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PrepScholar 357
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| abate | v. to diminish in intensity; v. to cause to diminish in intensity |
| aberrant | adj. diverging from the standard type |
| abjure | v. to reject or renounce |
| abscond | v. to leave secretly, evading detection |
| abstain | v. to voluntarily refrain from doing something |
| acumen | n. keen judgment and perception |
| admonish | v. scold or to advise firmly |
| adulterate | v. to contaminate or make impure by introducing inferior elements |
| advocate | v. to recommend, support, or advise; n. one who advocates |
| aesthetic | adj. concerned with the nature of beauty and art |
| affectation | n. fake or artificial behavior, often meant to impress or conceal the truth |
| aggrandize | v. enlarge or increase, esp. wealth, power, reputation |
| alacrity | n. promptness and eagerness |
| alleviate | v. to relieve a problem or ease a burden |
| amalgamate | v. to combine to or mix together |
| ambiguous | adj. unclear; adj. open to multiple interpretations |
| ambivalent | adj. having mixed or contradictory feelings about someone or something |
| ameliorate | v. to improve or mitigate a situation |
| amenable | adj. easily convinced or persuaded |
| anachronism | n. something old-fashioned; n. something appearing in a time period where it does not belong |
| analogous | n. comparable; n. appropriate for analogy |
| anoint | v. to choose for a particular office or position; v. to use oil on a person in a religious ceremony |
| anomaly | n. an exception or unusual case |
| antipathy | n. strong dislike or hatred |
| antithetical | adj. contrary to the very nature of |
| apathy | n. state of total disinterest or unenthusiasm |
| appease | v. to placate; v. to satisfy (an appetite, a need) |
| arbitrary | adj. seemingly chosen or designated without reason or purpose |
| arcane | adj. secret or known only to a select group |
| archaic | adj. old-fashioned; adj. no longer in the common usage |
| arduous | adj. difficult, taxing, requiring considerable effort |
| articulate | adj. exhibiting considerable communication skills, well-spoken |
| artless | adj. without artifice; adj. natural, untrained |
| ascetic | adj. austere or self-denying |
| assuage | v. to provide relief from an unpleasant feeling; v. to satisfy a need or appetite |
| astonishment | n. total surprise, shock |
| audacious | adj. very bold or presumptuous |
| austere | adj. severe, unadorned |
| avarice | n. greed |
| aver | v. to assert or allege |
| banal | adj. boring, cliché |
| belie | v. give a false impression (intentional or unintentional) in word, appearance, or deed |
| benign | adj. gentle, harmless |
| biased | adj. prejudiced, displaying partiality |
| bolster | v. to shore up or support |
| bombastic | adj. overblown, theatrical |
| brazen | adj. bold or open to the point of shocking; adj. shameless |
| bucolic | adj. pastoral, rustic, countryfied |
| burgeon | v. flourish, bloom, expand or increase quickly |
| cacophony | n. loud and chaotic noise |
| calumny | n. lie or slander |
| candid | adj. honest, open |
| canon | n. accepted rules and tenets of a discipline; n. sacred works/scripture; in this sense it is also used to refer to notable literary and artistic works of a culture or discipline |
| capacity | n. the capability to perform a particular action or fulfill a given function; n. the total amount a container can hold; n. a particular position or role (i.e. “she served in an advisory capacityâ€) |
| capricious | adj. mercurial, unpredictable, whimsical |
| castigate | v. to scold or berate strongly |
| catalyst | n. something that speeds up a process or causes action |
| caustic | adj. corrosive; adj. bitterly sarcastic |
| censure | v. to express intense condemnation |
| chauvinist | n. someone who believes prejudicially that their own group is the superior one |
| chicanery | n. trickery or deception |
| chronological | adj. ordered by time |
| coalesce | v. to come together, esp. from disparate parts |
