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My Excel Sheet
All the words that I have learnt
| Word | Definition & Usage |
|---|---|
| aberrent | Deviating from the proper or expected course. |
| abet | To encourage or support a crime |
| abrogate | To abolish, do away with, or annul, especially by authority. |
| acclivity | An upward slope, as of a hill. |
| accrue | To increase, accumulate, or come about as a result of growth. "common sense that accrues with experience." |
| advocate | support |
| affluent | Rich. Also Plentiful; abundant. Also Flowing freely; copious. |
| alacrity | willingness, eagerness displayed by quick, lively action |
| allure | to tempt with something desirable; attract |
| altruism | Unselfish regard or devotion to other's welfare |
| amalgamate | to mix or merge so as to make a combination; blend; unite; combine |
| ameliorate | To improve or make better |
| ancillary | Auxiliary; helping |
| antagonize | to oppose |
| antidiluvian | very old, old-fashioned, or out of date; antiquated; primitive; of or belonging to the period before the Flood. Gen. 7, 8 |
| aphasia | loss of ability to speak |
| aplomb | Self-confident assurance; poise |
| apposite | suited for the purpose; appropriate;apt |
| aquiesce | To consent or comply passively or without protest |
| arbitrage | The purchase of securities on one market for immediate resale on another market in order to profit from a price discrepancy |
| arduous | Demanding great effort or labor; difficult. "the arduous work of preparing a Dictionary" |
| arraign | To call to account; accuse; indict |
| asinine | Utterly stupid or silly |
| assidious | deligent, persevering, very careful and hard working |
| astute | Having or showing a clever awareness and resourcefulness in practical matters |
| attrition | A rubbing away or wearing down by friction. |
| averse | Having a feeling of opposition, distaste, or aversion; strongly disinclined |
| avocation | Activity other than profession |
| baroque | Elaborately and heavily ornamented |
| bellicose | belligerent |
| benison | a blessing; benediction |
| berate | To rebuke or scold angrily and at length |
| beseech | To request earnestly; beg for |
| bestial | beastlike, carnal, inhuman, brutal |
| blanch | to whiten by removing color; bleach |
| bland | not highly flavored, mild; also dull; also pleasant, smooth |
| blasé | Uninterested because of frequent exposure or indulgence. |
| blatant | Unpleasantly loud and noisy |
| bleak | bare; also cold and piercing; also without hope, depressing |
| brazen | Marked by flagrant and insolent audacity |
| broach | To bring up (a subject) for discussion or debate. To anounce |
| bucolic | Relating to or typical of the countryside or its people |
| cachet | A quality which makes something different from others |
| caprice | An impulsive change of mind. Unpredictable change |
| captious | faultfinding; difficult to please. |
| carousal | to drink much alcoholic liquor, esp. along with others having a noisy, merry time |
| carp | complain; find fault |
| carte blanche | unconditional authority; full discretionary power |
| cataclysm | cause of great destruction |
| caveat | A warning or caution |
| censure | An expression of strong disapproval or harsh criticism |
| chaste | Morally pure in thought or conduct; decent and modest |
| chicanery | deception by trickery or sophistry |
| chide | to express disapproval of; scold; reproach |
| churlish | boorish; rude, peasantlike |
| commensurate | Of the same size, extent, or duration as another. |
| commodious | Spacious; roomy |
| complaisant | Exhibiting a desire or willingness to please; cheerfully obliging. |
| conscientious | Thorough and assiduous |
| conspicuous | Easy to notice; obvious |
| craven | adj characterized by abject fear; cowardly. Also a coward |
| cumbersome | difficult to handle |
| dawdle | To take more time than necessary, To move aimlessly, to waste time |
| debauch | To lead away from excellence or virtue |
| debunk | To expose or ridicule the falseness, sham, or exaggerated claims of |
| decrepit | Weakened, worn out, impaired, or broken down by old age, illness, or hard use. |
| deference | Submission or courteous yielding to the opinion, wishes, or judgment of another |
| deleterious | Having a harmful effect; injurious |
| delinquency | Failure to do what law or duty requires. |
| deluge | flood |
| demur | To voice opposition; object |
| diaspora | A dispersion of a people from their original homeland. |
| dire | calling for quick action; urgent; also arousing terror |
| disseminate | To spread abroad; promulgate |
| dissonance | no harmony, lack of agreement |
| dote | To show excessive fondness or love |
| draconian | extremely severe or cruel |
| drivel | To slobber; drool; also To talk stupidly or childishly; also To allow to flow from the mouth. |
| eclectic | Made up of or combining elements from a variety of sources |
| edifice | An elaborate conceptual structure |
| effluence | 1.The act or an instance of flowing out. 2.Something that flows out or forth |
| elegy | pensive poem |
| emanate | Give out; To come or send forth, as from a source |
| emancipate | To free from bondage, oppression, or restraint; liberate. |
| embezzle | To take (money, for example) for one's own use in violation of a trust. Steal |
| endemic | Prevalent in or peculiar to a particular locality, region, or people |
| enervate | To weaken or destroy the strength or vitality of |
| entrench | establish firmly |
| epithet | A term used to characterize a person or thing |
| ethereal | Characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; intangible. |
| expedient | Appropriate to a purpose |
| expiate | To make amends or reparation for; atone "expiate one's sins by acts of penance. " |
| extol | to praise highly; laud |
| feint | A deceptive action calculated to divert attention from one's real purpose |
| ferret | To uncover and bring to light by searching |
| fervid | Expressing or characterized by warmth of feeling; passionate |
| flagrant | Conspicuously bad, offensive, or reprehensible |
| flay | To strip off the skin or outer covering of |
| frisson | A moment of intense excitement; a shudder "The story's ending arouses a frisson of terror." |
| frivolous | Unworthy of serious attention; trivial |
| fulminate | To issue a thunderous verbal attack , To explode or detonate "fulminated against political chicanery." |
| gaunt | extremely thin and bony; haggard and drawn, as from great hunger, weariness, or torture; emaciated. |
| gawky | Lacking dexterity and grace in physical movement |
| glean | To gather grain left behind by reapers. |
| glib | Performed with a natural, offhand ease |
| gorge | (v) To devour greedily, |
| grapple (v) | To seize and hold, as with a grapple |
| gratuitous | given or granted without return or recompense; unearned; also unnecessary |
| grisly | causing a shudder or feeling of horror; horrible; gruesome |
| grouchy | Tending to complain or grumble; peevish or grumpy. |
| gustatory | Of or relating to the sense of taste |
| gusto | vigorous enjoyment; also individual taste. |
| haggard | Appearing worn and exhausted; gaunt. |
| halcyon | calm; peaceful; tranquil |
| hapless | unlucky; luckless; unfortunate. |
| haughty | Scornfully and condescendingly proud |
| heed | to give careful attention to |
| hegemony | The predominant influence, as of a state, region, or group, over another or others. |
| ignominious | Marked by shame or disgrace |
| imbroglio | A difficult or intricate situation; an entanglement; A confused or complicated disagreement. |
| immure | To confine within or as if within walls; imprison. |
| impetus | An impelling force; an impulse. |
| incense | To cause to be extremely angry; infuriate. |
| indict | To accuse of wrongdoing; charge |
| indolent | Disinclined to exert oneself; habitually lazy |
| indomitable | Incapable of being overcome, subdued, or vanquished; unconquerable. |
| inducement | Something that helps bring about an action or a desired result; an incentive |
| ingrain | To fix deeply or indelibly, as in the mind |
| insolent | Presumptuous and insulting in manner or speech; arrogant. |
| lament | To express grief for or about; mourn |
| lampoon | A written attack ridiculing a person, group, or institution |
| languor | Lack of physical or mental energy; listless, lethargic, lazy |
| latent | present but not visible, apparent |
| laudable | Deserving honor, respect, or admiration |
| lax | not strict or severe; careless or negligent |
| loathe | To dislike (someone or something) greatly; abhor. |
| lucid | 1. Easily understood; intelligible. 2. Mentally sound; sane or rational. 3. Translucent or transparent. |
| lynch | To execute without due process of law, especially to hang, as by a mob. |
| maverick | rebel |
| mellifluous | Flowing with sweetness or honey |
| meritocracy | A system in which advancement is based on individual ability or achievement. |
| nepotism | Favoritism shown or patronage granted to relatives, as in business. |
| obtrusive | Thrusting out; protruding |
| ostensible | Appearing as such but not necessarily so |
| ostracize | To exclude from a goup/society through general consent |
| palpable | Easily perceived; obvious |
| pander | To cater to the lower tastes and desires of others or exploit their weaknesses |
| pellucid | Transparently clear in style or meaning |
| penchant | A definite liking; a strong inclination |
| pensive | Deeply, often wistfully or dreamily thoughtful. |
| penury | Extreme want or poverty; destitution. |
| perquisite | A perk, anything more than the normal salary |
| pervasive | Having the quality or tendency to pervade or permeate; spread thru out "the pervasive odor of garlic." |
| ponder | To weigh in the mind with thoroughness and care |
| prattle | to talk in a foolish or simple-minded way; chatter; babble |
