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191 Cards in this Set

  • Front
  • Back
Abate
v. subside or moderate.

Rather than leaving immediately, they waited for the storm to abate.
Aberrant
Adj. abnormal or deviant.

Given the aberrant nature of the data, we came to doubt the validity of the entire experiment.
Abeyance
N. Suspended action.

The deal was held in abeyance until her arrival.
Abscond
V. Depart secretly and hide.

The teller who adsconded with the bonds went uncaptured until someone recognized him from his photograph on America's Most Wanted.
Abstemious
Adj. Sparing in eating and drinking; temperate.

Concerned whether her vegetarian son's abstemious diet provided him with sufficient protein, the worried mother pressed food on him.
Admonish
V. Warn, reprove.

When her courtiers questioned her religious beliefs, Mary Stuart admonished them, declaring that she would worship as she pleased.
Adulterate
V. Make impure by adding inferior or tainted substances.

It is a crime to adulterate foods without informing the buyer; when consumers learned that Beechnut had adulterated its apple juice by mixing the juice with water, they protested vigorously. adulteration, N.
Aesthetic
Adj. artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciating the beautiful.

The beauty of Tiffany's stained glass appealed to Alice's aesthetic sense.
aesthete, N.
Aggregate
V. gather; accumulate.

Before the Wall Street scandals, dealers in so-called junk bonds managed to aggregate great wealth in short periods of time.
Also Adj.
Aggregation, N.
Alacrity
N. Cheerful promptness; eagerness.

Phil and Dave were raring to get off to the mountains; they packed up their ski gear and climbed into the van with alacrity.
Alleviate
V. relieve

This should alleviate the pain; if it does not, we shall have to use stronger drugs.
Amalgamate
v. combine; unite in one body.

The unions will attempt to amalgamate their groups into one national body.
Ambiguous
Adj. Unclear or doubtful in meaning.

His ambiguous instructions misled us; we did not know which road to take.
Ambiguity, N.
Ambivalence
N. the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes.

Torn between loving her parents one minute and hating them the next, she was confused by the ambivalence of her feelings.
Ambivalent, Adj.
Ameliorate
V. Improve.

Many social workers have attempted to ameliorate the conditions of people living in the slums.
Anachronism
N. Something or someone misplaced in time.

Shakespeare's reference to clocks in Julius Caesar is an anachronism; no clocks existed in Caesar's time.
Anachronistic, Adj.
Analogous
Adj. Comparable.

She called our attention to the things that had been done in an analogous situation and recommended that we do the same.
Anarchy
N. Absence of governing body; state of disorder.

The assassination of the leaders led to a period of anarcy.
Anomalous
Adj. abnormal; irregular.

She was placed in the anomalous position of seeming to approve procedures that she despised.
Antipathy
N. Aversion; dislike.

Tom's extreme antipathy for disputes keeps him from getting into arguments with his temperamental wife. Noise in any form is antipathetic to him. Among his other antipathies are honking cars, boom boxes, and heavy metal rock.
Apathy
N. Lack of caring; indifference.

A firm believer in democratic government, she could not understand the apathy of people who never bothered to vote.
Apathetic, adj.
Appease
V. Pacify or soothe; relieve.

Tom and Jody tried to appease the crying baby by offering him one toy after another. However, he would not calm down until they appeased his hunger by giving him a bottle.
Appeasement, N.
Apprise
V. Inform.

When NASA was apprised of the dangerous weather conditions, the head of the space agency decided to postpone the shuttle launch.
Approbation
N. Approval.

Wanting her parents' regard, she looked for some sign of their approbation. Benjamin Franklin, that shrewd observer of mankind, once worte, "We must not in the course of public life expect immediate approbation and immediate grateful acknowlegement of our services."
Appropriate
V. Acquire; take possission of for one's own use.

The ranch owners appropriated the lands that had originally been set aside for the Indians' use.
Arduous
Adj. Hard; strenuous.

Her arduous efforts had sapped her energy.
Artless
Adj. Without guile; open and honest.

Red Riding Hood's artless comment, "Grandma, What big eyes you have!" indicates the child's innocent surprise at her "grandmother's" changed appearance.
Ascetic
Adj. Practicing self-denial; austere.

The wealthy, self-indulgent young man felt oddly drawn to the strict, ascetic life led by members of some monastic orders.
Also N.
Asceticism, N.
Assiduous
Adj. diligent.

