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436 Cards in this Set
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- Back
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ancillary
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subordinate; subsidiary. auxiliary; assisting.
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vociferous
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out noisily; clamorous. (The black female was vociferous at the table.)
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hobgoblin
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something causing superstitious fear; a bogyman.
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cynosure
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something that strongly attracts attention by its brilliance, interest, etc.: the cynosure of all eyes.
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petrify
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to make rigid or inert; harden; deaden
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solicitous
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anxious or concerned (Yaya is solicitous in regards to my relationships.)
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doggerel
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comic or burlesque, and usually loose or irregular in measure.
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stickler
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a person who insists on something unyieldingly; perfectionist (sticks to a system; Candy)
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conduit
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a pipe, tube, or the like, for conveying water or other fluid.
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perquisite
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an incidental payment, benefit, privilege, or advantage over and above regular income, salary, or wages (perqs; perks)
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provident
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having or showing foresight; providing carefully for the future. (provident about me/Hanwen’s future)
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motley
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exhibiting great diversity of elements; heterogeneous: a motley crowd. (Motley crew had blacks, Hispanics, etc.)
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gainsay
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to deny, dispute, or contradict.
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tractable
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easily managed or controlled; docile; yielding: a tractable child; a tractable disposition.
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docile
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easily managed or handled; tractable: a docile horse.
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placid
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pleasantly calm or peaceful; unruffled; tranquil; serenely quiet or undisturbed: placid waters.
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tawdry
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gaudy; showy and cheap; meretricious
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gaudy
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cheaply showy in a tasteless way; flashy.
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lascivious
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inclined to lustfulness; wanton; lewd: a lascivious, girl-chasing old man.
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cantankerous
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disagreeable to deal with; contentious; peevish: a cantankerous, argumentative man. (Jeff Chou)
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dissolute
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indifferent to moral restraints; given to immoral or improper conduct; licentious; dissipated.
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propitiate
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to make favorably inclined; appease; conciliate.
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conflagration
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a destructive fire, usually an extensive one.
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didactic
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intended for instruction; instructive: didactic poetry.
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pithy
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brief, forceful, and meaningful in expression; full of vigor, substance, or meaning; terse; forcible: a pithy observation.
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apothegm
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a short, pithy, instructive saying; a terse remark or aphorism.
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harbinger
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a person who goes ahead and makes known the approach of another; herald.
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auspicious
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promising success; propitious; opportune; favorable: an auspicious occasion.
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spurious
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not genuine, authentic, or true; not from the claimed, pretended, or proper source; counterfeit.
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anathema
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a person or thing detested or loathed: That subject is anathema to him.
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profligate
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utterly and shamelessly immoral or dissipated; thoroughly dissolute.
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seminal
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highly original and influencing the development of future events: a seminal artist; seminal ideas.
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scrupulous
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having scruples; having or showing a strict regard for what one considers right; principled.
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putrefy
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to render putrid; cause to rot or decay with an offensive odor.
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coup de grâce
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a death blow, esp. one delivered mercifully to end suffering.
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ephemeral
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lasting a very short time; short-lived; transitory: the ephemeral joys of childhood.
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piquant
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agreeably pungent or sharp in taste or flavor; pleasantly biting or tart: a piquant aspic.
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pungent
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sharply affecting the organs of taste or smell, as if by a penetrating power; biting; acrid
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delectable
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delicious: a delectable dinner.
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ennui
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a feeling of utter weariness and discontent resulting from satiety or lack of interest; boredom:
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prolix
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extended to great, unnecessary, or tedious length; long and wordy.
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avarice
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insatiable greed for riches; inordinate, miserly desire to gain and hoard wealth.
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rescind
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to abrogate; annul; revoke; repeal.anomaly
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valence
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the quality that determines the number of atoms or groups with which any single atom or group will unite
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renege
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to go back on one's word: he has reneged on his promise.
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repudiate
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to reject as having no authority or binding force: to repudiate a claim.
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surmise
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to think or infer without certain or strong evidence; conjecture; guess.
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acerbic
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harsh or severe, as of temper or expression: acerbic criticism.
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acrid
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extremely or sharply stinging or bitter; exceedingly caustic: acrid remarks.
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collocate
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to set or place together, esp. side by side.
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blase
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indifferent to or bored with life; unimpressed, as or as if from an excess of worldly pleasures.
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quagmire
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a situation from which extrication is very difficult: a quagmire of financial indebtedness.
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de facto
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in fact; in reality
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pro bono
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done or donated without charge; free: pro bono legal services.
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bona fide
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authentic; true: a bona fide sample of Lincoln's handwriting.
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tour de force
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a feat requiring unusual strength, skill, or ingenuity. (Lance’s Tour De France victory was a tour de force.)
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vapid
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lacking or having lost life, sharpness, or flavor; insipid; flat
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qualm
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an uneasy feeling or pang of conscience as to conduct; compunction
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pang
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a sudden feeling of mental or emotional distress or longing: a pang of remorse; a pang of desire.
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compunction
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a feeling of uneasiness or anxiety of the conscience caused by regret for doing wrong or causing pain; contrition; remorse.
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remission
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a period during which such a decrease or subsidence occurs: (The patient's leukemia was in remission.)
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inveterate
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settled or confirmed in a habit, practice, feeling, or the like: (an inveterate gambler)
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contravene
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to come or be in conflict with; go or act against; deny or oppose: to contravene a statement.
