Terms
|
Definitions
|
 abase |
Degrade or humble; to lower in rank, status, or esteem |
| abeyance |
Temporary suspension, inactivity |
| abreast |
Side-by-side. The more common "abreast of" means keeping up with, staying aware of, or remaining equal in progress with. |
| abscission |
Cutting off; sudden termination; the separation of leaves, petals, or other parts from a plant or animal |
| abscond |
Depart suddenly and secretively |
| abyss |
A deep and vast space or cavity; anything profound or infinite |
| accede |
Agree, give consent; assume power (usually as "accede to") |
| accretion |
Gradual increase; an added part or addition |
| acerbic |
Sour; harsh or severe |
| acidulous |
Slightly acid or sour; sharp or caustic |
| acumen |
Keen, quick, accurate insight or judgment |
| adulterate |
Make impure by adding inappropriate or inferior ingredients |
| adumbrate |
Give a rough outline of; foreshadow; reveal only partially; obscure |
| aerie |
Dwelling or fortress built on a high place; the nest of a bird of prey, such as an eagle or hawk, built on a mountain or cliff |
| albeit |
Although, even though |
| aloof |
Distant physically or emotionally; reserved; indifferent |
| amalgamate |
Blend, merge, or unite |
| ameliorate |
Improve; make better or more bearable |
| amortize |
Gradually pay off a debt, or gradually write off an asset |
| anachronism |
Something that is not in its correct historical time; a mistake in chronology, such as by assigning a person or event to the wrong time period |
| analgesia |
Pain relief; inability to feel pain |
| annul |
Make void or null, cancel, abolish (usually of laws or other established rules) |
| anodyne |
Medicine that relieves pain (noun); soothing, relieving pain (adj) |
| antedate |
Be older than, precede in time; assign to an earlier date |
| antithetical |
Directly opposed, opposite; involving antithesis (the rhetorical act of placing two phrases opposite one another for contrast, as in love me or hate me) |
| apostate |
Person who deserts a party, cause, religion, etc. |
| apostle |
Pioneer of a reform movement (originally, an early follower of Jesus) |
| apposite |
Highly appropriate, suitable, or relevant |
| apprise |
Inform, give notice to |
| approbation |
Praise or approval, especially formal approval |
| appropriate |
Set aside or authorize (such as money) for a particular purpose; take for one's own use |
| arbiter |
Judge, umpire, person empowered to decide matters at hand |
| ardent |
Very passionate, devoted, or enthusiastic |
| arrogate |
Claim or take presumptuously or without the right to do so |
| ascribe |
Assign or credit to a certain cause or source |
| aseptic |
Free from germs |
| asperity |
Rigor, severity; harshness or sharpness of tone; roughness of surface |
| aspersions |
Damaging remarks, defamation, slander |
| assail |
Attack violently, assault |
| assiduous |
Persevering, diligent, constant |
| attenuate |
Weaken or thin out |
| attuned |
In harmony; in sympathetic relationship |
| augury |
Telling the future, such as through supernatural means |
| august |
Venerable, majestic; inspiring admiration |
| avarice |
Insatiable greed; a miserly desire to hoard wealth |
| axiom |
Self-evident truth requiring no proof; universally or generally accepted principle |
| balloon |
Swell or puff out; increase rapidly |
| banal |
Lacking freshness and originality; cliché |
| bane |
Something that ruins or spoils |
| baying |
Howling in a deep way, like a dog or wolf |
| beneficent |
Doing good |
| bent |
Personal inclination or tendency |
| besiege |
Attack, overwhelm, crowd in on or surround |
| bevy |
Group of birds or other animals that stay close together; any large group |
| bifurcate |
To fork into two branches or divide into two halves |
| bilk |
Cheat or defraud |
| blight |
Disease that kills plants rapidly, or any cause of decay or destruction (noun); ruin or cause to wither (verb) |
| blithe |
Joyous, merry; excessively carefree (so as to ignore more important concerns) |
| bombastic |
(Of speech or writing) far too showy or dramatic than is appropriate; pretentious |
| bonhomie |
Friendliness, open and simple good heartedness |
| brandish |
Shake, wave, or flourish, as a weapon |
| brook |
Suffer or tolerate |
| bucolic |
Pertaining to shepherds; suggesting a peaceful and pleasant view of rural life |
| burnish |
Polish, make smooth and lustrous |
| calumny |
Malicious lie intended to hurt someone's reputation; the act of telling such lies |
| canard |
Rumor, a false or baseless story |
| cardinal |
Chief, most important |
| catholic |
Universal, broad-minded |
| chicanery |
Trickery, deception by knowingly false arguments |
| circumscribe |
