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SAT Vocab #1
Hot words_800
| Term | 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; non-representable |
| 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 neighbouring; adjoining |
| adroit | adj skilful; 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; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath |
| aggressor | n attacker |
| alienate | v make hostile; separate |
| alleviate | v relieve |
| aloof | adj apart; reserved; standoffish |
| altruistic | adj unselfishly 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, general 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 hand-made 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 sternness; 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; wheel |
| 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 chronological 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 sceptical or distrustful of human motives |
| daunt | v intimidate; frighten |
| dawdle | v loiter; waste time |
| debilitate | v weaken; enfeeble |
| 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; rambling; 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 to 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; definite; 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; squeamish |
| 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 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; slant |
| 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 uncorrectable |
| 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 non-existent |
| 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; material |
| 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 outcome; 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; defence; 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 preoccupation 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-humoured; 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 quality 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; trifling |
| paradigm | n model; example; pattern |
| paradox | n something 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; committed to a party |
| passive | adj not reactive; 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; vital |
| placate | v pacify; conciliate |
| plagiarize | v steal another’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 influenced |
| 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 marvellous; 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; response with contrary evidence |
| recalcitrant | adj obstinately stubborn; 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 meagre; 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 occurring 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 of lose purity; modify with a trace of something bad |
| tangential | adj peripheral; only slightly connected; digressing |
| tangible | adj able to be touched; real; palpable |
| 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; trifling |
| 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 dishevelled; uncared for in appearance |
| unprecedented | adj novel; unparalleled |
| unwarranted | adj unjustified; groundless; undeserved |
| usurp | v seize another’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 strength |
| 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 |
Created by:
fabbas227
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