| Word |
Definition |
| ablution |
act
of cleansing |
| abnegate |
to
deny; renounce |
| abstemious |
Sparing
in use of food or drink; moderate. |
| adulation |
Excessive
flattery; adoration; idolization. |
| adulterate |
Make
impure or inferior by adding improper ingredients;
contaminate; pollute. |
| alchemy |
medieval
chemical philosophy aimed at trying to change metal into
gold |
| algorithm |
mechanical
problem-solving procedure |
| amalgam |
mixture,
combination, alloy |
| amortize |
to
diminish by installment payments |
| anachronistic |
outdated |
| antediluvian |
Ancient;
antiquated; obsolete. |
| antepenultimate |
third
from last |
| anthropomorphic |
attributing
human qualities to nonhumans |
| apocryphal |
False;
unauthenticated; disputed. |
| apostate |
one
who renounces a religious faith |
| apotheosis |
1.
Essence; epitome. 2. Canonization. |
| assuage |
Ease;
make less burdensome: mitigate. |
| bane |
Deadly
affliction; curse; plague. |
| banter |
playful
conversation |
| bastion |
fortification,
stronghold |
| benchmark |
standard
of measure |
| billet |
board
and lodging for troops |
| blandish |
to
coax with flattery |
| blandishment |
Cajolery;
enticement. |
| bludgeon |
to
hit as with a short, heavy, club |
| bourgeois |
middle-class |
| cacophonous |
Discordant;
dissident; harsh. |
| canonize |
to
declare a person a saint; raise to highest honors |
| catalyst |
something
causing change without being changed |
| categorical |
absolute,
without exception |
| catharsis |
purification,
cleansing |
| catholic |
universal;
broad and comprehensive |
| centripetal |
directed
or moving toward the center |
| chimerical |
Fanciful;
whimsical; playful. |
| chronicler |
one
who keeps records of historical events |
| circuitous |
Indirect;
roundabout; rambling. |
| cognomen |
family
name; any name, especially a nickname |
| concomitant |
Concurrent;
attendant; occurring with something else. |
| conglomerate |
Corporation:
partnership: firm. |
| conjure |
to
evoke a spirit, cast a spell |
| consanguineous |
of
the same origin; related by blood |
| consecrate |
to
declare sacred; dedicate to a goal |
| continence |
self-control,
self-restraint |
| contravene |
to
contradict, deny, act contrary to |
| convivial |
sociable;
fond of eating, drinking, and people |
| Convoke |
Convene;
assemble. |
| coquette |
woman
who flirts |
| corpulence |
Stoutness;
obesity. |
| cosset |
to
pamper, treat with great care |
| coterie |
Small
group of people who share interests and meet frequently. |
| countervail |
to
counteract, to exert force against |
| coven |
group
of witches |
| covert |
hidden;
secret |
| ctenoid |
Comblike;
having narrow segments. |
| curmudgeon |
Cantankerous
person. |
| debase |
to
degrade or lower in quality or stature |
| debased |
Lowered
in status or character; degenerate. |
| demagogue |
Incendiary;
agitator; opportunist. |
| demarcation |
borderline;
act of defining or marking a boundary or distinction |
| denigrate |
to
slur or blacken someone's reputation |
| denounce |
Reprove;
accuse; condemn. |
| denunciation |
public
condemnation |
| depose |
to
remove from a high position, as from a throne |
| depravity |
Perverted
disposition; wickedness; vileness; corruption. |
| deprecate |
to
belittle, disparage |
| deprecatory |
Disapproving;
belittling. |
| derogate |
to
belittle, disparage |
| desecrate |
Contaminate;
profane; defile. |
| desiccate |
to
dry completely, dehydrate |
| despot |
Dictator;
tyrant; totalitarian. |
| devout |
deeply
religious |
| diabolical |
fiendish;
wicked |
| didactic |
Pedantic;
academic; for teaching. |
| dilatory |
Lackadaisical;
lazy; remiss. |
| diminution |
Decrease;
