absolve
v. pronounce clear of guilt or blame; grant remission of sin to; acquit |
alleviate
v. provide physical relief, as from pain; make easier; remove in part |
alternative
a. one of two or more things, ideas or courses of action that may be used; option; choice |
ambivalent
a. mixed; experiencing or expressing opposing or contradictory feelings |
analyze
v. discover or reveal something through detailed examination; diagnose; examine |
animosity
n. bitter hostility; active hatred; hostile feeling or act |
approximate
v. come close or be similar to something in quality, nature, or quantity; come near |
arbitrary
a. randomly chosen; determined by chance or impulse, and not by reason or principle |
attribute
n. essential quality; reputation; honor |
beneficial
a. helpful; tending to promote physical well-being |
comprehensive
a. thorough; including all or everything; broad in scope |
connotation
n. an idea that is implied or suggested |
contrast
n. act of distinguishing by comparing differences |
credible
a. capable of being credited or believed; worthy of belief; entitled to confidence; trustworthy |
cursory
a. casual; brief or broad; not cautious, nor detailed |
cynic
n. a person who believes that people are motivated purely by self-interest rather than acting for honorable or unselfish reasons |
dearth
n. scarcity; shortage of food; famine from failure or loss of crops |
deficient
a. inadequate; lacking an essential quality or element |
demonstrate
v. show clearly and deliberately; manifest; confirm; prove |
depict
v. represent in a picture or sculpture; portray in words; describe |
derive
v. obtain or receive from a source; trace the origin or development of |
detract
v. take away a part from; diminish |
devastate
v. ruin; lay waste; destroy; make desolate |
digress
v. turn aside, especially from main subject in writing or speaking |
dilemma
n. a situation in which a difficult choice has to be made between two different things |
diligent
a. assiduous; industrious; hard working |
dissent
v. differ in opinion or feeling; withhold assent or approval |
distort
v. twist out of proper or natural relation of parts; misshape; misrepresent |
diversion
n. act of turning aside; pastime; activity that relaxes or entertains |
elation
n. an exhilarating psychological state of pride and optimism; an absence of depression |
elicit
v. draw out; bring forth or to light; generate or provoke as response or answer |
elude
v. avoid cleverly; escape perception of |
escalate
v. rise; increase in extent or intensity |
evaluate
v. judge or calculate the quality, importance, amount, or value of something |
exacerbate
v. increase severity, violence, or bitterness of; aggravate |
excerpt
n. passage or segment taken from a longer work, such as literary or musical composition |
exemplify
v. serve as an example of; embody |
explicit
a. precisely and clearly expressed; definite; outspoken |
exposition
n. exhibition; part of a play that provides the background information; opening section of a fugue |
falter
v. be unsteady in purpose or action, as from loss of courage or confidence |
feasible
a. capable of being accomplished or brought about |
feign
v. make false appearance of; disguise; conceal; invent or imagine |
fluctuate
v. rise and fall in or as if in waves; shift; vary irregularly |
formulate
v. decide upon and express in words |
generate
v. bring into being; give rise to; produce |
gist
n. most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience; central idea |
hypothetical
a. based on assumptions; supposed |
impartial
a. fair; showing lack of favoritism |
implausible
a. unlikely; difficult to believe; dubious |
implication
n. something hinted at or suggested; act of implying; condition of being implied |
imply
v. express or indicate indirectly; signify |
incentive
n. something, such as the fear of punishment or the expectation of reward |
incoherent
a. lacking cohesion, connection, or harmony; unable to think in clear manner |
indolent
a. lazy; slow to heal, grow, or develop; inactive |
infamous
a. notoriously bad; having exceedingly bad reputation |
infuriate
v. enrage; make furious or mad with anger |
innovation
n. a new method, idea, product; introduction of something new |
interpret
v. explain or tell the meaning of; translate orally; decipher |
intimidate
v. frighten; make timid; fill with fear |
isolate
v. seclude; set apart or cut off from others |
jeopardize
v. endanger; imperil; put at risk |
lucrative
a. profitable; producing good profit |
mandatory
a. obligatory; required or commanded by authority |
mediate
v. resolve or settle differences by working with all conflicting parties |
mortify
v. cause to experience shame or humiliation; embarrass |
niche
n. small concavity; a position particularly well suited to the person who occupies it |
obscure
v. darken; make dim or indistinct; conceal in obscurity |
obsolete
a. no longer useful; outmoded; antiquated |
pacify
v. ease anger or agitation of; make calm or quiet; end war or violence |
perception
n. ability to notice and understand things that are not obvious to other people |
perspective
n. appearance of things; view, outlook, or vista |
pertinent
a. having precise or logical relevance; pertaining or relating |
ponder
v. weigh; weigh in the mind; view with deliberation; examine carefully; consider attentively |
prevalent
a. widespread; widely or commonly occurring, existing, accepted |
proponent
n. one who argues in support of something; advocate; backer |
punitive
a. punishing; involving punishment; awarding or inflicting punishment |
rapport
n. a good understanding of someone; an ability to communicate well with people; emotional closeness |
rationale
n. fundamental reasons; basis; exposition of principles or reasons |
reconcile
v. correct inconsistencies; become compatible or consistent |
redundant
a. exceeding what is necessary or natural; repetitious; excessively wordy |
respective
a. individual; relating to particular persons or things, each to each; particular; respectful; regardful |
retaliate
v. do something harmful or negative to get revenge for some harm; fight back or respond in kind to an injury or affront |
sabotage
v. destroy property or hinder normal operations |
scrutiny
n. close examination; minute inspection; critical observation. |
simulate
v. make a pretence of; reproduce someone's behavior or looks |
squander
v. spend wastefully; fail to take advantage of; lose a chance for |
succumb
v. submit to an overpowering force; yield to an overwhelming desire; give up or give in |
tangible
a. able to be touched; real or concrete; palpable |
technique
n. practical method or art applied to some particular task; skillfulness |
traumatic
a. relating to injury caused by violence; adapted to cure of wounds; vulnerary |
turmoil
n. a state of confusion, uncertainty, or disorder |
valid
a. logically convincing; sound; legally acceptable; well grounded |
verify
v. confirm; prove the truth of by presentation of evidence or testimony |
viable
a. practical or workable; capable of maintaining life; capable of continuing effectiveness |
vulnerable
a. susceptible to wounds; capable of being wounded or hurt |