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8/8/2014 GRE Kaplan + Barron's Word list flashcards | Quizlet

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1579 terms by pavanbkmr

Abate to decrease; reduce

Abdicate to step down from a position of power

Aberrant deviating from what is normal

Abeyance temporary suppression or suspension

Abject miserable; pitiful

Abjure to reject; abandon formally

Ablution the act of washing one's body

Abnegate to deny to oneself, renounce, surrender

Abridge to shorten, condense or lessen in length

Abrogate to repeal, to set aside, to nullify

Abscission n. the act of cutting; the natural separation of

a leaf or other part of a plant; v. to cut off or

away (abscise)

Abscond to depart secretly

Absolve to forgive or free from blame

Abstemious moderate in appetite

Abstinence the giving up of certain pleasures

Abstruse hard to understand or grasp

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Abut to touch, to be in contact with

Abysmal very bad

Accolade award or honor, high praise

Accouterment personal clothing, accessories, or equipment

Accretion growth in size or increase in amount

Accrue to accumulate; grow by additions

Acerbic bitter, sharp in taste or temper

Acidulous sour, ill tempered

Acme highest point, summit

Acquiesce to comply passively, to give in

Acquit to find not guilty, to conduct oneself

Adamant uncompromising; unyielding

Adjunct something added; attached; or joined

Adjure to command or urge solemnly and earnestly

Admonish to caution or reprimand

Adroit skillful, accomplished, highly competent

Adulterate to corrupt or make impure

Adumbrate to suggest partly, to give a hint of things to

come

Adventitious accidental

Advocate to support, or be in favor of

Aegis protection, patronage

Aerie nook or nest built high in the air

Aesthetic concerned with or appreciative of beauty

Affected pretentious; phony

Affinity fondness; liking; similarity

Afflatus a creative impulse, divine inspiration

Agathism the belief that things ultimately lead to good



Agenda program, things to be done

Aggrandize to make larger or greater

Aggregate adj. amounting to a whole; total; v. to collect

into a mass; n. collective mass or sum

Aggrieve to distress, to mistreat

Agnate from the father's side of the family

Akimbo having one's hands in a bent position on the

hips,

Alacrity cheerful willingness; eagerness; speed

Alchemy medieval chemical philosophy based on

changing metal into gold; a seemingly magical

power or process of transmutation

Aleatory based on chance

Allay to lessen; ease; soothe

Alleviate to relieve; improve partially

Alloy a combination; a mixture of two or more

metals

Allure the power to entice by charm

Allusion an indirect reference

Altruism unselfish concern for others' welfare

Altruistic unselfish concern with the welfare of others

Amalgamate to combine into a unified whole

Ambiguous unclear or doubtful in meaning

Ambivalence the state of having conflicting emotional

attitudes

Ambrosia something delicious; the food of the gods

Ambulatory able to walk or move about

Ameliorate to improve

Amenable agreeable; cooperative; suited

Amenity something that increases comfort



Amnesty an official pardon for a group of people who

violate a law

Amortize to diminish by installment payments

Amulet ornament worn as a charm against evil spirits

Ana a collection of materials that reflect a person

or place

Anachronism something out of the proper time

Analgesic medication that reduces or elimates pain

Analogous adj. comparable; n. a similarity in some ways

between things that are otherwise dissimilar

(analogy)

Anarchy n. absence of government; state of disorder;

adj. lacking order or control (anarchic)

Anathema something or someone loathed or intensely

dislike

Ancillary subsidiary, subordinate

Animosity ill will, active dislike

Animus hostile feeling

Anodyne n. something that calms or soothes pain; adj.

relaxing; or capable of soothing pain

Anomalous irregular, abnormal, unusual

Anomie a social condition marked by a breakdown of

social norms

Antecedent something that comes before

Antediluvian prehistoric

Anthropomorphic attributing human qualities to nonhumans;

having human qualities

Antinomy a contradiction between two seemingly true

statements

Antipathy dislike; hostility



Antipodal situated on opposite side of the earth or being

exactly opposite

Apathy indifference

Apex the highest point

Aphasia loss of speech

Aphorism a wise saying

Aplomb poise, confidence

Apocryphal false, spurious, of doubtful origin

Apogee the point in an orbit most distant from the

body being orbited; the highest point

Apoplexy a stroke resulting from loss of blood of the

brain,

Apostasy a judge, one who decides

Apostate one who renounces a religious faith

Apothegm a terse; witty saying

Apotheosis deification; glorified ideal

Appease to calm; pacify; placate

Appellation name

Apposite strinkingly appropriate and relevant

Apprise to inform

Approbation praise; approval

Appropriate to take possession for one's own use;

confiscate

Apropos relevant

Arabesque ornate design featuring intertwined curves; a

ballet position in which one leg is extended in

back while the other supports the weight of

the body

Arable suitable for the growing of crops

Arboreal relating to trees; living in trees



Archeology the study of material evidence of past human

life

Ardor great emotion or passion

Arduous extremely difficult; laborious

Argot a specialized vocabulary used by a group

Arrant notoriously without moderation, downright

Arrest to stop; to seize

Arriviste a social climber, an upstart

Artifact item made by human craft

Artless guileless; natural

Ascetic n. one who practices self-denial; adj. self-

denying or austere

Aseptic surgically clean, free of germs

Asperity severity; harshness; irritability

Aspersion slander; false rumor

Assiduous diligent; hard-working

Assignation a secret meeting, a tryst, or something

assigned

Assuage to make less severe

Astringent harsh; severe

Asylum place of refuge or shelter

Atavism in biology; the reappearance of a

characteristic in an organism after several

generations of absence; individual or a part

that exhibits atavism; return of a trait after a

period of absence

Atrabilious inclined to melancholy

Attenuate to weaken

Audacious bold; daring

Augment to increase or enlarge



Austere stern; unadorned

Autonomous self-governing; independent

Avarice greed

Aver to affirm; declare to be true

Aversion strong or fixed dislike, a feeling of repugnance

Avocation secondary occupation

Avuncular like an uncle; benevolent and tolerant

Axiomatic taken for granted

Bacchanal a drunken reveler or orgy

Bacchanalian pertaining to riotous or drunken festivity;

pertaining to revelry

Bailiwick a particular area of expertise

Balk to refuse, shirk; prevent

Banal commonplace; trite

Banausic routine, mechanical, boring

Bandy to toss and forth, to exchange, to use in a glib

way

Banter playful conversation

Bard poet

Baroque extravagantly ornate, flamboyant,

characterized by bold ornamentation

Bathos a transition from the illustrious to the

commonplace, overdone pathos,

Bawdy obscene

Beatific saintly, angelic

Beatify to sanctify; to bless; to ascribe a virtue to

Bedizen to dress in a vulgar; showy manner

Begrudge to envy another's possessions, to concede

reluctantly



Behemoth huge creature; anything very large and

powerful

Belie to contradict; misrepresent; give a false

impression

Bellwether a person who assumes a leadership role or

takes initiative

Benediction a blessing, a good wish

Beneficent kindly; doing good

Benign gentle, not harmful, kind

Benison blessing, benediction

Besmirch to stain or soil ( commonly as to reputation )

Bibulous highly absorbent, given to or fond of alcoholic

beverages

Bifurcate to divide into two parts

Bifurcated forked, divided into two branches

Bilious ill tempered, cranky, angry

Bionics the application of biological principles to the

the design of electrical or engineering systems

Bivouac a temporary encampment

Blanch to turn pale

Blandishment n. flattery; v. to coax with flattery (blandish)

