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SAT Vocab
Barron's 11th ed.
Word | Part of speech | Definition |
---|---|---|
abate | v | subside or moderate |
aberrant | adj | abnormal or deviant |
abrasive | adj | rubbing away; tending to grind down |
abridge | v | condense or shorten |
absolute | adj | complete; totally unlimited; certain |
abstemious | adj | sparing in eating and drinking; temperate |
abstract | adj | theoretical; not concrete; nonrepresential |
abstruse | adj | obscure; profound; difficult to understand |
accessible | adj | easy to approach; obtainable |
acclaim | v | applaud; announce with approval |
accolade | n | award of merit |
acknowledge | v | recognize; admit |
acquiesce | v | assent; agree without protesting |
acrimonious | adj | bitter in words or manner |
acute | adj | quickly perceptive; keen ; brief and severe |
address | v | direct a speech to; deal with or discuss |
adherent | n | supporter; follower |
adjacent | adj | neighboring; adjoining |
adroit | adj | skillful; nimble |
adulation | n | flattery; admiration |
adversary | n | opponent |
adverse | adj | unfavorable; hostile |
advocate | v | urge; plead for |
aesthetic | adj | artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciation of the beautiful |
affable | adj | easily approachable; warmly friendly |
affinity | n | natural liking; kinship; similarity |
affirmation | n | positive assertion; contirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath |
aggressor | n | attacker |
alienate | v | make hostile; separate |
alleviate | v | relieve |
aloof | adj | apart; reserced; standoffish |
altruistic | adj | unselfichly generous; concerned for others |
ambiguous | adj | unclear or doubtful in meaning |
ambivalence | n | the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes |
ameliorate | v | improve; make more satisfactory |
amend | v | correct; change, generall for the better |
amorphous | adj | formless; lacing shape or definition |
ample | adj | abundant |
analogy | n | similarity; parallelism |
anarchist | n | person who seeks to overturn the established government; advocate of abolishing authority |
anecdote | n | short account of an amusing or interesting event |
animosity | n | active enmity |
antagonistic | adj | hostile; opposed |
antidote | n | medicine to counteract a poison or disease |
antiquated | adj | old-fashioned; obsolete |
antithesis | n | contrast; direct opposite of or to |
apathy | n | lack of caring; indifference |
apocryphal | adj | untrue; made up |
appease | v | pacify or soothe; relieve |
appreciate | v | be thankful for; increase in worth; be thoroughly conscious of |
apprehension | n | fear; discernment; capture |
arable | adj | fit for growing crops |
arbitrary | adj | unreasonable or capricious; randomly selected without any reason; based solely on one's unrestricted will or judgment |
archaic | adj | antiquated |
ardor | n | heat; passion; zeal |
arid | adj | dry; barren |
arrogance | n | pride; haughtiness |
articulate | adj | effective; distinct |
artifact | n | object made by human beings, either hadmade or mass-produced |
artisan | n | manually skilled worker; craftsman, as opposed to artist |
ascendancy | n | controlling influence |
ascetic | adj | practicing self-denial; austere |
aspire | v | seek to attain; long for |
assuage | v | ease or lessen (pain); satisfy (hunger); soothe (anger) |
astute | adj | wise; shrewd |
atrophy | v | waste away |
attentive | adj | considerate; thoughtful; paying attention |
attribute | v | ascribe; explain |
audacious | adj | daring; bold |
augment | v | increase; add to |
austerity | n | saternness; severity; strict economy; lack of luxuries |
authentic | adj | genuine |
authoritarian | adj | favoring or exercising total control; nondemocratic |
autonomous | adj | self-governing |
aversion | n | firm dislike |
banal | adj | hackneyed; commonplace; trite |
bane | n | cause of ruin |
belie | v | contradict; give a false impression |
belittle | v | disparage; make fun of |
belligerent | adj | quarrelsome |
benevolent | adj | generous; charitable |
benign | adj | kindly; favorable; not malignant |
bequeath | v | leave to someone by a will; hand down |
biased | adj | slanted; prejudiced |
bland | adj | soothing; mild; dull |
blasphemy | n | irreverence; sacrilege; cursing |
bolster | v | support; reinforce |
braggart | n | boastful person |
brawn | n | muscular strength; sturdiness |
brevity | n | conciseness; briefness |
buttress | v | support; prop up |
cacophonous | adj | discordant; inharmonious |
cajole | v | coax; wheele |
calculated | adj | deliberately planned; likely |
candor | n | frankness |
capricious | adj | fickle; incalculable |
caricature | n | distortion; burlesque |
censorious | adj | critical |
censure | v | blame; criticize |
