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GRE Vocab Flashcard
flashcards for top gre words part 1
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Aberrant | adj. deviating from normal or correct. |
| Abscond | v. to leave secretly and hide, often to avoid the law. |
| Advocate | v. , n. to speak, plead, or argue for a cause, or in another’s behalf. (n) -- one who advocates |
| Aggrandize | v. to make greater, to increase, thus, to exaggerate. |
| Amalgamate | v. to unite or mix. (n) -- amalgamation. |
| Ambiguous | adj. vague; subject to more than one interpretation |
| ambrosial | adj. extremely pleasing to the senses, divine (as related to the gods) or delicious (n: ambrosia) |
| anachronism | n. a person or artifact appearing after its own time or out of chronological order (adj: anachronistic) |
| anomalous | adj. peculiar; unique, contrary to the norm (n: anomaly) |
| antediluvian | adj. ancient; outmoded; (literally,before the flood) |
| antipathy | n. hostility toward, objection, or aversion to |
| arbitrate | v. to settle a dispute by impulse (n: arbitration) |
| assuage | v. to make less severe; to appease or satisfy |
| attenuate | v. weaken (adj: attenuated) |
| Audacious | adj. extremely bold; fearless, especially said of human behavior (n: audacity) |
| aver | v. to declare |
| Banal | adj. commonplace or trite (n: banality) |
| Barefaced | adj. unconcealed, shameless, or brazen |
| blandishment | n. speech or action intended to coax someone into doing something |
| bombast | n. pompous speech (adj: bombastic) |
| breach | n ,v. a lapse, gap or break, as in a fortress wall. To break or break through.ex: Unfortunately, the club members never forgot his breach of ettiquette. |
| burgeon | v. ,n. to grow or flourish; a bud or new growth (adj: burgeoning ) |
| buttress | v., n. to support. a support |
| cadge | v. to get something by taking advantage of someone |
| caprice | n. impulse (adj: capricious) |
| castigate | v. to chastise or criticize severely |
| catalyst | n. an agent of change (adj: catalytic; v. catalyze) |
| caustic | adj. capable of dissolving by chemical action; highly critical: "His caustic remarks spoiled the mood of the party." |
| chicanery | adj. deception by trickery |
| complaisant | adj. willingly compliant or accepting of the status quo (n: complaisance) |
| conflagration | n. a great fire |
| corporeal | adj. of or having to do with material, as opposed to spiritual; tangible |
| corroborate | v. to strengthen or support: "The witness corroborted his story." (n: corroboration) |
| craven | adj. , n. cowardly; a coward |
| culpable | adj. deserving of blame (n: culpability) |
| dearth | n. lack, scarcity: "The prosecutor complained about the dearth of concrete evidence against the suspect." |
| deference | n. submission or courteous yielding: "He held his tongue in deference to his father." |
| depict | v. to show, create a picture of. |
| deprecation | n. belittlement. (v. deprecate) |
| depredation | n. the act of preying upon or plundering: "The depredations of the invaders demoralized the population." |
| descry | v. to make clear, to say |
| desiccate | v. to dry out thoroughly (adj: desiccated) |
| diatribe | n. a bitter abusive denunciation. |
| diffident | adj. lacking self-confidence, modest (n: diffidence) |
| disabuse | adj. to free a person from falsehood or error: "We had to disabuse her of the notion that she was invited." |
| disparaging | adj. belittling (n: disparagement. v. disparage) |
| dispassionate | adj. calm; objective; unbiased |
| dissemble | v. to conceal one's real motive, to feign |
| dogged | adj. stubborn or determined: "Her dogged pursuit of the degree eventually paid off." |
| dogmatic | adj. relying upon doctrine or dogma, as opposed to evidence |
| eclectic | adj. selecting or employing individual elements from a variety of sources: "Many modern decorators prefer an eclectic style." (n: eclecticism) |
| efficacy | n. effectiveness; capability to produce a desired effect |
| effluent | adj. , n. the quality of flowing out. something that flows out, such as a stream from a river (n: effluence) |
| emollient | adj. , n. softening; something that softens |
| emulate | v. to strive to equal or excel (n: emulation) |
| encomium | n. a formal eulogy or speech of praise |
| endemic | adj. prevalent in or native to a certain region, locality, or people: "The disease was endemic to the region." |
| enervate | v. to weaken or destroy the strength or vitality of: "The heatenervated everyone." (adj: enervating) |
| engender | v. to give rise to, to propagate, to cause: "His slip of the toungue engendered much laughter." |
| enigma | n. puzzle; mystery: "Math is an enigma to me." (adj: enigmatic) |
| ephemeral | adj. lasting for only a brief time, fleeting (n: ephemera) |
| equivocal | adj. ambiguous; unclear; subject to more than one interpretation -- often intentionally so: "Republicans complained that Bill Clinton's answers were equivocal." (v. equivocate) |
| erudite | adj. scholarly; displaying deep intensive learning. (n: erudition) |
| esoteric | adj. intended for or understood by only a few: "The esoteric discussion confused some people." (n: esoterica) |
| eulogy | n. a spoken or written tribute to the deceased (v. eulogize) |
| exacerbate | v. to increase the bitterness or violence of; to aggravate: "The decision to fortify the border exacerbated tensions." |
| exculpate | v. to demonstrate or prove to be blameless: "The evidence tended to exculpate the defendant."(adj: exculpatory) |
| exorbitant | adj. exceeding customary or normal limits, esp. in quantity or price: "The cab fare was exorbitant." |
| explicit | adj. fully and clearly expressed |
| extant | adj. in existence, still existing: The only extant representative of that species." |
| fathom | n. ,v. a measure of length (six feet) used in nautical settings. to penetrate to the depths of something in order to understand it: "I couldn't fathom her reasoning on that issue." |
| fawn | v. to seek favor or attention; to act subserviantly (n, adj: fawning) |
| feign | v. to give false appearance or impression: "He feigned illness to avoid going to school." (adj: feigned) |
| fervid, fervent | adj. highly emotional; hot: "The partisans displayed a fervent patriotism." (n: fervor) |
| fledgling | n., adj. a baby bird; an inexperienced person; inexperienced. |
| florid | adj. flushed with a rosy color, as in complexion; very ornate and flowery: "florid prose." |
| floundering | adj. struggling: "We tried to save the floundering business." |
| garrulous | adj. verbose; talkative; rambling: "We tried to avoid our garrulous neighbor." |
| gossamer | n. , adj. fine cobweb on foliage; fine gauzy fabric; very fine: "She wore a gossamer robe." |
| guile | n. skillful deceit: "He was well known for his guile." |
| Tedious | long and tiresome |
| Mawkish | having a mildly sickening flavor; slightly nauseating.; weakly emotional |
| guileless | adj. honest; straightforward (n: guilelessness) |