| premise | A proposition upon which an argument is based or from which a conclusion is drawn. |
| probity | Complete and confirmed integrity; uprightness |
| profane | Marked by contempt or irreverence for what is sacred; Irreligious; vulgar |
| proffer | To offer for acceptance; tender |
| propensity | An innate inclination; a tendency |
| propitiate | To render favorably inclined; to appease; to conciliate (one offended). "Pagans practiced secret rites to propitiate the gods to avert drought" |
| prosaic | straightforward. Lacking in imagination and spirit; dull. |
| protean | Readily taking on varied shapes, forms, or meanings |
| provident | Providing for future needs or events. |
| provincial | Limited in perspective; narrow and self-centered. |
| puerile | Belonging to childhood; juvenile. Also immature; childish. |
| pugnacious | Combative in nature; belligerent |
| puissant | Powerful, mighty |
| pulchritude | Great physical beauty and appeal |
| punctilious | Strictly attentive to minute details of form in action or conduct |
| punitive | Inflicting or aiming to inflict punishment; punishing |
| pusillanimous | Lacking courage; cowardly |
| putative | general considered as such; reputed "putative boss of the group" |
| putrid | rotten |
| putsch | A sudden attempt by a group to overthrow a government. |
| quandary | A state of uncertainty or perplexity |
| rail | To express objections or criticisms in bitter, harsh, or abusive language. To scold |
| ramifications | A consequence growing out of and sometimes complicating a plan |
| rant | To speak or write in an angry or violent manner; rave. |
| recondite | Not easily understood; abstruse. Ambigious |
| recumberant | Lying down, especially in a position of comfort or rest; reclining |
| recuperate | To return to health or strength; recover |
| redolent | Having, emitting fragrance; aroma |
| reminiscent | Tending to bring a memory, mood, or image, for example, subtly or indirectly to mind |
| remonstrance | An expression of protest, complaint, especially a formal statement of grievances. |
| rend | To tear or split apart or into pieces violently |
| reprehensible | Deserving rebuke or censure; blameworthy |
| restive | Uneasily impatient under restriction, opposition, criticism, or delay |
| retentive | Having the quality, power, or capacity of retaining |
| revere | To regard with awe, deference, and devotion |
| reverie | daydreaming |
| rhetoric | Big talk |
| roil | To displease or disturb; vex |
| rote | A memorizing process using routine or repetition, often without full attention or comprehension |
| sartorical | Of or relating to a tailor |
| savvy | Well informed, well prepared, shrewd |
| scant | Barely sufficient. Inadequately supplied; short |
| scurrilous | Expressed in vulgar, coarse, and abusive language |
| sententious | Terse and energetic in expression; pithy. |
| servile | Abjectly submissive; slavish |
| shrew | A woman with a violent, scolding, or nagging temperament; a scold |
| sluggard | A slothful person; an idler. |
| sobriety | state of being sober; also seriousness, gravity, or solemnity |
| sobriquet | An affectionate or humorous nickname. |
| sophistry | A plausible but misleading or fallacious argument |
| status quo | The existing condition or state of affairs. |
| statute | A law enacted by a legislature. |
| steadfast | fixed in direction |
| stem | To stop or hold back by or as if by damming; stanch |
| stifle | To keep in or hold back; repress |
| stolid | having or showing little or no emotion or sensitivity; unexcitable; impassive |
| strait | difficulty; distress |
| stultify | To render useless or ineffectual; cripple. |
| subjugate | to bring under submission, conquer |
| sully | To mar the cleanness or luster of; soil or stain. |
| sunder | To break or wrench apart; sever |
| surfeit | To feed or supply to excess, satiety, or disgust |
| taut | Pulled or drawn tight; not slack |
| trite | Lacking power to evoke interest through overuse or repetition; hackneyed. |
| truculent | Disposed to fight; pugnacious |
| tumult | A disorderly commotion or disturbance. A riot |
| turbid | Heavy, dark, or dense, especially with impurities |
| ubiquitous | Seems to be everywhere at the same time |
| uncanny | Peculiarly unsettling, as if of supernatural origin or nature |
| uproarious | Loud and full; boisterous. Also causing hearty laughter, hilarious |
| vanguard | Those occupying a foremost position |
| venal | corrupt |
| veracious | honest, truthful |
| wanton | Undisciplined; spoiled; also immoral or unchaste; lewd. |
| whim | A sudden or capricious idea; a fancy. |
| wistful | full of wishful yearning. 2. Pensively sad; melancholy. |
| wrench | To twist; also to pull or yank |
| hypercritical | too critical; too severe in judgment; hard to please |
| intelligible | capable of being understood; comprehensible; clear |
| ignoble | of low character, aims, etc.; mean; of low grade |
| nefarious | extremely wicked or villainous; iniquitous: |
| illusive | based on or having the nature of an illusion |
| niggardly | reluctant to give or spend; stingy; miserly |
| hover | to keep lingering about;to remain in an uncertain or irresolute state; waver |
| hibernal | of or pertaining to winter; wintry |
| noisome | offensive or disgusting, as an odor. harmful or injurious to health; noxious. |
| hirsute | hairy, shaggy |
| hortatory | urging to some course of conduct or action; exhorting; persuading |
| hubbub | a loud, confused noise, as of many voices; tumult; uproar. |
| hummock | hillock |
| prodigal | wastefully or recklessly extravagant |
| husbandry | careful or thrifty management; frugality, thrift, or conservation. |
| quisling | A traitor who serves as the puppet of the enemy occupying his or her country. |
| odium | intense hatred or dislike, esp. toward a person or thing regarded as contemptible |
| jocular | suited to joking or jesting; waggish; facetious: |
| sardonic | characterized by bitter or scornful derision; mocking; cynical; sneering |
| obstreperous | noisely defiant or aggressive |
| jaundiced | baised, partial |
| opportune | appropriate, favorable, or suitable |
| irksome | annoying; irritating; exasperating; tiresome: irksome restrictions. |
| lachrymose | showing sorrow, dolorous; tending to cause tears; mournful |
| flippant | frivolously disrespectful; lacking in seriousness; characterized by levity "frivolously disrespectful; lacking in seriousness; characterized by levity" |
| opiate | any sedative, soporific, or narcotic. |
| opprobrium | Scornful reproach or contempt; A cause of shame or disgrace. |
| lackadaisical | without interest, vigor, or determination; listless; lethargic, indolent, lazy |
| jaded | exhausted, tired, had enough, dull by surfeit; a worn-out, broken-down |
| tardy | late; behind time; not on time |
| canon | a fundamental principle or general rule |
| tortuous | full of twists, turns, or bends; twisting, winding, or crooked; also indirect "a tortuous path" |
| exigent | requiring immediate action or aid; urgent; pressing; also demanding a greate deal |
| truculent | fierce; cruel; savagely brutal; also belligerent. |
| ebullience | high spirits; exhilaration; exuberance; a boiling over; overflow. |
| stymie | to hinder, block, or thwart |
| filibuster | The use of obstructionist tactics, especially prolonged speechmaking, for the purpose of delaying legislative action. |
| emollient | having the power of softening or relaxing, as a medicinal substance; soothing, esp. to the skin |
| effrontery | shameless or impudent boldness; barefaced audacity: "She had the effrontery to ask for two free samples." |
| onerous | burdensome, oppressive, or troublesome; causing hardship |
| bolster | to support with or as with a pillow or cushion. |
| torpid | dormant, sleepy; also lethargic slow |
| precursor | a person or thing that precedes, as in a job, a method, etc.; predecessor. |
| empirical | derived from experimentation and not from theory. |
| enigmatic | mysterious, perplexing |
| chary | cautious or careful; wary: also shy, timid. "He was chary of investing in oil wells." |
| erudite | characterized by great knowledge; learned or scholarly |
| predilection | preference, penchant, liking, orientation |
| quaff | to drink (a beverage) copiously and heartily "We spent the whole evening quaffing ale" |
| esoteric | understood by or meant for only the select few who have special knowledge or interest; recondite |
| inured | to accustom to hardship, difficulty, pain "Though the food became no more palatable, he soon became sufficiently inured to it" |
| extemporaneous | done, spoken, performed, etc., without preparation; impromptu: "an extemporaneous speech." |
| perfunctory | performed merely as a routine duty; hasty and superficial "a perfunctory courtesy" |
| exonerate | to clear, as of an accusation; free from guilt or blame; exculpate "He was exonerated from the accusation of cheating." |
| facetious | not meant to be taken seriously or literally "a facetious remark" |
| jeremiad | a prolonged lamentation or mournful complaint |
| fallacy | a deceptive, misleading, or false notion, belief, etc. "That the world is flat was at one time a popular fallacy." |
| vilify | to speak ill of; defame; slander |
| irascible | easily provoked to anger; very irritable "An irascible old man" |
| virulent | actively poisonous; intensely noxious "a virulent insect bite" |
| quiescent | being at rest; quiet; still; inactive or motionless |
| contrite | filled with a sense of guilt and the desire for atonement; penitent; remorseful |
| furtive | taken, done, used, etc., surreptitiously or by stealth; secret "a furtive glance" |
| recant | to withdraw or disavow (a statement, opinion, etc.), esp. formally; retract. |
| prevaricate | to speak falsely or misleadingly; deliberately misstate or create an incorrect impression; lie. |
