400 Most Common GRE Words 1

abate:/ə'beɪt/ v. Syn. subside; decrease; lessensubside; decrease; become less in amount or intensityRather than leaving immediately, they waited for the storm to abate.

aberrant:/æ'bɛrənt/ n. Syn. abnormal; deviantabnormal; markedly different from an accepted normGiven the aberrant nature of the data, we doubted the validity of the entire experiment.

abeyance:/ə'beɪəns/ n. Syn. suspensionsuspended action; temporary cessation or suspensionThe deal was held in abeyance until her arrival.

abnegate:/'æbnɪgeɪt/ v. Syn. renouncegive up or surrender; deny something to oneselfAfter his retirement, the former police commissioner found it difficult to abnegate authority.

abscond:/æb'skɒnd/ v. leave quickly and secretly and hide oneself, often to avoid arrest or prosecutionThe teller who did abscond with the bonds went un-captured until someone recognized him from his photograph on "America's Most Wanted.".

abstain:/əb'steɪn/ v. Syn. refrainrefrain; hold oneself back voluntarily from an action or practiceAfter considering the effect of alcohol on his athletic performance, he decided to abstain from drinking while he trained for the race.

accolade:/'ækəleɪd/ n. Syn. praiseaward of merit; expression of approval; praiseIn Hollywood, an "Oscar" is the highest accolade.

accretion:/ə'kri:ʃ(ə)n/ n. Syn. growth; increasegrowth or increase in size by gradual external addition, fusion, or inclusionThe accretion of wealth marked the family's rise in power.

acumen:

/'ækjʊmɛn, ə'kju:mɛn/ n. Syn. acuteness; insightmental keenness; quickness of perceptionHowever, her team's political acumen is clearly beyond mine, an Ivy League Medical Science Professor and NOT a Political "Science" Professor.

admonish:/əd'mɒnɪʃ/ v. Syn. warn; reprovewarn; counsel someone against something to be avoidedI would again admonish the reader carefully to consider the nature of our doctrine.

adroit:/ə'drɔɪt/ a. Syn. skillful; dexterousskillful and adept under pressing conditionsI should work in adroit references to this evening's speeches.

adulterate:/ə'dʌltəreɪt/ v. make impure by adding inferior or tainted substancesIt is a crime to adulterate foods without informing the buyer.

adumbrate:/'ædʌmbreɪt/ v. Syn. overshadow; shadegive hint or indication of something; disclose partially or guardedly; overshadow; shadeHer constant complaining about the job would adumbrate her intent to leave.

advocate:/'ædvəkət/ v. Syn. urge; supportspeak, plead, or argue in favour of; plead for; push for somethingThe some doctors advocate a smoking ban in the entire house.

aesthetic:/i:s'θɛtɪk/ a. Syn. artistic; elegantelegant or tasteful; of or concerning appreciation of beauty or good tasteKenneth Cole, the American designer known for his modern, urban aesthetic, is hawking $35 T-shirts.

aggrandize:/ə'grændaɪz/ v. Syn. increase; intensifyincrease scope of; extend; intensify; make greater in power, influence, stature, or reputationThe history of the past quarter century illustrates how a President may aggrandize his power to act aggressively in international affairs without considering the wishes of Congress.

alacrity:/ə'lækrɪtɪ/ n. cheerful promptness or willingness; eagerness; speed or quicknessPhil and Dave were raring to get off to the mountains; they packed up their ski gear and climbed into the van with alacrity.

alloy:/ə'lɔɪ/ v. Syn. combine; mixcombine; mix; make less pure; lessen or moderateOur concern for Dwight Gooden, who injured his pitching arm in the game, will alloy our delight at the Yankees' victory.

amalgamate:/ə'mælgəmeɪt/ v. Syn. combine; mixcombine; unite in one body; mix or alloy a metal with mercuryThe unions will attempt to amalgamate their groups into one national body.

ambiguity:/æmbɪ'gju:ɪtɪ/ n. state of being ambiguous; doubtfulness or uncertaintyThis ambiguity is also becoming part of US policy toward Israel.

ambiguous:/æm'bɪgjʊəs/ a. unclear or doubtful in meaningHis ambiguous instructions misled us; we did not know which road to take.

ambivalence:/æm'bɪvələns/ n. state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes, such as love and hateTorn between loving her parents one minute and hating them the next, she was confused by the ambivalence of her feelings.

ameliorate:/ə'mi:lɪəreɪt/ v. Syn. improvemake or become better; improve; grow betterMany social workers have attempted to ameliorate the conditions of people living in the slums.

amenable:/ə'mi:nəb(ə)l/ a. Syn. responsible; accountableresponsive to advice or suggestion; responsible to higher authority; willing to comply with; agreeableHe was amenable to any suggestions that came from those he looked up to.

anathema:/ə'næθəmə/ n. solemn curse; someone or something regarded as a curseTo the Ayatolla, America and the West were anathema; he loathed the democratic nations, cursing them in his dying words.

anodyne:/'ænoʊdaɪn/ n. source of relaxation or comfort; medicine that relieves painThe sound of classical music is usually just anodyne I need after a tough day at work.

anomalous:/ə'nɒmələs/ a. Syn. abnormal; irregulardeviating from normal or common order, form, or ruleHe was placed in the anomalous position of seeming to approve procedures which he despised.

anomaly:/ə'nɒməlɪ/ n. Syn. irregularityirregularity; person or something that is unusual; departure from normal or common orderNo doubt, this anomaly is the result of the uncertain international environment and high interest rates.

antagonism:/æn'tægənɪz(ə)m/ n. Syn. hostility; enmityactive resistance; condition of being an opposing principle, force, or factorBarry showed his antagonism toward his new stepmother by ignoring her whenever she tried talking to him.

antipathy:/æn'tɪpəθɪ/ n. Syn. aversion; dislikestrong feeling of aversion; dislikeTom's extreme antipathy for disputes keeps him from getting into arguments with his temperamental wife.

apathy:/'æpəθɪ/ n. Syn. indifferencelack of caring; indifferenceA firm believer in democratic government, she could not understand the apathy of people who never bothered to vote.

apocryphal:/ə'pɒkrɪf(ə)l/ a. Syn. untrueuntrue; of questionable authorship or authenticity; erroneous; fictitiousTo impress his friends, Tom invented apocryphal tales of his adventures in the big city.

apostate:/ə'pɒsteɪt/ n. one who abandons his religious faith or political beliefsBecause he switched from one party to another, his former friends shunned him as an apostate.

apotheosis:/əpɒθɪ'oʊsɪs/ n. elevation to godhood; fact or action of becoming a god; an ideal example of somethingThe apotheosis of a Roman emperor was designed to insure his eternal greatness: people would worship at his altar forever.

appease:/ə'pi:z/ v. Syn. relieve; pacifybring peace, quiet, or calm to; satisfy or relieveTom and Jody tried to appease the crying baby by offering him one toy after another, but he would not calm down until they pacified his hunger by giving him a bottle.

apposite:/'æpəzɪt/ a. Syn. appropriate; relevantstrikingly appropriate and relevant; well-suitedHe was always able to find the apposite phrase, the correct expression for every occasion.

apprise:/ə'praɪz/ v. Syn. informinform; give notice to; make awareIf you apprise him the dangerous weather conditions, he has to postpone his trip.

approbation:/æprə'beɪʃ(ə)n/ n. Syn. approvalexpression of warm approval; praiseShe looked for some sign of approbation from her parents, hoping her good grades would please them.

appropriate:/ə'proʊprɪət/ v. Syn. acquire; allocateacquire; take possession of for one's own use; set apart for specific useThe ranch owners appropriate the lands that have originally been set aside for the Indians' use.

arcane:/ɑr'keɪn/ a. Syn. secret; mysterioussecret; mysterious; known only to the initiatedSecret brotherhoods surround themselves with arcane rituals and trappings to mystify outsiders.

archaic:/ɑr'keiɪk/ a. Syn. antiquatedno longer current or applicable; antiquated"Methinks," "thee," and "thou" are archaic words that are no longer part of our normal vocabulary.

arduous:/'ɑrdjʊəs/;/'ɑrdʒʊəs/ a. Syn. hard; strenuousdemanding great effort or labor; difficultHer arduous efforts had sapped her energy.

arrest:/ə'rɛst/ v. stop or slow down; catch someone's attention; take into custodyThe trapeze artists plunge from the heights until a safety net luckily arrest their fall.

articulate:/ɑr'tɪkjʊlət/ a. Syn. effective; distinctexpressing oneself easily in clear and effective languageHer articulate presentation of the advertising campaign impressed her employers.

artless:/'ɑrtlɪs/ a. Syn. naivefree of artificiality; natural; open and honestSophisticated and cynical, Jack could not believe Jill was as artless and naive as she appeared to be.

ascetic:/ə'sɛtɪk/ a. Syn. austere; severeleading a life of self-discipline and self-denial; austereThe wealthy, self-indulgent young man felt oddly drawn to the strict, ascetic life led by members of some monastic orders.

asperity:/æ'spɛrɪtɪ/ n. sharpness of temper; roughness or harshness, as of surface, sound, or climateThese remarks, spoken with asperity, stung the boys to whom they had been directed.