It took Rembrandt weeks of assiduous labor before he was satisfied with his portrait of his son.
Assuage
V. Ease or lessen (pain); satisfy (hunger); soothe (anger).

Jilted by Jane, Dick tried to assuage his heartache by indulging in ice cream. One gallon later, he had assuaged his appetite but not his grief.
Assuagement, N.
Attenuate
V. Make thinner; weaken or lessen (in density, force, degree).

The long, dry spell attenuated the creek to the merest trickle. When a meteor strikes the ground, the initially instense shock attenuates or lessens as it diverges outward.
Audacious
Adj. Daring, bold.

Audiences cheered as Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia made their audacious, death-defying leap to freedom and escaped Darth Vader's troops.
Audacity, N.
Austere
Adj. Forbiddingly stern; severely simple and unornamented.

The headmaster's austere demeanor tended to scare off the more timid students, who never visited his study willingly. The room reflected the man, austere and bare, like a monk's cell, with no touches of luxury to moderate its austerity.
Autonomous
Adj. Self-governing.

Although the University of California at Berkeley is just one part of the state university system, in many ways Cal Berkely is autonomous, for it runs several programs that are not subject to outside control.
Autonomy, N.
Aver
V. assert confidently or declare; as used in law, state formally as a fact.

The self-proclaimed psychic averred that, because he had extrasensory perception on which to base his predictions, he needed no seismographs or other gadgets in order to foretell earthquakes.
Banal
Adj. hackneyed; commonplace; trite; lacking originality.

The hack writer's worn-out cliches made his comic sketch seem banal. He even resorted to the banality of having someone slip on a banana peel.
Belie
V. Contradict; give a false impression.

His coarse, hard-bitten exterior belied his innate sensitivity.
Beneficent
Adj. Kindly, doing good.

The overgenerous philathropist had to curb his beneficent impulses before he gave away all his money and left himself with nothing.
Bolster
V. Support, reinforce.

The debaters amassed file boxes full of evidence to bolster their arugments.
Bombastic
Adj. Pompous; using inflated language.

Puffed up with conceit, the orator spoke in such a bombastic manner that we longed to deflate him.
Bombast, N.
Boorish
Adj. Rude; insensitive.

Though Mr. Potts constantly interrupted his wife, she ignored his boorish behavior, for she had lost hope of teaching him courtesy.
Burgeon
V. Grow forth; send out buds.

In the spring, the plants that burgeon are a promise of the beauty that is to come.
Burnish
V. Make shiny by rubbing; polish.

The maid burnished the brass fixtures until they reflected the lamplight.
Buttress
V. Support; prop up.

Just as architects buttress the walls of cathedrals with flying buttresses, debaters buttress their arguments with facts.
Also N.
Cacophonous
Adj. Discordant; inharmonious.

Do the students in the orchestra enjoy the cacophonous sounds they make when they're tuning up? I don't know how they can stand the racket.
cacophony, N.
Capricious
Adj. Unpredictable; fickle.

The storm was capricious: it changed course constantly. Jilly was capricious, too: she changed boyfriends almost as often as she changed clothes.
castigation
N. Punishment; severe criticism.

Sensitive even to mild criticism, Woolf could not bear the castigation that she found in certain reviews. Ben Jonson was a highly moral playwright: in his plays, his purpose was to castigate vice and hypocrisy by exposing them publicly.
Catalyst
N. Agent that influences the pace of a chemical reaction while it reamins unaffected and unchanged; person or thing that causes action.

After a banana is harvested, certain enzymes within its cells continue to act as a catalyst for the biochemical processes of ripening. In 1969 the IRA split into two factions: the "officials," who advocated a united socialist Ireland but disavowed terrorist activities, and the "provisionals," who argued that terrorism was a necessary catalyst for unification.
Caustic
Adj. Burning; sarcastically biting.

The critic's caustic remarks angered the hapless actors who were the subjects of his sarcasm.
Chicanery
N. trickery; deception.

Those sneaky lawyers misrepresented what occurred, made up all sorts of implausible alternative scenarios to confuse the jurors, and in general depended on chicanery to win the case.
Coagulate
V. Thicken; congeal; clot.

Even after you remove the pudding from the burner, it will continue to coagulate as it stands.
Coagulant, N.
Coda
N. Concluding section of a musical or literary composition; something that rounds out, summarizes, or concludes.

