Key Terms Flashcards
1
Q
Aberrant (adj.)
A
Deviating from the norm (noun form: aberration)
2
Q
Abscond (verb)
A
To depart clandestinely; to steal off and hide
3
Q
Alacrity (noun)
A
Eager and enthusiastic willingness
4
Q
Anomaly (noun)
A
Deviation from the normal order, form, or rule; abnormality (adj. form: anomalous)
5
Q
Approbation (noun)
A
An expression of approval or praise
6
Q
Arduous (adj.)
A
Strenuous, taxing; requiring significant effort
7
Q
Assuage (verb)
A
To ease or lessen; to appease or pacify
8
Q
Audacious (adj.)
A
Daring and fearless; recklessly bold (noun form: audacity)
9
Q
Austere (adj.)
A
Without adornment; bare; severely simple; ascetic (noun form: austerity)
10
Q
Axiomatic (adj.)
A
Taken as a given; possessing self-evident truth (noun form: axiom)
11
Q
Canonical (adj.)
A
Following or in agreement with accepted, traditional standard (noun form: canon)
12
Q
Capricious (adj.)
A
Inclined to change one’s mind impulsively; erratic, unpredictable
13
Q
Censure (verb)
A
To criticize severely; to officially rebuke
14
Q
Chicanery (noun)
A
Trickery or subterfuge
15
Q
Connoisseur (noun)
A
An informed and astute judge in matters of taste; expert
16
Q
Convoluted (adj.)
A
Complex or complicated
17
Q
Disabuse (verb)
A
To undeceive; to set right
18
Q
Discordant (adj.)
A
Conflicting; dissonant or harsh in sound
19
Q
Disparate (adj.)
A
Fundamentally distinct or dissimilar
20
Q
Effrontery (noun)
A
Extreme boldness; presumptuousness
21
Q
Eloquent (adj.)
A
Well-spoken, expressive, articulate (noun form: eloquence)
22
Q
Eloquent (adj.)
A
Well-spoken, expressive, articulate (noun form: eloquence)
23
Q
Enervate (verb)
A
To weaken;to reduce in vitality
24
Q
Ennui (noun)
A
Dissatisfaction and restlessness resulting from boredom or apathy
25
Equivocate (verb)
To use ambiguous language with a deceptive intent (adj. form: equivocal)
26
Erudite (adj.)
Very learned; scholarly (noun form: erudition)
27
Exculpate (verb)
To exonerate; to clear of blame
28
Exigent (adj.)
Urgent, pressing; requiring immediate action or attention
29
Extemporaneous (adj.)
Improvised; done without preparation
30
Filibuster (noun)
Intentional obstruction, especially using prolonged speech making to delay legislative action
31
Fulminate (verb)
To loudly attack or denounce
32
Ingenuous (adj.)
Artless; frank and candid; lacking in sophistication
33
Inured (adj.)
Accustomed to accepting something undesirable
34
Irascible (adj.)
Easily angered; prone to temperamental outbursts
35
Laud (verb)
To praise highly (adj. form: laudatory)
36
Lucid (adj.)
Clear; easily understood
37
Magnanimity (noun)
The quality of being generously noble in mind and heart, especially in forgiving. (adj form: magnanimous)
38
Martial (adj.)
Associated with war and the armed forces
39
Mundane (adj.)
Of the world; typical of or concerned with the the ordinary
40
Nascent (adj.)
Coming into being; in early developmental stages
41
Nebulous (adj.)
Vague; cloudy; lacking clearly defined form
42
Neologism (noun)
A new word, expression, or usage; the creation or use of new words or sounds
43
Noxious (adj.)
Harmful, injurious
44
Obtuse (adj.)
Lacking sharpness of intellect; not clear or precise in thought or expression
45
Obviate (verb)
To anticipate and make unnecessary
46
Onerous (adj.)
Troubling; burdensome
47
Paean (noun)
A song or hymn of praise and thanksgiving
48
Parody (noun)
A humorous imitation intended for ridicule or comic effect, especially in literature and art
49
Perennial (adj.)