| inveigle | to entice, lure, or ensnare by flattery or artful talk or inducements; cajole |
| redoubtable | awe-inspiring; worthy of respect |
| harangue | a scolding or a long or intense verbal attack; long, pompous speech |
| didactic | intended for instruction; instructive; teaching or intending to teach a moral lesson. |
| nascent | beginning to exist or develop "India was a nascent republic in 1950's" |
| morose | gloomily or sullenly ill-humored, as a person or mood |
| incipient | beginning to exist or appear; in an initial stage "October is the time in Delhi when you start to feel the incipient cold" |
| solicitous | anxious or concerned; also eager "solicitous about a person's health." |
| inert | inactive or sluggish by habit or nature; Unable to move or act |
| sordid | Filthy or dirty; foul; squalid, wretched |
| neologism | a new word, meaning, usage, or phrase; act of making a new word |
| sporadic | appearing or happening at irregular intervals in time; occasional "sporadic renewals of enthusiasm" |
| discretion | the quality of being discreet; prudence or decorum "All the decisions were left to our discretion." |
| vehement | zealous; ardent; impassioned; also strong |
| fractious | readily angered; peevish; irritable; quarrelsome "Albert Pinto was an icorrigibly fractious young man" |
| squalid | foul and repulsive, as from lack of care or cleanliness; neglected and filthy. Also wretched; miserable; degraded; sordid. |
| preen | to dress (oneself) carefully or smartly; primp; also congratulation oneself "The king preened himself in his elaborate ceremonial robes." |
| dogmatic | asserting opinions in a doctrinaire or arrogant manner; opinionated |
| pernicious | causing insidious harm or ruin; ruinous; injurious; hurtful |
| intransigent | refusing to agree or compromise; uncompromising; inflexible. |
| prodigious | extraordinary in size, amount, extent, degree, force, etc.: |
| diatribe | a bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism "repeated diatribes against the senator." |
| qualms | An uneasy/disturbing feeling about the propriety or rightness of a course of action |
| flout | to treat with disdain, scorn, or contempt; scoff at |
| hyperbole | exaggeration; an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally, as “to wait an eternity.” |
| perfidy | deliberate breach of faith or trust; faithlessness; treachery |
| peruse | to read through with thoroughness or care |
| idolatrous | worshiping idols; blindly adoring |
| mendacity | an instance of lying; falsehood; dishonesty |
| rancorous | Bitter, long-lasting resentment; deep-seated ill will; |
| relegate | to send or consign to an inferior position; to send into exile; banish; to consign or commit |
| obsequious | characterized by or showing servile complaisance or deference; fawning |
| pedantic | Characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning and formal rules |
| plethora | overabundance; excess "a plethora of advice and a paucity of assistance" |
| paucity | Lack, Scarcity "There was a paucity of drinking water during the drought" |
| polemical | a controversial argument, as one against some opinion, doctrine, etc. controversial |
| disabuse | to free (a person) from deception or error "I must disabuse you of your feelings of grandeur." |
| precipitate | to hasten the occurrence of; bring about prematurely, hastily, or suddenly |
| desiccate | to dry thoroughly; dry up. to preserve (food) by removing moisture; dehydrate. |
| astringent | harshly biting; caustic; also stern or severe; austere. |
| quixotic | extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; visionary; also foolishly impractical |
| maven | dazzingly skilled in a skill; an expect |
| derision | ridicule; mockery "The inept performance elicited derision from the audience." |
| imminent | likely to occur at any moment; impending "Her death is imminent." |
| partisan | Devoted to or biased in support of a party, group, or cause |
| wag | A humorous or droll person; a wit. |
| hedonism | the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the highest good. |
| sap | to drain out |
| sanction | authoritative permission or approval, as for an action. |
| ford | a place where a river or other body of water is shallow enough to be crossed by wading. Also to cross a ford |
| sincere | free of deceit, hypocrisy, or falseness; earnest; genuine |
| parry | to ward off (a weapon), as in fencing; avert. to turn aside; evade or dodge "to parry an embarrassing question." |
| slapdash | in a hasty, haphazard manner |
| convoluted | to coil up; form into a twisted shape. |
| rill | small river |
| anathema | A formal ecclesiastical ban, curse, or excommunication. |
| maudlin | tearfully or weakly emotional; foolishly sentimental "a maudlin story of a little orphan and her lost dog." |
| guile | insidious cunning in attaining a goal; crafty or artful deception; duplicity. |
| exuberant | effusively and almost uninhibitedly enthusiastic; lavishly abundant "an exuberant welcome for the hero." |
| deft | adroit, skilled |
| sanguine | cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident |
| sublime | Characterized by nobility; majestic; also Inspiring awe; impressive. |
| dirge | a funeral song or tune, or one expressing mourning in commemoration of the dead. |
| swindle | to cheat (a person, business, etc.) out of money or other assets. |
| curmudgeon | a bad-tempered, difficult, cantankerous person. |
| miscreant | An evildoer; a villain. |
| wheedle | To persuade or attempt to persuade by flattery or guile; cajole. |
| stockade | an enclosure or pen made with posts and stakes. |
| repugnant | distasteful, objectionable, or offensive |
| usury | the lending or practice of lending money at an exorbitant interest. |
| foreclose | To exclude or rule out; bar. |
| diminutive | small; little; tiny "a diminutive building for a model-train layout." |
| peccadillo | a very minor or slight sin or offense; a trifling fault. |
| tiff | a slight or petty quarrel. |
| panegyric | a lofty oration or writing in praise of a person or thing; eulogy. |
| plagiarize | to copy somebody else's work and showing as your own |
| vapid | lacking or having lost life, sharpness, or flavor; insipid; flat |
| spate | a sudden, almost overwhelming, outpouring "a spate of angry words." |
| profligate | recklessly prodigal or extravagant. Recklessly wasteful; wildly extravagant. |
| hubris | excessive pride or self-confidence; arrogance. |
| trenchant | incisive or keen, as language or a person; caustic; cutting |
| intractable | not easily controlled or directed; not docile or manageable; stubborn; obstinate |
| untenable | incapable of being defended, as an argument, thesis, etc.; not fit to be occupied |
| decorum | dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc. |
| variegated | multicolored |
| divulge | to disclose or reveal (something private, secret, or previously unknown). |
| vituperate | To rebuke or criticize harshly or abusively; berate. |
| refulgent | shining brightly; radiant; gleaming "Crystal chandeliers and gilded walls made the opera house a refulgent setting for the ball." |
| pine | to fail gradually in health or vitality from grief, regret, or longing "Separated by their families, the lovers pined away." |
| obstinate | firmly or stubbornly adhering to one's purpose, opinion, etc.; not yielding to argument, persuasion, or entreaty. Not easily controlled |
| impassive | without emotion; apathetic; unmoved. |
| impunity | exemption from punishment |
| scapegoat | to be blamed for others mistakes |
| unsolicited | not sought, not requested |
| rummage | make an energetic thorough search |
| promulgate | announce officially "MindTree Consulting Ltd. promulgated its financial results for FY06-07" |
| hapless | Unfortunate "Kicking the ball into your own goal was a hapless mistake" |
| quintessential | perfect example "Lance Armstrong's perception of teamwork is quintessential " |
| protagonist | main character |
| usurp | Take the place of "Gloom had usurped mirth at the party after the news of the terrorist act broke." |
| famish | To suffer from lack of something necessary "The climbers were famished when they finally reached the summit." |
| incite | To provoke and urge on |
| cynosure | something that provides guidance; also center of attraction "Let faith be your cynosure to walk by." |
| embroil | Force into some kind of situation, condition "Cricketer Maninder singh is embroiled in a drug abuse case" |
| expedite | Speed up the progress, Do it efficiently "Handle this correspondence expeditiously" |
| serendipity | good fortune; luck: aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident. "the serendipity of getting the first job she applied for." |
| recalcitrant | resisting authority or control; hard to deal with, manage, or operate. "Donkeys are reputed to be the most recalcitrant of animals." |
| histrionic | of or pertaining to actors or acting |
| parched | To make extremely dry, especially by exposure to heat "The midsummer sun parched the earth." |
| anhydrous | Without water, especially water of crystallization. |
| tempestuous | tumultuous; turbulent |
| pedestrian | lacking in vitality, imagination, distinction, etc.; commonplace; prosaic or dull |
| perjure | To make (oneself) guilty of perjury by deliberately testifying falsely under oath. |
| portent | An indication of something important or calamitous about to occur; an omen; also a prodigy |
| glower | to look or stare with sullen dislike, discontent, or anger. |
| arboreal | living in trees |
| veal | meat from calf |
| olfactory | of or pertaining to the sense of smell |
| effusive | Unrestrained or excessive in emotional expression; also Profuse; overflowing |
| traduce | malign, slander |
| incandescent | intensely bright; brilliant. Also masterly; extraordinarily lucid |
| venison | meat from deer |