Strictly limit a role, range of activity, or area; in math, to be constructed around so as to touch as many points as possible |
| circumspect |
Cautious, prudent; careful to consider the circumstances and consequences |
| clamber |
Climb awkwardly or with difficulty, scramble |
| cloying |
Disgustingly or distastefully sweet |
| coagulate |
Cause a liquid to become solid or semisolid |
| coda |
Final part of a musical composition; an ending, esp. one that sums up what has come before |
| coffer |
Chest for storing valuables; financial resources, a treasury |
| collude |
Conspire; cooperate for illegal or fraudulent purposes |
| compendium |
Concise but complete summary; a list or collection |
| complaisant |
Eager to please; cheerfully complying |
| confound |
Confuse, frustrate; mix up or make worse |
| connote |
Suggest or imply in addition to the precise, literal meaning |
| contraries |
Things that are opposing; either of two opposite things |
| contrite |
Remorseful; feeling sorry for one's offenses or sins |
| contumacious |
Rebellious; stubbornly disobedient |
| convoke |
Call together, as to a meeting |
| cosset |
Treat as a pet, pamper |
| coterie |
Close or exclusive group, clique |
| cupidity |
Greed, great or excessive desire |
| curmudgeon |
Bad-tempered, difficult person; grouch |
| declaim |
Speak in an impassioned, pompous, or oratorical manner; give a formal speech |
| declivity |
Downward slope |
| delimit |
Fix, mark, or define the boundaries of |
| demagogue |
A leader who lies and gains power by arousing the passions and especially prejudices of the people |
| demur |
Show reluctance or object, especially for moral reasons |
| desultory |
Lacking consistency or order, disconnected, sporadic; going off topic |
| diaphanous |
Very sheer, fine, translucent |
| dichotomy |
Division into two parts or into two contradictory groups |
| dictum |
Formal or authoritative pronouncement; saying or proverb |
| diffident |
Lacking confidence, shy |
| diffuse |
Spread widely, disseminate (verb); dispersed, widely spread out, or wordy and going off-topic (adj) |
| dilate |
To become wider or make wider, cause to expand; to speak or write at length, elaborate upon |
| dilatory |
Slow, late; procrastinating or stalling for time |
| dilettante |
Person who takes up an art or activity for amusement only or in a superficial way |
| dirge |
A funeral or mourning song or poem |
| discomfiting |
Disconcerting, confusing, frustrating |
| discordant |
Harsh or inharmonious in sound; disagreeing, incongruous |
| discrete |
Separate, distinct, detached, existing as individual parts |
| disparage |
Belittle, put down; bring shame upon, discredit |
| disparate |
Distinct, different |
| dissemble |
Mislead, conceal the truth, put on a false appearance of |
| dissolution |
Dissolving, the state of having been dissolved; breaking bonds or breaking up of a group of people; death, disintegration; sinking into extreme hedonism, vice, and degradation |
| distaff |
Female, esp. relating to the maternal side of the family; women or women's work; a staff that holds wool or flax for spinning |
| distend |
Swell, expand, stretch, bloat |
| dither |
Act indecisively (verb); a state of fear or trembling excitement |
| diurnal |
Occurring every day; happening in the daytime (rather than at night) |
| doctrinaire |
Person who applies doctrine in an impractical or rigid and close-minded way (noun); merely theoretical, impractical, or fanatical about other people accepting one's ideas (adj) |
| doff |
Take off (such as clothes), put aside; remove one's hat as a gesture |
| dovetail |
Join or fit together |
| droll |
Funny in an odd way |
| dupe |
Person who is easily fooled or used (noun); to fool or exploit (verb) |
| duplicity |
Deceit, double-dealing, acting in two different ways for the purpose of deception |
| dyspeptic |
Grumpy, pessimistic, irritable; suffering from dyspepsia (indigestion) |
| ebullient |
Very enthusiastic, lively, excited; bubbling as though being boiled |
| echelon |
A level, rank or grade; the people at that level |
| edify |
Uplift, enlighten, instruct or improve in a spiritual or moral way |
| effigy |
Representation or image of a person, esp. a crude facsimile used to mock a hated person |
| effrontery |
Shameless boldness |
| egress |
An exit or the action of exiting |
| elegy |
Song or poem of sorrow, esp. for a deceased person |
| emaciate |
Make abnormally thin, cause to physically waste away |
| encomium |
Warm, glowing praise, esp. a formal expression of praise |
| endemic |
Native, local; natural, specific to, or confined to a particular place |
| engender |
Produce, give rise to, cause to exist; procreate |
| epicure |
Person with cultivated, refined tastes, esp. in food and wine |