Recurrent through the years or many years; happening repeatedly
50
Perfidy (noun)
Intentional breach of faith; treachery (adj. form: perfidious)
51
Perfunctory (adj.)
Cursory; done without care or interest
52
Perspicacious (adj.)
Acutely perceptive; having keen discernment (noun form: perspicacity)
53
Prattle (verb)
To babble meaninglessly; to talk in an empty and idle manner
54
Precipitate (adj.)
To cause or happen before anticipated or required
55
Predilection (noun)
A disposition in favor of something; preference
56
Prescience (noun)
Foreknowledge of events; knowing of events prior to their occurring (adj. form: prescient)
57
Prevaricate (verb)
To deliberately avoid the truth; to mislead
58
Qualms (noun)
Misgivings; reservations; cause for hesitancy
59
Recant (verb)
To retract, especially a previously held belief
60
Refute (verb)
To disprove; to successfully argue against
61
Relegate (verb)
To forcibly assign, especially to a lower place or position
62
Reticent (adj.)
Quiet; reserved; reluctant to express thoughts and feelings
63
Solicitous (adj.)
Concerned and attentive; eager
64
Sordid (adj.)
Characterized by filth, grime, or squalor; foul
65
Sporadic (adj.)
Occurring only occasionally, or in scattered instances
66
Squander (verb)
To waste by spending or using irresponsibly
67
Static (adj.)
Not moving, active, or in motion; at rest
68
Stupefy (verb)
To stun, baffle, or amaze
69
Stymie (verb)
To block; to thwart
70
Synthesis (noun)
The combination of parts to make a whole (verb form: synthesize)
71
Torque (noun)
A force that causes rotation
72
Tortuous (adj.)
Winding, twisting; excessively complicated
73
Truculent (adj.)
Fierce and cruel; eager to fight
74
Veracity (noun)
Truthfulness, honesty
75
Virulent (adj.)
Extremely harmful or poisonous; bitterly hostile or antagonistic
76
Voracious (adj.)
Having an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit; ravenous
77
Waver (verb)
To move to and fro; to sway; to be unsettled in opinion
78
Abate (verb)
To lessen in intensity or degree
79
Accolade (noun)
An expression of praise
80
Adulation (noun)
Excessive praise; intense adoration
81
Aesthetic (adj.)
Dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful
82
Ameliorate (verb)
To make better or more tolerable
83
Ascetic (noun)
One who practices rigid self-denial, especially as an act of religious devotion
84
Avarice (noun)
Greed, especially for wealth (adj. form: avaricious)
85
Burgeon (verb)
To grow rapidly or flourish
86
Bucolic (adj.)
Rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants
87
Cacophony (noun)
Harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance (adj. form: cacophonous)
88
Canon (noun)
An established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature (adj. form: canonical)
89
Castigation (noun)
Severe criticism or punishment (verb form: castigate)
90
Catalyst (noun)
A substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing; a person or thing that causes change
91
Caustic (adj.)
Burning or stinging; causing corrosion
92
Chary (adj.)
Wary; cautious; sparing
93
Cogent (adj.)
Appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing
94
Complaisance (noun)
The willingness to comply with the wishes of others (adj. form: complaisant)
95
Contentious (adj.)
Argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement
96
Contrite (adj.)
Regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness (noun form: contrition)
97
Culpable (adj.)
Deserving blame (noun form: culpability)
98
Dearth (noun)
Smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack
99
Demur (verb)
To question or oppose
100
Didactic (adj.)
Intended to teach or instruct
101
Discretion (noun)
Cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions (adj. form: discreet)
102
Disinterested (adj.)
Free of bias or self-interest; impartial
103
Dogmatic (adj.)
Expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or improbable principles (noun form: dogma)
104
Ebullience (noun)
The quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings (adj. form: ebullient)
105
Eclectic (adj.)