| ribald | vulgar or indecent in speech, language, etc.; coarsely mocking, abusive, or irreverent; scurrilous. |
| turgid | swollen; distended; tumid |
| iridescent | displaying a play of lustrous colors like those of the rainbow. |
| sidereal | related to stars |
| millinery | women's hats and other articles made or sold by milliners. |
| preamble | introduction to the constitute, statute |
| wanderlust | strong desire to travel. |
| stratus | a cloud of a class characterized by a gray, horizontal layer with a uniform base |
| wane | grow small |
| wax | grow big |
| hone | whetstone used for sharpening tools. To sharpen (a skill) |
| gavel | a small mallet used by the presiding officer of a meeting, a judge, etc., usually to signal for attention or order. |
| shoat | young pig |
| drone | to say in a dull, monotonous tone. |
| taunt | to reproach in a sarcastic, insulting, or jeering manner; mock. |
| prune | to cut or lop superfluous or undesired twigs, branches, or roots from; trim. Also a dried plum |
| flurry | light snow shower |
| lull | to soothe or quiet; a temporary calm, quiet, or stillness |
| doughty | Marked by fearless resolution; valiant; brave. |
| sapid | Having taste or flavor, especially having a strong pleasant flavor; agreeable, to one's liking |
| ruse | a trick, stratagem, or artifice. |
| prig | A person who demonstrates an exaggerated conformity or propriety, especially in an irritatingly arrogant or smug manner. |
| abrade | to wear off or down by scraping or rubbing. |
| dyslexia | reading disorder |
| heckler | to harass (a public speaker, performer, etc.) with impertinent questions |
| bluster | to be loud, noisy, or swaggering; utter loud, empty menaces or protests |
| fallow | (of land) plowed and left unseeded for a season or more; uncultivated. |
| bunglar | to do clumsily and awkwardly; botch |
| reprimand | to reprove or rebuke severely, esp. in a formal way. |
| itinerary | a detailed plan for a journey, esp. a list of places to visit; plan of travel. |
| supplicate | to pray humbly; make humble and earnest entreaty or petition. |
| hobble | to walk lamely; limp. |
| troupe | a company, band, or group performers, esp. one that travels about. |
| jeer | to speak or shout derisively; scoff or gibe rudely; taunt "Don't jeer unless you can do better." |
| underscore | to stress; emphasize |
| inadvertent | unintentional |
| shirk | avoid (one's assigned duties); "The derelict soldier shirked his duties" |
| abstemious | sparing or moderate in eating and drinking "an abstemious diet." |
| ossify | to convert into or cause to harden like bone. |
| inordinate | not within proper or reasonable limits; immoderate; excessive "He drank an inordinate amount of wine." |
| conundrum | a riddle, the answer to which involves a pun or play on words, as What is black and white and read all over? A newspaper. |
| indigence | seriously impoverished condition; poverty. |
| agrarian | relating to land, land tenure, or the division of landed property |
| incentive | something that incites or tends to incite to action or greater effort, as a reward offered for increased productivity. |
| apellation | a name, title, or designation. |
| apparition | a supernatural appearance of a person or thing, esp. a ghost "a ghostly apparition at midnight." |
| undermine | to weaken or cause to collapse by removing underlying support; to injure |
| pry | to inquire impertinently or unnecessarily into something "to pry into the personal affairs of others." |
| roster | a list of persons or groups with their turns or periods of duty. As in military |
| fearsome | causing fear, awe or respect |
| inundate | to flood; cover or overspread with water |
| veneer | a thin layer of wood or other material for facing or inlaying wood. |
| gild | to coat with gold, gold leaf, or a gold-colored substance. |
| emigrate | to leave one country or region to settle in another; migrate |
| decamp | to depart quickly, secretly, or unceremoniously |
| artery | A major route of transportation into which local routes; highway |
| burgeon | to grow or develop quickly; flourish "The town burgeoned into a city." |
| plumb | a small mass of lead or other heavy material, as that suspended by a line and used to measure the depth of water or to ascertain a vertical line. |
| chestnut | overused anecdote |
| seine | A large fishing net made to hang vertically in the water by weights at the lower edge and floats at the top. |
| totter | to walk or go with faltering steps, as if from extreme weakness. Or childishly |
| badger | to harass or urge persistently; pester; nag |
| besiege | to assail or ply, as with requests or demands; plead persistantly |
| gall | impudence; effrontery. |
| confound | to perplex or amaze, esp. by a sudden disturbance or surprise "The complicated directions confounded him." |
| yearn | to have an earnest or strong desire; long; to feel moves "to yearn for a quiet vacation.They yearned over their delicate child." |
| stark | sheer, utter, downright, or complete; also extremely simple or severe "stark madness." "a stark interior." |
| digerati | people skilled with or knowledgeable about digital technologies, esp. computers and the Internet. |
| vainglory | excessive elation or pride over one's own achievements, abilities, etc.; boastful vanity. |
| fleece | to deprive of money or belongings by fraud, hoax, or the like; swindle He fleeced the stranger of several dollars. |
| dissimulate | to disguise or conceal under a false appearance; dissemble to dissimulate one's true feelings about a rival. |
| castigated | to criticize or reprimand severely; to punish in order to correct. |
| inculpate | to charge with fault; blame; accuse. |
| drub | to beat with a stick or the like; cudgel; flog; thrash. |
| adulate | to show excessive admiration or devotion to; flatter or admire servilely. |
| redound | to have a good/bad effect or result, as to the (dis)advantage of a person Glory redounds upon the brave. |
| lionize | to treat (a person) as a celebrity to lionize the visiting poet. |
| confound | to perplex or amaze, esp. by surprise; bewilder; confuse The complicated directions confounded him. |
| adumbrate | to produce a faint image or resemblance of; to outline or sketch. |
| dissuade | to deter by advice or persuasion; persuade not to do something She dissuaded him from leaving home. |
| conviction | an unshakable belief in something without need for proof or evidence |
| exacerbate | to increase the severity, bitterness, or violence of (disease, ill feeling, etc.); aggravate. |
| fluster | to put into a state of agitated confusion His constant criticism flustered me. |
| pepper | to pelt with or as if with shot or missiles They peppered the speaker with hard questions. |
| disseminate | to scatter or spread widely; promulgate extensively; broadcast; disperse to disseminate information about preventive medicine. |
| leer | to look with a sideways or oblique glance; a lascivious or sly look. I can't concentrate with you leering at me. |
| dither | a state of flustered excitement or fear; to act irresolutely; vacillate. |
| malinger | to pretend illness, esp. in order to shirk one's duty, avoid work, etc. |
| ail | to be unwell; feel pain; be ill He's been ailing for some time. |
| lien | The right to take and hold or sell the property of a debtor as security or payment for a debt or duty. |
| florid | flowery; excessively ornate; showy florid writing. |
| embellish | to beautify by or as if by ornamentation; ornament; adorn |
| decry | to speak disparagingly of; denounce as faulty or worthless; She decried the lack of support for the arts in this country. |
| engender | to produce, cause, or give rise to Hatred engenders violence. |
| excoriate | remove skin, flay; also to denounce or berate severely, flay verbally |
| vitiate | to impair the quality of; make faulty; spoil |
| salutary | favorable to or promoting health; healthful. |
| presage | An indication or warning of a future occurrence; an omen. |
| blindside | to attack critically where a person is vulnerable, uninformed |
| efficacy | capacity for producing a desired result or effect; effectiveness a remedy of great efficacy. |
| dissipation | to scatter in various directions; disperse; dispel. |
| repudiate | to reject as having no authority or binding force to repudiate a claim. |
| inchoate | not yet completed; rudimentary; also just begun, incipient |
| rescind | to abrogate; annul; revoke; repeal. |
| occlude | To cause to become closed; obstruct occlude an artery. occlude light; occlude the flow of blood. |
| vile | wretchedly vile; menial; of no value |
| comportment | personal bearing or conduct; demeanor; behavior. |
| supercede | To take the place of; replace; To cause to be set aside |
| contravene | to come or be in conflict with; go or act against; deny or oppose: to violate, infringe, or transgress |
| supplanted | To displace and substitute for (another) The word processor has largely supplanted electric typewriters. |
| ominous | portending evil or harm; foreboding; threatening; inauspicious an ominous bank of dark clouds. |
| contumacious | stubbornly perverse or rebellious; willfully and obstinately disobedient. |
| rue | sorrow; repentance; regret. |
| allay | to put (fear, doubt, suspicion, anger, etc.) to rest; calm; quiet; to lessen or relieve; mitigate; alleviate |
| wield | To exercise (authority or influence, for example) effectively. |
| scathe | to attack with severe criticism. |
| beguile | to influence by trickery, flattery, etc.; mislead; delude. |
| augur | to divine or predict, as from omens; prognosticate. |
| asseverate | to declare earnestly or solemnly; affirm positively; aver. |
| baleful | full of menacing or malign influences; pernicious. |
| assay | to examine or analyze to assay a situation |
| bilge | to bulge or swell out |