| hapless | adj. unfortunate |
| headlong | adj. , adv. headfirst; impulsive; hasty. impulsively; hastily; without forethought: "They rushed headlong into marriage." |
| homogenous | adj. similar in nature or kind; uniform: "a homogeneous society." |
| iconoclast | n. one who attacks traditional ideas or institutions or one who destroys sacred images (adj: iconoclastic) |
| impecunious | adj. penniless; poor |
| imperious | adj. commanding |
| implication | n. insinuation or connotation (v. implicate) |
| imply | v. to suggest indirectly; to entail: "She implied she didn't believe his story." (n: implication) |
| improvidence | n. an absence of foresight; a failure to provide for future needs or events: "Their improvidence resulted in the loss of their home." |
| inchoate | adj. in an initial or early stage; incomplete; disorganized: "The act of writing forces one to clarify incohate thoughts." |
| incorrigible | adj. not capable of being corrected: "The school board finally decided the James was incorrigible and expelled him from school." |
| indelible | adj. permanent; unerasable; strong: "The Queen made an indelible impression on her subjects." |
| ineffable | adj. undescribable; inexpressible in words; unspeakable |
| infer | v. to deduce: "New genetic evidence led some zoologists to infer that the red wolf is actually a hybrid of the coyote and the gray wolf." |
| ingenious | adj. clever: "She developed an ingenious method for testing her hypothesis."(n: ingenuity) |
| ingenuous | adj. unsophisticated; artless; straightforward; candid: "Wilson's ingenuous response to the controversial calmed the suspicious listeners." |
| inhibit | v. to hold back, prohibit, forbid, or restrain (n: inhibition, adj: inhibited) |
| innocuous | adj. harmless; having no adverse affect; not likely to provoke strong emotion |
| insensible | adj. numb; unconscious: "Wayne was rendered insensible by a blow to the head." unfeeling; insensitive: "They were insensibile to the suffering of others.: |
| insipid | adj. lacking zest or excitement; dull |
| insular | adj. of or pertaining to an island, thus, excessively exclusive: "Newcomers found it difficult to make friends in the insular community." |
| intransigent | adj. stubborn; immovable; unwilling to change: "She was so intransigent we finally gave up trying to convince her." (n: intransigence) |
| irascible | adj. prone to outbursts of temper, easily angered |
| laconic | adj. using few words; terse: "a laconic reply." |
| latent | adj. present or potential but not evident or active (n: latency) |
| laudable | adj. praiseworthy; commendable (v. laud) |
| leviathan | n. giant whale, therefore, something very large |
| loquacious | adj. talkative |
| lucid | adj. clear; translucent: "He made a lucid argument to support his theory." |
| lugubrious | adj. weighty, mournful, or gloomy, especially to an excessive degree: "Jake's lugubrious monologues depressed his friends." |
| magnanimity | n. generosity and nobility. (adj: magnanimous) |
| malevolent | adj. malicious; evil; having or showing ill will: "Some early American colonists saw the wilderness as malevolent and sought to control it." |
| misanthrope | n. one who hates people: "He was a true misanthrope and hated even himself." |
| misnomer | n. incorrect name or word for something |
| misogynist | n. one who hates women |
| mitigate | v. to make less forceful; to become more moderate; to make less harsh or undesirable: "He was trying to mitigate the damage he had done." (n: mitigation) |
| nefarious | adj. wicked, evil: "a nefarious plot." |
| noisome | adj. harmful, offensive, destructive: "The noisome odor of the dump carried for miles." |
| obdurate | adj. hardened against influence or feeling; intractable. |
| obviate | v. to prevent by anticipatory measures; to make unnecessary: |
| occlude | v. to close or shut off; to obstruct (n: occlusion) |
| opaque | adj. not transparent or transluscent; dense; difficult to comprehend, as inopaque reasoning |
| ossified | adj. turned to bone; hardened like bone; Inflexible: "The ossified culture failed to adapt to new economic conditions and died out." |
| panegyric | n. a writing or speech in praise of a person or thing |
| peccadillo | n. a small sin or fault |
| pedantic | adj. showing a narrow concern for rules or formal book learning; making an excessive display of one's own learning: "We quickly tired of his pedantic conversation." (n: pedant, pedantry). |
| perfidious | adj. deliberately treacherous; dishonest (n: perfidy) |
| petulant | adj. easily or frequently annoyed, especially over trivial matters; childishly irritable |
| philanthropy | n. tendency or action for the benefit of others, as in donating money or property to a charitible organization |
| phlegmatic | adj. not easily excited; cool; sluggish |
| placate | v. to calm or reduce anger by making concessions: "The professor tried to placate his students by postponing the exam." |
| plastic | adj. related to being shaped or molded; capable of being molded. (n: plasticity n: plastic) |
| plethora | n. excessively large quantity; overabundance: "We received a p lethora of applications for the position." |
| ponderous | adj. heavy; massive; awkward; dull: "A ponderous book is better than a sleeping pill." |
| pragmatic | adj. concerned with facts; practical, as opposed to highly principled or traditional: "His pragmatic approach often offended idealists." (n: pragmatism) |
| precipice | n. cliff with a vertical or nearly vertical face; a dangerous place from which one is likely to fall; metaphorically, a very risky circumstance |
| precipitate | v. ,n. to fall; to fall downward suddenly and dramatically; to bring about or hasten the occurrence of something: "Old World diseases precipitated a massive decline in the American Indian population." |
| precursor | n. something (or someone) that precedes another: "The assasination of the Archduke was a precursor to the war." |
| prevaricate | v. to stray away from or evade the truth: "When we asked him what his intentions were, he prevaricated."(n: prevarication; prevaricator) |
| prodigal | adj. rashly wasteful: "Americans' prodigal devotion to the automobile is unique." |
| propitiate | v. to conciliate; to appease: "They made sacrifices to propitiate angry gods." |
| Pulchritudinous | adj. beautiful (n: pulchritude) |
| pusillanimous | adj. cowardly, timid, or irreselute; petty: "The pusillanimous leader soon lost the respect of his people." |
| quiescence | n. inactivity; stillness; dormancy (adj: quiescent) |
| rarefy | v. to make or become thin; to purify or refine (n: rarefaction, adj: rarefied) |
| reproof | n. the act of censuring, scolding, or rebuking. (v. reprove). |
| rescind | v. to repeal or annul |
| sagacious | adj. having a sharp or powerful intellect or discernment. (n: sagacity). |
| sanguine | adj. cheerful; confident: "Her sanguine attitude put everyone at ease."(Sangfroid (noun) is a related French word meaning unflappibility. Literally, it means cold blood) |