Blase bored because of frequent indulgence;

unconcerned

Blithe happily, lighthearted, joyful

Bolster to give a boost to; prop up; support

Bombastic pompous; using inflated language

Bon vivant someone who enjoys luxurious living

Bonhomie good-natured geniality; atmosphere of good

cheer

Boondoggle a useless or valueless project or activity



Boorish rude; insensitive

Bosky wooded, covered with trees and shrubs

Botch to bungle, to foul up

Bovine cowlike

Bowdlerize to censor prudishly

Bracing invigorating, to prepare

Braggadocio arrogant pretension, empty conceit

Brazen bold; shameless

Broach to mention for the first time

Brook to tolerate, to put up with something

Brummagem bogus, fraudulent, cheap, showy

Bucolic characteristic of the countryside; rustic;

pastoral

Buffoon clown or fool

Bulwark something used as a defense, a strong

protection

Bumptious pushy, conceited, noisily self assertive

Burgeon to flourish

Burnish to polish

Buttress to reinforce; support

Byzantine extremely intricate or complicated in structure

Cabal a secret group of conspirators, a clique

Cache a hiding place, something hidden in a secret

place

Cachet a mark of distinction, a quality that "says"

prestige

Cacophonous unpleasant or harsh-sounding

Cadge to beg; sponge



Caducity the frailty of old age, the quality of being

perishable transitoriness

Cajole to flatter, coax, persuade

Calamitous disastrous, catastrophic

Callous thick-skinned; insensitive

Calumny false and malicious accusation; slander

Canard false; deliberately misleading story

Candor truthfulness, great honesty, frankness

Canon an established principle; a basis or standard

for judgment; a group of literary works

Cant insincere talk; language of a particular group

Cantankerous irritable; ill-humored

Capitulate to surrender, to stop resisting

Capricious adj. fickle; n. inclination to change one's mind

compulsively

Captious faultfinding; intended to entrap; as in an

argument

Cardinal of foremost importance

Carnal of the flesh or body; related to physical

appetites

Carom to strike and rebound

Carping to find fault; complain

Cartography science of making maps

Caste any of the hereditary social classes of hindu

society; social stratification

Castigate to punish, chastise, criticize severely

Castigation punishment; chastisement; criticism

Cataclysm a violent upheaval that causes great

destruction and change

Catalyst something causing change



Categorical absolute; without exception

Catharsis an emotional purification, an emotional release

Caucus smaller group within an organization

Causal involving a cause

Caustic sarcastically biting; burning

Cavalcade a procession

Cavil to quibble, to raise trivial objections

Celerity haste, swiftness of movement

Celestial concerning the sky or heavens; sublime

Censure the act of blaming or condemning

Centrifugal moving away from a center

Centripetal moving or directed toward a center

Chagrin shame, embarrassment, humiliation

Champion to defend or support

Charlatan quack, fake

Chary careful, cautious, wary

Chasten to correct by punishment or reproof; to

restrain or subdue

Chastise to criticize severely

Chattel piece of personal property

Chicanery trickery; fraud

Chimerical wildly fanciful, absurd

Chivalry the qualities idealized by knighthood such as

bravery and gallantry toward women

Choleric easily angered, short-tempered

Chronic constant, lasting a long time

Churlish rude; boorish

Circuitous roundabout



Circumlocution wordy language, an indirect, roundabout

expression

Circumspect careful, thought through

Cistern tank for rainwater

Clairvoyant one who can predict the future; psychic

Clamor noisy outcry

Claque an audience paid to clap, an obsequious

audience

Clemency disposition towards mercy, mildness

Clerisy the intellectual elite

Clique a small; exclusive group

Cloister v. to confine; seclude; n. monastery or

convent; adj. shut away from the world

(cloistered)

Clout influence, a forceful blow

Coagulate thicken; congeal

Coalesce to cause to beome one

Coda concluding part of a literary or musical

composition; something that summarizes or

concludes

Codify systematize

Coffer strongbox, large chest for money

Cogent convincing

Cogitate to ponder over, to mediate, to think

Cognizant informed; conscious; aware

Cognomen family name; any name, especially a nickname

Coherent making sense, organize and logical

Collage artistic composition of materials pasted over a

surface; an assemblage of diverse elements

Colloquial conversational, used in informal speech



Comeliness physical grace and beauty

Commensurate proportional

Commodious roomy, spacious

Compatible able to get along well

Compendium brief; comprehensive summary

Complacent self-satisfied

Complaisant overly polite; willing to please; obliging

Complement something that completes or makes up a

whole

Compliant yielding

Comport to behave

Compunction uneasiness caused by guilt

Compunctious feeling guilty or having misgivings

Concave curving inward

Conciliatory overcoming distrust or hostility

Concoct invent

Concomitant existing concurrently

Condone to overlook volutarily; forgive

Conflagration a large, disastrous fire

Confound to baffle; perplex; mix up

Congenial similar in tastes and habits; friendly; suited to

Conjugal pertaining to marriage agreement

Connoisseur a person possessing expert knowledge or

training; a person of informed and

discriminating taste

Consanguineous of the same origin; related by blood

Conscript n. person compulsorily enrolled for military

service; v. to enroll a person for military

service



Consecrate to declare sacred

Contend v. to assert; n. an assertion (contention)

Contention claim; thesis

Contentious quarrelsome; causing quarrels

Contiguous touching; neighboring; connecting without a

break

Continence self-control; abstention from sexual activity

Contrite very sorrowful for a wrong

Contumacious disobedient; rebellious

Conundrum riddle; puzzle with no solution

Convention n. practice widely observed in a group;

custom; accepted technique or device; adj.

customary or commonplace (conventional)

Converge to approach; come together; tend to meet

Convex curved outward

Convey to transport, to conduct, to communicate

Conviction determination, a state of being convinced

Convivial sociable

Convoluted twisted; complicated

Copious abundant; plentiful

Coquette woman who flirts

Cornucopia horn overflowing with fruit and grain; state of

abundance

Corpulence obesity, fatness, bulkiness

Corroborate to support with evidence

Corrugate to mold in a shape with parallel grooves and

ridges

Cortege a procession, a group of attendants

Cosmology study of the universe as a totality; theory of

the origin and structure of the universe



Cosset to pamper, treat with great care

Coterie an intimate group of people with a common

interest

Coven group of witches

Covert hidden; secret

Covet to wish for with envy

Covetous desiring something owned by another

Cozen to mislead by trick or fraud; deceive

Craven cowardly

Credence acceptance of something as true

Credo statement of belief or principle; creed

Criterion standard for judging

Culvert a sewer or drain

Curmudgeon cranky person

Cursory brief, without much attention to detail

Daedal ingenious or complex in design

Daunt to discourage; intimidate; dishearten

De facto in fact; whether by right or not; exercising

power without being legally established

Dearth scarcity

Debacle a disaster or violent breakdown

Debauchery corruption

Deciduous shedding or losing leaves on a particular

season, not evergreen

Decimate to kill or destroy a large part of

Declivity downward slope

Decorum proper behavior

Defalcate to embezzle

Defame to malign; harm someone's reputation



Default to fail to act

Defenestration the act of throwing someone or something out

a window

Defer to submit to the wishes of another due to

respect or recognition of the person's

authority or knowledge

Deference respect; regard for another's wish

Deft skillful

Defunct no longer existing

Deism the belief that god created the world and then

left it to its own devices

Deleterious harmful

Delineate to represent or depict

Delude to deceive, to have false illusion

Deluge flood

Demagogue leader or rabble-rouser who usually uses

appeals to emotion or prejudice

Demimonde a class of kept women or women of lower

social standing,

Demographic related to population balance

Demotic pertaining to people

Demur to express doubt

Denigrate to slur someone's reputation

Denizen an inhabitant; a regular visitor

Denouement outcome; unraveling of the plot of a play or

work of literature

Denunciation open condemnation

Depravity moral corruption

Depreciate to lessen in value, to belittle



Depredate to prey upon, to plunder with violence if

necessary

Deride to mock

Derivative something derived; unoriginal

Descry to discern, to see something, to teach sight of

Desecrate to treat with disrespect

Desiccate to dry completely

Destitute very poor, totally lacking

Desuetude state of disuse

Desultory random; disconnected; rambling

Deterrent something that discourages or hinders

Detraction the act of taking away; derogatory comment

on a person's character

Deviant a person whose behavior differs from the

accepted standards of society

Diadem a crown that indicates royalty

Diaphanous transparent; fine-textured; insubstantial; vague

Diatribe bitter verbal attack

Dichotomy division into two usually contradictory parts

Dictum authoritative statement; popular saying

Didactic instructive, intended to educate

Diffidence shyness; lack of confidence

Diffuse v. to spread out; adj. wordy; rambling;

spread out

Digress to stray from the main subject

Digression act of straying from the main point

Dilettante a dabbler, someone with a superficial

knowledge (usually of the arts)

Diluvial relating to a flood



Diminutive small

Dirge funeral hymn

Disabuse to free from misconception

Discern to perceive something obscure

Discerning perceptive; exhibiting keen insight and good

judgment

Discomfit to make uneasy; disconcert

Discordant not in tune

Discount to deduct, to disregard

Discredit to dishonor; disgrace; cause to be doubted

Discrepancy difference between

Discrete constituting a separate thing; distinct

Discretion quality of showing self-restraint in speech or

actions; circumspection; freedom to act on

one's own

Disingenuous not candid; crafty

Disinterested unprejudiced; objection

Disjointed lacking order or coherence; dislocated

Dismiss put away from consideration; reject

Disparage to belittle

Disparate dissimilar

Disquiet to make uneasy

Dissemble to pretend; disguise one's motinves

Disseminate to spread; scatter; disperse

Dissident person who disagrees about belief; etc.