assiduous:/ə'sɪdjʊəs/;/ə'sɪdʒʊəs/ a. Syn. diligent; persistentconstant in application or attention; diligent; unceasing or persistentHe was assiduous, working at this task for weeks before he felt satisfied with his results.

assuage:/ə'sweɪdʒ/ v. Syn. relieveease or lessen pain; satisfy or appeaseJilted by Jane, Dick tried to assuage his heartache by indulging in ice cream.

astringent:/ə'strɪndʒənt/ a. Syn. austerecausing contraction; having the effect of drawing tissue together; stern or austereThe juice from the last pressing being very dark and astringent, is put with the inferior wine.

attenuate:/ə'tɛnjʊeɪt/ v. Syn. weakenmake slender, fine, or small; weaken; lessen density ofBy withdrawing their forces, the generals hoped to attenuate the enemy lines.

audacious:/ɔ:'deɪʃəs/ a. Syn. brave; boldfearlessly, often recklessly daring; boldAudiences cheered as Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia made their audacious, death defying leap to freedom, escaping Darth Vader's troops.

augury:/'ɔ:gjʊrɪ/ n. Syn. omen; prophecysign of something coming; art or practice of foretelling events by signs or omensHe interpreted the departure of the birds as an augury of evil.

august:/ɔ:'gʌst/ a. Syn. impressive; majestic; grandimpressive; majestic; inspiring awe or admirationVisiting the palace at Versailles, she was impressed by the august surroundings in which she found herself.

auspicious:/ɔ:'spɪʃəs/ a. Syn. propitiousattended by favorable circumstances; marked by success; prosperousWith favorable weather conditions, it was an auspicious moment to set sail.

austere:/ɒ'stɪə(r)/ a. strict or severe in discipline; severely simple and unornamentedThe headmaster's austere demeanor tended to scare off the more timid students, who never visited his study willingly.

avarice:/'ævərɪs/ n. greediness for wealth; insatiable desire of gainKing Midas is a perfect example of avarice, for he was so greedy that he wished everything he touched would turn to gold.

aver:/ə'vɜr(r)/ v. Syn. affirmdeclare to be true; affirmThe witnesses aver that he was holding a gun.

axiom:/'æksɪəm/ n. self-evident truth requiring no proofBefore a student can begin to think along the lines of Euclidean geometry, he must accept certain principle or axiom.

baleful:/'beɪlfʊl/ a. Syn. deadly; ominousportending evil; harmful in intent or effect.The fortune teller made baleful predictions of terrible things to come.

banal:/bə'nɑrl/;/'beɪnl/ a. Syn. dull; commonplace; triteobvious and dull; commonplace; lacking originalityThe writer made his comic sketch seem banal.

bane:/beɪn/ n. Syn. cursesomething causes misery or death; curse; fatal injury or ruinLucy's little brother was the bane of her existence: his attempts to make her life miserable worked so well that she could have poisoned him.

bedizen:/bɪ'dɪz(ə)n/ v. ornament something in showy, tasteless, or gaudy fineryWe usually bedizen witch doctors in all their gaudiest costumes.

belie:/bɪ'laɪ/ v. Syn. contradictcontradict; give a false impressionHis coarse, hard-bitten exterior does belie his inner sensitivity.

benign:/bɪ'naɪn/ a. Syn. kindly; favorablekindly; favorable; not malignantThough her benign smile and gentle bearing made Miss Marple seem a sweet little old lady, in reality she was a tough-minded lady.

bent:/bɛnt/ a. determined to do or haveWe are bent on going to the theater no matter how heavy the snow is.

blithe:/blaɪð/ a. Syn. gay; joyous; heedlessgay; joyous; carefree and lightheartedShelley called the skylark a "blithe spirit" because of its happy song.

boisterous:/'bɔɪstərəs/ a. Syn. violent; rough; noisyrough and stormy; loud, noisy, and lacking in restraint or disciplineThe unruly crowd became even more boisterous when he tried to quiet them.

bolster:/'boʊlstə(r)/ v. Syn. support; reinforcesupport or prop up with or as if with a long narrow pillow or cushionThe debaters amassed file boxes full of evidence to bolster their arguments.

bombastic:/bɒm'bæstɪk/ a. Syn. pompouspompous; using inflated language; high-sounding but with little meaningThe biggest military power on Earth was acting belligerent and its president was indulging in bombastic nationalistic grandstanding.

burgeon:/'bɜrdʒ(ə)n/ v. Syn. thrive; mushroomgrow forth; send out buds; grow or develop rapidlyIn the spring, the plants that burgeon are a promise of the beauty to come.

burnish:/'bɜrnɪʃ/ v. Syn. polishmake shiny by rubbing; polishI burnish the brass fixtures until they reflect the lamplight.

buttress:/'bʌtrɪs/ v. Syn. supportsupport physically; prop up; support something or someone by supplying evidenceThe attorney came up with several far-fetched arguments in a vain attempt to buttress his weak case.

cacophonous:/kə'kɒfənəs/ a. Syn. discordant; inharmoniousdiscordant; inharmonious; sounding harshly; ill-soundingDo the students in the orchestra enjoy the cacophonous sounds they make when they're tuning up? I don't know how they can stand the racket.

capricious:/kə'prɪʃəs/ a. Syn. unpredictable; fickle; arbitraryfickle; impulsive and unpredictable; apt to change opinions suddenlyThe storm was capricious: it changed course constantly.

castigate:/'kæstɪgeɪt/ v. Syn. punishcriticize severely; punish; revise or make corrections to publicationWhen the teacher threatened that she would castigate the mischievous boys if they didn't behave, they shaped up in a hurry.

catalyst:/'kætəlɪst/ n. Syn. enzyme; stimulusagent which brings about chemical change while it remains unaffected and unchangedMany chemical reactions cannot take place without the presence of a catalyst.

caustic:/'kɔ:stɪk/ a. capable of burning, corroding, dissolving, or eating away by chemical actionThe critic's caustic remarks angered the hapless actors who were the subjects of his sarcasm.

chicanery:/ʃɪ'keɪnərɪ/ n. Syn. trickery; deceptionmean or unfair artifice to obscure truth; deception by trickery or sophistryThose sneaky lawyers misrepresented what occurred, made up all sorts of implausible alternative scenarios to confuse the jurors, and in general depended on chicanery to win the case.

churlish:/'tʃɜrlɪʃ/ a. Syn. boorish; rudedifficult to work with; rude; unyielding; unmanageableDismayed by his churlish behaviors at the party, the girls vowed never to invite him again.

cogent:/'koʊdʒənt/ a. Syn. convincingreasonable and convincing; based on evidence; forcefully persuasiveIt was inevitable that David chose to go to Harvard: he had several cogent reasons for doing so, including a full-tuition scholarship.

complaisant:/kəm'pleɪzənt/ a. Syn. obligingtrying to please; showing cheerful willingness to do favors for othersThe courtier obeyed the king's orders in a complaisant manner.

confound:/kən'faʊnd/ v. Syn. confuse; puzzlecause to become confused or perplexed; fail to distinguish; mix upI developed an elaborate color scheme to help us pluck just the right card at that special moment to confound the opposing pair of debaters.

connoisseur:/kɒnə'sɜr(r)/ n. Syn. specialist; expertspecialist; person with expert knowledge or training, especially in the fine artsA literature professor by training and a self-taught art connoisseur, Charles Ryskamp served three decades as director first of the Pierpont Morgan Library.

contentious:/kən'tɛnʃəs/ a. Syn. quarrelsome; disagreeablequarrelsome; disagreeable; marked by heated arguments or controversyThe contentious gentleman in the bar ridiculed anything anyone said.

convoluted:/'kɒnvəlutɪd/ a. Syn. intricatecoiled around; highly involved; intricateHis argument was so convoluted that few of us could follow it intelligently.

corroborate:/kə'rɒbəreɪt/ v. Syn. confirm; supportestablish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts; support with evidenceThough Huck was quite willing to corroborate Tom's story, Aunt Polly knew better than to believe either of them.

countenance:/'kaʊntɪnəns/ v. Syn. approve; tolerategive sanction or support to; tolerate or approveHe refused to countenance such rude behavior on their part.

credulous:/'krɛdjʊləs/;/'krɛdʒələs/ a. apt to believe on slight evidence; easily imposed upon; unsuspecting; believed too readilyThey are credulous people who believe in the advertisement.

daunt:/dɔ:nt/ v. Syn. intimidate; frighten; dismayfrighten; abate the courage of; discourageOther northern employers were shocked that ex-slaves refused to work in conditions that would not daunt a farmer in the North.

dearth:/dɜrθ/ n. Syn. scarcityscarcity; shortage of food; famine from failure or loss of cropsThe dearth of skilled labor compelled the employers to open trade schools.

decorum:/dɪ'kɔ:rəm/ n. propriety in manners and conduct; good taste in manners; conventions or requirements of polite behaviorKeeping public decorum is an important factor in media credibility.

deference:/'dɛfərəns/ n. Syn. respectwillingness to carry out the wishes of others; great respectIn deference to the minister's request, please do not take photographs during the wedding service.

deleterious:/dɛlɪ'tɪərɪəs/ a. Syn. harmfulhaving harmful effect; injurious; having quality of destroying life; noxious; poisonousIf you believe that smoking is deleterious to your health, then quit!.