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copious
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large in quantity or number; abundant; plentiful: copious amounts of food.
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circumvent
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to go around or bypass: to circumvent the lake; to circumvent the real issues.
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solvent
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able to pay all just debts. having the power of dissolving; causing solution.
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lexicon
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the vocabulary of a particular language, field, social class, person, etc.
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modicum
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a moderate or small amount: He hasn't even a modicum of common sense.
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preponderance
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superior in weight, force, influence, numbers, etc.; prevailing: a preponderant misconception.
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cutaneous
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of, pertaining to, or affecting the skin.
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apotheosis
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the elevation or exaltation of a person to the rank of a god. 2. the ideal example; epitome; quintessence: (this poem is the apotheosis of lyric expression.)
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acrimony
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sharpness, harshness, or bitterness of nature, speech, disposition, etc.
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saccharine
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of the nature of or resembling that of sugar: a powdery substance with a saccharine taste.
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epaulet
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an ornamental shoulder piece worn on uniforms, chiefly by military officers. (Maj. Teed’s epaulet)
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titillating
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to excite or arouse agreeably: to titillate the fancy.
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proprietary
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pertaining to property or ownership: proprietary wealth.
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haphazard
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characterized by lack of order or planning, by irregularity, or by randomness; determined by or dependent on chance; aimless.
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precarious
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exposed to or involving danger; dangerous; perilous; risky: the precarious life of an underseas diver.
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portend
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to indicate in advance; to foreshadow or presage, as an omen does: The street incident may portend a general
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rife
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of common or frequent occurrence; prevalent; in widespread existence, activity, or use: Crime is rife in the slum areas of our cities.
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annex
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to attach, append, or add, esp. to something larger or more important.
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cordon
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to surround or blockade with or as with a cordon (usually fol. by off): The police cordoned off the street.
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venerable
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commanding respect because of great age or impressive dignity; worthy of veneration or reverence, as because of high office or noble character: a venerable member of Congress.
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vice
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an immoral or evil habit or practice.
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vis-à-vis
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face to face: They sat vis-à-vis at the table.
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chastise
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to discipline, esp. by corporal punishment.
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buttress
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any prop or support.
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sequester
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to remove or withdraw into solitude or retirement; seclude.
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atrophy
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degeneration, decline, or decrease, as from disuse: He argued that there was a progressive atrophy of freedom and independence of thought. (muscle atrophy)
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catabolic
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destructive metabolism; the breaking down in living organisms of more complex substances into simpler ones, with the release of energy (metabolic breakdown)
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canonize
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to consider or treat as sacrosanct or holy: They canonized his many verbal foibles and made them gospel.
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engrossed
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to occupy completely, as the mind or attention; absorb
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voracious
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craving or consuming large quantities of food: a voracious appetite. 2.exceedingly eager or avid: voracious readers; a voracious collector. (voracious velociraptor) (voracious hunter)
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expunge
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to strike or blot out; erase; obliterate.
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incense
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to inflame with wrath; make angry; enrage.
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immaculate
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free from spot or stain; spotlessly clean: immaculate linen.
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menial
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lowly and sometimes degrading: menial work. servile; submissive: menial attitudes.
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avuncular
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of, pertaining to, or characteristic of an uncle: avuncular affection.
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certitude
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freedom from doubt, esp. in matters of faith or opinion; certainty.
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tepid
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moderately warm; lukewarm: tepid water. characterized by a lack of force or enthusiasm: tepid prose; the critics' tepid reception for the new play.
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quaint
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strange, peculiar, or unusual in an interesting, pleasing, or amusing way: a quaint sense of humor.
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catatonic
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An abnormal condition often associated with schizophrenia and variously characterized by stupor, stereotypy, mania, and either rigidity or extreme flexibility of the limbs.
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recompense
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to repay; remunerate; reward, as for service, aid, etc. to pay or give compensation for; make restitution or requital for (damage, injury, or the like).
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cesspool
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any filthy receptacle or place. any place of moral filth or immorality: a cesspool of iniquity.
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debacle
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a complete collapse or failure.
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tacit
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understood without being openly expressed; implied: tacit approval. silent; saying nothing
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dearth
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an inadequate supply; scarcity; lack: There is a dearth of good engineers.
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semantics
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the meaning, or an interpretation of the meaning, of a word, sign, sentence, etc.: Let's not argue about semantics.
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confabulation
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to converse informally; chat; the replacement of a gap in a person's memory by a falsification that he or she believes to be true.
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assent
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to agree or concur; subscribe to (often fol. by to): to assent to a statement.
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maroon
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to place in an isolated and often dangerous position:
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immutable
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not mutable; unchangeable; changeless.
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resuscitate
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to revive, esp. from apparent death or from unconsciousness.
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Diaspora
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any group that has been dispersed outside its traditional homeland.
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bastion
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anything seen as preserving or protecting some quality, condition, etc.: a bastion of solitude; a bastion of democracy.
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buffoon
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a person who amuses others by tricks, jokes, odd gestures and postures, etc.
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charlatan
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a person who pretends to more knowledge or skill than he or she possesses; quack.; phony
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panchromatic
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sensitive to all visible colors, as a photographic film.
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censure
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strong or vehement expression of disapproval
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pantheon
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the place of the heroes or idols of any group, individual, movement, party, etc., or the heroes or idols themselves: to earn a place in the pantheon of American literature.