certitude | n | certainty |
charlatan | n | quack; pretender to knowledge |
chronicle | v | report; record (in chronologial order) |
civil | adj | having to do with citizens or the state; courteous and polite |
clamor | n | noise |
clemency | n | disposition to be lenient; mildness, as of the weather |
coercion | n | use of force to get someone's compliance |
commemorate | v | honor the memory of |
compelling | adj | overpowering; irresistible in effect |
compile | v | assemble; gather; accumulate |
compliance | n | readiness to yield; conformity in fulfilling requirements |
composure | n | mental calmness |
comprehensive | adj | thorough; inclusive |
concede | v | admit; yield |
conciliatory | adj | reconciling; appeasing; amiable |
concise | adj | brief and compact |
conclusive | adj | convincing; decisive |
concur | v | agree in opinion |
condone | v | overlook voluntarily; forgive |
confirm | v | corroborate; verify; support |
conflagration | n | great fire |
confound | v | confuse; puzzle |
confront | v | face; challenge |
conscientious | adj | scrupulous; careful |
consensus | n | general agreement |
consistency | n | absence of contradictions; dependability; uniformity; degree of thickness |
constraint | n | compulsion; repression of feelings |
contagion | n | infection |
contemporary | n | person belonging to the same period |
contend | v | struggle; compete; assert earnestly |
contentious | adj | quarrelsome |
contract | v | compress or shrink; make a pledge; catch a disease |
converge | v | approach; tend to meet; come together |
conviction | n | strongly held belief |
cordial | adj | gracious; heartfelt |
corroborate | v | confirm; support |
corrosion | n | destruction by chemical action |
credibility | n | believability |
credulity | n | belief on slight evidence; gullibility; naivete |
criterion | n | standard used in judging |
cryptic | adj | mysterious; hidden; secret |
cursory | adj | casual; hastily done |
curtail | v | shorten; reduce |
cynic | n | one who is skeptical or distrustful of human motives |
daunt | v | intimidate; frighten |
dawdle | v | loiter; waste time |
debilitate | v | weaken; enfeelbe |
debunk | v | expose something as nonsensical or false |
decorum | n | propriety; orderliness and good taste in manners |
defame | v | harm someone's reputation; malign |
deference | n | courteous regard for another's wish |
defiance | n | refusal to yield; resistance |
degenerate | v | become worse; deteriorate |
degrade | v | lower in rank or dignity; debase |
deliberate | v | consider; ponder |
delineate | v | portray; depict; sketch |
denounce | v | condemn; criticize |
deny | v | contradict; refuse |
depict | v | portray; describe |
deplore | v | regret strongly; express grief over |
depravity | n | corruption; wickedness |
deprecate | v | express disapproval of; protest against; belittle |
deride | v | ridicule; make fun of |
derivative | adj | unoriginal; derived from another source |
despondent | adj | depressed; gloomy |
despot | n | tyrant; harsh, authoritarian ruler |
detached | adj | emotionally removed; calm and objective; indifferent |
deterrent | n | something that discourages; hindrance |
detrimental | adj | harmful; damaging |
devious | adj | roundabout; erratic; not straightforward |
devise | v | think up; invent; plan |
didactic | adj | teaching; instructional |
diffuse | adj | wordy; ramblinb; spread out |
digression | n | wandering away from the subject |
diligence | n | steadiness of effort; persistent hard work |
diminution | n | lessening; reduction in size |
disband | v | dissolve; disperse |
discerning | adj | mentally quick and observant; having insight |
disclose | v | reveal |
discordant | adj | not harmonious; conflicting |
discount | v | disregard |
discredit | v | defame; destroy confidence in; disbelieve |
discrepancy | n | lack of consistency; difference |
discriminating | adj | able to see differences; prejudiced |
discursive | adj | digressing; rambling |
disdain | v | view with scorn or contempt |
disinclination | n | unwillingness |
disinterested | adj | unprejudiced |
dismantle | v | take apart |
dismiss | v | put away from consideration; reject |
disparage | v | belittle |
disparity | n | difference; condition of inequality |
dispassionate | adj | calm; impartial |
dispel | v | drive away; scatter; cause to vanish |
disperse | v | cause to break up; scatter |
disputatious | adj | argumentative; fond of arguing |
disseminate | v | distribute; spread; scatter (like seeds) |
dissent | v | disagree |
dissipate | v | squander; waste; scatter |
dissonance | n | dissonance; discord |
dissuade | v | advise against |
distant | adj | reserved or aloof; cold in manner |
divergent | adj | differing; deviating |
diverse | adj | differing in some characteristics; various |
divulge | v | reveal |