demur:/dɪ'mɜr(r)/ v. Syn. hesitateobject because of doubts; hesitateWhen offered a post on the board of directors, David had to demur: he had scruples about taking on the job because he was unsure he could handle it in addition to his other responsibilities.

denigrate:/'dɛnɪgreɪt/ v. Syn. blacken; defame; belittleblacken; defame; attack reputation of; degradeAll attempts to denigrate the character of our late president have failed; the people still love him and cherish his memory.

deprecate:/'dɛprɪkeɪt/ v. Syn. belittleexpress disapproval of; protest against; belittleA firm believer in old-fashioned courtesy, Miss Post must deprecate the modern tendency to address new acquaintances by their first names.

depredation:/dɛprɪ'deɪʃ(ə)n/ n. Syn. plunderingplundering; destructive action; predatory attack; damage or lossAfter the depredation of invaders, the people were penniless.

deride:/dɪ'raɪd/ v. Syn. ridiculeridicule; make fun of; laugh at with contemptThe critics deride his pretentious dialogue and refused to consider his play seriously.

derivative:/dɪ'rɪvətɪv/ a. Syn. unoriginalunoriginal; derived from another sourceAlthough her early poetry was clearly derivative in nature, the critics thought she had promise and eventually would find her own voice.

descry:/dɪ'skraɪ/ v. Syn. detectcatch sight of; discover by careful observation or scrutinyIn the distance, we could barely descry the enemy vessels.

desiccate:

/'dɛsɪkeɪt/ v. dry up thoroughly; make dry, dull, or lifeless; preserve foods by removing the moistureA tour of this smokehouse will give you an idea of how the pioneers used to desiccate food in order to preserve it.

desultory:/'dɛsəltərɪ/;/-tɔ:rɪ/ a. Syn. aimless; haphazardaimless; haphazard; at random; not connected with subjectIn prison Malcolm X set himself the task of reading straight through the dictionary; to him, reading was purposeful, not desultory.

digress:/daɪ'grɛs/ v. turn aside, especially from main subject in writing or speakingThe professor does not digress from the topic and never bores his students.

din:/dɪn/ n. Syn. clamor; roarloud, confused, harsh noise; loud, continuous, rattling or clanging soundThey were unable to sleep because of the din coming from the bar.

dirge:/dɜrdʒ/ n. a piece of music of a mournful character, to accompany funeral rites; funeral hymnThe stranger, after listening for a moment, joined in the mournful dirge.

discordant:/dɪ'skɔ:d(ə)nt/ a. Syn. conflictingnot harmonious; conflicting; disagreeable in sound; harsh or dissonantNothing is quite so discordant as the sound of a junior high school orchestra tuning up.

discretion:/dɪ'skrɛʃ(ə)n/ n. Syn. prudenceknowing how to avoid embarrassment or distress; trait of judging wisely and objectivelyThe servants showed great tact and discretion.

disingenuous:/dɪsɪn'dʒɛnjʊəs/ a. Syn. insinceregiving a false appearance of frankness; insincereNow that we know the mayor and his wife are engaged in a bitter divorce fight, we find their earlier remarks regretting their lack of time together remarkably disingenuous.

disinterested:/dɪs'ɪntrɪstɪd/ a. Syn. indifferentnot interested; indifferent; free of self-interest; impartialGiven the judge's political ambitions and the lawyers' financial interest in the case, the only disinterested person in the courtroom may have been the court reporter.

disparage:/dɪ'spærɪdʒ/ v. Syn. belittlebelittle; speak of in a slighting or disrespectful way; reduce in esteem or rankA doting mother, Emma was more likely to praise her son's crude attempts at art than to disparage them.

disparate:/'dɪspərət/ a. Syn. unrelatedfundamentally distinct or different in kind; entirely dissimilarUnfortunately, Tony and Tina have disparate notions of marriage: Tony sees it as a carefree extended love affair, while Tina sees it as a solemn commitment to build a family and a home.

dissemble:/dɪ'sɛmb(ə)l/ v. Syn. disguise; pretenddisguise or conceal behind a false appearance; make a false show ofEven though John tried to dissemble his motive for taking modern dance, we all knew he was there not to dance but to meet girls.

dissolution:/dɪsə'lu:ʃ(ə)n/ n. Syn. decay; terminationbreaking of union; decomposition into fragments or parts; extinction of life; decayWhich caused King Lear more suffering: the dissolution of his kingdom into warring factions, or of his aged, failing body?.

dissonance:/'dɪsənəns/ n. Syn. discorddiscord; disagreeable sounds; harsh, disagreeable combination of soundsComposer Charles Ives often used dissonance clashing or unresolved chords for special effects in his musical works.

dogmatic:/dɒg'mætɪk/;/dɔ:gmætɪk/ a. Syn. opinionated; doctrinalstubbornly adhering to insufficiently proven beliefs; inflexible, rigidWe tried to discourage Doug from being so dogmatic, but never could convince him that his opinions might be wrong.

dupe:/dju:p/;/du:p/ n. easily deceived person; duplicate of photographic imageWhile the gullible Watson often was made a dupe by unscrupulous parties, Sherlock Holmes was far more difficult to fool.

eclectic:/ɪ'klɛktɪk/ a. composed of elements from a variety of sourcesHis style of interior decoration was eclectic: bits and pieces of furnishings from widely divergent periods, strikingly juxtaposed to create a unique decor.

efficacy:/'ɛfɪkəsɪ/ n. power to produce desired effectThe efficacy of this drug depends on the regularity of the dosage.

effrontery:/ɛ'frʌntərɪ/ n. shameless or brazen boldness; insolent and shameless audacityShe had the effrontery to insult the guest.

elegy:/'ɛlɪdʒɪ/ n. poem or song expressing lamentation; mournful poemThe other elegy is shorter and less striking in conception, but gives a similar impression of the importance assigned to Louis de.

eloquent:/'ɛləkwənt/ a. Syn. expressive; persuasivevividly or movingly expressive; persuasiveMy cousins, full of exhilaration, were so eloquent in narrative and comment, that their fluency covered him.

emollient:/ɪ'mɒlɪənt/ n. having softening or soothing effect, especially to skinThe nurse applied an emollient to the inflamed area.

empirical:/ɛm'pɪrɪk(ə)l/ a. derived from experiment and observation rather than theoryHe distrusted hunches and intuitive flashes; he placed his reliance entirely on empirical data.

emulate:/'ɛmjʊleɪt/ v. Syn. imitate; rivalbe a match or counterpart for; eager to equal or excelIn a brief essay, describe a person you admire, someone whose virtues you would like to emulate.

encomium:/ɛn'koʊmɪəm/ n. Syn. tributehigh praise; formal expression of praise; tributeUneasy with the encomium expressed by his supporters, Tolkien felt unworthy of such high praise.

endemic:/ɛn'dɛmɪk/ a. prevailing among a specific group of people or in a specific area or countryThis disease is endemic in this part of the world; more than 80 percent of the population are at one time or another affected by it.

enervate:/'ɛnəveɪt/ v. Syn. weakenweaken or destroy strength or vitality of; remove a nerve or part of a nerveShe was slow to recover from her illness; even a short walk to the window would enervate her.

engender:/ɪn'dʒɛndə(r)/ v. Syn. cause; producecause; bring into existence; give rise toTo receive praise for real accomplishments would engender self-confidence in a child.

enigmatic:/ɛnɪg'mætɪk/ a. Syn. obscure; puzzlingobscure; puzzling; not easily explained or accounted forMany have sought to fathom the enigmatic smile of the Mona Lisa.

ephemeral:

/ɪ'fɛmərəl/ a. short-lived; enduring a very short timeThe mayfly is an ephemeral creature: its adult life lasts little more than a day.

equivocate:/ɪ'kwɪvəkeɪt/ v. Syn. lie; misleadlie; mislead; attempt to conceal the truthThe audience saw through his attempts to equivocate on the subject under discussion and ridiculed his remarks.

erudite:/'ɛru:daɪt/ a. Syn. learned; scholarlylearned; scholarly, with emphasis on knowledge gained from booksThough his fellow students thought him erudite, Paul knew he would have to spend many years in serious study before he could consider himself a scholar.

esoteric:/i:soʊ'tɛrɪk/ a. Syn. mysterioushard to understand; known only in a particular groupThe New Yorker short stories often include esoteric allusions to obscure people and events: the implication is, if you are in the in-crowd, you'll get the reference; if you come from Cleveland, you won't.

eulogy:/'ju:lədʒɪ/ n. expression of praise, often on the occasion of someone's deathInstead of delivering a spoken eulogy at Genny's memorial service, Jeff sang a song he had written in her honor.

exacerbate:/ɛk'sæsəbeɪt/ v. Syn. worsen; embitterincrease severity, violence, or bitterness of; aggravateThe latest bombing would exacerbate England's already existing bitterness against the IRA, causing the prime minister to break off the peace talks abruptly.

excoriate:/ɛks'kɔ:rɪeɪt/ v. scold with biting harshness; strip skin off; abradeSeeing the holes in Bill's new pants, his mother furiously began to excoriate him for ruining his good clothes.

exculpate:/'ɛkskʌlpeɪt/ v.