| cogent | adj. clearly laid out and persuasive |
| commensurate | adj. in accordance with, proportional |
| compelling | adj. captivating; adj. very persuasive |
| comprehensive | adj. complete and thorough |
| condone | v. to approve or allow |
| confound | v. to confuse or astonish |
| connoisseur | n. an expert in a particular subject matter area, usually relating to the fine arts or cultural pursuits |
| consequential | adj. as a result of; adj. significant or memorable |
| construe | v. to interpret |
| consumption | n. utilization (esp. of a resource) |
| contend | v. assert or claim; v. grapple with |
| contentious | adj. controversial; adj. involving conflict |
| contrite | adj. remorseful |
| convoluted | adj. roundabout, not straightforward |
| copious | adj. plentiful or abundant |
| cosmopolitan | adj. of or relating to a city or urban area; adj. sophisticated |
| covet | v. to desire something that does not belong to you |
| craft | n. cunning; n. skill |
| craven | adj. cowardly to the point of being shameful |
| credence | n. belief or trust |
| credulous | adj. gullible, naïve |
| decorum | n. appropriate behavior or good manners |
| deference | n. respect or polite submission |
| deflect | v. divert or cause to ricochet |
| deftness | adj. skill, acumen; adj. manual dexterity |
| delineate | v. to describe very accurately; v. to clearly demarcate a boundary; v. to render an outline |
| demur | v. to object or raise concerns |
| denigrate | v. say negative things about, particularly in a defamatory way |
| deride | v. to mock or ridicule |
| derivative | adj. imitates another work in a way that is unoriginal or uninspiring |
| desiccate | v. to dry out completely; v. to suck out the vitality and passion |
| desultory | adj. halfhearted; adj. inconsistent or random |
| detachment | n. objectivity or aloofness |
| determinant | n. a strong factor in an outcome |
| diatribe | n. a rant or angry speech denouncing someone or something |
| didactic | adj. educational or with an instructive purpose; often includes an element of moralizing |
| diffident | adj. shy, timid, or reserved due to a lack of confidence |
| dilettante | n. someone with an amateur, nonserious interest in something |
| dirge | n. funeral or mourning lament; n. any sad, slow song |
| disabuse | v. to dispel someone’s illusions or false impressions about something |
| discern | v. to perceive |
| discrepancy | n. inconsistency |
| disinterested | adj. objective, unbiased; adj. not invested in the outcome |
| disparage | v. to belittle |
| disparate | adj. dissimilar to such a degree that comparison is not possible |
| dispassionate | adj. impartial or cool |
| disregard | v. to ignore or pay no attention to |
| dissemble | v. to mislead or conceal the truth, esp. with respect to one’s motives |
| disseminate | v. to spread widely (esp. information) |
| dissonance | n. a clash between two elements that don’t blend well |
| diverge | v. to split apart, esp. a road or path |
| dogma | n. the official beliefs or tenets of particular sect or group |
| dupe | v. to deceive or fool |
| ebullient | adj. cheerful, enthusiastic, excited |
| eccentric | adj. quirky or unusual |
| eclectic | adj. composed of a variety of styles, themes, motifs, etc. |
| efficacy | n. effectiveness |
| elegy | n. sad poem or song, often in remembrance of someone deceased |
| elicit | v. to provoke a response |
| eloquence | adj. persuasive and articulate speech |
| eminent | adj. well-known, respected, distinguished |
| empirical | adj. based on evidence |
| emulate | v. to imitate or attempt to equal in accomplishment |
| enervate | v. to exhaust or drain of energy |
| engender | v. to cause or give rise to |
| enhance | v. intensify, increase, augment |
| entitlement | n. belief that one deserves things one has not earned; n. the rights one is afforded under the law |
| ephemeral | adj. short-lived or transient |
| equable | adj. even-tempered; adj. not given to much change or variation |
| equivocate | v. to use ambiguous language in order to mislead or deceive |
| erroneous | adj. incorrect |