doctrine | n | teachings, in general; particular principle (religious, legal, and so on) taught |
document | v | provide written evidence |
dogmatic | adj | opinionated; arbitrary; doctrinal |
dormant | adj | sleeping' lethargic; latent |
dubious | adj | doubtful; questionable |
duplicity | n | double-dealing; hypocrisy |
duration | n | length of time something lasts |
dutiful | adj | respectful; obedient |
ebb | v | recede; lessen |
eccentric | adj | odd; whimsical; irregular |
eclectic | adj | selective in choosing from a variety of sources |
eclipse | v | darken; extinguish; surpass |
effervescent | adj | exuberant; bubbly and excited |
egotistical | adj | excessively self-centered; self-important; conceited |
elated | adj | overjoyed; in high spirits |
eloquence | n | expressiveness; persuasive speech |
elusive | adj | evasive; baffling; hard to grasp |
embellish | v | adorn; ornament |
emulate | v | imitate; rival |
endorse | v | approve; support |
enduring | adj | lasting; surviving |
enervate | v | weaken |
engender | v | cause; produce |
enhance | v | advance; improve |
enigma | n | puzzle; mystery |
enmity | n | ill will; hatred |
enumerate | v | list; mention one by one |
ephemeral | adj | short-lived; fleeting |
epic | n | long heroic poem, or similar work of art |
epicure | n | connoisseur of food and drink |
episodic | adj | loosely connected; divided into incidents; occurring at intervals |
equanimity | n | calmness of temperament; composure |
equivocal | adj | ambiguous; intentionally misleading |
erratic | adj | odd; unpredictable; wandering |
erroneous | adj | mistaken; wrong |
erudite | adj | learned; scholarly |
esoteric | adj | hard to understand; known only yo the chosen few |
espouse | v | adopt; support |
esteem | v | respect; value; judge |
ethereal | adj | light; heavenly; unusually refined |
eulogy | n | expression of praise, often on the occasion of someone's death |
euphemism | n | mild expression used in place of an unpleasant one |
euphonious | adj | pleasing in sound |
euphoria | n | feeling of great happiness and well-being (sometimes exaggerated) |
evanescent | adj | fleeting; vanishing |
exacerbate | v | worsen; embitter |
exacting | adj | extremely demanding |
exalt | v | raise in rank or dignity; praise |
execute | v | put into effect; carry out |
exemplary | adj | serving as a model; outstanding |
exemplify | v | serve as an example of; embody |
exhaustive | adj | thorough; comprehensive |
exhilarating | adj | invigorating and refreshing; cheering |
exonerate | v | acquit; exculpate |
expedient | adj | suitable to achieve a particular end; practical; politic |
expedite | v | hasten |
expertise | n | specialized knowledge; expert skill |
explicit | adj | totally clear; deinite; outspoken |
exploit | n | deed or action, particularly a brave deed |
exploit | v | make use of, sometimes unjustly |
expository | adj | explanatory; intended to explain |
extant | adj | still in existence |
extol | v | praise; glorified |
extraneous | adj | not essential; superfluous |
extricate | v | free; disentangle |
exuberance | n | overflowing abundance; joyful enthusiasm |
facile | adj | easily accomplished; ready or fluent; superficial |
facilitate | v | help bring about; make less difficult |
fallacious | adj | false; misleading |
fantacism | n | excessive zeal; extreme devotion to a belief or cause |
fastidious | adj | difficult to please; squaemish |
feasible | adj | practical |
fervor | n | glowing ardor; intensity of feeling |
fickle | adj | changeable; faithless |
figurative | adj | not literal, but metaphorical; using a figure of speech |
flagrant | adj | conspicuously wicked; blatant; outrageous |
flippant | adj | lacking proper seriousness |
florid | adj | ruddy; reddish; flowery |
fluctuate | v | waver; shift |
foolhardy | adj | rash; heedless |
foresight | v | ability to foresee future happenings; prudence |
forestall | v | prevent by taking action in advance |
forsake | v | desert; abandon; renounce |
forthright | adj | outspoken; frank |
fortuitous | adj | accidental; by chance |
foster | v | rear; encourage; nurture |
founder | v | fail completely; sink |
founder | n | person who establishes (an organization, business) |
frail | adj | weak |
frivolous | adj | lacking in seriousness; self-indulgently carefree; relatively unimportant |
frugality | n | thrift; economy |
fundamental | v | basic; primary; essential |
furtive | adj | stealthy; sneaky |
futile | adj | ineffective; fruitless |
galvanize | v | stimulate by shock; stir up; revitalize |
garbled | adj | mixed up; jumbled; distorted |
garrulous | adj | loquacious; wordy; talkative |
genre | n | particular variety of art or literature |
germane | adj | pertinent; bearing upon the case at hand |
glacial | adj | like a glacier; extremely cold |