| sate | v. to satisfy fully or to excess |
| saturnine | adj. having a gloomy or morose temperament |
| savant | n. a very knowledgable person; a genious |
| sedulous | adj. diligent; persevering; persistent: "Her sedulous devotion to overcoming her background impressed many." (n: sedulity; sedulousness; adv. sedulously) |
| specious | adj. seemingly true but really false; deceptively convincing or attractive: "Her argument, though specious, was readily accepted by many." |
| superficial | adj. only covering the surface: "A superficial treatment of the topic was all they wanted." |
| tacit | adj. unspoken: "Katie and carmella had a tacit agreement that they would not mention the dented fender to their parents." |
| taciturn | adj. habitually untalkative or silent (n: taciturnity) |
| temperate | adj. exercising moderation and self-denial; calm or mild (n: temperance) |
| tirade (diatribe) | n. an angry speech: "His tirade had gone on long enough." |
| tortuous | adj. twisted; excessively complicated: "Despite public complaints, tax laws and forms have become increasingly tortuous." Note: Don't confuse this with torturous. |
| tractable | adj. ability to be easily managed or controlled: "Her mother wished she were more tractable." (n: tractibility) |
| turpitude | n. depravity; baseness: "Mr. Castor was fired for moral turpitude." |
| tyro | n. beginner; person lacking experience in a specific endeavor: "They easily took advantage of the tyro." |
| vacuous | adj. empty; without contents; without ideas or intelligence:: "She flashed a vacuous smile." |
| venerate | v. great respect or reverence: "The Chinese traditionally venerated their ancestors; ancestor worship is merely a popular misnomer for this tradition." (n: veneration, adj: venerable) |
| verbose | adj. wordy: "The instructor asked her verbose student make her paper more concise." (n: verbosity) |
| vex | v. to annoy; to bother; to perplex; to puzzle; to debate at length: "Franklin vexed his brother with his controversial writings." |
| viscous | adj. slow moving; highly resistant to flow: "Heintz commercials imply that their catsup is more viscous than others'." (n: viscosity) |
| volatile | adj. explosive; fickle (n: volatility). |
| voracious | adj. craving or devouring large quantities of food, drink, or other things. She is a voracious reader. |
| waver | v. to hesitate or to tremble |
| wretched | adj. extremely pitiful or unfortunate (n: wretch) |
| zeal | n. enthusiastic devotion to a cause, ideal, or goal (n: zealot; zealoutry. adj: zealous) |
| aggravate | to make worse or more severe; intensify, as anything evil, disorderly, or troublesome: to aggravate a grievance; to aggravate an illness. |
| Abet | to encourage, support, or countenance by aid or approval, usually in wrongdoing: to abet a swindler; to abet a crime. |
| Adulation | excessive devotion to someone; servile flattery. |
| Adamant | utterly unyielding in attitude or opinion in spite of all appeals, urgings, etc. 2. too hard to cut, break, or pierce. |
| Affinity | a natural liking for or attraction to a person, thing, idea, etc |
| antithetical | of the nature of or involving antithesis. 2.directly opposed or contrasted; opposite. |
| auspicious | promising success; propitious; opportune; favorable: an auspicious occasion. |
| ameliorate | to make or become better, more bearable, or more satisfactory; improve; meliorate. |
| Affront | an offense to one's dignity or self respect |
| amorphous | lacking definite form; having no specific shape; formless: the amorphous clouds. |
| austere | severe in manner or appearance; uncompromising; strict; forbidding: an austere teacher. |
| Belie | to show to be false; contradict: His trembling hands belied his calm voice. |
| Blighted | any cause of impairment, destruction, ruin, or frustration: Extravagance was the blight of the family |
| blatant | brazenly obvious; flagrant |
| bucolic | of or pertaining to shepherds; pastoral. or suggesting an idyllic rural life. |
| Burnish | to polish (a surface) by friction. 2. to make smooth and bright. |
| Abstemious | sparing or moderate in eating and drinking; temperate in diet. |
| Acumen | keen insight; shrewdness: remarkable acumen in business matters. |
| Adroit | cleverly skillful, an expert, resourceful, or ingenious: an adroit debater. |
| Aggrandize | to make great or greater in power, wealth, rank, or honor. 2. to make (something) appear greater. |
| Allay | to lessen or relieve; mitigate; alleviate: to allay pain. |
| Anodyne | anything that relieves distress or pain: The music was an anodyne to his grief. |
| Archipelago | any large body of water with many islands. |
| Assiduous | constant in application or effort; working diligently at a task; persevering; industrious; attentive: an assiduous student. |
| Aberration | a deviation or departure from the norm : His low grades in chemistry are an aberration; he is typically an A student. |
| Abeyance | temporary inactivity or suspension: The dissenters have been held in abeyance; they have suspended all protests. |
| Abjure | to forswear or abstain from; to give up: Once the king abdicated the throne to marry a commoner, he abjured all of his former titles. |
| Abrade | to wear down or rub away the surface of something: years of exposure to the sea spray had abraded the face of the cliffs |
| Abrogate | to end or do away with something |
| Abysmal | very profound or deep; very bad. : despite all of the advertisements for the new product, the first quarter sales were abysmal. |
| Accrete | a gradual increase in the amount or size of something : increased organic matter accumulation has led to an increase in the accretion rate in the Delta. |
| Acquisitive | characterized by a strong desire to gain or retain information or objects. : the acquisitive nature of the chimpanzee makes it appear almost human. |
| Acrid | harsh or bitter taste or smell |
| Acute | quick and precise, intense; sharp, keen. : the acute pain in her wrist kept her from doing many simple activities. |
| Adhere | to stick fast; to remain in support of. : to maintain order in the classroom, the teacher required strict adherence to the code of conduct. |
| Adjacent | in the nearest position; next to. |
| Aesthetic | appealing to the senses because it is beautiful |
| Adroit | showing skill and experience |
| Ambiguous | unclear or capable of having more than one meaning |
| Amenable | responsive to suggestion; willing |
| Amiable | friendly and pleasant |
| Ambivalent | characterized by uncertainty; unable to decide between opposites |
| Anachronism | something existing or happening out of its time in historical order |
| Anomaly | something different from the norm |
| Apathy | a lack of any emotion or concern |
| Ardor | intense feelings; passion |
| Ascribe | to attribute to a specific source; to assign a characteristic |
| Asperity | roughness or severity |
| Assay | an analysis or examination |
| Baneful | destructive; pernicious: a baneful superstition. 2. deadly; poisonous: baneful herbs. |