Composed of elements drawn from various sources
106
Elegy (noun)
A mournful poem, especially one lamenting the dead (adj. form: elegiac)
107
Emollient (adj./noun)
Soothing, especially to the skin; making less harsh; mollifying; an agent that softens or smoothes the skin
108
Empirical (adj.)
Based on observation or experiment
109
Enigmatic (adj.)
Mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand (noun form: enigma)
110
Ephemeral (adj.)
Brief; fleeting
111
Esoteric (adj.)
Intended for or understood by a small, specific group
112
Eulogy (noun)
A speech honoring the dead (verb form: eulogize)
113
Exonerate (verb)
To remove blame
114
Facetious (adj.)
Playful; humorous
115
Fallacy (noun)
An invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief (adj. form: fallacious)
116
Furtive (adj.)
Marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious
117
Gregarious (adj.)
Sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people
118
Harangue (verb/noun)
To deliver a forceful or angry speech; ranting speech or writing
119
Heretical (adj.)
Violating accepted dogma or convention (noun form: heresy)
120
Hyperbole (noun)
An exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech (adj. form: hyperbolic)
121
Impecunious (adj.)
Lacking funds; without money
122
Incipient (adj.)
Beginning to come into being or to become apparent
123
Inert (adj.)
Unmoving; lethargic; sluggish
124
Innocuous (adj.)
Harmless; causing no damage
125
Intransigent (adj.)
Refusing to compromise (noun form: intransigence)
126
Inveigle (verb)
To obtain by deception or flattery
127
Morose (adj.)
Sad; sullen; melancholy
128
Odious (adj.)
Evoking intense aversion or dislike
129
Opaque (adj.)
Impenetrable by light; not reflecting light
130
Oscillation (noun)
The act or state of swinging back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm (verb form: oscillate)
131
Penurious (adj.)
Penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous
132
Pernicious (adj.)
Extremely harmful in a way that is not easily seen or noticed
133
Peruse (verb)
To examine with great care (noun form: perusal)
134
Pious (adj.)
Extremely reverent or devout; showing strong religious devotion (noun form: piety)
135
Precursor (noun)
One that precedes and indicates or announces another
136
Preen (verb)
To dress up; to primp; to groom oneself with elaborate care
137
Prodigious (adj.)
Abundant in size, force, or extent; extraordinary
138
Prolific (adj.)
Producing large volumes or amounts; productive
139
Putrefy (verb)
To rot; to decay and give off a foul odor (adj. form: putrid)
140
Quaff (verb)
To drink deeply
141
Quiescence (noun)
Stillness; motionless; quality of being at rest (adj. form: quiescent)
142
Redoubtable (adj.)
Awe-inspiring; worthy of honor
143
Sanction (noun/verb)
Authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance; to give permission or authority
144
Satire (noun)
A literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision (adj. form: satirical)
145
Squalid (adj.)
Sordid; wretched and dirty as from neglect (noun form: squalor)
146
Stoic (adj.)
Indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain; steadfast (noun form: stoicism)
147
Supplant (verb)
To take the place of; to supersede
148
Torpid (adj.)
Lethargic; sluggish; dormant (noun form: torpor)
149
Ubiquitous (adj.)
Existing everywhere at the same time; constantly encountered; widespread
150
Urbane (adj.)
Sophisticated; refined; elegant (noun form: urbanity)
151
Vilify (verb)
To defame; to characterize harshly
152
Viscous (adj.)
Thick; sticky (noun form: viscosity)
153
Acumen (noun)
Keen, accurate judgement or insight
154
Adulterate (verb)
To reduce purity by combining with inferior ingredients
155
Amalgamate (verb)
To combine several elements into a whole (noun form: amalgamation)
156
Archaic (adj.)
Outdated; associated with an earlier, perhaps more primitive time
157
Aver (verb)
To state as a fact; to declare or assert
158
Bolster (verb)
To provide support or reinforcement
159
Bombastic (adj.)
Pompous; grandiloquent (noun form: bombast)
160
Diatribe (noun)
A harsh denunciation
161
Dissemble (verb)
To disguise or conceal; to mislead
162
Eccentric (adj.)