| erudite | adj. learned |
| eschew | v. avoid or abstain from |
| esoteric | adj. obscure, arcane |
| estimable | adj. deserving respect, esteem, and admiration |
| eulogy | n. memorial speech for one who has passed, normally given at a funeral |
| exacerbate | v. to make worse |
| exacting | adj. challenging, demanding, grueling |
| exculpate | v. to exonerate or vindicate |
| exigent | adj. urgent or pressing |
| exonerate | v. to clear of charges of wrongdoing |
| expatiate | v. to elaborate on something in great detail |
| explicate | v. to explain in detail |
| exposition | n. a thorough explanation; n. a public show or fair |
| extraneous | adj. irrelevant or superfluous |
| extrapolate | v. to estimate or conjecture about the future based on presently available information or facts |
| facetious | adj. glib or flippant |
| facilitate | v. to make something easier or simpler |
| fallacious | adj. relying on a fallacy and thus incorrect/misinformed |
| fastidious | adj. meticulous; adj. invested in cleanliness |
| fluctuate | v. to shift without apparent pattern |
| foment | v. to foster unrest or discontent |
| forestall | v. to hold off or try to prevent |
| fortuitous | adj. fortunate and lucky |
| frugal | adj. economical, thrifty |
| gainsay | v. deny or oppose |
| galvanize | v. to prod someone into action |
| garrulous | adj. talkative |
| gauche | adj. socially inept, inappropriate, or awkward |
| germane | adj. relevant to the matter at hand |
| glib | adj. talking volubly, but carelessly or insincerely |
| gregarious | adj. sociable, genial |
| guile | n. craftiness and cunning |
| hackneyed | adj. cliché, trite, banal |
| harangue | n. diatribe or rant |
| hedonism | n. the pursuit of pleasure |
| hierarchical | adj. arranged in rank order or hierarchy |
| homogenous | adj. uniform, identical |
| hyperbole | n. obvious exaggeration for effect |
| iconoclast | n. a person who attacks traditional religious and cultural institutions |
| ideological | adj. relating to a particular belief system or theory |
| imminent | adj. about to happen |
| immutable | adj. unchangeable |
| impair | v. to hinder or weaken someone or something |
| impediment | n. barrier, hindrance, or obstruction |
| imperturbable | adj. remaining calm under any circumstance |
| implacable | adj. unforgiving; adj. relentless |
| implicit | adj. implied or insinuated without being directly stated |
| imprudence | n. bad judgment |
| impudent | adj. disrespectful |
| inadvertent | adj. by accident or unintentional |
| Inchoate | adj. rudimentary, in the beginning stages |
| inconclusive | adj. indeterminate or unresolved |
| indebted | adj. owing money; adj. owing gratitude to someone or something |
| indefatigable | adj. cannot be made tired |
| indolent | adj. lazy; adj. idle |
| infer | v. to conclude from implicit evidence (as opposed to explicit facts) |
| ingenuous | adj. naïve or innocent |
| inimical | adj. harmful or hostile |
| Innocuous | adj. harmless |
| inscrutable | adj. enigmatic, incomprehensible |
| insipid | adj. bland, uninspired, inane |
| insular | adj. tight-knit and isolated; uninterested in matters outside one’s immediate sphere |
| intensive | adj. concentrated and in-depth |
| intermediary | n. a go-between |
| intimate | adj. close (as in a relationship); adj. particularly private; v. to imply |
| intractable | adj. unmanageable; adj. stubborn or obstinate |
| intransigent | adj. uncompromising, obstinate |
| intrepid | adj. bold and adventurous |
| inveterate | adj. ingrained, habitual |
| invulnerable | adj. indestructible, impervious to harm |
| irascible | adj. irritable, testy, touchy |
| irresolute | adj. wishy-washy, hesitant |
| laconic | adj. taciturn, reserved, succinct |
| laud | v. to praise |
| laudable | adj. praiseworthy |
| litigation | n. legal proceedings |
| loquacious | adj. talkative |
| lucid | adj. clear and coherent |
| luminous | adj. full of light |
| magnanimity | n. generosity and nobility of spirit |
| maladroit | adj. clumsy, awkward, inept |
| malign | adj. evil or harmful; v. to speak negatively about someone or something |