| equanimity |
Composure, evenness of mind; mental or emotional stability, esp. under stress |
| equivocate |
Use unclear language to deceive or avoid committing to a position |
| ersatz |
Artificial, synthetic; being an inferior substitute |
| erstwhile |
Former, previous (adj); in the past, formerly (adv) |
| ethos |
The character, personality, or moral values specific to a person, group, time period, etc. |
| euphemism |
Substitution of a mild, inoffensive, or indirect expression for one that is considered offensive or too direct |
| euphony |
Pleasing or sweet sound, especially as formed by a harmonious use of words |
| exigent |
Requiring immediate attention, action, or aid; excessively demanding |
| exonerate |
Clear from blame or accusation; free from a responsibility |
| expedient |
Suitable, proper; effective, often at the expense of ethics or other considerations |
| expurgate |
Censor; remove objectionable or offensive parts |
| extemporaneous |
Done without preparation (esp. of a speech), or with some preparation but no notes; improvised, done on the spur of the moment |
| faction |
Group or clique within a larger organization; party strife and dissension |
| fallow |
Left unplanted (of land); not in use |
| fastidious |
Excessively particular, difficult to please; painstaking, meticulous, requiring excessive attention to detail |
| fatuous |
Foolish, silly, esp. in a smug or complacent manner |
| fawn |
Show affection or try to please in the manner of a dog; try to win favor through flattery and submissive behavior |
| fecund |
Fruitful, fertile; capable of abundantly producing offspring, vegetation, or creative or intellectual work |
| felicitous |
Admirably appropriate, very well-suited for the occasion; pleasant, fortunate, marked by happiness |
| fervid |
Very hot; heated in passion or enthusiasm |
| fetid |
Stinking; having an offensive smell |
| fledgling |
A young bird that has just recently gotten its feathers, an inexperienced person (noun); new or inexperienced (adj) |
| florid |
Reddish or rosy; flowery, showy, or excessively fancy |
| flout |
Treat with disdain, contempt, or scorn (usually of rules) |
| fluke |
Stroke of luck, something accidentally successful |
| forage |
Wander in search of; rummage, hunt, make a raid |
| ford |
Place where a river or similar body of water is shallow enough to walk or ride a vehicle across (noun); to cross at such a place (verb) |
| forestall |
Delay, hinder, prevent by taking action beforehand |
| fortuitous |
Happening by chance; lucky |
| fracas |
Noisy disturbance or fight; brawl |
| fractious |
Unruly, troublemaking; irritable |
| frenetic |
Wildly excited, frantic, distracted |
| fulminate |
Explode, detonate; attack verbally in a vehement, thunderous way |
| furtive |
Done secretly; stealthy, sly, shifty |
| gambol |
Frolic; skip or leap playfully |
| garner |
Gather and store; amass, collect |
| gestation |
Pregnancy; the period from conception until birth of an animal or (metaphorically) of an idea or plan |
| glacial |
Pertaining to glaciers; cold, icy, slow, unsympathetic |
| glower |
Stare in an angry, sullen way |
| goad |
Urge on (as cattle) with a pointed or electrically charged stick; spur on, stimulate, encourage |
| gouge |
Scooping or digging tool, like a chisel, or a hole made with such a tool (noun); cut or scoop out; force out a person's eye with one's thumb; swindle, extort money from (verb) |
| graft |
Insert part of a plant into another plant, where it continues to grow; join living tissue (such as skin) to part of the body where it will continue to live and grow; attach as if by grafting (verb); the part so grafted (as in a graft of skin); the act of acquiring money or other benefits through illegal means, esp. by abusing one's power (noun) |
| grandiloquent |
Relating to lofty speech, esp. to the point of being pompous, overblown, bombastic |
| grandstand |
Perform showily in an attempt to impress onlookers |
| grating |
Irritating; harsh or discordant (of a noise); scraping |
| grievous |
Causing grief or suffering; very serious, grave; flagrant, outrageous |
| grouse |
Complain or grumble (verb); a reason for complaint (noun) |
| grovel |
Creep or crawl with one's face to the ground, prostrate oneself as a token of subservience, degrade or abase oneself |
| halcyon |
Calm and peaceful, carefree; prosperous, successful, happy |
| hallmark |
A mark indicating quality, purity, genuineness, etc.; any distinguishing characteristic |
| hand-wringing |
Grasping, squeezing, etc. of the hands as an expression of nervousness, guilt, etc.; extend debate over what to do about an issue |
| hapless |
Unlucky, unfortunate |
| harangue |
Long, intense verbal attack, esp. when delivered publicly |