Departing from norms or conventions
163
Endemic (adj.)
Characteristic of or often found in a particular locality, region, or people
164
Evanescent (adj.)
Tending to disappear like vapor; vanishing
165
Exacerbate (verb)
To make worse or more severe
166
Fervent (adj.)
Greatly emotional or zealous (noun form: fervor)
167
Fortuitous (adj.)
Happening by accident or chance
168
Germane (adj.)
Relevant to the subject at hand; appropriate in subject matter
169
Grandiloquence (noun)
Pompous speech or expression (adj. form: grandiloquent)
170
Hackneyed (adj.)
Rendered trite or commonplace by frequent usage
171
Halcyon (adj.)
Calm and peaceful
172
Hedonism (noun)
Devotion to pleasurable pursuits, especially to the pleasures of the senses (a hedonist is someone who pursues pleasure)
173
Hegemony (noun)
The consistent dominance of one state or group over others
174
Iconoclast (noun)
One who attacks or undermines traditional conventions or institutions
175
Idolatrous (adj.)
Given to intense or excessive devotion to something (noun form: idolatry)
176
Impassive (adj.)
Revealing no emotion
177
Imperturbable (adj.)
Marked by extreme calm, impassivity, and steadiness
178
Implacable (adj.)
Not capable of being appeased or significantly changed
179
Impunity (noun)
Immunity from punishment or penalty
180
Inchoate (adj.)
In an initial stage; not fully formed
181
Infelicitous (adj.)
Unfortunate; inappropriate
182
Insipid (adj.)
Lacking in qualities that interest, stimulate, or challenge
183
Loquacious (adj.)
Extremely talkative (noun form: loquacity)
184
Luminous (adj.)
Characterized by brightness and the emission of light
185
Malevolent (adj.)
Having or showing often vicious ill will, spite, or hatred (noun form: malevolence)
186
Malleable (adj.)
Capable of being shaped or form; tractable; pliable
187
Mendacity (noun)
The condition of being untruthful; dishonesty (adj. form: mendacious)
188
Meticulous (adj.)
Characterized by extreme care and precision; attentive to detail
189
Misanthrope (noun)
One who hates all other humans (adj form: misanthropic)
190
Mitigate (verb)
To make or become less severe or intense; to moderate
191
Obdurate (adj.)
Unyielding; hardhearted; intractable
192
Obsequious (adj.)
Exhibiting a fawning attentiveness
193
Occlude (verb)
To obstruct or block
194
Opprobrium (noun)
Disgrace; contempt; scorn
195
Pedagogy (noun)
The profession or principles of teaching or instructing
196
Pedantic (adj.)
Overly concerned with the trivial details of learning or education; show-offish about one’s knowledge
197
Penury (noun)
Poverty; destitution
198
Pervasive (adj.)
Having the tendency to permeate or spread throughout
199
Pine (verb)
To yearn intensely; to languish; to lose vigor
200
Pirate (verb)
To illegally use or reproduce
201
Pith (noun)
The essential or central part
202
Pithy (adj.)
Precise and brief
203
Placate (verb)
To appease; to calm by making concessions
204
Platitude (noun)
A superficial remark, especially one offered as meaningful
205
Plummet (verb)
To plunge or drop straight down
206
Polemical (adj.)
Controversial; argumentative
207
Prodigal (adj.)
Recklessly wasteful; extravagant; profuse; lavish
208
Profuse (adj.)
Given or coming forth abundantly; extravagant
209
Proliferate (verb)
To grow or increase swiftly and abundantly
210
Queries (noun)
Questions; inquiries; doubts in the mind; reservations
211
Querulous (adj.)
Prone to complaining or grumbling; peevish
212
Rancorous (adj.)
Characterized by bitter, long-lasting resentment (noun form: rancor)
213
Recalcitrant (adj.)
Obstinately defiant of authority; difficult to manage
214
Repudiate (verb)
To refuse to have anything to do with; to disown
215
Rescind (verb)
To invalidate; to repeal; to retract
216
Reverent (adj.)