reduction. |
| diminutive |
small |
| disapprobation |
Dislike;
reservation; denunciation. |
| disdain |
to
regard with scorn and contempt |
| disdainful |
contemptuous,
scornful |
| disparage |
Deprecate;
belittle or abuse. |
| disparate |
dissimilar,
different in kind |
| disparity |
contrast,
dissimilarity |
| disputatious |
Quarrelsome;
contentious; argumentative. |
| disrepute |
disgrace,
dishonor |
| eclectic |
selecting
from various sources |
| edify |
Instruct;
enlighten; educate. |
| effrontery |
Impudence;
nerve; gall. |
| effulgent |
brilliantly
shining |
| effusive |
expressing
emotion without restraint |
| egocentric |
acting
as if things are centered around oneself |
| elegiac |
Mournful;
sorrowful; sad. |
| elegy |
mournful
poem, usually about the dead |
| emasculate |
Deprive
of strength. |
| enmesh |
Tangle
or involve. |
| enmity |
hostility,
antagonism, ill-will |
| ennui |
Dullness;
boredom; monotony. |
| entrench |
Fortify;
reinforce; secure. |
| equanimity |
calmness,
composure |
| eradicate |
to
erase or wipe out |
| esoteric |
Confidential;
personal; private; privileged. |
| eurythmics |
art
of harmonious bodily movement |
| evanescent |
Ephemeral;
fading; brief |
| exculpate |
to
clear of blame or fault, vindicate |
| exigent |
Pressing;
insistent; urgent. |
| exonerate |
Acquit;
vindicate; free from responsibility. |
| exorcise |
Cast
out evil spin , expel demons. |
| expiate |
to
atone for, make amends for |
| extemporaneous |
Spontaneous;
impromptu. |
| extenuate |
to
lessen the seriousness, strength or effect of |
| exude |
to
give off, ooze |
| fanaticism |
extreme
devotion to a cause |
| foment |
to
arouse or incite |
| forbearance |
patience,
restraint, leniency |
| forensic |
relating
to legal proceedings; relating to debates |
| fortuitous |
happening
by luck, fortunate |
| funereal |
mournful,
appropriate to a funeral |
| gall |
to
exasperate and irritate |
| gall |
bitterness;
careless nerve |
| gluttony |
eating
and drinking to excess |
| gnostic |
having
to do with knowledge |
| goad |
Incite;
pressure; irk; arouse; awaken. |
| gradation |
process
occurring by regular degrees or stages; variation in color |
| grandiloquence |
Pompous
or bombastic speech; lofty, welling language. |
| hapless |
unfortunate,
having bad luck |
| hedonism |
Intemperance;
self-indulgence; excess. |
| hegemony |
leadership,
domination, usually by a country |
| heinous |
shocking,
wicked, terrible |
| heretic |
Nihilist;
infidel; radical; dissenter. |
| heretical |
opposed
to an established religious orthodoxy |
| heterodox |
unorthodox,
not widely accepted |
| histrionic |
Pertaining
to actors; melodramatic. |
| iconoclasm |
Attack
on religious values or symbols. |
| iconoclast |
one
who attacks traditional beliefs |
| idealism |
pursuit
of noble goals |
| idiosyncrasy |
peculiarity
of temperament, eccentricity |
| ignoble |
dishonorable,
not noble in character |
| ignominious |
disgraceful
and dishonorable |
| illusory |
unreal,
deceptive |
| imperious |
arrogantly
self-assured, domineering, overbearing |
| imperturbable |
Even-tempered;
level-headed; calm. |
| impervious |
Airtight;
sealed; impenetrable. |
| impious |
not
devout in religion |
| impotent |
powerless,
ineffective, lacking strength |
| impoverish |
to
make poor or bankrupt |
| impreciation |
curse |
| impregnable |
invincible;
invulnerable; unable to be captured or entered. |
| impugn* |
Denounce;
censor: attack. |
| inauspicious |
Unfavorable. |
| incandescent |
shining
brightly |
| incarnadine |
blood-red
in color |
| incontrovertible |
unquestionable,
beyond dispute |
| incorrigible |
Unruly;
delinquent; incapable of reform. |
| inculcate |
to
