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wordsmart
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| abase | to humiliate; to lower in esteem or dignity; to humble |
| abash | To make ashamed; to embarrass |
| abate | To subside; to reduce |
| abdicate | To step down from a position of power or responsibility |
| aberration | Something not typical; a deviation from the standard |
| abet | to support or encourage someone, especially someone who has done something wrong |
| abeyance | suspension; temporary cessation |
| abhor | To hate very, very much; to detest |
| abject | Hopeless; extremely sad and servile; defeated; utterly bummed out |
| abjure | to repudiate; to take back; to refrain from |
| abnegate | To deny oneself things; to reject; to renounce |
| abomination | something despised or abhorred; extreme loathing |
| aboriginal | native; dating back to the very beginning |
| abortive | Unsuccessful |
| abound | to be very numerous |
| abridge | To shorten; to condense |
| abrogate | to abolish or repeal formally; to set aside; to nullify |
| absolute | Total; unlimited; perfect |
| absolve | To forgive or free from blame; to free from sin; to free from an obligation |
| abstinent | Abstaining; voluntarily not doing something, especially something pleasant that is bad for you or has a bad reputation |
| abstract | Theoretical; impersonal |
| abstruse | Hard to understand |
| abysmal | Extremely hopeless or wretched; bottomless |
| accede | to give in; to yield; to agree |
| accentuate | to emphasize; to accent; to highlight |
| access | the right or ability to approach, enter, or use |
| acclaim | to praise publicly and enthusiastically |
| accolade | An award; an honor |
| accord | to agree; to be in harmony; to grant or bestow |
| accost | To approach and speak to someone |
| accouterments | personal clothing, accessories, or equipment; trappings |
| accrue | to accumulate over time |
| acerbic | Bitter; sour; severe |
| acquiesce | To comply passively; to accept; to assent; to agree |
| acquisitive | seeking or tending to acquire; |
| acquit | to find not guilty; to bahave or conduct oneself |
| acrid | Harsh; like acid |
| acrimonious | Full of spite; bitter; nasty |
| acronym | a word made up of the initials of other words |
| acumen | Keenness of judgment; mental sharpness |
| acute | Sharp; shrewd |
| ad-lib | to improvise; speak or act spontanesously |
| adage | a traditional saying; a proverb |
| adamant | Stubborn; unyielding; completely inflexible |
| address | To speak to; to direct ones attention to |
| adduce | to bring forward as an example or as proof; to cite |
| adherent | Follower; supporter; believer |
| adjourn | to suspend until another time |
| adjunct | something added to or connected with something else; an assistant |
| admonish | To scold gently; to warn |
| adroit | Skillful; dexterous; clever; shrewd; socially at ease |
| adulation | Wild or excessive admiration; flattery |
| adulterate | To contaminate; to make impure |
| advent | arrival; coming; beginning |
| adventitious | accidental; connected to but nonetheless unrelated; irrelevant |
| adverse | Unfavorable; antagonistic |
| advocate | a person who argues in favor of a position |
| aesthetic | Having to do with artistic beauty; artistic |
| affable | Easy to talk to; friendly |
| affectation | Unnatural or artificial behavior, usually intended to impress |
| affidavit | a sworn written statement made before an official |
| affiliate | to become closely associated with |
| affinity | Sympathy; attraction; kinship; similarity |
| affliction | misery; illness; great suffering; a source of misery, or great suffering |
| affluent | Rich; prosperous |
| afford | to give; to supply; to confer upon |
| affront | insult; a deliberate act of disrespect |
| aftermath | consequence; events following some occurrence or calamity |
| agenda | Program; the things to be done |
| aggrandize | to exaggerate; to cause to appear greater; to increase(something) in power,reputation, wealth, etc |
| aggregate | Sum total; a collection of separate things mixed together |
| aggrieve | to mistreat; to do grievous injury to; to distress |
| aghast | terrified, shocked |
| agnostic | One who believes that the existence of a god can be neither proven nor disproven |
| agrarian | Relating to land; relating to the management or farming of land |
| alacrity | Cheerful eagerness or readiness to respond |
| alchemy | a seemingly magical process of transformation |
| alienate | to estrange; to cause to feel unwelcome or unloved; to make hostile |
| allege | To assert without proof |
| allegiance | loyalty |
| allegory | a story in which the characters are symbols with moral or spiritual meanings |
| alleviate | To relieve, usually temporarily or incompletely; to make bearable; to lessen |
| allocate | To distribute; to assign; to allot |
| allot | to apportion, allocate, or assign |
| alloy | A combination of two or more things, usually metals |
| allusion | An indirect reference (often to a literary work); a hint |
| aloof | Uninvolved; standing off; keeping ones distance |
| altercation | a heated fight, argument, or quarrel |
| altruism | Selflessness; generosity; devotion to the interests of others |
| amass | to pile up; to accumulate; to collect for one's own use |
| ambience | Atmosphere; mood; feeling |
| ambiguous | Unclear in meaning; confusing; capable of being interpreted in different ways |
| ambivalent | Undecided; neutral; wishy-washy |
| ameliorate | To make better or more tolerable |
| amenable | Obedient; willing to give in to the wishes of another; agreeable |
| amenity | Pleasantness; attractive or comfortable feature |
| amiable | Friendly; agreeable |
| amid | in the middle of |
| amnesty | An official pardon for a group of people who have violated a law or policy |
| amoral | Lacking a sense of right and wrong; neither good nor bad, neither moral nor immoral; without moral feelings |
| amorous | Feeling loving, especially in a sexual sense; in love relating to love |
| amorphous | Shapeless; without a regular or stable shape; bloblike |
| anachronism | Something out of place in time or history; an incongruity |
| analogy | A comparison of one thing to another; similarity |
| anarchy | Absence of government or control; lawlessness; disorder |
| anathema | something or someone loathe or detested |
| ancillary | subordinate; providing assistance |
| anecdote | A short account of a humorous or revealing incident |
| angst | anxiety; fear; dread |
| anguish | Agonizing physical or mental pain |
| animosity | Resentment; hostility; ill will |
| annex | to add or attach |
| annuity | an annual allowance or income; the annual interest payment on an investment; any regular allowance or income |
| anomaly | An aberration; an irregularity; a deviation |
| antecedent | Someone or something that went before; something that provides a model for something that came after it |
| antedate | to be older than; to have come before |
| anterior | situated in front |
| anthology | a collection, especially of literary works |
| anthropomorphic | ascrigbing human characteristics to nonhuman animals or objects |
| antipathy | Firm dislike; a dislike (↔sympathy) |
| antipodal | situated on opposite sides of the earth; exactly opposite |
| antiquity | ancientness; ancient times |
| antithesis | The direct opposite |
| apartheid | The abhorrent policy of racial segregation and oppression in the Repubic of South Africa |
| apathy | Lack of interest; lack of feeling |
| aperture | an opening |
| apex | highest point |
| aphorism | A brief, often witty saying; a proverb |
| apocalypse | A prophetic revelation, especially one concerning the end of the world |
| apocryphal | Of dubious authenticity; fictitious; spurious |
| apogee | the most distant point in the orbit of the moon or of an artificial satellite |
| apoplexy | stroke (that is, numbness and paralysis resulting from the sudden loss of blood flow to the brain) |
| apostasy | abandonment or rejection of faith or loyalty |
| apotheosis | Elevation to divine status; the perfect example of something |
| appalling | causing horror or consternation |
| apparition | a ghost or ghostly object |
| appease | To soothe; to pacify by giving in to |
| appellation | a name |
| appendage | something added on to something else; a supplement |
| apportion | to distribute properionally; to divide into portions |
| apposite | distinctly suitable; pertinent |
| appraise | to estimate the value or quality of; to judge |
| appreciate | To increase in value |
| apprehensive | Worried; anxious |
| apprise | to give notice to; to inform |
| approbation | Approval; praise |
| appropriate | To take without permission; to set aside for a particular use |
| appurtenance | something extra; an appendage; an accessory |
| apropos | appropriate; coming at the right time |
| apt | appropriate; having a tendency to; likely |
| aptitude | Capacity for learning; natural ability |
| arbiter | One who decides; a judge |
| arbitrary | Random; capricious |
| arcade | a passageway defined by a series of arches; a covered passageway with shops on either side; an area filed with coin-operated games |
| arcane | Mysterious; known only to a select few |
| archaic | Extremely old; ancient; outdated |
| archetype | An original model or pattern |
| archipelago | a large group of islands |
| archives | a place where historical documents or materials are stored; the documents or materials themselves |
| ardent | Passionate |
| arduous | Hard; difficult |
| arid | very dry; lacking life, interest, or imagination |
| aristocratic | Of noble birth; snobbish |
| armament | implement of war; the process of arming for war |
| armistice | truce |
| arraign | to bring to court to answer an indictment; to accuse |
| arrant | utter; unmitigated; very bad |
| arrears | the state of being in debt; unpaid debts |
| arsenal | a collection of armaments; a facility for storing or producing armament; a supply of anything useful |
| artful | Wily; sly |
| articulate | to pronounce clearly; to express clearly |
| artifice | A clever trick; cunning |
| artisan | a person skilled in a craft |
| ascendancy | Supremacy; domination |
| ascertain | to determine with certainty; to find out definitely |
| ascetic | Hermitlike; practicing self-denial |
| ascribe | to credit to or assign; to attribute |
| askance | with suspicion or disapproval |
| aspersion | a slanderous or damning remark |
| assail | to attack vigorously |
| assert | to claim strongly; to affirm |
| assess | to evaluate; to estimate; to appraise |
| assiduous | Hardworking; busy; quite diligent |
| assimilate | To take in; to absorb; to learn thoroughly |
| assuage | To soothe; to pacify; to ease the pain of; to relieve |
| astringent | harsh; severe; withering |
| astute | Shrewd; keen in judgment |
| asylum | a mental hospital or similar institution; refuge; a place of safety |
| atone | to make amends |
| atropny | to wither away; to decline from disuse |
| attest | to give proof of; to declare to be true or correct; to give testimony |
| attribute | to credit to or assign; to ascribe |
| attrition | Gradual wearing away, weakening, or loss; a natural or expected decrease in numbers of size |
| audacity | Boldness; reckless daring; impertinence |
| augment | To make bigger; to add to; to increase |
| augur | to serve as an omen or be a sign; to predict or foretell |
| august | inspiring admiration or awe |
| auspices | protection; support; sponsorship |
| auspicious | Favorable; promising; pointing to a good result |
| austere | Unadorned; stern; forbidding; without excess |
| autocratic | Ruling with absolute authority; extremely bossy |
| autonomous | Acting independently |
| auxiliary | secondary; additional; giving assistance of aid |
| avail | to help; to be of use; to serve |
| avang-garde | the vanguard; members of a group, especially of a literary or artistic one, who are at the cutting edge of their field |
| avarice | Greed; excessive love of riches |
| aversion | a strong feeling of dislike |
