|
Word
|
Definition
|
|
abatement
|
decrease,
reduction
|
|
abdicate
|
to
give up a position, right, or power
|
|
acumen
|
sharpness
of insight
|
|
adherent
|
Believer;
supporter; devotee.
|
| adjunct |
1.
Attachment; appendage. 2. Subordinate or auxiliary capacity. |
| aesthetic |
pertaining
to beauty or art |
| aggrandize |
Make
more powerful; amplify; increase. |
| allegory |
symbolic
representation |
| allusion |
indirect
reference |
| allusiveness |
quality
of making many indirect references |
| ameliorate |
Make
better; improve. |
| amenable |
agreeable,
cooperative |
| amoral |
unprincipled,
unethical |
| amorous |
strongly
attracted to love; showing love |
| ancillary |
accessory;
subordinate; helping |
| antipathy |
Feeling
of opposition or repugnance: aversion; dislike. |
| antiquated |
outdated,
obsolete |
| antiquity |
ancient
times; the quality of being old or ancient |
| antithesis |
exact
opposite or direct contrast |
| aperture |
Gap;
opening; orifice. |
| approbation |
praise;
official approval |
| arcane |
secret,
obscure, known only to a few |
| ardor |
great
emotion or passion |
| ascendancy |
state
of rising, ascending; power or control |
| ascertain |
to
determine, discover, make certain of |
| assiduous |
diligent,
persistent, hard-working |
| assimilation |
act
of blending in, becoming similar |
| attenuate |
to
make thin or slender; weaken |
| audacious |
bold,
daring, fearless |
| audit |
formal
examination of financial records |
| augment |
to
expand, extend |
| avarice |
Extreme
desire for wealth; greed; acquisitiveness. |
| aversion |
intense
dislike |
| avouch |
Guarantee;
take responsibility for: affirm. |
| belabor |
to
insist repeatedly or harp on |
| bemuse |
to
confuse, stupefy; plunge deep into thought |
| benefactor |
someone
giving aid or money |
| beseech |
to
beg, plead, implore |
| betoken |
to
indicate, signify, give evidence of |
| blanch |
to
pale; take the color out of |
| blatant |
glaring,
obvious, showy |
| boorish |
Ill-mannered;
rude; gauche. |
| brigand |
bandit,
outlaw |
| buffet |
to
toss about |
| buffoon |
clown
or fool |
| bulwark |
defense
wall; anything serving as defense |
| bursar |
treasurer |
| buttress |
to
reinforce or support |
| buttress |
Truss;
foundation; support. |
| cajole |
to
flatter, coax, persuade |
| calamitous |
disastrous,
catastrophic |
| carnal |
of
the flesh |
| carouse |
Drink
to excess; live it up. |
| carp |
to
find fault, complain constantly |
| castigate |
to
punish, chastise, criticize severely |
| cavalier |
carefree,
happy; with lordly disdain |
| cavort |
to
frolic, frisk |
| certitude |
assurance,
certainty |
| cessation |
temporary
or complete halt |
| champion |
to
defend or support |
| chasten |
Castigate;
punish; reprove. |
| chastise |
to
punish, discipline, scold |
| cherubic |
Sweet;
kind; innocent. |
| churlish |
Selfish;
rancorous; surly. |
| circumscribe |
to
encircle; set limits on, confine |
| citadel |
fortress
or stronghold |
| clandestine |
Furtive;
surreptitious; secret. |
| Coalesce |
Combine;
incorporate; merge. |
| cognition |
mental
process by which knowledge is acquired |
| collateral |
accompanying |
| commodious |
roomy,
spacious |
| compatriot |
fellow
countryman |
| compensate |
to
repay or reimburse |
| complacent |
self-satisfied,
smug |
| compunction |
feeling
of uneasiness caused by guilt or regret |
| concede |
to
yield, admit |
| conceptualize |
to
envision, imagine |
| concur |
to
agree |
| conduit |
tube,
pipe, or similar passage |
| congenial |
similar
in tastes and habits |
| conjecture |
speculation,
prediction |
| Conjugal |
Matrimonial;
nuptial; marital. |