The piece concluded with a distinctive coda that strikingly brought together various motifs. Several months after Charlie Chaplin's death, his body was briefly kidnapped from a Swiss cemetery by a pair of bungling thieves-a macabre coda that Chaplin might have concocted for one of his own two-reelers.
Cogent
Adj. Convincing.

It was inevitable that David chose to go to Harvard: he had several cogent reasons for doing so, including a full-tuition scholarship. Katya argued her case with such cogency that the jury had to decide in favor of her client.
Commensurate
Adj. Corresponding in extent, degree, amount, etc; proportionate.

By the close of World War II much progress had been made in assigning nurses rank and responsibilities commensurate with their training and abilities. Critics in the industry charge that imposing new meat inspection regulations without dismantling the traditional system would raise costs without bringing about a commensurate improvement in safety.
Compendium
N. Brief, Comprehensive summary.

This text can serve as a compendium of the tremendous amount of new material being developed in this field.
Complaisant
Adj. Trying to please; overly polite; obliging.

Fearing that the king might become enraged if his will were thwarted, the complaisant Parliament recognized Henry VIII as king of Ireland. Someone complaisant is not smug or complacent; he yields to others because he has an excessive need to please.
Compliant
Adj. Yielding; conforming to requirements.

Because Joel usually gave in and went along with whatever his friends desired, his mother worried that he might be too compliant.
Conciliatory
Adj. reconciling, soothing.

She was still angry despite his conciliatory words.
Conciliate, V.
Condone
V. Overlook; forgive; give tacit approval; excuse.

Unlike Widow Douglass, who condoned Huck's minor offenses, Miss Watson did nothing but scold.
Confound
V. confuse, puzzle.

No mystery could confound Sherlock Holmes for long.
Connoisseur
N. Person competent to act as a judge of art, etc.; a lover of an art.

Bernard Berenson, the American art critic and connoisseur of Italian art, was hired by wealthy art lovers to select paintings for their collections.
Contention
N. Claim; thesis. It is our contention that, if you follow our tactics, you will boost your score on the GRE.
Contend, V.
Contentious
Adj. quarrelsome.

Disagreeing violently with the referees' ruling, the coach became so contentious that the referees threw him out of the game.
Contrite
Adj. Penitent.

Her contrite tears did not influence the judge when he imposed sentence.
Contrition, N.
Conundrum
N. riddle; difficult problem.

During the long car ride, she invented conundrums to entertain the children.
Converge
V. Approach; tend to meet; come together.

African-American men from all over the United States converged on Washington to take part in the historic Million Man March.
Convergence, N.
Convoluted
Adj. Coiled around; involved; intricate.

His argument was so convoluted that few of us could follow it intelligently.
Craven
Adj. Cowardly

Lillian's craven refusal to join the protest was criticized by her comrades, who had expected her to be brave enough to stand up for her beliefs.
Daunt
V. Intimidate; frighten

"Boast all you like of your prowess. Mere words cannot daunt me," the heroe answered the villian.
Decorum
N. Propriety; orderliness and good taste in manners.

Even the best-mannered students have trouble behaving with decorum on the last day of school.
Decorous, Adj.
Default
N. Failure to act.

When the visitin team failed to show up for the big game, they lost the game by default. When Jack failed to make the pyaments on his Jaguar, the dealership took back the car because he had defaulted on his debt.
Deference
N. Courteous regard for another's wish.

In deference to the minister's request, please do not take photographs during the wedding service.
Delineate
V. Portray; depict; sketch.

Using only a few dexcriptive phrases. Austen delineates the character of Mr. Collins so well that we can predict his every move.
Delineation, N.
Denigrate
V. Blacken

All attempts to denigrate the character of our late president have failed; the people still love him and cherish his memory.
Deride
V. Ridicule, make fun of.

The critics derided his pretentious dialogue and refused to consider his play seriously. Despite the critics' derision, however, audiences were moved by the play, cheering its unabashedly sentimental conclusion.
Derisive, Adj.
Derivative
Adj. Unoriginal; obtained from another source.

Although her early poetry was clearly derivative in nature, the critics thought she had promise and eventually would find her own voice.
Desiccate
V. Dry up.

A tour of this smokehouse will give you an idea of how the pioneers used to desiccate food in order to preserve it.
Desultory
Adj. Aimless; haphazard; digressing at random.

In prison Malcom X set himself the task of reading straight through the dictionary; to him, reading was purposeful, not desultory.
Deterrent
N. Something that discouages; hindrance.