| Buoyant | capable of keeping a body afloat, as a liquid. 2. not easily depressed; cheerful. |
| Cartographer | a person that makes maps |
| Clarion | an ancient trumpet with a curved shape. 2. the sound of this instrument. |
| Circumlocution | a roundabout or indirect way of speaking; the use of more words than necessary to express an idea. |
| Coalition | a combination or alliance, especially a temporary one between persons, factions, states, etc. |
| Compunction | any uneasiness or hesitation about the rightness of an action. |
| Concord | agreement between things; mutual fitness; harmony. |
| Contumacious | stubbornly perverse or rebellious; willfully and obstinately disobedient. |
| Capricious | impulsive; prone to sudden change : Her sudden move across the country was considered capricious by her family. |
| Cacophony | harsh, jarring noise |
| cogent | convincing and reasonable |
| callow | immature or inexperienced |
| calumny | a false and malicious statement designed to injure the reputation of someone or something: The speech was considered a calumny of the administration. |
| credulous | easily deceived; believing to readily |
| conciliatory | to overcome the distrust or hostility of; placate; win over: to conciliate an angry competitor. |
| congruence | the quality or state of agreeing or corresponding. |
| copious | large in quantity or number; abundant; plentiful: copious amounts of food. |
| dandy | a man who is excessively concerned about his clothes and appearance; a fop |
| dauntless | to lessen the courage of; dishearten: Don't be daunted by the amount of work still to be done. |
| debase | to lower in rank, dignity, or significance: He wouldn't debase himself by doing manual labor. |
| decrepit | weakened by old age; feeble; infirm |
| defoliant | to destroy or cause widespread loss of leaves in (an area of jungle, forest, etc.) |
| demurral | to make objection, especially on the grounds of scruples; take exception; object: They wanted to make him the treasurer, but he demurred. |
| denunciation | an accusation of crime before a public prosecutor or tribunal. 2. notice of the termination or the renouncement of an international agreement or part thereof. |
| deplore | to condemn; disapprove of or regret |
| digression | to deviate or wander away from the main topic or purpose in speaking or writing |
| dilettante | a person who takes up an art, activity, or subject merely for amusement, especially in a desultory or superficial way; dabbler; a lover of art. |
| disaggregate | to separate a mass into its component parts. |
| discern | to differentiate or distinguish; to perceive |
| disparate | the state of being different or unequal |
| distend | to spread in all directions; expand; swell: The sea distended about them. |
| Disaffected | discontented and disloyal, as toward the government or toward authority. |
| Docile | easy to train or teach |
| Drab | dull; cheerless; lacking in spirit, brightness, etc. dull; cheerless; lacking in spirit, brightness, etc. |
| Desultory | inconsistent and irregular, aimless |
| Deride | to speak of or treat with contempt; to mock |
| Dross | waste matter; refuse. |
| Ebb | flowing backward or away; decline or decay: the ebb of a once great nation. |
| Ebullient | overflowing with fervor, enthusiasm, or excitement; high spirited |
| Equanimity | mental or emotional stability or composure, especially under tension or strain; calmness; equilibrium. |
| Euphemism | the substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague expression for one thought to be offensive, harsh, or blunt : “to pass away” instead of saying “to die” |
| Exhort | to urge, advise, or caution earnestly; admonish urgently. |
| Exigent | requiring immediate action or aid; urgent; pressing. |
| Extemporize | improvise |
| earmark | any identifying or distinguishing mark or characteristic |
| effervescence | to show enthusiasm, excitement, liveliness; bubbles of gas |
| elucidate | to make lucid or clear; throw light upon; explain |
| enmity | a feeling or condition of hostility; hatred; ill will; animosity; antagonism. |
| execrable | utterly detestable; abominable; abhorrent; very bad |
| exemplar | a model or pattern to be copied or imitated |
| extraneous | introduced or coming from without; not belonging or proper to a thing; external; foreign |
| extricate | to free or release from entanglement; disengage |
| facile | easily done, performed, used; agreeable or complaisant |
| falter | to hesitate or waver in action, purpose, intent, etc.; give way; to speak hesitatingly or brokenly. |
| fastidious | excessively particular, critical, or demanding; hard to please |
| flagging | weak, fatigued, or drooping |
| foment | to instigate or foster (discord, rebellion, etc.); promote the growth or development of |
| foolhardy | recklessly or thoughtlessly bold; foolishly rash or venturesome. |
| fractious | readily angered; peevish; irritable |
| frenetic | frantic; frenzied. |
| frisson | a sudden, passing sensation of excitement; a shudder of emotion; thrill: |
| Gainsay | to deny, dispute, or contradict. |
| Goad | something that encourages, urges, or drives; a stimulus. |
| Gregarious | fond of the company of others; sociable. |
| Hale | free from disease or infirmity; robust; vigorous: |
| Hangdog | browbeaten; defeated; guilty; intimidated; abject: He always went about with a hangdog look. |
| Hermetic | made airtight by fusion or sealing; not affected by outward influence or power; isolated. |
| Hidebound | oriented toward or confined to the past; extremely conservative; inflexible |
| Ingratiate | to establish (oneself) in the favor or good graces of others : He ingratiated himself with all the guests. |
| Impertinent | intrusive or presumptuous, as persons or their actions; insolently rude; uncivil |
| impede | to retard in movement or progress by means of obstacles or hindrances; obstruct; hinder. |
| impetuous | of, pertaining to, or characterized by sudden or rash action, emotion, etc.; impulsive |
| impugn | to challenge as false |
| indecorous | not decorous; violating generally accepted standards of good taste or propriety; unseemly. |
| indolent | having or showing a disposition to avoid exertion; slothful |
| intrepid | resolutely fearless; dauntless: an intrepid explorer. |
| jocular | given to, characterized by, intended for, or suited to joking or jesting; waggish; facetious |
| lamented | mourned for, as a person who is dead: Our late lamented friend. |
| lank | lean; gaunt; thin. |
| Lapse | a slip or error, often of a trivial sort; failure |
| Largesse | generous bestowal of gifts. |
| Laud | to give praise; to glorify |
| Leaven | an element that produces an altering or transforming influence. |
| Lethargic | acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner |
| Libertine | a person who is morally or sexually unrestrained, especially a dissolute man; a profligate; rake |