Marked by, feeling, or expressing a feeling of profound awe and respect (noun form: reverence)
217
Rhetoric (noun)
The art or study of effective use of language for communication and persuasion
218
Salubrious (adj.)
Promoting health or well-being
219
Solvent (adj.)
Able to meet financial obligations; able to dissolve another substance
220
Specious (adj.)
Seeming true, but actually being fallacious; misleadingly attractive; plausible but false
221
Spurious (adj.)
Lacking authenticity or validity; false; counterfeit
222
Subpoena (noun)
A court order requiring appearance and/or testimony
223
Succinct (adj.)
Brief; concise
224
Superfluous (adj.)
Exceeding what is sufficient or necessary
225
Surfeit (verb/noun)
An overabundant supply; excess; to feed or supply to excess
226
Tenacity (noun)
The quality of adherence or persistence to something valued; persistent determination (adj. form: tenacious)
227
Tenuous (adj.)
Having little substance or strength; flimsy; weak
228
Tirade (noun)
A long and extremely critical speech; a harsh denunciation
229
Transient (adj.)
Fleeting; passing quickly; brief
230
Zealous (adj.)
Fervent; ardent; impassioned, devoted to a cause (a zealot is a zealous person)
231
Acerbic (adj.)
Having a sour or bitter taste or character; sharp; biting
232
Aggrandize (verb)
To increase in intensity, power, influence, or prestige
233
Alchemy (noun)
A medieval science aimed at the transmutation of metals, especially base metals into gold (an alchemist is one who practices alchemy)
234
Amenable (adj.)
Agreeable; responsive to suggestion
235
Anachronism (noun)
Something or someone out of place in terms of historical or chronological context
236
Astringent (noun/adj.)
Having a tightening effect on living tissue; harsh; severe; something with a tightening effect on tissue
237
Contiguous (adj.)
Sharing a border; touching; adjacent
238
Convention (noun)
A generally agreed-upon practice or attitude
239
Credulous (adj.)
Tending to believe too readily; gullible (noun form: credulity)
240
Cynicism (noun)
An attitude or quality of belief that all people are motivated by selfishness (adj. form: cynical)
241
Decorum (noun)
Polite or appropriate conduct or behavior (adj. form: decorous)
242
Derision (noun)
Scorn, ridicule, contemptuous treatment (adj. form: derisive; verb form: deride)
243
Desiccate (verb)
To dry out or dehydrate; to make dry or dull
244
Dilettante (noun)
One with an amateurish or superficial interest in the arts or a branch of knowledge
245
Disparage (verb)
To slight or belittle
246
Divulge (verb)
To disclose something secret
247
Fawn (verb)
To flatter or praise excessively
248
Flout (verb)
To contempt for, as in a rule or convention
249
Garrulous (adj.)
Pointlessly talkative; talking too much
250
Glib (adj.)
Marked by ease or informality; nonchalant; lacking in depth; superficial
251
Hubris (noun)
Overbearing presumption or pride; arrogance
252
Imminent (adj.)
About to happen; impending
253
Immutable (adj.)
Not capable of change
254
Impetuous (adj.)
Hastily or rashly energetic; impulsive vehement
255
Indifferent (adj.)
Having no interest or concern; showing no bias or prejudice
256
Inimical (adj.)
Damaging; harmful; injurious
257
Intractable (adj.)
Not easily managed or directed; stubborn; obstinate
258
Intrepid (adj.)
Steadfast and courageous
259
Laconic (adj.)
Using few words; terse
260
Maverick (noun)
An independent individual who does not get along with a group or party
261
Mercurial (adj.)
Characterized by rapid and unpredictable change in mood
262
Mollify (verb)
To calm or soothe; to reduce in emotional intensity
263
Neophyte (noun)
A recent convert; a beginner; a novice
264
Obfuscate (verb)
To deliberately obscure; to make confusing
265
Obstinate (adj.)
Stubborn; hard-headed; uncompromising
266
Ostentatious (adj.)