Does the threat of capital punihsment serve as a deterrent to potential killers? also adj.
Diatribe
N. bitter scolding; invective.

During the lengthy diatribe delivered by his opponent he remained calm and self-controlled.
Dichotomy
N. split; branching into two parts (especially contradictory ones).

Willie didn't know how to resolve the dichotomy between his ambition to go to college and his childhood longing to run away and join the circus. Then he heard about Ringling Brothers Circus college, and he knew he'd found his school.
Diffidence
N. Shyness.

You must overcome your diffidence if you intend to become a salesperson.
Diffuse
Adj. wordy; rambling; spread out (like a gas). If you pay authors by the word, you tempt them to produce diffuse manuscripts rather than brief ones.
Also V.
Diffusion, N.
Digression
N. Wandering away from the subject.

Nobody minded when Professor Renoir's lectures wandered away from their official theme; his digressions were always more fascinating than the topic of the day.
Digress, V.
Dirge
N. Lament with music.

The funeral dirge stirred us to tears.
Disabuse
V. Correct a false impression; undeceive.

I will attempt to disabuse you of your impression of my client's guilt; I know he is innocent.
Discerning
Adj. Mentally quick and observant; having insight.

Though no genius, the star was sufficiently discerning to distinguih her true friends from the countless phonies who flattered her.
discern, V.
discernment, N.
Discordant
Adj. Not harmonious; conflicting.

Nothing is quite so discordant as the sound of a junior high school orchestra tuning up.
Discredit
V. Defame; destroy confidence in; disbelive.

The campaign was highly negative in tone; each candidate tried to discredit the other.
Discrepancy
N. Lack of consistency; difference.

The police noticed some discrepancies in his description of the crime and did not believe him.
Discrete
Adj. separate; unconnected; consisting of distinct parts.

In programmed instruction, the information to be learned is presented in discrete units; you must respond correctly to each unit before you may advance to the next. Because human populations have been migrating and intermingling for hundreds of centuries, it is hard to classify humans into discrete racial groups. Do not confuse discrete (separate) with discreet (prudent in speech and actions.
Disingenuous
Adj. Lacking genuine candor; insincere.

Now that we know that the mayor and his wife are engaged in a bitter divorce fight, we find their earlier ramarks regreting their lack of time together remakabley disingenuous.
Disinterested
Adj. unprejudiced.

Given the judge's political ambitions and the lawyers' financial interest in the case, the only disinterested person in the courtroom may have been the court reporter.
Disjointed
Adj. Lacking coherence; separated at the joints.

Unable to think of anything to say about the assigned topic, the unprepared student scribbled a few disjointed sentences on his answer sheet.
Dismiss
V. eliminate from consideration; reject.

Believing in John's love for her, she dismissed the notion that he might be unfaithful. (secondary meaning).
Disparage
V. Belittle.

A doting mother, Emma was more likely to praise her son's crude attempts at art than to disparage them.
Disparate
Adj. basically different; unrelated.

Unfortunately Tony and Tina have disparate notions of marriage: Tony sees it as a carefree extended love affair, while Tina sees it as a solemn commitment to build a family and a home.
Dissemble
V. disguise; pretend.

Even though John tried to dissemble his motive for taking modern dance, we all knew he was there not to dance but to meet girls.
Disseminate
V. Distribute; spread; scatter (like seeds).

By their use of the Internet, propagandists have been able to disseminate their pet doctrines to new audiences around the globe.
Dissolution
N. disintegration; looseness in morals.

The profligacy and dissolution of life in Caligula's Rom appall some historians.
dissolute, Adj.
Dissonance
N. Discord, opposite of harmony.

Composer Charles Ives often used dissonance-clasing or unresolved chords-for special effects in his musical works.
dissonant, adj.
Distend
V. Expand; swell out.

I can tell when he is under stress by the way the veins distend on his forehead.
Distill
V. Purify; refine; concentrate.

A moonshiner distills mash into whiskey; an epigrammatist distills thoughts into quips.
Diverge
V. Vary; go in different directions from the same point.

The spokes of the wheel diverge from the hub.
Divest
V. strip; deprive.

He was divested of his power to act and could no longer govern.
Divestiture, N.
Document
V. Provide written evidence.

She kept all the receipts from her business trip in order to document her expenses for the firm.
Also N.
Dogmatic
Adj. opinionated; arbitrary; doctrinal.