pronounce not guilty of criminal chargesThe court will exculpate him of the crime after the real criminal confesses.

exhort:/ɪg'zɔ:t/ v. urge on or encourage, especially by shoutsThe evangelist used to exhort all the sinners in his audience to reform.

exonerate:/ɪg'zɒnəreɪt/ v. Syn. acquit; exculpateacquit; free from blame; discharge from dutyThe testing can also connect evidence from apparently unrelated crimes, corroborate the victim's account, and exonerate innocent suspects.

expiate:/'ɛkspɪeɪt/ v. Syn. atonemake amends or pay the penalty for; relieve or cleanse of guiltHe tried to expiate his crimes by a full confession to the authorities.

extant:/ɛk'stænt/ a. still in existence; not destroyed, lost, or extinctAlthough the book is out of print, some copies are still extant. Unfortunately, all of them are in libraries or private collections; none are for sale.

facetious:/fə'si:ʃəs/ a. Syn. humorousjoking ,often inappropriately; humorousI'm serious about this project; I don't need any facetious cracks about do-gooder little rich girls.

fallacious:/fə'leɪʃəs/ a. Syn. false; deceptivefalse; tending to mislead; deceptiveParadoxically, fallacious reasoning does not always yield erroneous results: even though your logic may be faulty, the answer you get may nevertheless be correct.

fatuous:/'fætjʊəs/ a. Syn. foolishfoolish or silly, especially in self-satisfied way

He is far too intelligent to utter such fatuous remarks.

fawn:/fɔ:n/ n. young deer; buck or doe of the first year; young of an animalA fawn behind the tree looked at us curiously.

feign:/feɪn/ v. Syn. pretend; disguise; concealmake false appearance of; disguise; conceal; invent or imagineLady Macbeth decided to feign illness although she was actually healthy.

felicitous:/fə'lɪsɪtəs/ a. Syn. aptapt; suitably expressed; well chosenHe was famous for his felicitous remarks and was called upon to serve as master-of-ceremonies at many a banquet.

fell:/fɛl/ a. Syn. cruel; deadlycapable of destroying; lethalThe newspapers told of the tragic spread of the fell disease.

fervent:/'fɜrvənt/ a. extremely hot; sincerely or intensely feltShe felt that the fervent praise was excessive and somewhat undeserved.

fervid:/'fɜrvɪd/ a. extremely hot; eager; impassioned; burningHer fervid enthusiasm inspired all of us to undertake the dangerous mission.

fetid:/'fɛtɪd/ a. Syn. stinkingunpleasant-smelling; having offensive smell; stinkingThese dogs are housed in fetid, dark sheds and barns or left outside in cages exposed to the cold, the heat, the rain and the snow.

fetter:/'fɛtə(r)/ v. Syn. impede; hamperrestrain with U-shaped bar for ankles or feet; impede; hamperThey fetter the prisoner to the wall.

filial:/'fɪlɪəl/ a. having or assuming relationship of child or offspring to parentMany children forget their filial obligations and disregard the wishes of their parents.

flag:/flæg/ v. Syn. decline; weaken; fadebecome less intense; sink, or settle from pressureWhen the opposing hockey team scored its third goal only minutes into the first quarter, the home team's spirits seemed to flag.

fledgling:/'flɛdʒlɪŋ/ a. young and inexperienced; having just acquired its flight feathersWhile it is necessary to provide these fledgling poets with an opportunity to present their work, it is not essential that we admire everything they write.

flippant:/'flɪpənt/ a. Syn. talkativelacking proper seriousness; speaking freely; talkative; communicativeWhen Mark told Mona he loved her, she dismissed his earnest declaration with a flippant "Oh, you say that to all the girls!".

florid:/'flɒrɪd/;/'flɔ:rɪd/ a. Syn. ruddy; reddishreddish; elaborately or excessively ornamentedIf you go to beach and get a sunburn, your complexion will look florid.

flout:/flaʊt/ v. Syn. reject; mockreject; mock; express contempt for rules by word or action; behave with contemptThe headstrong youth used to flout all authority; he refused to be curbed.

foment:/foʊ'mɛnt/ v. try to stir up public opinion; promote growth of; apply warm lotion toThese examples, and there are many others, reveal how fear is being used to foment anger and political zealotry.

forestall:/fɔ:'stɔ:l/ v. Syn. preventprevent by taking action in advanceThe prospective bride and groom hoped to forestall any potential arguments about money in the event of a divorce.

fortuitous:/fɔ:'tju:ɪtəs/;/-'tu:-/ a. Syn. accidental; randomaccidental; by chance; coming or occurring without any causeThough he pretended their encounter was fortuitous, he'd actually been hanging around her usual haunts for the past two weeks, hoping she'd turn up.

gainsay:/geɪn'seɪ/ v. Syn. denyspeak against; contradict; oppose in words; deny or declare not to be trueShe was too honest to gainsay the truth of the report.

garrulous:/'gærʊləs/ a. Syn. wordy; talkativetalking much and repetition of unimportant or trivial detailsMy Uncle Henry can outtalk any three people I know. He is the most garrulous person in Cayuga County.

gauche:/goʊʃ/ a. awkward or lacking in social graces; coarse and uncouthCompared to the sophisticated young ladies in their elegant gowns, tomboyish Jo felt gauche and out of place.

gossamer:/'gɒsəmə(r)/ a. sheer, light, delicate, or tenuousThey would laugh in gossamer tones, and then move on gracefully to someone else, sometimes moving gracefully at speeds exceeding 40 mph.

gregarious:/grɪ'gɛərɪəs/ a. Syn. sociablesociable; seeking and enjoying the company of othersNatural selection in gregarious animals operates upon groups rather than upon individuals.

guile:/gaɪl/ n. Syn. deceit; duplicity; wiliness; cunningskillful deceit; disposition to deceive or cheat; disguise cunninglylago uses considerable guile to trick Othello into believing that Desdemona has been unfaithful.

guileless:/'gaɪllɪs/ a. free from deceit; sincere; honestHe is naive, simple, and guileless; he cannot be guilty of fraud.

gullible:/'gʌlɪb(ə)l/ a. easily deceived or cheated; easily tricked because of being too trustingThis time, unlike gullible investors during the 1920s, the big losers would be taxpayers, who never had the choice of not playing.

hackneyed:/'hæknɪd/ a. Syn. commonplacerepeated too often; over familiar through overuseWhen the reviewer criticized the movie for its hackneyed plot, we agreed; we had seen similar stories hundreds of times before.

halcyon:/'hælsɪən/ a. idyllically calm and peaceful; marked by peace and prosperityRecalling the halcyon days of early 2008, Hedgie momentarily forgot himself.

harangue:/hə'ræŋ/ n. noisy speech; speech or piece of writing with strong feeling or expressionIn her lengthy harangue, the principal berated the offenders.

headlong:/'hɛdlɒŋ/ a. uncontrollably forceful or fast; done with head leading; headfirstThe slave seized the unexpected chance to make a headlong dash across the border to freedom.

hegemony:/hɪ'gɛmənɪ/;/'hɛdʒɛmoʊnɪ/ n. domination, influence, or authority over another, especially by political group or nation over othersWhen Germany claimed hegemony over Russia, Stalin was outraged.

homogeneous:/hɒmoʊ'dʒi:nɪəs/ a. Syn. uniform; similarof the same or similar nature or kindBecause the student body at Elite Prep was so homogeneous, Sara decided to send daughter to another school that offered greater cultural diversity.

hyperbole:/haɪ'pɜrbəlɪ/ n. Syn. exaggeration; overstatementfigure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis; overstatementAs far as I'm concerned, Apple's claims about the new computer are pure hyperbole: no machine is that good!.

impassive:/ɪm'pæsɪv/ a. without feeling; revealing little emotion or sensibility; not easily aroused or excitedRefusing to let the enemy see how deeply shaken he was by his capture, the prisoner kept his face impassive.

impecunious:/ɪmpɪ'kju:nɪəs/ a. Syn. poorwithout money; poor; pennilessThough Scrooge claimed he was too impecunious to give alms, he easily could have afforded to be charitable.

impede:/ɪm'pi:d/ v. Syn. hinder; block; delayhinder; charge with improper conduct; challenge validity of; try to discreditA series of accidents impede the launching of the space shuttle.

imperious:/ɪm'pɪərɪəs/ a. Syn. dictatorialurgent or pressing; able to deal authoritatively; dictatorialJane rather liked a man to be masterful, but Mr. Rochester seemed so bent on getting his own way that he was actually imperious!.

imperturbable:/ɪmpə'tɜrbəb(ə)l/ a. Syn. calm; placidunshakably calm; placid; incapable of being disturbed or disconcertedIn the midst of the battle, the Duke of Wellington remained imperturbable and in full command of the situation despite the hysteria and panic all around him.

impetuous:/ɪm'pɛtjʊəs/ a. Syn. violent; hasty; rash.marked by sudden and violent force; hasty; impulsive and passionate"Leap before you look" was the motto suggested by one particularly impetuous young man.

implacable:/ɪm'plækəb(ə)l/ a. incapable of being pacified; not to be relieved;Madame Defarge was the implacable enemy of the Evremonde family.