Dissipate to break up, to squander, to indulge

excessively in sensual pleasure

Dissolution disintegration; debauchery

Dissonance discord; lack of harmony



Distaff the female branch of a family

Distend to expand; swell out

Distill extract the essential elements

Distrait inattentive; preoccupied

Dither to move or act confusedly or without clear

purpose

Diurnal occurring during the day, happens everyday

Diva an opera singer, prima donna, a

tempermental, conceited person

Diverge to vary; go in different directions from the

same point

Divest to strip; deprive; rid

Divulge to make known something that is secret

Docile easily tought, submissive

Doctrinaire relating to a person who cannot compromise

about points of a theory or doctrine;

dogmatic; unyielding

Document to provide with written evidence to support

Doff to take off (usually clothing) as a sign of

greeting

Doggerel poor verse

Dogmatic stating opinions without proof

Dolor sadness

Dolorous sorrowful

Dormant inactive

Dossier a file of documents, letters and records

Doughty courageous

Draconian severe, exceedingly harsh

Droll amusing in a wry, subtle way

Dross waste; worthless matter; trivial matter



Dulcet having a nice, agreeable, melodious sound

Dupe to deceive; trick

Dyspeptic suffering from indigestion; gloomy and irritable

Ebb to decline, to recede

Ebullient exhilarated; enthusiastic

Eccentric non conventional, a little kooky

Éclat a dazzling success, acclaim

Eclectic selecting from various sources

Edacious having an instable appetite, great voracity

Efface to erase, to rub away the features, to obscure

Effervescence state of high spirits or liveliness; the process

of bubbling as gas escapes

Effete depleted of vitality; overrefined; decadent

Efficacy efficiency; effectiveness

Effluvia outpouring of gases or vapors

Effrontery shameless boldness; presumptuousness

Effulgent brilliantly shining

Egocentric self involved, selfish

Egoism the tendency to see thing in relation to oneself;

self-centered

Egotistical excessively self-centered; conceited

Egregious extremely bad, flagrant

Élan vigor, distinctive, elegant style

Elegy poem or song expressing lamentation

Elicit to provoke; draw out

Elixir a substance believed to have the power to

cure ills

Elliptical oval, obscure in expression

Elucidate to make clear



Elysian blissful; delightful

Emaciated thin and wasted

Embellish to adorn; decorate; enhance; make more

attractive by adding details

Emend to correct a text

Emigrate to move to a new country, to move to a new

place

Emissary a messenger or representative, an agent

Emollient adj. soothing; mollifying; n. an agent that

soothes or makes more acceptable

Empirical derived observation and experiment

Emulate to imitate; copy

Encomium a formal expression of praise

Endemic inherent; belonging to an area

Enervate to weaken

Engaging charming, interesting

Engender to cause; produce

Enhance to increase; improve

Enigma a puzzle, a baffling situation, something

obscure

Ennui boredom, listlessness, lack of interest

Ensconce to settle in snugly, to hide in a secure place

Enshroud to cover, to enclose with a dark cover

Entomology the scientific study of insects

Enuciate to pronounce clearly

Ephemeral short-lived; fleeting

Epicene having characteristics of both male and female

neuter

Epicure person with refined taste in food and wine



Epistemology branch of philosophy that examines the nature

of knowledge

Epitome representative of an entire group; summary

Equable steady; unvarying; serene

Equanimity composure; calmness

Equitable fair; just; impartial

Equivocate lie, mislead; attempt to conceal the truth

Equivocation to intentionally use vague language

Errant mistaken; straying from the proper course

Ersatz an inferior substitute

Erudite learned; scholarly

Escarpment cliff, a steep slope resulting from erosion

Eschew to abstain from, avoid

Esculent edible, suitable for eating

Esoteric hard to understand; known only to a few

Espy to glimpse, to descry, to catch sight of

Essay to make an attempt; subject to a test

Estimable admirable; possible to estimate

Ethnocentric based on the attitude that one's group is

superior

Etiolate pale and drawn, to make weak by stunting

growth

Etiology causes or origins

Etymology origin and history of a word

Eugenics study of factors that influence the hereditary

qualities of the human race and ways to

improve these qualities

Eulogize to speak in praise of someone, to pay written

or spoken tribute



Eulogy high praise; especially of a person who has

recently died

Euphemism use of agreeable or inoffensive language in

place of unpleasant or offensive language

Euphoria a feeling of extreme happiness

Euthanasia mercy killing

Euthenics the science of improving the condition of

humans by improving their environment

Evanescent fleeting, vanishing, transient

Evince to show plainly; be an indication of

Evocative tending to call to mind or produce a reaction

Exacerbate to aggravate; make worse

Exact v. to force the payment of; demand and

obtain by authority; adj. extremely demanding

(exacting)

Exacting greatly demanding, requiring close attention

Exalt to raise high, to glorify

Exculpate to clear of blame; vindicate

Execrable detestable; abhorrent

Exemplar an excellent model, a typical example

Exhort to urge by strong appeals

Exigency crisis; urgent requirements

Exigent urgent, demands prompt action

Existential having to do with existence; based on

experience; having to do with the philosophy

of existentialism

Exorbitant extravagant, exceeding what is usual

Exorcise to expel evil spirits; free from bad influences

Expatiate to speak or write at length

Expatriate to send into exile



Expedite to make faster or easier, to carry out

promptly

Expiate to atone for

Explicate to explain; interpret; clarify

Explicit clearly stated, precisely shown

Expository explanatory

Expunge to erase, to strike out

Expurgate to censor

Extant in existence; not lost

Extemporaneous unrehearsed

Extirpate to root up; to destroy

Extol to praise highly

Extraneous not essential

Extrapolate to estimate

Extrapolation the act of estimation by projecting known

information

Extrinsic not inherent or essential

Facade the principal front of a building, a false

appearance

Facetious humorous

Facilitate to make less difficult

Faction a group, or part of large group, united on an

issue

Factotum a person who does all sorts of work; a

handyman

Fallacious based on a false idea or fact; misleading

Fallacy false idea, mistaken belief, an implausible

argument

Fallow plowed but not sowed; uncultivated

Fatuous foolishly self-satisfied



Fauna animals of a period or region

Fawning seeking favor by flattery

Fealty intense loyalty

Feckless lacking responsibility, ineffective

Fecund fertile, productive, fruitful

Feign to pretend, give a false impression, to invent

falsely

Felicitous suitably expressed; appropriate; well-chosen

Feral existing in a wild or untamed state

Fervor n. warmth and intensity of emotion; adj. full of

strong emotion or impassioned (fervent)

Fetid having a bad smell

Fetter v. to bind; confine; n. something that restricts

or restrains

Fey otherworldly, magical, "touched"

Fiat arbitrary order; authorization

Fidelity loyalty; exact correspondence

Filch to steal

Filial relating to a son

Filibuster use of obstructive tactics in a legislature to

block passage of a law

Finesse to handle with a deceptive or evasive

strategy; to use finesse; that is; refinement in

performance

Fissure crevice

Flaccid limp, flabby, weak

Flag to droop; grow weak

Flagellate to whip, or to punish as if by whipping

Fledgling beginner; novice

Flora plants of a region or era



Florid ruddy; reddish; flowery

Flourish n. an embellishment or ornamentation; v.