| harrow |
Farming tool that breaks up soil (noun); painfully disturb or distress (verb) |
| hedge |
Avoid commitment by leaving provisions for withdrawal or changing one's mind; protect a bet by also betting on the other side |
| hegemony |
Domination, authority; influence by one country over others socially, culturally, economically, etc. |
| hermetic |
Airtight, sealed, isolated; reclusive; pertaining to alchemy, occult |
| hew |
Strike, chop, or hack (as with an axe, sword. etc.); make or shape something (such as a statue) with a cutting tool |
| hoary |
Very old, gray or white as from old age |
| homage |
Honor or respect demonstrated publicly |
| hoodwink |
Trick, deceive |
| hotly |
In an intense, fiery, or heated way |
| husband |
Manage prudently, sparingly, or economically; conserve |
| iconoclast |
Attacker of cherished beliefs or institutions |
| idolatry |
Idol worship; excessive or unthinking devotion or adoration |
| idyllic |
Presenting a positive, peaceful view of rural life (as poetry or prose); pleasant in a natural, simple way |
| ignoble |
Not noble; having mean, base, low motives; low quality |
| imbue |
Permeate or saturate, as dye in a fabric; influence throughout |
| immutable |
Unchangeable |
| impasse |
Position or road from which there is no escape; deadlock |
| impassive |
Not having or not showing physical feeling or emotion |
| impecunious |
Poor, without money |
| imperious |
Commanding, domineering; acting like a high-ranking person; urgent |
| impermeable |
Impassable, not allowing passage through (such as by a liquid) |
| imperturbable |
Calm, not able to be upset or agitated |
| impervious |
Impenetrable, not able to be harmed or emotionally disturbed |
| impetuous |
Passionately impulsive, marked by sudden, hasty emotion; forceful, violent |
| impious |
Not religious, lacking reverence, ungodly |
| implacable |
Not able to be appeased, calmed, or satisfied |
| imprecation |
Curse; prayer for harm to come to someone |
| impugn |
Attack the truth or integrity of |
| impute |
Credit, attribute; lay blame or responsibility for (sometimes falsely) |
| incarnadine |
Blood red or flesh-colored |
| inconstancy |
Fickleness, unreliability; the state of changing without good reason |
| inculcate |
Teach persistently, implant (an idea) in a person |
| indefatigable |
Untiring, not able to become fatigued |
| indigence |
Extreme poverty |
| indolent |
Lazy, slothful |
| inert |
Inactive; having little or no power to move |
| inexorable |
Relentless, unyielding; not moved by pleading |
| infallible |
Incapable of error; certain |
| ingrate |
Ungrateful person |
| ingratiate |
Make an effort to gain favor with |
| inimical |
Hostile, adverse, harmful |
| iniquity |
Injustice, wickedness, sin |
| inordinate |
Excessive, not within proper limits, unrestrained |
| inquest |
Legal or judicial inquiry, especially before a jury and especially made by a coroner into the cause of someone's death; the results of such an inquiry |
| insensible |
Incapable of feeling; unconscious, unaware |
| insinuate |
Hint, suggest slyly; introduce (an idea) into someone's mind in a subtle, artful way |
| insipid |
Dull, stale, lacking taste or interest |
| insular |
Pertaining to an island; detached, standing alone; narrow-minded, provincial |
| insurrection |
Rebellion or revolt against a government or similarly established authority |
| inter |
Bury (a dead body) or place in a tomb |
| interplay |
Interaction, reciprocal relationship or influence |
| interregnum |
A time in between two reigns or regimes during which there is no ruler; a period during which government does not function; any period of freedom from authority or break or interruption in a series |
| intransigent |
Refusing to compromise, inflexible, having extreme attitudes |
| inundate |
Flood, cover with water, overwhelm |
| inure |
Toughen up; accustom or habituate to pain, hardship, etc. |
| invective |
Violent denunciation; accusations, insults, or verbal abuse |
| inveigle |
Entice, lure; get something by flattery, cleverness, or offering incentives |
| investiture |
Investing; formally giving someone a right or title |
| invidious |
Hateful, offensive, injurious |
| irascible |
Irritable, easily angered |
| irresolute |
Wavering, not sure how to proceed, not firm in one's decision-making |
| itinerant |
Traveling from place to place, esp. as part of a job |
| itinerary |
Travel schedule; detailed plan for a journey |
| jettison |
Discard, cast off; throw items overboard in order to lighten a ship in an emergency |
| jingoism |
Excessive, loud patriotism and aggressive, warlike foreign policy |
| juxtapose |
Place side by side (either physically or in a metaphorical way, such as to make a comparison) |
