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1262 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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abase
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v. lower; degrade; humiliate
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abash
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v. embarrass
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abet
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v. assist
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abeyance
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n. suspended action
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ablution
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n. washing
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abnegation
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n. renunciation; self-sacrifice
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abrogate
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v. abolish
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absolve
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v. pardon (an offense)
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abstruse
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adj. obscure; profound
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accede
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v. agree
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acclivity
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n. sharp upslope of a hill
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accost
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v. approach and speak first to a person
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accoutre
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v. equip
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acetic
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adj. vinegary
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acidulous
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adj. slightly sour; sharp; caustic
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acrophobia
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n. fear of heights.
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actuate
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v. motivate
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addle
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v. muddle; drive crazy; become rotten
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adjuration
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n. solemn urging
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adjutant
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n. staff officer assisting a commander; assistant
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adroit
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adj. skillful
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adulation
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n. flattery; admiration
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adventitious
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adj. accidental; casual
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advert
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v. refer (to)
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aegis
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n. shield; defense
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aerie
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n. nest of a large bird of prey
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affront
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n. insult
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agog
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adj. highly excited; intensely curious
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alimentary
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adj. supplying nourishment
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alluvial
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adj. pertaining to soil deposits left by running water
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ambulatory
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adj. able to walk; not bedridden
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amenable
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adj. readily managed or willing to be led
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amorous
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adj. moved by sexual love; loving
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amok
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adj. in a state of rage
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anathema
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n. solemn curse; someone or something regarded as a curse
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ancillary
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adj. serving as an aid or accessory; auxiliary
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animadversion
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n. critical remark
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animus
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n. hostile feeling or intent
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anneal
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v. reduce brittleness and improve toughness by heating and cooling
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annul
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v. make void
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anodyne
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n. drug that relives pain; opiate
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anthropoid
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adj. manlike
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anthropomorphic
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adj. having human form or characteristics
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antic
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adj. extravagantly odd
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aphasia
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n. loss of speech due to injury or illness
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apiary
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n. a place where bees are kept
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apocryphal
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adj. spurious; not authentic; invented rather than true
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apologist
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n. one who writes in defense of a cause or institution
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apostate
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n. one who abandons his religious faith or political beliefs
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apothecary
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n. druggist
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apotheosis
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n. elevation to godhood; an ideal example of something
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appellation
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n. name; title
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apposite
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adj. appropriate; fitting
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apprise
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v. inform
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approbation
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n. approval
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appurtenances
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n. subordinate possessions
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aquiline
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adj. curved, hooked
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arable
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adj. fit for growing crops
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arbiter
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n. a person of power to decide a matter in dispute; judge
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arcane
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adj. secret; mysterious; known only to the initiated.
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argot
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n. slang.
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array
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v. marshal; draw up in order
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array
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v. clothe; adorn
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arrears
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n. being in debt
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arroyo
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n. gully
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ascendancy
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n. controlling influence
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aseptic
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adj. preventing infection; having a cleansing effect
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ashen
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adj. ash-colored; deadly pale
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askance
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adj. with a sideways or indirect look
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aspersion
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n. slanderous remark
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aspirant
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n. seeker after position or status
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assay
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v. analyze; evaluate
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assent
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v. agree; accept
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astral
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adj. relating to the stars
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astringent
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adj. binding; causing contraction; harsh or severe
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asunder
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adv. into parts; apart
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atavism
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n. resemblance to remote ancestors rather than parents; reversion to an earlier type; throwback
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attrition
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n. gradual decrease in numbers; reduction in the work force without firing employees; wearing away of opposition by harassment
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augury
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n. omen; prophecy
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aureole
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n. sun's corona; halo
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averse
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adj. reluctant; disinclined
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avid
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adj. greedy; eager for
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awl
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n. pointed tool used for piercing
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axiom
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n. self-evident truth requiring no proof
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bait
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v. harass; tease
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baleful
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adj. threatening; menacing; sinister; foreshadowing evil
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balk
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v. stop short, as if faced with an obstacle, and refuse to continue
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balk
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v. foil
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ballast
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n. heavy substance used to add stability or weight
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balmy
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adj. mild; fragrant
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bandy
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v. discuss lightly or glibly; exchange (words) heatedly
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bane
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n. curse; cause of ruin
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barrister
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n. counselor-at-law
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bate
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v. let down; restrain
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bauble
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n. trinket; trifle
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beatify
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v. bless or sanctify; proclaim someone dead to be one of the blessed
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bedizen
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v. dress with vulgar finery
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bedraggle
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v. wet thoroughly
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beholden
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adj. obligated; indebted
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behoove
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v. be necessary or proper for; be incumbent upon
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bandy
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v. discuss lightly or glibly; exchange (words) heatedly
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bane
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n. curse; cause of ruin
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barrister
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n. counselor-at-law
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bate
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v. let down; restrain
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bauble
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n. trinket; trifle
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beatify
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v. bless or sanctify; proclaim someone dead to be one of the blessed
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bedizen
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v. dress with vulgar finery
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bedraggle
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v. wet thoroughly
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beholden
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adj. obligated; indebted
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behoove
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v. be necessary or proper for; be incumbent upon
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beleaguer
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v. besiege or attack; harass
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belie
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v. contradict; give a false impression
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bellicose
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adj. warlike; pugnacious; naturally inclined to fight
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benison
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n. blessing
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bereft
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adj. deprived of; lacking
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beset
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v. harass or trouble; hem in
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besmirch
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v. soil, defile
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betroth
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v. become engaged to marry
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bevy
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n. large group
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bilious
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adj. suffering from a liver complaint; peevishly ill humored
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bilk
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v. swindle; cheat
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bivouac
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n. temporary encampment
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blandish
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v. cajole; coax with flattery
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blithe
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adj. carefree and unconcerned (perhaps foolishly so)
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blowhard
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n. talkative boaster
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bluff
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adj. rough but good-natured
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bode
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v. foreshadow; portend
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boon
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n. blessing benefit
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bourgeois
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adj. middle class; selfishly materialistic; dully conventional
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bowdlerize
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Remove matter thought to be objectionable or unsuitable from (a book or account); expurgate
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brackish
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adj. somewhat saline
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braggadocio
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n. boasting
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brandish
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v. wave around; flourish
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bravado
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n. swagger; assumed air of defiance
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brazen
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adj. insolent; bold and without shame
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broach
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v. introduce; open up
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brocade
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n. rich, figured fabric
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brook
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v. tolerate; endure
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brusque
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adj. blunt; abrupt
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buffet
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v. slap; batter; knock about
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bugaboo
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n. object of baseless terror
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bulwark
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n. earthwork or other strong defense; person who defends
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bungle
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v. mismanage; blunder
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burlesque
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v. give an imitation that ridicules
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buxom
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adj. full-bosomed; plump; jolly
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cabal
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n. small group of persons secretly united to promote their own interests
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cadge
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v. beg; mooch; panhandle
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cajole
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coax; wheedle
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callow
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adj. youthful; immature; inexperienced
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calumny
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n. slander
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cameo
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n. shell or jewel carved in relief; star's special appearance in a minor role
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canard
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n. fabricated story
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canker
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n. any ulcerous sore; any evil
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cant
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n. insincere expressions of piety; jargon of theives
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canter
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n. slow gallop
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capacious
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adj. spacious
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capitulate
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v. surrender
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captious
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adj. faultfinding
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carapace
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shell covering the back (of a turtle, crab, etc.)
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carousal
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n. drunken revel
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carping
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n. petty criticism
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carrion
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n. rotting flesh of a dead body
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catechism
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n. book for religious instruction; instruction by question and answer
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catharsis
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n. purgin or cleansing of any passage of the body
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cavil
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v. make frivolous objections
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celerity
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n. speed; rapidity
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censure
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v. blame; criticize
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cerebration
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n. thought
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chaff
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n. worthless products of an endeavor
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chaffing
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adj. bantering, joking
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chagrin
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n. vexation (caused by humiliation or injured pride); disappointment
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charlatan
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n. quack; pretender to knowledge
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chary
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adj. cautious; sparing or restrained about giving
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chase
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v. ornament a metal surface by indenting
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chauvinist
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n. blindly devoted patriot; zealous adherent of a group of cause
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cherubic
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adj. angelic; innocent-looking
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chimerical
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adj. fantastically improbably; highly unrealistic
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chisel
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v. swindle or cheat
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choleric
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adj. hot-tempered
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churlish
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adj. boorish; rude
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cipher
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n. nonentity; worthless person or thing
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circumlocution
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n. unnecessarily wordy and indirect speech; evasive language
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clarion
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adj. shrill, trumpetlike (sound)
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clemency
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n. disposition to be lenient; mildness, as of the weather
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clime
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n. region; climate
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cloying
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adj. distasteful (because excessive)
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codicil
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n. supplement to the body of a will
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coeval
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adj. living at the same time; contemporary
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cogent
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adj. convincing
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cogitate
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v. think over
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coiffure
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n. hairstyle
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collate
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v. examine in order to verify authenticity; arrange in order
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colloquy
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n. informal discussion
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collusion
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n. conspiring in a fraudulent scheme
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comely
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adj. attractive; agreeable
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comeuppance
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n. rebuke; deserts
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commodious
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adj. spacious and comfortable
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complaisant
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adj. trying to please; overly polite and obliging
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complicity
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n. involvement in a crime; participation
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comport
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v. bear one's self; behave
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compunction
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n. remorse
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concatenate
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v. link as in a chain
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conclave
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n. private meeting
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condign
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adj. appropriate; deserved (almost always, in the sense of about a possible miscarriage of justice is rational, as in condign punishment)
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conflagration
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n. great fire
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conflate
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v. meld or fuse; confuse; combine into one
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confluence
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n. flowing together; crowd
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connivance
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n. pretense of ignorance of something wrong; assistance; permission to offend
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connubial
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adj. pertaining to marriage or the matrimonial state
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consanguinity
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n. kinship
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consequential
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adj. pompous; self-important
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consort (v. & n.)