meaning to grow vigorously; or to thrive

Flout to treat scornfully

Fluke a chance event, a coincidence, a stroke of

luck

Flux flowing; a continuous moving

Fodder raw material for a given end

Foliate to grow, sprout leaves

Foment to incite; arouse

Foray an initial venture, to raid in search of plunder

Forbearance patience

Forestall to prevent; delay

Forfeit to give up something as a penalty for some

error or crime

Formidable menacing; threatening

Forswear renounce; repudiate

Fortuitous happening by chance, lucky fortunate

Forward contrary, consistently disobedient

Founder to sink; fail; collapse

Fracas a loud quarrel; brawl

Fractious quarrelsome; unruly; rebellious

Frenetic wildly frantic, frenzied, hectic

Fresco a painting done on plaster

Frieze ornamental band on a wall

Froward stubbornly contrary; obstinately disobedient

Frugality thrift

Fulminate to attack loudly; denounce

Fulsome so excessive as to be disgusting



Furtive secret, done by stealth, sly

Fusillade a rapid outburst, spray of gunfire

Fusion union; synthesis

Fustian ridiculously pompous, bombastic, grandiose

in delivery

Futile ineffective; useless; fruitless

Gainsay to deny; dispute; oppose

Galoot a loutish oaf, a clumsy but somewhat likable

person

Galvanize to arouse suddenly, to stimulate, spur to

action

Gambol to frolic; leap playfully

Gamin a street urchin, a slim girl with an impish

charm

Gamut the full range of something

Garner to gather and store away, to acquire by effort

Garrulous very talkative; wordy

Gauche coarse and uncouth; clumsy

Gemeinschaft a group with similar tastes, a group bound by

similar interests and kinship

Geniality cheerfulness; kindliness; sociability

Genteel refined, polite, aristocratic

Germinate to begin to grow (as in a seed or idea)

Gerrymander to divide an area into voting districts in a way

that favors a political party

Gestalt a structure, whose parts cannot stand alone

Gesticulate to gesture, especially when speaking

Gibe to make heckling, taunting remarks

Gird to invest with authority, to brace

Glib fluent in an insincere way; offhand



Gnostic having to do with knowledge

Goad to prod; urge on

Gossamer sheer; light and delicate; like cobwebs

Gouge to tear out; scoop out; overcharge

Grandiloquence pompous talk, fancy but meaningless language

Grandiloquent pompous; bombastic

Gratuitous freely given, unnecessary, uncalled for,

unwarranted

Gravity seriousness

Gregarious sociable

Grig a lively person

Grimace to make an ugly disapproving facial

expression

Grouse to complain

Grovel to beg persistently, to degrade oneself

Guile deception or trickery

Guileless free of cunning or deceit; artless

Guise outward appearance; false appearance;

pretense

Gullible easily deceived

Gustatory affecting the sense of taste

Hackneyed worn out by over-use

Halcyon calm and peaceful; happy; golden;

prosperous

Halitosis bad breath

Hallowed holy; sacred

Harangue long; pompous speech; tirade

Harbinger a precursor, an indication, one that

foreshadows what is coming



Harrowing extremely distressing; terrifying

Hegemony leadership, domination, usually by a country

Hegira an escape to avoid danger or to get away

from an unpleasant location

Herald to give notice of, to hail or greet

Herbivorous relating to a herbivore; an animal that feeds

mainly on plants

Heresy any belief that is strongly opposed to

established beliefs, or practice

Heretical opposed to an established religious orthodoxy

Hermetic tightly sealed; magical

Heterodox unorthodox; not widely accepted

Heuristic relating to a speculative formulation guiding

the investigation or solution of a problem;

educational method in which students learn

from their own investigations

Hiatus a break or interruption from work or any

other established routine

Hidebound excessively rigid, dry and stiff, inflexible

Hieroglyphics a system of writing in which pictorial symbols

represent meaning or sounds; writing or

symbols that are difficult to decipher; the

symbols used in advanced mathematics

Hirsute covered with hair

Histrionic relating to exaggerated emotional behavior

calculated for effect; theatrical arts or

performances

Hoary gray or white with age, ancient, stale

Homage reverence, respect, an expression of high

regard

Homeopathy a system of natural healing



Homeostasis automatic maintenance by an organism of

normal temperature; chemical balance; etc.

within itself

Homily sermon; tedious moralizing lecture; platitude

Homogeneous composed of identical parts; uniform in

composition

Homogenous of the same kind

Homologate to confirm officially

Hortative giving advice or exhortation

Hubris excessive pride, arrogance, exaggerated self

confidence

Hugger mugger a confusion, jumble, muddle

Husband to farm; manage carefully and thriftily

Husbandry the judicious used of resources, livestock

farming

Hyperbole purposeful exaggeration for effect

Iconoclast attacking cherished traditions

Iconoclastic attacking cherished tradition

Idiosyncrasy peculiarity of temperament, eccentricity

Idolatry idol worship; blind or excessive devotion

Igneous produced by fire; volcanic

Ignominious disgraceful and dishonorable

Ilk type or kind

Illusory unreal, deceptive

Imago an adult stage of an insect,

Imbroglio complicated situation; an entanglement

Imbue to infuse; dye; wet, moisten

Immaterial insignificant, unimportant

Imminent about to occur, hanging threatening over one's

head



Immutable unchangeable

Impair to damage; injure

Impassive showing no emotion

Impecunious poor; having no money

Impede to hinder; block

Imperious commanding, lordly, arrogant

Impermeable impossible to penetrate

Imperturbable not easily disturbed

Impervious impossible to penetrate; incapable of being

affected

Impinge to strike; encroach

Implacable inflexible; incapable of being pleased

Implausible unlikely; unbelievable

Implicit implied; understood but not stated

Implode collapse inward violently

Impolitic unwise

Impotent lacking power, helpless, unable to perform

sexual intercourse

Imprecation curse

Impromptu spontaneous, without rehearsal

Impugn to attack the integrity of something

Impute to relate to a particular cause or source;

attribute the fault to; assign as a characteristic

Inadvertently carelessly; unintentionally

Incarnate having bodily form

Incendiary combustible, flammable, burning easily

Incessant unceasing, never ending, flowing without

interruption

Inchoate imperfectly formed or formulated



Incipient beginning to be, in an early stage

Incongruity state of not fitting

Inconsequential insignificant; unimportant

Incontrovertible not disputable, not open to question

Incorporate introduce something into another thing already

in existence; combine

Inculcate to teach; impress in the mind

Inculpate to blame; charge with a crime

Incursion sudden invasion

Indefatigable never tired

Indeterminate uncertain; indefinite

Indigence poverty

Indigenous native, produced or living in a particular area

Indigent poverty stricken, needy

Indolent habitually lazy; idle

Indubitable unquestionable

Ineffable unutterable, unspeakable

Ineluctable not to be avoided or escaped; inevitable

Inept clumsy, awkward, incompetent

Inert unable to move; sluggish

Inertia disinclination to action or change

Infallible incapable of making a mistake

Infamy an evil reputation borne of a criminal act, a

reputation for evildeeds

Ingenious original, clever, inventive

Ingenuous naive and trusting; lacking sophistication

Ingratiate to bring oneself purposely into another's good

graces

Ingress entrance



Inherent firmly established by nature or habit

Inhibit to keep from free activity or expression, to

restrain or even forbid

Iniquitous evil, unjust

Innocuous harmless

Innuendo indirect and subtle criticism, insinuation

Inquietude uneasiness, restlessness

Insensible unconscious; unresponsive

Insidious sly, treacherous, having a gradual effect

Insinuate to suggest; say indirectly; imply

Insipid lacking in flavor; dull

Insouciant indifferent; lacking concern or care

Insularity narrow-mindedness; isolation

Insuperable insurmountable; unconquerable

Intangible not material

Interdict to forbid; prohibit; to confront and halt the

activities; advance; or entry of

Interlocutor someone taking part in a dialogue

Interloper trespasser; meddler in others' affairs

Internecine deadly to both sides

Interpolate to insert; change by adding new words or

material

Interregnum interval between reigns; gap in continuity

Interstice a space between things

Intimate marked by close acquaintance

Intimation clue, suggestion

Intractable not easily managed

Intransigence stubbornness; refusal to compromise

Intransigent uncompromising, stubborn



Intrepid fearless, having fortitude and endurance

Intrinsic inherent, internal

Introspective contemplating one's own thoughts and feelings

Inundate to cover with water; overwhelm

Inure to harden; accustom; become used to

Inured hardened; accustomed; used to

Invective verbal abuse

Inveigh to disapprove; protest vehemently

Inveigle to win over by flattery or coaxing

Inveterate confirmed; long-standing; deeply rooted

Invidious likely to provoke ill will; offensive

Irascible easily angered

Irresolute unsure of how to act; weak

Irreverent disrespectful, gently or humorously mocking

Itinerant wandering from place to place; unsettled

Itinerary route of a traveler's journey

Jargon a specialized vocabulary of a group, an

obscure language

Jaundiced having a yellowish discoloration of the skin;