Characterized by or given to pretentious display; showy
267
Pervade (verb)
To permeate throughout (adj. form: pervasive)
268
Phlegmatic (adj.)
Calm; sluggish; unemotional
269
Plethora (noun)
An overabundance; a surplus
270
Pragmatic (adj.)
Practical rather than idealistic
271
Presumptuous (adj.)
Overstepping due bounds (as of propriety or curtesy); taking liberties
272
Pristine (adj.)
Pure; uncorrupted; clean
273
Probity (noun)
Adherence to highest principles; complete and confirmed integrity; uprightness
274
Proclivity (noun)
A natural predisposition or inclination
275
Profligate (adj.)
Excessively wasteful; recklessly extravagant (noun form: profligacy)
276
Propensity (noun)
A natural inclination or tendency; penchant
277
Prosaic (adj.)
Dull; lacking in spirit or imagination
278
Pungent (adj.)
Characterized by a strong, sharp smell or taste
279
Quixotic (adj.)
Foolishly impractical; marked by lofty romantic ideals
280
Quotidian (adj.)
Occurring or recurring daily; commonplace
281
Rarefy (verb)
To make or become thin; less dense; to refine
282
Recondite (adj.)
Hidden; concealed; difficult to understand; obscure
283
Refulgent (adj.)
Radiant; shiny; brilliant
284
Renege (verb)
To fail to honor commitment; to go back on a promise
285
Sedulous (adj.)
Diligent; persistent; hard working
286
Shard (noun)
A piece of broken pottery or glass
287
Soporific (adj.)
Causing drowsiness; tending to induce sleep
288
Sparse (adj.)
Thin; not dense; arranged at widely spaced intervals
289
Spendthrift (noun)
One who spends money wastefully
290
Subtle (adj.)
Not obvious; elusive; difficult to discern
291
Tactic (adj.)
Implied; not explicitly stated
292
Terse (adj.)
Brief and concise in wording
293
Tout (verb)
To publicly praise or promote
294
Trenchant (adj.)
Sharply perceptive; keen; penetrating
295
Unfeigned (adj.)
Genuine; not false or hypocritical
296
Untenable (adj.)
Indefensible; not viable; uninhabitable
297
Vacillate (verb)
To waver indecisively between one course of action or opinion and another
298
Variegated (adj.)
Multicolored; characterized by a variety of patches of different color
299
Vexation (noun)
Annoyance; irritation (verb form: vex)
300
Vigilant (adj.)
Alertly watchful (noun form: vigilance)
301
Vituperate (verb)
To use harsh condemnatory language; to abuse or censure severely or abusively; to berate
302
Volatile (adj.)
Readily changing to a vapor; changeable; fickle; explosive (noun form: volatility)
303
Alloy (verb)
To commingle; to debase by mixing with something inferior; unalloyed means pure
304
Appropriate (verb)
To take for one’s own use; to confiscate
305
Arrest/arresting (verb/adj.)
To suspend; to engage; holding one’s attention: as in an arresting portrait
306
August (adj.)
Majestic, venerable
307
Bent (noun)
Leaning, inclination, proclivity, tendency
308
Broach (verb)
To bring up; to announce; to begin to talk about
309
Brook (verb)
To tolerate; to endure; to countenance
310
Cardinal (adj.)
Major; as in a cardinal sin
311
Chauvinist (noun)
A blindly devoted patriot
312
Color (verb)
To change as if by dyeing, i.e., to distort, gloss, or affect (usually the first)
313
Consequential (adj.)
Pompous, self-important (primary definitions are logically following; important)
314
Damp (verb)
To diminish the intensity or check the vibration of a sound
315
Die (noun)
A tool used for shaping, as in a tool-and-die shop
316
Essay (verb)
To test or try; to attempt; to experiment
317
Exact (verb)
To demand; to call for; to require; to take
318
Fell (verb)
To cause to fall by striking
319
Fell (adj.)
Inhumanly cruel
320
Flag (verb)
To sag or droop; to become spiritless; to decline
321
Flip (adj.)