We tried to discourage Doug from being so dogmatic, but never could convince him that his opinions might be wrong.
Dormant
Adj. Sleeping; lethargic; latent.

At fifty her long-dormant ambition to write flared up once more; wintin a year she had completed the first of her great historical novels.
Dormancy, N.
Dupe
N. Someone easily fooled.

While the gullible Watson often was made a dupe by unscrupulous parties, Sherlock Holmes was far more difficult to fool.
Ebullient
Adj. Showing excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm.

Amy's ebullient nature could not be repressed; she was always bubbling over with excitement.
Ebullience, N.
Eclectic
Adj. Selective, composed of elements drawn from diparate sources.

His style of interior decoration was eclectic: bits and pieces of furnishings from widely divergent periods, strikingly juxtaposed to create a unique decor.
eclecticism, N.
Efficacy
N. Power to produce desired effect.

The efficacy of this drug depends on the regularity of the dosage.
efficacious, adj.
Effrontery
N. Impudence; shameless boldness; sheer nerve; presumptuousness.

When the boss told Frank she was firing him for laziness and insubordination, he had the effrontery to ask her for a letter of recommendation.
Elegy
N. Poem or song expressing lamentation.

On the death of Edward King, Milton composed the legy "Lycidas."
elegiacal, adj.
Elicit
V. Drawout by discussion.

The detectives tried to elicit where he had hidden his loot.
Embellish
V. Adorn; ornament; enhance, as a story.

The costume designer embellished the leading lady's ball gown with yards and yards of ribbon and lace.
Empirical
Adj. Based on experience.

He distrusted hunches and intuitive flashes; he placed his reliance entirely on empirical data.
Emulate
V. Immitate; rival.

In a brief essay, describe a person you admire, someone whose virtues you would like to emulate.
Endemic
Adj. Prevailing among a specific group of people or in a specific area or country.

This disease is endemic in this part of the world; more than 80 percent of the population are at one time or another affected by it.
Enervate
V. Weaken.

She was slow to recover from her illness; even a short walk to the window enervated her.
enervation, n.
Engender
V. cause; produce.

To recive praise for real accomplishments engenders self-confidence in a child.
Enhance
V. Increase, improve.

You can enhance your chances of being admitted to the college of your choice by learning to write well; an excellent essay will enhance any application.
Ephemeral
Adj. Short-lived; fleeting.

The mayfly is an ephemeral creature: its adult life lasts little more than a day.
Equanimity
N. Calmness of temperament; composure.

Even the inevitable strains of caring for an ailing mother did not disturb Dea's equanimity.
Equivocate
V. Lie; mislead; attempt to conceal the truth.

No matter how bad the news is, give it to us straight. Above all, don't equivocate.
Erudite
Adj. learned, scholarly.

Unlike much scholarly writing, Huizinga's prose was entertaining as well as erudite, lively as well as learned.
Erudition, N.
Esoteric
Adj. Hard to understand; known only to the chosen few.

New Yorker short stories often include esoteric allusions to obscure people and events. The implication is, if you are in the in-crowd, you'll get the reference; if you come from Cleveland, you won't.
Esoterica, N.
Eulogy
N. Expression of praise, often on the occasion of someone's death.

Instead of delivering a spoken eulogy at Genny's memorial service, Jeff sang a song he had written in her honor.
Eulogize, V.
Euphemism
N. Mild expression in place of an unpleasant one.

The expression "he passed away" is a euphemism for "he died".
Exacerbate
V. Worsen, embitter.

The latest bombing exacerbated England's already existing bitterness against the IRA, causing the Prime Minister to break off the peace talks abruptly.
Exacerbation, n.
Exculpate
V. clear from blame.

She was exculpated of the crime when the real criminal confessed.
Exigency
N. Urgent situation; pressing needs or demands; state of requiring immediate attention.

The exigencies of war gave impetus and funding to computer research in general and inparticular to the development of code-breaking machines. Denmark's Gustav I proved to be a harsh master an an exigent lord, known for his heavy taxes and capricious demands.
Extrapolation
N. Projection; conjecture.

Based on their extrapolation from the results of the primaries on Super Tuesday, the networks predicted that George W. Bush would be the Republican candidate for the presidency.
Extrapolate, V.
Extrapolate, V.
Facetious
Adj. Joking (often inapprobriately); humorous.

I'm serious about this project; I don't need any facetious, smart-alecky cracks about do-good little rich girls.
Facilitate
V. Help bring about; make less difficult.