| blandish | to coax or influence by gentle flattery; cajole They blandished the guard into letting them through the gate. |
| bedizen | to dress or adorn in a showy, gaudy, or tasteless manner. |
| burnish | to make smooth and bright. |
| revel | to take great pleasure or delight (usually fol. by in) to revel in luxury. |
| upheaval | strong or violent change or disturbance, as in a society |
| percolate | to pass through a porous substance; filter; ooze; seep; trickle. |
| parlance | a way or manner of speaking; vernacular; idiom legal parlance. |
| mendicate | to beg |
| cauterize | to burn with a hot iron, electric current, fire, or a caustic, esp. for curative purposes; treat with a cautery. |
| transgress | to pass over or go beyond (a limit, boundary, etc.) to transgress bounds of prudence. |
| exhorbitant | exceeding bounds of custom, propriety, or reason, esp. in amount to charge an exorbitant price |
| despoil | to strip of possessions, things of value, etc.; rob; plunder; pillage. |
| proclivity | natural or habitual inclination or tendency; propensity; predisposition a proclivity to meticulousness. |
| luminosity | the quality of being intellectually brilliant, enlightened, inspired, etc. The luminosity of his poetry is unequaled. |
| vitriol | Bitterly abusive feeling or expression. |
| virtuosity | the character, ability, or skill of a virtuoso;a fondness for or interest in virtu. |
| cavil | to raise irritating and trivial objections; find fault with unnecessarily He finds something to cavil at in everything I say. |
| cabal | a small group of secret plotters, as against a government or person in authority. the plots and schemes of such a group. |
| cachinnate | to laugh loudly or immoderately. |
| cadge | to beg or obtain by begging. |
| calumniate | to make false and malicious statements about; slander. |
| aspersion | a damaging or derogatory remark or criticism; slander casting aspersions on a campaign rival. |
| caparison | rich and sumptuous clothing or equipment. to dress richly; deck. |
| arrant | inpudent; downright; thorough; unmitigated; notorious |
| celerity | alacrity; swiftness; speed. |
| felicity | the state of being happy, esp. in a high degree; bliss; pleasing manner marital felicity. |
| denigrate | to speak damagingly of; sully; defame; also to make black rain clouds denigrating the sky. |
| contemn | to treat or regard with disdain, scorn, or contempt. |
| defalcate | To misuse funds; embezzle. |
| quotidian | usual or customary; everyday; also ordinary; commonplace paintings of no more than quotidian artistry. |
| deposition | removal from an office or position. |
| expunge | to strike or blot out; erase; obliterate; to efface; wipe out or destroy. |
| denouement | The outcome of a sequence of events; the end result. |
| phlegmatic | not easily excited to action or display of emotion; apathetic; sluggish. Also calm, or composed |
| decorous | characterized by dignified propriety in conduct, manners, appearance, character, etc. |
| acarpous | not producing fruit; sterile; barren. |
| descant | to comment or discourse at great length. |
| infelicitous | inapt, inappropriate, or awkward; malapropos an infelicitous remark. |
| deprecate | to depreciate; belittle. to express earnest disapproval of. |
| continence | self-restraint or abstinence, esp. in regard to sexual activity; temperance; moderation. |
| dissemble | to put on the appearance of; feign to dissemble innocence. |
| cozen | to cheat, deceive, or trick. |
| sanctimonious | making a hypocritical show of religious devotion, piety, righteousness, etc |
| decrepit | weakened by old age; feeble; infirm a decrepit man who can hardly walk. |
| lassitude | weariness of body or mind from strain, oppressive climate, etc.; lack of energy; listlessness; languor. |
| descry | to see (something unclear or distant) by looking carefully; discern; espy The lookout descried land. |
| wry | twisted; humorous twist |
| gumption | common sense; shrewdness. Also courage; guts. also initiative; aggressiveness; resourcefulness |
| eschew | to abstain or keep away from; shun; avoid |
| concomitant | existing or occurring with something else, often in a lesser way an event and its concomitant circumstances. |
| demure | characterized by shyness and modesty; reserved. Usually false/affected She was not the whore who lurks under the demure exterior of even the most respectable wife and mother. |
| desuetude | the state of being no longer used or practiced. |
| dilatory | tending to delay or procrastinate; slow; tardy. Your dilatory tactics may compel me to cancel the contract. |
| discomfit | To make uneasy or perplexed; disconcert.To thwart the plans of; frustrate. To be discomfited by a question. |
| distrait | inattentive because of distracting worries, fears, etc.; absent-minded. |
| dulcet | pleasant to the ear; melodious. pleasant to the eye or the feelings; the dulcet tones of the cello. |
| dissemble | to put on the appearance of |
| welter | to roll, toss, or heave, as waves or the sea. or tumble about; wallow pigs weltering about happily in the mud. |
| insinuate | to suggest or hint slyly He insinuated that they were lying. |
| provenance | place or source of origin The provenance of the ancient manuscript has never been determined. |
| implore | to beg urgently or piteously, as for aid or mercy; beseech; entreat They implored him to go. |
| affront | deliberate act or display of disrespect; intentional slight; insult an affront to the king. |
| cornucopia | an abundant, overflowing supply. |
| ineffable | incapable of being expressed or described in words; inexpressible ineffable joy |
| grotesque | odd or unnatural in shape, appearance, or character; fantastically ugly or absurd; bizarre. |
| fusillade | a simultaneous or continuous discharge of firearms. |
| motile | moving or capable of moving spontaneously motile cells |
| canvass | to solicit votes, subscriptions, opinions etc. Also to examine carefully; investigate by inquiry; discuss; debate. |
| amok | In a frenzy to do violence or kill rioters running amok in the streets. |
| consequential | self-important; pompous. |
| chafe | to wear or abrade by rubbing; to irritate; annoy The dripping of the faucet chafed her nerves. |
| finicky | excessively particular or fastidious; difficult to please; fussy. |
| entreat | to ask (a person) earnestly; beseech; implore; beg to entreat the judge for mercy. |
| pert | lively; sprightly; in good health. Also boldly forward in speech or behavior; impertinent; saucy. |
| flaccid | soft and limp; not firm; flabby flaccid biceps. |
| penumbra | a shadowy, indefinite, or marginal area. |
| abominate | to regard with intense aversion or loathing; abhor. |
| pall | to make dull, distasteful, or unpleasant. |
| coy | artfully or affectedly shy or reserved; slyly hesitant |
| extrude | to thrust out; force or press out; expel |
| diadem | a cloth headband, sometimes adorned with jewels, formerly worn by Oriental kings. |
| avid | enthusiastic; ardent; dedicated; keen an avid moviegoer. |
| subterfuge | something intended to misrepresent the true nature of an activity |
| mirth | amusement or laughter He was unable to conceal his mirth. |
| dock | to deduct from (wages) |
| philistine | smug and ignorant and indifferent or hostile to artistic and cultural values |
| onus | a difficult or disagreeable obligation, task, burden, etc. |
| dissemble | to put on the appearance of |
| affront | deliberate act or display of disrespect; intentional slight; insult an affront to the king. |
| mirth | amusement or laughter He was unable to conceal his mirth. |
| diadem | a cloth headband, sometimes adorned with jewels, formerly worn by Oriental kings. |
| extricate | to free or release from entanglement; disengage to extricate someone from a dangerous situation. |
| flaccid | soft and limp; not firm; flabby flaccid biceps. |
| rakish | smart; jaunty; dashing, sporty |
| nexus | a means of connection; tie; link. |
| retroactive | Influencing or applying to a period prior to enactment a retroactive pay increase. |
| meretricious | Attracting attention in a vulgar manner; pertaining to or characteristic of a prostitute. |
| extrude | to thrust out; force or press out; expel |
| petulant | Unreasonably irritable or ill-tempered; peevish. a petulant toss of the head. |
| expurgate | to purge or cleanse of moral offensiveness. Most children read an expurgated version of Grimms' fairy tales. |
| disaffect | to alienate the affection, sympathy, or support of; make discontented The dictator's policies had soon disaffected the people. |
| esconce | to settle securely or snugly or comfortably I found her in the library, ensconced in an armchair. |
| rancor | bitter, rankling resentment or ill will; hatred; malice. |
| macabre | gruesome and horrifying; ghastly; horrible. macabre tales of war and plague |
| fluted | having vertical parallel grooves (as in a pillar) All that remained of the ancient building were the fluted columns. |
| comatose | affected with or characterized by coma. comatose from lack of sleep. |
| ablution | a cleansing with water or other liquid, esp. as a religious ritual. Washing |
| fruition | attainment of anything desired; realization; accomplishment After years of hard work she finally brought her idea to full fruition. |
| hoard | to accumulate to hoard food during a shortage. |
| limpid | clear, transparent, or pellucid, as water, crystal, or air We could see to the very bottom of the limpid pond. |
| grovel | to humble oneself or act in an abject manner, as in great fear or utter servility. |
| foreshadow | to show or indicate beforehand; prefigure Political upheavals foreshadowed war. |
| yoke | to join, couple, link, or unite. |
| exscind | to cut out or off. |
| instigate | to urge, provoke, or incite to some action or course to instigate the people to revolt. |