| avert | to turn away; to prevent |
| avid | eager; enthusiastic |
| avow | To claim; to declare boldly; to admit |
| avuncular | Like an uncle, especially a nice uncle |
| awry | Off course; twisted to one side |
| axiom | Self-evident rule or truth; a widely accepted saying |
| bacchanal | a party animal; a drunken reveler; a drunken revelry or orgy |
| baleful | menacing; threatening |
| balk | to abruptly refuse (to do something); ti stop short |
| ballyhoo | sensational advertising or promotion; uproar |
| balm | something that heals or soothes |
| banal | Unoriginal; ordinary |
| bandy | to toss back and forth; to exchange |
| bane | Poison; torment; cause of harm |
| banter | an exchange of good-humored or mildly teasing remarks |
| baroque | extravagantly ornate; flamboyant in style |
| barrage | a concentrated outpouring of artillery fire, or of anything else |
| bastion | Stronghold; fortress; fortified place |
| bauble | a gaudy trinket; a small, inexpensive on ornament |
| bedlam | noisy uproar and chaos; a place characterized by noisy uproar and chaos |
| beget | To give birth to; to create; to lead to; to cause |
| begrudge | to envy another's possession or enj0yment of something; to be reluctant to give, or to give grudgingly |
| behest | command; order |
| belabor | To go over repeatedly or to an absurd extent |
| beleaguer | To surround; to besiege; to harass |
| belie | To give a false impression of; to contradict |
| belittle | To make to seem little; to put someone down |
| belligerent | Combative; quarrelsome; waging war |
| bemoan | to mourn about; to lament |
| bemused | Confused; bewildered |
| benediction | a blessing; an utterance of good wishes |
| benefactor | One who provides help, especially in the form of a gift or donation |
| benevolent | Generous; kind; doing good deeds |
| benighted | ignorant; unenlightened |
| benign | Gentle; not harmful; kind; mild |
| bequest | Something left to someone in a will |
| bereaved | Deprived or left desolate, especially through death |
| beset | Harass; to surround |
| bestow | to present as a gift; to confer |
| bilious | ill-tempered; cranky |
| bivouac | a temporary encampment, especially of soldiers |
| blanch | to turn pale; to cause to turn pale |
| bland | mild; tasteless; dull; unlively |
| blandishment | flattery |
| blasphemy | Irreverence; an insult to something held sacred; profanity |
| blatant | Unpleasantly or offensively noisy; glaring |
| blight | Disease in plants; anything that injures or destroys |
| bliss | perfect contentment; extreme joy |
| blithe | Carefree; cheerful |
| bluster | to roar; to be loud; to be tumultous |
| bombast | pompous or pretentious speech of writing |
| bon | vivant |
| bona | fide |
| boon | a blessing; a benefit |
| boor | a rude or churlish person |
| booty | goods taken from an enemy in war; plunder; stolen or confiscated goods |
| botch | to bungle; to ruin through poor of clumsy effort |
| bourgeois | Middle class, usually in a pejorative sense; boringly conventional |
| bovine | Cow related; cowlike cf)canine, equine, feline, piscine, porcine, ursine |
| bracing | invigorating |
| brandish | to wave or display threateningly |
| bravado | a false show or ostentatious show of bravery or defiance |
| brawn | big muscles; great strength |
| brazen | impudent; bold |
| breach | a violation; a gap or break |
| brevity | Briefness |
| brink | edge |
| bristle | to stiffen with anger; to act in a way suggestive of an animal whose hair |
| broach | To open up a subject for discussion, often a delicate subject |
| bromide | a dull, obvious, overfamilar saying; a cliche |
| brouhaha | uproar; hubbub |
| brusque | abrupt in manner; blunt |
| bucolic | Charmingly rural; rustic; countrylike |
| buffoon | a joker, especially one who is coarse of acts like an ass |
| bulwark | a wall used as a defensive fortification; anything used as the main defense against anything else |
| bureaucracy | A system of government administration consisting of numerous bureaus or offices, especially one run according to inflexible and inefficient rules; any large administrative system characterized by inefficiency, lots of rules, and red tape |
| burgeon | To expand; to flourish |
| burlesque | A ludicrous, mocking, or exaggerated imitation |
| byzantine | extremely intricate or complicated in structure; having to do with Byzantine Empire. |
| cabal | a group of conspirators; the acts of such a group; a clique |
| cache | a hiding place; the things hidden in a secret place |
| cacophony | Harsh-sounding mixture of words, voices, or sounds |
| cadence | Rhythm, the rise and fall of sounds |
| cajole | To persuade someone to do something he or she doesnt want to do |
| calamity | a disaster |
| callous | insensitive; emotionally hardened |
| callow | Immature |
| calumny | slander; a maliciously false statement |
| candor | Truthfulness; sincere honesty |
| canon | a rule of law, especially a religious one; a body of rules of laws; an official set of holy books; an authoritative list; the set of works by an author that are accepted as authentic |
| cant | insincere of hypocritical speech |
| canvass | to seek votes or opinions; to conduct a survey |
| capacious | spacious; roomy; commodious |
| capital | the town or city that is the seat of government; money, equipment, and property owned by a business; wealth used in creating more wealth |
| capitalism | Free enterprise |
| capitulate | To surrender; to give up or give in |
| capricious | Unpredictable; like to change at any moment |
| captivate | to fascinate; to enchant; to enrapture |
| carcinogenic | causing cancer |
| cardinal | most import; chief |
| careen | to swerve; to move rapidly without control; to lean to one side |
| caricature | A portrait or description that is purposely distorted or exaggerated, often to prove some point about its subject |
| cartography | the art of making maps and charts |
| cascade | a waterfall; anything resembling a waterfall |
| castigate | To criticize severely; to chastise |
| cataclysm | a violent upheaval; an earthquake; a horrible flood |
| catalyst | In chemistry,~; anyone or anything that makes something happen without being directly involved in it |
| categorical | Unconditional; absolute |
| catharsis | Purification that brings emotional relief or renewal |
| catholic | Universal; embracing everything |
| caucus | a meeting of the menbers of a political party of political faction; a political group whose members have common interests or goals |
| caustic | Like acid; corrosive |
| cavalier | arrogant; haughty; carefree; casual |
| cavil | to quibble; to raise trivial objections |
| celibacy | Abstinence from sex |
| censure | To condemn severely for doing something bad |
| cerebral | Brainy; intellectually refined |
| chaff | worthless stuff |
| chagrin | Humiliation; embarrassed disappointment |
| chameleon | a highly changeable person |
| champion | to defend; to support |
| channel | to direct; to cause to follow a certain path |
| charisma | A magical-seeming ability to attract followers or inspire loyalty |
| charlatan | Fraud; quack; con man |
| chasm | A deep, gaping hole; a gorge |
| chaste | pure and unadorned; abstaining from sex |
| chastise | To inflict punishment on; to discipline |
| cherub | a supercute chubby-cheeked child; a kind of angel |
| chicanery | Trickery; deceitfulness; artifice; especially legal or political |
| chimera | An illusion; a foolish fancy |
| choleric | Hot-tempered; quick to anger |
| chortle | to chuckle with glee |
| chronic | Constant; lasting a long time; inveterate |
| chronicle | A record of events in order of time; a history |
| churl | a rude person; a boor |
| chutzpah | brazenness; audacity |
| cipher | zero; a nobody; a code; the solution to a code |
| circuitous | Roundabout; not following a direct path |
| circumlocution | An indirect expression; use of wordy or evasive language |
| circumnavigate | to sail or travel all the way around |
| circumscribe | To draw a line around; to set the limits; to define; to restrict. |
| circumspect | Cautious |
| circumvent | To frustrate as though by surrounding |
| citadel | a fortress defending a city; a stronghold; a bulwark |
| civil | Polite; civilized; courteous |
| clandestine | concealed or secreat, usually for an evil or subversive purpose |
| classic | top-notch; of t도 highest quality; serving as a standard or model |
| cleave | to cling; to split |
| clemency | Mercy; forgiveness; mildness |
| cliche | An overused saying or idea |
| climatic | having to do with the climate |
| clique | An exclusive group bound together by some shared quality or interest |
| cloister | a covered walk, with columns on one side, that runs along the perimeter of a courtyard, |
| clone | an exact duplicate; an oraganism genetically identical to another |
| clout | a blow; influence |
| cloy | to cause to feel too full, especially when indulging in something overly sweet; to become wearisome through excess |
| coalesce | To come together as one; to fuse; to unite |
| coddle | to baby |
| coerce | To force someone to do or not to do something |
| cogent | Powerfully convincing |
| cogitate | to ponder; to meditate; to think carefully |
| cognitive | Dealing with how we know the world around us through our senses; mental |
| cognizant | Aware; conscious |
| coherent | Holding together; making sense |
| cohort | a group |
| colloquial | Conversational; informal in language |
| collusion | Conspiracy; secret cooperation |
| commemorate | to honor the memory of; to serve as a memorial to |
| commensurate | Equal; proportionate |
| commiserate | to express sorrow or sympathy for; to sympathize with; to pity |
| commodious | spacious; roomy; capacious |
| compatible | harmonious; capable of functioning, working, or living together in harmony; consistent |
| compelling | Forceful; causing to yield |
| compendium | A summary; an abridgment |
| competent | capable; qualified |
| compile | to gather together; to gather together into a book |
| complacent | Self-satisfied; overly pleased with oneself; contented to a fault |
| complement | To complete or fill up; to be the perfect counterpart |
| complicity | Participation in wrongdoing; the act of being an accomplice |
| comply | to act or be in accordance (with) |
| composed | calm; tranquil |
| comprehensive | Covering or including everything |
| comprise | To consist of; to be composed of cf) constitute, compose |
| compromise | a settlement of differences in which each side gives up something |
| compunction | remorse, a feeling of uneasiness at doing something wrong |
| concave | curved inward, like the inside of a circle or a shpere |
| concede | to acknowledge as true or right; to grant or yield |
| concentric | having the same center |
| concert | combined action; agreement |
| conciliatory | Making peace; attempting to resolve a dispute through goodwill |
| concise | Brief and to the point; succinct |
| concoct | to create by mixing ingredients; to devise |
| concomitant | following from; accompanying; going along with |
| concord | Harmony; agreement |
| concurrent | Happening at the same time; parallel |
| condescend | To stoop to someone elses level, usually in an offensive way; to patronize |
| condone | To overlook; to permit to happen |
| conducive | Promoting |
| confederate | an ally; an accomplice |
| confer | to exchange ideas; to consult with; to bestow |
| confidant | a person with whom secrets or private thoughts are shared |
| configuration | arrangement |
| conflagration | a large fire |
| confluence | A flowing together, especially of rivers; place where they begin to flow together |
| confound | te bewilder; to amaze; to throw into |
| congeal | to solidify; to jell |
| congenial | Agreeably suitable; pleasant |
| congenital | A trait or condition acquired between conception and birth; innate |
| conjecture | To guess; to deduce or infer on slight evidence |
| conjugal | having to do with marriage |
| conjure | To summon or bring into being as if by magic |