teach, impress in the mind |
| inculpate |
to
blame, charge with a crime |
| incursion |
sudden
invasion |
| indolence |
Lethargy;
idleness; sloth. |
| indolent |
habitually
lazy, idle |
| indomitable |
fearless,
unconquerable |
| indubitable |
unquestionable |
| inert |
unable
to move, tending to inactivity |
| infinitesimal |
extremely
tiny |
| infringe |
to
encroach, trespass; to transgress, violate |
| inimical |
Antagonistic;
hurtful; harmful; adverse. |
| iniquity |
sin,
evil act |
| insuperable |
insurmountable,
unconquerable |
| insurgent |
rebellious,
insubordinate |
| insurrection |
rebellion |
| interlocutor |
someone
taking part in a dialogue |
| internecine |
deadly
to both sides |
| interpose |
to
insert; to intervene |
| interregnum |
interval
between reigns |
| intrepid |
fearless |
| inure |
to
harden; accustom; become used to |
| invalidate |
to
negate or nullify |
| inveigh |
Abuse;
criticize; rebuke. |
| investiture |
ceremony
conferring authority |
| inveterate |
Habitual;
chronic. |
| invidious |
likely
to provoke ill-will, offensive |
| irrevocable |
conclusive,
irreversible |
| jingoism |
belligerent
support of one's country |
| jurisprudence |
philosophy
of law |
| kiosk |
A
small structure used as a newsstand, bandstand, etc. |
| kitsch |
Art
or writing of a pretentious but shallow nature. |
| legerdemain |
trickery |
| levitate |
to
rise in the air or cause to rise |
| libertarian |
one
who believes in unrestricted freedom |
| libertine |
one
without moral restraint |
| litigation |
lawsuit |
| lugubrious |
sorrowful,
mournful; dismal |
| macrobiotics |
art
of prolonging life by special diet of organic nonmetal
substances |
| magnanimous |
generous,
noble in spirit |
| magnate |
powerful
or influential person |
| malapropism |
Inappropriate
or ludicrous use of a word. |
| malevolent |
Venomous;
spiteful: malignant. |
| martinet |
strict
disciplinarian, one who rigidly follows rules |
| martyr |
person
dying for his or her beliefs |
| masochist |
one
who enjoys pain or humiliation |
| matriculate |
to
enroll as a member of a college or university |
| matrilineal* |
tracing
ancestry through mother's line rather than father's |
| mawkish |
sickeningly
sentimental |
| mendacious |
dishonest |
| mercurial |
quick,
shrewd, and unpredictable |
| meretricious* |
gaudy,
falsely attractive |
| monastic |
extremely
plain or secluded, as in a monastery |
| moribund |
Failing;
waning; ailing. |
| morose |
gloomy,
sullen, or surly |
| multifarious |
Diverse;
many-sided; multiple. |
| mutability |
changeability |
| myriad |
immense
number, multitude |
| nascent |
Beginning;
embryonic; incipient. |
| necromancy |
black
magic |
| neonate |
newborn
child |
| nihilism |
belief
that existence and all traditional values are meaningless |
| nonsequitur |
conclusion
not following from apparent evidence |
| novitiate |
state
of being a beginner or novice |
| numismatics |
coin
collecting |
| obfuscate |
to
confuse, obscure |
| obsequies |
funeral
ceremony |
| obstinate |
stubborn |
| obstreperous |
troublesome,
boisterous, unruly |
| omniscient |
having
infinite knowledge |
| onerous |
burdensome |
| ontology |
theory
about the nature of existence |
| opalescent |
iridescent,
displaying colors |
| opine |
to
express an opinion |
| opprobrious |
disgraceful,
contemptuous |
| ossify |
to
turn to bone; to become rigid |
| ostensible |
apparent |
| palaver |
idle
talk |
| palliate |
to
make less serious, ease |
| palpitation |
trembling,
shaking |
| panacea |
cure-all |
| panache |
flamboyance,
verve |
| pandemic |
spread
over a whole area or country |
| panoply |
impressive
array |
| paradigm |
ideal
example, model |
| pastiche |