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v. associate with
n. husband or wife |
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continence
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n. self-restraint; sexual chastity
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contingent (n.)
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n. group that makes up part of a gathering
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contravene
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v. contradict; oppose: infringe on or transgress
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contumacious
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adj. disobedient; resisting authority
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conveyance
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n. vehicle; transfer
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convivial
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adj. festive; gay; characterized by joviality
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convoke
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v. call together
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coquette
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n. flirt
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cordon
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n. extended line of men or fortifications to prevent access or egress
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cornice
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n. projecting molding on building (usually above columns)
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corpulent
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adj. very fat
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coterie
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n. group that meets socially; select circle
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countenance (v. & n.)
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v. approve; tolerate
n. face |
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countermand
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v. cancel; revoke
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coup
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n. highly successful action or sudden attack
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cow (v.)
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v. terrorize; intimidate
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coy
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adj. shy; modest; coquettish
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cozen
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v. cheat; hoodwink; swindle
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crabbed
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adj. sour; peevish
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credulity
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n. belief on slight evidence
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crestfallen
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adj. dejected; dispirited
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crone
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n. hag; an ugly, evil-looking old woman
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crotchety
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adj. eccentric; whimsical
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cull
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v. pick out; reject
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cupidity
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n. greed
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cursory
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adj. casual; hastily done
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curtail
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v. shorten; reduce
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cynosure
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n. object of general attention
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dais
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n. raised platform for guests of honor
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dawdle
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v. loiter; waste time
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deadpan
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adj. wooden; impassive
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decant
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v. pour off gently
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deciduous
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adj. falling off, as in leaves
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décolleté
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adj. having a low-cut neckline
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decorum
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n. propriety; orderliness and good taste in manners
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defer
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v. give in respectfully; submit
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deft
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adj. neat and skillful
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deign
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v. condescend; stoop
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deleterious
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adj. harmful
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deluge
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n. flood; rush
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demagogue
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n. person who appeals to people's prejudices; false leader
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demean
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v. degrade; humiliate
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demur
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n. objection; protest
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demure
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adj. grave; serious; coy
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denigrate
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v. blacken
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denouement
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n. outcome; final development of the plot of a play or other literary work
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deplore
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v. regret
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depredation
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n. plundering
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derelict
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adj. abandoned; negligent
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deride
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v. ridicule; make fun of
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descry
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v. catch sight of
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despot
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n. tyrant; harsh authoritarian ruler
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despondent
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adj. depressed; gloomy
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diadem
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n. crown
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dialectical
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adj. relating to the art of debate; mutual or reciprocal
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diatribe
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n. bitter scolding; invective
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dictum
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n. authoritative and weighty statement; saying; maxim
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diffidence
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n. shyness
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diffuse
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adj. wordy; rambling; spread out
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dilettante
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n. aimless follower of the arts; amateur; dabbler
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din
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n. continued loud noise
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dint
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n. means; effort
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disabuse
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v. correct a false impression; undeceive
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disaffected
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adj. disloyal
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disapprobation
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disapproval; condemnation
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disavowal
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n. denial; disclaiming
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discomfit
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v. put to rout; defeat; disconcert
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disconcert
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v. confuse; upset; embarrass
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diffuse
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adj. wordy; rambling; spread out
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dilettante
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n. aimless follower of the arts; amateur; dabbler
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din
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n. continued loud noise
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dint
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n. means; effort
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disabuse
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v. correct a false impression; undeceive
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disaffected
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adj. disloyal
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disapprobation
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disapproval; condemnation
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disavowal
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n. denial; disclaiming
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discomfit
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v. put to rout; defeat; disconcert
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disconcert
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v. confuse; upset; embarrass
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disconsolate
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adj. sad
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discursive
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adj. digressing; rambling
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disgorge
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v. surrender something; eject; vomit
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disingenuous
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adj. lacking genuine candor; insincere
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disparage
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v. belittle
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disport
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v. amuse
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disputatious
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adj. agrumentative; fond of arguing
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disquietude
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n. uneasiness; anxiety
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disquisition
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n. a formal systematic inquiry
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dissemble
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v. disguise; pretend
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dissent
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v. disagree
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dissimulate
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v. pretend; conceal by geigning
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distrait
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adj. inattentive; distracted, often by anxiety
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diurnal
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adj. daily
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docket
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n. program as for trial; book where such entries are made
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doddering
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adj. shaky; infirm from old age
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doff
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v. take off (as in doff a hat)
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dogged
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adj. determined
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doldrums
|
n. blues; listlesness; slack period
|
|
|
dolorous
|
adj. sorrowful
|
|
|
dolt
|
n. stupid person
|
|
|
don
|
v. put on
|
|
|
dossier
|
n. file of documents on a subject
|
|
|
dotage
|
n. senility
|
|
|
dote
|
v. be excessively fond of; show signs of mental decline
|
|
|
dour
|
adj. sullen; stubborn
|
|
|
douse
|
v. plunge into water; drench; extinguish
|
|
|
dowdy
|
adj. slovenly; untidy
|
|
|
draconian
|
adj. extremely severe
|
|
|
dregs
|
n. sediment; worthless residue
|
|
|
dolt
|
n. stupid person
|
|
|
don
|
v. put on
|
|
|
dossier
|
n. file of documents on a subject
|
|
|
dotage
|
n. senility
|
|
|
dote
|
v. be excessively fond of; show signs of mental decline
|
|
|
dour
|
adj. sullen; stubborn
|
|
|
douse
|
v. plunge into water; drench; extinguish
|
|
|
dowdy
|
adj. slovenly; untidy
|
|
|
draconian
|
adj. extremely severe
|
|
|
dregs
|
n. sediment; worthless residue
|
|
|
drivel
|
n. nonsense; foolishness
|
|
|
droll
|
adj. queer and amusing
|
|
|
drone
|
n. idle person; male bee
|
|
|
ductile
|
adj. malleable; flexible; pliable
|
|
|
duplicity
|
n. double-dealing; hypocrisy
|
|
|
duress
|
n. forcible restraint, especially unlawfully
|
|
|
dyspeptic
|
adj. suffering from indigestion
|
|
|
ebullient
|
adj. showing excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm
|
|
|
edify
|
v. instruct; correct morally
|
|
|
efface
|
v. rub out
|
|
|
effervescence
|
n. inner excitement or exuberance; bubbling from fermentation or carbonation
|
|
|
effigy
|
n. dummy
|
|
|
effluvium
|
n. noxious smell
|
|
|
effrontery
|
n. impudence; shameless boldness; sheer nerve; presumptuousness
|
|
|
effusion
|
n. pouring forth
|
|
|
egregious
|
adj. notorious; conspicuously bad or shocking
|
|
|
egress
|
n. exit
|
|
|
elucidate
|
v. explain; enlighten
|
|
|
elysian
|
adj. relating to paradise; blissful
|
|
|
embroil
|
v. throw into confusing; involve in strife; entangle
|
|
|
emend
|
v. correct, usually a text
|
|
|
emendation
|
n. correction of errors; improvement
|
|
|
emetic
|
n. substance causing comiting
|
|
|
emissary
|
n. agent; messenger
|
|
|
emolument
|
n. salary; compensation
|
|
|
encomiastic
|
adj. praising; eulogistic
|
|
|
encumber
|
v. burden
|
|
|
endue
|
v. provide with some quality; endow
|
|
|
enmity
|
n. ill will; hatred
|
|
|
ennui
|
n. boredom
|
|
|
ensconce
|
v. settle comfortably
|
|
|
environ
|
v. enclose; surround
|
|
|
epaulet
|
n. ornament worn on the shoulder (of a uniform, etc.)
|
|
|
epicure
|
n. connoisseur of food and drink
|
|
|
epigram
|
n. witty thought or saying, usually short
|
|
|
epithet
|
n. word or phrase characteristically used to describe a person or thing
|
|
|
equable
|
adj. tranquil; steady; uniform
|
|
|
equanimity
|
n. calmness of temperament; composure
|
|
|
equipoise
|
n. balance; balancing force
|
|
|
equitable
|
adj. fair; impartial
|
|
|
equivocal
|
adj. ambiguous; intentionally misleading
|
|
|
equivocate
|
v. lie; mislead; attempt to conceal the truth
|
|
|
espouse
|
v. adopt; support
|
|
|
essay
|
v. make an attempt at; test
|
|
|
estimable
|
adj. worthy of esteem; admirable
|
|
|
ethos
|
n. underlying character of a culture, group, etc.