Sarcastic, impertinent, as in flippant: a flip remark
322
Ford (verb)
To wade across the shallow part of a river or stream
323
Grouse (verb)
To complain or grumble
324
Guy (noun/verb)
A rope, cord, or cable attached to something as a brace or guide; to steady or reinforce using a guy: think guide. (Verb form: guyed, guying)
325
Intimate (verb)
To imply, suggest, or insinuate
326
List (verb)
To tilt or lean to one side
327
Lumber (verb)
To move heavily and clumsily
328
Meet (adj.)
Fitting, proper
329
Milk (verb)
To exploit; to squeeze every last ounce of
330
Mince (verb)
To pronounce or speak affectedly; to euphemize, to speak too carefully; to take tiny steps, to tiptoe
331
Nice (adj.)
Exacting, fastidious, extremely precise
332
Occult (adj.)
Hidden, concealed, beyond comprehension
333
Pedestrian (adj.)
Commonplace, trite, unremarkable, quotidian
334
Pied (adj.)
Multicolored, usually in blotches
335
Pine (verb)
To lose vigor (as through grief); to yearn
336
Plastic (adj.)
Moldable, pliable, not rigid
337
Pluck (noun)
Courage, spunk, fortitude
338
Prize (verb)
To pry, to press or force with a lever; something taken by force, spoils
339
Rail (verb)
To complain bitterly
340
Rent (verb/noun)
Torn (past tense of rend); an opening or tear caused by such
341
Quail (verb)
To lose courage; to turn frightened
342
Qualify (verb)
To limit
343
Sap (verb)
To enervate or weaken the vitality of
344
Sap (noun)
A fool or nitwit
345
Scurvy (adj.)
Contemptible, despicable
346
Singular (adj.)
Exceptional, unusual, odd
347
Stand (noun)
A group of trees
348
Steep (verb)
To saturate or completely soak, as in to let a tea bag steep
349
Strut (noun)
The supporting structural cross-part of a wing
350
Table (verb)
To remove (as a parliamentary motion) from consideration
351
Tender (verb)
To proffer or offer
352
Waffle (verb)
To equivocate; to change one’s position
353
Wag (noun)
Wit, joker
354
Abjure (verb)
To renounce or reject solemnly; to recant; to avoid
355
Adumbrate (verb)
To foreshadow vaguely or intimate; to suggest or outline sketchily; to obscure or overshadow
356
Anathema (noun)
A solemn or ecclesiastical (religious) curse; accursed or thoroughly loathed person or thing
357
Anodyne (adj./noun)
Soothing; something that assuages or allays pain or comforts
358
Apogee (noun)
Farthest or highest point; culmination; zenith
359
Apostate (noun)
One who abandons long-held religious or political convictions
360
Apotheosis (noun)
Deification; glorification to godliness; an exalted example; a model of excellence or perfection
361
Asperity (noun)
Severity, rigor; roughness, harshness; acrimony, irritability
362
Asseverate (verb)
To aver, allege, or assert
363
Assiduous (adj.)
Diligent, hard-working, sedulous
364
Augury (noun)
Omen, portent
365
Bellicose (adj.)
Belligerent, pugnacious, warlike
366
Calumniate (verb)
To slander, to make false accusation; calumny means slander, aspersion
367
Captious (adj.)
Disposed to point out trivial faults; calculated to confuse or entrap in argument
368
Cavil (verb)
To find fault without good reason
369
Celerity (noun)
Speed, alacrity; think accelerate
370
Chimera (noun)
An illusion; originally, an imaginary fire-breathing she-monster
371
Contumacious (adj.)
Insubordinate, rebellious; contumely means insult, scorn, aspersion
372
Debacle (noun)
Rout, fiasco, complete failure
373
Denouement (noun)
An outcome or solution; the unraveling of a plot
374
Descry (verb)
To catch sight of
375
Desuetude (noun)
Disuse
376
Desultory (adj.)
Random; aimless; marked by a lack of plan or purpose
377
Diaphanous (adj.)
Transparent, gauzy
378
Diffident (adj.)
