers from finding vital information. verb: forbid the public distribution of [a movie or a newspaper] Synonyms : ban noun: an official who censors material The censor insisted that every reference to drugs should be removed from the manuscript.

peruse

verb: to examine or consider or read with attention and in detail "Please peruse this report at your leisure" (Traditionally, peruse has meant to read or examine something carefully. But informally, it can have the opposite meaning, to read something casually and quickly. To understand the two meanings, think about the way people like to talk about doing things thoroughly, even when they aren't. If you are visiting a library or a bookstore, you might find yourself perusing the shelves. Synonyms are browse and skim.) Instead of perusing important documents, people all too often rush to the bottom of the page and plaster their signatures at the bottom. A chatty and pleasant cooking expert, Chef Mente offers up a brief history on Blackwall and its new signature mollusk as we peruse the menu.

galvanize

verb: to excite or inspire (someone) to action Synonyms : galvanise , startle At mile 23 of his first marathon, Kyle had all but given up, until he noticed his friends and family holding a banner that read, "Go Kyle"; galvanized, he broke into a gallop, finishing the last three miles in less than 20 minutes.

reproach

verb: to express criticism towards Synonyms : upbraid At first, Sarah was going to yell at the boy, but she didn't want to reproach him for telling the truth about the situation.

censure

verb: to express strong disapproval Synonyms : animadversion After being caught in bed with a mistress, the mayor was quickly censured by the city council.

champion

verb: to fight for a cause Synonyms : defend Martin Luther King Jr. championed civil rights fiercely throughout his short life. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

indict

verb: to formally charge or accuse of wrong-doing (If you accuse someone of committing an offense, you indict them. A book that indicts the entire education system might lay out all the reasons that schools are failing kids.) The bankrobber was indicted on several major charges, including possession of a firearm. Less than three months after the shooting, a grand jury indicted Amy Pittman on charges of involuntary manslaughter and three counts of felony child abuse.

belie

verb: to give a false representation to; misrepresent Synonyms : contradict , negate The smile on her face belies the pain she must feel after the death of her husband.

appropriate

verb: to give or take something by force Synonyms : allow , earmark , reserve , set aside,capture , conquer , seize The government appropriated land that was occupied by squatters, sending them scurrying for another place to live. verb: to allocate The committe appropriated the funds to its various members. This word has other definitions but these are the most important ones to study

wax

verb: to gradually increase in size or intensity; to increase in phase Mnemonic: If you go for WAXing( A technique to remove hair from your skin..usually ladies go for it) once.. next time the hair growth on your skin INCREASES GRADUALLY... (the hair waxes back) "his anger waxed" "the moon is waxing" synonyms: get bigger, increase, enlarge (The verb wax is most often found in the company of its opposite, "wane." To wax is to grow larger or increase, whereas wane means to grow smaller or decrease. As the moon grows towards fullness, it waxes. It wanes, or diminishes in size, as the new moon approaches. This is the most common context for the verb wax, but it is also used to describe other phenomena that grow or increase, particularly those that are cyclical. Figuratively, if you wax eloquent, lyrical or poetic about something, you talk about it at great length and with growing enthusiasm.) verb: to go up or advance Synonyms: climb, mount, rise verb: to begin to speak or write about something in the specified manner. "they waxed lyrical about the old days" verb: informal - to make a recording of "he waxed a series of tracks that emphasized his lead guitar work" Her enthusiasm for the diva's new album only waxed with each song; by the end of the album, it was her favorite CD yet. As he waxed about the greens for their trueness, he sounded fairly close to song. There's a mild paradox that this entirely digital movie waxes so nostalgic for analog-age stuff: Art Deco diners, big-knob radios, funky garages. Look for the waxing gibbous moon as it passes very close to the largest planet in the solar system, Jupiter, and the star Spica.

fete

verb: to have a celebration; to celebrate, honor, or entertain (someone) lavishly "They were feting the patriarch of the family" Synonyms: celebrate After World War II, war heroes were feted at first but quickly forgotten. Welch, Immelt's predecessor, was feted on Wall Street for his supposed ability to "manage" quarterly earnings and deliver consistently higher stock prices. Els finds himself being feted as an elder-statesman of the game, at times applauded more for what he's done than what he's doing. (A fête is a party, often one thrown in someone's honor. You'll find fête used as both a verb and a noun. If you want to fête someone, throw them a fête.) noun: an elaborate party (often outdoors) Synonyms: feast, fiesta They say it was their most diverse Fête Nationale to date.