glib | adj | fluent; facile; slick |
glutton | n | someone who eats too much; greedy person |
gorge | n | small,, steep-walled canyon |
grandiose | adj | pretentious; high-flown; ridiculously exaggerated; impressive |
gratify | v | please |
gratuitous | adj | given freely; unwarranted; unprovoked |
gravity | n | seriousness |
gregarious | adj | sociable |
grievance | n | cause of complaint |
grudging | adj | unwilling; reluctant; stingy |
guile | n | deceit; duplicity; wiliness; cunning |
gullible | adj | easily deceived |
hackneyed | adj | commonplace; trite |
hallowed | adj | blessed; consecrated |
hamper | v | obstruct |
harass | v | annoy by repeated attacks; torment |
hardy | adj | sturdy; robust; able to stand inclement weather |
haughtiness | n | pride; arrogance |
hedonist | n | one who believes that pleasure is the sole aim in life |
heed | v | pay attention to; consider |
heresy | n | opinion contrary to popular belief; opinion contrary to accepted religion |
heterodox | adj | unorthodox; unconventional |
heterogeneous | adj | dissimilar; mixed |
heyday | n | time of greatest success; prime |
hiatus | n | gap; interruption in duration or continuity; pause |
hierarchy | n | arrangement by rank or standing; authoritarian body divided into ranks |
hindrance | n | block; obstacle |
hoard | v | stockpile; accumulate for future use |
homogeneous | adj | of the same kind |
hone | v | sharpen |
hostility | n | unfriendliness; hatred |
humane | adj | marked by kindness or consideration |
husband | v | use sparingly; conserve; save |
hyperbole | n | exaggeration; overstatement |
hypocritical | adj | pretending to be virtuous; deceiving |
hypothetical | adj | based on assumptions or hypotheses; supposed |
iconoclast | n | one who attacks cherished traditions |
idiosyncrasy | n | individual trait, usually odd in nature; eccentricity |
ignominy | n | deep disgrace; shame or dishonor |
allicit | adj | illegal |
illuminate | v | brighten; clear up or make understandable; enlighten |
illusory | adj | deceptive; not real |
imbalance | n | lack of balance or symmetry; disproportion |
immaculate | adj | spotless; flawless; absolutely clean |
immune | adj | resistant to; free or exempt from |
immutable | adj | unchangeable |
impair | v | injure; hurt |
impartial | adj | not biased; fair |
impassive | adj | without feeling; imperturbable; stoical |
impeccable | adj | faultless |
impecunious | adj | without money |
impede | v | hinder; block; delay |
impel | v | drive or force onward |
imperceptible | adj | unnoticeable; undetectable |
imperious | adj | domineering; haughty |
impervious | adj | impenetrable; incapable of being damaged or distressed |
impetuous | adj | violent; hasty; rash |
implausible | adj | unlikely; unbelievable |
implement | v | put into effect; supply with tools |
implication | n | something hinted at or suggested |
implicit | adj | understood but not stated |
impoverished | adj | poor |
impromptu | adj | without previous preparation; off the cuff; on the spur of the moment |
impudence | n | impertinence; insolence |
inadvertently | adv | by oversight; carelessly or unintentionally |
inane | adj | silly; senseless |
inaugurate | v | start; initiate; install in office |
incense | v | enrage; infuriate |
incentive | n | spor; motive |
incessant | adj | uninterrupted; unceasing |
incidental | adj | not essential; minor |
incisive | adj | cutting; sharp |
incite | v | arouse to action; goad; motivate; induce to exist |
incline | v | slope; slante |
inclined | adj | tending to leaning toward; bent |
inclusive | adj | tending to include all |
incoherent | adj | unintelligible; muddled; illogical |
incongruous | adj | not fitting; absurd |
inconsequential | adj | insignificant; unimportant |
incontrovertible | adj | indisputable; not open to question |
incorrigible | adj | uncorrectale |
indefatigable | adj | tireless |
indict | v | charge |
indifferent | adj | unmoved; lacking concern |
indigenous | adj | native |
digent | adj | poor; destitute |
indiscriminate | adj | choosing at random; confused |
indolent | adj | lazy |
indomitable | adj | unconquerable; unyielding |
indubitable | adj | unable to be doubted; unquestionable |
induce | v | persuade; bring about |
indulge | v | humor; treat leniently |
industrious | adj | diligent; hard-working |
effectual | adj | not effective; weak |
inept | adj | unsuited; absurd; incompetent |
inequity | n | unfairness |
inert | adj | inactive; lacking power to move |
inexorable | adj | relentless; unyielding; implacable |
infamous | adj | notoriously bad |
infer | v | deduce; conclude |
infiltrate | v | pass into or through; penetrate (an organization) sneakily |
infinitesimal | adj | exceedingly small; so small as to be almost nonexistent |
infraction | n | violation (o fa rule or regulation); breach |
