Question | Answer |
alleviate | to reduce pain, especially temporarily or without removing its cause |
emulate | to copy someone; to imitate |
enclave | a country or other distinctly bounded area wholly surrounded by another area |
fluctuate | to move back and forth or up and down, especially unpredictably |
gullible | foolish |
mellifluous | smooth and sweet; flowing with sweetness |
perfidious | marked by extreme treachery |
plaintive | expressing sorrow |
prostrate | lying face down, especially as a sign of humility or worship; physically or emotionally exhausted |
sententious | expressing much in few words; given to pompous moralizing |
adept | very skilled, especially natural talent improved by practice |
aptitude | an inherent capacity for learning, understanding, or performing |
competent | capable and skilled |
deft | quick and skillful |
dexterous | skillful with the hands or mind |
magisterial | authoritative; overbearing |
masterly | having the skill of an expert |
proficient | very skillful, especially through training |
prowess | superior skill or ability |
virtuoso | one with great skill, especially in music or the arts |
artifact | an object produced by human work, especially one of historical or archaeological interest |
deficit | an inadequacy; an unfavorable condition or position |
edification | intellectual or moral improvement; enlightenment |
effectual | able to produce the desired result |
efficacy | the power to produce the desired effect |
facsimile | an exact copy |
munificent | generous |
petrify | to turn into stone; to paralyze with terror |
rectify | to set right; to correct |
soporific | promoting sleep |
cant | to lean to one side |
faze | to disturb; disconcert |
flair | natural talent; aptitude |
floe | a large, flat slab of ice formed on water |
gait | manner of moving on foot; rate or manner of proceeding |
grate | to irritate; to bother |
pare | to reduce by, or as if by, cutting |
phase | a stage in a process of change or development |
principle | an accepted rule of action; a fundamental law or truth |
wail | to make a prolonged cry; to mourn |
acerbic | sharp in smell and taste; harsh in tone |
asylum | a place of safety |
bevy | a group, especially of women or birds |
bide | to remain in a condition or state; to wait |
blasphemy | an act that shows contempt for God or religious matters |
bounty | something given generously; a reward, especially one offered by the government |
carcass | the dead body of an animal, especially one slaughtered for food (also used figuratively) |
cloy | to cause disgust with too much of something originally pleasant, especially something rich or sweet |
consign | to give to the care of another; to set apart |
covenant | a binding agreement |
dank | unpleasantly damp |
deity | a god |
disclose | to reveal |
dislodge | to force out of a concealed position |
dissect | to cut into parts for analysis |
dowager | a widow who holds a title or property that comes from her dead husband |
effigy | a representation of a person or group used especially to demonstrate hatred |
entity | something that exists and can be recognized as a distinct unit |
entreaty | an earnest plea or request |
exotic | unfamiliar or strikingly different; from far away places of the world |
fetish | an object of unreasonably excessive attention |
finesse | subtle skill in performance or in handling a situation |
finicky | insisting on getting what one wants, often capriciously |
flinch | to draw back, as from surprise, pain, or something unpleasant or difficult |
garland | a wreath or woven chain of flowers or leaves |
gild | to cover with a thin layer of gold |
gouge | a chisel with a rounded blade; to cut or scoop out, as with such a chisel |
grotto | a small cave; an artificial structure made to resemble a cave |
harlequin | a clown or buffoon |
invaluable | priceless; valuable beyond estimation |
jubilant | filled with happiness |
jurisprudence | the science or philosophy of law |
kismet | fate; destiny |
labyrinthine | complicated; puzzling |
levee | earthen or stone embankment to prevent flooding |
liability | something for which one is responsible; a debt; a disadvantage |
livelihood | means of support; subsistence |
luminary | a person who has achieved fame in a particular field |
missive | a written message |
obstruct | to block |
omnifarious | of all kinds; varied |
oracle | a person thought to be a source of wisdom or prophecy |
panoply | a splendid array; ceremonial dress with all accessories |
predicament | a troublesome or embarrassing situation |
premises | land and buildings that are on it |
pummel | to beat, as with the fists |
rebuke | to criticize sharply |
recidivist | one who returns to criminal habits |
remnant | a small amount left over after the rest has been used; a surviving trace |
restrain | to hold back; to discipline, especially oneself |
rhapsody | a state of great happiness; such a state expressed in speech or writing |
salvage | to rescue from danger or failure |
strife | great disagreement |
subordinate | occupying a lower position |
symmetry | correspondence of form on each side of an axis; beauty as the result of balance and harmony |
throwback | a reminder or remnant of an earlier condition |
trauma | serious physical or emotional injury |
troupe | a group of touring actors, singers, or performers |
vim | energy; enthusiasm |
vortex | a flow of fluid around an axis, like a whirlpool |