defray

verb: to help pay the cost of, either in part of full In order for Sean to attend the prestigious college, his generous uncle helped defray the excessive tuition with a monthly donation.

stem

verb: to hold back or limit the flow or growth of something (Sometimes stem means to originate; other times it means to stop something at its source. You stem the flow of a river, but you can also observe that a river's flow stems from a spring. Once teachers realized that the students' anger stemmed from the overload of homework, they stemmed the rebellion's tide.) Mnemonic: To remember stem's meaning think of the stem of a plant--it's where a plant begins but also where you pluck it from the ground. To stem the tide of applications, the prestigious Ivy requires that each applicant score at least 330 on the Revised GRE. He said "urgent action is required to stem the suffering." verb: to grow out of, have roots in, originate in The lawsuit stems from the town planning board's 2015 denial of a zoning application for the mosque. This doesn't stem, necessarily, from my dislike of Amazon itself.

hobble

verb: to hold back the progress of something Synonyms : gimp , hitch , limp Bad weather has hobbled rescue efforts, making it difficult for crews to find bodies in the wreckage.

demean

verb: to insult; to cause someone to lose dignity or respect (To demean someone is to insult them. To demean is to degrade or put down a person or thing.) Mnemonic: daman was so mean that he humiliated me in front of class Synonyms : degrade , disgrace , put down , take down At first the soccer players bantered back and forth, but as soon as one of the players became demeaning, calling the other's mother a water buffalo, the ref whipped out a red card.

cow

verb: to intimidate Synonyms : overawe Do not be cowed by a 3,000-word vocabulary list: turn that list into a deck of flashcards! This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

exasperate

verb: to irritate intensely Synonyms : aggravate , exacerbate , exacerbate , worsen, incense , infuriate As a child, I exasperated my mother with strings of never-ending questions.

palliate

verb: to lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of Synonyms: extenuate, mitigate Mnemonic: palliate=alleviate verb: to provide physical relief, as from pain Synonyms: alleviate, assuage, relieve (When you palliate something, you try to make something less bad: "City leaders tried to palliate effects of the trash haulers' strike by distributing extra large garbage cans with tight-fitting lids." Palliate is the word to use when you want to make something feel or seem better. Palliate doesn't mean "cure" or "solve." Instead, something that palliates relieves the symptoms or consequences of something, without addressing the underlying cause. Your dentist might give you pain-killing drugs to palliate the discomfort caused by an impacted molar, but that molar is still there, waiting to cause more trouble.) The solution to terrorism is not to pass imperfect laws that will palliate the masses until next time. Results palliate everything, but without them significant fault lines are exposed. His role, he said, was "not to 'sell' the U.S.A. but to 'explain' it, not to palliate its blemishes but to contextualize them."

check

verb: to limit (usually modifying the growth of something) Deserted for six months, the property began to look more like a jungle and less like a residence - weeds grew unchecked in the front yard noun: the condition of being held back or limited When government abuses are not kept in check, that government is likely to become autocratic. This word has other definitions but these are the most important ones to study

hedge

verb: to limit or qualify a statement; to avoid making a direct statement Synonyms : circumvent , dodge , duck , elude , evade , fudge , parry , put off , sidestep , skirt When asked why he had decided to buy millions of shares at the very moment the tech companies stock soared, the CEO hedged, mentioning something vague about gut instinct. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

inure

verb: to make accustomed to something unpleasant Synonyms : harden , indurate Three years of Manhattan living has inured her to the sound of wailing sirens; she could probably sleep through the apocalypse.

err

verb: to make an error Synonyms : mistake , slip He erred in thinking that "indigent" and "indignant" were synonyms.

consecrate

verb: to make holy or set apart for a high purpose Synonyms : bless , hallow , sanctify At the church of Notre Dame in France, the new High Altar was consecrated in 1182.