|
|
|
eugenic
|
adj. pertaining to the improvement of race
|
|
|
euphony
|
n. sweet sound
|
|
|
exacting
|
adj. extremely demanding
|
|
|
excise
|
v. cut away; cut out
|
|
|
excoriate
|
v. scold with biting harshness; strip the skin off
|
|
|
exculpate
|
v. clear from blame
|
|
|
execrable
|
adj. very bad
|
|
|
execrate
|
v. curse; express abhorrence for
|
|
|
exegesis
|
n. explanation, especially of biblical passages
|
|
|
exhort
|
v. urge
|
|
|
exiguous
|
adj. small; minute
|
|
|
expatiate
|
v. talk at length
|
|
|
expedient
|
adj. suitable; practical; politic
|
|
|
expiate
|
v. make amends for (a sin)
|
|
|
expostulation
|
n. protest; remonstrance
|
|
|
expurgate
|
v. clean; remove offensive parts of a book
|
|
|
extemporaneous
|
adj. not planned; impromptu
|
|
|
extenuate
|
v. weaken; mitigate
|
|
|
extirpate
|
v. root up
|
|
|
extricate
|
v. free; disentangle
|
|
|
exude
|
v. discharge; give forth
|
|
|
facetious
|
adj. joking (often inappropriately); humorous
|
|
|
factious
|
adj. inclined to form factions; causing dissensions
|
|
|
factitious
|
adj. artificial; sham
|
|
|
fancier
|
n. breeder or dealers of animals
|
|
|
fastidious
|
adj. difficult to please; squeamish
|
|
|
fatalism
|
n. belief that events are determined by forces beyond one's control
|
|
|
fatuous
|
adj. brainless; inane; foolish, yet smug
|
|
|
fawning
|
adj. trying to please by behaving obsequiously, flattering, or cringing
|
|
|
feckless
|
adj. feeble and ineffective; careless and irresponsible
|
|
|
fecundity
|
n. fertility; fruitfulness
|
|
|
feint
|
n. trick; shift; sham blow
|
|
|
felicitous
|
adj. apt; suitably expressed; well chosen
|
|
|
fell
|
adj. cruel; deadly
|
|
|
fell (v.)
|
v. cut or knock down; bring down (with a missile)
|
|
|
feral
|
adj. not domestic, but wild and untamed
|
|
|
ferret
|
v. dive or hung out of hiding
|
|
|
fervent
|
adj. ardent; hot
|
|
|
fervid
|
adj. ardent
|
|
|
fester
|
v. rankle; produce irritation or resentment
|
|
|
fete
|
v. honor at a festival
|
|
|
fiat
|
n. command; authorization
|
|
|
filch
|
v. steal
|
|
|
filial
|
adj. pertaining to a son or daughter
|
|
|
filigree
|
n. delicate, lacelike metalwork
|
|
|
firebrand
|
n. hothead; troublemaker
|
|
|
flaccid
|
adj. flabby
|
|
|
fleece
|
v. rob; plunder
|
|
|
floe
|
n. mass of floating ice
|
|
|
flout
|
v. reject; mock; show contempt for
|
|
|
foible
|
n. weakness; slight fault
|
|
|
foil
|
n. contrast
|
|
|
foist
|
v. insert improperly; palm off
|
|
|
foment
|
v. stir up; instigate
|
|
|
foolhardy
|
adj. rash
|
|
|
fop
|
n. dandy; man excessively preoccupied with his clothes
|
|
|
foray
|
n. raid
|
|
|
ford
|
n. place where a river can be crossed on foot
|
|
|
foreboding
|
n. premonition of evil
|
|
|
forestall
|
v. prevent by taking action in advance
|
|
|
forswear
|
v. renounce; abandon
|
|
|
fortuitous
|
adj. accidental; by chance
|
|
|
fracas
|
n. brawl; melee
|
|
|
fractious
|
adj. unruly; disobedient
|
|
|
franchise
|
n. right granted by authority; right to vote; license to sell a product in a particular territory
|
|
|
fray
|
n. brawl
|
|
|
frenetic
|
adj. frenzied; frantic
|
|
|
fritter
|
v. waste
|
|
|
frond
|
n. fern leaf; palm or banana leaf
|
|
|
froward
|
adj. stubbornly contrary; obstinately disobedient
|
|
|
fructify
|
v. bear fruit
|
|
|
fulminate
|
v. denounce thunderously; explode
|
|
|
fulsome
|
adj. disgustingly excessive
|
|
|
fusillade
|
n. simultaneous firing or outburst (of missiles, questions, etc.)
|
|
|
gadfly
|
n. animal-biting fly; an irritating person
|
|
|
gaffe
|
n. social blunder
|
|
|
gainsay
|
v. deny
|
|
|
gall
|
n. bitterness; nerve
|
|
|
gall
|
v. annoy; chafe
|
|
|
galleon
|
n. large, sailing ship
|
|
|
galvanize
|
v. stimulate by shock; stir up; revitalize
|
|
|
gambit
|
n. opening in chess in which a piece is sacrificed
|
|
|
gambol
|
v. romp; skip about; leap playfully
|
|
|
gamely
|
adv. in a spirited manner; with courage
|
|
|
garish
|
adj. overbright in color; gaudy
|
|
|
garrulous
|
adj. loquacious; wordy; talkative
|
|
|
gauche
|
adj. clumsy; coarse and uncouth
|
|
|
gaunt
|
adj. lean and angular; barren
|
|
|
genteel
|
adj. well-bred; elegant
|
|
|
gentry
|
n. people of standing; class of people just below nobility
|
|
|
genuflect
|
v. bend the knee as in worship
|
|
|
germane
|
adj. pertinent; bearing upon the case at hand
|
|
|
gerontocracy
|
n. government ruled by old people
|
|
|
gestate
|
v. evolve, as in prenatal growth
|
|
|
gibe
|
v. mock
|
|
|
girth
|
n. distance around something; circumference
|
|
|
glean
|
v. gather leavings
|
|
|
glib
|
adj. fluent; facile; slick
|
|
|
glower
|
v. scowl
|
|
|
glutinous
|
adj. sticky; viscous
|
|
|
gourmand
|
n. epicure; person who takes excessive pleasure in food and drink
|
|
|
gourmet
|
n. connoisseur of food and drink
|
|
|
grandiloquent
|
adj. pompous; bombastic; using high-sounding language
|
|
|
gratis
|
adv. free
|
|
|
grotto
|
n. small cavern
|
|
|
grouse
|
v. complain; fuss
|
|
|
grovel
|
v. crawl or creep on ground; remain prostrate
|
|
|
gruel
|
n. thin, liquid porridge
|
|
|
guffaw
|
n. boisterous laughter
|
|
|
gull
|
v. trick; hoodwink
|
|
|
guy
|
n. cable or chain attached to something that needs to be braced or steadied
|
|
|
hackles
|
n. haris on back and neck, especially of a dog
|
|
|
hale
|
adj. healthy
|
|
|
hap
|
n. chance; luck
|
|
|
hapless
|
adj. unfortunate
|
|
|
harbinger
|
n. forerunner
|
|
|
harping
|
n. tiresome dwelling on a subject
|
|
|
harry
|
v. harass, annoy, torment; raid
|
|
|
headlong
|
adj. hasty; rash
|
|
|
headstrong
|
adj. stubborn; willful; unyielding
|
|
|
hedonist
|
n. one who believes that pleasure is the sole aim in life
|
|
|
hegemony
|
n. dominance, especially of one nation over others
|
|
|
hermetic
|
1. adj. sealed by fusion so as to be airtight 2. adj. obscure and mysterious; occult
|
|
|
herpetologist
|
n. one who studies reptiles
|
|
|
heterodox
|
adj. unorthodox; unconventional
|
|
|
heterogeneous
|
adj. dissimilar; mixed
|
|
|
hew
|
v. cut to pieces with ax or sword
|
|
|
hibernal
|
adj. wintry
|
|
|
hindmost
|
adj. furthest behind
|
|
|
hinterlands
|
n. back country
|
|
|
histrionic
|
adj. theatrical
|
|
|
hoary
|
adj. white with age
|
|
|
hortatory
|
adj. encouraging; exhortive
|
|
|
hovel
|
n. shack; small, wretched house
|
|
|
hubris
|
n. arrogance; excessive self-conceit
|
|
|
hue and cry
|
n. outcry
|
|
|
hummock
|
n. small hill
|
|
|
humus
|
n. substance formed by decaying vegetable matter
|
|
|
hurtle
|
v. crash; rush
|
|
|
husband
|
v. use sparingly; conserve; save
|
|
|
husbandry
|
n. frugality; thrift; agriculture
|
|
|
ichthyology
|
n. study of fish
|
|
|
idyllic
|
adj. charmingly carefree; simple
|
|
|
igneous
|
adj. produced by fire; volcanic
|
|
|
ignoble
|
adj. unworthy; not noble
|
|
|
ignominy
|
n. deep disgrace; shame or dishonor
|
|
|
illicit
|
adj. illegal
|
|
|
imbibe
|
v. drink in
|
|
|
imbue
|
v. saturate, fill
|
|
|
immolate
|
v. offer as a sacrifice
|
|
|
immure
|
v. imprison
|
|
|
impasse
|
n. predicament from which there is no escape
|
|
|
impassive
|
adj. without feeling; imperturbable; stoical
|
|
|
impecunious
|
adj. without money
|
|
|
impel
|
v. drive or force forward
|
|
|
impenitent
|
adj. not repentant
|
|
|
imperious
|
adj. domineering
|
|
|
impertinent
|
adj. insolent; rude
|
|
|
impervious
|
adj. impenetrable; incapable of being damaged or distressed
|
|
|
impetuous
|
adj. violent; hasty; rash
|
|
|
implore
|
v. beg
|
|
|
impolitic
|
adj. not wise
|
|
|
importunate
|
adj. urging; demanding
|
|
|
importune
|
v. beg persistently
|
|
|
imprecation
|
n. curse
|
|
|
impropriety
|
n. improperness; unsuitableness
|
|
|
improvident
|
adj. thriftless