| homily | an inspirational saying or cliché. an admonitory or moralizing discourse. |
| quay | A wharf or reinforced bank where ships are loaded or unloaded. |
| salacious | lustful or lecherous. |
| dour | severe; stern; sullen; gloomy His dour criticism made us regret having undertaken the job. |
| innervate | supply nerves to (some organ or body part); stimulate to action innervate a muscle or a nerve |
| defunct | no longer in effect or use; not operating or functioning a defunct law |
| temerity | reckless boldness; rashness. |
| inveigh | to protest strongly or attack vehemently with words; rail to inveigh against isolationism. |
| mote | small speck |
| chafe | to wear or abrade by rubbing; to irritate; annoy The dripping of the faucet chafed her nerves. |
| entreat | to ask (a person) earnestly; beseech; implore; beg to entreat the judge for mercy. |
| insular | narrow-minded or illiberal; provincial insular attitudes toward foreigners. |
| limn | to portray in words; describe. |
| extort | to compel (something) of a person or thing;obtain by force, torture, threat Her wit and intelligence extorted their admiration. |
| capitulate | to surrender unconditionally or on stipulated terms. |
| exegesis | an explanation or critical interpretation (especially of the Bible) |
| impugn | to challenge as false (another's statements, motives, etc.); cast doubt upon. |
| idyll | a poem or prose composition; a brief or inconsequential romantic affair. a summer idyll on the coast of France. |
| dissent | to differ in sentiment or opinion, esp. from the majority; withhold assent; Two of the justices dissented from the majority decision. |
| luculent | clear or lucid; convincing; cogent. a luculent explanation. |
| slake | to allay (thirst, desire, wrath, etc.) by satisfying. to cool or refresh He slaked his lips with ice. |
| timorous | full of fear; fearful The noise made them timorous. |
| countermand | to revoke or cancel (a command, order, etc.). Nullify The general countermand the orders issued in his absence. |
| expropriate | to take possession of, esp. for public use by the right of eminent domain The government expropriated the land for a recreation area. |
| sinecure | Office or appointment that requires little responsibility My job is no sinecure; I work long hours and have much responsibility. |
| assailant | One who, or that which, attacks, or assaults |
| abut | to be adjacent; touch or join at the edge or border This piece of land abuts on a street. |
| opine | to hold or express an opinion. |
| inter | to place (a dead body) in a grave or tomb; bury. |
| retard | to make slow; delay the development or progress of; hinder or impede. |
| scuffle | To strive or struggle with a close grapple; to wrestle in a rough fashion The twins briefly scuffled, wrestling to see which of them would get the toy |
| pugilist | boxer The famous pugilist Cassius Clay changed his name to Muhammed Ali. |
| rebus | puzzle in which pictures stand for words A coven of witches beside a tree is a possible rebus for the town Coventry. |
| gossamer | sheer; like cobwebs Nylon can be woven into gossamer or thick fabrics. |
| toady | servile flatterer; yesman |
| upbraid | scold; reproach I must upbraid him for his unruly behavior. |
| garner | gather; store up She hoped to garner the world's literature in one library. |
| harrow | break up ground after plowing; torture I don't want to harrow you at this time by asking you to recall the details of your unpleasant experience. |
| hermetic | sealed by fusion so as to be airtight; obscure and mysterious;occult After these bandages are sterilized, they are placed in hermetic containers. |
| rapacious | excessively grasping; plundering Hawks and other rapacious birds prey on variety of small animals. |
| supercillious | contemptuous; haughty I prefer Jill's modesty to Jack's supercilious and arrogant attitude. |
| supine | lying on back The defeated pugilist lay supine on the canvas. |
| turpitude | depravity; wickedness; corruption A visitor may be denied admittance to this country if she has been guilty of moral turpitude. |
| impute | attribute; ascribe If I wished to impute blame to the officers in charge of this program, I would state my feelings definitely and immediately. |
| preempt | head off; forestall by acting first; appropriate for oneself; supplant Hoping to preempt any attempts by the opposition to make educational reform a hot political issue |
| pillory | punish by placing in a wooden frame; subject to criticism and ridicule Even though he was mocked and pilloried, he maintained that he was correct in his beliefs. |
| multifarious | varied; greatly diversified A career woman and mother, she was constantly busy with the multifarious activities of her daily life. |
| nadir | lowest point the Dow-Jones averages had reached their nadir and would soon begin an upward surge. |
| excoriate | flay; abrade; censure severely These shoes are so ill-fitting that they will excoriate the feet and create blisters. |
| officious | meddlesome; excessively pushy in offering one's services After her long flight, Jill just wanted to nap, but the officious bellboy was intent on showing her all the special features of the deluxe suite. |
| overweening | presumptuous; arrogant His overweening pride in his accomplishments was not justified. |
| palliate | ease pain; make less severe or offensive If we cannot cure this disease at present, we can, at least try to palliate the symptoms. |
| sundry | various; several My suspicions were aroused when I read sundry items in the newspapers about your behavior. |
| undulate | move with a wavelike motion The flag undulated in the breeze. |
| stygian | literary dark The stygian room reminded him of an empty space. |
| succor | aid; assistance; relief We shall be ever grateful for the succor our country gave us when we were in need. |
| untoward | unfortunate; annoying Untoward circumstances prevent me from being with you on this festive occasion. |
| suppliant | entreating; beseeching He could not resist the dog's suppliant whimpering, and he gave it some food. |
| pique | irritation; resentment She showed her pique by her refusal to appear with the other contestants at the end of the contest. |
| stentorian | extremely loud The town crier had stentorian voice. |
| evince | show clearly When he tried to answer the questions, he evinced his ignorance of the subject matter. |
| nostrum | questionable medicine No quack selling nostrums is going to cheat me. |
| tawdry | cheap and gaudy He won a few tawdry trinkets in Coney Island. |
| stint | be thrifty; set limits Spare no expense, the bride's father said, refusing to stint on the wedding arrangements. |
| pundit | any learned person; authority on a subject Even though he discourses on the matter like a pundit, he is actually rather ignorant about this topic. |
| nugatory | futile; worthless This agreement is nugatory for no court will enforce it. |
| saturnine | gloomy Do not be misled by his saturnine countenance; he is not as gloomy as he looks. |
| tendentious | having an aim; biased; designed to further a cause The editorials in this periodical are tendentious rather than truth-seeking. |
| nuance | shade of difference in meaning or color The unskilled eye of the layperson has difficulty in discerning the nuances of color in the paintings. |
| gouge | tear out In that fight, all the rules were forgotten; the adversaries bit, kicked, and tried to gouge each other's eyes out. |
| pariah | an outcast. Shortly Tom came upon the juvenile pariah of the village, Huckleberry Finn, son of the town drunkard" |
| peregrination | travel from one place to another, esp. on foot. a course of travel; journey. |
| peremptory | Putting an end to all debate leaving no opportunity for refusal The officer issued peremptory commands. |
| importune | beg persistently and urgently I importune you to help them |
| lambaste | to beat or whip severely. to reprimand or berate harshly; censure It was painful to watch the champion lambaste his opponent, tearing into him mercilessly. |
| milk | extract/exploit as much as possible I am milking this for all it's worth |
| fad | A fashion that is taken up with great enthusiasm for a brief period of time; a craze. |
| unspoken | implied or understood without being spoken or uttered. |
| jamb | either of the vertical sides of a doorway, arch, window, or other opening. |
| hull | the husk, shell, or outer covering of a seed or fruit. any covering or envelope. |
| hasty | moving or acting with haste; speedy; quick; hurried. thoughtless; injudicious |
| reactionary | Characterized by reaction, especially opposition to progress or liberalism; extremely conservative. |
| xenophobe | a person who fears or hates foreigners, strange customs, etc. |
| thesis | A proposition that is maintained by argument. New idea |
| annul | to make void or null; abolish; cancel; invalidate |
| counterpoint | to show differences when compared; be different; to emphasize or clarify by contrast or juxtaposition. |
| indelicate | not delicate; lacking delicacy; rough. offensive to a sense of generally accepted propriety, modesty, or decency; |
| ensemble | A unit or group of complementary parts that contribute to a single effect |
| tact | Acute sensitivity to what is proper and appropriate in dealing with others, including the ability to speak or act without offending. |
| amortize | liquidate gradually |
| minatory | menacing; threatening. |
| emaciate | to make abnormally lean or thin by a gradual wasting away of flesh. |
| antagonist | One who opposes and contends against another; an adversary. |
| pluck | Resourceful courage and daring in the face of difficulties; spirit. |
| oligarchy | a form of government in which all power is vested in a few persons or in a dominant class or clique; government by the few. |
| muted | to deaden or muffle the sound of. to reduce the intensity of (a color) by the addition of another color. |