affected by envy; resentment; or hostility

Jaunt a short pleasure trip

Jejune dull, lacking interest, empty of food

Jeopardy exposure to danger, peril

Jibe to be in agreement

Jingoism belligerent support of one's country

Jocose fond of joking; jocular; playful

Jocular jovial, playful, humorous

Judicious wise, showing judgment, cautious

Juggernaut huge force destroying everything in its path



Junction a place of meeting or joining, a linkup

Junta group of people united in politic intrigue

Jurisprudence philosophy of law

Juxtapose place side by side

Karma a good or bad emanation of force from

someone or something

Kismet fate

Knell sound of a funeral bell; omen of death or

failure

Kudos fame; glory; gonor

Labile likely to change

Lachrymose tearful, mournful

Laconic using few words

Lambaste to thrash verbally or physically

Lambent radiant, flickering, marked by lightness

Lament to mourn, to express regret

Lapidary relating to precious stones

Largess a generous giving of gifts, philanthropy

Lascivious lustful

Lassitude lethargy; sluggishness

Latent present but hidden; potential

Laud to praise

Lax careless, too relaxed

Legacy something handed down from the past , a

bequest

Legerdemain trickery

Leitmotif a dominant or recurring theme or emotion

Lethargic inactive



Levee an embankment that prevents a river from

overflowing

Levity light manner or attitude

Lexicon dictionary, list of words

Liaison connection between different groups, a close

bond

Libation a pouring of a liquid for a religious ceremony,

a drink

Liberal tolerant; broad-minded; generous; lavish

Libertine one without moral restraint

Libidinous lustful, lascivious

Libido sexual desire

Licentious immoral; unrestrained by society

Lilliputian extremely small

Limn to draw; describe

Limpid clear; transparent

Linguistic pertaining to language

Liniment medicinal liquid used externally to ease pain

Lionize to treat as a celebrity

Lissome Moving and bending with ease

Listless a lack of energy, spiritless

Litany lengthy recitation; repetitive chant

Literati scholarly or learned persons

Litigation legal proceedings

Log record of a voyage; record of daily activities

Lope to run at steady, easy pace

Loquacious talkative

Lucid bright; clear; intelligible

Lucre money or profits



Lugubrious sorrowful, mournful

Luminary a person of great intellectual, creative or

spiritual stature

Luminous bright; brilliant; glowing

Lupine having the characteristics of a wolf

Lustrous shining

Macabre gruesome, producing horror

Macerate to soften by soaking, to cause to waste away

Machiavellian crafty; double-dealing

Machination scheming activity foe an evil purpose

Machinations plots or schemes

Maelstrom whirlpool; turmoil

Magnanimity generosity; nobility

Magnanimous noble in spirit, generous, giving

Malaise a feeling of depression, uneasiness, of being

unwell

Malapropism the humorous misuse of a word that sound

very much like the word intended

Malevolent ill-willed; causing evil or harm to others

Malfeasance an illegal act especially by a public official

Malign to speak evil of

Malinger to feign illness to escape duty

Malingerer one who feigns illness to escape duty

Malleable capable of being shaped by pounding;

impressionable

Manifest to make evident by showing

Manifold diverse, varied; comprised of many parts

Manqué a failure to realize one's aspirations

Manumit to release from slavery



Marshal to gather together something for a purpose, to

arrange in order

Martinet one who adheres strictly to rules

Martyr one who suffers for a cause, a person who

sacrifices for a principle

Matriculate to enroll, most particularly in college

Matrix something from which something else

originates or takes from

Maudlin overly sentimental

Maverick dissenter

Mawkish sickeningly sentimental

Meander to wander aimlessly

Megalomania delusions of power or importance

Mélange a mixture of incongruous elements

Mellifluous sweetly flowing

Menagerie a variety of animals kept together

Mendacious dishonest

Mendicant beggar

Mercenary a person who serves only for money,

motivated by greed

Mercurial emotionally unpredictable, give to rapid

changes in mood

Meretricious gaudy; plausible but false; specious

Meritorious deserving reward or praise

Mesmerize to hypnotize

Metamorphosis change; transformation

Metaphysics a branch of philosophy that investigates the

ultimate nature of reality

Meteorological concerned with the weather

Meticulous very careful; fastidious



Mettle courage; endurance

Mettlesome full of courage and fortitude; spirited

Miasma a poisonous swamp vapor, a harmful

influence or atmosphere

Microcosm a small system having analogies to a larger

system; small world

Mien demeanor, the air bearing of a person

Milieu environment, surroundings

Militate to work against

Minatory threatening; menacing

Minion a hanger on, a follower, an underling

Minuscule very small

Minutia petty details

Mirthful merry, gleeful

Misanthrope one who hates humanity

Miscellany mixture of writings on various subjects

Miscreant villain; criminal

Misogynist one who hates women

Mitigate to cause to become less harsh; severe; or

painful; alleviate

Mnemonic adj. related to memory; assisting memory; n.

a system that develops and improves the

memory

Modicum limited quantity

Mollify soothe

Molt to shed hair, skin, or an outer layer

periodically

Monolithic solid and uniform; constituting a single; unified

whole

Moot of no matter or consequence, not important



Mordacious caustic, biting

Mordant bitingly sarcastic, incisive, caustic in manner

Moribund being in a dying or decaying condition

Morose ill-humored; sullen

Mote small particle, speck

Motley many colored; made up of many parts

Moue a pout, usually playful, a little grimace

Muckrake to expose political misconduct

Mugwump a person or politician who can't make up his

mind, an independent

Multifarious diverse

Mundane worldly as opposed to spiritual; concerned

with the ordinary

Munificent generous

Myopia nearsightedness, lacking foresight

Myriad an immense indefinite number, multitude

Nabob a wealthy, influential person

Nadir lowest point

Nascent coming into existence, being born

Nebulous vague, cloudy

Necromancy black magic

Nefandous unspeakable, unutterable

Nefarious vicious, evil

Negate to cancel out; nullify

Negligent careless, remiss

Nemesis a powerful river, a usually unconquerable

opponent

Neologism new word or expression

Neophyte novice; beginner



Nepotism showing favoritism to friends or family, as in

granting positions in jobs or politics

Nexus a means of connection; a connected group or

series; a center

Niggardly stingy, small in a mean way

Nihilism the belief that there are no values or morals in

the universe,

Nimbus an atmosphere that surrounds a person or

thing, a rain cloud,

Nirvana a blissful, painless state,

Noisome harmful, unwholesome, stinking, putrid

Nomadic without a permanent home, constantly

wandering

Nominal insignificant, trifling

Nonplus to bewilder, to puzzle

Nonplussed bewildered

Nostalgia sentimental longing for a past time

Nostrum medicine or remedy of doubtful effectiveness;

supposed cure

Novel new, original

Noxious harmful, unwholesome

Nuance a subtle distinction, a slight difference in

definition

Nugatory trifling; invalid

Nullify to repeal, cancel, render void

Numismatics coin collecting

Obdurate stubborn

Obfuscate to confuse, obscure

Obliterate to blot out leaving no traces, to destroy

Obloquy strong language of condemnation



Obscure unclear, vague partially hidden, hard to

understand

Obsequious overly submissive

Obsequy funeral ceremony (often used in the plural;

obsequies)