| connive | to conspire; to aid or encourage a wrong |
| connoisseur | An expert, particularly in matter of art or taste |
| conscpicuous | easily seen; impossible to miss |
| consecrate | To make or declare sacred |
| consensus | Unanimity or general agreement |
| conservatory | a greenhouse, usually one attached to another structure; a masic or drama school |
| consign | to hand over; to assign; to entrust; to banish |
| consolidate | to combine or bring together; to solidify; to strengthen |
| consonant | Harmonious; in agreement |
| consternation | sudden confusion |
| constituency | the group of voters represented by a politician; agroup of supporters for anything |
| construe | To interpret |
| consummate | Perfect; complete; supremely skillful |
| contempt | disdain; disgrace |
| contentious | Argumentative; quarrelsome |
| contiguous | Side by side; adjoining |
| contingent | Dependent; possible 불시의, 우연의; |
| continuum | a continuous whole without clear division into parts |
| contraband | smuggled goods |
| contretemps | an embracing occurrence; a mishap |
| contrite | Admitting guilt; especially feeling remorseful |
| contrived | Artificial; labored |
| contumely | rudeness; insolence; arrogance |
| conundrum | a puzzle or problem without a solution |
| convene | to gather together; to assemble; to meet |
| conventional | common; customary; unexceptional |
| conversant | familiar; experienced |
| converse | the opposite |
| convey | to transport; to conduct; to communicate |
| conviction | strong belief; a determination of guilt |
| convivial | Fond of partying; festive |
| convolution | a twist or trun; the act of twisting or turning |
| copious | Abundant; plentiful |
| cordial | gracious; warm; sincere |
| corollary | something that follows; a natural consequence |
| corporeal | material; tangible; having substance, like the body |
| correlation | a mutual relation between two or more things |
| corroborate | to confirm; to back up with evidence |
| corrosive | eating away; destructive |
| corrugated | shaped with folds or waves |
| cosmopolitan | at home in many places or situations; internationally sophisticated |
| coterie | a group of close associates; a circle(of freinds or associates) |
| countenance | face; facial expression, especially an encouraging one |
| coup | a brilliant victory or accomplishment; the violent overthrow of a government by a small internal group |
| covenant | a solemn agreement; a contract; a pledge |
| covert | secret; hidden |
| covet | to wish for enviously |
| cower | to shrink away or huddle up in fear |
| crass | extremely unrefined; gross; stupid |
| craven | cowardly |
| credulous | eager to believe; gullible |
| crescendo | a gradual increase in the volume of a sound; a gradual increase in the intensity of anything |
| crestfallen | dejected; dispirited |
| crevice | a narrow split, crack, or fissure |
| cringe | to shrink back with fear; to cower; to be servile or suck up in a horrible way |
| criterion | standard;basis for judgment |
| critique | a critical review |
| crux | the central point; the essence |
| cryptic | mysterious; mystifying |
| cuisine | a style of cooking |
| culinary | relating to cooking or the kitchen |
| cull | to pick out from among many; to select; to collect |
| culminate | to climax; to reach full effect |
| culpable | deserving blame; guilty |
| curb | to restrain or control |
| curmudgeon | a difficult, bad-tempered person |
| cursory | hasty; superficial |
| curtail | to shorten; to cut short |
| cynic | one who deeply distrusts human nature; one who believes humans are motivated only by selfishness |
| daunt | to make fearful; to intimidate |
| dearth | lack; scarcity |
| debacle | violent breakdown; sudden overthrow; overwhelming defeat |
| debase | to lower in quality or value; to degrade |
| debauchery | wild living; excessive intemperance |
| debilitate | to weaken; to cripple |
| debunk | to expose the nonsense of |
| decadent | decaying or decayed, especially in terms of morals |
| decimate | to kill or destroy a large part of |
| decorous | proper; in good taste; orderly |
| decree | an official order, usually having the force of law |
| decry | to put down; to denounce |
| deduce | to conclude from evidence; to infer |
| deem | to judge; to consider |
| defame | to libel or slander; to ruin the good name of |
| deference | submission to anothers will; respect; courtesy |
| deficit | a shortage, especially of money |
| defile | to make filthy or foul; to desecrate |
| definitive | conclusive; providing the last word |
| deft | skillful |
| defunct | no longer in effect; no longer in existence |
| degenerate | to break down; to deteriorate |
| degrade | to lower in dignity or status; to corrupt; to deteriorate |
| deign | to condescend; to think it in accordance with one's dignity(to do something) |
| deity | a god or goddness |
| dejected | depressed; disheartened |
| delectable | delightful; delicious |
| deleterious | harmful |
| delineate | to describe accurately; to draw in outline |
| delinquent | neglecting a duty or law; late in payment |
| delude | to deceive |
| deluge | a flood; an inundation |
| delve | to search or study intensively |
| demagogue | a leader of the people, but more a rabble rouser |
| demeanor | behavior; manner |
| demise | death |
| demography | the statistical study of characteristics of populations |
| demur | to object; to take exception |
| demure | shy; reserved; sedate |
| denizen | inhabitant |
| denomination | a classfication; a category name |
| denote | to signify; to indicate; to mark |
| denounce | to condemn |
| depict | to portray, especially in a picture; to describe |
| deplete | to decrease the supply of; to exhaust; to use up |
| deplore | to regret; to condemn; to lament |
| deploy | to station soldiers or armaments strategically; to arrange strategically |
| depose | to remove from office or position of power |
| depravity | extreme wickedness or corruption |
| deprecate | to express disapproval of |
| depredate | to prey upon; to plunder |
| derelict | neglectful; delinquent; deserted; abandoned |
| deride | to ridicule; to laugh at contemptuously |
| derogatory | disapproving; degrading |
| desiccate | to dry out |
| desist | to stop doing(something) |
| despondent | extremely depressed; full of despair |
| despot | an absolute ruler; an autocrat |
| destitute | extremely poor; utterly lacking |
| desultory | without a plan or purpose; disconnected; random |
| devout | deeply religious; fervent |
| dialectical | relating to discussions; relating to the rules and methods of reasoning; approaching truth in the middle of opposing extremes |
| diatribe | a bitter, abusive denunciation |
| dichotomy | division into two parts, especially contradictory ones |
| dictum | an authoritative saying; an adage; a maxim; a proverb |
| didactic | intended to teach; morally instructive; pedantic |
| diffident | timid; lacking in self-confidence |
| diffuse | to cause to spread out; to cause to disperse; |
| digress | to stray from the main subject |
| dilapidated | broken-down; fallen into ruin |
| dilate | to make larger; to become larger; to speak or write at length |
| dilemma | a situation in which one must choose between two equally attractive choices; any problem or predicament |
| dilettante | someone with superficial knowledge of the arts; an amateur; a dabbler |
| diminution | the act or process of diminishing; reduction |
| dire | disastrous; desperate |
| dirge | a funeral song |
| disaffect | to cause to lose affection; to estrange; to alienate |
| disarrary | disorder; confusion |
| discern | to have insight; to see things clearly, to discriminate; to differentiate |
| disclaim | to deny any claim to; to renounce |
| discomfit | to frustrate; to confuse |
| disconcert | to upset; to ruffle; to perturb |
| discourse | spoken or written expression in words; conversation |
| discreet | prudent; judiciously reserved |
| discrepancy | difference; inconsistency |
| discrete | unconnected; separate; distinct |
| discriminate | to notice or point out the difference between two or more things; to discern; to differentiate |
| discursive | rambling from one topic to another, usually aimlessly |
| disdain | arrogant scorn; contempt |
| disgruntle | to make sulky and dissatisfied; to discontent |
| disinformation | false information purposely disseminated, usually by a government, for the purpose of creating a false impression |
| disinterested | not taking sides; unbiased |
| dismal | dreary; causing gloom; causing dread |
| dismay | to fill with dread; to discourage greatlyp to perturb |
| disparage | to belittle; to say uncomplimentary things about, usually in a somewhat indirect way |
| disparate | different; incompatible; unequal |
| dispassionate | unaffected by passion; impartial; calm |
| disperse | to scatter; to spread widely; to disseminate |
| dispirit | to discourage; to dishearten; to lose spirit |
| disposition | characteristic attitude; state of mind; inclination; arrangement |
| disproportionate | out of proportion; too much or too little |
| disquiet | to make uneasy |
| dissemble | to conceal the real nature of; to act or speak falsely in order to deceive |
| disseminate | to spread the seeds of something; to scatter; to make widely known |
| dissent | to disagree; to withhold approval |
| disservice | a harmful action; an ill turn |
| dissident | a person who disagrees or dissents |
| dissipate | to thin out, drift away, or dissolve; to cause to thin out, drift away, or dissolve; to waste or squander |
| dissolution | the breaking up or dissolving of something into parts; disintegration |
| dissuade | to persuade not to |
| distend | to swell; to extend a great deal |
| distinct | separate; different; clear and unmistakable |
| distinguish | to tell apart; to cause to stand out |
| diurnal | occurring overy day; occurring during the daytime |
| divine | to intuit; to prophesy |
| divulge | to reveal, especially to reveal something that has been a screat |
| docile | easily taught; obedient; easy to handle |
| doctrinaire | inflexibly committed to a doctrine or theory without regard to its practicality; dogmatic |
| document | to support with evidence, especially written evidence |
| dogmatic | arrogantly assertive of unproven ideas; stubbornly claiming that something (often a system of beliefs) is beyond dispute |
| doldrums | low spirits; a state of inactivity |
| doleful | sorrowful; filled with frief |
| dolt | a stupid person; a dunce |
| domestic | having to do with the household or family; not foreign |
| dormant | A inactive; as though asleep; asleep |
| dotage | senility; foolish affection |
| double | entendre |
| dour | forbidding; severe; gloomy |
| downcast | directed downward; dejected; depressed |
| downplay | to minimize; to represent as being insignificant; to play down |
| draconian | harsh; sever; cruel |
| droll | humorous; amusing in an odd, often understated, way |
| dross | worthless stuff, especially worthless stuff arising |
| dubious | A full of doubt; uncertain |
| duplicity | N the act of being two-faced; double-dealing; deception |
| duress | coercion; compulsion by force or threat |
| ebb | to diminish; to recede |
| ebullient | A boiling; bubbling with excitement; exuberant; |
| eccentric | A not conventional; a little kooky; irregular |
| ecclesiastical | having to do with the church |
| eclectic | A choosing the best from many sources; drawn from many sources |
| eclipse | to block the light of; to overshadow; to reduce the significance of; |
| ecosystem | a community of organisms and the physical environment in which they live |
| edict | an official decree |
| edifice | a big, imposing building |
| edify | Vt to enlighten; to instruct, especially in moral or religious matters |
| efface | Vt to erase; to rub away the features of |
| effectual | effective; adequate |
| efficacy | effectiveness |
| effigy | a likeness of someone, especially one used in expressing hatred for the person of whom it is a likeness |
| effuse | ... |