rarefy

verb: to make more refined or lofty "a rarefied sense of humor" Synonyms: sublimate, subtilize Wright, 43, is in a rarefied field of directors with a core following and critical cachet. The prose was a calculated affront to the rarefied theorizing that surrounded minimalism and dominated the slick art journals. The imagined audience for the book is so rarefied that Ivanka confidently calls paying bills and buying groceries "not enormously impactful" to one's daily productivity. "I felt for the first time what my purpose might be in this rarefied elite white world." (Note: rarefied = adjective: of high moral or intellectual value; elevated in nature or style Synonyms: elevated, exalted, grand, high-flown, high-minded, idealistic, lofty, noble-minded, rarified, sublime Use the adjective rarefied to describe things that are so stylish, smart, or moral that they seem elevated above the ordinary, like the rarefied conversation of brilliant scholars. To correctly pronounce rarefied, accent the first syllable: "RARE-uh-fied." In addition to high-minded conversation, the word rarefied can also describe the air in high elevations that has less oxygen, like the rarefied air that can be challenging to mountain climbers. Sometimes the quality of airlessness shades the other meaning of the word, implying that the rarefied world of elegant people isn't comfortable to everyone.) verb: to make or become thin, or less dense "the rarefied mountain air" "The bones are rarefied" Our guide allowed us to stay at the top, in the rarefied air, only long enough to snap a few pictures. verb: to weaken the consistency of (a chemical substance) Synonyms: attenuate

remonstrate

verb: to make objections while pleading Synonyms : bawl out , berate , call down , call on the carpet , chew out , chew up , chide , dress down , have words , jaw , lambast , lambaste , lecture , rag , rebuke , reprimand , reproof , scold , take to task , trounce The mothers of the kidnapped victims remonstrated to the rogue government to release their children, claiming that the detention violated human rights.

conciliate

verb: to make peace with Synonyms : appease , assuage , gentle , gruntle , lenify , mollify , pacify , placate His opponents believed his gesture to be conciliatory, yet as soon as they put down their weapons, he unsheathed a hidden sword.

mollify

verb: to make someone angry less angry; placate Synonyms : season , temper In the morning, Harriat was unable to mollify Harry, if he happened to become angry, unless he had his cup of coffee.

gerrymander

verb: to manipulate voting districts in order to favor a particular political party Years ago, savvy politicians had gerrymandered the city center to ensure their re-election.

thread

verb: to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course Synonyms: meander, wander, weave, wind More important than tying together some narrative threads, though, the new chapter shows a very different side of Prompto. This word has other definitions.

demur

verb: to object or show reluctance Wallace disliked the cold, so he demurred when his friends suggested they going skiing in the Alps.

disabuse

verb: to persuade somebody that his/her belief is not valid As a child, I was quickly disabused of the notion that Santa Claus was a rotund benefactor of infinite largess - one night I saw my mother diligently wrapping presents and storing them under our Christmas tree.

badger

verb: to pester; to annoy persistently (Badger is to bother. Persistently. On and on. Without stop. Relentlessly. Over and over. Endlessly. It comes from the name of that chipmunk-like animal that burrows into the ground. If you badger someone, you get under their skin. A badger is an animal that digs tunnels under ground to keep warm. To badger can also mean to persuade someone through constant annoying efforts. You might badger your mom to add another hour to your curfew or badger your friend to give you a turn with a video game he has been hogging.) Synonyms : beleaguer, bug , pester , tease Badgered by his parents to find a job, the 30-year-old loafer instead joined a gang of itinerant musicians. Cooke was notorious for badgering employees, threatening to fire anyone who let the phone on their desk ring more than three times before answering. verb: to persuade through constant efforts "People are just getting badgered into saying they did something they didn't do." At town-hall meetings, House Republicans who were badgered by the White House into voting for "Trumpcare" last week are already backpedaling.

propitiate

verb: to placate or appease The two sons, plying their angry father with cheesy neckties for Christmas, were hardly able to propitiate him - the father already had a drawer full of ones he had never worn before or ever planned to.

contrive

verb: to pull off a plan or scheme, usually through skill or trickery Synonyms : devise , excogitate , forge , formulate , invent Despite a low GPA, he contrived to get into college, going so far as to write his own glowing letters of recommendation. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

hound

verb: to pursue relentlessly Synonyms : hunt , trace An implacable foe of corruption, Eliot Ness hounded out graft in all forms - he even helped nab Al Capone. Yet he felt hounded by his enemies and a media elite that opposed him at every turn. noun: someone who is morally reprehensible Synonyms: blackguard, bounder, cad, dog, heel

dog

verb: to pursue relentlessly; to hound Mnemonic: hound Synonyms : chase , chase after , give chase , go after , tag , tail , track , trail Throughout his life, he was dogged by insecurities that inhibited personal growth. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

register

verb: to put your name or other information in a list for something verb: to identify and show on a tool for measuring Synonyms : read , record , show If you'd like to buy a meal plan, you can register at the student affairs office. The bomb was so strong that far away weather balloons registered the heat.