| cloudburst | a sudden and very heavy rainfall. |
| dereliction | deliberate or conscious neglect; negligence; delinquency; also the act of abandoning something. |
| discredit | defame;also to give no credence to;disbelieve;also destroy confidence in an effort to discredit honest politicians. |
| egalitarian | equality; asserting, resulting from, or characterized by belief in the equality of all people, esp. in political, economic, or social life. |
| polarity | the presence or manifestation of two opposite or contrasting principles or tendencies. |
| overreach | to reach or extend over or beyond; to defeat (oneself) by overdoing matters; to get the better of, esp. by deceit or trickery; outwit |
| fracas | a noisy, disorderly disturbance or fight; riotous brawl; uproar. |
| seethe | to surge or foam as if boiling.; to soak; to boil lightly, simmer |
| plod | to walk heavily or move laboriously; trudge to plod under the weight of a burden. |
| sodden | soaked with liquid or moisture; saturated. |
| gainsay | to deny, dispute, or contradict. to speak or act against; oppose. To declare false; deny |
| concur | to accord in opinion; agree; also to work together; also coincide |
| prudery | excessive propriety or modesty in speech, conduct, etc. |
| flag | to fall off in vigor, energy, activity, interest, etc. Public enthusiasm flagged when the team kept losing. |
| bettor | a person who bets. |
| lumber | to move clumsily or heavily, esp. from great or ponderous bulk overloaded wagons lumbering down the dirt road. |
| desultory | lacking in consistency, or visible order; disconnected; fitful; random |
| summarily | in a prompt or direct manner; immediately Also without notice; precipitately to be dismissed summarily from one's job. |
| warp | To turn or twist (wood, for example) out of shape. |
| trudge | to walk, esp. laboriously or wearily to trudge up a long flight of steps. |
| forage | to wander or go in search of provisions. Also to search about; seek; He went foraging in the attic for old mementos. |
| mince | To walk with very short steps or with exaggerated primness. |
| vaunt | to speak vaingloriously of; boast of to vaunt one's achievements. |
| torrid | Parched with the heat of the sun; intensely hot. Passionate; ardent |
| homiletics | the art of preaching; the branch of practical theology that treats of homilies or sermons. |
| tautology | Needless repetition of the same sense in different words; redundancy. |
| tamp | to force in or down by repeated, rather light, strokes He tamped the tobacco in his pipe. |
| jejune | without interest ; dull; insipid; also juvenile; immature; inexperienced a jejune novel. |
| piquant | agreeably pungent or sharp in taste or flavor; pleasantly biting or tart. Also agreeably stimulating, interesting, or attractive |
| raffish | gaudily vulgar or cheap; mildly or sometimes engagingly disreputable a matinee idol whose raffish offstage behavior amused millions. |
| nonplused | to render utterly perplexed; puzzle completely. |
| tractable | easily managed or controlled; docile; yielding |
| umbrage | offense; annoyance; displeasure to feel umbrage at a social snub |
| cinder | charcoal; to spread cinders on a surface, as a road or sidewalk The highway department salted and cindered the icy roads. |
| mortar | a receptacle of hard material, having a bowl-shaped cavity in which substances are reduced to powder with a pestle. |
| pestle | a tool for pounding or grinding substances in a mortar. |
| lectern | A stand that serves as a support for the notes or books of a speaker. |
| conducive | tending to produce; conducing; contributive; helpful; favorable Good eating habits are conducive to good health. |
| braid | to weave together strips or strands of; to braid the hair. |
| offhand | without previous thought or preparation; extempore to decide offhand to take a trip. |
| divest | to strip of clothing, ornament, etc. to sell out The corporation divested itself of its subsidiaries. |
| indelible | making marks that cannot be erased, removed, or the like the indelible memories of war |
| accentuate | to give emphasis or prominence to. |
| consanguinity | close relationship, affinity or connection. |
| fictive | fictitious; imaginary. Also pertaining to the creation of fiction |
| allegory | a visible symbol representing an abstract idea; a short moral story |
| milieu | surroundings, esp. of a social or cultural nature |
| elucidate | to make lucid or clear; throw light upon; explain an explanation that elucidated his recent strange behavior. |
| foible | a minor weakness or failing of character; slight flaw or defect |
| tenuous | thin or slender in form. rare or rarefied. lacking in clarity; vague. of slight importance or significance; unsubstantial |
| progenitor | a biologically related ancestor |
| evasive | tending or seeking to evade; characterized by evasion; also elusive or evanescent. Also ambiguous, equivocal |
| extenuate | to make seem less serious; also to underestimate or make light of Do not extenuate the difficulties we are in. |
| gaffe | a social blunder; faux pas. |
| artifice | trickery; guile; craftiness. |
| ascendant | a position of dominance or controlling influence: possession of power With his rivals in the ascendant, he soon lost his position. |
| corroborate | to make more certain; confirm He corroborated my account of the accident. |
| beckon | To signal or summon, as by nodding or waving. Inviting by doing so a lovely, sunny country that seemed to beckon them on to the Emerald City |
| fecund | producing or capable of producing offspring, fruit, vegetation, etc., in abundance; prolific; fruitful |
| fetter | a chain or shackle placed on the feet. to put fetters upon. Boredom puts fetters upon the imagination. |
| bicker | A petty quarrel; a squabble. Also move quickly; rush; also to flicker;glitter |
| explicate | to make plain or clear; explain; interpret. |
| overwhelm | to overpower or overcome, esp. with superior forces or in mind/spirit overwhelmed by remorse. |
| resplendent | shining brilliantly; gleaming; splendid troops resplendent in white uniforms; resplendent virtues. |
| primacy | The state of being first or foremost. |
| impetuous | Characterized by sudden and forceful energy or emotion; impulsive and passionate. |
| taxonomy | the science or technique of classification. |
| redemption | The act of redeeming or the condition of having been redeemed. |
| hew | to strike with cutting blows; cut He hewed more vigorously each time. |
| mar | to damage or spoil to a certain extent; impair or spoil That billboard mars the view. |
| finesse | skill in handling a difficult or highly sensitive situation; artful management exceptional diplomatic finesse. |
| comestible | edible; eatable. |
| bauble | a showy, usually cheap, ornament; trinket; gewgaw. |
| clout | pull; strong influence; muscle, esp. political power a wealthy campaign contributor with clout at city hall. |
| wizened | Dried; shriveled; withered |
| countervail | Act in opposition, counteract (often against a harmful force); compensate, offset, counterbalance |
| wrest | To turn; to twist; especially. to twist or extort by violence |
| sybarite | a person devoted to luxury and pleasure |
| respite | Temporary intermission or suspension The weekend skiing was a wonderful respite for Susan, who had been overwhelmed by deadlines at work. |
| faze | to cause to be disturbed or disconcerted; daunt The worst insults cannot faze him. |
| collusion | A secret agreement for fraudulent, illegal, or treacherous purposes The fact that all gas stations set very similar prices has led many to suspect collusion by the oil companies. |
| truism | Undoubted, self-evident truth |
| inebriated | Drunk |
| deplore | To lament; to condemn or view as wrong The class deplored the death of their teacher. |
| insubordinate | Not submitting to authority; disobedient The general told the new recruits that the military demands discipline and obedience, and that insubordinate behavior would be punished severely. |
| regale | to entertain lavishly or agreeably; delight. John regaled us with tales of his adventures in Africa. |
| acclimate | to accustom or become accustomed to a new climate or environment; adapt. |
| inculcate | Teach something by frequent repetition or repeated warnings |
| renunciation | Disownment; disavowal Beauregard's giving up wine, women and song was a renunciation of his past life behind and a reflection of his desire to start afresh. |
| bawdy | indecent; lewd; obscene another of his bawdy stories. |
| enrapture | to move to rapture; delight beyond measure We were enraptured by her singing. |
| vitreous | Made of glass |
| mores | The accepted traditional customs and usages of a particular social group. Moral attitudes. |
| cognate | related by birth. Also allied or similar in nature or quality. English and German are cognate languages. |
| raiment | An article of dress; clothing in general |
| sedition | Conduct or language inciting rebellion against the authority of a state. |
| syllogism | an extremely subtle, sophisticated, or deceptive argument. |
| ordain | To order by virtue of superior authority; decree or enact. |
| extirpate | to remove or destroy totally; do away with; exterminate. |
| tantamount | equivalent, as in value, force, effect, or signification His angry speech was tantamount to a declaration of war. |
| flax | A plant fiber used to make linen |
| pristine | having its original purity; uncorrupted or unsullied |
| sluice | to let out (water) by or as if by opening a sluice. |
| droll | amusing in an odd way; whimsically humorous; waggish. |
| lurk | To lie in wait; to keep out of sight |
| edify | Elevate spiritually and morally, instruct and improve |
| manacle | A shackle or restraint usually attached to the wrists or ankles |