Obstreperous stubbornly defiant, angry and clamorous

Obviate to make unnecessary; to anticipate and

prevent

Occlude to shut; block

Occult relating to practices connected with

supernatural phenomena

Odious hateful, evil, vile

Odyssey a long adventurous voyage; a quest

Oeuvre a work of art, the sum of an artist's work

Offal the waste parts of a product (often as in a

butchered animal), refuse, rubbish

Officious too helpful; meddlesome

Ogle to stare at in a disrespectful way

Olfactory concerning the sense of smell

Oligarchy form of government in which power belongs

to only a few leaders

Omnipotent having unlimited power

Omniscient all knowing, infinite awareness

Omnivorous eating or absorbing everything, feeding on

both animal and vegetable substances

Onerous burdensome

Onomatopoeia formation or use of words that imitate sounds

of the actions they refer to

Onus burden, blame, obligation

Opaque difficult to see through, unclear, dark



Opine to express an opinion

Opportunist a person who takes advantage of opportunity

with no regard for principle

Opprobrious damning, extremely critical, disgraceful

Opprobrium disgrace; contempt

Opus a creative work, musical composition

Ornithologist scientist who studies birds

Oscillate to move back and forth

Osmosis gradual or subtle absorption, an unconscious

process of absorption

Ossify to become rigid, to be come set in one's ways

Ostentatious showy; trying to attract attention; pretentious

Oust to eject, to banish, to expel

Ouster expulsion, ejection

Overture an opening move, a preliminary offer

Overweening presumptuous; arrogant; overbearing

Pace with deference to

Pachyderm a thick skinned animal

Paean song of joy or triumph; a fervent expression

of joy

Palatable pleasant to the taste, agreeable in feeling

Paleontology study of past geological eras through fossil

remains

Palliate to hide the seriousness of something with

excuses or apologies,

Pallid lacking color or liveliness

Paltry a tiny or insignificant amount, meager, scant

Panacea a remedy that cures everything

Panegyric elaborate praise; formal hymn of praise



Panoply impressive array

Paradigm a model or example

Paragon model of excellence or perfection

Paralogism illogical reasoning of which the reason is not

aware

Pariah an outcast

Parley discussion, usually between enemies

Parochial of limited scope or outlook, provincial

Paroxysm a fit

Parsimonious stingy

Parsimony stinginess

Partisan one-sided; committed to a party; group. or

cause; prejudiced

Partition a dividing wall, a division

Parvenu an upstart who has acquired wealth and class

but hasn'

Pastiche a piece that imitates or is made up from

pieces of other works,

Pathological departing from normal condition

Pathos a quality that causes a feeling of pity or

sorrow

Patina surface discoloration caused by age and

oxidation,

Patois a regional dialect; nonstandard speech; jargon

Paucity scarcity

Peccadillo minor sin or offense

Peculation theft of money or goods

Pedant uninspired; boring academic

Pedantic showing off learning

Pellucid transparent; translucent; easily understood



Penchant inclination

Penultimate next to last

Penumbra partial shadow

Penurty extreme poverty

Penury extreme poverty

Perambulate walk about

Percipience keen perception

Perdition eternal damnation

Peregrination a wandering from place to place

Peremptory imperative; leaving no choice

Perennial present throughout the years; persistent

Perfidious faithless; disloyal; untrustworthy

Perfunctory superficial; not thorough; performed really as

a duty

Perigee point in an orbit that is closest to the earth

Periphrastic using circumlocution

Permeable penetrable

Permeate to spread or seep through, to penetrate, to

pervade

Pernicious very harmful

Perorate to make a long, formal speech, to sum up a

speech

Perquisite a privilege or perk that goes along with a job

Perspicacious shrewd, astute, showing strong powers of

discernment

Pertinacious persistent, stubborn

Perturb to disturb greatly; make uneasy or anxious;

cause a body to deviate from its regular orbit

Peruse to study, to read over leisurely



Pervasive spread throughout every part

Petulant rude; peevish

Phalanx massed group of soldiers, people, or things

Phantasm an apparition, phantom

Philanthropy good will towards all people, love of

mankind, and act of generosity

Philistine narrow-minded person, someone lacking

appreciation for art or culture

Phlegmatic calm in temperament; sluggish

Phoenix mythical; immortal bird that lives for 500

years; burns itself to death; and rises from the

ashes; anything that is restored after suffering

great destruction

Physiognomy facial features

Piety devoutness

Pious reverent, devout, dutiful, may at times be

marked by hypocrisy

Piquant appealingly stimulating; pleasantly pungent;

attrative

Pique n. fleeting feeling of hurt pride; v. to provoke

or arouse

Pivotal crucial, something around which things turn

Placate to lessen another's anger; to pacify

Placebo a fake medication

Placid calm

Plaintive melancholy; mournful

Plait to braid

Plangent resounding; plaintive

Plasticity condition of being able to be shaped or

formed; pliability

Platitude stale; overused expression



Platonic spiritual; without sensual desire; or theoretical

Plaudit applause

Plausible believable

Plebeian common, vulgar, low class

Plenary complete, fully attended, not deficient in any

way

Plethora excess; overabundance

Plumb to determine the depth; to examine deeply

Plume to congratulate oneself in a self-satisfied way

Plummet to fall; plunge

Pluralism a society in which distinct group function

together, but retain their identities

Plutocracy society ruled by the wealthy

Pluvial rainy

Pneumatic relating to air; worked by compressed air

Poignant emotionally moving

Polemic a powerful argument to defend a thesis

Poltroon a coward

Polyglot speaker of many languages

Porous full of holes; permeable to liquids

Portent an omen, a sign of something coming, a

foreshadowing

Poseur person who affects an attitude or identity to

impress others

Posit to put in position; to suggest an idea

Pragmatic practical

Prate to talk idly; chatter

Prattle meaningless; foolish talk

Preamble preliminary statement



Precarious uncertain

Precept principle; law

Precipitate v. to cause to happen; throw down from a

height; adj. rash; hasty sudden

Preclude to make impossible, to shut out, to bar

Precursor forerunner; predecessor

Predilection preference, liking

Preempt to supersede; appropriate for oneself

Pregnant highly significant, overflowing, rich in

significance

Prehensile capable of grasping

Premonition forewarning; presentiment

Prepossess to cause to be preoccupied, to influence,

positively, in advance

Presage to foretell; indicate in advance

Prescient having foresight

Presumptuous rude; improperly bold

Pretentious showy, self important, make unjustifiable

claims to excellence

Preternatural beyond the normal course of nature;

supernatural

Prevaricate to quibble; evade the truth

Primordial original; existing from the beginning

Pristine untouched; uncorrupted

Privation lack of comforts, poverty, a state of being

deprived

Probity honesty; high-mindedness

Problematic posing a problem; doubtful; unsettled

Prodigal wasteful; extravagant; lavish

Profligate corrupt, degenerate, wildly extravagant



Profound deep; not superficial

Progenitor originator, forefather, ancestor in a direct line

Prognosticate to predict

Prohibitive so high as to prevent the purchase or use of;

preventing; forbidding

Proliferate to increase rapidly

Prolific marked by abundant production or offspring

Prolix tedious; wordy

Promulgate to make known publicly

Propensity inclination; tendency

Propinquity nearness in place or time, kinship

Propitiate to win over; appease

Propitious favorable, advantageous

Propriety correct conduct; fitness

Prosaic dull, unimaginative, lacking excitement

Proscenium the part of the stage in front of the curtain, the

wall frame for the stage

Proscribe v. to condemn; forbid outlaw; adj. relating to

prohibition

Proselytize to seek to convert someone to a religion,

cause or political position

Prostrate lying face downward, lying flat on the ground

Protagonist main character in a play or story, hero

Protean readily assuming different shapes or

characters

Provenance origin, source, proof of posting ownership

Provident providing for future needs; frugal

Provincial limited in outlook, narrow in ideas

Prowess exceptional skill or strength, military valor



Prudent careful, cautious

Prurient lascivious, have lustful thoughts or desires

Puerile childish, immature, silly

Puissance power, strength

Puissant powerful

Pulchritude physical beauty

Punctilious careful in observing rules of behavior or

ceremony

Pundit an authority or critic

Pungent strong or sharp in smell or taste; penetrating;