avert

verb: turn away Afraid to see the aftermath of the car crash, I averted my eyes as we drove by. verb: ward off or prevent Synonyms : avoid , debar , deflect , fend off , forefend , forfend , head off , obviate , stave off , ward off The struggling videogame company put all of its finances into one final, desperate project to avert bankruptcy.

subtilize

verb: to refine; to spin into niceties "I need to tell stories. I find new friends, new listeners, subtilize my lies" ( Helen Yglesias ) "It subjects clear predictions to an exegetical alembic that effectually subtilizes and evaporates their meaning."—Bush. verb: to make subtle; to make thin or fine; to make less gross or coarse Synonyms: rarefy, sublimate Theosophy—and a large share of what is called theology—is simply a refining and subtilizing of mythology. Every page bears the impress of thought, but it is thought subtilized, and redolent of poetry. The spiritual comprehension may be infinitely subtilized, but the raw material it operates upon must remain. Its Office is to Subtilize the Blood by cleansing and refining it. To say that the demon subtilizes and spiritualizes the bodies of vampires, is a thing asserted without proof or likelihood. verb: to argue or discuss with subtlety; make fine distinctions. verb: to make (senses) more keen

expurgate

verb: to remove objectionable material Synonyms : bowdlerise , bowdlerize , castrate , shorten The censor expurgated every reference to sex and drugs, converting the rapper's raunchy flow into a series of bleeps.

chastise

verb: to reprimand harshly Synonyms : castigate , chasten , correct , objurgate Though chastised for eating the snacks for the party, Lawrence shrugged off his mother's harsh words, and continued to plow through jars of cookies and boxes of donuts.

castigate

verb: to reprimand harshly Synonyms : chasten , chastise , correct , objurgate Drill sergeants are known to castigate new recruits so mercilessly that the latter often break down during their first week in training.

upbraid

verb: to reproach; to scold Bob took a risk walking into the "Students Barbershop" - in the end he had to upbraid the apparently drunk barber for giving him an uneven bowl cut.

venerate

verb: to respect deeply Synonyms : fear , revere , reverence The professor, despite his sleep-inducing lectures, was venerated amongst his colleagues, publishing more papers yearly than all of his peers combined.

betray

verb: to reveal or make known something, usually unintentionally Synonyms : bewray With the gold medal at stake, the gymnast awaited his turn, his quivering lip betraying his intense emotions.

enervate

verb: to sap energy from Synonyms : faze , unnerve , unsettle John preferred to avoid equatorial countries; the intense sun would always leave him enervated after he'd spent the day sightseeing.

ferret

verb: to search and discover through persistent investigation Synonyms : ferret out (You may be familiar with ferrets, those adorable little mammals that look like cheap minks. Well, the verb to ferret means to act like a ferret: to dig for something until you find it.) Ever the resourceful lexicographer, Fenton was able to ferret out the word origin of highly obscure words. It is ferreted in mostly by plane, either directly or through neighboring South Korea, which shares air links with many Japanese cities. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

adjudicate

verb: to serve as a judge in a competition; to arrive at a judgment or conclusion Synonyms : decide , resolve , settle,judge , try Only those with the most refined palates were able to adjudicate during the barbeque competition.

prevaricate

verb: to speak in an evasive way Synonyms : beat around the bush , equivocate , palter , tergiversate The cynic quipped, "There is not much variance in politicians; they all seem to prevaricate".

equivocate

verb: to speak vaguely, usually with the intention to mislead or deceive Synonyms : beat around the bush , palter , prevaricate , tergiversate After Sharon brought the car home an hour after her curfew, she equivocated when her parents pointedly asked her where she had been.

exhort

verb: to strongly encourage or urge (someone) to do something. Synonyms: barrack, cheer, inspire, pep up, root on, urge, urge on, press, encourage, call on, enjoin, charge; bid, appeal to, entreat, implore, beg Mnemonic: exert -> to do something; exhort -> to urge someone to do something Nelson's parents exhorted him to study medicine, urging him to choose a respectable profession; intransigent, Nelson left home to become a graffiti artist. Islamic State often exhorts its adherents to conduct operations during Ramadan. "Remember these women," Clinton exhorts toward the end.