| effusion | N a pouring forth |
| effusive | ... |
| egalitarian | A believing in the social and economic equality of all people |
| egocentric | A selfish; believing that one is the center of everything |
| egoism | ... |
| egregious | A extremely bad; flagrant |
| elation | a feeling of great joy |
| electorate | the body of people entitled to vote in an election; the voters |
| elegy | a mournful poem or other piece of writing; a mournful piece of music |
| elicit | Vt to bring out; to call forth |
| elite | the best or most select group |
| ellipsis | ... |
| ellipsoid | ... |
| elliptical | Adj oval; missing a word or words; obscure |
| elocution | the art of public speaking |
| elude | ... |
| elusion | ... |
| elusive | Adj hard to pin down; evasive |
| emaciate | to make extremely thin through starvation or illness |
| emanate | to come forth; to issue |
| emancipate | to liberate; to free from bondage or restraint |
| embargo | a government order suspending foreign trade; a government order suspending the movement of freight-carrying ships in and out of the |
| embellish | to adorn; to beautify by adding ornaments; to add fanciful or fictitious details to |
| embody | to personify; to give physical form to |
| embroil | to involve in conflict; to throw into disorder |
| embryonic | undeveloped; rudimentary |
| emigrant | ... |
| emigrate | V to move to a new country; to move a new place to live; to expatriate |
| emissary | a messenger of representative sent to represent another |
| empathy | identification with the feelings or thoughts of another |
| empirical | Adj relying on experience or observation; not merely theoretical |
| empiricism | ... |
| empower | to give power or authority to; to enable |
| emulate | Vt to strive to equal or excel, usually through imitation |
| emulation | ... |
| emulator | ... |
| emulous | ... |
| encroach | Vi to make gradual or stealthy inroads into; to trespass |
| endear | to make dear; to make beloved |
| endemic | A native; restricted to a particular region or era; indigenous |
| enervate | V to reduce the strength or energy of, especially to do so gradually |
| enfranchise | V to grant the privileges of citizenship, especially the right to vote |
| engaging | charming; pleasing; attractive |
| engender | V to bring into existence; to create; to cause |
| enigma | ... |
| enmity | deep hatred; animosity; ill will |
| ennui | boredom; listless lack of interest |
| enormity | N extreme evil; a hideous offense; immensity |
| ensue | to follow immediately afterward; to result |
| entail | to have as a necessary consequence; to involve |
| entity | something that exists; a distinct thing |
| entreat | to ask earnestly; to beg; to plead |
| entrepreneur | an independent business person; one who starts, runs, and assumes the risk of oerating an independent business enterprise |
| enumerate | to name one by one; to list |
| envision | to imagine; to foresee |
| ephemeral | A lasting a very short time |
| epicure | a person with refined taste in wine and food |
| epigram | N a brief and usually witty or satirical saying |
| epilogue | an afterword; a short concluding chapter of a book; a short speech at the end of a play |
| epitome | N a brief summary that captures the meaning of the whole; the perfect example of something; a paradigm |
| epoch | an era; a distinctive period of time |
| equanimity | N composure; calm |
| equestrian | having to do with horseback riding |
| equitable | Adj fair |
| equivocal | Adj ambiguous; intentionally confusing; capable of being interpreted in more than one way |
| erudite | Adj scholarly; deeply learned |
| esoteric | Adj hard to understand; understood by only a select few; peculiar |
| espouse | V to support; to advocate |
| estimable | worthy of admiration; capable of being estimated |
| estrange | to make unfriendly or hostile; to cause to feel removed from |
| ethereal | Adj heavenly, as light and insubstantial as a gas or ether |
| ethics | moral standards governing behavior |
| eulogy | a spoken or written tribute to a person, especially a person who has just died |
| euphemism | N a pleasant or inoffensive expression used in place of an unpleasant or offensive one |
| evanescent | Adj fleeting; vanishing; happening for only the briefest period |
| evince | to demonstrate convincingly; to prove |
| evoke | to summon farth; to draw forth; to awaken; to produce of suggest |
| exacerbate | V to make worse |
| exacting | Adj extremely demanding; difficult; requiring great skill or care |
| exalt | V to raise high; to glorify |
| exasperate | V to annoy thoroughly; to make very angry; to try the patience of |
| excise | to remove by cutting, or as if by cutting |
| exemplify | V to illustrate by example; to serve as a good example |
| exempt | excused; not subject ot |
| exhaustive | Adj thorough; rigorous; complete; painstaking |
| exhort | V to urge strongly; to give a serious warning to |
| exhume | to unbury; to dig out of the ground |
| exigency | N an emergency; an urgency |
| existential | Adj having to do with existence; having to do with the body of thought called existentialism, which basically holds that human beings are responsible for their own actions but is otherwise too complicated to summarize in a single sentence |
| exodus | a mass departure or journey away |
| exonerate | V to free completely from blame; to exculpate |
| exorbitant | excessively costly; excessive |
| expatriate | V to throw (someone) out of his or her native land; to move away from ones native land; to emigrate |
| expedient | Adj providing an immediate advantage; serving ones immediate self-interest; practical |
| expedite | V to speed up or ease the progress of |
| expiate | to make amends for; to atone for |
| explicate | to make a detailed explanation of the meaning of |
| explicit | Adj clearly and directly expressed |
| exposition | explanation; a large public exhibition |
| expostulate | to reason with someone in order to warn or dissuade |
| expunge | to erase; to eliminate any trace of |
| exquisite | extraordinarily fine or beautiful; intense |
| extant | still in existence |
| extol | V to praise highly; to laud |
| extort | to obtain through force, threat, or illicit means |
| extraneous | Adj unnecessary; irrelevant; extra |
| extrapolate | V to protect or deduce from something known; to infer |
| extremity | the outermost point or edge; the greatest degree; grave danger; a limb or appendage of the body |
| extricate | V to free from difficulty |
| extrovert | N an open, outgoing person; a person whose attention is focused on others rather than on himself or herself |
| exuberant | highly joyous or enthusiastic; overlowing; lavish |
| exult | V to rejoice; to celebrate |
| fabrication | N a lie; something made up |
| facade | the front of a building; the false front of a building; the false front or misleading appearance of anything |
| facet | any of the flat, polished surfaces of a cut gem; aspect |
| facetious | Adj humorous; not serious; clumsily humorous |
| facile | Adj fluent; skillful in a superficial way; easy |
| faction | N a group, usually a small part of a larger group, united around some cause; disagreement within an organization |
| fallacy | a false notion or belief; a misconception |
| farcical | Adj absurd; ludicrous |
| fastidious | Adj meticulous; demanding; finicky |
| fatalist | N someone who believes that future events are already determined and that humans are powerless to change them |
| fathom | to understand; to penetrate the meaning of |
| fatuous | Adj foolish; silly; idiotic |
| fauna | N animals cf) flora |
| faux | FALSE |
| fawn | to exhibit affection; to seek favor through flattery; to suck up to someone |
| fecund | Adj fertile; productive |
| feign | to make a false representation of; to pretend |
| felicity | N happiness; skillfulness, especially at expressing things; adeptness |
| fervor | N great warmth or earnestness; ardor; zeal |
| fester | to generate pus; to dacay |
| fetish | an object of obsessive reverence, attention, or interest |
| fetter | V to restrain; to hamper |
| fiasco | a complete failure or disaster; an incredible |
| fiat | an arbitrary decree or order |
| fickle | likely to change for no good reason |
| fidelity | N faithfulness; loyalty |
| figment | something made up or invented; a fabrication |
| figurative | Adj based on figures of speech; expressing something in terms usually for something else; metaphorical |
| finesse | N skillful maneuvering; subtlety; craftiness |
| fiscal | pertaining to financial matters; monetary |
| flagrant | Adj glaringly bad; notorious; scandalous |
| flaunt | V show off; to display ostentatiously |
| fledgling | inexperienced or immature |
| flippant | frivolously disrespectful; saucy; pert; flip |
| florid | ruddy; flushed; red-faced |
| flout | V to disregard something out of disrespect |
| fodder | coarse food for livestock; raw material |
| foible | N a minor character flaw |
| folly | foolishness; insanity; imprudence |
| foment | V to stir up; to instigate |
| foray | a quick raid or attack; an initial venture |
| forbear | v to refrain from ; to abstain |
| forebode | to be an omen of; to predict; to foretell |
| foreclose | to deprive a mortgagor of his or her right to redeem a property; to shut out or exclude |
| forensic | related to or used in courts of law |
| forestall | to thwart, prevent, or hinder something from happening; to head off |
| forgo | v to do without ; to forbear |
| forsake | v to abandon ; to renounce ; to relinquish |
| forswear | to retract, renounce, or recant; to take back |
| forte | a person's strong point, special talent, or specialty |
| forthright | frank; outspoken; going straight to the point |
| fortuitous | a accidental ; occurring by chance |
| foster | to encourage; to promote the development of |
| founder | v to fail ; to collapse ; to sink |
| fragmentary | incomplete; disconnected; made up of fragments |
| fraternal | a like brothers |
| frenetic | a frantic ; frenzied |
| frugal | a economical ; penny-pinching |
| fruitful | productive; producing good or abundant results; successful |
| fuel | to stimulate; to ingite; to kindle, as if providing with fuel |
| fulminate | to denounce vigorously; to protest vehemently against something |
| furtive | a secretive ; sly |
| futile | a useless ; hopeless |
| gaffe | a social blunder; an embarrassing mistake; a faux pas |
| galvanize | to startle into sudden activity; to revitalize |
| gambit | a scheme to gain an advantage; a ploy |
| gamut | the full range (of something) |
| garner | to gather; to acquire; to earn |
| garrulous | a talkative; chatty |
| gastronomy | the art of eating well |
| generic | general; common; not protected by trademark |
| genesis | origin; creation; beginning |
| genocide | the extermination of a notional, racial, or religious group |
| genre | n a type or category, especially of art or writing |
| genteel | a refined ; polite ; aristocratic ; affecting refinement |
| germane | applicable; pertinent; relevant |
| gesticulate | v to make gestures, especially when speaking or in place of speaking |
| ghastly | shockingly horrible; frightful; ghostilke |
| glut | n surplus ; an overabundance |
| grandiloquent | a pompous ; using a lot of big, fancy words in an attempt to sound impressive |
| grandiose | a absurdly exaggerated |
| gratis | free of charge |
| gratuitous | a given freely (said of something bad) ; unjustified ; unprovoked ; uncalled for |
| gravity | n seriousness |
| gregarious | a sociable ; enjoying the company of others |
| grievous | tragic; agnoizing; severe |
| grimace | to make an ugly, disapproving facial expression |
| guile | n cunning ; duplicity ; artfulness |
| guise | appearance; semblance |
| habituate | to train; to accustom to a situation |
| hackneyed | a overused ; trite ; stale |
| hacyon | peaceful; carefree; sencere |
| hapless | a unlucky |
| harass | to attack repeatedly; to torment or pester |
| harbinger | n a forerunner ; a signal of |
| harp | to repeat tediously; to go on and on about something |