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barrage
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an overwhelming quantity or explosion, as of words, blows, or criticisms: a barrage of questions.
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repugnant
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distasteful, objectionable, or offensive: a repugnant smell.
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pontificate
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to speak in a pompous or dogmatic manner: Did he pontificate about the responsibilities of a good citizen?
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gander
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a look: Take a gander at his new shoes.
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platitude
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the quality or state of being flat, dull, or trite: the platitude of most political oratory.
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scintillating
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animated; vivacious; effervescent: a scintillating personality.
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centurion
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the commander of a century.
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abrogate
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to abolish by formal or official means; annul by an authoritative act; repeal: to abrogate a law.
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adjure
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to charge, bind, or command earnestly and solemnly, often under oath or the threat of a penalty.
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solemn
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grave, sober, or mirthless, as a person, the face, speech, tone, or mood: solemn remarks.
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quandary
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a state of perplexity or uncertainty, esp. as to what to do; dilemma.
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christen
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to name and dedicate: to christen a ship.
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crux
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a vital, basic, decisive, or pivotal point: The crux of the trial was his whereabouts at the time of the murder.
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vanguard
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the forefront in any movement, field, activity, or the like.
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calamity
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a great misfortune or disaster, as a flood or serious injury.
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sortie
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a rapid movement of troops from a besieged place to attack the besiegers.
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purgatory
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any condition or place of temporary punishment, suffering, expiation, or the like.
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matriculate
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to enroll in a college or university as a candidate for a degree.
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accoutrement
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personal clothing, accessories, etc.
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edifice
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a building, esp. one of large size or imposing appearance.
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sessile
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permanently attached; not freely moving.
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pugnacious
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inclined to quarrel or fight readily; quarrelsome; belligerent; combative.
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coup
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a highly successful, unexpected stroke, act, or move; a clever action or accomplishment. a brave or reckless deed performed in battle by a single warrior, as touching or striking an enemy warrior without sustaining injury oneself.
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surveil
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to place under surveillance.
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moot
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open to discussion or debate; debatable; doubtful: a moot point.2.of little or no practical value or meaning; purely academic.
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tenuous
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lacking a sound basis, as reasoning; unsubstantiated; weak: a tenuous argument.
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intimate
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to indicate or make known indirectly; hint; imply; suggest.
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incipient
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beginning to exist or appear; in an initial stage: an incipient cold.
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kitsch
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something of tawdry design, appearance, or content created to appeal to popular or undiscriminating taste.
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malady
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any undesirable or disordered condition: social maladies; a malady of the spirit.
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gallant
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brave, spirited, noble-minded, or chivalrous: a gallant knight; a gallant rescue attempt.
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conflate
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to fuse into one entity; merge: to conflate dissenting voices into one protest.
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corrugate
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to draw or bend into folds or alternate furrows and ridges.
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veritable
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being truly or very much so: a veritable triumph.
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gumption
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courage; spunk; guts: It takes gumption to quit a high-paying job.
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cornucopia
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an abundant, overflowing supply.
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culpable
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deserving blame or censure; blameworthy.
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rambunctious
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difficult to control or handle; wildly boisterous: a rambunctious child.
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boisterous
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rough and noisy; noisily jolly or rowdy; clamorous; unrestrained: the sound of boisterous laughter.
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bodacious
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audacious; bold or brazen.
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allude
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to refer casually or indirectly; make an allusion
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puissant
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powerful; mighty; potent.
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complicit
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choosing to be involved in an illegal or questionable act, esp. with others; having complicity.
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cursory
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going rapidly over something, without noticing details; hasty; superficial: a cursory glance at a newspaper article.
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derelict
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left or deserted, as by the owner or guardian; abandoned: a derelict ship.
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purvey
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to provide, furnish, or supply (esp. food or provisions) usually as a business or service.
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sordid
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squalid; wretchedly poor and run-down: sordid housing.
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proselyte
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a person who has changed from one opinion, religious belief, sect, or the like, to another; convert.
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flux
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continuous change, passage, or movement: His political views are in a state of flux.
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interlocutor
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a person who takes part in a conversation or dialogue.
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monolithic
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characterized by massiveness, total uniformity, rigidity, invulnerability, etc.: a monolithic society.
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chromatic
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pertaining to color or colors.
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verisimilitude
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the appearance or semblance of truth; likelihood; probability
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obfuscate
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to confuse, bewilder, or stupefy.
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abash
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to destroy the self-confidence, poise, or self-possession of; disconcert; make ashamed or embarrassed: to abash someone by sneering.
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analog
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something having analogy to something else.
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bulwark
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any protection against external danger, injury, or annoyance
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stalwart
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strongly and stoutly built; sturdy and robust.
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albatross
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a seemingly inescapable moral or emotional burden, as of guilt or responsibility.
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citadel
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a fortress that commands a city and is used in the control of the inhabitants and in defense during attack or siege.
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apt
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inclined; disposed; given; prone: too apt to slander others.
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serpentine
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shrewd, wily, or cunning; having a winding course, as a road; sinuous.
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awash
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covered, filled, or crowded: streets awash with shoppers; a garden awash in brilliant colors.
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abut
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to be adjacent; touch or join at the edge or border (often fol. by on, upon, or against): This piece of land abuts on a street.
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moribund
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in a dying state; near death.