|
|
|
imprudent
|
adj. lacking caution; injudicious
|
|
|
impudence
|
n. impertinence; insolence
|
|
|
impugn
|
v. dispute or contradict (often in an insulting way); challenge; gainsay
|
|
|
impuissance
|
n. powerlessness; feebleness
|
|
|
impunity
|
n. freedom from punishment or harm
|
|
|
impute
|
v. attribute; ascribe
|
|
|
inalienable
|
adj. not to be taken away; nontransferable
|
|
|
incense
|
v. enrage; infuriate
|
|
|
inchoate
|
adj. recently begun; rudimentary; elementary
|
|
|
incite
|
v. arouse to action; goad; motivate; induce to exist
|
|
|
incommodious
|
adj. not spacious; inconvenient
|
|
|
incontinent
|
adj. lacking self-restraint
|
|
|
incorporeal
|
adj. lacking a material body; insubstantial
|
|
|
incorrigible
|
adj. uncorrectable
|
|
|
incredulity
|
n. tendency to disbelief
|
|
|
incredulous
|
adj. withholding belief; skeptical
|
|
|
incrustation
|
n. hard coating or crust
|
|
|
incubus
|
n. burden; mental care; nightmare
|
|
|
inculcate
|
v. teach
|
|
|
incur
|
v. bring upon oneself
|
|
|
indemnify
|
v. make secure against loss; compensate for loss
|
|
|
indigence
|
n. poverty
|
|
|
indignation
|
n. anger at an injustice
|
|
|
indiscriminate
|
adj. chosen at random; confused
|
|
|
indite
|
v. write; compose
|
|
|
indubitable
|
adj. unable to be doubted; unquestionable
|
|
|
inductive
|
adj. pertaining to induction or proceeding from the specific to the general
|
|
|
ineffable
|
adj. cannot be expressed in speech
|
|
|
ineluctable
|
adj. irresistible; not to be escaped
|
|
|
inerrancy
|
n. infallibility
|
|
|
inert
|
adj. inactive; lacking power to move
|
|
|
inexorable
|
adj. relentless; unielding; implacable
|
|
|
infamous
|
adj. notoriously bad
|
|
|
infidel
|
n. unbeliever
|
|
|
ingenious
|
adj. clever; resourceful
|
|
|
ingenuous
|
adj. naive and trustring; young; unsophisticated
|
|
|
ingratiate
|
v. become popular with
|
|
|
inimical
|
adj. unfriendly; hostile; harmful; detrimental
|
|
|
iniquitous
|
adj. wicked; immoral; unrighteous
|
|
|
inordinate
|
adj. unrestrained; excessive
|
|
|
insalubrious
|
adj. unwholesome; not healthful
|
|
|
insidious
|
adj. treacherous; stealthy; sly
|
|
|
insolence
|
n. impudent disrespect; haughtiness
|
|
|
insolvent
|
adj. bankrupt; lacking money to pay
|
|
|
insouciant
|
adj. indifferent; without concern or care
|
|
|
inter
|
v. bury
|
|
|
interdict
|
v. prohibit; forbid
|
|
|
interloper
|
n. intruder
|
|
|
internecine
|
adj. mutually destructive
|
|
|
interregnum
|
n. period between to reigns
|
|
|
intimate
|
v. hint
|
|
|
intractable
|
adj. unruly; stubborn; unyielding
|
|
|
intransigence
|
n. refusal of any compromise; stubbornness
|
|
|
inundate
|
v. overwhelm; flood; submerge
|
|
|
inured
|
adj. accustomed; hardened
|
|
|
invective
|
n. abuse
|
|
|
inveigh
|
v. denounce
|
|
|
inveigle
|
v. lead astray; wheedle
|
|
|
inveterate
|
adj. deep-rooted; habitual
|
|
|
irreproachable
|
adj. blameless; impeccable
|
|
|
irresolute
|
adj. uncertain how to act
|
|
|
isotope
|
n. varying form of an element
|
|
|
itinerant
|
adj. wandering; traveling
|
|
|
jabber
|
v. chatter rapidly or unintelligibly
|
|
|
jaundiced
|
adj. prejudiced (envious, hostile, or resentful; yellowed
|
|
|
jaunty
|
adj. lighthearted; animated; easy and carefree
|
|
|
jettison
|
v. throw overboard
|
|
|
jingoist
|
n. extremely aggressive military patriot
|
|
|
jocose
|
adj. giving to joking
|
|
|
jocular
|
adj. said or done in jest
|
|
|
jocund
|
adj. merry
|
|
|
junket
|
n. trip, especially one taken for pleasure by an official at public expense
|
|
|
jurisprudence
|
n. science of law
|
|
|
ken
|
n. range of knowledge
|
|
|
kismet
|
n. fate
|
|
|
knave
|
n. untrustworthy person; rogue; scoundrel
|
|
|
knell
|
n. tolling of a bell, especially to indicate a funeral
|
|
|
labile
|
adj. likely to change; unstable
|
|
|
lachrymose
|
adj. producing tears
|
|
|
lackadaisical
|
adj. lacking purpose or zest
|
|
|
lackluster
|
adj. dull
|
|
|
laconic
|
adj. brief and to the point
|
|
|
lampoon
|
v. ridicule
|
|
|
lancet
|
n. small surgical tool for making incisions
|
|
|
languid
|
adj. weary; sluggish; listless
|
|
|
languish
|
v. lose animation or strength
|
|
|
languor
|
n. lassitude; depression
|
|
|
larder
|
n. pantry; place where food is kept
|
|
|
largess
|
n. generous gift
|
|
|
lascivious
|
adj. lustful
|
|
|
lassitude
|
n. languor; weariness
|
|
|
latent
|
adj. potential but undeveloped; dormant; hidden
|
|
|
latitude
|
n. freedom from narrow limitations
|
|
|
lechery
|
n. gross lewdness; lustfulness
|
|
|
lectern
|
n. reading desk
|
|
|
legerdemain
|
n. sleight of hand
|
|
|
leonine
|
adj. like a lion
|
|
|
levity
|
n. lack of seriousness or steadiness; frivolity
|
|
|
lexicographer
|
n. compiler of a dictionary
|
|
|
liability
|
n. drawback; debts
|
|
|
liaison
|
n. contact that keeps parties in communication; go-between; secret love affair
|
|
|
libidinous
|
adj. lustful
|
|
|
libido
|
n. emotional urges behind human activity
|
|
|
licentious
|
adj. amoral; lewd and lascivious; unrestrained
|
|
|
lien
|
n. legal claim on a property
|
|
|
ligeneous
|
adj. like wood
|
|
|
limn
|
v. draw; outline; describe
|
|
|
limpid
|
adj. clear
|
|
|
lineaments
|
n. features, especially of the face
|
|
|
lionize
|
v. treat as a celebrity
|
|
|
list
|
v. tilt; lean over
|
|
|
listless
|
adj. lacking in spirit or energy
|
|
|
litany
|
n. supplicatory prayer
|
|
|
lithe
|
adj. flexible; supple
|
|
|
litotes
|
n. understatement for emphasis
|
|
|
livid
|
adj. lead-colored; black and blue; ashen; enraged
|
|
|
loath
|
adj. reluctant; disinclined
|
|
|
loathe
|
v. detest
|
|
|
lode
|
n. metal-bearing vein
|
|
|
loquacious
|
adj. talkative
|
|
|
lout
|
n. clumsy person
|
|
|
low
|
v. moo
|
|
|
lucre
|
n. money
|
|
|
lugubrious
|
adj. mournful
|
|
|
lurid
|
adj. wild sensational; graphic; gruesome
|
|
|
macabre
|
adj. gruesome; grisly
|
|
|
mace
|
n. ceremonial staff; clulike medieval weapon
|
|
|
machinations
|
n. evil schemes or plots
|
|
|
maculated
|
adj. spotted; stained
|
|
|
magnate
|
n. person of prominence or influence
|
|
|
magniloquent
|
adj. boastful; pompous
|
|
|
maladroit
|
adj. clumsy; bungling
|
|
|
malady
|
n. illness
|
|
|
malaise
|
n. uneasiness
|
|
|
malapropism
|
n. comic misuse of a word
|
|
|
malcontent
|
n. person dissatisfied with existing state of affairs
|
|
|
malefactor
|
n. evildoer
|
|
|
malfeasance
|
n. wrongdoing
|
|
|
malodorous
|
adj. foul-smelling
|
|
|
manacle
|
v. restrain; handcuff
|
|
|
manifold
|
adj. numerous; varied
|
|
|
manumit
|
v. emancipate; free from bondage
|
|
|
martinet
|
n. no talking at meals! no mingling with the servants! Miss Minchin was a martinet who insisted that the schoolgirls in her charge observe each regulation to the letter
|
|
|
matriculate
|
v. enroll (in college or graduate school)
|
|
|
maudlin
|
adj. effusively sentimental
|
|
|
mauve
|
adj. pale purple
|
|
|
mawkish
|
adj. mushy and gushy; icky-sticky sentimental; maudlin
|
|
|
maxim
|
n. proverb; a truth pithily stated
|
|
|
mealymouthed
|
adj. indirect in speech; hypocritical; evasive
|
|
|
meek
|
adj. submissive; patient and long-suffering
|
|
|
melee
|
n. fight
|
|
|
mellifluous
|
adj. sweetly or smoothly flowing; melodious
|
|
|
mendacious
|
adj. lying; habitually dishonest
|
|
|
mendicant
|
n. beggar
|
|
|
mercurial
|
adj. capricious; changing; fickle
|
|
|
meretricious
|
adj. flashy; tawdry
|
|
|
meretricious
|
adj. flashy; tawdry
|
|
|
mete
|
v. measure; distribute
|
|
|
miasma
|
n. swamp gas; heavy, vaporous atmosphere
|
|
|
milieu
|
n. environment; means of expression
|
|
|
minatory
|
adj. menacing; threatening
|
|
|
mincing
|
adj. affectedly dainty
|
|
|
mire
|