| harry | to harass; to annoy |
| hedonism | n the pursuit of pleasure as a way of life |
| hegemony | n leadership, especially of one nation over another |
| heinous | shockingly evil; abominable; atrocious |
| herald | a royal proclaimer; a harbinger |
| heresy | n any belief that is strongly opposed to established beliefs |
| hermetic | a impervious to external influence ; airtight |
| heyday | n golden age ; prime |
| hiatus | n a break or interruption, often from work |
| hierarchy | n an organization based on rank or degree ; pecking order |
| histrionic | a overly dramatic ; theatrical |
| hoary | gray or white with age; ancient; stale |
| homage | reverence; respect |
| homily | n a sermon |
| homogeneous | a uniform ; made entirely of one thing |
| hubris | arrogance; excessive pride |
| husbandry | n thrifty management of resources ; livestock farming |
| hyperbole | n an exaggeration used as a figure of speech ; exaggeration |
| hypocrisy | insincerity; two-facedness |
| hypothetical | a uncertain ; unproven |
| iconoclast | n one who attacks popular beliefs or institutions |
| ideology | n a system of social or political ideas |
| idiom | an expression whose meaning is different from the literal meaning of the words; a language or dialect used by a group of people |
| idiosyncrasy | n a peculiarity ; an eccentricity |
| idyllic | a charming in a rustic way ; naturally peaceful |
| ignominy | n deep disgrace |
| illicit | a illegal ; not permitted |
| imbue | to inspire; to permeate or tinge |
| immigrate | ... |
| imminent | a just about to happen |
| immutable | a unchangeable |
| impartial | a fair ; not favoring one side or the other ; unbiased |
| impasse | a deadlock; a situation from which there is no escape |
| impeach | to accuse or indict; to challenge; call into question |
| impeccable | a flawless ; entirely without sin |
| impecunious | without money; penniless |
| impede | to obstruct or interfere with; to delay |
| impending | approaching; imminent; looming |
| impenetrable | incapable of being penetrated; impervious; incomprehensible |
| imperative | completely necessary; vitally important |
| imperial` | a like an emperor or an empire |
| impervious | a not allowing anything to pass through ; impenetrable |
| impetuous | a impulsive ; extremely impatient |
| implement | v to carry out |
| implication | something implied or suggested; ramification |
| importune | to urge with annoying persistence; to trouble |
| impotent | a powerless ; helpless ; unable to perform sexual intercourse |
| impoverish | to reduce to poverty; to make destitute |
| impregnable | unconquerable; able to withstand attack |
| impresario | a person who manages public entertainments (especially operas, but other events as well) |
| impromptu | done without preparation, on the spur of the moment |
| improvise | to preform without preparation; to make do with whatever materials are available |
| impugn | v to attack, especially to attack the truth or integrity of something |
| impunity | freedom from punishment or harm |
| inadvertent | unintentional; heedless; not planned |
| inalienable | sacred; incapable of being transferred, lost, or taken away |
| inane | a silly ; senseless |
| inaugurate | v to begin officially ; to induct formally into office |
| incandescent | a brilliant ; giving off heat or light |
| incantation | n a chant ; the repetition of statements or phrases in a way reminiscent of a chant |
| incarnation | embodiment |
| incendiary | used for setting property on fire; tending to arouse passion or anger; inflammatory |
| incense | a make very angry |
| incessant | a unceasing |
| incipient | a beginning ; emerging |
| incisive | a cutting right to the heart of the matter |
| inclination | tendency; preference; liking |
| incongruous | a not harmonious ; not consistent ; not appropriate not fitting in |
| incorrigible | a incapable of being reformed |
| increment | n an increase ; one in a series of increases |
| inculcate | to instill or implant by repeated suggestions or admonitions |
| incumbent | currently holding an office; obligatory |
| incursion | a hostile invasion; a raid |
| indict | to charge with a crime; to accuse of wrongdoing |
| indifferent | a not caring one way or the other ; apathetic ; mediocre |
| indigenous | a native ; originating in that area |
| indigent | a poor |
| indignant | a angry, especially as a result of something unjust or unworthy ; insulted |
| indolent | a lazy |
| induce | to persuade; to influence; to cause |
| indulgent | lenient ; yielding to desire |
| ineffable | a incapable of being expressed or described |
| ineluctable | inescapable; incapable of being resisted or acoided |
| inept | a clumsy ; incompetent ; gauche |
| ineradicable | incapable of being removed or destroyed or eradicated |
| inert | a inactive ; sluggish ; not reacting chemically |
| inexorable | a relentless ; inevitable ; unavoidable |
| infamous | a shamefully wicked ; having an extremely bad reputation ; disgraceful |
| infatuated | a foolish ; foolishly passionate or attracted ; made foolish ; foolishly in love |
| infer | v to conclude ; to deduce |
| infinitesimal | a very, very, very small ; infinitely small |
| inflammatory | fiery; tending to arouse passion or anger; incendiary |
| influx | inflow; arrival of large numbers of people or things; inundation |
| infraction | violation; infringement; the breaking of a law |
| infrastructure | the basic framework of a system; foundation |
| infringe | to violate; to encroach or trespass |
| infuse | to introduce into; to instill |
| ingenuous | a frank ; without deception ; simple ; artless ; charmingly naive |
| ingratiate | to work to make yourself liked |
| inherent | a part of the essential nature of something ; intrinsic |
| inimical | unfavorable; harmful; detrimental; hostile |
| inimitable | impossible to imitate; incomparable; matchless; the best |
| injunction | n a command or order, especially a court order |
| innate | a existing since birth ; inborn ; inherent |
| innocuous | a harmless ; banal |
| innuendo | an insinuation; a sly hint |
| inordinate | a excessive ; unreasonable |
| inquisition | ruthless questioning; an official investigation characterized by cruelty |
| insatiable | a hard or impossible to satisfy ; greedy ; avaricious |
| insidious | a treacherous ; sneaky |
| insinuate | v to hint ; to creep in |
| insipid | a dull ; bland ; banal |
| insolent | a arrogant ; insulting |
| insouciant | nonchalant; lighthearted; carefree |
| instigate | v to provoke ; to stir up |
| insufferable | unbearable; intolerable |
| insular | a like an island ; isolated |
| insuperable | unable to be overcome; insurmountable; overwhelming |
| insurgent | n a rebel ; someone who revolts against a government |
| insurrection | an act of open rebellion against |
| integral | a essential |
| interim | meantime; an intervening time; a temporary arangement |
| interloper | intruder; trespasser; unwanted person |
| interlude | an intervening episode; an intermission; a pause |
| interminable | seemingly unending; tediously long |
| intermittent | occasional; repeatedly starting and stopping; recurrent |
| intersperse | to place at intervals; to scatter among |
| intervene | to come between opposing groups; to mediate; to take place; to occur |
| intimate | to hint or imply |
| intractable | a uncontrollable ; stubborn ; disobedient |
| intransigent | a uncompromising ; stubborn |
| intricate | complicated; sophisticated; having many parts or facest |
| intrigue | a secret scheme; a crafty plot |
| intrinsic | a part of the essential nature of something ; inherent |
| introspective | a tending to think about oneself ; examining ones feelings |
| inundate | v to flood ; to cover completely with water ; to overwhelm |
| invective | n insulting or abusive speech |
| inveterate | a habitual ; firm in habit ; deeply rooted |
| invidious | causing envy or resentment; offensively harmful |
| inviolate | free from injury; pure |
| invoke | to entreat or pray for; to call on as in prayer; to declare to be in effect |
| irascible | a easily angered or provoked ; irritable |
| iridescent | displaying glowing, changing colors |
| ironic | a meaning the opposite of what you seem to say ; using words to mean something other than what they seem to mean |
| irrevocable | a irreversible |
| itinerant | a moving from place to place |
| jargon | the specialized language of vocabulary of a particular job or trade; a meaningless of pretentious language; a local dialect or idiom or vernacular |
| jaunt | a short pleasure trip |
| jingoism | belligerent, chauvinistic patriotism; warmongering |
| jocular | humorous; jolly; fond of joking |
| jubilation | exultant joy |
| juction | convergence; linkup; the act or state of being joined together |
| judicious | a exercising sound judgment |
| junta | a small grouup ruling a country after a coup d'etat |
| juxtapose | v to place side by side |
| karma | good or bad emanations from someone or something |
| kinetic | a having to do with motion ; lively ; active |
| labyrinth | n a maze ; something like a maze |
| laconic | a using few words, especially to the point of seeming rude |
| lament | v to mourn |
| lampoon | v to satirize ; to mock ; to parody |
| languish | v to become weak, listless, or depressed |
| larceny | theft; robbery |
| largess | n generous giving of gifts (or the gifts themselves) ; generosity ; philanthropy |
| lascivious | lustful; obscene; lewd |
| latent | a present but not visible or apparent ; potential |
| laud | v to praise ; to applaud ; to extol ; to celebrate |
| lavish | to spend freely or bestow generously; to squander |
| lax | negligent; lazy; irresponsible |
| layman | a nonprofessional; a person who is not a member of the clergy |
| legacy | n something handed down from the past ; a bequest |
| lethargy | n sluggishness ; laziness ; drowsiness ; indifference |
| levity | n lightness ; frivolity ; unseriousness |
| liaison | connection; association; alliance; secret love affair |
| libel | n a written or published falsehood that injures the reputation of, or defames, someone |
| licentious | lascivious; lewd; promiscuous; amoral |
| limpid | transparent; clear; lucid |
| listless | sluggish; without energy or enthusiasm |
| litany | recital or list; tedious recounting |
| litigate | v to try in court ; to engage in legal proceedings |
| livid | discolored; black and blue; enraged |
| loath | extremely unwilling; reluctant |
| lobby | to urge legislative action; to exert influence |
| loquacious | a talking a lot or too much |
| lout | boor; oaf; clod |
| lucid | a clear ; easy to understand |
| ludicrous | ridiculous; absurd |
| lugubrious | a exaggeratedly mournful |
| luminous | a giving off light ; glowing ; bright |
| lyrical | melodious; songlike; poetic |
| machination | n scheming activity for an evil purpose |
| magnanimous | a forgiving ; unresentful ; noble in spirit ; generous |
| magnate | n a rich, powerful, or very successful businessperson |
| malaise | n a feeling of depression, uneasiness, or queasiness |
| malapropism | humorous misuse of a word that sounds similar to the word intended but has a ludicrously different meaning |
| malfeasance | n an illegal act, especially by a public official |
| malinger | v to pretend to be sick to avoid doing work |
| malleable | a easy to shape or bend |
| mandate | n a command or authorization to do something ; the will of the voters as expressed by the results of an election |
| mania | crazed, excessive excitement; insanity; delusion |
| manifest | a visible ; evident |
| manifesto | n a public declaration of beliefs or principles, usually political ones |
| marginal | related to or located at the margin or border; at the lower limit of quality; insignificant |
| marshal | v to arrange in order ; to gather together for the purpose of doing something |
| martial | a warlike ; having to do with combat |