| constrained |
forced,
compelled; confined, restrained |
| constraint |
something
that forces or compels; something that restrains or confines |
| consummate |
accomplished,
complete, perfect |
| consummate |
to
complete, fulfill |
| contentious |
Argumentative;
pugnacious; quarrelsome. |
| conundrum |
Mystery;
puzzle. |
| convene |
to
meet, come together, assemble |
| conventional |
typical,
customary, commonplace |
| corrugate |
to
mold in a shape with parallel grooves and ridges |
| cosmography |
science
that deals with the nature of the universe |
| credence |
acceptance
of something as true or real |
| credulous |
Gullible;
unsuspecting; naive. |
| culpable |
guilty,
responsible for wrong |
| cumulative |
resulting
from gradual increase |
| cynic |
person
who distrusts the motives of others |
| daunt |
to
discourage, intimidate |
| debutante |
young
woman making debut in high society |
| decapitate |
to
behead |
| deferential |
respectful
and polite in a submissive way |
| deflation |
decrease,
depreciation |
| demystify |
to
remove mystery from, clarify |
| deplore |
to
express or feel disapproval of; regret strongly |
| deploy |
to
spread out strategically over an area |
| deride |
to
mock, ridicule, make fun of |
| destitute |
very
poor, poverty-stricken |
| diffract |
to
cause to separate into parts, esp. light |
| diligent |
Assiduous:
studious; hard-working. |
| dirge |
funeral
hymn |
| disbar |
to
expel from legal profession |
| disconcerting |
bewildering,
perplexing, slightly disturbing |
| disengaged |
disconnected,
disassociated |
| dishearten |
Dismay;
daunt; depress. |
| disinclined |
averse,
unwilling, lacking desire |
| disinterment |
Exhumation;
removal of a body from a grave. |
| disoblige |
Slight
or offend. |
| dispassionate |
Imperturbable;
unemotional; calm; composed. |
| dissemble |
Disguise;
conceal; mask; camouflage. |
| disseminate |
to
spread far and wide |
| Dissension |
Conflict;
disagreement; strife. |
| dissuade |
Obstruct;
hinder; deter. |
| divisive |
creating
disunity or conflict |
| dogmatic |
rigidly
fixed in opinion, opinionated |
| dowry |
money
or property given by a bride to her husband |
| dross |
waste
produced during metal smelting; garbage |
| dubious |
Irresolute;
uncertain; moot. |
| edifice |
building |
| efface |
Cancel;
delete: obliterate. |
| efficacious |
effective,
efficient |
| effigy* |
Mannequin;
likeness; image. |
| elucidate |
interpret;
define; clarify; explain. |
| encipher |
to
translate a message into code |
| enervate |
Exhaust
or weaken; debilitate. |
| engender |
Generate;
produce; cause. |
| enigmatic |
Cryptic;
baffling; mysterious. |
| ensconce |
to
settle comfortable into a place |
| enshroud |
to
cover, enclose with a dark cover |
| epigram |
short,
witty saying or poem |
| epigraph |
quotation
at the beginning of a literary work |
| epithet |
Word
used to describe or characterize a person or thing. |
| erudite |
learned,
scholarly |
| erudition |
Learning;
knowledge; enlightenment. |
| euphonic |
Agreeable
to the ear. |
| euphony |
pleasant,
harmonious sound |
| euthanasia |
mercy
killing; intentional, easy, and painless death |
| evince |
to
show clearly, display, signify |
| evoke |
to
inspire memories; to produce a reaction |
| excruciation |
agonizing,
intensely painful |
| exhort |
to
urge or incite by strong appeals |
| expatriate |
Send
into exile; renounce one’s own country. |
| expound |
to
elaborate; to expand or increase |
| expunge |
Obliterate;
remove; erase; exterminate. |
| extradite |
Transfer
a person to another jurisdiction for possible prosecution for
an alleged offense. |
| extraneous |