caustic; to the point

Purport v. to profess; suppose; claim; n. meaning

intended or implied

Pusillanimous cowardly

Putrefy to rot

Qua in the capacity of

Quagmire marsh; difficult situation

Quail to cower; lose heart

Quaint pleasantly old fashioned, picturesque

Qualified limited; restricted

Qualm sudden feeling of faintness or nausea; uneasy

feeling about the rightness of actions

Quell to put an end to, to squelch, to calm

Querulous inclined to complain, irritable

Query to question

Quibble to argue over insignificant and irrelevant

details

Quiddity the real nature of a thing, the essence , a

hairsplitting distinction

Quiescence state of rest or inactivity



Quiescent inactive; still

Quintessential the most perfect example of

Quisling a traitor who helps an enemy who occupies

his country

Quixotic foolishly impractical and idealistic

Quorum number of members necessary to conduct a

meeting

Quotidian occurring every day, commonplace

Raconteur witty; skillful storyteller

Raffish jaunty, sporty, disreputable, vulgar,

characterized by a careless unconventionality

Rail to scold with bitter or abusive language

Raillery lighthearted jesting

Raiment clothing

Ramification implication; outgrowth; consequence

Rancor bitter hatred

Rapacious greedy; predatory

Rapprochement a re establishment of good relations

Rarefied refined

Rationale fundamental reason

Raucous boisterous, harsh sounding, noisy and

disorderly

Raze to tear down, demolish

Rebuff to snub, to refuse in a blunt or rude way

Rebuke to criticize or reprimand sharply

Rebus puzzle in which pictures or symbols represent

words

Recalcitrant resisting authority or control

Recant to retract a statement or opinion



Recidivism the act of repeating an offense

Reciprocal mutual, shared, interchangeable

Recluse person who lives in seclusion and often in

solitude

Recondite abstruse; profound

Recreant disloyal; cowardly

Redoubtable formidable; arousing fear; worthy of respect

Redress relief from wrong or injury

Reductionistic attempting to explain complex phenomena by

simple principles

Refract deflect light or sound

Refractory stubborn; unmanageable; resisting ordinary

methods of treatment

Refulgent brightly shining; resplendent

Refute to contradict; disapprove

Regale entertain

Rejoinder response

Relegate to consign to an inferior position

Relic an object associated with a saint, something

that remains from the past

Remonstrate to object or protest

Remuneration payment, recompense

Renege to go back on one's word

Renitent resisting pressure, obstinate

Reparation amends; compensation

Repartee a quick, witty reply, spirited conversation

Repast meal

Repine fret; complain

Replenish to refill, to supply once more



Reprehensible deserving of blame

Reprise repetition; especially of a piece of music

Reproach to find fault with; blame

Reprobate morally unprincipled person

Reprove to gently criticize

Repudiate to reject as having no authority

Requite to return or repay

Rescind to cancel

Resilient an ability to recover from, or adjust easily

Resolution determination; resolve

Resolve determination; firmness of purpose

Respite an interval of rest, a temporary delay

Resplendent brilliant, gloriously bright

Restive impatient, uneasy, restless

Reticent not speaking freely; reserved; reluctant

Retinue a group of attendants to an elevated person

Revelry boisterous festivity

Reverent expressing deep respect; worshipful

Ribald vulgar or indecent language

Rife widespread, abounding, occurring frequently

Riposte retaliatory action or retort

Robust strong and healthy, vigorous

Rococo excessively ornate; highly decorated; style of

architecture in eighteenth century europe

Rotund round in shape; fat

Roué a lecherous man, a rake, a person devoted to

sensual pleasures

Rout to put to flight, to scatter, to cause a huge

defeat



Rubric title or heading; category; established mode of

procedure or conduct; protocol

Rue to regret

Ruminate to muse upon

Ruse trick; crafty stratagem; subterfuge

Rustic primitive, rural, lacking city comforts

Saccharine excessively sweet

Sacrosanct extremely sacred; beyond criticism

Sagacious wise shrewd

Sage wise

Salacious lascivious; lustful

Sallow a sickly, greenish yellow tone

Sally a rushing attack, witty repartee, a brief

excursion

Salubrious healthful

Salutary expecting an improvement; favorable to health

Sanction v. to approve; ratify; permit; n. approval;

ratification; permission; penalize

Sangfroid extraordinary composure in the face of

danger

Sanguine ruddy; cheerfully optimistic

Sapient wise

Saporous tasty, flavorsome

Sardonic cynical; scornfully mocking

Sartorial pertaining to tailors

Satiate to satisfy

Satrap a subordinate ruler

Saturate to soak thoroughly; imbue throughout

Saturnine gloomy



Satyr a creature that is half-man; half-beast with the

horns and legs of a goat; it is a follower of

dionysos; a lecher

Savant a scholar, a very knowledgeable person

Savor to enjoy; have a distinctive flavor or smell

Scabbard sheath for sword or dagger

Scanty minimal, hardly sufficient

Schematic relating to or in the form of an outline or

diagram

Scintilla very small amount

Scintillate to sparkle, to gleam, to be animated or

brilliant

Sciolism superficial knowledge

Scofflaw one who is continually breaking the law

Scotch to put an end to

Scurrilous vulgar, low, indecent

Secrete produce and release substance into an

organism

Sedition behavior prompting rebellion

Sedulous diligent

Seismic relating to earthquakes; earthshaking

Senescence beginning of old age

Senescent aging, growing old

Sensual relating to the senses; gratifying the physical

senses; especially sexual appetites

Sensuous relating to the senses; operating through the

senses

Sententious preachy, pompous, using wise sayings

excessively

Sentient aware; conscious; able to perceive



Sepulchral typical of a place of burial

Sequacious slavish, obsequious, following in logical

sequence

Seraphic angelic, pure, sublime

Serried crowded together

Serviette a table napkin

Servile submissive; obedient

Sextant navigation tool that determines latitude and

longitude

Shantung a heavy nubby fabric, made of wild silk

Shard a piece of broken glass or pottery

Shibboleth a distinctive word or behavior that typifies a

group, a slogan

Shirk to avoid a task due to laziness or fear

Sidereal relating to the stars

Simian apelike; relating to apes

Simile comparison of one thing with another using

"like" or "as"

Simper to smile foolishly

Sine qua non something that is an essential condition of

Sinecure well-paying job or office that requires little or

no work

Singular unique; extraordinary; odd

Sinuous winding; intricate; complex

Skeptic one who doubts

Slake to quench or moderate

Slatternly squalid, a slovenly woman

Sloth sluggish, laziness, indolence

Slovenly untidy, messy



Sobriety seriousness

Sodden thoroughly soaked; saturated

Sojourn visit, stay

Solecism grammatical mistake

Solicious worried, concerned

Solicitous concerned; attentive; eager

Soliloquy literary or dramatic speech by one character;

not addressed to others

Solipsism belief that the self is the only reality

Solvent able to meet financial obligation

Somatic relating to or affecting the body; corporeal

Somnambulist sleepwalker

Somnolent drowsy, sleepy

Sonorous producing a full, rich sound

Sophist person good at arguing deviously

Soporific sleep producing

Sordid filthy; contemptible and corrupt

Spate a sudden outburst

Specious seeming to be logical and sound; but not

really so

Spectrum band of colors produced when sunlight

passes through a prism; a broad range of

related ideas or objects

Spelunker a cave explorer

Spendthrift n. person who spends money recklessly; adj.

