aberration
n. a departure from the norm or what is considered right, natural, or normal; a flaw or defect |
abominate
v. to hate or loathe intensely |
abridge
v. to shorten in duration or extent; to diminish |
accolade
n. an expression of approval or respect for special merit; a award |
accost
v. to approach and speak to in an aggressive or challenging way |
acoustic
adj. relating to sound or hearing |
acrimony
n. bitterness or sharpness of temper, manner, or speech; hostility |
adamant
adj. not yielding; firm |
adjacent
adj. near or next to; adjoining |
adjudicate
v. to hear and decide judicially; to judge |
adjunct
n. something or someone joined or added to something else but not essentially a part of it |
adulate
v. to flatter or admire excessively; to idolize |
affinity
n. attraction for someone or something with which one feels a closeness or kinship |
aftermath
n. a consequence or result, often a negative one |
aggregate
n. a group of things gathered into a whole; sum total |
agrarian
adj. having to do with farming or agriculture |
allocate
v. to set aside for a specific purpose; to allot |
altercation
n. a loud and determined dispute; a noisy quarrel |
ambivalent
adj. having mixed, often opposing, feeling about something or someone; indecisive |
ameliorate
v. to make better; to become better; to improve |
amenable
adj. responsive; willing to be controlled or to take advice |
animosity
n. intense ill will |
annals
n. a historical record of events, often arranged in a yearly sequence |
antiquated
adj. grown old; out-of-date |
aphorism
n. a short of truth or principle; an adage |
ascribe
v. to attribute to a source or a cause |
asperity
n. sharpness or harshness of manner |
assemblage
n. a collection or gathering of people or things |
assiduous
adj. diligent and persistent |
attest
v. to declare or be evidence of something as true, genuine, or accurate |
augur
v. to predict future events, especially from omens |
august
adj. inspiring great respect or admiration; noble |
aura
n. a distinctive atmosphere or feeling that seems to surround someone or something; a distinctive appearance or impression |
auspices
n. protection, support, or guidance; patronage |
auspicious
adj. favorable, promising |
avarice
n. greed for wealth |
axiom
n. a statement or principle that requires no proof because ints truth is obvious |
baleful
adj. expressing hatred or evil; harmful, ominous |
banal
adj. lacking freshness; trite |
bane
n. a person or thing that destroys or causes harm |
bastion
n. a fortified area or position; a person, place, or thing that is a source of strength |
beleaguer
v. to surround with troubles; to harass |
belie
v. to give a false impression of; to contradict |
bemuse
v. to confuse or bewilder |
berate
v. to criticize vigorously; to scold vehemently |
beset
v. to surround or attack repeatedly |
bilk
v. to cheat our of what is due |
buffoon
n. a person who often makes attempts to be funny; a clown; a fool |
burgeon
v. to grow and expand rapidly; to flourish |
carnage
n. great destruction of life; slaughter |
castigate
v. to punish by criticizing sharply; to berate |
cataclysm
n. a sudden and violent change; a catastrophe |
catharsis
n. a releasing of the emotions, often through the arts, that brings about spiritual renewal or a relieving of tension |
cautionary
adj. offering or serving as a warning |
cavil
n. a minor criticism |
cede
v. to give up or transfer, especially by treaty or formal agreement |
celestial
adj. of or relating to the skies or heavens |
centennial
n. a one-hundredth anniversary or its celebration |
certitude
n. the state of being certain of the truth or rightness of something |
cessation
n. a stopping, either final or temporary |
charisma
n. a special quality in a person that inspires devotion or fascination in others |
chary
adj. exercising caution; hesitant |
churlish
adj. lacking good manners; rude, impolite |
circuitous
adj. roundabout; indirect |
circumvent
v. to avoid through craftiness |
clique
n. a small, exclusive group; a group held together by like interests or purpose |
cognizant
adj. fully aware; taking notice |
cohort
n. one who assists another, especially in a dubious or criminal activity; an accomplice |
colloquial
adj. characterized by informal language |
compunction
n. a feeling of uneasiness or anxiety caused by guilt |
concoct
v. to make up, prepare, or invent |
condone
v. to overlook or accept without punishment; to pardon or excuse |
confidant
n. a person to whom secrets are told |
constituent
n. one of the parts that make up a whole |
constrain
v. to confine, inhibit, or hold back by force or necessity |