| martyr | n someone who gives up his or her life in pursuit of a cause, especially a religious one ; one who suffers for a cause ; one who makes a show of suffering in order to arouse sympathy |
| materialistic | preoccupied with material things; greedy for possessions |
| matriculate | v to enroll, especially at a college |
| maudlin | a silly and overly sentimental |
| maverick | n a nonconformist ; a rebel |
| mawkish | overly sentimental; maudlin |
| maxim | n a fundamental principle ; an old saying |
| meander | to travel along a winding or indirect route; to ramble or stray from the topic |
| mediate | v to help settle differences |
| medium | the means by which something is conveyed or accomplished; a substance through which something is transferred or conveyed; the materials used by |
| melancholy | gloomy; depressed and weary |
| melee | a brawl; a confused fight or struggle; a violent freefor-all; tumultuous confusion |
| mellifluous | a sweetly flowing |
| menagerie | a collection of animals |
| mendacious | a lying ; dishonest |
| mendicant | n a beggar |
| mentor | n a teacher, tutor, counselor, or coach ; especially in business, an experienced person who shows an inexperienced person the ropes |
| mercenary | n a hired soldier ; someone who will do anything for money |
| mercurial | a emotionally unpredictable ; rapidly changing in mood |
| metamorphosis | n a magical change in form ; a striking or sudden change |
| meticulous | precise and careful about details; fussy |
| microcosm | n the world in miniature |
| milieu | n environment ; surroundings |
| millennium | a period of 1,000 years; a thousandth anniversary |
| minuscule | a very tiny |
| misanthropic | a hating mankind |
| mitigate | v to moderate the effect of something |
| mode | method of doing; type; manner; fashion |
| modulate | to reduce or regulate; to lessen the intensity of |
| mollify | v to soften ; to soothe ; to pacify |
| momentum | force of movement; speed; impetus |
| monolithic | a massive, solid, uniform, and unyielding |
| moratorium | s suspension of activity; a period of delay |
| more | marshy, mucky ground |
| mores | customary moral standards |
| moribund | a dying |
| morose | a gloomy ; sullen |
| mortify | a to humiliate |
| motif | a recurring theme or idea |
| motley | extremely varied or diverse; heterogeneous; multicolored |
| mundane | a ordinary ; pretty boring ; not heavenly and eternal |
| municipal | pertaining to a city (or town) and its government |
| munificent | a very generous ; lavish |
| muse | to ponder; to meditate |
| muster | to assemble for battle or inspection; to summon up |
| myopia | a nearsightedness ; lack of foresight |
| myriad | n a huge number |
| mystic | otherworldly; mysterious; enigmatic |
| narcissism | n excessive love of ones body or oneself |
| nebulous | a vague ; hazy ; indistinct |
| nefarious | a evil ; flagrantly wicked |
| nemesis | unconquerable opponent or rival; one who seeks just compensation or revenge to right a wrong |
| neologism | n a new word or phrase ; a new usage of a word |
| neophyte | beginner; novice |
| nepotism | n showing favoritism to friends of family in business or politics |
| nihilism | n the belief that there are no values or morals in the universe |
| nirvana | a blissful, painless, worry-free state |
| noisome | offensive or disgusting; stinking; noxious |
| nomadic | wandering from place to place; without a permanent home |
| nomenclature | a set or system of names; a designation; a terminology |
| nominal | a in name only ; insignificant ; A-OK (during rocket launches) |
| nonchalant | indifferent; coolly unconcerned; blase |
| nostalgia | n sentimental longing for the past ; homesickness |
| notorious | a famous for something bad |
| novel | a new ; original |
| noxious | a harmful ; offensive |
| nuance | n a subtle difference or distinction |
| nullify | to repeal; to cancel; to void |
| obdurate | a stubborn and insensitive |
| obeisance | a bow or curtsy; deep reverence |
| obfuscate | v to darken ; to confuse ; to make confusing |
| objective | unbiased; unprejudiced |
| oblique | a indirect ; at an angle |
| oblivion | n total forgetfulness ; the state of being forgotten |
| obscure | a unknown ; hard to understand ; dark |
| obsequious | a fawning ; subservient ; sucking up to |
| obtrusive | interfering; meddlesome; having a tendency to butt in |
| obtuse | a insensitive ; blockheaded |
| obviate | to make unnecessary; to avert |
| occult | supernatural; magic; mystical |
| odious | hateful; evil; vile |
| odyssey | a long, difficult journey, usually marked by many changes of fortune |
| officious | a annoyingly eager to help or advise |
| olfactory | pertaining to the sense of smell |
| oligarchy | government by only a very few people |
| ominous | threatening; menacing; portending doom |
| omniscient | all-knowing; having infinite wisdom |
| onerous | a burdensome ; oppressive |
| opaque | a impossible to see through ; impossible to understand |
| opprobrious | damning; extremely critical; disgraceful |
| opulent | a luxurious |
| ordinance | law; regulation; decree |
| orthodox | a conventional ; adhering to established principles or doctrines, especially in religion ; by the book |
| oscillate | to swing back and forth; to pulsate; to waver or vacillate between beliefs or ideas |
| osmosis | gradual or subtle absorption |
| ostensible | a apparent (but misleading) ; professed |
| ostentatious | a excessively conspicuous ; showing off |
| ostracize | to shun; to shut ou |
| oust | to eject; to expel; to banish |
| override | to overrule; to prevail over |
| overture | opening move; preliminary offer |
| oxymoron | a figure of speech in which two contradictory words or phrases are used together |
| pacify | v to calm someone down ; to placate |
| painstaking | a extremely careful ; taking pains |
| palatable | pleasant to the taste; agreeable to the feelings |
| palliate | v to relieve or alleviate something without getting rid of the problem ; to assuage ; to mitigate |
| pallor | paleness; whiteness |
| palpable | a capable of being touched ; obvious ; tangible |
| paltry | a insignificant ; worthless |
| panacea | n something that cures everything |
| pandemic | prevalent throughout a large area |
| panegyric | elaborate praise; eulogy |
| parable | religious allegory; fable; morality tale |
| paradigm | n a model or example |
| paradox | n a true statement or phenomenon that nonetheless seems to contradict itself ; an untrue statement or phenomenon that nonetheless seems logical |
| paragon | a model or pattern of excellence |
| parallel | similar comparable |
| paranoia | a mental illness in which the sufferer believes people are out to get him;unreasonable anxiety |
| paranormal | having to do with an event or events that can't be explained scientifically;supernatural |
| parochial | a narrow or confined in point of view ; provincial |
| parody | n a satirical imitation |
| paroxysm | a sudden, violent outburst; a severe attack |
| parsimonious | a stingy |
| partisan | n one who supports a particular person, cause, or idea |
| partition | division; dividing wall |
| pastoral | rural; rustic; peaceful and calm, like the country |
| patent | a obvious |
| paternal | a fatherly ; fatherlike |
| pathology | n the science of diseases |
| pathos | that which makes people feel pity or sorrow |
| patina | surface discoloration caused by age and exidation |
| patriarch | n the male head of a family or tribe |
| patrician | n a person of noble birth ; an aristocrat |
| patrimony | an inheritance, especially from a father; a legacy |
| patronize | v to treat as an inferior ; to condescend to |
| paucity | n scarcity |
| peccadillo | n a minor offense |
| peculiar | unusual; bizarre; individual; belonging to a particular region |
| pedantic | a boringly scholarly or academic |
| pedestrian | a unimaginative ; banal |
| pejorative | a negative ; disparaging |
| penchant | n a strong taste or liking for something ; a predilection |
| penitent | a sorry ; repentant ; contrite |
| pensive | a thoughtful and sad |
| peregrination | wandering; traveling |
| peremptory | a final ; categorical ; dictatorial |
| perennial | a continual ; happening again and again or year after year |
| perfidy | n treachery |
| perfunctory | a unenthusiastic ; careless |
| peripatetic | a wandering ; traveling continually ; itinerant |
| periphery | n the outside edge of something |
| perjury | n lying under oath |
| permeate | v to spread or seep through ; to penetrate |
| pernicious | a deadly ; extremely evil |
| perpetrator | the one who committed the act |
| perpetuate | to make something perpetual; to keep from perishing |
| perquisite | n a privilege that goes along with a job ; a perk |
| pertinent | a relevant ; dealing with the matter at hand |
| perturb | v to disturb greatly |
| peruse | v to read carefully |
| pervade | v to spread throughout |
| perverse | contrary; stubborn |
| petulant | a rude ; cranky ; ill-tempered |
| phantasm | apparition; ghost; phantom |
| philanthropy | n love of mankind, especially by doing good deeds |
| philistine | n a smugly ignorant person with no appreciation of intellectual or artistic matters |
| phlegmatic | calm or indifferent; not easily roused to excitement |
| pilgrimage | religious o spiritual journey; excursion; peregrination |
| pivotal | a crucial |
| placate | v to pacify ; to appease ; to soothe |
| placebo | a fake medication; a fake medicatin used as a control in tests of the effectiveness of drugs |
| plaintive | a expressing sadness or sorrow |
| platitude | n a dull or trite remark ; a cliche |
| platonic | nonsexual; purely spiritual |
| plausible | believable; convincing |
| plebeian | n common ; vulgar ; low class ; bourgeois |
| plethora | n an excess |
| pliable | flexible; easy to bend; easy to convince, persuade, or mold |
| plight | a dangerous, distressing, or unpleasant situation |
| plous | a reverent or devout ; outwardly (and sometimes falsely) reverent or devout ; hypocritical |
| plunder | to loot; o ransack |
| pluralism | a condition of society in which distinct groups exist and function together get retain their own identities |
| poignant | a painfully emotional ; extremely moving ; sharp or astute |
| polarize | v to break up into opposing factions or groupings |
| polemic | n a powerful argument often make to attack or refute a controversial issue |
| ponderous | a so large as to be clumsy ; massive ; dull |
| pontificate | to speak pompously or dogmatically |
| porous | filled with many tiny holes; permeable; absorbent |
| portent | n an omen ; a sign of something coming in the future |
| posterity | future generations; descendants; heirs |
| posthumous | occurring after one's death; published after the death of the author |
| postulate | n something accepted as true without proof ; and axiom |
| posture | to act or speak artificially or affectedly |
| pragmatic | a practical ; down to earth ; based on experience rather than theory |
| prattle | to chatter on and on; to babble childishly |
| precarious | dangerously insecure or unsteady |
| precedent | n an earlier example or model of something |
| precept | n a rule to live by ; a principle establishing a certain kind of action or behavior ; a maxim |
| precipitate | v to cause to happen abruptly |
| precipitous | a steep |
| preclude | v to prevent something from ever happening |
| precocious | unusually mature; uncommonly gifted |
| precursor | n forerunner ; something that goes before and anticipates or paves the way for whatever it is that follows |
| predecessor | someone or something that precedes in time |
| predicament | a dangerous or unpleasant situation; a dilemma |
| predilection | n a natural preference for something |
| predispose | to make susceptible; to put in a frame of mind for; to incline toward |
| predominant | most important; dominant; having power over others |
| preeminent | a better than anyone else ; outstanding ; supreme |
| preempt | v to seize something by prior right |
| pregnant | highly significant; overflowing |
| prelude | introduction; something that precedes something else |