ingenious | adj | clever; resourceful |
ingrate | n | ungrateful person |
inherent | adj | firmly established by nature or habit; intrinsic |
inimcal | adj | unfriendly; hostile; harmful; detrimental |
initiate | v | begin; originate; receive into a group |
injurious | adj | harmful |
innate | adj | inborn |
innocuous | adj | harmless |
innovation | n | change; introduction of something new |
inopportune | adj | untimely; poorly chosen |
insatiable | adj | not easily satisfied; greedy |
insightful | adj | discerning; perceptive |
insinuate | v | hint; imply; creep in |
insipid | adj | lacking in flavor; dull |
insolvent | adj | bankrupt; unable to repay one's debts |
instigate | v | urge; start; provoke |
insularity | n | narrow-mindedness; isolation |
insuperable | adj | insurmountable; unbeatable |
insurgent | adj | rebellious |
intangible | adj | not material; not able to be perceived by touch; vague; elusive |
integral | adj | complete; necessary for completeness |
integrity | n | uprightness; wholeness |
intermittent | adj | periodic; on and off |
intervene | v | come between |
intimidate | v | frighten |
intractable | adj | unruly; stubborn; unyielding |
intrasigence | n | refusal of any compromise; stubbornness |
intrepid | adj | fearless |
intricate | adj | complex; knotty; tangled |
intrinsic | adj | essential; inherent; built-in; matural |
introspective | adj | looking within oneself |
intuition | n | immediate insight; power of knowing without reasoning |
inundate | v | overwhelm; flood; submerge |
invert | v | turn upside down or inside out |
irascible | adj | irritable; easily angered |
ironic | adj | relating to a contradiction between an event's expected result and its actual outsome; sarcastic |
irrational | adj | illogical; lacking reason; insane |
irrelevant | adj | not applicable; unrelated |
irreproachable | adj | blameless; impeccable |
irresolute | adj | uncertain how to act; weak |
irreverence | n | lack of proper respect |
jargon | n | language used by a special group; technical terminology; gibberish |
jocular | adj | said or done in jest; joking |
judicious | adj | sound in judgment; wise |
justification | n | good or just reason; defense; excuse |
kindle | v | start a fire; inspire |
labyrinth | n | maze |
laconic | adj | brief and to the point |
lament | v | grieve; express sorrow |
lassitude | n | languor; weariness |
laud | v | praise |
lavish | adj | liberal; wasteful |
legacy | n | a gift made by a will |
lethargic | adj | drowsy; dull |
levity | n | lack of seriousness; lightness |
linger | v | loiter or dawdle; continue or persist |
list | v | tilt; lean over |
listlessness | n | lack in spirit or energy |
loathe | v | detest |
lofty | adj | very high |
loquacious | adj | talkative |
lucid | adj | easily understood; clear; intelligible |
lurid | adj | wild; sensational; graphic; gruesome |
magnanimous | adj | generous |
magnate | n | person of prominence or influence |
maladroit | adj | clumsy; bungling |
malevolent | adj | wishing evil |
malice | n | hatred; spite |
malign | v | speak evil of; bad-mouth; defame |
marred | adj | damaged; disfigured |
martinet | n | rigid disciplinarian; strict military officer |
materialism | n | preoccupationg with physical comforts and things |
meager | adj | scanty; inadequate |
meander | v | wind or turn in a course |
medley | n | mixture |
meek | adj | quiet and obedient |
melancholy | adj | gloomy; morose; blue |
mercenary | adj | interested in money or gain |
mercurial | adj | capricious; changing; fickle |
merger | n | combination (of two business corporations) |
methodical | adj | systematic |
meticulous | adj | excessively careful; painstaking; scrupulous |
minute | adj | extremely small |
misanthrope | n | one who hates mankind |
miserly | adj | stingy; mean |
misnomer | n | wrong name; incorrect designation |
mitigate | v | appease; moderate |
mock | v | ridicule; imitate, often in derision |
mollify | v | soothe |
momentous | adj | very important |
monotony | n | sameness leading to boredom |
morbid | adj | given to unwholesome thought; moody; characteristic of disease |
morose | adj | ill-humored; sullen; melancholy |
mundane | adj | worldly as opposed to spiritual |
munificent | adj | very generous |
mutability | n | ability to change in form; fickle |
muted | adj | silent; muffled; toned down |
naivete | n | quiality of being unsophisticated; simplicity; artlessness; gullibility |
nefarious | adj | very wicked |
negate | v | cancel out; nullify; deny |
nonchalance | n | indifference; lack of concern; composure |
nonentity | n | person of no importance; nonexistence |
nostalgia | n | homesickness; longing for the past |
notoriety | n | disrepute; ill fame |
novelty | n | something new; newness |
novice | n | beginner |