| Lachrymose | suggestive of or tending to cause tears; mournful. |
| Maladroit | lacking in adroitness; unskillful; awkward; bungling; tactless: to handle a diplomatic crisis in a very maladroit way. |
| Malign | to speak harmful untruths about; speak evil of; slander; defame: to malign an honorable man. |
| Malinger | to pretend illness, especially in order to shirk one's duty, avoid work, etc. |
| Masticate | to reduce to a pulp by crushing or kneading, as rubber. |
| Maudlin | tearfully or weakly emotional; foolishly sentimental |
| Mellifluous | sweetly or smoothly flowing; sweet sounding |
| Mendacity | telling lies, especially habitually; dishonest; lying; untruthful |
| Moribund | in a dying state; near death |
| Mottle | to mark or diversify with spots or blotches of a different color or shade. |
| nascent | beginning to exist or develop |
| nebulous | hazy, vague, indistinct, or confused: a nebulous memory |
| nervy | having or showing courage; brave or bold |
| nondescript | undistinguished or uninteresting; dull or insipid: The private detective deliberately wore nondescript clothes. |
| noxious | harmful or injurious to health or physical well being; morally harmful |
| nugatory | of no real value; trifling; worthless. |
| obeisant | a movement of the body expressing deep respect or deferential courtesy, as before a superior; a bow, curtsy, or other similar gesture. |
| obfuscate | to confuse, bewilder, or stupefy |
| oblivion | the state of forgetting or of being oblivious |
| obtuse | not quick or alert in perception, feeling, or intellect; not sensitive or observant; dull. |
| ostentation | excessive showiness |
| parsimony | extreme or excessive economy or frugality; stinginess; niggardliness. |
| paucity | smallness or insufficiency of number; fewness |
| perfidy | deliberate breach of faith or trust; faithlessness; treachery |
| pernicious | deadly; fatal: a pernicious disease |
| perspicacious | having keen mental perception and understanding; discerning |
| perturbation | a cause of mental disquiet, disturbance, or agitation |
| pithy | brief, forceful, and meaningful in expression; full of vigor, substance, or meaning; terse; forcible |
| plaudit | an enthusiastic expression of approval: Her portrayal of Juliet won the plaudits of the critics. |
| Puckish | mischievous; impish. |
| Pusillanimity | lacking courage or resolution; cowardly; faint hearted; timid |
| Pallid | pale; faint or deficient in color; lacking in vitality or interest |
| Pedagogy | the art or science of teaching; education; instructional methods. |
| Pedant | a person who adheres rigidly to book knowledge without regard to common sense. |
| Peripheral | concerned with relatively minor, irrelevant, or superficial aspects of the subject in question. |
| Pliable | easily influenced or persuaded; flexible; yielding: the pliable mind of youth. |
| Poignant | keen or strong in mental appeal: a subject of poignant interest |
| Polemic | a controversial argument, as one against some opinion, doctrine, etc. |
| Precarious | dependent on circumstances beyond one's control; uncertain; unstable; insecure: a precarious livelihood. |
| Preen | to dress (oneself) carefully or smartly; primp; to pride oneself on achievement |
| Probity | integrity and uprightness; honesty. |
| Prosaic | commonplace or dull; matter of fact or unimaginative |
| Provident | having or showing foresight; providing carefully for the future |
| Prudent | wise or judicious in practical affairs; sagacious; discreet or circumspect; sober |
| Prudish | excessively proper or modest in speech, conduct, dress, prude |
| prevaricator | a person who speaks falsely; liar. |
| plucky | having courage; brave |
| proselyte | a person who has changed from one opinion, religious belief, sect, or the like, to another; convert |
| puerile | childishly foolish; immature or trivial |
| Quell | to suppress; put an end to; extinguish |
| Querulous | full of complaints; complaining |
| Rancor | bitter, rankling resentment or ill will; hatred; malice. |
| Raze | to tear down; demolish; level to the ground |
| recalcitrant | resisting authority or control; not obedient or compliant; refractory. |
| recapitulate | to review by a brief summary |
| recluse | a person who lives in seclusion or apart from society, often for religious meditation |
| recompense | to repay; remunerate; reward, as for service, aid, etc. |
| rectitude | rightness of principle or conduct; moral virtue |
| refractory | hard or impossible to manage; stubbornly disobedient |
| reprobate | a depraved, unprincipled, or wicked person |
| respite | a delay or cessation for a time, especially of anything distressing or trying; an interval of relief |
| resplendent | shining brilliantly; gleaming; splendid: |
| restive | impatient of control, restraint, or delay, as persons; restless; uneasy. |
| reticent | disposed to be silent or not to speak freely; reserved. |
| ribald | vulgar or indecent in speech, language, etc.; coarsely mocking, abusive, or irreverent; scurrilous |
| roil | to disturb or disquiet; irritate; vex |
| rollick | to move or act in a carefree, frolicsome manner; behave in a free, hearty, gay, or jovial way |
| ruminate | to meditate or muse; ponder |
| salubrious | favorable to or promoting health; healthful: |
| sequester | to remove or withdraw into solitude or retirement; seclude |
| schism | division or disunion, especially into mutually opposed parties |
| sidereal | determined by or from the stars: sidereal time. |
| slant | to have or be influenced by a subjective point of view, bias, personal feeling or inclination |
| soporific | causing or tending to cause sleep |
| squalid | foul and repulsive, as from lack of care or cleanliness; neglected and filthy |
| stasis | the state of equilibrium or inactivity caused by opposing equal forces. |
| stolid | not easily stirred or moved mentally; unemotional; impassive. |
| succinct | expressed in few words; concise; terse |
| supercilious | haughtily disdainful or contemptuous, as a person or a facial expression. |
| Splenetic | irritable; peevish; spiteful |
| Swashbuckler | a swaggering swordsman, soldier, or adventurer; daredevil. |
| Stultify | to make, or cause to appear, foolish or ridiculous |
| selfeffacing | the act or fact of keeping oneself in the background, as in humility. |
| sublime | supreme or outstanding |
| stalwart | strongly and stoutly built; sturdy and robust |
| stodgy | heavy, dull, or uninteresting; tediously commonplace |
| quotidian | usual or customary; everyday |
| tenacious | holding together; cohesive; not easily pulled asunder; tough |
| tincture | a slight infusion, as of some element or quality |
| tonic | anything invigorating physically, mentally, or morally: His cheerful greeting was a real tonic. |
| tractable | easily worked, shaped, or otherwise handled; malleable |
| transgress | to violate a law, command, moral code, etc.; offend; sin |
| travail | painfully difficult or burdensome work; toil. |