| premeditated | planned beforehand; prearranged; plotted |
| premise | n an assumption ; the basis for a conclusion |
| preponderance | superiority in weight, number, size, extent, influence, ext., majority; predominance |
| prepossess | v to preoccupy ; to influence beforehand or prejudice ; to make a good impression on beforehand |
| prerogative | n a right or privilege connected exclusively with a position, a person, a class, a nation, or some other group or classification |
| presage | to portend; to foreshadow; to forecast or predict |
| presentiment | the feeling that something (especially something bad ) is about to happen |
| presumably | probably; the assumption is that; doubtless |
| presuppose | to assume beforehand; to take for granted in advance; to require as a prior condition |
| prevail | v to triumph ; to overcome rivals ; (with on, upon, or with) to persuade |
| primal | first; original; of the greatest importance |
| pristine | a original ; unspoiled ; pure |
| privation | lack of comforts or necessities; poverty |
| proclaim | to announce; declare; make known |
| procure | to obtain or acquire by special means |
| prodigal | a wastefully extravagant |
| prodigious | a extraordinary; enormous; vast |
| prodigy | n an extremely talented child; an extraordinary accomplishment or occurrence; wonder |
| profane | a not having to do with religion; irreverent; blasphemous |
| profess | v to declare; to declare falsely or pretend; |
| professed | ... |
| professional | ... |
| proficient | a thoroughly competent; skillful; very good (at something) |
| profligate | a extravagantly wasteful and, usually, wildly immoral |
| profound | a deep (several senses); ~sleep, ~knowledge, ~meaning, ~thanks, ~anxiety, ~bow n profundity, profoundness |
| profuse | a flowing; extravagant |
| progeny | offspring; descendants |
| proletariat | n the industrial working class |
| proliferate | v to spread or grow rapidly |
| prolific | a abundantly productive; fruitful or fertile |
| promulgate | v to proclaim; to publicly or formally declare something |
| propagate | to reproduce; to multiply; to spread or disseminate |
| propensity | n a natural inclination or tendency; a predilection |
| propitious | a marked by favorable signs or conditions |
| proponent | n an advocate; a supporter of a position |
| propound | to set forth or propose; to offer for consideration |
| proprietary | a characteristic of an owner of property; constituting property |
| propriety | n properness; good manners |
| prosaic | a dull; unimaginative; like prose (as opposed to poetry) |
| proscribe | v to outlaw; to prohibit |
| proselytize | v to convert (someone) from one religion or doctrine to another; to recruit converts to a religion or doctrine |
| prot | g |
| protagonist | n the leading character in a novel, play, or other work; a leader or champion |
| protocol | diplomatic etiquette and customs |
| protract | v to prolong |
| provident | a preparing for the future; providing for the future; frugal |
| provincial | a limited in outlook to ones own small corner of the world; narrow |
| provisional | a conditional; temporary; tentative |
| provocation | the act of provoking; incitement; cause |
| prowess | exceptional skill or strength; uncommon bravery |
| proximity | n nearness |
| prudent | a careful; having foresight |
| prurient | having lustful thoughts or desires; causing lust |
| pseudonym | a false name; an alias |
| psyche | the human soul; the mind; the spirit |
| pummel | to pound or punch with the fists |
| punctilious | meticulously attentive to detail; scrupulously (and sometimes annoyingly) exact |
| pundit | an expert; an authority; a learned person |
| pungent | sharp-tasting or sharp-smelling; acrid; causing or incisive |
| punitive | inflicting a punishment |
| purblind | dim-sighted; practically blind; lacking understanding or imagination |
| puritanical | very severe and strict about morals |
| purported | a rumored; claimed |
| putative | a commonly accepted; supposed; reputed |
| quaint | pleasantly old-fashioned; picturesque |
| qualify | v to modify or restrict |
| qualitative | a having to do with the quality or qualities of something (as opposed to the quantity) |
| quandary | state of perplexity; predicament |
| quasi | almost; near; resembling |
| quay | a landing on the edge of the water; wharf; pier |
| quell | to put an end to; to squelch; to suppress |
| querulous | a complaining; grumbling; whining |
| query | a question; an inquiry |
| queue | a line or file |
| quiescent | motionless; at rest; still |
| quintessential | being the most perfect example of |
| quixotic | a romantic or idealistic to a foolish or impractical degree |
| quizzical | teasing; mocking; questioning; inquisitive |
| quotidian | daily; everyday; ordinary |
| ramification | n a consequence; a branching out |
| rampant | widespread; uncontrollable; prevalent; raging |
| rancor | n bitter, long-lasting ill will or resentment |
| rapacious | a greedy; plundering; avaricious |
| rapture | ecstasy; bliss; unequaled joy |
| rarefied | esoteric; interesting to a select group only; exalted |
| ratify | to confirm; to approve something formally |
| ratiocination | logical reasoning |
| rationale | underlying reason; basis; reasoning |
| raucous | stridently loud; harsh; rowdy |
| reactionary | ultraconservative; right-wing; backward-thinking |
| rebuff | to snub; to reject |
| rebuke | v to criticize sharply |
| rebut | v to contradict; to argue in opposition to; to prove to be false |
| recalcitrant | a stubbornly defiant of authority or control; disobedient |
| recant | v to publicly take back and deny (something previously said or believed); to openly confess error |
| recidivism | the act of repeating an offense |
| reciprocal | a mutual; shared; interchangeable |
| reclaim | to make uncultivated areas of land fit for cultivation; to recover usable substance from refuse; to claim again; to demand the restoration of |
| reclusive | a hermitlike; withdrawn from society |
| recondite | a hard to understand; over ones head |
| recrimination | n a bitter counteraccusation, or the act of making a bitter counteraccusation |
| redeem | to buy back; to fulfill; to make up for; to rescue from sin |
| redolent | a fragrant |
| redress | to remedy; to make amends for |
| redundant | a unnecessarily repetitive; excessive; excessively wordy |
| referendum | a public vote on a measure proposed or passed by a legislature |
| refractory | disobedient and hard to manage; resisting treatment |
| refute | v to prove to be false; to disprove |
| regime | a governing power; a system of government; a period which a government is in power |
| regimen | a regulated course |
| reiterate | v to say again; to repeat |
| relegate | v to banish; to send away |
| relentless | a continuous; unstoppable |
| relinquish | v to release or let go of; to surrender; to stop doing |
| remission | the temporary or permanent disappearance of a disease; pardon |
| remonstrate | v to argue against; to protest; to raise objections |
| remuneration | payment; recompense |
| renaissance | n a rebirth or revival |
| rend | to tear; to rip |
| render | to make; to cause to be; to provide; to depict |
| renounce | v to give up formally or resign; to disown; to have nothing to do with anymore |
| reparation | n paying back; making amends; compensation |
| repartee | a quick, witty reply; witty, spirited conversation full of quick, witty replies |
| repercussion | n a consequence; an indirect effect |
| replenish | v to fill again; to resupply; to restore |
| replete | a completely filled; abounding |
| replicate | to reproduce exactly; to duplicate; to repeat |
| repose | rest; tranqillity; relaxation |
| reprehensible | a worthy of blame or censure |
| repress | to hold back; to conceal from oneself; to suppress |
| reprimand | stern reproof; official rebuke |
| reprisal | n a military action undertaken in revenge for another; an act of taking an eye for an eye |
| reproach | v to scold, usually in disappointment; to blame; to disgrace |
| reprobate | a depraved, wicked person; a degenerate |
| reprove | v to criticize mildly |
| repudiate | v to reject; to renounce; to disown to have nothing to do with |
| repugnant | repulsive; offensive; disgusting |
| requisite | required necessary |
| resignation | passive submission; acquiescence |
| resolute | determined; firm; unwavering |
| respite | n a period of rest or relief |
| resplendent | brilliantly shining; radiant; dazzling |
| resurrection | return to life; revival |
| reticent | a quiet; restrained; reluctant to speak, especially about oneself |
| retort | to make a sharp reply |
| retrospect | looking backward; a review |
| revamp | to revise; to renovate |
| revel | to enjoy thoroughly; to take delight in; to carouse |
| revere | v to respect highly; to honor |
| revile | to scold abusively; to berate; to denounce |
| revulsion | loathing; repugnance; disgust |
| rhapsodize | to speak extremely enthusiastically; to gush |
| rhetoric | n the art of formal speaking or writing; inflated discourse |
| ribald | indecent or vulgar; off-color |
| rife | occurring frequently; widespread; common; swarming |
| rigorous | a strict; harsh; severe |
| rivet | to engross; to hold firmly |
| robust | a strong and healthy; vigorous |
| rogue | n a criminally dishonest persons; a scoundrel |
| rout | to put to flight; to scatter; to cause a huge defeat |
| rudimentary | a basic; crude; unformed or undeveloped |
| rue | to mourn; to regret |
| ruminate | v to contemplate; to ponder; to mull over |
| rustic | a rural lacking urban comforts or sophistication; primitive |
| saccharine | a sweet; excessively or disgustingly sweet |
| sacrilege | n a violation of something sacred; blasphemy |
| sacrosanct | a sacred; held to be inviolable |
| sagacious | a discerning; shrewd; keen in judgement; wise |
| salient | a sticking out; conspicuous; leaping |
| sally | a sudden rushing attack; an excursion; an expedition; a repartee; a clever rejoinder |
| salutary | a healthful; remedial; curative |
| salutation | greeting; welcome; opening words of greeting |
| sanctimonious | a pretending to be devout; affecting religious feeling |
| sanction | official permission or approval; endorsement; penalty; punitive measure |
| sanguine | a cheerful; optimistic; hopeful |
| sarcasm | irony; jokingly or bitingly saying the opposite of what is meant |
| sardonic | a mocking; scornful |
| savant | a scholar; a very knowledgeable and learned person |
| scant | limited; meager; barely sufficient |
| schism | division; separation; discord or disharmony |
| scintillate | v to sparkle, either literally or figuratively |
| scorn | to disdain; to find someone or something contemptible |
| scrupulous | a strict; careful; hesitant for ethical reasons |
| scrutinize | v to examine very carefully |
| seamless | without a seam;without anything to indicate where two things were joined together;smooth |
| secede | to withdraw from an alliance |
| seclusion | aloneness; withdrawal from other people |
| sect | a small religious subgroup or religion; any group with a uniting theme of purpose |
| secular | a having nothing to do with religion or spiritual concerns |
| sedentary | largely confined to sitting down; not physically active |
| sedition | n treason; the incitement of public disorder or rebellion |
| self-made | having succeeded in life without help from others |
| sensory | a having to do with the senses or sensation |
| sententious | preachy; pompous; excessively moralizing; self-righteous |
| sentient | a able to perceive by the senses; conscious |
| sequester | v to set or keep apart |
| serendipity | accidental good fortune; discovering good things without looking for them |
| serene | calm; peaceful; tranquil; untroubled |
| serpentine | snakelike in either shape or movement; winding, as a snake travels |
| servile | submissive and subservient; like a servant |
| shackle | a manacle; a restraint |