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consternation
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a sudden, alarming amazement or dread that results in utter confusion; dismay.
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canon
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a fundamental principle or general rule: the canons of good behavior.
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flatulent
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having unsupported pretensions; inflated and empty; pompous; turgid: a flatulent style.
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recalcitrant
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resisting authority or control; not obedient or compliant; refractory.
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tenet
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any opinion, principle, doctrine, dogma, etc., esp. one held as true by members of a profession, group, or movement.
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coterminous
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having the same border or covering the same area.
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tomfoolery
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a silly act, matter, or thing.
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triumvirate
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any group or set of three.
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envisage
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to contemplate; visualize: He envisages an era of great scientific discoveries.
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paltry
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ridiculously or insultingly small: a paltry sum.
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mettle
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courage and fortitude: a man of mettle.
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senescent
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growing old; aging.
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abnegate
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to refuse or deny oneself (some rights, conveniences, etc.); reject; renounce. 2. to relinquish; give up.
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abrogate
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to abolish by formal or official means; annul by an authoritative act; repeal: to abrogate a law.
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clout
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pull; strong influence; muscle, esp. political power: a wealthy campaign contributor with clout at city hall.
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procure
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to obtain or get by care, effort, or the use of special means: to procure evidence.
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supposition
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something that is supposed; assumption; hypothesis.
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parlay
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to bet or gamble (an original amount and its winnings) on a subsequent race, contest, etc.
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truant
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a student who stays away from school without permission.
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inextricable
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hopelessly intricate, involved, or perplexing: inextricable confusion.
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extricate
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to free or release from entanglement; disengage: to extricate someone from a dangerous situation.
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equanimity
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mental or emotional stability or composure, esp. under tension or strain; calmness; equilibrium.
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flummox
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to bewilder; confound; confuse.
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enclave
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any small, distinct area or group enclosed or isolated within a larger one: a Chinese-speaking enclave in London.
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conclave
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a private or secret meeting.
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assiduous
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constant in application or effort; working diligently at a task; persevering; industrious; attentive: an assiduous student.
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occult
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beyond the range of ordinary knowledge or understanding; mysterious.
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respite
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a delay or cessation for a time, esp. of anything distressing or trying; an interval of relief: to toil without respite.
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onus
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blame or responsibility.
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demarcation
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the determining and marking off of the boundaries of something.
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pandemonium
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wild uproar or unrestrained disorder; tumult or chaos.
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ignominy
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disgrace; dishonor; public contempt.
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vacuous
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expressing or characterized by a lack of ideas or intelligence; inane; stupid: a vacuous book.
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impudent
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of, pertaining to, or characterized by impertinence or effrontery
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indefatigable
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incapable of being tired out; not yielding to fatigue; untiring.
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impertinent
|
intrusive or presumptuous, as persons or their actions; insolently rude; uncivil: a brash, impertinent youth.
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remonstrate
|
to say or plead in protest, objection, or disapproval.
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libel
|
anything that is defamatory or that maliciously or damagingly misrepresents.
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embody
|
to give a concrete form to; express, personify, or exemplify in concrete form: to embody an idea in an allegorical painting.
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gamut
|
the entire scale or range: the gamut of dramatic emotion from grief to joy.
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idyllic
|
a poem or prose composition, usually describing pastoral scenes or events or any charmingly simple episode, appealing incident, or the like.
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denizen
|
anything adapted to a new place, condition, etc., as an animal or plant not indigenous to a place but successfully naturalized.
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perennial
|
lasting for an indefinitely long time; enduring: her perennial beauty. (UF football: perennial powerhouse)
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decrepit
|
1. weakened by old age; feeble; infirm: a decrepit man who can hardly walk. 2. worn out by long use; dilapidated: a decrepit stove.
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dismal
|
1. causing gloom or dejection; gloomy; dreary; cheerless; melancholy: dismal weather.
2. characterized by ineptness or lack of skill, competence, effectiveness, imagination, or interest; pitiful: Our team played a dismal game. |
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recondite
|
1. dealing with very profound, difficult, or abstruse subject matter: a recondite treatise.
2. beyond ordinary knowledge or understanding; esoteric: recondite principles. 3. little known; obscure: a recondite fact. |
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slipshod
|
careless, untidy, or slovenly: slipshod work.
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arrythmia
|
any disturbance in the rhythm of the heartbeat.
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parlance
|
a way or manner of speaking; vernacular; idiom: legal parlance.
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remunerate
|
to pay, recompense, or reward for work, trouble, etc.
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dowry
|
the money, goods, or estate that a wife brings to her husband at marriage; a natural gift, endowment, talent, etc.
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fledgling
|
an inexperienced person.
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indignant
|
feeling, characterized by, or expressing strong displeasure at something considered unjust, offensive, insulting, or base:indignant remarks; an indignant expression on his face.
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headlong
|
without delay; hastily: to plunge headlong into work.;
without deliberation; rashly: to rush headlong into battle. |
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uncouth
|
awkward, clumsy, or unmannerly: uncouth behavior; an uncouth relative who embarrasses the family.
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peremptory
|
leaving no opportunity for denial or refusal; imperative: a peremptory command.
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pernicious
|
causing insidious harm or ruin; ruinous; injurious; hurtful: pernicious teachings; a pernicious lie.
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abject
|
utterly hopeless, miserable, humiliating, or wretched: abject poverty.
