| WORD |
DEFINITION |
| AUSTERE | severe or stern in appearance; undecorated |
| ATTENUATE | to reduce in force or degree; to weaken |
| ARDOR | intense and passionate feeling |
| ANTIPATHY | extreme dislike |
| ANACHRONISM | something out of place in time |
| AMALGAMATE | to combine; to mix together |
| AGGRANDIZE | to increase in power, influence, and reputation |
| AESTHETIC | concerning the appreciation of beauty |
| ABSCOND | to leave secretly |
| ABATE | to reduce in amount, degree, or severity |
| BANAL | predictable, cliched, boring |
| BOLSTER | to support; to prop up |
| CAPRICIOUS | changing one's mind quickly and often |
| CASTIGATE | to punish or criticize harshly |
| CAUSTIC | biting in wit |
| CHICANERY | deception by means of craft or guile |
| COGENT | convincing and well reasoned |
| CONVOLUTED | intricate and complicated |
| DECORUM | appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety |
| DEFERENCE | respect, courtesy |
| DERIDE | to speak of or treat with contempt; to mock |
| DESULTORY | jumping from one thing to another; disconnected |
| DIATRIBE | an abusive, condemnatory speech |
| DIFFIDENT | lacking self-confidence |
| DILETTANTE | someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic |
| DIRGE | a funeral hymn or mournful speech |
| DISPARATE | fundamentally different; entirely unlike |
| DISSEMBLE | to present a false appearance; to disguise one's real intentions or character |
| DOGMATIC | dictatorial in one's opinions |
| DUPE | to deceive; a person who is easily deceived |
| ENERVATE | to reduce in strength |
| ENGENDER | to produce, cause, or bring about |
| EPHEMERAL | lasting a short time |
| EQUIVOCATE | to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead |
| ESOTERIC | known or understood by only a few |
| ESTIMABLE | admirable |
| EULOGY | speech in praise of someone |
| EUPHEMISM | use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one |
| EXACERBATE | to make worse |
| EXCULPATE | to clear from blame, prove innocent |
| EXIGENT | urgent; requiring immediate action |
| EXONERATE | to clear of blame |
| FAWN | to grovel |
| FLORID | excessively decorated or embellished |
| FOMENT | to arouse or incite |
| GARRULOUS | tending to talk a lot |
| GUILE | deceit or trickery |
| ICONOCLAST | one who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions |
| IMPERTURBABLE | not capable of being disturbed |
| IMPERVIOUS | impossible to penetrate, incapable of being affected |
| IMPETUOUS | quick to act without thinking |
| IMPLACABLE | unable to be calmed down or made peaceful |
| INCHOATE | not fully formed; disorganized |
| INGENUOUS | showing innocent or childlike simplicity |
| INIMICAL | hostile, unfriendly |
| INNOCUOUS | harmless |
| INSIPID | lacking interest or flavor |
| INTRANSIGENT | uncompromising; refusing to be reconciled |
| INUNDATE | to overwhelm; to cover with water |
| IRASCIBLE | easily made angry |
| LACONIC | using few words |
| LAMENT | to express sorrow; to grieve |
| LAUD | to give praise; to glorify |
| LOQUACIOUS | talkative |
| MALINGER | to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill |
| MALLEABLE | capable of being shaped |
| MISANTHROPE | a person who dislikes others |
| MITIGATE | to soften; to lessen |
| MOLLIFY | to calm or make less severe |
| NAIVE | lacking sophistication or experience |
| OBDURATE | hardened in feeling; resistant to persuasion |
| OBSEQUIOUS | overly submissive and eager to please |
| OBSTINATE | stubborn, unyielding |
| OBVIATE | to prevent; to make unnecessary |
| OCCLUDE | to stop up; to prevent the passage of |
| ONEROUS | troublesome and oppresive; burdensome |
| OPPROBRIUM | public disgrace |
| PARAGON | model of excellence or perfection |
| PEDANT | someone who shows off learning |
| PERFIDIOUS | willing to betray one's trust |
| PLACATE | to soothe or pacify |
| PRAGMATIC | practical as opposed to idealistic |
| PREVARICATE | to lie or deviate from the truth |
| PRODIGAL | lavish, wasteful |
| PROPITIATE | to conciliate; to appease |
| PRUDENCE | wisdom, caution, or restraint |
| QUIESCENT | motionless |
| RAREFY | to make thinner or sparser |
| REPUDIATE | to reject the validity of |
| RETICENT | silent, reserved |
| RHETORIC | effective writing or speaking |
| SATIATE | to satisfy fully or overindulge |
| SOPORIFIC | causing sleep or lethargy |
| SPECIOUS | deceptively attractive; seemingly plausible but fallacious |
| STIGMA | a mark of shame or discredit |
| STOLID | unemotional; lacking sensitivity |
| TACIT | done without using words |
| TACITURN | silent, not talkative |
| TORPOR | extreme mental and physical sluggishness |
| VACILLATE | to sway physically; to be indecisive |
| VENERATE | to respect deeply |
| VERACITY | filled with truth and accuracy |
| VEX | to annoy |
| ZEAL | passion, excitement |
| NUANCE | a subtle distinction or variation |
| FAVONIAN | of or relating to the west wind; mild |
| MINATORY | having a menacing quality; threatening |
| COTTON | to take a liking -- used with to |
| VICTUAL | food usable by people |
| MULCT | to defraud especially of money; swindle |
| SKULDUGGERY | underhanded or unscrupulous behavior; a devious device or trick |
| WILLIWAW | a sudden violent wind |
| BESMIRCH | sully, soil |
| DENEGATION | denial |
| TRANSPICUOUS | clearly seen through or understood |
| COMMOVE | to move violently, agitate; to rouse intense feeling in, excite to passion |
| PERIPETEIA | a sudden or unexpected reversal of circumstances or situation especially in a literary work |
| FUNGIBLE | interchangeable |
| FATA MORGANA | mirage |
| GUERDON | reward, recompense |
| HARE | to go swiftly : tear |
| GOSSAMER | extremely light, delicate, or tenuous |
| RETICULATE | resembling a net or network; especially : having veins, fibers, or lines crossing |
| SANGUINEOUS | of, relating to, or involving bloodshed : bloodthirsty |
| NEOPHYTE | beginner, novice |
| IMBRICATE | lying lapped over each other in regular order |
| VAUDEVILLE | stage entertainment consisting of various acts (as performing animals, acrobats, comedians, dancers, or singers) |
| JERKWATER | remote and unimportant |
| ARGENTIFEROUS | containing silver |
| DENIGRATE | to deny the importance or validity of : belittle |
| ENMITY | positive, active, and typically mutual hatred or ill will |
| BETWIXT | between |
| JACTITATION | a tossing to and fro or jerking and twitching of the body |
| LENITIVE | alleviating pain or harshness : soothing |
| FOLDEROL | nonsense |
| HARRY | to torment by or as if by constant attack |
| IMPRECATE | to invoke evil on : curse |
| LIMPID | marked by transparency; absolutely serene and untroubled |
| SUPERCILIOUS | coolly and patronizingly haughty |
| CONFABULATE | to hold a discussion; to talk informally |
| TOADY | one who flatters in the hope of gaining favors : sycophant |