| kindle |
Ignite, cause to begin burning; incite, arouse, inflame |
| kinetic |
Pertaining to motion |
| knell |
The sound made by a bell for a funeral, or any sad sound or signal of a failure, death, ending, etc. (noun); to make such a sound (verb) |
| lachrymose |
Tearful, mournful |
| larceny |
Theft |
| largess or largesse |
Generosity, the giving of money or gifts (esp. with the implication that the giver is a bit superior to the recipient) |
| latent |
Potential; existing but not visible or active |
| laudable |
Worthy of praise |
| lax |
Not strict; careless, loose, slack |
| leery |
Suspicious or wary |
| legerdemain |
Slight-of-hand (magic as performed by a magician); trickery or deception |
| lethargic |
Lazy, drowsy, or sluggish |
| licentious |
Sexually unrestrained; immoral; ignoring the rules |
| limpid |
Clear, transparent; completely calm |
| lionize |
Treat like a celebrity |
| lissome |
Flexible, supple, agile |
| listless |
Spiritless, lacking interest or energy |
| livid |
Furiously angry, enraged |
| lugubrious |
Mournful, gloomy (sometimes in an exaggerated way) |
| lumber |
Walk in a heavy or clumsy way, sometimes due to being weighed down |
| luminous |
Shining, radiant, well-lit; brilliant or enlightening |
| lurid |
Gruesome or excessively vivid; sensational, shocking, unrestrained |
| machination or machinations |
Crafty schemes or plots |
| maelstrom |
Violent whirlpool; any chaotic, turbulent situation |
| magnanimous |
High-minded, noble, lofty; generous in forgiving others, free of resentment |
| magnate |
Very important or influential person, esp. in business |
| malediction |
A curse |
| malinger |
Pretend to be sick, esp. to get out of work, duties, etc. |
| manifest |
Obvious, apparent, perceptible to the eye (adj); to show, make clear, or prove (verb) |
| mannered |
Having a particular manner, esp. an artificial one |
| mar |
Damage, spoil, ruin |
| martinet |
Person who adheres to rules extremely closely; strict disciplinarian |
| maudlin |
Excessively sentimental, showing sadness or some other emotion in a foolish or silly way |
| maxim |
A general truth or fundamental principle, esp. expressed as a proverb or saying |
| mendicant |
Beggar, or religious follower who lives by begging |
| meretricious |
Attractive in a vulgar or flashy way, tawdry; deceptive |
| metaphysical |
Concerned with abstract thought, related to metaphysics (branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the nature of being and of the world); very subtle or abstruse |
| milieu |
Environment, atmosphere; the environmental setting in which something happens or develops |
| militate |
Have a great effect, weigh heavily (often as militate against) |
| mired |
Stuck, entangled (in something, like a swamp or muddy area), soiled |
| mirth |
Jollity, merriment; amusement or laughter |
| misanthrope or misanthropist |
Hater of humankind |
| missive |
Letter, written message |
| modicum |
A little bit or limited quantity |
| modish |
Stylish, contemporary |
| molt |
Shed or cast off, esp. to regularly shed skin, feathers, etc. (as a snake) |
| monastic |
Relating to or resembling a monastery (where monks or nuns live), esp. by being quiet, secluded, contemplative, strict, and/or lacking luxuries |
| morose |
Gloomy, sullen |
| multifarious |
Diverse, having a lot of variety |
| munificent |
Generous, giving liberally |
| myopic |
Near-sighted; lacking long-term thinking, short-sighted |
| nadir |
Lowest point |
| neologism |
New word or phrase (or a new meaning applied to an existing word or phrase) |
| neophyte |
Beginner, novice; person newly converted to a religion |
| nettle |
Irritate, sting, or annoy |
| noisome |
Offensive, disgusting; harmful |
| nominal |
Trivial, so small as to be unimportant; in name only, so-called |
| nontrivial |
Important or big enough to matter |
| normative |
Implying or attempting to establish a norm; expressing value judgments or telling people what to do (rather than merely describing that which is happening) |
| obdurate |
Stubborn, hardhearted, hardened in wrongdoing |
| oblique |
Slanting or sloping; indirect, misleading, or evasive |
| occlude |
Stop up, close, shut in or shut off |
| opine |
Express an opinion |
| opprobrium |
Disgrace and disapproval that result from outrageously shameful actions |
| orotund |
Full, rich, and clear (of the voice or speaking); pompous, bombastic |
| ossify |
Become bone or become hard like bone; become inflexible in attitudes, opinions, etc. |
| ostensible or ostensive |
Professed, evident, or pretended; outwardly appearing in a certain way |
| ostentatious |
Pretentious, boastful showiness |
| overwrought |