consummate
adj. extremely skilled; complete or perfect |
conundrum
n. a riddle whose answer is a play on words |
conversant
adj. having knowledge or experience; well-informed |
countenance
n. a person’s face; the expression on a person’s face |
credulous
adj. willing to believe things with only slight or no evidence; easily conviced |
culinary
adj. having to do with cooking |
culpable
adj. deserving blame or censure |
curator
n. a person in charge of an exhibition; an overseer of a museum or library collection |
curtail
v. to cut short or reduce |
dearth
n. scarcity; a shortage |
decorum
n. suitable, proper behavior or speech |
decrepit
adj. worn-out with use; broken-down |
defunct
adj. no longer existing or functioning |
demoralize
v. to destroy the morals or morale of someone; to weaken the spirit or courage of someone |
denigrate
v. to attack the reputation of; to criticize in a derogatory manner |
derivative
n. something that grows out of or results from an earlier form or condition |
desultory
adj. proceeding or carried out in an aimless or random way |
diabolical
adj. devilish; wicked or evil |
differentiate
v. to see the difference; to distinguish |
dilemma
n. a problem that seems to have no satisfactory solution; a difficult choice |
diminutive
adj. very small; tiny |
disarray
n. a lack or order; confusion |
discriminate
v. the act of making a distinction in favor of or against a person or thing on the basis of the group or category rather tan according to actual merit |
disgruntle
v. to make dissatisfied; to put in a bad mood |
disparage
v. to criticize in a negative, disrespectful manner |
dissipate
v. to break up and spread out so thinly as to disappear; to scatter or be scattered |
diverse
adj. differing from one another; having various or distinct parts |
doleful
adj. mournful or full of sorrow; causing grief |
ebullient
adj. bubbling with enthusiasm or high spirits |
emaciated
adj. very thin or wasted away, especially from lack of nourishment; scrawny |
enclave
n. a distinct region or community enclosed within a larger territory |
endow
v. to provide with a quality, a thing, or a gift or money |
engender
v. to bring into being, to produce |
enormity
n. the state or quality of being monstrous or outrageous |
entrepreneur
n. an individual who manages and takes the risk of a business |
ephemeral
adj. lasting a very short time |
epitaph
n. the words carved on a tombstone in memory of the deceased |
equilibrium
n. a state of balance |
eradicate
v. to get rid of; to uproot |
esoteric
adj. not generally known or understood; familiar to only a relatively small number of people |
espionage
n. the act of spying, especially a government spy obtaining secrets of another government |
euphemism
n. a polite term used to avoid directly naming something considered offensive or unpleasant |
evanescent
adj. short-lived; staying temporarily |
exacerbate
v. to make more severe, bitter, or violent |
exodus
n. a mass departure |
expedite
v. to speed up a process; to facilitate |
expendable
adj. able to be used up and then discarded or replaced |
extant
adj. still existing; not lost or destroyed |
extrovert
n. a person whose attention is focused on others and on what is going on around her or him, rather than on her or his own feels |
factotum
n. a helper or assistant with a wide range of duties and responsibilities |
fatuous
adj. foolish; silly; stupid |
flotilla
n. a fleet of boats or small ships |
flout
v. to ignore in a disrespectful or scornful way |
foment
v. to stir up, to rouse; to instigate |
fortuitous
adj. happening by lucky chance; accidental |
galaxy
n. a vast cluster of stars and other matter, billions of which make up the known universe |
galvanize
v. to excite or arouse action |
gamut
n. the entire range of something |
garish
adj. excessively bright and flashy; tastelessly glaring |
gibe
v. to utter taunting, sarcastic words |
gird
v. to encircle, bind, or surround |
gossamer
n. thin, sheer fabric resembling gauze |
gourmet
n. a person who likes fine food an is a good judge of its quality |
grandiloquent
adj. using lofty or pompous speech or expression |
grandiose
adj. impressive because of large size or scope |
gratuitous
adj. no called for; unnecessary |
halcyon
adj. calm, peaceful, and happy; prosperous |
harbinger
n. a person or thing that is a symbol of what is to come |
heresy
n. the expression of shocking or unacceptable views |
hierarchy
n. a group or system in which potions of power are ranked, usually from lowest to highest |
homily
n. a lecture usually long, on how to behave morally |
homogeneous