| Trenchant | clearly or sharply defined; clear cut; distinct; effective; vigorous |
| Taut | emotionally or mentally strained or tense 2. Tidy; in good condition |
| Turpitude | vile, shameful, or base character; depravity |
| Vagary | an unpredictable or erratic action, occurrence, course, or instance |
| vehement | strongly emotional; intense or passionate |
| verdant | inexperienced; unsophisticated 2. Of the color green |
| vile | highly offensive, unpleasant, or objectionable |
| Volitional | a choice or decision made by the will. |
| Voluble | a ready and continuous flow of words; fluent; glib; talkative |
| Vouchsafe | to allow or permit, as by favor or graciousness: They vouchsafed his return to his own country. |
| Whimsy | anything odd or fanciful; a product of playful or capricious fancy |
| winsome | sweetly or innocently charming; winning; engaging: a winsome smile. |
| zesty | anything added to impart flavor, enhance one's appreciation |
| bolster | any pillow, cushion, or pad used for support |
| tenable | capable of being held, maintained, or defended, as against attack or dispute |
| insouciant | free from concern, worry, or anxiety; carefree; nonchalant. |
| scathing | bitterly severe, as a remark: a scathing review of the play |
| hauteur | arrogance |
| dank | unpleasantly moist or humid; damp and, often, chilly: |
| garble | to confuse unintentionally or ignorantly; jumble: to garble instructions |
| discomfit | to confuse and deject; disconcert: to be discomfited by a question |
| circumspect | watchful and discreet; cautious; prudent |
| odium | intense hatred or dislike, especially toward a person or thing regarded as contemptible, despicable, or repugnant. |
| ardent | intensely devoted, eager, or enthusiastic; zealous |
| quibble | petty or carping criticism; a minor objection |
| contentious | argument or strife; quarrelsome |
| flippant | frivolously disrespectful, shallow, or lacking in seriousness; characterized by levity |
| affable | pleasantly easy to approach and to talk to; friendly; cordial; warmly polite |
| staid | fixed, settled, or permanent |
| scrupulous | punctiliously or minutely careful, precise, or exact |
| peripatetic | walking or traveling about; itinerant |
| deadpan | displaying no emotional or personal involvement: a deadpan style. |
| homage | respect or reverence paid or rendered: In his speech he paid homage to Washington and Jefferson |
| equivocate | to use ambiguous or unclear expressions, usually to avoid commitment or in order to mislead; prevaricate or hedge: |
| obstinate | firmly or stubbornly adhering to one's purpose, opinion, etc.; not yielding to argument, persuasion, or entreaty |
| trammels | a hindrance or impediment to free action; restraint |
| gall | something bitter or severe. |
| candid | free from reservation, disguise, or subterfuge; straightforward: a candid opinion |
| encumbrance | a dependent person, especially a child; a burden |
| remuneration | reward; pay |
| precipitous | extremely or impassably steep |
| veneer | a thin layer of wood or other material for facing or inlaying wood |
| groveling | to humble oneself or act in an abject manner, as in great fear or utter servility |
| tepid | moderately warm; lukewarm: tepid water. 2characterized by a lack of force or enthusiasm |
| histrionic | deliberately affected or self consciously emotional; overly dramatic, in behavior or speech. |
| flit | to pass quickly |
| truculent | fierce; cruel; savagely brutal. |
| taciturn | inclined to silence; reserved in speech; reluctant to join in conversation. |
| brash | energetic or highly spirited, especially in an irreverent way; zesty |
| truncate | to shorten by cutting off a part; cut short |
| din | a loud, confused noise; a continued loud or tumultuous sound; noisy clamor. |
| ascetic | a person who dedicates his or her life to a pursuit of contemplative ideals and practices extreme self denial or self mortification for religious reasons. |
| adulate | to show excessive admiration or devotion to; flatter or admire servilely. |
| vacillate | to sway physically; to be indecisive |
| avaricious | greedy; covetous |
| insentient | without sensation or feeling; inanimate. |
| palliate | to relieve or lessen without curing; mitigate; alleviate. |
| cursory | going rapidly over something, without noticing details; hasty; superficial: a cursory glance at a newspaper article. |
| inane | lacking sense, significance, or ideas; silly: inane questions. |
| vivify | to give life to; animate; quicken. |
| tacit | understood without being openly expressed; implied: tacit approval. |
| shirk | to evade |
| inert | having no inherent power of action, motion, or resistance ( opposed to active): inert matter. |
| pulchritude | physical beauty; comeliness. |
| purloin | to take dishonestly; steal; filch; pilfer. |
| unflappable | not easily upset or confused, especially in a crisis; imperturbable. |
| bombast | speech too pompous for an occasion; pretentious words. |
| brute | a nonhuman creature; beast. |
| husbandry | the management of domestic affairs or of resources generally. |
| vitriolic | very caustic; scathing: vitriolic criticism. |
| fustian | a stout fabric of cotton and flax. |
| astringent | harshly biting; caustic: his astringent criticism. |
| remonstrance | to protest |
| expurgate | to purge or cleanse of moral offensiveness |
| recidivist | repeated or habitual relapse, as into crime. |
| fluvial | produced by or found in a river |
| sycophant | a selfseeking, servile flatterer; fawning parasite. |
| pliant | bending readily; flexible; supple; adaptable: She manipulated the pliant clay. |
| obsequious | servilely compliant or deferential: obsequious servants. |
| panache | a grand or flamboyant manner; verve; style; flair |
| propriety | correct behavior; obedience to rules and customs |
| expeditious | characterized by promptness; quick |
| contrite | caused by or showing sincere remorse. |
| abase | to reduce or lower, as in rank, office, reputation, or estimation; humble; degrade. |
| disavowal | a disowning; repudiation; denial. |
| banal | devoid of freshness or originality; hackneyed; trite |
| accolade | any award, honor, or laudatory notice |
| delineate | to trace the outline of; sketch or trace in outline; represent pictorially |
| surreptitious | obtained, done, made, etc., by stealth; secret or unauthorized; clandestine |
| arduous | requiring great exertion; laborious; difficult |
| abate | to reduce in amount, degree, intensity, etc |
| pallor | unusual or extreme paleness, as from fear, ill health, or death |
| pejorative | having a disparaging, derogatory, or belittling effect or force |
| prostrate | to cast (oneself) face down on the ground in humility, submission, or adoration. |
| timorous | full of fear; fearful |
| gossamer | something extremely light, flimsy, or delicate. |
| tortuous | full of twists, turns, or bends; twisting, winding, or crooked: a tortuous path. |
| arcane | known or understood by very few; mysterious; secret; obscure; esoteric: |