Rest and proper nourishment should facilitate the patient's recovery.
Fallacious
Adj. false, misleading.

Paradoxically, fallacious reasoning does not always yield erroneous results; even though your logic may be faulty, the answer you get may be correct.
Fatuous
Adj. brainless, inane, foolish, yet smug.

Attacking the notion that women should defer to men's supposedly superior intelligence, Germaine Greer wrote that she was sick of pretending that some fatuous male's self-important pronouncements were the objects of her undivided attention. Fatheads are by definition fatuous.
Fawning
Adj. Trying to please by behaving obsequiously, flattering, or cringing.

In Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Collins is the archetypal fawning clergyman, wholly dependent for his living on the goodwill of his patron, Lady Catherine, whom he flatters shamelessly. Courtiers fawn upon princes; groupies fawn upon rock stars.
Felicitous
Adj. apt; suitably expressed; well chosen.

He was famous for his felicitous remarks and was called upon to serve as master-of-ceremonies at many a banquet.
Fervor
N. Glowing ardor; intensity of feeling.

At the protest rally, the students cheered the strikers and booed the dean with equal fervor.
Flag
V. Droop; grow feeble.

When the opposing hockey team scored its third goal only minutes into the first period, the home team's spirits flagged.
Flagging, Adj.
Fledgling
Adj. Inexperienced.

The folk dance club set up an apprentice program to allow fledgling dance callers a chance to polish their skills.
Also N.
Flout
V. Reject; mock; show contempt for.

The painter Julian Schnabel is known for works that flout the conventions of high art, such as paintings on velvet or linoleum. Do not confuse flout with flaunt: to flaunt something is to show it off; to flout something is to show your scorn for it. Perhaps by flouting the conventions of high art, Schnabel was flaunting his ability to get away with breaking the rules.
Foment
V. Stir up; instigate.

Cher's archenemy Heather spread some nasty rumors that fomented trouble in the club. Do you think Cher's foe meant to foment such discord?
Forestall
V. Prevent by taking action in advance.

By setting up a prenuptial agreement, the prospective bride and groom hoped to forestall any potential arguments about money in the event of a divorce.
Frugality
N. Thrift, economy.

In economically hard times, anyone who doesn't learn to practice frugality risks bankruptcy.
Frugal, Adj.
Futile
Adj. Useless; hopeless; ineffectual.

It is futile for me to try to get any work done around here while the telephone is ringing every 30 seconds.
Futility, N.
Gainsay
V. Deny.

She was too honest to gainsay the truth of the report.
Garrulous
Adj. loquacious; wordy; talkative.

My Uncle Henry can out-talk any other three people I know. He is the most garrulous person in Cayuga County.
Garrulity, N.
Goad
V. urge on.

She was goaded by her friends until she yielded to their wishes.
Also, N.
Gouge
V. Overcharge.

During the World Series, ticket scalpers tried to gouge the public, asking astronomical prices even for bleacher seats.
Grandiloquent
Adj. Pompous; bombastic; using high-sounding language.

The politician could neve speak simply; she was always grandiloquent.
Gregarious
Adj. sociable

Typically, party-throwers are gregarious; hermits are not.
Guileless
Adj. without deceit.

He is naive, simple, and guileless; he cannot be guilty of fraud.
Gullible
Adj. Easily deceived.

Gullible people have only themselves to blame if they fall for con artists repeatedly. As the saying goes, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."
Harangue
N. long, passionate, and vehement speech.

In her lengthy harangue, the principal berated the offenders. Also V.
Homogenous
Adj. Of the same kind.

Because the student body at Elite Prep was so homogenous, Sara and James decided to send their daughter to a school that offered greater cultural diversity.
homogeneity, N.
Hyperbole
N. Exaggeration; overstatement.

As far as I'm concerned, Apple's claims about the new computer are pure hyperbole: no machine is that good!
hyperbolic, Adj.
Iconoclastic
Adj. Attacking cherished traditions.

Deeply iconoclastic, Jean Genet deliberately set out to shock conventional theatergoers with his radical plays.
iconoclasm, N.
Idolatry
N. Worship of idols; excessive admiration.

Such idolatry of singers of country music is typical of the excessive enthusiasm of youth.
Immutable
Adj. unchangeable.

All things change over time; nothing is immutable.
Impair
V. Injure; hurt.