Overly nervous, agitated, or excited; too ornate, elaborate, or fussy; overdone |
| palatial |
Suitable for or resembling a palace, magnificent |
| palliate |
Make less serious or severe; relieve symptoms of an illness |
| pallid |
Abnormally pale (as skin); lacking color or vitality |
| panache |
Flair, style, swagger; a flamboyant or grand way of acting |
| panegyric |
Formal or lofty expression of praise |
| panoply |
Splendid, wide-ranging, impressive display or array |
| paragon |
Model of excellence, perfect example |
| pare |
Peel or cut off the outer layer (such as peeling fruit with a knife), reduce or trim as if cutting off the outer parts |
| parley |
Discussion, negotiation, esp. between enemies (noun); to have such a discussion (verb) |
| parry |
Deflect or avoid (esp. a blow or attack); skillfully evade (a question) |
| pastiche |
Mix of incongruous parts; artistic work imitating the work of other artists, often satirically |
| pathogenic |
Capable of producing disease |
| pedant |
Person who pays excessive attention to book learning and rules, or who uses his or her learning to show off |
| peddle |
Travel around while selling; sell illegally; give out or disseminate |
| pejorative |
Disparaging, derogatory, belittling (adj); a name or word that is disparaging (noun) |
| pellucid |
Transparent, translucent; clear, easy to understand |
| penitent |
Regretful, feeling remorse for one's sins or misdeeds (adj); a person who feels this way (noun) |
| penumbra |
Outer part of a shadow from an eclipse; any surrounding region, fringe, periphery; any area where something "sort of" exists |
| penury |
Extreme poverty or scarcity |
| per se |
Intrinsically; by itself; in itself |
| peregrinate |
Travel from place to place, esp. on foot |
| perennial |
Lasting through the years or indefinitely, enduring; recurring |
| perfunctory |
Done superficially, without much care, or merely as routine |
| peripatetic |
Journeying from place to place; traveling on foot |
| pernicious |
Very harmful or destructive, deadly |
| perspicacious |
Having penetrating insight or good discernment |
| phalanx |
Formation of soldiers carrying shields close together for defense; any very close group of people |
| philistine |
Person deficient in or hostile to culture |
| phlegmatic |
Apathetic, sluggish, not easily excited or made emotional |
| platitude |
A shallow, overused statement; cliche |
| plebian |
Of the common people |
| plethora |
Excess; excessive amount |
| plucky |
Brave, spirited |
| plutocracy |
Rule by the wealthy |
| polemic |
Controversial argument, esp. one attacking a specific idea |
| politic |
Shrewd, pragmatic; tactful or diplomatic |
| polyglot |
Speaking or composed of many languages (of a person, book, etc.); a person who knows several languages |
| posit |
Presume, suggest, put forward (an idea) |
| prattle |
Talk in an idle, simple-minded, meaningless, or foolish way; chatter, babble |
| precipitate |
Cause to happen suddenly or prematurely; fling, plunge, or hurl down |
| predilection |
Preference, tendency or favorability towards |
| prescient |
Having foreknowledge or foresight, seeing the future |
| preternatural |
Supernatural, exceptional |
| prevaricate |
Stray from the truth, mislead, lie |
| primacy |
The state of being first or most important |
| proclivity |
Inclination, natural tendency |
| prolix |
Excessively long and wordy (of a person, piece of writing, etc.) |
| propagate |
Reproduce, spread, increase |
| propensity |
Natural inclination or tendency |
| prophetic |
Relating to prophesy, predicting, ominous |
| propitiate |
Attempt to reconcile with, satisfy, or reduce the animosity of (a person who is angry, offended, etc.) |
| propitious |
Favorable, giving good signs for the future, likely to work out; kind or forgiving |
| providential |
Lucky, fortunate, or relating to divine care (the idea that a deity has helped or cared for a person) |
| proxy |
Agent, substitute, person authorized to act on behalf of another |
| précis |
Concise summary, abstract |
| puerile |
Juvenile, immature |
| pugilism |
boxing, fighting with the fists |
| puissance |
Power, might |
| pulchritude |
Physical beauty |
| pungent |
Having a sharp taste or smell; biting, stimulating, sharp |
| pusillanimous |
Cowardly, timid |
| querulous |
Given to complaining, grumbling |
| quiescent |
Quiet, still |
| quixotic |
Extremely impractical but very romantic, chivalrous, or idealistic; impulsive |
| raconteur |
Witty storyteller |
| rarefied |
Lofty, very high up or elevated (in a metaphorical way); exclusive, select; thin, pure, or less dense (as air at the top of a mountain) |
| reactant |
Something that reacts; a substance that undergoes a change in a chemical reaction |
| recalcitrant |