nuance | n | shade of difference in meaning or color |
nullify | v | to make in valid; void; abolish |
nurture | v | nourish; educate; foster |
obdurate | adj | stubborn |
objective | adj | not influenced by emotions; fair |
objective | n | goal; aim |
obliterate | v | destroy completely |
oblivion | n | obscurity; forgetfulness |
oblivious | adj | inattentive or unmindful; wholly absorbed |
obscure | adj | dark; vague; unclear |
obscure | v | darken; make unclear |
obsequious | adj | slavishly attentive; servile; fawning; sycophantic |
obsessive | adj | related to thinking about something constantly; preoccupying |
obstinate | adj | stubborn; hard to control or treat |
obtuse | adj | blunt; stupid |
officious | adj | meddlesome; excessively pushy in offering one's services |
ominous | adj | threatening |
opaque | adj | dark; not transparent |
opportunist | n | individual who sacrifices principles for expediency by taking advantage of circumstances |
optimist | n | person who looks on the good side |
opional | adj | not compulsory; left to one's choice |
opulence | n | extreme wealth; luxuriousness; abundance |
orator | n | public speaker |
ornate | adj | excessively or elaborately decorated |
ostentatious | adj | showy; pretentious; trying to attract attention |
pacifist | n | one opposed to force; antimilitarist |
painstaking | adj | showing hard work; taking great care |
paltry | adj | insignificant; petty; trifiling |
paradigm | n | odel; example; pattern |
paradox | n | somehting apparently contradictory in nature; statement that looks false but is actually correct |
paragon | n | model of perfection |
parochial | adj | narrow in outlook; provincial; related to parishes |
parody | n | humorous imitation; spoof; takeoff; travesty |
parry | v | ward off a blow; deflect |
parsimony | n | stinginess; excessive frugality |
partial | adj | 1 incomplete. 2 biased; having a liking for something |
partisan | adj | one-sided; prejudiced; comitted to a party |
passive | adj | noteactive; acted upon |
paucity | n | scarcity; lack |
pedantic | adj | showing off learning; bookish |
penchant | n | strong inclination; liking |
pensive | adj | dreamily thoughtful; thoughtful with a hint of sadness; contemplative |
perceptive | adj | insightful; aware; wise |
perfunctory | adj | superficial; not thorough; lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm |
peripheral | adj | marginal; outer |
perjury | n | false testimony while under oath |
pernicious | adj | very destructive |
perpetuate | v | make something last; preserve from extinction |
perturb | v | disturb greatly |
pervasive | adj | pervading; spread throughout every part |
pessimism | n | belief that life is basically bad or evil; gloominess |
petty | adj | trivial; unimportant; very small |
petulant | adj | touchy; peevish |
phenomena | n, pl | observable facts; subjects of scientific investigation |
philanthropist | n | lover of mankind; doer of good |
pious | adj | devout; religious |
pitfall | n | hidden danger; concealed trap |
pithy | adj | concise; meaningful; substantial; meaty |
pivotal | adj | crucial; key; bital |
placate | v | pacify; conciliate |
plagiarize | v | steal anoter's ideas and pass them off as one's own |
platitude | n | trite remark; commonplace statement |
plausible | adj | having a show of truth but open to doubt; specious |
pliant | adj | flexible; easily influend |
plight | n | condition, state (especially a bad state or condition); predicament |
poignancy | n | quality of being deeply moving; keenness of emotion |
polemial | adj | aggressive in verbal attack; disputatious |
pomposity | n | self-important behavior; acting like a stuffed shirt |
ponderous | adj | weighty; unwieldy |
porous | adj | full of pores; like a sieve |
potent | dj | powerful; persuasive; greatly influential |
pragmatic | adj | practical (as opposed to idealistic); concerned with the practical worth or impact of something |
prattle | v | babble |
precarious | adj | uncertain; risky |
precedent | n | something preceding in time that may be used as an authority or guide for future action |
precipitate | adj | rash; premature; hasty; sudden |
precipitous | adj | steep; overhasty |
preclude | v | make impossible; eliminate |
precocious | adj | advanced in development |
predator | n | creature that seizes and devours another animal; person who rods or exploits others |
predecessor | n | former occupant of a post |
predilection | n | partiality; preference |
preposterous | adj | absurd; ridiculous |
prestige | n | impression produced by achievements or reputation |
presumptuous | adj | overconfident; impertinent |
pretentious | adj | ostentatious; pompous; making unjustified claims; overambitious |
prevalent | adj | widespread; generally accepted |
problematic | adj | doubtful; unsettled; questionable; perplexing |