Drinking alcohol can impair your ability to drive safely; if you're going to drink, don't drive.
Impassive
Adj. Without feeling; imperturbable; stoical.

Refusing to let the enemy see how deeply shaken he was by his capture, the prisoner kept his face impassive.
Impede
V. Hinder, block.

The special prosecutor determined that the Attorney General, though inept, had not intentionally set out to impede the progress of the investigation.
Impermeable
Adj. Impervious; not permitting passage through its substance.

This new material is impermeable to liquids.
Imperturbable
Adj. Calm, placid.

Wellington remained imperturbable and in full command of the situation in spite of the hysteria and panic all around him.
Imperturbability, N.
Impervious
Adj. Impenetrable; incapable of being damaged or distressed.

The carpet salesman told Simone that his most expensive brand of floor covering was warranted to be impervious to ordinary wear and tear. Having read so many negative reviews of his acting, the movie star had learned to ignore them, and was now impervious to riticism.
Implacable
Adj. Incapable of being pacified.

Madame Defarge was the implacable enemy of the Evremonde family.
Implicit
Adj. Understood, but not stated.

Jack never told Jill he adored her; he believed his love was implicit in his deeds.
Implode
V. Burst inward.

If you break a vacuum tumbe, the glass tube implodes.
Implosion, N.
Inadvertently
Adj. Unintentionally; by oversight; carelessly.

Judy's great fear was that she might inadvertently omit a question on the exam and mismark her whole answer sheet.
Inchoate
Adj. Recently begun; rudimentary; elementary.

Before the Creation, the world was an inchoate mass.
Incongruity
N. Lack of harmony, absurdity.

The incongruity of his wearing sneakers with formal attire amused the observers.
Incongruous, Adj.
Inconsequential
Adj. Insignificant, unimportant.

Brushing off Ali's apologies for having broken the wine glass, Tamara said, "Don't worry about it; it's inconsequential."
Incorporate
V. Introduce something into a larger whole; combine; unite.

Breaking with precedent, President Truman ordered the military to incorporate blacks into every branch of the armed services.
Also Adj.
Indeterminate
Adj. Uncertain; not clearly fixed; indefinite.

That interest rates shall rise appears certain; when they will do so , however, remains indeterminate.
Indigence
N. Poverty.

Neither the economists nor the political scientists have found a way to wipe out the inequities of weath and eliminate indigence from our society.
Indigent, Adj., N.
Indolent
Adj. Lazy

Couch potatoes lead an indolent life lying back in their lazyboy recliners watching TV.
Indolence, N.
Inert
Adj. Inactive; lacking power to move.

"Get up, you lazybones," Tina cried to Tony, who lay in bed inert.
inertia, N.
Ingenuous
Adj. Naive and trusting; young; unsophisticated.

The woodsman did not realize how ingenuous Little Red Riding Hood was until he heard that she had gone off for a walk in the woods with the Big Bad Wolf.
Ingenue, N.
Inherent
Adj. Firmly established by nature or habit.

Katya's inherent love of justice caused her to champion anyone she considered to be treated unfaily by society.
Innocuous
Adj. Harmless.

An occasional glass of wine with dinner is relatively innocuous and should have no ill effect on most people.
Insensible
Adj. unconscious; unresponsive.

Sherry and I are very different; at times when I would be covered with embarrassment, she seems insensible to shame.
Insinuate
V. Hint, imply, creep in.

When you said I looked robust, did you mean to insinuate that I'm getting fat?
Insipid
Adj. Lacking in flavor; dull.

Flat prose and flat ginger ale are equally insipid: both lack sparkle.
Insularity
N. Narrow-mindedness; isolation.

The insularity of the islanders manifested itself in their suspicion of anything foreign.
Insular, Adj.
Intractable
Adj. Unruly; stubborn; unyielding.

Charlie Brown's friend Pigpen was intractable: he absolutely refused to take a bath.
Intransigence
N. Refusal of any compromise; stubbornness.

The negotiating team had not expected such intransigence from the striking workers, who rejected any hint of a compromise.
Intransigent, Adj.
Inundate
V. Overwhelm; flood; submerge.

This semester I am inundated with work: you should see the piles of paperwork flooding my desk. Until the great dam was built, the waters of the Nile used to inundate the river valley every year.
Inured
Adj. Accustomed; hardened.

She became inured to the Alaskan cold.
Invective
N. Abuse.

He had expected criticism but not the invective that greeted his proposal.