v. entangle; stick in swampy ground
|
|
|
mirth
|
n. merriment; laughter
|
|
|
misogamy
|
n. hatred of marriage
|
|
|
missive
|
n. letter
|
|
|
mode
|
n. prevailing style; manner; way of doing something
|
|
|
modicum
|
n. limited quantity
|
|
|
mollycoddle
|
v. pamper; indulge excessively
|
|
|
moratorium
|
n. legal delay of payment
|
|
|
mordant
|
adj. biting; sarcastic; stinging
|
|
|
moribund
|
adj. dying
|
|
|
mote
|
n. small speck
|
|
|
motility
|
n. ability to move spontaneously
|
|
|
mottled
|
adj. blotched in coloring; spotted
|
|
|
mountebank
|
n. charlatan; boastful pretender
|
|
|
mulct
|
v. defraud a person of something
|
|
|
mutability
|
n. ability to change in form; fickleness
|
|
|
myopic
|
adj. nearsighted; lacking foresight
|
|
|
nadir
|
n. lowest point
|
|
|
nascent
|
adj. incipient; coming into being
|
|
|
natation
|
n. swimming
|
|
|
natty
|
adj. neatly or smartly dressed
|
|
|
nefarious
|
adj. very wicked
|
|
|
nepotism
|
n. favoritism (to a relative)
|
|
|
nether
|
adj. lower
|
|
|
nettle
|
v. annoy; vex
|
|
|
nexus
|
n. connection
|
|
|
nicety
|
n. precision; minute distinction
|
|
|
nigggardly
|
adj. meanly stingy; parsimonious
|
|
|
niggle
|
v. spend too much time on minor points; carp
|
|
|
noisome
|
adj. foul-smelling; unwholesome
|
|
|
nonplus
|
v. bring to a halt by confusion; perplex
|
|
|
nostrum
|
n. questionable medicine
|
|
|
noxious
|
adj. harmful
|
|
|
nubile
|
adj. capable and fit for marriage
|
|
|
nugatory
|
adj. futile; worthless
|
|
|
numismatist
|
n. person who collects coins
|
|
|
obdurate
|
adj. stubborn
|
|
|
obeisance
|
n. bow
|
|
|
obelisk
|
n. tall column tapering and ending in a pyramid
|
|
|
oblique
|
adj. indirect; slanting (deviating from the perpendicular or from a straight line)
|
|
|
obloquy
|
n. slander; disgrace
|
|
|
obsequious
|
adj. slavishly attentive; servile; sycophantic
|
|
|
obsequy
|
n. funeral ceremony
|
|
|
obstinate
|
adj. stubborn; hard to control or treat
|
|
|
obstreperous
|
adj. boisterous; noisy
|
|
|
obtrude
|
v. push (oneself or one's ideas) forward or intrude; butt in
|
|
|
Occident
|
n. the west
|
|
|
odious
|
adj. hateful; vile
|
|
|
odium
|
n. detestation; hatefulness; disrepute
|
|
|
officious
|
adj. meddlesome; excessively pushy in offering one's services
|
|
|
ogle
|
v. look at amorously; make eyes at
|
|
|
opalescent
|
adj. iridescent; lustrous
|
|
|
opportunist
|
n. individual who sacrifices principles for expediency by taking advantage of circumstances
|
|
|
opprobrium
|
n. infamy; vilification
|
|
|
opulence
|
n. extreme wealth; luxuriousness; abundance
|
|
|
orifice
|
n. mouthlike opening; small opening
|
|
|
orthography
|
n. correct spelling
|
|
|
osseous
|
adj. made of bone
|
|
|
ostensible
|
adj. apparent; professed; pretended
|
|
|
ostentatious
|
adj. showy; pretentious; trying to attract attention
|
|
|
overwrought
|
adj. extremely agitated; hysterical
|
|
|
ovoid
|
adj. egg-shaped
|
|
|
pachyderm
|
n. thick-skinned animal
|
|
|
paean
|
n. song of praise or joy
|
|
|
palimpsest
|
n. parchment used for second time after original writing has been erased
|
|
|
pall
|
v. grow tiresome
|
|
|
pallet
|
n. small, poor bed
|
|
|
palliate
|
v. ease pain
|
|
|
pallid
|
adj. pale; wan
|
|
|
palpable
|
adj. tangible; easily perceptible
|
|
|
paltry
|
adj. insignificant; petty; trifling
|
|
|
pan
|
v. criticize harshly
|
|
|
panacea
|
n. cure-all
|
|
|
panache
|
n. flair; flamboyance
|
|
|
pandemic
|
adj. widespread; affecting the majority of people
|
|
|
pander
|
v. cater to the low desires of others
|
|
|
panegyric
|
n. formal praise
|
|
|
pantomime
|
n. acting without dialogue
|
|
|
paragon
|
n. model of perfection
|
|
|
paramour
|
n. illicit lover
|
|
|
pariah
|
n. social outcast
|
|
|
parity
|
n. equality; close resemblance
|
|
|
parley
|
n. conference
|
|
|
parochial
|
adj. narrow in outlook; provincial; related to parishes
|
|
|
paroxysm
|
n. fit or attack of pain, laughter, rage
|
|
|
parquet
|
n. floor made of wood strips inlaid in a mosaic-like pattern
|
|
|
parry
|
v. ward off a blow; deflect
|
|
|
parsimony
|
n. stinginess; excessive frugality
|
|
|
passé
|
adj. old-fashioned; past the prime
|
|
|
pastiche
|
n. imitation of another's style in musical composition or in writing
|
|
|
patent
|
adj. open for the public to read; obvious
|
|
|
pathos
|
n. tender sorrow; pity; quality in art or literature that produces these feelings
|
|
|
patina
|
n. green crust on old bronze works; tone slowly taken by varnished painting
|
|
|
patois
|
n. local or provincial dialect
|
|
|
patrician
|
adj. noble; aristocratic
|
|
|
patronize
|
v. support; act superior toward; be a customer of
|
|
|
paucity
|
n. scarcity
|
|
|
peccadillo
|
n. slight offense
|
|
|
pecuniary
|
adj. pertaining to money
|
|
|
pedant
|
n. scholar who overemphasizes book learning or technicalities
|
|
|
pedestrian
|
adj. ordinary; unimaginative
|
|
|
pell-mell
|
adv. in confusion; disorderly
|
|
|
penance
|
n. self-imposed punishment for sin
|
|
|
penitent
|
adj. repentatn
|
|
|
penumbra
|
n. partial shadow (in an eclipse)
|
|
|
penury
|
n. severe poverty; stinginess
|
|
|
peon
|
n. landless agricultural worker; bond servant
|
|
|
perdition
|
n. damnation; complete ruin
|
|
|
peregrination
|
n. journey
|
|
|
peremptory
|
adj. demanding and leaving no choice
|
|
|
perennial
|
n. something long-lasting
|
|
|
perfidious
|
adj. treacherous; disloyal
|
|
|
perfunctory
|
adj. superficial; not thorough; lacking interest, care or enthusiasm
|
|
|
perigee
|
n. point of moon's orbit when it is nearest the earth
|
|
|
peripatetic
|
adj. walking about; moving
|
|
|
pernicious
|
adj. very destructive
|
|
|
peroration
|
n. conclusion of an oration
|
|
|
perquisite
|
n. any gain above stipulated salary
|
|
|
perspicacious
|
adj. plainly expressed
|
|
|
pert
|
adj. impertinent; forward
|
|
|
pertinacious
|
stubborn; persistent
|
|
|
peruse
|
v. read with care
|
|
|
pestilential
|
adj. causing plague; baneful
|
|
|
pestle
|
n. tool for mashing or grinding substances in a hard bowl
|
|
|
petulant
|
adj. touchy; peevish
|
|
|
pharisaical
|
adj. pertaining to the Pharisees, who paid scrupulous attention to tradition; self-righteous; hypocritical
|
|
|
philanderer
|
n. faithless lover; flirt
|
|
|
philatelist
|
n. stamp-collector
|
|
|
philistine
|
n. narrow-minded person, uncultured and exclusively interested in material gain
|
|
|
phylum
|
n. major classification, second to kingdom, of plants and animals; division
|
|
|
piebald
|
adj. of different colors; mottled; spotted
|
|
|
piecemeal
|
av. one part at a time
|
|
|
pied
|
adj. variegated; multicolored
|
|
|
pillory
|
v. punish by placing in a wooden frame; subject to criticism and ridicule
|
|
|
pine
|
v. languish; decline; long for; yearn
|
|
|
pinion
|
v. restrain
|
|
|
piquant
|
adj. pleasantly tart-tasting; stimulating
|
|
|
pique
|
n. irritation; resentment
|
|
|
piscatorial
|
adj. pertaining to fishing
|
|
|
pith
|
n. core or marrow; essence; substance
|
|
|
plaintive
|
adj. mournful
|
|
|
plait
|
v. braid; intertwine
|
|
|
platitude
|
n. trite remark; commonplace statement
|
|
|
plaudit
|
n. enthusiastic approval; round of applause
|
|
|
plumb
|
v. examine critically in order to understand; measure depth (by sounding)
|
|
|
plutocracy
|
n. society ruled by the wealthy
|
|
|
polemic
|
n. controversy; argument in support of a point of view
|
|
|
polyglot
|
adj. speaking several languages
|
|
|
pontifical
|
adj. pertaining to a bishop or pope; pompous or pretentious
|
|
|
portend
|
v. foretell; presage
|
|
|
portent
|
n. sign; omen; forewarning
|
|
|
poseur
|
n. person who pretends to be sophisticated, elegant, etc.