| pastiche | an incongruous combination of materials, forms, motifs, etc., taken from different sources; hodgepodge. |
| placid | pleasantly calm or peaceful; unruffled; tranquil; serenely quiet orundisturbed |
| glib | easy or unconstrained, as actions or manners. |
| furtively | taken, done, used, etc., surreptitiously or by stealth; secret: a furtive glance. |
| thwart | to oppose successfully; prevent from accomplishing a purpose. |
| pertinacious | holding tenaciously to a purpose, course of action, or opinion; resolute. |
| mollify | to soften in feeling or temper, as a person; pacify; appease. |
| languid | lacking in vigor or vitality; slack or slow: a languid manner. |
| wanderlust | a strong, innate desire to rove or travel about. |
| ambulate | to walk about or move from place to place. |
| torpor | sluggish inactivity or inertia. |
| myriad | a very great or indefinitely great number of persons or things. |
| culpability | guilt or blame that is deserved; blameworthiness. |
| convergent | tending to come together; merging. |
| acrimonious | caustic, stinging, or bitter in nature, speech, behavior, etc. |
| subsume | to consider or include (an idea, term, proposition, etc.) as part of a more comprehensive one. |
| collude | to act together through a secret understanding, especially with evil or harmful intent. |
| ductile | able to undergo change of form without breaking. |
| dolorous | full of, expressing, or causing pain or sorrow; grievous; mournful: |
| usurp | to use without authority or right; employ wrongfully |
| imbibe | to absorb or soak up, as water, light, or heat, knowledge |
| mercurial | changeable; volatile; fickle; flighty; erratic |
| salutary | promoting or conducive to some beneficial purpose; wholesome. |
| blasphemy | impious utterance or action concerning God or sacred things. |
| calibrate | to determine, check, or rectify the graduation of |
| inimical | adverse in tendency or effect; unfavorable; harmful: a climate inimical to health. |
| lassitude | weariness of body or mind from strain, oppressive climate, etc.; lack of energy; listlessness; languor. |
| versed | experienced; practiced; skilled; learned (usually followed by in ): She was well versed in Greek and Latin. |
| fiscal | of or pertaining to the public treasury or revenues: fiscal policies. |
| propitious | presenting favorable conditions; favorable: propitious weather. |
| potable | fit or suitable for drinking: potable water. |
| ineluctable | incapable of being evaded; inescapable: an ineluctable destiny. |
| alacrity | liveliness; briskness. |
| raucous | harsh; strident; grating: raucous voices; raucous laughter |
| reverence | a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe; veneration. |
| dulcet | pleasant or agreeable to the eye or the feelings; soothing |
| charlatan | a person who pretends or claims to have more knowledge or skill than he or she possesses; quack. |
| gaucheness | lacking social grace, sensitivity, or acuteness; awkward; crude; tactless: Their exquisite manners always make me feel gauche. |
| desiccated | dehydrated or powdered: desiccated coconut. |
| vicissitude | a change or variation occurring in the course of something |
| feral | of or characteristic of wild animals; ferocious; brutal. |
| prevarication | a false or deliberate misstatement; lie: Her many prevarications had apparently paid off; she was free to go. |
| effete | lacking in wholesome vigor; degenerate; decadent: an effete, overrefined society. |
| approbation | official approval or sanction. |
| facetious | not meant to be taken seriously or literally: a facetious remark. |
| pellucid | clear in meaning, expression, or style: a pellucid way of writing. |
| obduracy | unmoved by persuasion, pity, or tender feelings; stubborn; unyielding. |
| perfunctory | performed merely as a routine duty; hasty and superficial: perfunctory courtesy |
| neophyte | a beginner or novice |
| affability | showing warmth and friendliness; benign; pleasant |
| scurrilous | grossly or obscenely abusive: a scurrilous attack on the mayor. |
| perspicacity | keenness of mental perception and understanding; discernment; penetration. |
| admonish | to caution, advise, or counsel against something. |
| odious | deserving or causing hatred; hateful; detestable. |
| repugnance | strong distaste, aversion, or objection; antipathy. |
| disingenuous | free from reserve, restraint, or dissimulation; candid; sincere. |
| dawdle | to move slowly, languidly, or dilatorily; saunter. |
| morose | expressing gloom. |
| bellicose | inclined or eager to fight; aggressively hostile; belligerent; pugnacious. |
| virulent | actively poisonous; intensely noxious: a virulent insect bite. |
| abstruse | hard to understand; recondite; esoteric: abstruse theories. |
| acquiesce | to assent tacitly; submit or comply silently or without protest; agree; consent: to acquiesce halfheartedly in a business plan. |
| torpid | inactive or sluggish. |
| daft | senseless, stupid, or foolish. |
| incendiary | of or pertaining to the criminal setting on fire of property. |
| churlish | a rude, boorish, or surly person. |
| dexterous | skillful or adroit in the use of the hands or body. |
| axiom | a self evident truth that requires no proof. |
| verisimilitude | the appearance or semblance of truth; likelihood; probability: The play lacked verisimilitude. |
| insolent | boldly rude or disrespectful; contemptuously impertinent; insulting: an insolent reply. |
| recondite | dealing with very profound, difficult, or abstruse subject matter: a recondite treatise. |
| irenic | tending to promote peace or reconciliation; peaceful or conciliatory. |
| rostrum | platform or stage for public speaking |
| acerbic | harsh or severe, as of temper or expression: acerbic criticism. |
| temerity | reckless boldness; rashness |
| lambaste | to beat or whip severely |
| exculpatory | tending to clear from a charge of fault or guilt. |
| repartee | a quick, witty reply. |
| boor | a churlish, rude, or unmannerly person. |
| cessation | a temporary or complete stopping; discontinuance: a cessation of hostilities. |
| vehemence | vigorous impetuosity; fury: the vehemence of his attack. |
| repudiate | to cast off or disown: to repudiate a son. |
| decry | to denounce or criticize |
| denigrate | to speak ill of; to belittle |
| derivative | copied or adapted |
| diatribe | an abusive, insulting verbal attack |
| disabuse | to free someone of believing something that is untrue |
| dissemble | to disguise or conceal |
| dubious | unsure, skeptical |
| eclectic | combining elements from many different sources or styles |
| egregious | noticeably bad or offensive |
| eloquent | very clear and precise; quality of being skilled in clear and precise speech |
| emollient | softening or soothing; a softening agent |
| emulate | to follow an admirable example; imitate |
| engender | to give rise to; originate |
| enigmatic | unexplainable, puzzling |
| ephemeral | temporary, fleeting |