2. contemptible; despicable; base-spirited: an abject coward. |
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ignominious
|
marked by or attended with ignominy; discreditable; humiliating: an ignominious retreat.
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connive
|
to cooperate secretly; conspire (often fol. by with): They connived to take over the business.
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aplomb
|
imperturbable self-possession, poise, or assurance.
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vilify
|
to speak ill of; defame; slander.
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milliner
|
a person who designs, makes, or sells hats for women.
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vet
|
to examine or treat in one's capacity as a veterinarian or as a doctor.
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summons
|
an authoritative command, message, or signal by which one is summoned.
2. a request, demand, or call to do something: a summons to surrender. |
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incorrigible
|
not corrigible; bad beyond correction or reform: incorrigible behavior; an incorrigible liar.
2. impervious to constraints or punishment; willful; unruly; uncontrollable: an incorrigible child; incorrigible hair. |
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polity
|
a particular form or system of government: civil polity; ecclesiastical polity.
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snide
|
derogatory in a nasty, insinuating manner: snide remarks about his boss.
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hex
|
spell; charm: With all this rain, somebody must have put a hex on our picnic.
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cajole
|
to persuade by flattery or promises; wheedle; coax.
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cadre
|
Military. the key group of officers and enlisted personnel necessary to establish and train a new military unit.
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lacquer
|
a protective coating consisting of a resin, cellulose ester, or both, dissolved in a volatile solvent, sometimes with pigment added.
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promulgate
|
to make known by open declaration; publish; proclaim formally or put into operation (a law, decree of a court, etc.).
2. to set forth or teach publicly (a creed, doctrine, etc.). |
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deduce
|
to derive as a conclusion from something known or assumed; infe
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precept
|
a commandment or direction given as a rule of action or conduct.
2. an injunction as to moral conduct; maxim. |
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insular
|
narrow-minded or illiberal; provincial: insular attitudes toward foreigners. detached; standing alone; isolated.
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emollient
|
having the power of softening or relaxing, as a medicinal substance; soothing, esp. to the skin: emollient lotions for the face.
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confer
|
to consult together; compare opinions; carry on a discussion or deliberation.
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heuristic
|
1. serving to indicate or point out; stimulating interest as a means of furthering investigation.
2.encouraging a person to learn, discover, understand, or solve problems on his or her own, as by experimenting, evaluating possible answers or solutions, or by trial and error: a heuristic teaching method. |
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magnum opus
|
a great work, esp. the chief work of a writer or artist: Proust's magnum opus is Remembrance of Things Past.
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scurrilous
|
1. grossly or obscenely abusive: a scurrilous attack on the mayor.
2. characterized by or using low buffoonery; coarsely jocular or derisive: a scurrilous jest. |
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concomitant
|
existing or occurring with something else, often in a lesser way; accompanying; concurrent: an event and its concomitant circumstances.
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gormandize
|
to eat greedily or ravenously.
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ascetic
|
1. a person who dedicates his or her life to a pursuit of contemplative ideals and practices extreme self-denial or self-mortification for religious reasons.
2.a person who leads an austerely simple life, esp. one who abstains from the normal pleasures of life or denies himself or herself material satisfaction. |
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mince
|
1.to cut or chop into very small pieces.
2. to soften, moderate, or weaken (one's words), esp. for the sake of decorum or courtesy. 3. to walk or move with short, affectedly dainty steps. |
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festoon
|
1. a string or chain of flowers, foliage, ribbon, etc., suspended in a curve between two points.
2. to adorn with or as with festoons: to festoon a hall. |
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commiserate
|
to feel or express sorrow or sympathy for; empathize with; pity.
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obstreperous
|
1.resisting control or restraint in a difficult manner; unruly.
2. noisy, clamorous, or boisterous: obstreperous children. |
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refractory
|
1. hard or impossible to manage; stubbornly disobedient: a refractory child.
2. a material having the ability to retain its physical shape and chemical identity when subjected to high temperatures. |
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jocose
|
given to or characterized by joking; jesting; humorous; playful: a jocose and amusing manner; jocular
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fitful
|
coming, appearing, acting, etc., in fits or by spells; recurring irregularly.
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redoubtable
|
that is to be feared; formidable.
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beckon
|
1. to signal, summon, or direct by a gesture of the head or hand.
2. to lure; entice. |
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apposite
|
suitable; well-adapted; pertinent; relevant; apt: an apposite answer.
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amorphous
|
lacking definite form; having no specific shape; formless: the amorphous clouds.
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sedulous
|
diligent in application or attention; persevering; assiduous.
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sententious
|
abounding in pithy aphorisms or maxims: a sententious book
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shroud
|
1. a cloth or sheet in which a corpse is wrapped for burial.
2. something that covers or conceals like a garment: a shroud of rain. |
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indisposed
|
1. sick or ill, esp. slightly: to be indisposed with a cold.
2. disinclined or unwilling; averse: indisposed to help. |
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|
hale
|
1. free from disease or infirmity; robust; vigorous: hale and hearty men in the prime of life.
2. to compel (someone) to go: to hale a man into court. |
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|
gratuitous
|
1. given, done, bestowed, or obtained without charge or payment; free; voluntary.
2. being without apparent reason, cause, or justification: a gratuitous insult. |
|
|
overture
|
an introductory part, as of a poem; prelude; prologue.
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quaff
|
to drink a beverage, esp. an intoxicating one, copiously and with hearty enjoyment.