adj. of a similar kind or nature; uniform throughout |
hybrid
n. the offspring of two animals or plants of different species or varieties |
hyperbole
n. extravagant exaggeration |
hypothetical
adj. based on something that is not actual but assumed or supposed |
ignominious
adj. marked by, deserving, or causing shame or disgrace |
illicit
adj. not allowed, improper, or unlawful |
illusory
adj. unreal or imagined; deceiving |
imbue
v. to fill completely with a feeling or idea; to inspire |
implacable
adj. incapable of being placated, soothed, or significantly changed; relentless |
implement
v. to carry out |
importune
v. to plead for persistently |
inalienable
adj. not able to be taken or given away |
incarcerate
v. to confine or to put in prison |
incoherent
adj. not connected; confused; rambling |
inconsequential
adj. lacking importance or worth; unable to make an impact; trivial |
incumbent
n. one who occupies an office or position |
incur
v. to bring upon oneself something undesirable, such as a debt |
indigenous
adj. naturally living or growing in a certain area; native |
indignity
n. an insult to one’s ride; offensive or humiliating treatment |
indiscriminate
adj. not marked by careful distinctions; haphazard |
induce
v. to influence or persuade |
ineffable
adj. incapable of being expressed in words |
inexorable
adj. not to be persuaded, stopped, or moved by entreaty or plea; relentless |
infamous
adj. having a very mad reputation; notorious |
infatuated
adj. filled with excessive, shallow, or foolish love or desire |
infirmity
n. physical or mental weakness or defect |
ingratiate
v. to work to gain the favor of someone |
iniquitous
adj. unjust; wicked |
innocuous
adj. harmless; unlikely to offend |
insatiable
adj. never satisfied; greedy |
instigate
v. to stir up or urge on; to provoke |
insurrection
n. an open revolt against legal authority; a rebellion |
inter
v. to put in a grave; to bury |
intercede
v. to act or plead on another’s behalf; to try to smooth the differences between two parties |
intractable
adj. hard to manage, tame, or control; stubborn; not easily cured |
intransigent
adj. refusing to compromise or change one’s position on an issue |
inure
v. to adjust to and accept unpleasant or undesirable conditions |
inveigh
v. to complain or protest strongly |
juncture
n. a joining or coming together; the place where such a connection occurs |
jurisdiction
n. legal authority to govern of control |
juxtapose
v. to place side by side |
lacerate
v. to tear or cut roughly |
largesse
n. the act of giving generously; gifts |
laudatory
adj. full of praise |
liquidate
v. to settle the affairs of a business; to convert into cash |
luminary
n. a source of light, especially from the sky, such as the sun or moon |
maelstrom
n. a large and violent whirlpool or something resembling a whirlpool |
magnate
n. an important, often wealthy, person prominent in a large industry or business |
magnitude
n. greatness of size, power, or influence |
malign
v. to say negative and unfair things about; slander |
mandatory
adj. ordered by an authority; required |
manifesto
n. a public statement explaining the intentions, motives, or views of an individual or group |
manifold
adj. having many different kinds, forms, or parts |
materialize
v. to appear in physical form, especially suddenly |
matriarchy
n. a society that is headed by a female |
mellifluous
adj. sweetly flowing; pleasant to the ear |
mesmerize
v. to fascinate or hypnotize |
mien
n. a person’s manner, appearance, or expression; bearing |
minuscule
adj. very small in size or importance |
misnomer
n. a name that does not fit |
mitigate
v. to make or become less serious or severe; to ameliorate |
muster
v. to summon or call forth; to gather |
necessitate
v. to require; to make necessary |
neophyte
n. a beginner; a novice |
nonpareil
n. a person or thing without an equal |
obituary
n. a notice of someone’s death, such as in a newspaper, usually with a brief summary of that person’s life |
odyssey
n. a long, adventurous journey |
olfactory
adj. relating to the sense of small |
omnivorous
adj. eating all kinds of food, including both animal and vegetable food |
onerous
adj. burdensome; oppressive |
optimum
adj. best or most favorable |
palatable
adj. acceptable or pleasing, especially to the sense of taste |
panacea
n. something that is supposed to cure all ills or difficulties; a cure-all |
panache
n. dash or flamboyance in style or action |
pandemonium
n. a state or place of great confusion or uproar |
pantheon
n. a group of people held in high esteem for their great achievements |
partisan
n. a strong supporter or advocate |