| shibboleth | a distinctive word, pronunciation, or behavior that typifies a particular group; a slogan or catchword |
| shrewd | wily; cunning; sly |
| singular | unique; superior; exceptional; strange |
| skirmish | a fight between small numbers of troops; a brief conflict |
| skittish | nervous; easily startled; jumpy |
| slake | to quench; to satisfy; to assuage |
| slander | to speak badly about someone publicly; to defame; to spread malicious rumor |
| sloth | laziness; sluggishness |
| sobriety | the state of being sober; seriousness |
| solace | consolation; comfort |
| solicitous | eager and attentive, often to the point of hovering; anxiously caring or attentive |
| solidarity | sense of unity; a sense of sharing a common goal or attitude |
| solvent | not broke or bankrupt; able to pay ones bills |
| sophomoric | juvenile; childishly goofy |
| soporific | sleeping inducing; extremely boring; very sleepy |
| sordid | vile; filthy; squalid |
| sovereign | supreme ruler; monarch |
| spate | a sudden outpouring |
| spawn | to bring forth; to produce a large number |
| specious | deceptively plausible or attractive |
| specter | ghost; phantom |
| spectrum | a broad sequence or range of different but related thing s or ideas |
| sporadic | stopping and starting; scattered; occurring in bursts every once in a while |
| spurious | false; fake |
| spurn | to reject disdainfully; to scorn |
| squalor | filth; wretched, degraded, or repulsive living conditions |
| squander | to waste |
| stagnation | motionlessness; inactivity |
| stalwart | sturdily built; robust; valiant; unwavering |
| stark | utter; unmitigated; harsh; desolate |
| static | stationary; not changing or moving |
| staunch | firmly committed; firmly in favor of; steadfast |
| steadfast | loyal; faithful |
| stigmatize | to brand with disgrace; to set a mark of disgrace upon |
| stint | to restrict or hold back on; to be frugal |
| stipend | income; allowance; salary |
| stipulate | to require something as part of an agreement |
| stoic | indifferent (at least outwardly) to pleasure or pain, to joy or grief, to fortune or misfortune |
| stolid | not easily roused to emotion; impassive; apathetic; phlegmatic |
| stout | plump; stocky; substantial |
| stratagem | a maneuver designed to outwit an enemy; a scheme; a ruse |
| stratum | a layer; a level |
| stricture | a restriction; a limitation; a negative criticism |
| strife | bitter conflict; discord; a struggle or clash |
| stringent | strict; restrictive |
| stupendous | remarkable; extraordinary; remarkably large or extraordinarily gigantic |
| stupor | a stunned condition; near-unconsciousness; apathy; inertia |
| stymie | to thwart; to get in the way of; to hinder |
| subjugate | to subdue and dominate; to enslave |
| sublime | awesome; extremely exalted; lofty; majestic |
| subordinate | lower in importance, position, or rank; secondary |
| subside | to sink or settle; to diminish; to lessen |
| subsidiary | supplemental; additional; secondary or subordinate |
| subsidize | to provide financial aid; to make a financial contribution |
| substantiate | to prove; to verify; to confirm |
| substantive | having substance; real; essential; solid; substantial |
| subterfuge | artifice; a trick or stratagem; a ruse |
| subtle | not obvious; able to make fine distinctions; ingenious; crafty |
| subversive | corrupting; overthrowing; undermining; insurgent |
| succinct | brief and to the point; concise |
| succumb | to yield or submit; to die |
| suffice | to be sufficient; to be enough |
| suffrage | the right to vote |
| suffuse | to cover; to overspread; to saturate |
| sumptuous | luxurious; splendid; lavish |
| supercilious | haughty; patronizing |
| superficial | on the surface only; shallow; not thorough |
| superfluous | extra; unnecessary; redundant |
| supersede | to take the place of; to supplant; to make (something) obsolete |
| supine | lying on one's back |
| supplication | humble prayer; earnest entreaty |
| suppress | to overpower; to subdue; to quash |
| surfeit | excess; an excessive amount; excess or overindulgence in eating or drinking |
| surmise | to conjecture; to guess |
| surreal | having an unreal, fantastic quality; hallucinatory; dreamlike |
| surreptitious | sneaky; secret |
| surrogate | substitute |
| susceptible | capable of being influenced by something; capable of being emotionally affected; vulnerable or receptive to |
| sweeping | far-reaching; extensive; wide-ranging |
| sycophant | one who sucks up to others |
| syntax | the patterns or rules governing the way grammatical sentences are formed in a given language |
| synthesis | the combing of parts to form a whole |
| systemic | affecting the entire system, especially the entire body |
| tacit | implied; not spoken |
| taciturn | untalkative by nature |
| tactical | having to do with tactics, especially naval or military tactics; marked tactics or deft maneuvering |
| taint | contaminant; a trace of something spoiled, contaminated, off-flavor, or otherwise offensive |
| tangential | only superficially related to the matter at hand; not especially relevant; peripheral |
| tangible | touchable; palpable |
| tantamount | equivalent to |
| tautological | redundant; circular |
| tedium | dullness; monotony; boredom |
| teem | to swarm; to be inumdated; to overrun |
| temerity | boldness; recklessness; audacity |
| temperate | mild; moderate; restrained |
| temporal | pertaining to time; pertaining to life; earthly existence; noneternal; short-lived |
| temporize | to stall; to cause delay through indecision |
| tenable | defensible, as in ones position in an argument; capable of being argued successfully; valid |
| tenacious | persistent; stubborn; not letting go |
| tenet | a shared principle or belief |
| tentative | experimental; temporary; uncertain |
| tenuous | flimsy; extremely thin |
| tepid | lukewarm; halfhearted |
| terse | using no unnecessary words; succinct |
| theology | the study of god or religion |
| thesis | a theory to be proven; a subject for a composition; a formal paper sing original research on a subject |
| thorny | full of difficulties; tough; painful |
| threshold | the sill of a doorway; a house's or building's entrance; any point of beginning or entering |
| throttle | to choke; to strangle; to work a fuel lever or feed th eflow of fuel to an engine |
| thwart | to prevent from being accomplished; to frustrate; to hinder |
| timorous | fearful; easily frightened |
| tirade | prolonged, bitter speech |
| titillate | to excite; to stimulate; to tease |
| titular | in title or name only; nominal |
| toil | hard work; labor; drudgery; exhausting effort |
| torpor | sluggishness; inactivity; apathy |
| tortuous | winding; twisting; serpentine; full of curves |
| touchstone | a standard; a test of authenticity or quality |
| tout | to praise highly; to brag publicly about |
| toxic | poisonous |
| transcend | to go beyond or above; to surpass |
| transfix | to cause to stand motionless with awe, amazement, or some other strong emotion; to rivet |
| transgress | to violate (a law); to sin |
| transient | not staying for a long time; temporary |
| trauma | severe shock or distress; a violent wound; a wrenching experience |
| travesty | a grotesque or shameful imitation; a mockery; a perversion |
| trenchant | concise; effective; caustic; sarcastic |
| trepidation | fear; apprehension; nervous trembling |
| triumvirate | a ruling coalition of three officials; any group of three working jointly |
| tryst | a secret meeting of lovers |
| tumult | violent, noisy commotion; uproar; outbreak |
| turbid | murky; opaque; unclear |
| turmoil | state of great confusion or commotion |
| turpitude | shameful wickedness; depravity |
| ubiquitous | being everywhere at the same time |
| uncanny | extraordinary; unimaginable; seeming supernatural |
| unconscionable | not controlled by conscience; unscrupulous |
| unctuous | oily, both literally and figuratively; insincere |
| underlying | basic; fundamental; only noticeable under scrutiny |
| undermine | to impair; to subvert; to weaken by excavating underneath |
| underpinning | a system of supports beneath; a foundation or basis |
| underscore | to underline; to emphasize |
| underwrite | to sponsor; to subsidize; to insure |
| uniform | consistent; unchanging; the same for everyone |
| unilateral | involving one side only; done on behalf of one side only; one-sided; not mutual |
| unremitting | unceasing; unabated; relentless |
| unwitting | unintentional; ignorant; not aware |
| urbane | poised; sophisticated; refined |
| usurp | to seize wrongfully |
| usury | lending money at an extremely high rate of interest |
| utilitarian | stressing usefulness or utility above all other qualities; pragmatic |
| utopia | an ideal society |
| vacillate | to be indecisive; to waver |
| vacuous | empty of content; lacking in ideas or intelligence |
| vagary | whim; unpredictable action; wild notion |
| vanquish | to conquer; to overpower |
| vapid | without liveliness; dull; spiritless |
| vehement | intense; forceful; violent |
| venal | capable of being bribed; willing to do anything for money; corrupt |
| veneer | facade; coating; outward appearance |
| venerate | to revere; to treat as something holy, especially because of great age |
| veracity | truthfulness |
| verbose | using too many words; not succinct; circumlocutory |
| verdant | covered with green plants; leafy; inexperience |
| verge | border; brink; edge |
| verisimilitude | similarity to reality; the appearance of truth; looking like real thing |
| verity | the quality of being true; something true |
| vernacular | everyday speech; slang; idiom |
| vestige | a remaining bit of something; a last trace |
| vex | to annoy; to pester; to confuse |
| viable | capable of living; workable |
| vicarious | experienced, performed, or suffered through someone else; living through the experiences of another as though they were ones own experiences |
| vicissitude | upheaval; natural cange; change in fortune |
| vie | to complete; to contest; to struggle |
| vigilant | constantly alert; watchful; wary |
| vignette | a small, decorative design or drawing; a short literary sketch; a brief but expressive scene in a play or movie |
| vilify | to say vile things about; to defame |
| vindicate | to clear from all blame or suspicion; to justify |
| vindictive | seeking revenge |
| virtuoso | a masterful musician; a masterful practitioner in some other field |
| virulent | extremely poisonous; malignant; full of hate |
| viscous | hick; gluey; sticky |
| visionary | a dreamer; someone with impractical goals or ideas about the future |
| vitiate | to make impure; to pollute |
| vitriolic | caustic; full of bitterness |
| vivacious | lively; animated; full of pep |
| vocation | an occupation; a job |
| vociferous | loud; noisy |
| vogue | fashion; style |
| volatile | quick to evaporate; highly unstable; explosive |
| volition | will; conscious choice |
| voluminous | large; extensive; having great volume |
| voluptuous | pleasant to the senses; luxurious; pleasure-seeking; extra full and shapely |
| voracious | having a huge appetite; ravenously |
| waft | to float; to drift; to blow |
| waive | to relinquish (a right); to forgo; to put aside for the time being |
| wake | an all-night vigil kept over a dead body before it is buried; the trail a boat leaves behind it in the water; a track or path left behind something |
| wane | to decrease in strength or intensity; ti fade away; to decline in power |
| wanton | malicious; unjustifiable; unprovoked |
| warrant | to justify; to provide grounds for; to guarantee |
| wary | cautions; watchful; carefull |
| willful | deliberate; obstinate; insistent on having ones way |
| wistful | yearning; sadly longing |
| wizened | shriveled; withered; shrunken |
| woe | suffering; affliction; distress |
| wrath | deep anger; fury |
| zealous | enthusiastically devoted to something; fervent |
| zeitgeist | the mood or spirit of the times |
| zenith | highest point; peak; pinnacle |
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