| malleable | adj. pliant or pliable; adj. easily influenced |
| maverick | n. an unorthodox person or rebel |
| mendacity | n. untruthfulness, dishonesty |
| mercurial | adj. easily changeable, fickle |
| meticulous | adj. paying close attention to detail |
| misanthrope | n. person who hates humanity |
| mitigate | v. to improve a painful, unpleasant, or negative situation |
| modest | adj. not boastful; adj. not overly showy |
| mollify | v. placate |
| monotony | n. boredom and repetition |
| mundane | adj. everyday, boring |
| munificent | adj. very generous |
| naïve | adj. inexperienced or gullible |
| nascent | adj. just beginning or in the early stages |
| neglect | v. to abandon or leave uncared-for |
| nonplussed | adj. confused and baffled |
| notoriety | n. fame for doing something negative or criminal |
| nuance | n. subtle shades of difference |
| obdurate | adj. stubborn, obstinate |
| obscure | adj. mysterious or not well-known; v. to cover something up or make it more difficult to perceive |
| obsequious | adj. overly fawning and helpful in a way that is disingenuous |
| obstinate | adj. stubborn, uncompromising |
| obviate | v. to forestall the need for something; v. to prevent |
| occlude | v. to block or obstruct |
| occult | n. the mystical and supernatural |
| offset | v. to counterbalance or counteract |
| olfactory | adj. relating to smell or the sense of smell |
| omniscience | n. the quality or state of being all-knowing |
| onerous | adj. difficult or burdensome |
| opaque | adj. not see-through; blocking light |
| opportunism | n. the practice of taking advantage of opportunities as they arise without particular concern for morality or ethics |
| opprobrium | n. criticism or condemnation |
| oscillate | v. to swing back and forth between two points, poles, or positions |
| ostentatious | adj. overly showy in a way that is gaudy or vulgar |
| outstrip | v. to overtake or outrun |
| overshadow | v. to literally cast a shadow over; v. to appear more notable than |
| painstaking | adj. attentive to detail, meticulous |
| partial | adj. incomplete |
| partisan | n. a devoted supporter of a group, cause, or person |
| patent | adj. blatant, obvious |
| paucity | n. scarcity, poverty |
| pedantic | adj. overly concerned with irrelevant detail, fussy |
| pedestrian | adj. boring, monotonous, run-of-the-mill |
| perfidy | n. treachery or deceit |
| perfunctory | adj. done without much effort, care, or thought |
| peripheral | adj. on the edge or periphery; not centrally important |
| permeate | v. to pervade or penetrate throughout |
| perseverance | n. persistence in the face of obstacles |
| peruse | v. to read something carefully and closely; v. to read something informally or quickly (context is critical for this word!) |
| pervasive | adj. found everywhere, widespread; often has a negative connotation |
| phenomena | n. things that happen |
| phlegmatic | adj. cool and unruffled |
| pith | n. the essential substance of something |
| placate | v. to calm, esp. an angry or upset person |
| plastic | adj. easily shaped or molded; adj. made of plastic |
| platitude | n. a trite or cliché statement |
| plausible | adj. believable, reasonable |
| plethora | n. a surplus or overabundance of something |
| plummet | v. to fall quickly and far |
| polarize | v. to cause a sharp division between two groups |
| polemical | adj. angry, hostile, harshly critical |
| pragmatic | adj. practical |
| precarious | adj. uncertain or unstable |
| preceded | adj. went before |
| precipitate | v. to cause; adj. hastily and not well-considered; n. particulate matter formed within a solution |
| precursor | n. a forerunner |
| prescient | adj. knowing things before they happen, prophetic |
| presumptuous | adj. overly familiar; invades social boundaries |
| prevail | v. to succeed, esp. with respect to vanquishing an opponent; v. to convince or persuade |
| prevaricate | v. to evade or deceive without outright lying |
| pristine | adj. untouched, clean, pure |
| probity | n. integrity and honor |