irrelevant,
unrelated, unnecessary |
| facilitate |
to
aid, assist |
| facility |
aptitude,
ease in doing something |
| fastidious |
Meticulous;
exacting. |
| felicitous |
suitable,
appropriate; well-spoken |
| felicity |
Great
happiness; bliss. |
| filch |
to
steal |
| flaccid |
limp,
flabby, weak |
| flagrant |
outrageous,
shameless |
| flamboyant |
flashy,
garish; exciting, dazzling |
| flounder |
to
falter, waver; to muddle, struggle |
| flout |
Ridicule;
scoff; mock; scorn. |
| forethought |
anticipation,
foresight |
| forswear |
Repudiate;
forsake; eschew. |
| foster |
to
nourish, cultivate, promote |
| founder |
to
fall helplessly; sink |
| frenetic |
wildly
frantic, frenzied, hectic |
| furtive |
Clandestine;
secretive; surreptitious; covert. |
| fusion |
process
of merging things into one |
| garish |
Gaudy;
ostentatious; excessive. |
| garner |
Collect;
receive; attain; acquire. |
| garrulous* |
very
talkative |
| gratis |
free,
costing nothing |
| gratuity |
something
given voluntarily, tip |
| gregarious |
outgoing,
sociable |
| grievous |
causing
grief or sorrow; serious and distressing |
| gross |
total
before deductions |
| guile |
Wiliness;
deceit; cunning. |
| haggle |
Dicker;
barter; make a deal. |
| hallow |
Make
holy; consecrate; sanctify. |
| headstrong |
reckless;
insisting on one's own way |
| heathen |
pagan;
uncivilized and irreligious |
| hemorrhage |
heavy
bleeding |
| hemorrhage |
to
bleed heavily |
| herald |
Announce;
broadcast; report. |
| hiatus |
Interruption;
pause; gap. |
| hoary |
Frosted;
grey; grizzled. |
| hyperbole |
Exaggeration;
fanciful statement; enhancement. |
| hypochondria |
unfounded
belief that one is often ill |
| illimitable |
limitless |
| immunological |
relating
to immune system |
| impassioned |
with
passion |
| impeach |
to
charge with misdeeds in public office; accuse |
| impecunious |
Poor;
destitute; penniless. |
| implacable |
inflexible,
incapable of being pleased |
| implicit |
implied,
not directly expressed |
| importune |
to
ask repeatedly, beg |
| imposing |
dignified,
grand |
| impromptu |
Makeshift;
spontaneous. |
| improvident |
Reckless:
rash. |
| incarcerate |
to
put in jail; to confine |
| incarceration |
imprisonment |
| incognito |
to
disguise, concealing one's identity |
| incoherent |
Illogical;
inconsistent. |
| inconsequential |
unimportant,
trivial |
| indecorous |
Inappropriate;
indelicate; unseemly. |
| indict |
to
accuse formally, charge with a crime |
| indignant |
angry,
incensed, offended |
| inebriated |
drunk,
intoxicated |
| inebriation |
Drunkenness;
intoxication. |
| inept |
clumsy,
awkward |
| inevitable |
certain,
unavoidable |
| infallible |
incapable
of making a mistake |
| infamy |
reputation
for bad deeds |
| ingratiate |
to
bring oneself purposely into another's good graces |
| inhibit |
to
hold back, prevent, restrain |
| insatiable |
never
satisfied |
| inscrutable |
Mysterious;
perplexing. |
| insipid |
Dull;
banal; tasteless. |
| insolent |
insulting
and arrogant |
| insoluble |
not
able to be solved or explained |
| insubstantial |
modest,
insignificant |
| intimation |
clue,
suggestion |
| intransigent |
uncompromising,
refusing to be reconciled |
| introspective |
contemplating
one's own thoughts and feelings |
| invective |
verbal
abuse |
| invincible |
invulnerable,
unbeatable |
| irascible |
Testy;
touchy; irritable. |
| jaded |
tired
by excess or overuse; slightly cynical |
| jollity |
Gaiety;
merriment. |
| juncture |
Joint;
seam; intersection; joining. |
| juxtapose |
Place
side by side. |
| juxtaposition |
side-by-side
placement |
| knave |
A
dishonest, deceitful person; a rogue. |