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tautology
|
needless repetition of an idea, esp. in words other than those of the immediate context, without imparting additional force or clearness, as in “widow woman.”
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germane
|
closely or significantly related; relevant; pertinent: Please keep your statements germane to the issue.
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nugatory
|
of no real value; trifling; worthless.
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|
saturnine
|
1. sluggish in temperament; gloomy; taciturn.
2. suffering from lead poisoning, as a person. |
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|
choleric
|
extremely irritable or easily angered; irascible: a choleric disposition.
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|
churlish
|
1. like a churl; boorish; rude: churlish behavior.
2. of a churl; peasantlike. |
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divvy
|
to divide; distribute: The thieves divvied up the loot.
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|
|
filigree
|
delicate ornamental work of fine silver, gold, or other metal wires, esp. lacy jewelers' work of scrolls and arabesques.
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|
|
purview
|
the range of operation, authority, control, concern, etc.
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|
|
arcane
|
known or understood by very few; mysterious; secret; obscure; esoteric: She knew a lot about Sanskrit grammar and other arcane matters.
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|
paucity
|
smallness of quantity; scarcity; scantiness: a country with a paucity of resources.
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|
|
protean
|
readily assuming different forms or characters; extremely variable.
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entreaty
|
earnest request or petition; supplication.
|
|
|
frisson
|
a sudden, passing sensation of excitement; a shudder of emotion; thrill: The movie offers the viewer the occasional frisson of seeing a character in mortal danger.
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|
|
shambolic
|
Disorderly or chaotic
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|
|
impunity
|
exemption from punishment.
|
|
|
edict
|
any authoritative proclamation or command.
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|
munificent
|
extremely liberal in giving; very generous.
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|
fastidious
|
excessively particular, critical, or demanding; hard to please: a fastidious eater.
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|
plenary
|
1. full; complete; entire; absolute; unqualified: plenary powers.
2. attended by all qualified members; fully constituted: a plenary session of Congress. |
|
|
moratorium
|
a suspension of activity: a moratorium on the testing of nuclear weapons.
|
|
|
posterity
|
1. succeeding or future generations collectively: Judgment of this age must be left to posterity.
2.all descendants of one person: His fortune was gradually dissipated by his posterity. |
|
|
aplomb
|
1. imperturbable self-possession, poise, or assurance.
2. the perpendicular, or vertical, position. |
|
|
heterodox
|
not in accordance with established or accepted doctrines or opinions, esp. in theology; unorthodox.
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|
|
ambit
|
circumference; circuit; boundary; limit.
|
|
|
antediluvian
|
very old, old-fashioned, or out of date; antiquated; primitive: antediluvian ideas.
|
|
|
umlaut
|
a mark (¨) used as a diacritic over a vowel, as ä, ö, ü, to indicate a vowel sound different from that of the letter without the diacritic, esp. as so used in German.
|
|
|
belie
|
1. to show to be false; contradict: His trembling hands belied his calm voice.
2. to misrepresent: The newspaper belied the facts. |
|
|
capitulate
|
to give up resistance: He finally capitulated and agreed to do the job my way.
|
|
|
ken
|
1. knowledge, understanding, or cognizance; mental perception: an idea beyond one's ken.
2. range of sight or vision. |
|
|
hirsute
|
hairy; shaggy.
|
|
|
ichthyology
|
the branch of zoology dealing with fishes.
|
|
|
recapitulate
|
to review by a brief summary, as at the end of a speech or discussion; summarize.
|
|
|
herpetology
|
the branch of zoology dealing with reptiles and amphibians.
|
|
|
prestidigitation
|
sleight of hand; legerdemain.
|
|
|
peroration
|
a long speech characterized by lofty and often pompous language.
|
|
|
jejune
|
1.without interest or significance; dull; insipid: a jejune novel.
2. juvenile; immature; childish: jejune behavior. |
|
|
chasm
|
a marked interruption of continuity; gap: a chasm in time.
|
|
|
feral
|
existing in a natural state, as animals or plants; not domesticated or cultivated; wild.
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|
|
inveigle
|
to entice, lure, or ensnare by flattery or artful talk or inducements (usually fol. by into): to inveigle a person into playing bridge.
|
|
|
requite
|
to make repayment or return for (service, benefits, etc.).
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|
|
upend
|
to defeat in competition, as in boxing or business.
|
|
|
rapture
|
ecstatic joy or delight; joyful ecstasy.
|
|
|
diametric
|
in direct opposition; being at opposite extremes; complete: diametrical opposites; a diametrical difference.
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|
|
parochial
|
very limited or narrow in scope or outlook; provincial: parochial views; a parochial mentality.
|
|
|
rote
|
routine; a fixed, habitual, or mechanical course of procedure: the rote of daily living.
|
|
|
inscrutable
|
1. incapable of being investigated, analyzed, or scrutinized; impenetrable.
2. not easily understood; mysterious; unfathomable: an inscrutable smile. |
|
|
malfeasance
|
the performance by a public official of an act that is legally unjustified, harmful, or contrary to law; wrongdoing (used esp. of an act in violation of a public trust)
|
|
|
nix
|
to veto; refuse to agree to; prohibit: to nix the project.
|
|
|
confraternity
|
a society or organization, esp. of men, united for some purpose or in some profession.