Not obedient, resisting authority, hard to manage |
| recant |
Withdraw, retract, or disavow something one has previously said, esp. formally |
| recapitulate |
Summarize, repeat in a concise way |
| recondite |
Not easily understood, hidden, dealing with an obscure topic |
| recrudescent |
Revival, breaking out into renewed activity |
| redound |
To have a good or bad effect, esp. as a result of a person's efforts or actions (usually used with to, on, or upon) |
| redress |
Setting something right after a misdeed, compensation or relief for injury or wrongdoing (noun); correct, set right, remedy (verb) |
| refractory |
Stubbornly disobedient, hard to manage |
| refulgent |
Shining, radiant |
| rejoinder |
Response or reply, esp. a witty comeback |
| rend |
Tear violently, esp. to tear one's clothing or hair out of grief; pull apart, split, or tear away |
| repast |
A meal (noun); to eat or feast (verb) |
| repertorial |
Pertaining to a repertory or repertoire, a stock of available things or a number of theatrical performances presented regularly or in sequence |
| repose |
The act or state of resting; peacefulness, tranquility; lying dead in a grave |
| reprobate |
Disreputable, unprincipled, or damned person (noun); shameless, depraved (adj) |
| resurgent |
Having a revival, renewing, rising or surging again |
| revamp |
Renovate, redo, revise (verb); a restructuring, upgrade, etc. (noun) |
| ribald |
Using or relating to obscene or vulgar humor |
| ridden |
Dominated or burdened by |
| rift |
A gap or fissure (such as in rock), a break in friendly relations |
| rococo |
Very elaborate and ornate (in decorating or metaphorically, as in speech and writing); relating to a highly ornate style of art and architecture in 18th-century France |
| rue |
Regret, remorse (noun); to feel regret or remorse (verb) |
| ruminate |
Turn over in the mind, reflect on; chew cud (as a cow) |
| salient |
Obvious, standing out; projecting, protruding, jutting out |
| sardonic |
Scornfully or ironically mocking, cynically derisive |
| savant |
Learned person, scholar, someone admitted to membership in a scholarly field; a person with amazing mental abilities despite having a cognitive difference or disability |
| scintilla |
A tiny bit or trace |
| scurvy |
Contemptible, mean |
| searchingly |
In a searching or penetrating manner; while examining closely or probing for answers |
| secrete |
Produce and release a substance from a cell or gland of the body for a functional purpose |
| sedition |
Inciting rebellion against a government, esp. speech or writing that does this |
| semantic |
Relating to the different meanings of words or other symbols |
| seraphic |
Like an angel; serene, spiritually carried off or transported |
| shard |
Fragment of some brittle substance, esp. a sharp fragment of pottery, glass, etc. |
| sinecure |
A job or position that pays while requiring little or no work |
| skittish |
Shy, fickle, uncertain, or prone to act suddenly due to nervousness; lively in a restless or excessive way |
| slake |
Satisfy (esp. thirst), cool, or refresh; make less active |
| sobriquet |
A nickname |
| solecism |
Nonstandard use of grammar or words; mistake, esp. in etiquette |
| solidarity |
Fellowship in interests, feelings, responsibilities, etc., such as among a group of people or among classes, nations, etc. |
| somatic |
Of the body |
| squalid |
Disgusting, filthy, foul, extremely neglected |
| squelch |
Crush, squash; suppress or silence; walk through ooze or in wet shoes, making a smacking or sucking sound |
| stasis |
Equilibrium, a state of balance or inactivity, esp. caused by equal but opposing forces |
| steeped |
Immersed (in), saturated (with) |
| stentorian |
Very loud and powerful (generally of a human voice) |
| stigma |
Mark of disgrace, a figurative stain or mark on someone's reputation |
| stint |
Period of time spent doing something, or a specific, limited amount of work (noun); to be frugal, to get by on little (verb) |
| stipulate |
Specify; make an open demand, esp. as a condition of agreement |
| stratagem |
Military maneuver to deceive or surprise; crafty scheme |
| stratum |
One of many layers (such as in a rock formation or in the classes of a society) |
| strut |
A structural support or brace |
| sublime |
Lofty or elevated, inspiring reverence or awe; excellent, majestic; complete, utter |
| subpoena |
A court order requiring a person to appear in court and give testimony |
| sully |
Make dirty, stain, tarnish, defile |
| supplant |
Take the place of, displace, especially through sneaky tactics |
| supposition |
Assumption, hypothesis, something that has been supposed |
| surly |
Bad-tempered, hostile, unfriendly, or rude |
| surrogate |