proclivity | n | inclination; natural tendency |
procrastinate | v | postpone; delay or put off |
prodigal | adj | wasteful; reckless with money |
prodigious | adj | marvelous; enormous |
prodigy | n | marvel; highly gifted child |
profane | v | violate; desecrate; treat unworthily |
profligate | adj | dissipated; wasteful; wildly immoral |
profound | adj | deep; not superficial; complete |
profusion | n | overabundance; lavish expenditure; excess |
proliferation | n | rapid growth; spread; multiplication |
prolific | adj | abundantly fruitful |
prologue | n | introduction (to a poem or play) |
prophetic | adj | foretelling the future |
propitious | adj | favorable; fortunate; advantageous |
proprity | n | fitness; correct conduct |
prosaic | adj | dull and unimaginative; matter-of-fact; factual |
protract | v | prolong |
provincial | adj | pertaining to a province; limited in outlook; unsophisticated |
provisional | adj | tentative |
provocative | adj | arousing anger or interest; annoying |
proximity | n | nearness |
prudent | adj | cautious; careful |
pugnacity | n | combativeness; disposition to fight |
pungent | adj | stinging; sharp in taste or smell; caustic |
purse | v | pucker; contract into wrinkles |
qualified | adj | limited; restricted |
quandary | n | dilemma |
quell | v | extinguish; put down; quiet |
querulous | adj | fretful; whining |
quiescent | adj | at rest; dormant; temporarily inactive |
ramble | v | wander aimlessly (physically or mentally) |
rancor | n | bitterness; hatred |
rant | v | rave; talk excitedly; scold; make a grandiloquent speech |
raityf | v | approve formally; verify |
raucous | adj | harsh and shrill; disorderly and boisterous |
raze | v | destroy completely |
rebuttal | n | refutation; reponse with contrary evidence |
recalcitrant | adj | obstinately stubbown; determined to resist authority; unruly |
recant | v | disclaim or disavow; retract a previous statement; openly confess error |
receptive | adj | quick or willing to receive ideas, suggestions, etc. |
recluse | n | hermit; loner |
recount | v | narrate or tell; count over again |
rectify | v | set right; correct |
redundant | adj | superfluous; repetitious; excessively wordy |
refute | v | disprove |
relegate | v | banish to an inferior position; delegate; assign |
relevant | adj | pertinent; referring to the case in hand |
relinquish | v | give up something with reluctance; yield |
relish | v | savor; enjoy |
remorse | n | guilt; self-reproach |
renegade | n | deserter; traitor |
renounce | v | forswear; repudiate; abandon; discontinue |
repel | v | drive away; disgust |
replete | adj | filled to the brim or to the point of being stuffed; abundantly supplied |
reprehensible | adj | deserving blame |
repress | v | restrain; hold back; crush; suppress |
reprimand | v | reprove severely; rebuke |
reproach | v | express disapproval |
reprove | v | censure; rebuke |
repudiate | v | disown; disavow |
rescind | v | cancel |
reserve | n | self-control; formal but distant manner |
reisgned | adj | unresisting; patiently submissive |
resolution | n | determination; resolve |
resolve | n | determination; firmness of purpose |
resolve | v | decide; settle; solve |
respite | n | interval of relief; time for rest; delay in punishment |
resplendent | adj | dazzling; glorious; brilliant |
restraint | n | controlling force; control over one's emotions |
reticent | adj | reserved; uncommunicative; inclined to be silent |
reitring | adj | modest; shy |
retract | v | withdraw; take back |
reverent | adj | respectful |
rhetorical | adj | pertaining to effective communication; insincere in language |
rigorous | adj | severe; harsh; demanding; exact |
robust | adj | vigorous; strong |
rudimentaryy | adj | not developed; elementary; crude |
ruthless | adj | pitiless; cruel |
sagacious | adj | perceptive; shrewd; having insight |
sage | n | person celebrated for wisdom |
sanction | v | approve; ratify |
sactuary | n | refuge; shelter; shrine; holy place |
sarcasm | n | scornful remarks; stinging rebuke |
satirical | adj | mocking |
saturate | v | soak thoroughly |
savory | adj | tasty; pleasing, attractive, or agreeable |
scanty | adj | meager; insufficient |
scrupulous | adj | conscientious; extremely thorough |
scrutinize | v | examine closely and critically |
seclusion | n | isolation; solitude |
sectarian | adj | relating to a religious faction or subgroup; narrow-minded; limited |
sedentary | adj | requiring sitting |
sequester | v | isolate; retire from public life; segregate; seclude |
serenity | n | calmness; placidity |
servile | adj | slavishly submissive; fawning; cringing |
sever | v | cut; separate |
severity | n | harshness; intensity; austerity; rigidity |
shrewd | adj | clever; astute |
singular | adj | unique; extraordinary; odd |