| prodigal | n. a reckless spender |
| prodigious | adj. enormous, immense, gigantic |
| profligate | adj. extravagant and wasteful, esp. in an immoral way |
| proliferate | v. to multiply and spread rapidly |
| propitiate | v. to obtain special favor from someone, esp. a powerful person or deity, by performing a pleasing action; v. to appease someone who is angry |
| propriety | n. appropriateness, manners, decorum |
| prospective | adj. potential or likely; adj. applicable to the future |
| qualification | n. credential; n. a modifying statement |
| quotidian | adj. relating to the everyday or mundane |
| rationalize | v. to attempt to justify with reasons that are only superficially valid |
| reconcile | v. to bring into harmony; v. to repair a relationship |
| recondite | adj. arcane or obscure |
| refute | v. to rebut or disprove |
| relentless | adj. never stopping, constant |
| relevant | adj. relating to the topic or issue at hand |
| reproach | v. to scold or express criticism |
| repudiate | v. to renounce or disown |
| rescind | v. to take back or retract (an offer or statement) |
| respectively | adv. in the sequential order previously given |
| reticent | adj. hesitant to speak; adj. introverted or silent |
| reverent | adj. solemn and respectful |
| rhetoric | n. the art of effective communication (written or verbal) |
| salubrious | adj. health-promoting |
| sanction | v. to give official permission; v. to impose a penalty for a particular action; n. punishments imposed for breaking a regulation |
| satiate | v. to completely satisfy (with respect to hunger or appetite) |
| secular | adj. of or relating to the world or worldly matters (as opposed to religious ones) |
| sediment | n. material that settles at the bottom of a body of water |
| sedulous | adj. dedicated and careful |
| simultaneous | adj. occurring at the same moment |
| solicitous | adj. considerate, attentive |
| soporific | adj. makes sleepy |
| sparse | adj. scattered or scarce; adj. austere and unadorned |
| specious | adj. spurious; appearing true but actually false |
| sporadic | adj. occasional or scattered |
| spurious | adj. fake or false |
| stolid | adj. calm and dependable |
| subjective | adj. open to personal interpretation; not based in objective fact |
| substantiate | v. to corroborate or give evidence of something |
| subversive | adj. meant to undercut established institutions or norms |
| sufficient | adj. enough for a given purpose |
| superbly | adv. excellently |
| supine | adj. laying back with the face upward (opposite position to prone) |
| supplant | v. to overtake or replace |
| sycophant | n. a fawning, insincere admirer |
| synthesize | v. to combine disparate parts into a coherent whole |
| tacit | adj. unspoken; implicit |
| taciturn | adj. reticent or reserved; tending towards silence |
| temperance | n. moderation and restraint, sometimes used to specifically describe abstinence from alcohol |
| tenuous | adj. weak, flimsy, insubstantial |
| timorous | adj. meek or timid |
| tirade | n. an angry rant |
| torpor | n. tiredness, lethargy |
| tortuous | adj. winding or twisty; adj. complicated |
| tractable | adj. can be easily influenced or managed |
| transient | adj. passes quickly; short-lived |
| ubiquitous | adj. ever-present or universal |
| unadorned | adj. plain; unembellished |
| undermine | v. to weaken or compromise |
| underscore | v. to line underneath for emphasis; v. to emphasize |
| untenable | adj. weak or unsupportable, esp. with respect to an opinion or situation |
| vacillate | v. to shift between multiple options or opinions |
| venality | n. the state of being capable of being bribed |
| venerate | v. to give a high degree of respect; may border on worship |
| veracity | n. Truth and factual accuracy |
| verbose | adj. long-winded; loquacious |
| vexation | n. state of being frustrated, irritated, or concerned. |
| volatile | adj. easily changeable or extreme; unstable |
| whimsical | adj. fanciful or capricious |
| zeal | n. passion or fervor |
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