| esoteric | understood by few people; mysterious |
| estimable | admirable; deserving of esteem |
| exacerbate | to intensify bitterness or violence |
| formidable | capable of arousing fear or awe |
| fortuitous | happening by accident or chance |
| garrison | a military post; the troops stationed at a military post |
| garrulous | very talkative |
| gratuitous | for no reason or at no cost |
| harrow | to torment or cause suffering and agony |
| harangue | a scolding or a long or intense verbal attack; diatribe. |
| superfluous | unnecessary or needless. |
| trenchancy | clearly or sharply defined; clear cut; distinct. |
| valiant | boldly courageous; brave; stout hearted: a valiant soldier. |
| vituperative | verbal abuse or castigation; violent denunciation or condemnation |
| quatrain | a stanza or poem of four lines, usually with alternate rhymes |
| impervious | not permitting penetration or passage; impenetrable: The coat is impervious to rain. |
| vaunty | boastful; vain. |
| vociferous | crying out noisily; clamorous. |
| larder | a supply of food |
| futile | incapable of producing any result; ineffective; useless; not successful |
| invidious | calculated to create ill will or resentment or give offense; hateful: invidious remarks. |
| importune | to press or beset with solicitations; demand with urgency or persistence. |
| unctuous | having an oily or soapy feel, as certain minerals. |
| natty | neatly or trimly smart in dress or appearance; spruce: |
| plod | to walk heavily or move laboriously; trudge |
| zenith | a highest point or state; culmination. |
| droll | amusing in an odd way; whimsically humorous; waggish. |
| onerous | burdensome, oppressive, or troublesome; causing hardship |
| enrapture | ecstatic joy or delight; joyful ecstasy. |
| prolix | extended to great, unnecessary, or tedious length; long and wordy. |
| qualm | an uneasy feeling or pang of conscience as to conduct; compunction |
| veritable | Obsolete . true, as a statement or tale. |
| Imperturbable | hard to excite or upset, very calm |
| Inchoate | poorly formed or formless |
| Incongruous | inconsistent, lacking in harmony |
| Incorrigible | impossible to change or reform |
| Ingenuity | cleverness or imagination |
| Inscrutable | difficult to understand; having an obscure nature |
| Insipid | dull; lacking in flavor or zest |
| Insular | isolated; narrow minded |
| Intractable | difficult to manage; stubborn |
| Inure | to cause to accept something that is undesirable; habituate |
| Invariable | not subject to question or change, constant |
| Listless | characterized by a lack of energy |
| Loquacious | very talkative or rambling |
| Magnanimous | courageous, generous, or noble |
| Malevolent | purposefully wishing harm on others |
| Mar | to inflict damage or blemishes on |
| Melancholy | glum; deep contemplative thought |
| Mettle | courage |
| Mitigate | causing something to be less intense, forceful, or harmful |
| Munificence | the act of liberally giving |
| Obscurity | the condition of being unknown |
| Obsolete | no longer in use; outmoded or old fashioned |
| Obviate | to render unnecessary |
| Ostracize | to eliminate from a group |
| Parse | to break down into components |
| Pedantic | characterized by a narrow concern for detail, particularly in academics |
| Penchant | a tendency or fondness |
| Percolate | to slowly pass through |
| Perpetuate | to prolong the existence or idea of; to make everlasting |
| Presage | an omen or other warning sign |
| Prescience | foresight; the power to see the future |
| Prodigal | wasteful ; extravagant |
| Progeny | offspring or product |
| Quaff | to drink heartily |
| Quotidian | ordinary, occurring daily |
| Reproach | to express disapproval |
| Resolute | definite, determined |
| Resonant | strong and deep; lasting |
| Rigor | strictness or severity |
| Sage | one revered for experience and wisdom |
| Sanctimonious | feigning piety or righteousness |
| Sedulous | persevering, industrious |
| Solace | comfort, safety |
| Specious | appearing to be true or genuine but actually deceptive |
| didactic | intended for the purposes of moral teaching or instructing, even when such instruction is not necessary or welcome |
| placate | to calm |
| squelch | to crush or silence |
| static | fixed or stationary |
| stint | a length of time spent in a particular way |
| stoic | indifferent or unaffected |
| substantiate | to validate or support |
| tout | to promote or solicit |
| transcend | to go above and beyond; to rise above |
| transpose | to reverse the order of; interchange |
| unalloyed | pure; complete |
| unilaterally | performed in a one sided manner |
| unstinting | very generous; bestowed liberally |
| urbanity | refinement and elegance |
| utilitarian | useful or practical |
| venerable | highly esteemed or respected; commanding respect |
| veracity | truthfulness |
| effrontery | rude and presumptuous behavior |
| versatile | having many uses or a variety of abilities |
| vilify | to make negative statements about; to malign |
| vindicate | to clear someone or something from blame |
| xenophobe | distrustful of strangers or foreign people |
| solicitous | concerned; thoughtful |
| tangential | slightly connected; superficially relevant |
| postulate | to put forth or assert |
| subvert | to undermine, ruin, or overthrow |
| miscreant | villain; evildoer |
| stanch | to stop or check the flow of |
| erudite | learned; having great knowledge |
| guile | cunning; shrewdess |
| verbose | wordy; long winded |
| vituperate | to criticize in an abusive way |
| wane | to gradually decrease |
| wary | cautious and untrusting |
| whet | to sharpen or stimulate |
| wily | very sly, deceptive |
| irascible | easily angered |
| voracious | excessively greedy; ravenous |
| relegate | to refer or assign to a particular place or category |
| paragon | an example of excellence |
| proliferate | to grow or increase rapidly |
| promulgate | to proclaim, usually in reference to rules or laws |
| propagate | to cause to multiply or spread |
| prowess | great skill or ability in something |
| refute | to prove to be false; to deny the truth of |
| hackneyed | unoriginal, overused |
| zealous | very passionate or enthusiastic |
| tenuous | very thin or consisting of little substance |
| surfeit | an overabundance or excess |
| quixotic | unpredictable and impractical |
| dissonance | a harsh and disagreeable combination, often of sounds |
| idiosyncrasy | a peculiar characteristic |
| derision | use of ridicule to show contempt |
| divest | to get rid of |
| reparation | compensation given to make amends |
| variegated | having a variety of colors or marks |
| peruse | to examine or review something |
| Inundate | to quickly overwhelm or exceed capacity |
| Interpolate | to insert or introduce between, often to falsify |
| Venal | corruptible, open to bribery |
| Juxtapose | to place things next to each other in order to compare or contrast |
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