skeptical | adj | doubting; suspending judgment until one has examined the evidence supporting a point of view |
slacken | v | slow up; loosen |
slander | n | defamation; utterance of false and malicious statements |
slothful | adj | lazy |
sluggish | adj | slow; lazy; lethargic |
solemnity | n | seriousness; gravity |
solicit | v | request earnestly; seek |
solitude | n | state of being alone; seclusion |
soluble | adj | able to be dissolved; able to be explained |
somber | adj | gloomy; depressing; dark; drab |
sparse | adj | not thick; thinly scattered; scanty |
spendthrift | n | someone who wastes money |
spontaneity | n | lack or premeditation; naturalness; freedom from constraint |
sporadic | adj | occuring irregularly |
spurious | adj | false; counterfeit |
spurn | v | reject; scorn |
squalor | n | filth; degradation; dirty, neglected state |
squander | v | waste |
stagnant | adj | motionless; stale; dull |
stanza | n | division of a poem |
static | adj | unchanging; lacking development |
steadfast | adj | loyal; unswerving |
stoic | adj | impassive; unmoved by joy or grief |
strident | adj | loud and harsh; insistent |
strut | n | pompous walk; swagger |
stupefy | v | make numb; stun; amaze |
subdued | adj | less intense; quieter |
submissive | adj | yielding; timid |
subordinate | adj | occupying a lower rank; inferior; submissive |
subside | v | settle down; descend; grow quiet |
substantial | adj | ample; solid |
substantiate | v | establish by evidence; verify; support |
subtlety | n | perceptiveness; ingenuity; delicacy |
succinct | adj | brief; terse; compact |
supercilious | adj | arrogant; condescending; patronizing |
superficial | adj | trivial; shallow |
superfluous | adj | excessive; overabundant; unnecessary |
supplant | v | replace; usurp |
suppress | v | crush; subdue; inhibit |
surmount | v | overcome |
surpass | v | exceed |
surreptitious | adj | secret; furtive; sneaky; hidden |
susceptible | adj | impressionable; easily influenced; having little resistance, as to a disease; receptive to |
sustain | v | experience; support; nourish |
swindler | n | cheat |
sycophant | n | servile flatterer; bootlicker; yes man |
symmetry | n | arrangement of parts so that balance is obtained; congruity |
taciturn | adj | habitually silent; talking little |
taint | v | contaminate; cause ot lose purity; modify with a trace of something bad |
tangential | adj | peripheral; only slightly connected; digressing |
tangible | adj | able to be touched; real; palable |
tantamount | adj | equivalent in effect or value |
tedious | adj | boring; tiring |
temper | v | moderate; tone down or restrain; toughen (steel) |
tenacity | n | firmness; persistence |
tertative | adj | provisional; experimental; doubtful |
termination | n | end |
terse | adj | concise; abrupt; pithy |
treadbare | adj | worn through till the threads show; shabby and poor |
thrive | v | prosper; flourish |
tirade | n | extended scolding; denunciation; harangue |
torpor | n | lethargy; sluggishness; dormancy |
tractable | adj | docile; easily managed |
tranquility | n | calmness; peace |
transcendent | adj | surpassing; exceeding ordinary limits; superior |
transient | adj | momentary; temporary; staying for a short time |
transparent | adj | easily detected; permitting light to pass through freely |
trepidation | n | fear; nervous apprehension |
trifiling | adj | trivial; unimportant |
trite | adj | hackneyed; commonplace |
trivial | adj | unimportant; triffling |
turbulence | n | state of violent agitation |
turmoil | n | great commotion and confusion |
tyranny | n | oppression; cruel government |
undermine | v | weaken; sap |
uniformity | n | sameness; monotony |
universal | adj | characterizing or affecting all; present everywhere |
unkempt | adj | dishevled; uncared for in appearance |
unprecedented | adj | novel; unparalleled |
unwarranted | adj | unjustified; groundless; undeserved |
usurp | v | seize anoterh's power or rank |
vacillate | v | waver; fluctuate |
venerate | v | revere |
veracity | n | truthfulness |
verbose | adj | wordy |
viable | adj | practical or workable; capable of maintaining life |
vigor | n | active stregth |
vilify | v | slander |
vindicate | v | clear from blame; exonerate; justify or support |
vindictive | adj | out for revenge; malicious |
virtuoso | n | highly skilled artist |
virulent | adj | extremely poisonous; hostile; bitter |
volatile | adj | changeable; explosive; evaporating rapidly |
voluble | adj | fluent; glib; talkative |
voluminous | adj | bulky; large |
vulnerable | adj | susceptible to wounds |
whimsical | adj | capricious; fanciful |
willful | adj | intentional; headstrong; stubbornly set on getting one's way |
withhold | v | refuse to give; hold back |
zealot | n | fanatic; person who shows excessive zeal |