start

verb: to suddenly move in a particular direction Mnemonic: picture Michael Jackson singing "Starting Something" while dancing towards someone Synonyms : jump , startle All alone in the mansion, Henrietta started when she heard a sound. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

intimate

verb: to suggest something subtly Synonyms : adumbrate , insinuate At first Manfred's teachers intimated to his parents that he was not suited to skip a grade; when his parents protested, teachers explicitly told them that, notwithstanding the boy's precocity, he was simply too immature to jump to the 6th grade. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

underwrite

verb: to support financially; undertake to finance or otherwise support or guarantee (something). "they were willing to underwrite the construction of a ship." synonyms: subvent , subvention, sponsor, support, back, insure, guarantee, indemnify, subsidize, pay for, finance, fund; foot the bill for, bankroll Mnemonic: UNDER an agreement, u WRITE ur signature, which is like a guarantee. The latest symphony broadcast was made possible with underwriting from the Carnegie Endowment. The $1.5-million project was underwritten by the Keys tourism council and private donations. In addition to matching patrons and artists and underwriting materials and creative development, In4Art will teach business strategy and brand marketing this summer.

nonplussed

verb: unsure how to act or respond Shirley was totally nonplussed when the angry motorist cut her off and then stuck his finger out the window.

goad

verb: urge on with unpleasant comments Synonyms : prick,needle Doug did not want to enter the race, but Jim, through a steady stream of taunts, goaded him into signing up for it.

beleaguer

verb: to surround or beset, as with troubles (or military forces); beset with difficulties "he is leading a relief force to the aid of the beleaguered city" "the board is supporting the beleaguered director amid calls for his resignation" Mnemonic: I can't beleague all the difficulties that have fallen upon us/ pestered us Synonyms: besiege, circumvent, hem in, surround Or so suggests a new report by the consulting firm Bain & Company, which predicts an upturn in the beleaguered luxury industry this year. On May 22, Twitter shareholders will vote on a proposal to turn the beleaguered social media juggernaut into a user-owned company. verb: to annoy persistently (Beleaguer means to pester or badger with persistence. A babysitter might find annoying the children who beleaguer her with requests for candy, cookies, games, and piggyback rides all at the same time.) Synonyms: badger, bug, pester, tease

desecrate

verb: to treat a sacred place or thing with violent disrespect; violate. "more than 300 graves were desecrated" "invaders desecrated the temple" synonyms: violate, profane, defile, debase, degrade, dishonor; vandalize, damage, destroy, deface Mnemonic: pronounce it as de-sacred; i.e; spoiling its sanctity or sacredness. (To desecrate means to treat a sacred place or thing with violent disrespect. The news sometimes reports on vandals who have desecrated tombstones or places of worship. The word consecrate from the Latin consecrare means "to make sacred." Substituting the prefix con- with de- reverses the meaning. When preparing for a foreign occupation, the military instructs troops not to desecrate sacred sites and risk offending the local population. You can also desecrate someone's memory if you spread malicious lies about him after his death.) After desecrating the pharaoh's tomb, the archaeologist soon fell victim to a horrible illness. Capps Crossing: A guilt-ridden man terrorizes campers who desecrate the memorial of his girlfriend, whom he abandoned in the wilderness 10 years earlier.

dupe

verb: to trick or swindle Synonyms : befool , cod , fool , gull , put on , put one across , put one over , slang , take in Once again a get-rich-fast Internet scheme had duped Harold into submitting a $5,000 check to a sham operation. noun: a person who is easily tricked or swindled Synonyms : victim The charlatan mistook the crowd for a bunch of dupes, but the crowd was quickly on to him and decried his bald-faced attempt to bilk them.

flounder

verb: to walk with great difficulty Synonyms: stagger verb: behave awkwardly; have difficulties Synonyms : stagger (A flounder is a flat fish with both eyes on one side of its head; and, as a verb, to flounder is to wobble around like a fish out of water. To flounder is to be unsteady or uncertain. It's probably from the Dutch word floddern, "to flop about," or it's a mix of founder ("to fail") and blunder ("do something clumsy"). If you flounder in the ocean, you need a surfer dude to scoop you up. You don't have to be in water, though; you can flounder any time you're a little wobbly — like after a long hike or during the last hour of the SATs. Either way, when you flounder, you wish you were a flat fish at the bottom of the sea.) Sylvia has excelled at advanced calculus, but ironically, when she has deal with taxes, she flounders. The two senators are also considered crucial votes on the health care bill currently floundering in Congress. The deals allowed it to avoid a bailout as a number of major banks on both sides of the Atlantic floundered and sought government lifelines.