impugn:/ɪm'pju:n/ v. Syn. challengedispute or contradict, often in insulting way; challengeOur treasurer was furious when the finance committee's report tried to impugn the accuracy of his financial records.

inchoate:/'ɪnkoʊət/ a. Syn. rudimentary; elementaryrecently begun; imperfectly formed or developed; elementaryBefore the Creation, the world was an inchoate mass.

incipient:/ɪn'sɪpɪənt/ a. Syn. beginningbeginning to exist or appear; in an early stageI will go to sleep early for I want to break an incipient cold.

indolent:/'ɪndələnt/ a. Syn. lazy; inactivelazy; slow to heal, grow, or develop; inactiveCouch potatoes lead an indolent life lying back on their Lazyboy recliners watching Tv.

inert:/ɪ'nɜrt/ a. Syn. inactiveinactive; lacking power to move; unable to move or actPotential intelligence, like potential, can remain inert forever.

ingenuous:/ɪn'dʒɛnjʊəs/ a. Syn. young; unsophisticatednaive and trusting; young; unsophisticatedThe woodsman had not realized how ingenuous Little Red Riding Hood was until he heard that she had gone off for a walk in the woods with the Big Bad Wolf.

inherent:/ɪn'hɪərənt/ a. Syn. intrinsic; naturalfirmly established by nature or habitEach branch of the federal government has certain inherent powers.

inhibit:/ɪn'hɪbɪt/ v. Syn. restrain; preventrestrain; prevent or forbid; hold backOnly two things inhibit him from taking a punch at Mike Tyson: Tyson's left hook, and Tyson's right jab.

inimical:/ɪ'nɪmɪk(ə)l/ a. Syn. unfriendly; hostile; harmful; detrimentalunfriendly; hostile; harmful; detrimentalI've always been friendly to Martha. Why is she so inimical to me?.

iniquity:/ɪ'nɪkw(ə)tɪ/ n. absence of, or deviation from, just dealing; want of rectitude or uprightness; gross injustice; unrighteousness; wickednessHe thought of New York as a den of iniquity.

innocuous:/ɪ'nɒkjʊəs/ a. Syn. harmlesshaving no adverse effect; harmlessAn occasional glass of wine with dinner is relatively innocuous and should have no ill effect on you.

inscrutable:/ɪn'skru:təb(ə)l/ a. Syn. impenetrable; mysteriousimpenetrable; not readily understood; mysteriousExperienced poker players try to keep their expressions inscrutable, hiding their reactions to the cards behind a so-called "poker face.".

insensible:/ɪn'sɛnsɪb(ə)l/ a. Syn. unconscious; unresponsiveunconscious; unresponsive; very small or gradualSherry and I are very different; at times when I would be covered with embarrassment, she seems insensible to shame.

insipid:/ɪn'sɪpɪd/ a. Syn. dulllacking flavor or zest; not tasty; dullFlat prose and flat ginger ale are equally insipid: both lack sparkle.

insular:/'ɪnsjʊlə(r)/;/'ɪnsələr/ a. of isolated people, especially having a narrow viewpointIt was a shock for Kendra to go from her small high school, with her insular group of friends, to a huge college with students from all over the country.

intractable:/ɪn'træktəb(ə)l/ a. Syn. unruly; stubborn; unyieldingdifficult to manage or govern; stubborn; unyieldingCharlie Brown's friend Pigpen was intractable: he absolutely refused to take a bath.

inundate:/'ɪnʌndeɪt/ v. Syn. overwhelm; flood; submergeoverwhelm; cover with water, especially floodwatersUntil the great dam was built, the waters of the Nile used to inundate the river valley like clockwork every year.

invidious:

/ɪn'vɪdɪəs/ a. designed to create ill will or envyWe disregarded her invidious remarks because we realized how jealous she was.

irascible:/ɪ'ræsɪb(ə)l/ a. Syn. irritableirritable; easily angered; excited by or arising from angerMiss Minchin's irascible temper intimidated the younger schoolgirls, who feared she'd burst into a rage at any moment.

itinerant:/aɪ'tɪnərənt/ a. Syn. wandering; travelingwandering; traveling place to place, especially to perform work or dutySince the storm, the city had also been attracting a new kind of itinerant idealist.

laconic:/lə'kɒnɪk/ a. Syn. concisebrief; effectively cut short; marked by use of few wordsMany of the characters portrayed by Clint Eastwood are laconic types: strong men of few words.

lament:/lə'mɛnt/ v. Syn. grievegrieve; express sorrow; regret deeplyEven advocates of the war lament the loss of so many lives in combat.

lassitude:/'læsɪtju:d/ n. Syn. languor; wearinessstate or feeling of weariness, diminished energy, or listlessnessAfter a massage and a long soak in the hot tub, I gave in to my growing lassitude and lay down for a nap.

latent:/'leɪtənt/ a. Syn. dormant; hiddenpresent or potential but not evident or active; dormant; hiddenExisting arrangements contain latent functions that can be neither seen nor replaced by the reformer.

laud:/lɔ:d/ v. Syn. praisegive praise to; glorify; celebrate or honorThe NFL began to laud Boomer Esiason's efforts to raise money to combat cystic fibrosis.

lethargic:/lə'θɑrdʒɪk/ a. Syn. drowsy; dull

drowsy; dull; indifferent or apatheticThe stuffy room made her lethargic: she felt as if she was about to nod off.

levity:/'lɛvɪtɪ/ n. Syn. lightnesslack of seriousness; lightness of manner or speech, especially when inappropriateStop giggling and wriggling around in the pew: such levity is improper in church.

libertine:/'lɪbəti:n/ n. free thinker, usually used disparagingly; one without moral restraintThe libertine took pleasure in gambling away his family money.

limpid:/'lɪmpɪd/ a. Syn. clearclear, transparent or bright; calm, untroubled, and without worryA limpid stream ran through his property.

loquacious:/lɒ'kweɪʃəs/ a. Syn. talkativetalkative; given to continual talking; chatteringThough our daughter barely says a word to us these days, put a phone in her hand and see how loquacious she can be: our phone bills are out of sight!.

lucid:/'lu:sɪd/ a. Syn. clear; intelligibleeasily understood; clear; intelligibleSo in lucid moments, you structure your life to serve your own best interest.

lugubrious:/lu:'gju:brɪəs/ a. Syn. mournfulmournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially to exaggerated degreeThe lugubrious howling of the dogs added to our sadness.

luminous:/'lu:mɪnəs/ a. Syn. shiningshining; emitting light, especially emitting self-generated lightThe sun is a luminous body.

malevolent:/mə'lɛvələnt/ a. Syn. malicioushaving or exhibiting ill will; wishing harm to others; malicious

Lago is a malevolent villain who takes pleasure in ruining Othello.

martinet:/mɑrtɪ'nɛt/;/mɑrtn'ɛt/ n. strict disciplinarian; one who demands absolute adherence to forms and rulesNo talking at meals! No mingling with the servants! Miss Minchin was a martinet who insisted that the schoolgirls in her charge observe each regulation to the letter.

maverick:/'mævərɪk/ n. Syn. nonconformistone that refuses to abide or be independent; an unbranded range animalBut, a maverick is also one who cannot be identified as belonging to any specific herd.

melancholy:/'mɛlənkɒlɪ/ a. Syn. gloomy; sadgloomy; feeling of thoughtful sadness; affected by depressionYou are not well, you have no friend to cheer you, and this melancholy is the result.

mendacious:/mɛn'deɪʃəs/ a. Syn. lyinglying; habitually dishonest; speaking falselyDistrusting Huck from the start, Miss Watson assumed he was mendacious and refused to believe a word he said.

mercurial:/mɜrkjʊərɪəl/ a. Syn. capriciouscapricious; liable to sudden unpredictable change; quick and changeable in temperamentQuick as quicksilver to change, he was mercurial in nature and therefore unreliable.

meticulous:/mɪ'tɪkjʊləs/ a. Syn. scrupulous; cautiousexcessively careful; marked by extreme care in treatment of detailsOne neighbor, who usually uses the truck to haul away lawn debris, always returns the truck in meticulous condition.

misanthrope:/'mɪsənθroʊp/ n. one who hates or mistrusts mankindIn Gulliver's Travels, Swift portrays an image of humanity as vile, degraded beasts; for this reason, various critics consider him a misanthrope.

mitigate:/'mɪtɪgeɪt/ v. Syn. moderatemake less severe or harsh; moderateNothing Jason did could mitigate Medea's anger; she refused to forgive him for betraying her.

mollify:/'mɒlɪfaɪ/ v. make less rigid or softer; calm in temper or feelingThe airline customer service representative tried to mollify the angry passenger by offering her a seat in first class.

mordant:/'mɔ:dənt/ a. bitingly painful; harshly ironic or sinister; serving to fix colors in dyeingRoald Dahl's stories are mordant alternatives to blank stories intended for kids.

morose:/mə'roʊs/ a. Syn. sullen; gloomyill humored; sullen; depressingly dark; gloomy; persistentThough we feel sad at someone's pain and sorrow, feeling morose is difficult while actively wishing the person to be happy.

multifaceted:/mʌltɪ'fæsɪtɪd/ a. having many facets or aspectsA multifaceted composer, Roger Davidson has recorded original pieces that range from ragtime tangos to choral masses.