Reserved, shy, unassuming; lacking in self-confidence
379
Dirge (noun)
A song of grief or lamentation
380
Encomium (noun)
Glowing and enthusiastic praise; panegyric, tribute, eulogy
381
Eschew (verb)
To shun or avoid
382
Excoriate (verb)
To censure scathingly, to upbraid
383
Execrate (verb)
To denounce, to feel loathing for, to curse, to declare to be evil
384
Exegesis (noun)
Critical examination, explication
385
Expiate (verb)
To atone or make amends for
386
Extirpate (verb)
To destroy, to exterminate, to cut out, to exscind
387
Fatuous (adj.)
Silly, inanely foolish
388
Fractious (adj.)
Quarrelsome, rebellious, unruly, refractory, irritable
389
Gainsay (verb)
To deny, to dispute, to contradict, to oppose
390
Heterodox (adj.)
Unorthodox, heretical, iconoclastic
391
Imbroglio (noun)
Difficult or embarrassing situation
392
Indefatigable (adj.)
Not easily exhaustible; tireless, dogged
393
Ineluctable (adj.)
Certain, inevitable
394
Inimitable (adj.)
One of a kind, peerless
395
Insouciant (adj.)
Unconcerned, carefree, heedless
396
Inveterate (adj.)
Deep rooted, ingrained, habitual
397
Jejune (adj.)
Vapid, uninteresting, nugatory; childish, immature, puerile
398
Lubricious (adj.)
Lewd, wanton, greasy, slippery
399
Mendicant (noun)
A beggar, supplicant
400
Meretricious (adj.)
Cheap, gaudy, tawdry, flashy, showy; attracting by false show
401
Minatory (adj.)
Menacing, threatening (reminds you of the Minotaur, a threatening creature indeed)
402
Nadir (noun)
Low point, perigee
403
Nonplussed (adj.)
Baffled, bewildered, at a lost for what to do or think
404
Obstreperous (adj.)
Noisily and stubbornly defiant, aggressively boisterous
405
Ossified (adj.)
Tending to become more rigid, conventional, sterile, and reactionary with age; literally, turned into bone
406
Palliate (verb)
To make something seem less serious, to gloss over, to make less severe or intense
407
Panegyric (noun)
Formal praise, eulogy, encomium; panegyrical means expressing elaborate praise
408
Parsimonious (adj.)
Cheap, miserly
409
Pellucid (adj.)
Transparent, easy to understand, limpid
410
Peroration (noun)
The concluding part of a speech; flowery, rhetorical speech
411
Plangent (adj.)
Pounding, thundering, resounding
412
Prolix (adj.)
Long-winded, verbose; prolixity means verbosity
413
Propitiate (verb)
To appease; to conciliate; propitious means suspicious, favorable
414
Puerile (adj.)
Childish, immature, jejune, nugatory
415
Puissance (noun)
Power, strength; puissant means powerful, strong
416
Pusillanimous (adj.)
Cowardly, craven
417
Remonstrate (verb)
To protest, to object
418
Sagacious (adj.)
Having sound judgement; perceptive, wise; like a sage
419
Salacious (adj.)
Lustful, lascivious, bawdy
420
Salutary (adj.)
Remedial, wholesome, causing improvement
421
Sanguine (adj.)
Cheerful, confident, optimistic
422
Saturnine (adj.)
Gloomy, dark, sullen, morose
423
Sententious (adj.)
Aphoristic or moralistic; epigrammatic; tending to moralize excessively
424
Stentorian (adj.)
Extremely loud and powerful
425
Stygian (adj.)
Gloomy, dark
426
Sycophant (noun)
Toady; servile, self-seeking flatterer; parasite
427
Tendentious (adj.)
Biased; showing marked tendencies
428
Timorous (adj.)
Timid, fearful, diffident
429
Tyro (noun)
Novice, greenhorn, rank amateur
430
Vitiate (verb)
To corrupt, to debase, to spoil, to make ineffective
431
Voluble (adj.)
Fluent, verbal, having easy use of spoken language