Hodgepodge;
literary or musical piece imitating other works. |
| patricide |
murder
of one's father |
| patrimony |
inheritance
or heritage derived from one's father |
| peccadillo |
Small
sin or fault. |
| pedagogue |
teacher |
| pellucid |
transparent;
translucent; easily understood |
| penultimate |
next
to last |
| penumbra |
partial
shadow |
| perambulator |
baby
carriage |
| percipient |
Able
to perceive or see things as they actually are. |
| perdition |
complete
and utter loss; damnation |
| peregrinate |
to
wander from place to place |
| perihelion |
point
in orbit nearest to the sun |
| peripatetic |
moving
from place to place |
| pernicious |
very
harmful |
| pertinacious |
persistent,
stubborn |
| perturbation |
disturbance |
| petulance |
rudeness,
peevishness |
| philanderer |
pursuer
of casual love affairs |
| philistine |
Barbarian;
person lacking artistic judgment. |
| philology |
study
of words |
| phlegmatic |
calm
in temperament; sluggish |
| plebeian |
crude,
vulgar, low-class |
| plethora |
excess,
overabundance |
| polemic |
controversy,
argument; verbal attack |
| polemical |
Controversial;
argumentative; debatable. |
| polyglot |
speaker
of many languages |
| polyphony |
Music
with two or more melodies blended together. |
| ponderous |
weighty,
heavy, large |
| pontificate |
to
speak in a pretentious manner |
| posit |
to
put in position; to suggest an idea |
| precept |
principle;
law |
| precipitate |
sudden
and unexpected |
| precipitous |
hasty,
quickly, with too little caution |
| precis |
concise
summary of facts |
| predicament |
difficult
situation |
| predicate |
to
found or base on |
| predictive |
relating
to prediction, indicative of the future |
| predilection |
preference,
liking |
| predisposition |
tendency,
inclination |
| preeminent |
celebrated,
distinguished |
| premonition |
forewarning;
presentiment |
| preponderance |
majority
in number; dominance |
| prepossessing |
attractive,
engaging, appealing |
| presage |
to
foretell, indicate in advance |
| prestidigitation |
sleight
of hand |
| prevaricate |
to
lie, evade the truth |
| privation |
lack
of usual necessities or comforts |
| probity |
honest,
high-mindedness |
| profligate |
corrupt,
degenerate |
| progenitor |
originator,
forefather, ancestor in a direct line |
| prologue |
introductory
section of a literary work or play |
| promontory |
piece
of land or rock higher than its surroundings |
| promulgate |
to
make known publicly |
| propinquity |
nearness |
| propitiate |
to
win over, appease |
| propitious |
favorable,
advantageous |
| proselytize |
to
convert to a particular belief or religion |
| protestation |
declaration |
| protrusion |
something
that sticks out |
| provocation |
cause,
incitement to act or respond |
| prurient |
lustful,
exhibiting lewd desires |
| pseudonym |
pen
name; fictitious or borrowed name |
| puerile |
Juvenile;
immature; childish. |
| pugilism |
Boxing. |
| pugnacious |
quarrelsome,
eager and ready to fight |
| pulchritude |
Beauty;
physical appeal. |
| punctilious |
careful
in observing rules of behavior or ceremony |
| purgation |
catharsis,
purification |
| purport |
to
profess, suppose, claim |
| quadruped |
animal
having four feet |
| quaternary |
consisting
of or relating to four units or members |
| quintessence |
most
typical example; concentrated essence |
| quixotic |
Romantic;
whimsical; unrealistic. |
| quotidian |
occurring
daily; commonplace |
| raconteur |
witty,
skillful storyteller |
| ratiocination |
methodical,
logical reasoning |
| recalcitrant |
Headstrong;
disobedient; stubborn. |
| recurrence |
repetition |
| redundancy |
unnecessary
repetition |
| refectory |
room