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|
|
epistle
|
a letter, esp. a formal or didactic one; written communication.
|
|
|
sapient
|
having or showing great wisdom or sound judgment.
|
|
|
cad
|
an ill-bred man, esp. one who behaves in a dishonorable or irresponsible way toward women.
|
|
|
churl
|
1. a rude, boorish, or surly person.
2. a peasant; rustic. |
|
|
regale
|
to entertain lavishly or agreeably; delight.
|
|
|
bedlam
|
a scene or state of wild uproar and confusion.
|
|
|
nabob
|
any very wealthy, influential, or powerful person.
|
|
|
incantation
|
the chanting or uttering of words purporting to have magical power.
|
|
|
codify
|
to reduce (laws, rules, etc.) to a code.
|
|
|
ad hoc
|
for the special purpose or end presently under consideration: a committee formed ad hoc to deal with the issue.
|
|
|
consonant
|
in agreement; agreeable; in accord; consistent (usually fol. by to or with): behavior consonant with his character.
|
|
|
countenance
|
1. appearance, esp. the look or expression of the face: a sad countenance.
2. to permit or tolerate: You should not have countenanced his rudeness. |
|
|
obloquy
|
1.
censure, blame, or abusive language aimed at a person or thing, esp. by numerous persons or by the general public. 2. discredit, disgrace, or bad repute resulting from public blame, abuse, or denunciation. |
|
|
harangue
|
a scolding or a long or intense verbal attack; diatribe.
|
|
|
zeitgeist
|
the spirit of the time; general trend of thought or feeling characteristic of a particular period of time.
|
|
|
effusive
|
unduly demonstrative; lacking reserve: effusive greetings; an effusive person.
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|
|
galumph
|
to move along heavily and clumsily.
|
|
|
predilection
|
a tendency to think favorably of something in particular; partiality; preference: a predilection for Bach.
|
|
|
bathos
|
1. a ludicrous descent from the exalted or lofty to the commonplace; anticlimax.
2. insincere pathos; sentimentality; mawkishness. 3. triteness or triviality in style. |
|
|
mawkish
|
characterized by sickly sentimentality; weakly emotional; maudlin.
|
|
|
bucolic
|
1. of or pertaining to shepherds; pastoral.
2. of, pertaining to, or suggesting an idyllic rural life. |
|
|
riposte
|
a quick, sharp return in speech or action; counterstroke: a brilliant riposte to an insult.
|
|
|
codex
|
a manuscript volume, usually of an ancient classic or the Scriptures.
|
|
|
ineluctable
|
incapable of being evaded; inescapable: an ineluctable destiny.
|
|
|
besmirch
|
to soil; tarnish; discolor.
|
|
|
incisive
|
penetrating; cutting; biting; trenchant: an incisive tone of voice.
|
|
|
ineffable
|
incapable of being expressed or described in words; inexpressible: ineffable joy.
|
|
|
plangent
|
resounding loudly, esp. with a plaintive sound, as a bell; a plangent bell.
|
|
|
emeritus
|
retired or honorably discharged from active professional duty, but retaining the title of one's office or position: dean emeritus of the graduate school; editor in chief emeritus.
|
|
|
excoriate
|
to denounce or berate severely; flay verbally: He was excoriated for his mistakes.
|
|
|
balk
|
1. to stop, as at an obstacle, and refuse to proceed or to do something specified (usually fol. by at): He balked at making the speech.
2. to place an obstacle in the way of; hinder; thwart: a sudden reversal that balked her hopes. |
|
|
escutcheon
|
a shield or shieldlike surface on which a coat of arms is depicted.
|
|
|
denouement
|
the final resolution of the intricacies of a plot, as of a drama or novel.
|
|
|
eddy
|
1. a current at variance with the main current in a stream of liquid or gas, esp. one having a rotary or whirling motion.
2. a current or trend, as of opinion or events, running counter to the main current. |
|
|
asperity
|
harshness or sharpness of tone, temper, or manner; severity; acrimony: The cause of her anger did not warrant such asperity.
|
|
|
dudgeon
|
a feeling of offense or resentment; anger: We left in high dudgeon.
|
|
|
sublunary
|
1.
characteristic of or pertaining to the earth; terrestrial. 2. mundane or worldly: fleeting, sublunary pleasure. |
|
|
pathos
|
the quality or power in an actual life experience or in literature, music, speech, or other forms of expression, of evoking a feeling of pity or compassion.
|
|
|
tellurian
|
of or characteristic of the earth or its inhabitants; terrestrial.
|
|
|
suffuse
|
to overspread with or as with a liquid, color, etc.
|
|
|
rubicund
|
red or reddish; ruddy: a rubicund complexion.
|
|
|
aureate
|
1. golden or gilded.