Substitute, person who acts for another (noun); acting as a replacement (adj) |
| sybarite |
Person devoted to pleasure and luxury |
| symbiosis |
Mutually dependent relationship between two organisms, people, groups, etc. |
| synoptic |
Relating to a synopsis or summary; giving a general view |
| syntax |
The rules governing grammar and how words join to make sentences (or how words and symbols join in writing computer code), the study of these rules, or any system or orderly arrangement |
| tawdry |
Gaudy, cheap or cheap-looking; indecent |
| tendentious |
Marked by a strong point of view, biased |
| terrestrial |
Relating to the Earth or to land; worldly |
| terse |
Concise, brief and to the point (sometimes to the point of rudeness) |
| toady |
Someone who flatters or acts in a servile manner for self-serving reasons |
| token |
Sign, symbol, mark, badge; souvenir, memento; coin-like disk used as currency for subways, arcade games, etc.; sample, or person, thing, idea taken to represent an entire group (noun); of very little or merely symbolic value (adj) |
| tome |
Large or scholarly book; one of the volumes in a set of several books |
| tortuous |
Twisting, winding, complex; devious, not straightforward |
| transgression |
Violation of a law, moral rule, order, etc.; sin |
| travesty |
Exaggerated, debased, or grotesque imitation |
| treacherous |
Betraying trust, not faithful or trustworthy; not dependable; dangerous or deceptive |
| trenchant |
forceful or vigorous, effective, keen; caustic, sharp |
| truculent |
Fierce, cruel, savage; belligerent |
| tumultuous |
Riotous, violently agitated, marked by disturbance or uproar; noisy, chaotic |
| turgid |
Swollen, inflated; or, metaphorically "inflated," such as in overblown, pompous speech |
| turpitude |
Depravity, baseness of character, corrupt or depraved acts |
| tyro |
Beginner |
| umbrage |
Offense or annoyance (usually as take umbrage, meaning become offended or annoyed) |
| unconscionable |
Not guided by conscience; morally wrong, unjust, unreasonable |
| unsparing |
Generous, lavish (as in not sparing any help or gifts to others); unmerciful, harsh (as in not sparing any criticism) |
| untempered |
Not toned down; not moderated, controlled, or counterbalanced |
| upbraid |
Find fault with, criticize or scold severely |
| usury |
Charging interest on a loan, esp. charging illegally high or excessive interest |
| vanguard |
Leading units at the front of an army; leaders in a trend or movement, people on the "cutting edge"; the forefront of a trend or movement |
| variegated |
Varied in color, having multicolored patches or spots; diverse |
| verdant |
Green, such as with vegetation, plants, grass, etc.; young and inexperienced |
| verisimilar |
Having the appearance of truth, probable |
| vernal |
Relating to the spring; fresh, youthful |
| vestige |
Trace or sign of something that once existed |
| vex |
annoy or bother; puzzle or distress |
| via |
Through, by means of, by way of (by a route that goes through or touches) |
| vicissitude |
Changes or variations over time, esp. regular changes from one thing to another |
| vim |
Pep, enthusiasm, vitality, lively spirit |
| virulent |
Extremely infectious, poisonous, etc.; hateful, bitterly hostile |
| viscid or viscous |
Thick, adhesive, or covered in something sticky |
| vitriol |
Something highly caustic, such as criticism (literally, one of a number of chemicals including sulfuric acid) |
| vociferous |
Noisily crying out, as in protest |
| voluble |
Easily fluent in regards to speech |
| wan |
Unnaturally pale, or showing some other indication of sickness, unhappiness, etc.; weak, lacking forcefulness |
| wanton |
Reckless, vicious, without regard for what is right; unjustifiable, deliberately done for no reason at all; sexually unrestrained or excessively luxurious |
| welter |
Confused mass or pile, jumble; confusion or turmoil (noun); roll around, wallow, toss about, writhe (verb) |
| whet |
Stimulate, make keen or eager (esp. of an appetite) |
| whitewash |
A substance used to whiten walls, wood, etc. (noun); deception, covering up of wrongs, errors, misdeeds, etc. (verb) |
| winnow |
Sift, analyze critically, separate the useful part from the worthless part |
| winsome |
Charming, engaging, esp. in a sweet and innocent way |
| wizened |
Withered, shriveled |
| xenophobia |
Fear or hatred of foreigners or that which is foreign |
| yoke |
A burden or something that oppresses; a frame for attaching animals (such as oxen) to each other and to a plow or other equipment to be pulled, or a bar across a person's shoulders to help carry buckets of water, etc. (noun); to unite together or to burden (verb) |
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