where meals are served |
| reminiscence |
remembrance
of past events |
| renascent |
reborn,
coming into being again |
| resplendent |
Dazzling;
glorious; intense. |
| retrospective |
review
of the past |
| rococo |
very
highly ornamented |
| saccharine |
Sugary;
syrupy. |
| sacrosanct |
extremely
sacred; beyond criticism |
| salubrious |
healthful |
| scintilla |
trace
amount |
| scintillate |
to
sparkle, flash |
| scrivener |
professional
copyist |
| secede |
to
withdraw formally from an organization |
| sectarian |
narrow-minded;
relating to a group or sect |
| secular |
not
specifically pertaining to religion |
| seismology |
science
of earthquakes |
| seminal |
relating
to the beginning or seeds of something |
| senescent |
aging,
growing old |
| sententious |
having
a moralizing tone |
| serendipity |
habit
of making fortunate discoveries by chance |
| sinecure |
well-paying
job or office that requires little or no work |
| solecism |
grammatical
mistake |
| solipsism |
belief
that oneself is the only reality |
| somnambulist |
sleepwalker |
| somnolent |
drowsy,
sleepy; inducing sleep |
| sophist |
person
good at arguing deviously |
| spurious |
Bogus;
false. |
| staccato |
marked
by abrupt, clear-cut sounds |
| stupefy |
to
dull the senses of; stun, astonish |
| suave |
smoothly
gracious or polite; blandly ingratiating |
| subjection |
dependence,
obedience, submission |
| subliminal |
subconscious;
imperceptible |
| subsequent |
following
in time or order |
| suffragist |
one
who advocates extended voting rights |
| sybarite |
Someone
devoted to luxury; pleasure-seeker. |
| sycophant |
Flatterer. |
| symbiosis |
cooperation,
mutual helpfulness |
| syncopation |
temporary
irregularity in musical rhythm |
| tangential |
digressing,
diverting |
| technocrat |
strong
believer in technology; technical expert |
| temperance |
restraint,
self-control, moderation |
| tenacious |
stubborn,
holding firm |
| terrestrial |
earthly;
down-to-earth, commonplace |
| tether |
to
bind, tie |
| theocracy |
government
by priests representing a god |
| tome |
book,
usually large and academic |
| tonal |
relating
to pitch or sound |
| torpid |
lethargic;
unable to move; dormant |
| torsion |
act
of twisting and turning |
| tractable |
obedient,
yielding |
| transcend |
to
rise above, go beyond |
| transcendent |
rising
above, going beyond |
| trenchant |
acute,
sharp, incisive; forceful, effective |
| trepidation |
Anxiety;
alarm; apprehension. |
| truncate |
to
cut off, shorten by cutting |
| turpitude |
Depravity;
baseness; shamefulness. |
| tyro |
beginner,
novice |
| ubiquitous |
being
everywhere simultaneously |
| umbrage |
offense,
resentment |
| unadulterated |
absolutely
pure |
| unanimity |
state
of total agreement or unity |
| unconscionable |
unscrupulous;
shockingly unfair or unjust |
| unctuous |
greasy,
oily; smug and falsely earnest |
| unequivocal |
absolute,
certain |
| unidimensional |
having
one size or dimension, flat |
| unimpeachable |
beyond
question |
| uninitiated |
not
familiar with an area of study |
| unobtrusive |
modes,
unassuming |
| unscrupulous |
dishonest |
| usury |
practice
of lending money at exorbitant rates |
| utilitarian |
efficient,
functional, useful |
| vacuous |
empty,
void; lacking intelligence, purposeless |
| vapid |
tasteless,
dull |
| veracious |
truthful,
accurate |
| verdure |
fresh,
rich vegetation |
| verisimilitude |
quality
of appearing true or real |
| vicissitude |
change
or variation; ups and downs |
| vitriolic |
Scathing;
caustic. |
| vituperate |
to
abuse verbally |
| xenophobe |
One
who dislikes strangers or foreigners. |
| xenophobia |
fear
or hatred of foreigners or strangers |