patina
n. a green film that forms on copper exposed to the elements |
penchant
n. a strong attraction or leaning |
permeate
v. to spread throughout; to pass through |
perpetrate
v. to commit, as a crime or other antisocial act |
perverse
adj. turned away form what is right; wicked |
picayune
adj. petty or insignificant; concerned with trifling maters |
pillory
v. to expose to public scorn or contempt |
pleasantry
n. an agreeable, casual remark |
plebeian
adj. of or pertaining to the common people; common; unrefined |
plethora
n. too great a number; an excess |
poignant
adj. painfully moving, affecting, or touching |
posterity
n. a person’s descendants; future generations |
precedent
n. the act of statement that may serve as an example or justification for a later one |
predecessor
n. a person or thing that has held a position or office before another |
predilection
n. an inclination; preference |
premeditated
adj. fully planned beforehand; deliberate |
prerogative
n. a special right limited to a person, group, or office; a privilege |
pretext
n. an effort to conceal the real intention or state of affairs; an excuse |
procrastinate
v. to put off until later |
profane
v. disrespectful of sacred things |
prohibitive
adj. serving to restrain action or discourage use of |
proliferate
v. to grow, expand, or multiply at a rapid rate |
promontory
n. a high point of land that juts out into water |
proselytize
v. to convert someone to a faith, belief, or cause |
qualm
n. a feeling of uneasiness as to whether what one id doing is right or wise; a misgiving |
quixotic
adj. romantic and idealistic, but impractical |
rambunctious
adj. behaving in a wild and unruly manner |
rampant
adj. threateningly wild, without restraint or control; widespread |
rancor
n. a deep, long-held feeling of hatred or bitterness |
rapt
adj. fully absorbed; engrossed |
recompense
v. to pay or compensate |
refurbish
v. to make like new; to renovate |
reminisce
v. to think or talk about one’s past |
remiss
adj. negligent; careless; lax |
rendition
n. an interpretation or translation; a performance |
reparation
n. a mending or repair |
repast
n. food and drink; a meal |
repertoire
n. the list of pieces an actor, musician, etc., is ready to perform; the skills or accomplishments of a person or group |
resurgence
n. a rising again to life. use. acceptance. or prominence; a revival |
resuscitate
v. to revive from unconsciousness or apparent death; to revive or restore to health or vigor |
rudiment
n. a basic principle or skill |
ruminate
v. to think over again and again; to ponder |
sabotage
n. acts that intentionally damage, hinder, or seek to discredit |
sadistic
adj. taking pleasure in causing pain |
scathing
adj. harshly critical |
scourge
n. something that causes great pain and suffering; a social evil |
scurrilous
adj. vulgar; coarsely abusive |
secrete
v. to produce and give off |
servitude
n. a lack of freedom forced labor |
sibling
n. one of two or more people who have the same parents; brother or sister |
singular
adj. extraordinary; exceptional |
smattering
n. a small amount |
somnolent
adj. tending to cause sleepiness |
spurious
adj. not genuine; false |
stalemate
n. a halt in a struggle because both sides are equally strong and neither side will give in; a deadlock |
stalwart
adj. strong; sturdy |
stereotype
n. a generalization that is used to characterize a person without acknowledging individual differences |
stigma
n. a mark of shame or disgrace |
stipend
n. a regular and fixed amount of pay for work done or to help cover living or work expenses |
subservient
adj. serving or acting in a subordinate manner; servile |
temerity
n. reckless boldness without regard to danger or opposition |
temperate
adj. mild, moderate; restrained |
tenacious
adj. holding fast; persistent in adhering to something valued or habitual |
titanic
adj. marked by great strength, size, or influence |
transpire
v. to become apparent; to come to light |
tutelage
n. instruction, protection. or guardianship |
undermine
v. to attack by indirect, secret, or underhanded means |
unremitting
adj. not stopping or slowing down; constant |
vagary
n. a departure from the normal, expected course; a whim or unpredictable action |
vanguard
n. the leading or forwards position in a movement |
vestige
n. a trace of something that once was present |
visionary
adj. able to see what might be accomplished in the future |
volatile
adj. evaporating quickly |
winnow
v. to separate and remove what is undesirable and leave what is desirable; to blow away the chaff from again |
zephyr
n. a light, gently breeze |