2. brilliant; splendid. 3.characterized by an ornate style of writing or speaking. |
|
|
declamatory
|
merely oratorical or rhetorical; stilted: a pompous, declamatory manner of speech.
|
|
|
euphuistic
|
any similar ornate style of writing or speaking; high-flown, periphrastic language.
|
|
|
manacle
|
a shackle for the hand; handcuff.
|
|
|
sonorous
|
rich and full in sound, as language or verse.
|
|
|
mote
|
a small particle or speck, esp. of dust; particulate
|
|
|
wayfaring
|
traveling, esp. on foot.
|
|
|
abecedarian
|
of or pertaining to the alphabet; a beginner in any field of learning.
|
|
|
necromancy
|
magic in general, esp. that practiced by a witch or sorcerer; sorcery; witchcraft; conjuration.
|
|
|
apparition
|
a supernatural appearance of a person or thing, esp. a ghost; a specter or phantom; wraith: a ghostly apparition at midnight.
|
|
|
contrive
|
to plan with ingenuity; devise; invent: The author contrived a clever plot; to plot (evil, treachery, etc.).
|
|
|
propound
|
to put forward or offer for consideration, acceptance, or adoption; set forth; propose: to propound a theory.
|
|
|
disheveled
|
hanging loosely or in disorder; unkempt: disheveled hair.
|
|
|
parquet
|
a floor composed of short strips or blocks of wood forming a pattern, sometimes with inlays of other woods or other materials.
|
|
|
nostrum
|
1.
a medicine sold with false or exaggerated claims and with no demonstrable value; quack medicine. 2. a scheme, theory, device, etc., esp. one to remedy social or political ills; panacea. |
|
|
unduly
|
1. excessively: unduly worried.
2. in an inappropriate, unjustifiable, or improper manner: unduly critical. |
|
|
goad
|
1. anything that pricks or wounds like such a stick.
2. something that encourages, urges, or drives; a stimulus. 3. a stick with a pointed or electrically charged end, for driving cattle, oxen, etc.; prod. |
|
|
arboretum
|
a plot of land on which many different trees or shrubs are grown for study or display.
|
|
|
sartorial
|
1. of or pertaining to tailors or their trade: sartorial workmanship.
2. of or pertaining to clothing or style or manner of dress: sartorial splendor. |
|
|
imbroglio
|
a misunderstanding, disagreement, etc., of a complicated or bitter nature, as between persons or nations.
|
|
|
febrile
|
pertaining to or marked by fever; feverish.
|
|
|
adduce
|
to bring forward in argument or as evidence; cite as pertinent or conclusive: to adduce reasons in support of a constitutional amendment
|
|
|
simper
|
to smile in a silly, self-conscious way.
|
|
|
hovel
|
1. a small, very humble dwelling house; a wretched hut.
2. any dirty, disorganized dwelling. |
|
|
apiary
|
a place in which a colony or colonies of bees are kept, as a stand or shed for beehives or a bee house containing a number of beehives.
|
|
|
termagant
|
a violent, turbulent, or brawling woman
|
|
|
virago
|
a loud-voiced, ill-tempered, scolding woman; shrew.
|
|
|
rue
|
1. to feel sorrow over; repent of; regret bitterly: to rue the loss of opportunities.
2. to wish that (something) had never been done, taken place, etc.: I rue the day he was born. |
|
|
abscission
|
the act of cutting off; sudden termination.
|
|
|
accost
|
to confront boldly: The beggar accosted me for money.
|
|
|
pilgrim
|
a traveler or wanderer, esp. in a foreign place.
|
|
|
baleful
|
full of menacing or malign influences; pernicious.
|
|
|
propound
|
to put forward or offer for consideration, acceptance, or adoption; set forth; propose: to propound a theory.
|
|
|
countenance
|
1. appearance, esp. the look or expression of the face: a sad countenance.
2. to permit or tolerate: You should not have countenanced his rudeness. |
|
|
miasma
|
1. noxious exhalations from putrescent organic matter; poisonous effluvia or germs polluting the atmosphere.
2. a dangerous, foreboding, or deathlike influence or atmosphere. |
|
|
atavism
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reversion to an earlier type; throwback.
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excogitate
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1. to think out; devise; invent.
2. to study intently and carefully in order to grasp or comprehend fully. |
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plenitude
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fullness or adequacy in quantity, measure, or degree; abundance: a plenitude of food, air, and sunlight.
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scotch
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1. to put a definite end to; crush; stamp out; foil: to scotch a rumor; to scotch a plan.
2. a block or wedge put under a wheel, barrel, etc., to prevent slipping. |
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prurient
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having, inclined to have, or characterized by lascivious or lustful thoughts, desires, etc.
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salacious
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lustful or lecherous.
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macerate
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1. to soften or separate into parts by steeping in a liquid.
2. to soften or decompose (food) by the action of a solvent. 3. to cause to grow thin. |
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brio
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vigor; vivacity.
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manifold
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1. of many kinds; numerous and varied: manifold duties.
2. something having many different parts or features. |
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manumit
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to release from slavery or servitude.
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genuflect
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to bend the knee or touch one knee to the floor in reverence or worship.
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animadversion
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an unfavorable or censorious comment: to make animadversions on someone's conduct; the act of criticizing.
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callow
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immature or inexperienced: a callow youth.
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macabre
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gruesome and horrifying; ghastly; horrible.
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meddlesome
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to involve oneself in a matter without right or invitation; interfere officiously and unwantedly: Stop meddling in my personal life!
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malapropism
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1. an act or habit of misusing words ridiculously, esp. by the confusion of words that are similar in sound.
2. an instance of this, as in “Lead the way and we'll precede.” |
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scurvy
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contemptible; despicable; mean: a scurvy trick.
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skiff
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any of various types of boats small enough for sailing or rowing by one person.
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forswear
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to deny vehemently or under oath.
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vitiate
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to impair the quality of; make faulty; spoil.
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repartee
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a quick, witty reply.
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bawdy
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indecent; lewd; obscene: another of his bawdy stories.
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