|
|
|
potable
|
adj. suitable for drinking
|
|
|
potentate
|
n. monarch; sovereign
|
|
|
poultice
|
n. soothing application applied to sore and inflamed portions of the body
|
|
|
practicable
|
adj. feasible
|
|
|
prate
|
v. speak foolishly; boast idly
|
|
|
prattle
|
v. babble
|
|
|
precept
|
n. practical rule guiding conduct
|
|
|
precipice
|
n. cliff; dangerous position
|
|
|
precipitate (v.)
|
v. throw headlong; hasten
|
|
|
precipitous
|
adj. steep; overhasty
|
|
|
preclude
|
v. make impossible; eliminate
|
|
|
precocious
|
adj. advanced in development
|
|
|
predilection
|
n. partiality; preference
|
|
|
preen
|
v. make oneself tidy in appearance; feel self-satisfaction
|
|
|
prehensile
|
adj. capable of grasping or holding
|
|
|
prelate
|
n. church dignitary
|
|
|
prerogative
|
n. privilege; unquestionable right
|
|
|
presage
|
v. foretell
|
|
|
prescience
|
n. ability to foretell the future
|
|
|
prevaricate
|
v. lie
|
|
|
primogeniture
|
n. seniority by birth
|
|
|
privation
|
n. hardship; want
|
|
|
prodigious
|
adj. marvelous; enormous
|
|
|
profane
|
v. violate; desecrate; treat unworthily
|
|
|
profligate
|
adj. dissipated; wasteful; wildly immoral
|
|
|
progenitor
|
n. ancestor
|
|
|
progeny
|
n. children; offspring
|
|
|
prognosticate
|
v. predict
|
|
|
prolixity
|
n. tedious wordiness; verbosity
|
|
|
promiscuous
|
adj. mixed indiscriminately; haphazard; irregular, particularly sexually
|
|
|
promontory
|
n. headland
|
|
|
promulgate
|
v. proclaim a doctrine or law; make known by official publication
|
|
|
prophylactic
|
adj. used to prevent disease
|
|
|
propinquity
|
n. nearness; kinship
|
|
|
propitiate
|
v. appease
|
|
|
propitious
|
adj. favorable; fortunate; advantageous
|
|
|
propound
|
v. put forth for analysis
|
|
|
prosaic
|
adj. dull and unimaginative; matter-of-fact; factual
|
|
|
proscenium
|
n. part of stage in front of curtain
|
|
|
proscribe
|
v. ostracize; banish; outlaw
|
|
|
proselytize
|
v. induce someone to convert to a religion or belief
|
|
|
protean
|
adj. versatile; able to take on many forms
|
|
|
protract
|
v. prolong
|
|
|
provenance
|
n. origin or souce of something
|
|
|
provender
|
n. dry food; fodder
|
|
|
provident
|
adj. displaying foresight; thrifty; preparing for emergencies
|
|
|
proviso
|
n. stipulation
|
|
|
proxy
|
n. authorized agent
|
|
|
prurient
|
adj. having or causing lustful thoughts and desires
|
|
|
puerile
|
adj. childish
|
|
|
pugilist
|
n. boxer
|
|
|
pugnacity
|
n. combativeness; disposition to fight
|
|
|
puissant
|
adj. powerful; strong; potent
|
|
|
pulchritude
|
n. beauty; comeliness
|
|
|
punctilious
|
adj. stressing niceties of conduct or form; minutely attentive (perhaps too much so) to fine points
|
|
|
pundit
|
n. authority on a subject; learned person; expert
|
|
|
punitive
|
adj. punishing
|
|
|
purport
|
n. intention; meaning
|
|
|
pusillanimous
|
adj. cowardly; fainthearted
|
|
|
putative
|
adj. supposed; reputed
|
|
|
pylon
|
n. marking post to guide aviators; steel tower supporting cables or telephone lines
|
|
|
quaff
|
v. drink with relish
|
|
|
quagmire
|
n. soft, wet, boggy land; complex or dangerous situation from which it is difficult to free oneself
|
|
|
quail
|
v. cower; lose heart
|
|
|
quandary
|
n. dilemma
|
|
|
quarry (n. & v.)