| knell |
sound
of a funeral bell; omen of death or failure |
| lament |
to
deplore, grieve |
| lamentation |
Complaint;
moan. |
| lethargy |
Idleness;
listlessness; passivity. |
| licentious |
immoral;
unrestrained by society |
| lien |
right
to possess and sell the property of a debtor |
| lionize |
to
treat as a celebrity |
| lissome |
easily
flexed, limber, agile |
| lithe |
Flexible;
agile; mobile; bendable. |
| livid |
discolored
from a bruise; reddened with anger |
| loathe |
to
abhor, despise, hate |
| loutish |
Clumsy;
idiotic; buffoonlike. |
| luminary |
bright
object; celebrity; source of inspiration |
| luminous |
bright,
brilliant, glowing |
| luxuriance |
elegance,
lavishness |
| maelstrom |
whirlpool;
turmoil; agitated state of mind |
| malady |
illness |
| malefactor |
evil-doer;
culprit |
| malinger |
Feign
illness to escape work: shirk. |
| mannered |
artificial
or stilted in character |
| mar |
to
damage, deface; spoil |
| marred |
Having
blemishes; damaged; defaced. |
| masquerade |
disguise;
action that conceals the truth |
| maudlin |
Overemotional;
mushy. |
| melancholy |
sadness,
depression |
| mirth |
frivolity,
gaiety, laughter |
| misanthrope |
person
who hates human beings |
| missive |
note
or letter |
| mitigate |
to
soften, or make milder |
| mnemonic |
relating
to memory; designed to assist memory |
| naive |
Foolishly
simple; childlike. |
| natal |
relating
to birth |
| nebulous |
Unclear;
vague; indefinite. |
| nemesis |
Just
punishment; retribution. |
| neutrality |
disinterest,
impartiality |
| neutralize |
to
balance, offset |
| nicety |
elegant
or delicate feature; minute distinction |
| nomenclature |
terms
used in a particular science or discipline |
| nondescript |
lacking
interesting or distinctive qualities; dull |
| oblivious |
unaware,
inattentive |
| obscure |
dim,
unclear; not well known |
| obscurity |
a
state of being obscure |
| obviate |
Make
unnecessary. |
| odious |
Detestable;
loathsome: revolting; sickening. |
| ominous |
menacing,
threatening, indicating misfortune |
| oracle |
person
who foresees the future and gives advice |
| palatial |
like
a palace, magnificent |
| palette |
board
for mixing paints, range of colors |
| pallid |
lacking
color or liveliness |
| parch |
to
dry or shrivel |
| pare |
to
trim |
| parochial |
Religious;
restricted. |
| parry |
to
ward off or deflect |
| partisan |
biased
in favor of |
| partisan |
strong
supporter |
| pathogenic |
causing
disease |
| pedant |
uninspired,
boring academic |
| pediment |
triangular
gable on a roof or façade |
| pejorative |
Degrading:
derogatory; negative. |
| pensive |
thoughtful |
| perfunctory |
done
in a routine way; indifferent |
| personification |
act
of attributing human qualities to objects or abstract
qualities |
| pervert |
to
cause to change in immoral way; to misuse |
| phalanx |
massed
group of soldiers, people, or things |
| philantrophy |
love
of humanity; generosity to worthy causes |
| pique |
fleeting
feeling of hurt pride |
| pique |
Irritate;
miff; offend. |
| plentitude |
abundance,
plenty |
| pluralistic |
including
a variety of groups |
| pneumatic |
relating
to air; worked by compressed air |
| politic |
discreet,
tactful |
| portent |
omen |
| potentate |
monarch
or ruler with great power |
| premeditate |
to
consider, plan beforehand |
| progressive |
favoring
progress or change; moving forward, going step-by-step |
| pungent |
strong
or sharp in smell or taste |
| puritanical |
adhering
to a rigid moral code |
| query |
question |
| quiver |
to
shake slightly, tremble, vibrate |
| ramification |
an
implication, outgrowth, or consequence |