mundane:/'mʌndeɪn/ a. Syn. worldly; earthly; secularbelonging to this earth or world; not ideal or heavenly; concerned with commonplaces; ordinaryUnlike other players, the CEO and Secretariat are less interested in mundane benefits than in value.

munificent:/mju:'nɪfɪs(ə)nt/ a. Syn. generousvery liberal in giving; showing great generosityShamelessly fawning over a particularly generous donor, the dean kept on referring to her as "our munificent benefactor.".

nascent:/'næsənt/ a. Syn. incipientincipient; coming into existence; emergingIf we could identify these revolutionary movements in their nascent state, we would be able to eliminate serious trouble in later years.

neophyte:/'ni:oʊfaɪt/ n. Syn. beginnerrecent convert to a belief; one newly initiatedThis mountain slope contains slides that will challenge anyone, either expert or neophyte.

noisome:/'nɔɪsəm/ a. foul-smelling; offensive by arousing disgust; harmful or dangerousThe noisome atmosphere downwind of the oil refinery not only stank, it damaged the lungs of everyone living in the area.

noxious:/'nɒkʃəs/ a. Syn. harmfulharmful to living things; injurious to healthWe must trace the source of these noxious gases before they asphyxiate us.

obdurate:/'ɒbdjʊrɪt/;/'ɑbdərɪt/ a. Syn. stubborn; inflexiblehardened in wrongdoing or wickedness; not giving in to persuasionHe was obdurate in his refusal to listen to our complaints.

obsequious:/əb'si:kwɪəs/ a. slavishly attentive; attempting to win favor from influential people by flatteryHelen liked to be served by people who behaved as if they respected themselves; nothing irritated her more than an excessively obsequious waiter or a fawning salesclerk.

obstinate:/'ɒbstɪnət/ a. Syn. stubbornstubbornly adhering to an attitude or opinion; hard to control or treatWe tried to persuade him to give up smoking, but he was obstinate and refused to change.

obviate:/'ɒbvɪeɪt/ v. bypass requirement or make it unnecessary; get rid ofI hope this contribution will obviate any need for further collections of funds.

odious:/'oʊdɪəs/ a. Syn. hateful; vilehateful; arousing strong dislike, aversion, or intense displeasureCinderella's ugly stepsisters had the odious habit of popping their zits in public.

officious:/ə'fɪʃəs/ a. marked by excessive eagerness in offering unwanted services or advice to othersJudy wanted to look over the new computer models on her own, but the officious salesman kept on butting in with "helpful" advice until she was ready to walk out of the store.

onerous:/'ɒnərəs, 'oʊnərəs/ a. Syn. burdensome; wearingburdensome or oppressive; not easily borne; wearingHe asked for an assistant because his work load was too onerous.

opaque:/oʊ'peɪk/ a. Syn. nontransparent; obscureimpenetrable by light; not transparent; not reflecting light; having no lusterThe opaque window shade kept the sunlight out of the room.

oscillate:/'ɒsɪleɪt/ v. Syn. waverswing back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm; vibrate pendulum like; waverIt is interesting to note how public opinions oscillate between the extremes of optimism and pessimism.

ostensible:/ɒ'stɛnsɪb(ə)l/ a. Syn. apparentput forth or held out as real, actual, or intended; proper or intended to be shownAlthough the ostensible purpose of this expedition is to discover new lands, we are really interested in finding new markets for our products.

ostentatious:/ɒstɛn'teɪʃəs/ a. Syn. showy; pretentiousshowy; pretentious; trying to attract attentionDonald Trump's latest casino in Atlantic City is the most ostentatious gambling palace in the East.

palliate:/'pælɪeɪt/ v. lessen violence of disease; moderate intensity; gloss over with excusesNot content merely to palliate the patient's sores and cankers, the researcher sought a means of wiping out the disease.

panegyric:/pænɪ'dʒɪrɪk/ n. formal or high praise; formal eulogistic composition intended as public complimentBlushing at all the praise heaped upon him by the speakers, the modest hero said, "I don't deserve any panegyric.".

paradigm:/'pærədaɪm/ n. Syn. model; example; patternone that serves as a pattern or model; system of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a way of viewing realityPavlov's experiment in which he trains a dog to salivate on hearing a bell is a paradigm of the conditioned-response experiment in behavioral psychology.

paradox:/'pærədɒks/ n. Syn. contradictionsomething apparently contradictory in nature; statement that looks false but is actually correctRichard presents a bit of a paradox, for he is a card-carrying member of both the National Rifle Association and the relatively pacifist American Civil Liberties Union.

paragon:/'pærəgən/;/'pærəgɒn/ n. Syn. modelmodel of excellence or perfection; peerless exampleMr. Brumby's paragon is shocked at the other's inaptitude for examination.

partisan:/pɑrtɪ'zæn/ a. Syn. prejudicedone-sided; prejudiced; committed to a partyOn certain issues of principle, she refused to take a partisan stand, but let her conscience be her guide.

paucity:/'pɔ:sɪtɪ/ n. Syn. scarcity

scarcity; smallness of number; fewnessThey closed the restaurant because the paucity of customers made it uneconomical to operate.

peccadillo:/pɛkə'dɪloʊ/ n. slight offense; small sin or faultWhen Peter Piper picked a peck of Polly Potter's pickles, did Pete commit a major crime or just a peccadillo?.

pedestrian:/pɪ'dɛstrɪən/ a. Syn. dulllacking wit or imagination; ordinaryUnintentionally boring, he wrote page after page of pedestrian prose.

penchant:/'pɒŋʃɒŋ/;/'pɛntʃənt/ n. Syn. likingstrong inclination; definite likingThere is a certain penchant in true believers to ignore input which conflicts and contradicts that belief.

penury:/'pɛnjʊrɪ/ n. Syn. poverty; insufficiencyextreme poverty; lack of something; barrenness; insufficiencyWhen his pension fund failed, George feared he would end his days in penury. He became such a penny pincher that he turned into a closefisted, penurious miser.

peremptory:/pə'rɛmptərɪ/;/'pɛrəmptɔ:rɪ/ a. Syn. imperativeoffensively self-assured; dictatorial; not allowing contradiction or refusalFrom Jack's peremptory knock on the door, Jill could tell he would not give up until she let him in.

perennial:/pə'rɛnɪəl/ n. lasting indefinitely long time; suggesting self-renewal; remaining active throughout all the timeThese plants are hardy perennial and will bloom for many years.

perfidious:/pə'fɪdɪəs/ a. Syn. treacherous; disloyaltending to betray; disloyal; faithlessWhen Caesar realized that Brutus had betrayed him, he reproached his perfidious friend.

perfidy:/'pɜrfɪdɪ/ n.

act of violating faith or allegiance; violation of a promise or vow, or of trust reposed; faithlessness; treacheryIt was the strain of a forsaken lady, who, after bewailing the perfidy of her lover, calls pride to her aid.

perfunctory:/pə'fʌŋktərɪ/ a. Syn. superficialdone routinely and with little interest or care; acting with indifferenceThe auditor's perfunctory inspection of the books overlooked many errors.

pernicious:/pə'nɪʃəs/ a. Syn. deadlyvery destructive; tending to cause death or serious injury; deadlyCrack cocaine has had a pernicious effect on urban society: it has destroyed families, turned children into drug dealers, and increased the spread of violent crimes.

peruse:/pə'ru:z/ v. read or examine, typically with great careAfter the conflagration that burned down her house, Joan closely began to peruse her home insurance policy to discover exactly what benefits her coverage provided her.

pervade:/pə'veɪd/ v. pass or flow through, as an aperture; permeate; pass or spread through the whole extent ofThese challenges are global in nature, and pervade all aspects of society.

petulant:/'pɛtjʊlənt/ a. Syn. irritableeasily irritated or annoyed; unreasonably irritable or ill-temperedHer narrow face was fixed in petulant defiance.

phlegmatic:/flɛg'mætɪk/ a. Syn. calmcalm; not easily disturbed; not easily excited to action or passionThe nurse was a cheerful but phlegmatic person, unexcited in the face of sudden emergencies.

pique:/pi:k/ n. sudden outburst of anger; state of vexation caused by a perceived slight or indignityShe showed her pique at her loss by refusing to appear with the other contestants at the end of the competition.

pithy:/'pɪθɪ/ a. Syn. conciseprecisely meaningful; forceful and briefWhile other girls might have gone on and on about how un-cool Elton was, Liz summed it up in one pithy remark: "He's bogus!".

placate:/plə'keɪt/;/'pleɪkeɪt/ v. Syn. pacify; conciliateappease or pacify; bring peace toThe store manager tried to placate the angry customer, offering to replace the damaged merchandise or to give back her money right away.

plastic:/'plæstɪk/ a. capable of being molded; capable of being shaped or formed; easily influencedSo, I called my plastic surgeon, Dr. Epstein, on a Sunday at 4pm.

platitude:/'plætɪtju:d/;/-tu:d/ n. dullness; insipidity of thought; commonplace statement; lack of originalityIn giving advice to his son, old Polonius expressed himself only in same platitude; every word out of his mouth was a commonplace.

pragmatic:/præg'mætɪk/ a. Syn. practicalpractical as opposed to idealistic; concerned with the practical worth or impact of somethingAIDS advocates are now wondering whether pragmatic is just a euphemism for cheap.