meander

verb: to wander aimlessly Synonyms : thread , wander , weave , wind (To meander means to wander aimlessly on a winding roundabout course. If you want some time to yourself after school, you might meander home, taking the time to window shop and look around.) A casual observer might have thought that Peter was meandering through the city, but that day he was actually seeking out those places where he and his long lost love had once visited.

admonish

verb: to warn strongly, even to the point of reprimanding Synonyms : caution , monish Before the concert began, security personel admonished the crowd not to come up on stage during the performance.

attenuate

verb: to weaken (in terms of intensity); to taper off/become thinner. Synonyms : rarefy Her animosity towards Bob attenuated over the years, and she even went so far as to invite him to her party.

pine

verb: to yearn for (If you pine for someone, you desperately want to see them, be with them, or perhaps smother them with kisses. If you're texting your ex-boyfriend over 50 times a day, there's a pretty good chance that you still pine for him.) Mnemonic: pine is from pain..as great longing or mourning is painfull Synonyms : ache , languish , yearn , yen Standing forlornly by the window, she pined for her lost love.

patronize

verb: treat condescendingly Synonyms : condescend , patronise She says she genuinely wanted to help me, but instead she patronized me, constantly pointing out how I was inferior to her. Amor, the travel industry executive, said the trade embargo is patronizing. Franken was irritated — both by what he called Cruz's "patronizing" attitude toward his colleague, and by the pulled punch of a joke. (If you patronize a business, you shop there regularly. But if someone patronizes you, it's not so pleasant — they talk to you as if you were inferior or not very intelligent. Patronize comes from Latin patronus "protector, master," related to pater "father." So if you patronize a person, you talk down to them like a father might do to his child or a master to his apprentice. If you want to take an advanced class and your advisor warns you of all the hard work, you can tell him to stop patronizing you — you know a hard class involves hard work. This sounds much better than saying, "I'm not stupid!") verb: to be a regular customer or client of "We patronize this store" Synonyms: keep going, patronage, patronise, support, buy at, frequent, patronise, shop, shop at, sponsor Consolidations and bankruptcies in the department store industry in the 1980s significantly reduced the number of wholesale buyers that patronized the mart.

deride

verb: treat or speak of with contempt The nun derided the students for trying to sneak insects and worms into the classroom.

cosseted

verb: treat with excessive indulgence The king and queen cosseted the young prince, giving him a prized miniature pony for his fifth birthday.

fawn

verb: try to gain favor by extreme flattery Synonyms : bootlick , kotow , kowtow , suck up , toady , truckle The media fawned over the handsome new CEO, praising his impeccable sense of style instead of asking more pointed questions.

foment

verb: try to stir up public opinion Synonyms : agitate , stir up After having his pay cut, Phil spread vicious rumors about his boss, hoping to foment a general feeling of discontent.

occlude

verb: v block passage through Synonyms: block, close up, impede, jam, obstruct, obturate Mnemonic: Occlude - sounds like conclude. Means close or shut something... (Occlude means to obstruct, as with an opening. You hear this a lot in a medical context. Heart surgeons are looking for occlusions in blood vessels--things that occlude the flow of blood. Occlude does not exist only in a medical context. If you close the bathroom door so your little brother won't come in while you're trying out makeup with your friends, you're occluding the bathroom. Meanwhile, your makeup occludes your pores.) When the Trump name isn't deployed as a statement of possession, it's an effort to occlude reality. He opened the most occluded vessel with a metal stent, and Mr. Taylor's pain went away. Like that book, "Look" feels like a disassembled museum exhibit with the occluded stories — the ones not told — written into view.

maunder

verb: wander aimlessly Max liked to maunder down by the seaside and pick up whatever sea shells he would stumble upon. verb: speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly Synonyms : blab , blabber , chatter , clack , gabble , gibber , palaver , piffle , prate , prattle , tattle , tittle-tattle , twaddle After drinking two espressos each, the animated couple would maunder loudly, annoying the other patrons in the coffee shop.