|
n. victim; object of a hunt v. dig into
|
|
|
querulous
|
adj. fretful; whining
|
|
|
quiescent
|
adj. at rest; dormant; temporarily inactive
|
|
|
quip
|
n. taunt
|
|
|
quisling
|
n. traiter who aids invaders
|
|
|
quixotic
|
adj. idealistic but impractical
|
|
|
quorum
|
n. number of members necessary to conduct a meeting
|
|
|
quotidian
|
adj. daily; commonplace; customary
|
|
|
raconteur
|
n. story-teller
|
|
|
rail
|
v. scold; rant
|
|
|
raiment
|
n. clothing
|
|
|
rakish
|
adj. stylish; sporty
|
|
|
ramify
|
v. divide into branches or subdivisions
|
|
|
rancid
|
adj. having the odor of stale fat
|
|
|
rancor
|
n. bitterness; hatred
|
|
|
rankle
|
v. irritate; fester
|
|
|
rapacious
|
adj. excessively grasping; plundering
|
|
|
rapt
|
adj. absorbed; enchanted
|
|
|
rarefied
|
adj. made less dense
|
|
|
ravel
|
v. fall apart into tangles; unravel or untwist; entangle
|
|
|
raze
|
v. destroy completely
|
|
|
reactionary
|
adj. opposing progress; politically ultraconservative
|
|
|
rebus
|
n. puzzle in which pictures stand for words
|
|
|
recalcitrant
|
adj. obstinately stubborn
|
|
|
recant
|
v. disclaim or disavow; retract a previous statement
|
|
|
recondite
|
adj. abstruse; profound; secret
|
|
|
recourse
|
n. reorting to help when in trouble
|
|
|
rectitude
|
n. uprightness; moral virtue; correctness of judgement
|
|
|
redolent
|
adj. fragrant; odorous; suggestive of an odor
|
|
|
redress
|
n. remedy; compensation
|
|
|
refractory
|
adj. stubborn; unmanageable
|
|
|
refulgent
|
adj. brightly shining; gleaming
|
|
|
regale
|
v. entertain
|
|
|
regicide
|
n. murder of a king or queen
|
|
|
rejoinder
|
n. retort; comeback; reply
|
|
|
relegate
|
v. banish to an inferior position; delegate; assign
|
|
|
remiss
|
adj. neglect
|
|
|
remonstrance
|
n. protest; objection
|
|
|
remunerative
|
adj. compensating; rewarding
|
|
|
rend
|
v. split; tear apart
|
|
|
repartee
|
n. clever reply
|
|
|
repast
|
n. meal; feast; banquet
|
|
|
repine
|
v. fret; complain
|
|
|
reprieve
|
n. temporary stay
|
|
|
reprobate
|
n. person hardened in sin, devoid of a sense of decency
|
|
|
reprove
|
v. censure; rebuke
|
|
|
repugnance
|
n. loathing
|
|
|
reputed
|
adj. supposed
|
|
|
rescind
|
v. cancel
|
|
|
respite
|
n. interval of relief; time for rest; delay in punishment
|
|
|
restive
|
adj. relentlessly impatient; obstinately resisting control
|
|
|
reticent
|
adj. reserved; uncommunicative; inclined to silence
|
|
|
retinue
|
n. following; attendants
|
|
|
retiring
|
adj. modest; shy
|
|
|
reverie
|
n. daydream; musing
|
|
|
revile
|
v. attack with abusive language
|
|
|
ribald
|
adj. wanton; profane
|
|
|
rife
|
adj. abundant; current
|
|
|
rivulet
|
n. small stream
|
|
|
rococo
|
adj. ornate; highly decorated
|
|
|
roil
|
v. to make liquids murky by stirring up sediment; to disturb
|
|
|
rostrum
|
n. platform for speech-making; pulpit
|
|
|
rout
|
v. stampede; drive out
|
|
|
ruddy
|
adj. reddish; healthy-looking
|
|
|
rue
|
v. regret; lament; mourn
|
|
|
ruminate
|
v. chew over and over
|
|
|
runic
|
adj. mysterious; set down in an ancient alphabet
|
|
|
ruse
|
n. trick; stratagem
|
|
|
rusticate
|
v. banish to the country; dwell in the country
|
|
|
saccharine
|
adj. cloyingly sweet
|
|
|
sagacious
|
adj. perceptive; shrewd; having insight
|
|
|
salacious
|
adj. lascivious; lustful
|
|
|
salient
|
adj. prominent
|
|
|
sallow
|
adj. yellowish; sickly in color
|
|
|
salubrious
|
adj. healthful
|
|
|
salutary
|
adj. tending to improve; beneficial; wholesome
|
|
|
sanctimonious
|
adj. displaying ostentatious or hypocritical devoutness
|
|
|
sanguinary
|
adj. bloody
|
|
|
sanguine
|
adj. cheerful; hopeful
|
|
|
sartorial
|
adj. pertaining to tailors
|
|
|
sate
|
v. satisfy to the full; cloy
|
|
|
saturnine
|
adj. gloomy
|
|
|
satyr
|
n. half-human, half-bestial being in the court of Dionysus, portrayed as wanton and cunning
|
|
|
savant
|
n. scholar
|
|
|
scad
|
n. a great quantity
|
|
|
scintilla
|
n. shred; least bit
|
|
|
scintillate
|
v. sparkle; flash
|
|
|
scotch
|
v. stamp out; thwart; hinder
|
|
|
scourge
|
n. lash; whip; severe punishment
|
|
|
scruple
|
v. fret about; hesitate, for ethical reasons
|
|
|
scurrilous
|
adj. obscene; indecent
|
|
|
scurvy
|
adj. despicable; contemptible
|
|
|
scuttle
|
v. sink
|
|
|
seamy
|
adj. sordid; unwholesome
|
|
|
sedulous
|
adj. diligent
|
|
|
seedy
|
adj. run-down decrepit; disreputable
|
|
|
seemly
|
adj. proper; appropriate
|
|
|
seine
|
n. net for catching fish
|
|
|
seminal
|
adj. germinal; influencing future developments; related to seed or semen
|
|
|
sententious
|
adj. terse; concise; aphoristic
|
|
|
sepulcher
|
n. tomb
|
|
|
sequester
|
v. isolate; retire from public life; segregate; seclude
|
|
|
sere
|
adj. parched; dry
|
|
|
serendipity
|
n. gift for finding valuable or desirable things by accident; accidental good fortune or luck
|
|
|
sextant
|
n. navigation tool used to determine a ship's latitude and longitude
|
|
|
shrew
|
n. scolding woman
|
|
|
shunt
|
v. turn aside; divert; sidetrack
|
|
|
shyster
|
n. lawyer using questionable methods
|
|
|
sibylline
|
adj. prophetic; oracular
|
|
|
sidereal
|
adj. relating to the stars
|
|
|
simper
|
v. smirk; smile affectedly
|
|
|
sinecure
|
n. well-paid person with little responsibility
|
|
|
sinewy
|
adj. tough; strong and firm
|
|
|
sinuous
|
adj. winding; bending in and out; not morally honest
|
|
|
skiff
|
n. small, light sailboat or rowboat
|
|
|
skinflint
|
n. stingy person; miser
|
|
|
skulduggery
|
n. dishonest behavior
|
|
|
skulk
|
v. move furtively and secretly
|
|
|
slag
|
n. residue from smelting metal; dross; waste matter
|
|
|
slake
|
v. quench; sate
|
|
|
slapdash
|
adj. haphazard; careless; sloppy
|
|
|
sleight
|
n. dexterity
|
|
|
slight
|
n. insult to one's dignity; snub
|
|
|
slough
|
v. cast off
|
|
|
slovenly
|
adj. untidy; careless in work habits
|
|
|
smattering
|
n. slight amount; slight knowledge
|
|
|
snivel
|
v. run at the nose; sniffle; whine
|
|
|
sodden
|
adj. soaked; dull, as if from drink
|
|
|
sojourn
|
n. temporary stay
|
|
|
solecism
|
n. construction that is flagrantly incorrect grammatically
|
|
|
solicitous
|
adj. worried, concerned
|
|
|
soliloquy
|
n. talking to oneself
|
|
|
somatic
|
adj. pertaining to the body; physical
|
|
|
sophist
|
n. teacher of philosophy; quibbler; employer of fallacious reasoning
|
|
|
sophistry
|
n. seemingly plausible but fallacious reasoning
|
|
|
soporific
|
adj. sleep-causing; marked by sleepiness
|
|
|
sordid
|
adj. filthy; base; vile
|
|
|
spangle
|
n. small metallic piece sewn to clothing for ornamentation
|
|
|
spartan
|
adj. lacking luxury and comfort; sternly disciplined
|
|
|
spat
|
n. squabble; minor dispute
|
|
|
spate
|
n. sudden flood
|
|
|
specious
|
adj. seemingly reasonable but incorrect; misleading (often intentionally)
|
|
|
spoonerism
|
n. accidental transposition of sounds in successive words
|
|
|
spruce
|
adj. neat and trim
|
|
|
spry
|
adj. vigorously active; nimble
|
|
|
spurious
|
adj. false; counterfeit; forged; illogical
|
|
|
spurn
|
v. reject; scorn
|
|
|
stanch
|
v. check flow of blood
|
|
|
stem
|
v. check the flow of
|
|
|
stentorian
|
adj. extremely loud
|
|
|
stodgy
|
adj. stuffy; boringly conservative
|
|
|
stoke
|
v. stir up a fire; feed plentifully
|
|
|
stolid
|
adj. dull; impassive
|
|
|
striated
|
adj. marked with parallel bands; grooved
|
|
|
stricture
|
n. critical comments; severe and adverse criticism
|
|
|
stultify
|
v. cause to appear or become stupid or inconsistent; frustrate or hinder
|
|
|
stupor
|
n. state of apathy; daze; lack of awareness
|
|
|
stygian
|
adj. gloomy; hellish; deathly
|
|
|
subaltern
|
n. subordinate
|
|
|
sublimate
|
v. refine
|
|
|
suborn
|
v. persuade to act unlawfully (especially to commit perjury)
|
|
|
substantive
|
adj. essential; pertaining to the substance
|
|
|
subterfuge
|
n. pretense; evasion
|
|
|
subversive
|
adj. tending to overthrow; destructive
|
|
|
succor
|
v. aid; assist; comfort
|
|
|
suffuse
|
v. spread over
|
|
|
sully
|
v. tarnish; soil
|
|
|
sultry
|
adj. sweltering
|
|
|
sumptuous
|
adj. lavish; rich
|
|
|
sunder
|
v. separate; part
|
|
|
sundry
|
adj. various; several
|
|
|
superannuated
|
adj. retired or disqualified because of age
|
|
|
supercilious
|
adj. arrogant; condescending; patronizing
|
|
|
supererogatory
|
adj. superfluous; more than needed or demanded
|
|
|
supernumerary
|
n. person or thing in excess of what is needed
|
|
|
supplant
|
v. replace; usurp
|
|
|
supple
|
adj. flexible; pliant
|
|
|
suppliant
|
adj. entreating; beseeching
|
|
|
supplicate
|
v. petition humbly; pray to grant a favor
|
|
|
surfeit
|
v. satiate stuff; indulge to excess in anything
|
|
|
surly
|
adj. rude; cross
|
|
|
surreptitious
|
adj. secret; furtive; sneaky; hidden
|
|
|
swarthy
|
adj. dark; dusky
|
|
|
swill
|
v. drink greedily
|
|
|
sybarite
|
n. lover of luxury
|
|
|
sycophant
|
n. servile flatterer; bootlicker; yes man
|
|
|
syllogism
|
n. logical formula consisting of a major premise, a minor premise and a conclusion; deceptive or specious argument
|
|
|
sylvan
|
adj. pertaining to the woods; rustic
|
|
|
talisman
|
n. charm
|
|
|
tantalize
|
v. tease; torture with disappointment
|
|
|
taper
|
n. candle