precarious:/prɪ'kɛərɪəs/ a. Syn. uncertain; riskyuncertain; risky; dangerously lacking in security or stabilityBut that is why NASA used test pilots, men used to handling life and death decisions in precarious situations and instantly making the right choice.

precipitate:/prɪ'sɪpɪteɪt/ a. Syn. rash; premature; hastyrash; moving rapidly and heedlessly; speeding headlong; occurring suddenlyThough I was angry enough to resign on the spot, I had enough sense to keep myself from quitting a job in such a precipitate fashion.

precursor:/pri:'kɜrsə(r)/ n. Syn. forerunnerforerunner; one who precedes an event and indicates its approachThough Gray shared many traits with the Romantic poets who followed them, most critics consider him precursor of the Romantic Movement, not true Romantics.

presumptuous:/prɪ'zʌmptjʊəs/ a. Syn. overconfidentoverconfident; going beyond what is right or proper; excessively forwardIt was asked everyday of his Mid East and European trip, “Is he too presumptuous, is he trying too hard to be a rock star?"

prevaricate:/prɪ'værɪkeɪt/ v. Syn. lielie; stray from or evade truth; behave in evasive way such as to delay actionSome people believe that to prevaricate in a good cause is justifiable and regard such a statement as a "white lie.".

pristine:/'prɪsti:n, 'prɪstaɪn/ a. Syn. primitive; primaryuncorrupted by civilization; primitive; remaining free from dirt or decayHe has opposed building dirty coal-fired power plants in pristine landscapes.

prodigal:/'prɒdɪg(ə)l/ a. Syn. wastefulwasteful; reckless with moneyIn his Christmas feasts Richard outdid his predecessors in prodigal hospitality.

propensity:/prə'pɛnsɪtɪ/ n. Syn. tendency; predilectionnatural inclination; tendency or preference; predilectionConvinced of his own talent, Sol has an unfortunate propensity to belittle the talents of others.

propitiate:/prə'pɪʃɪeɪt/ v. make peace with; appease and render favorableThe natives offered sacrifices to propitiate the gods.

propitious:/prə'pɪʃəs/ a. Syn. favorable; fortunate; advantageouspresenting favorable circumstances; fortunate; advantageousChloe consulted her horoscope to see whether Tuesday would be a propitious day to dump her boyfriend.

propriety:/prə'praiɪtɪ/ n. Syn. fitness; appropriatenessfitness; correct conduct; quality of being proper; appropriatenessMiss Manners counsels her readers so that they may behave with due propriety in any social situation and not embarrass themselves.

prosaic:/proʊ'zeiɪk/ a. Syn. factualdull and unimaginative; matter-of-fact; factualThough the ad writers came up with an original way to publicize the product, the head office rejected it for a more prosaic, ordinary slogan.

proscribe:/proʊ'skraɪb/;/proʊ-/ v. Syn. banish; outlawcommand against; banish; outlawAntony, Octavius, and Lepidus united to proscribe all those who had conspired against Julius Caesar.

pungent:/'pʌndʒənt/ a. Syn. stinging; causticstinging; sharp in taste or smell; causticI'm bracing myself to be met by heat, humidity and what Kerry describes as a pungent odor.

pusillanimous:/pju:sɪ'lænɪməs/ a. Syn. cowardly; faintheartedcowardly; lacking strength and firmness of mindYou should be ashamed of your pusillanimous conduct during this dispute.

qualify:/'kwɒlɪfaɪ/ v. make such as is required; give added or requisite qualities to; make legally capableThey note that half of pupils will fail to qualify for secondary school.

querulous:/'kwɛrʊləs/ a. Syn. fretful; whininghabitually complaining; expressing complaint or grievanceEven the most agreeable toddlers can begin to act querulous if they miss their nap.

raillery:/'reɪlərɪ/ n. pleasantry or slight satire; banter; jesting language; satirical merrimentExcitement instantly seized the whole party: a running fire of raillery and jests was proceeding when Sam returned.

rarefy:/'rɛərɪfaɪ/ v. weaken the consistency; purify or refine; lessen the densityIt becomes necessary to place the terminal in a bulb and rarefy the air in the same time.

recalcitrant:/rɪ'kælsɪtrənt/ a. obstinately stubborn; determined to resist authorityWhich animal do you think is more recalcitrant, a pig or a mule?.

recant:/rɪ'kænt/ v. Syn. renounceretract a previous statement; sing over again; utter repeatedly in songShe'll also be badgered to recant her 12 year affiliation with the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund.

refractory:/rɪ'fræktərɪ/ a. Syn. stubborn; unmanageablestubborn; unmanageable; obstinately resistant to authority or controlThe refractory horse was eliminated from the race when he refused to obey the jockey.

refute:/rɪ'fju:t/ v. Syn. disprovedisprove; prove to be false or incorrectThe defense called several respectable witnesses who were able to refute the false testimony of the prosecution's sole witness.

relegate:/'rɛlɪgeɪt/ v. Syn. delegate; assignassign to obscure place, position, or condition; delegate; assignIf Ralph drops his second tray of drinks this week, the manager swiftly would relegate him to a minor post cleaning up behind the bar.

remonstrate:/'rɛmənstreɪt/;/rɪ'mɒnstreɪt/ v. point out; show clearly; make plain or manifest; demonstrate; present and urge reasons in opposition toI will remonstrate with him about his rudeness.

renege:/rɪ'ni:g/ v. Syn. denydeny; go back on; fail to fulfill promise or obligationHe tried to renege on paying off his debt.

rent:/rɛnt/ n. payment, usually of an amount fixed by contractOh, did I mention that the rent is the same as what I'm paying here?

reprobate:/'rɛproʊbeɪt/ n. person hardened in sin; person without moral scruplesI cannot understand why he has so many admirers if he is the reprobate you say he is.

reproof:/rɪ'pru:f/ n. expression of blame or censure; censure for a fault; reproachThe perplexity and dissatisfaction of the house expressed itself in murmurs and provoked a reproof from the bench.

repudiate:/rɪ'pju:dɪeɪt/ v. Syn. disowndisown; refuse to acknowledge; reject validity or authority ofOn separating from Tony, Tina announced that she would repudiate all debts incurred by her soon-to-be ex-husband.

rescind:/rɪ'sɪnd/ v. Syn. cancel; annul; repealcancel; make void; repeal or annulTo change or rescind is justified only when reestimate of all of the available facts.

resolute:/'rɛzəlu:t/ a. Syn. firm; determined; decidedfirm, unyielding, or determined; having decided purposeLouise was resolute: She would get into medical school no matter what.

reticent:/'rɛtɪsənt/ a. inclined to keep silent; reserved; uncommunicative.It commanded its followers to be reticent � to never degrade intimate emotions by parading them in public.

reverent:/'rɛvərənt/ a. Syn. respectful; worshipfulrespectful; worshipful; impressed with veneration or deep respectThough I bow my head in church and recite the prayers, sometimes I don't feel properly reverent.

rhetoric:/'rɛtərɪk/ n. art or study of using language effectively and persuasively; insincere languageIf his rhetoric is any indication, the president appears to be headed in the right direction.

rue:/ru:/ v. Syn. regret; lament; mournfeel regret, remorse, or sorrow for; mournTina seemed to rue the night she met Tony and wondered how she ever fell for such a jerk.

sagacious:/sə'geɪʃəs/ a. Syn. perceptive; shrewdperceptive; shrewd; having insightMy father was a sagacious judge of character: he could spot a phony a mile away.

salacious:/sə'leɪʃəs/ a. Syn. lascivious; lustfullustful; suggestive of or tending to moral loosenessChaucer's monk is not pious but salacious. a teller of lewd tales and ribald jests.

salubrious:/sə'lu:brɪəs/ a. Syn. healthfulhealthful; favorable to health; promoting health; wholesomeMany people with hay fever move to more salubrious sections of the country during the months of August and September.

salutary:/'sæljʊtərɪ/;/-tɛrɪ/ a. Syn. beneficial; wholesometending to improve; beneficial; favorable to healthThe punishment had a salutary effect on the boy, as he became a model student.

sanction:/'sæŋkʃ(ə)n/ v. Syn. approve; ratifygive authorization or approval to something; penalize a state, especially for violating international lawNothing will convince me to sanction the engagement of my daughter to such a worthless young man.

satiate:/'seɪʃɪeɪt/ v. satisfy fully; overeat or eat immodestly; make a pig of oneselfHaving stuffed themselves until they satiate, the guests are so full they are ready for a nap.

saturnine:/'sætənaɪn/ a. Syn. gloomygloomy; marked by tendency to be bitter or sardonicDo not be misled by his saturnine countenance; he is not as gloomy as he looks.

sedulous:/'sɛdjʊləs/;/'sɛdʒʊləs/ a. Syn. diligent; hardworkingdiligent; hardworking; persevering and constant in effort or applicationAfter weeks of patient and sedulous labor, we completed our detailed analysis of every published SAT examination.

shard:/ʃɑrd/ n. fragment of brittle substance, as of glass or metal; piece of broken pottery, especially one found in archaeological digThe archaeologist assigned several students the task of reassembling earthenware vessels except the shard he had brought back from the expedition.