wasteful and extravagant

Sporadic irregular

Sportive frolicsome, playful

Spurious false, fake, not genuine



Squalid filthy; morally repulsive

Squalor filthy; wretched condition

Staccato marked by abrupt; clear-cut sounds

Stagnate to lie inactive, to stay in one place

Staid self-restrained, strait-laced

Stalwart unwavering, robust, sturdily built

Stanch to stop or check the flow of

Static stationary, not changing or moving

Steadfast loyal, faithful

Stentorian extremely loud

Stigma mark of disgrace or inferiority

Stint v. to be sparing; n. a period of time spent

doing something

Stipulate to specify as an essential condition

Stoic showing indifference to pain, apathetic

Stolid having or showing little emotion

Stratagem a trick or deceptive scheme

Stratified arranged in layers

Striate striped, grooved

Striated marked with thin; narrow grooves or channels

Stricture something that restrains; negative criticism

Strident loud; harsh; unpleasantly noisy

Stringent imposing severe, rigorous standards

Strut to swagger; display to impress others

Stultify to impair or reduce to uselessness

Stupefy to dull the senses of; stun; astonish

Sturm and drang turmoil

Stygian dark and gloomy; hellish



Stymie to get in the way of, to hinder, to block

Subpoena notice ordering someone to appear in court

Subside to settle down; grow quiet

Substantiate to support with proof or evidence

Substantive essential; pertaining to the substance

Subsume to include; incorporate

Subterfuge trick or tactic used to avoid something

Subversive intended to undermine or overthrow;

especially an established government

Succinct concise, clearly expressed with a few words

Succor relief; help in time of distress or want

Suffrage the right to vote

Sui generis unique, of its own kind, in a class by itself

Sully to soil, stain, tarnish; taint

Sundry various

Supercilious arrogant, overbearing, condescending

Supersede to replace; especially to displace as inferior or

antiquated

Supervene to follow immediately after, to ensue

Supine lying on the back; marked by lethargy

Supplant to replace; substitute

Suppliant beseeching

Supplicant one who asks humbly and earnestly

Supposition the act of assuming to be true or real

Surcease cessation

Surfeit abundance, excessive amount

Surly rude and bad-tempered

Surmise abundance, excessive amount

Surreptitious sneaky, secret



Sybarite person devoted to pleasure and luxury

Sycophant a flatterer, a self serving yes man

Syllogism a form of deductive reasoning that has a

major premise; a minor premise; and a

conclusion

Sylvan related to the woods or forest

Syncopation temporary irregularity in musical rhythm

Synergy the combined force of two distinct elements

that is more powerful then each alone

Table to remove from consideration

Tableau vivid description, striking incident or scene

Tacit silently understood; implied

Talisman charm to bring good luck and avert

misfortune

Tangential peripheral; digressing

Tantamount equivalent in value or significance; amounting

to

Tatterdemalion a ragged person, always in tatters

Tautology unnecessary repetition

Taxonomy science of classification; in biology; the

process of classifying organsims in categories

Tedious boring, tiresome

Teem to swarm, to be inundated, to become full to

overflowing

Teleology the study of design or purpose in natural

phenomena

Temerarious recklessly daring, rash

Temerity boldness, rashness, audacity

Temperance habitual moderation, the avoidance of excess

Temporal relating to time; chronological



Temporize to compromise, to draw something out in

order to gain time

Tenable defensible, reasonable

Tendentious advancing a point of view, biased

Tenebrous dark and gloomy

Tenet belief; doctrine

Tentative uncertain, temporary not fully worked out

Tenuous weak; insubstantial

Tepid lukewarm, unenthusiastic, half hearted

Termagant a quarrelsome woman, a shrew

Terrestrial earthly; commonplace

Terse concise, brief, free of extra word

Theocracy government by priests representing a god

Theology the study of god or religion

Thespian an actor or actress

Threnody a sad poem or song

Thwart to prevent from being accomplished, to

frustrate, to hinder

Timbre the characteristic quality of sound produced

by a particular instrument or voice; tone color

Timorous fearful, easily frightened

Tirade long; violent speech; verbal assault

Titular in title only

Toady flatterer; hanger-on; yes-man

Tome book; usually large and academic

Tonic a refreshing drink, something that invigorates

Tony fashionable, trendy, aristocratic

Toothsome tasty, sexually attractive, luscious

Tor a high rock, a high rocky hill, or pile of rocks



Torpor lethargy; dormancy; sluggishness

Torque a turning or twisting force; the moment of a

force; the measure of a force's tendency to

produce twisting or turning and rotation

around an axis

Tortuous having many twists and turns; highly complex

Tout to promote or praise energetically

Tractable obedient; yielding

Trammel to impede or hamper

Transfix to cause to stand motionless with awe or

other intense emotion

Transgression act of trespassing or violating a law or rule

Transient temporary; short-lived; fleeting

Translucent partially transparent

Travail n. work; especially arduous work; tribulation;

anguish; v. to work strenuously

Travesty parody; exaggerated imitation; caricature

Treatise article treating a subject systematically and

thoroughly

Tremulous trembling; quivering; frugal; timid

Trenchant acute, sharp, incisive; forceful, effective

Trepidation fear and anxiety

Trice an moment, a short period of time

Trilemma a problem for which there are three possible

courses of action, and none perfect

Trite unoriginal, overused, clichéd, commonplace

Trivial unimportant, insignificant

Truculence aggressiveness; ferocity

Truculent hostile, aggressive, savage



Tryst agreement between lovers to meet;

rendezvous

Tumid swollen; distended

Tumult noisy commotion, uproar

Turbid muddy; opaque; in a state of great confusion

Turgid swollen; bloated; pompous

Turpitude shameful wickedness, evil, depravity

Tutelary serving as a guardian or protector

Tyro beginner, novice

Ukase an authoritative decree, official edict

Umbrage displeasure or resentment, shade

Uncanny mysterious; strange

Unctuous greasy, oily; smug and falsely earnest

Undermine to weaken the support of, to injure in a slow

or sneaky way

Undulate to move smoothly in a wavelike manner

Undulating moving in waves

Unfeigned not false; not made up; genuine

Unfettered free, unrestrained

Unilateral on one side alone

Unsullied clean

Untenable indefensible

Untoward not favorable; troublesome; adverse; unruly

Urbane suave, sophisticated, polished

Usufruct the right to use someone else's property as

long as its not damaged in the process

Usurp to size wrongfully

Usury practice of lending money at exorbitant rates

Vacillate to waver; oscillate



Vacuous empty; void; lacking intelligence; purposeless

Vagary whim, an unpredictable action

Vainglorious boastful, pompous

Valedictory pertaining to a farewell

Vapid tasteless; dull

Variegated varied; marked with different colors

Vaunt to boast; brag

Vehement intense, forceful marked by strong feeling

Venal bribable; mercenary; corruptible

Vendetta prolonged feud marked by bitter hostility

Veneer façade, coating, outward appearance

Venerate v. to adore; honor; respect; adj. respected

because of age; character; or position

Veracious truthful; accurate

Verbose wordy

Verdant covered with green plants, leafy

Vernal occurring in spring, springlike youthful

Vertigo dizziness

Vestige the remains of something that no longer exists

Vexation irritation; annoyance; confusion; puzzlement

Viable practicable; capable of developing

Vicarious acting for another, sharing in an experience of

another through the imagination

Vie to complete, to contest

Vilify to defame, to slander, to blacken the

character of

Vindictive spiteful; vengeful; unforgiving

Virile manly, having qualities of an adult male

Virtuoso someone with masterly skills; expert musician



Virulent extremely poisonous, malignant, full of hate

Visage countenance; appearance; aspect

Viscosity a thick or sticky consistency of a liquid

Viscous thick; syrupy; and sticky

Vitiate to impair the quality of; corrupt morally; make

inoperative

Vitriolic corrosive, biting, bitterly scathing

Vituperate to abuse verbally

Vituperative using or containing harsh; abusive censure

Vivacious lively, spirited

Vivisection dissection; surgery; or painful experiments

performed on a living animal for the purpose

of scientific research

Vociferous loud, vocal, and noisy

Vogue prevailing fashion or practice

Volatile tending to vary frequently; fickle

Voluble speaking much and easily, talkative; glib

Vortex whirlpool; whirlwind; center of turbulence

Votary a person bound by vows to live a life of

religious service

Wanton immoral, lewd, deliberate maliciousness,

having no regards for others

Warranted adj. justified; v. to attest to the accuracy or

quality; justify; grant authorization

Wary careful; cautious

Waspish easily irritated

Wastrel someone who wastes, a spendthrift

Waver to be indecisive or inconstant, to fluctuate in

opinion

Welter to wallow or roll; toss about; be in turmoil



Whimsical fanciful; unpredictable

Whimsy playful or fanciful idea

Winnow to blow of, or away, to separate the good

from the bad

Winsome charming, sweetly engaging

Wistful vaguely longing; sadly thoughtful

Wizened shriveled, withered

Wont custom, habit

Wraith a specter, ghost of a dead person

Xenophobia fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers

Zaftig full figured, plump

Zealot one who is fanatically devoted to a cause

Zealotry fanaticism

Zeitgeist the mood or spirit of the times

Zenith the highest point

Zephyr a gentle breeze

Ziggurat a terrace

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