| pastiche | A composition made up of bits from various sources |
| belabor | to explain,worry, or work at (something) repeatedly, more than is necessary He kept belaboring the point long after we had agreed. |
| lugubrious | Mournful; indicating sorrow, often ridiculously so. lugubrious songs of lost love. |
| unction | The act of anointing or rubbing with an oil, or ointment, especially for medical purposes or as a symbol of consecration |
| preponderant | superior in weight, force, influence, numbers, etc.; prevailing a preponderant misconception. |
| ideologue | a person who zealously advocates an ideology. |
| plebeian | belonging or pertaining to the common people. |
| strop | A piece of leather used for sharpening |
| realpolitik | Politics based on pratical matters, not ethical principles |
| fulsome | Offending or disgusting by overfullness, excess, or grossness; cloying.. fulsome praise that embarrassed her deeply |
| canon | A collection of books determined to be authoritative; a law or rule |
| flounder | To struggle clumsily or helplessly; to move awkwardly He floundered helplessly on the first day of his new job. |
| frond | an often large, finely divided leaf, esp. as applied to the ferns and certain palms. |
| repast | A meal; the food and drink served at a meal. |
| bandy | to pass from one to another or back and forth;give and take;trade;exchange The student council gathered to bandy about ideas for a theme for the graduation party. |
| riant | laughing; smiling; cheerful; gay. |
| aliterate | a person who is able to read but rarely chooses to do so Schools are worried about producing aliterates who prefer television to books. |
| staid | of settled or sedate character; not flighty or capricious. sober |
| remiss | Negligent in fulfilling an obligation or duty. He's terribly remiss in his work. |
| contraband | illegal or prohibited trade; smuggling. |
| nonchalant | Casual, giving the impression that one is unconcerned or indifferent. His nonchalant manner infuriated me. |
| proponent | a person who puts forward a proposition or proposal. |
| foment | to instigate or foster (discord, rebellion, etc.); promote the growth of This report will foment dissension in the club. |
| duress | compulsion by threat or force; coercion; constraint. The policewoman put the man under duress in order to get a confession. |
| dishevel | to cause untidiness and disarray in The wind dishevelled the papers on the desk. |
| coddle | To treat with excessive tenderness; to pamper. Don't coddle the children to much; they need a taste of discipline. |
| secede | To withdraw formally from membership in an organization, association, or alliance. |
| epicure | connoisseur |
| ecstasy | an overpowering emotion or exaltation; a state of sudden, intense feeling. |
| decadent | Declining in standards. Appealing in a way that is inappropriate. |
| atavistic | Relating to old or established pattern; habitual, ingrained. |
| torpor | Apathy, profound lack of energy or activity, lethargy, lassitude.. Nothing seemed to arouse him from his torpor; he had wholly surrendered himself to lethargy. |
| ecumenical | general; universal. Encompassing a wide variety of faiths or beliefs, often in reference to religion.. |
| effulgent | Diffusing a flood of light; shining; luminous; beaming; bright; splendid. |
| afoot | on foot; walking. astir; in progress There is mischief afoot. |
| bilk | to defraud; cheat. to frustrate. to escape from; elude. The con man specialized in bilking insurance companies. |
| febrile | pertaining to or marked by fever; feverish. In his febrile condition, he was subject to nightmares and hallucinations. |
| invective | vehement or violent denunciation, censure, or reproach. a railing accusation; vituperation. |
| moribund | in a dying state; near death. |
| cupidity | eager or excessive desire, esp. to possess something; greed; avarice. |
| malfeasance | Evil conduct; an illegal deed. |
| sway | to wield power; exercise rule. to govern. |
| picayune | of little value or account; small; trifling |
| imperious | Arrogantly domineering or overbearing |
| protegee | A woman or girl whose welfare, training, or career is promoted by an influential person. |
| drab | dull; cheerless; lacking in spirit, brightness, etc. |
| infirm | feeble or weak in body or health, esp. because of age; ailing. |
| incarceration | To put into jail. |
| impregnable | strong enough to resist or withstand attack an impregnable fort |
| detract | to take away a part. to draw away or divert; distract to detract another's attention from more important issues. |
| vindicate | to clear, as from an accusation, imputation, suspicion; justify to vindicate someone's honor. |
| wake | The visible track of turbulence left by something moving through water the wake of a ship. |
| caboose | a car on a freight train, used chiefly as the crew's quarters and usually attached to the rear of the train. |
| rut | A sunken track or groove made by the passage of vehicles. |
| quill | The hollow stemlike main shaft of a feather |
| conjecture | Inference or judgment based on inconclusive or incomplete evidence; guesswork. |
| unapologetic | Unwilling to make or express an apology. Unwilling to leave a stance. |
| lurid | gruesome; horrible; revolting; glaringly vivid or sensational; livid the lurid details of an accident. |
| demean | to lower in dignity; debase; also to behave (oneself) in a specified manner. He demeaned himself by accepting the bribe. |
| irate | angry; enraged; Characterized or occasioned by anger an irate letter to the editor. |
| happenstance | an event that might have been arranged although it was really accidental |
| feckless | ineffective, futile; also having no sense of responsibility; indifferent; lazy. feckless attempts to repair the plumbing. |
| divorce | A complete or radical severance of closely connected things. To disunite Life and art cannot be divorced. |
| deferential | showing deference; deferent; respectful. |
| winsome | sweetly or innocently charming; winning; engaging a winsome smile. |
| detrimental | causing detriment; damaging; harmful. |
| feral | existing in a natural state, as animals or plants; not domesticated or cultivated; wild. Also causing death, funeral, gloomy |
| cordial | courteous and gracious; friendly; warm |
| verve | enthusiasm or vigor, as in literary or artistic work; spirit |
| defile | to make foul, dirty, or unclean; pollute; taint; debase. |
| mawkish | characterized by sickly sentimentality; weakly emotional; maudlin. |
| attentuate | to weaken or reduce in force, intensity, effect, quantity, or value |
| sagacity | acuteness of mental discernment and soundness of judgment. |
| compunction | a feeling of uneasiness or anxiety of the conscience caused by regret for doing wrong or causing pain; contrition; remorse. |
| stigmatization | to set some mark of disgrace or infamy upon The crime of the father stigmatized the whole family. |
| utilitarian | having regard to utility or usefulness rather than beauty, ornamentation, etc. |
| edulcorate | to free from acids, salts, or impurities by washing; purify. make sweeter in taste |
| facile | easily done, performed, used, etc. a facile victory |
| imbue | to saturate or impregnate with moisture, color, etc. The new political leader was imbued with the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. |
| incriminate | to accuse of or present proof of a crime or fault He incriminated both men to the grand jury. |
| dissension | strong disagreement; a contention or quarrel; discord. |
| squelch | to strike or press with crushing force; crush down; squash. Also to make a splashing sound. |
| plangent | resounding loudly, esp. with a plaintive sound, as a bell. |
| confabulation | An informal conversation; also Confusion of imagination with memory |
| expatiate | To speak or write at length expatiated on the subject until everyone was bored. |
| weal | Prosperity; happiness; The welfare of the community; the general good |
| deliquesce | melt away; to become liquid by absorbing moisture from the air, as certain salts. |
| skinflint | a mean, niggardly person; miser. |
| declamation | speech or writing for oratorical effect. |
| garish | crudely or tastelessly colorful, showy, or elaborate, as clothes or decoration. |
| risible | Capable of laughing or inclined to laugh. |
| unprepossessing | creating an unfavorable or neutral first impression |
| exhort | to urge, advise, or caution earnestly; admonish urgently. |
| admonish | to caution, advise, or counsel against something. |
| genuflect | to bend the knee or touch one knee to the floor in reverence or worship. |
| privy | participating in the knowledge of something private or secret Many persons were privy to the plot. |
| unavailing | ineffectual; futile. |
| besmirch | to soil; tarnish; discolor. |
| brash | Hasty and unthinking; impetuous. Rash. Lacking in sensitivity or tact. |
| dolt | a dull, stupid person; blockhead. |
| slab | a thick slice of anything |
| sliver | A slender piece cut, split, or broken off; a splinter slivers of broken glass. |
| inimitable | incapable of being imitated or copied; surpassing imitation; matchless. |
| denture | an artificial replacement of one or several of the teeth |
| subsume | contain or include This new system subsumes the old one |
| analogue | something having resemblance to something else |
| sand | to smooth or polish with sand, sandpaper, or some other abrasive to sand the ends of a board. |
| sift | sieve. to examine closely The detectives are still sifting the evidence. |
| seam | to join with or as if with stitches. to become cracked, fissured, or furrowed. |
| hale | free from disease or infirmity; robust; vigorous; to compel (someone) to go to hale a man into court. |
| assent | to agree or concur |
| rile | to irritate or vex. |
Created by:
vipin.jose
Popular English Vocabulary sets