simper:/'sɪmpə(r)/ v. Syn. smirksmirk; smile in artificial way to make an impression. Complimented on her appearance, Stella had to self-consciously simper.

sinuous:/'sɪnjʊəs/ a. Syn. curving; twistingwinding; bending in and out; not morally honestThe snake moved in a sinuous manner.

slake:/sleɪk/ v. Syn. moderate; slackenmake less active or intense; satisfy thirstWhen we reached the oasis, we were able to slake our thirst.

solicitous:/sə'lɪsɪtəs/ a. Syn. worried; concernedworried or concerned; full of desire; expressing care or concernThe employer was very solicitous about the health of her employees as replacements were difficult to get.

soporific:/sɒpə'rɪfɪk/ a. sleep-causing; marked by sleepinessProfessor Pringle's lectures were so soporific that even he fell asleep in class.

sordid:/'sɔ:dɪd/ a. Syn. filthy; vile; dirty; foulfilthy; unethical or dishonest; dirty; foul; morally degradedMany of these files contain sordid details about the personal lives of the litigants.

specious:/'spi:ʃəs/ a. seemingly reasonable but incorrect; misleading intentionallyTo claim that, because houses and birds both have wings, both can fly, is extremely specious reasoning.

sporadic:/spə'rædɪk/ a. occurring at irregular intervals; having no pattern or order in timeAlthough you can still hear sporadic outbursts of laughter and singing outside, the big Halloween parade has passed; the party's over till next year.

spurious:/'spjʊərɪəs/ a. Syn. false; counterfeit; forged; illogicalfalse; counterfeit; forged; illogicalNatasha's claim to be the lost heir of the Romanoffs was spurious: the only thing Russian about her was the vodka she drank!.

stint:/stɪnt/ n. Syn. supply; limitation; restriction; tasklength of time spent in particular way; allotted amount; limitation or restriction; fixed amount of work allottedShe added that she plans to work on winning a real Grammy now that her "Dancing" stint is done.

stoic:/'stoʊɪk/ a. Syn. impassiveone who is seemingly indifferent to or unaffected by joy, grief, pleasure, or painI wasn't particularly stoic when I had my flu shot; I squealed like a stuck pig.

stolid:/'stɒlɪd/ a. Syn. dull; impassivedull; impassive; having or revealing little emotion or sensibilityThe earthquake shattered Stuart's usual stolid demeanor; trembling, he crouched on the no longer stable ground.

striated:/straɪ'eɪtɪd/;/'straɪeɪtɪd/ a. Syn. groovedhaving parallel lines or grooves on surfaceThe glacier left many striated rocks.

strut:/strʌt/ v. Syn. swaggerdisplay in order to impress others; swagger; walk with a lofty proud gaitDon't strut out your resume until you have more accomplishments to list.

subpoena:/səb'pi:nə/ n. written order to require appearance in court to give testimonyBut you know a subpoena is an order of the court to appear and if called to appear I'll appear.

succinct:/sək'sɪŋkt/ a. Syn. brief; terse; compactbrief or compact; by clear, precise expression in few wordsDon't bore your audience with excess verbiage: be succinct.

tacit:/'tæsɪt/ a. indicated or understood without expressed directly; not speaking; silentWe have a tacit agreement based on only a handshake.

taciturn:/'tæsɪtə:n/ a. Syn. silentsilent or reserved in speech; saying little; not inclined to speak or converseThe stereotypical cowboy is a taciturn soul, answering lengthy questions with a "Yep" or "Nope.".

talisman:/'tælɪsmɛn, 'tælɪzmən/ n. Syn. charmcharm to bring good luck and avert misfortune; something that apparently has magic powerAccording to the myth, the talisman is the most powerful of all the magical charms.

temperate:/'tɛmpərət/ a. Syn. restrainedrestrained; self-controlled; moderate in degree or qualityTry to be temperate in your eating this holiday season; if you control your appetite, you won't gain too much weight.

tendentious:/tɛn'dɛnʃəs/ a. having or marked by a strong tendencyThe editorials in this periodical are tendentious rather than truth-seeking.

tenuous:

/'tɛnjʊəs/ a. Syn. thin; rare; slimlong and thin; slender; having little substanceThe allegiance of our allies is held by rather tenuous ties.

terse:/tɜrs/ a. Syn. concise; briefeffectively concise; appearing as if wiped or rubbed, as smoothThere is a fine line between speech that is terse and to the point and speech that is too abrupt.

timorous:/'tɪmərəs/ a. Syn. fearfulfearful; demonstrating fear; weakly hesitantHis timorous manner betrayed the fear he felt at the moment.

tirade:/taɪ'reɪd/;/'taɪreɪd/ n. extended scolding; long angry or violent speechYour tirade is juvenile, hypocritical, and dare I say, unprofessional.

torpid:/'tɔ:pɪd/ a. having lost motion, or the power of exertion and feeling; numb; benumbedThe two ships becalmed on a torpid sea, I believed to be marine phantoms.

tortuous:/'tɔ:tjʊəs/ a. Syn. winding; deviousmarked by repeated turns or bends; winding or twisting; not straightforward; circuitousBecause this road is so tortuous, it is unwise to go faster than twenty miles an hour on it.

tractable:/'træktəb(ə)l/ a. Syn. docileeasily managed or controlled; governable; easily handled or worked; docileAlthough Susan seemed a tractable young woman, she had a stubborn streak of independence.

trenchant:/'trɛntʃənt/ a. Syn. incisive; keenforceful, effective, and vigorous; sharp or keenI am afraid of his trenchant wit for it is so often sarcastic.

truculent:/'trukjələnt, 'trʌkjʊlənt/ a. Syn. belligerentdisposed to fight; belligerent; aggressively hostile

The bully was initially truculent but eventually stopped picking fights at the least provocation.

turbid:/'tɜrbɪd/ a. Syn. muddymuddy; having sediment disturbed; heavy, dark, or dense, as smoke or fogThe water was turbid after the children had waded through it.

turgid:/'tɜrdʒɪd/ a. Syn. swollen; distendedswollen; distended; excessively ornate or complex in style or languageThe turgid river threatened to overflow the levees and flood the countryside.

turpitude:/'tɜrpɪtju:d/;/-tu:d/ n. Syn. depravitydepravity; corrupt, depraved, or degenerate actA visitor may be denied admittance to this country if she has been guilty of moral turpitude.

tyro:/'taɪroʊ/ n. Syn. beginner; novicebeginner in learning something; noviceFor a mere tyro, you have produced some wonderfully expert results.

untoward:/ʌntə'wɔ:d/;/ʌn'tɔ:rd/ a. contrary to your interests or welfare; inconvenient; troublesomeYou're obviously pretty confident nothing untoward is going to be happening in front of your webcam at these intervals!

vacillate:/'væsɪleɪt/ v. Syn. waver; fluctuatesway unsteadily from one side to the other; oscillateThe big boss likes his people to be decisive: when he asks you for your opinion, whatever you do, don't vacillate.

venal:/'vi:n(ə)l/ a. capable of being bribed; for sale, available for a price; corruptThe venal policeman cheerfully accepted the bribe offered him by the speeding motorist whom he had stopped.

venerate:/'vɛnəreɪt/ v.

treat with great respect and deference; consider hallowed or be in awe ofIn Tibet today, the common people still venerate their traditional spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

verbose:/vɜr'boʊs/ a. Syn. wordywordy; using or containing a great and usually an excessive number of wordsSomeone mute can't talk; someone verbose can hardly stop talking.

vindicate:/'vɪndɪkeɪt/ v. Syn. exonerateclear from blame; exonerate; maintain, uphold, or defendThe lawyer's goal was to vindicate her client and prove him innocent on all charges.

vindictive:/vɪn'dɪktɪv/ a. Syn. revengefulseek revenge or intended for revenge; showing malicious willHer neck and arms were full of scars from a vindictive rage by her husband's relatives, who believed her guilty of his death.

viscous:/'vɪskəs/ a. Syn. sticky; glueysticky; gluey; having high resistance to flowMelted tar is a viscous substance.

volatile:/'vɒlətaɪl/;/-tl/ a. Syn. changeable; explosive; fickletending to vary often or widely, as in price; inconstant or fickle; tending to violenceIncreases in volatile weather have alarming impact on business resources and insurance markets.

voracious:/və'reɪʃəs/ a. Syn. ravenousravenous; excessively greedy and grasping; devouring or craving food in great quantitiesThe wolf is a voracious animal, its hunger never satisfied.

waver:/'weɪvə(r)/ v. play or move to and fro; move one way and the other; swing; be unsettled in opinionThe disaster caused him to waver in his faith.

welter:/'wɛltə(r)/ n. Syn. turmoilturmoil; bewildering jumble; confused mass

The existing welter of overlapping federal and state programs cries out for immediate reform.

whimsical:/'wɪmzɪk(ə)l/ a. Syn. capriciousdetermined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason; capriciousIn Mrs. Doubtfire, the hero is a playful, whimsical man who takes a notion to dress up as a woman so that he can look after his children, who are in the custody of his ex-wife.

zealot:/'zɛlət/ n. Syn. fanaticfanatically committed person; person who shows excessive zealThough Glenn was devout, he was no zealot, he never tried to force his beliefs on his friends.