|
|
|
tarry
|
v. delay; dawdle
|
|
|
tatty
|
adj. worn and shabby
|
|
|
tautological
|
adj. needlessly repetitious
|
|
|
tawdry
|
adj. cheap and gaudy
|
|
|
teetotalism
|
n. practice of abstaining totally from alcoholic drinks
|
|
|
temerity
|
n. boldness; rashness
|
|
|
tempestuous
|
adj. stormy; impassioned; violent
|
|
|
temporize
|
v. act evasively to gain time; avoid committing oneself
|
|
|
tenacious
|
adj. holding fast
|
|
|
tendentious
|
adj. having an aim; biased; designed to further a cause
|
|
|
tenet
|
n. doctrine; dogma
|
|
|
tenuous
|
adj. thin; rare; slim
|
|
|
terse
|
adj. concise; abrupt; pithy
|
|
|
tessellated
|
adj. inlaid; mosaic
|
|
|
testator
|
n. maker of a will
|
|
|
thrall
|
n. slave; bondage
|
|
|
throes
|
n. violent anguish
|
|
|
tiller
|
n. handle used to move boat's rudder (to steer)
|
|
|
timorous
|
adj. fearful; demonstrating fear
|
|
|
tipple
|
v. drink (alcoholic beverages) frequently
|
|
|
titter
|
n. nervous laugh
|
|
|
titular
|
adj. having the title of an office without the obligations
|
|
|
toady
|
n. servile flatterer; yes man
|
|
|
tome
|
n. large volume
|
|
|
tonsure
|
n. shaving of the head, especially by person entering religious orders
|
|
|
torpor
|
n. lethargy; sluggishness; dormancy
|
|
|
torrid
|
adj. passionate; hot or scorching
|
|
|
touchstone
|
n. stone used to test the fineness of gold alloys; criterion
|
|
|
tout
|
v. publicize; praise excessively
|
|
|
tractable
|
adj. docile; easily managed
|
|
|
traduce
|
v. expose to slander
|
|
|
transmute
|
v. change; convert to something different
|
|
|
trappings
|
n. outward decorations; ornaments
|
|
|
travail
|
n. painful physical or mental labor; drudgery; torment
|
|
|
travesty
|
n. harshly distorted imitation; parody; debased likeness
|
|
|
trenchant
|
adj. forceful and vigorous; cutting
|
|
|
tribute
|
n. tax levied by a ruler; mark of respect
|
|
|
trident
|
n. three-pronged spear
|
|
|
troth
|
n. pledge of good faith especially in betrothal
|
|
|
truculence
|
n. aggressiveness; ferocity
|
|
|
tryst
|
n. meeting
|
|
|
tumid
|
adj. swollen; pompous; bombastic
|
|
|
tumult
|
n. commotion; riot; noise
|
|
|
turbid
|
adj. muddy; having the sediment disturbed
|
|
|
tureen
|
n. deep dish for serving soup
|
|
|
turgid
|
adj. swollen; distended
|
|
|
turpitude
|
n. depravity
|
|
|
tutelage
|
n. guardianship; training
|
|
|
tyro
|
n. beginner; novice
|
|
|
umbrage
|
n. resentment; anger; sense of injury or insult
|
|
|
unanimity
|
n. complete agreement
|
|
|
unbridled
|
adj. violent
|
|
|
unconscionable
|
adj. unscrupulous; excessive
|
|
|
uncouth
|
adj. outlandish; clumsy; boorish
|
|
|
unction
|
n. the act of anointing with oil
|
|
|
unctuous
|
adj. oily; bland; insincerely suave
|
|
|
unfeigned
|
adj. genuine; real
|
|
|
unfledged
|
adj. immature
|
|
|
unfrock
|
v. to strip a priest of minister of church authority
|
|
|
ungainly
|
adj. awkward; clumsy; unwieldy
|
|
|
unguent
|
n. ointment
|
|
|
unmitigated
|
adj. unrelieved or immoderate; absolute
|
|
|
unprepossessing
|
adj. unattractive
|
|
|
unseemly
|
adj. unbecoming; indecent; in poor taste
|
|
|
unsightly
|
adj. ugly
|
|
|
unsullied
|
adj. untarnished
|
|
|
untenable
|
adj. indefensible; not able to be maintained
|
|
|
untoward
|
adj. unfortunate or unlucky; adverse; unexpected
|
|
|
untrammeled
|
adj. without limits or restrictions
|
|
|
unwonted
|
adj. unaccustomed
|
|
|
upbraid
|
v. severely scold; reprimand
|
|
|
upshot
|
n. outcome
|
|
|
ursine
|
adj. bearlike; pertaining to a bear
|
|
|
usurp
|
v. seize another's power or rank
|
|
|
usury
|
n. lending money at illegal rates of interest
|
|
|
uxorious
|
adj. excessively devoted to one's wife
|
|
|
vagary
|
n. caprice; whim
|
|
|
valedictory
|
adj. pertaining to farewell
|
|
|
vanguard
|
n. forerunners; advance forces
|
|
|
vapid
|
adj. dull and unimaginative; insipid and flavorless
|
|
|
variegated
|
adj. many-colored
|
|
|
vaunted
|
adj. boasted; bragged; highly publicized
|
|
|
venal
|
adj. capable of being bribed
|
|
|
venerable
|
adj. deserving high respect
|
|
|
venerate
|
v. revere
|
|
|
venial
|
adj. forgivable
|
|
|
ventral
|
v. abdominal
|
|
|
venturesome
|
adj. bold
|
|
|
veracious
|
adj. truthful
|
|
|
verbiage
|
n. pompous array of words
|
|
|
verbose
|
adj. wordy
|
|
|
verdant
|
adj. green; lush in vegetation
|
|
|
verdigris
|
n. green coating on coper that has been exposed to the weather
|
|
|
verisimilar
|
adj. probable or likely; having the appearance of truth
|
|
|
verisimilitude
|
n. appearance of truth; likelihood
|
|
|
veritable
|
adj. actual; being truly so; not false or imaginary
|
|
|
vernal
|
adj. pertaining to spring
|
|
|
verve
|
n. enthusiasm
|
|
|
vestige
|
n. trace; remains
|
|
|
viand
|
n. food
|
|
|
vicissitude
|
n. change of fortune
|
|
|
victuals
|
n. food
|
|
|
vigilant
|
adj. watchfully awake; alert to spot danger
|
|
|
vilify
|
v. slander
|
|
|
vintner
|
n. winemaker; seller of wine
|
|
|
virile
|
adj. manly
|
|
|
virulent
|
adj. extremely poisonous; hostile; bitter
|
|
|
visage
|
n. face; appearance
|
|
|
visceral
|
adj. felt in one's inner organs
|
|
|
viscid
|
adj. adhesive; gluey
|
|
|
vitiate
|
v. spoil the effect of; make inoperative
|
|
|
vitreous
|
adj. pertaining to or resembling glass
|
|
|
vitriolic
|
adj. corrosive; sarcastic
|
|
|
vituperative
|
adj. abusive; scolding
|
|
|
vivisection
|
n. act of dissecting living animals
|
|
|
volition
|
n. act of making a conscious choice
|
|
|
voluble
|
adj. fluent; glib; talkative
|
|
|
vouchsafe
|
v. grant condescendingly; guarantee
|
|
|
vulpine
|
adj. like a fox; crafty
|
|
|
waffle
|
v. speak equivocally about an issue
|
|
|
waggish
|
adj. mischievous; humorous; tricky
|
|
|
waif
|
n. homeless child or animal
|
|
|
wanderlust
|
n. strong longing to travel
|
|
|
wangle
|
v. wiggle out; fake
|
|
|
wanton
|
adj. unrestrained; willfully malicious; unchaste
|
|
|
warren
|
n. tunnels in which rabbits live; crowded conditions in which people live
|
|
|
wastrel
|
n. profligate; someone recklessly extravagant and wasteful with resources
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wax
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v. increase; grow
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waylay
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v. ambush; lie in wait
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welter
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n. turmoil; bewildering jumble
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welter
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v. wallow
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wheedle
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v. cajole; coax; deceive by flattery
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whelp
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n. young wolf, dog, tiger, etc
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whinny
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v. neigh like a horse
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whit
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n. smallest speck; shred; tiny bit
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whorl
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n. ring of leaves around stem; ring
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windfall
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n. fallen fruit; unexpected lucky event
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winnow
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v. sift; separate good parts from bad
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winsome
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adj. agreeable; gracious; engaging
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wispy
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adj. thin; slight; barely discernible
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wistful
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adj. vaguely longing; sadly pensive
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wizened
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adj. withered; shriveled
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wont
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n. custom; habitual procedure
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wrest
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v. pull away; take by violence
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writ
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n. written command issued by a court
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yen
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n. longing; urge
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yeoman
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n. man owning small estate; middle-class farmer
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yokel
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n. country bumpkin
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zephyr
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n. gentle breeze; west wind
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