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GRE Words

Gre Words

by bj1white7, Nov. 2011

Subjects: a-p gre words

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Antipathy noun	aversion; dislike Synonyms: abhorrence	I know my antipathy toward lawyers isn't fair, but I can't help thinking the worst of every one I meet.
Apogee noun	farthest or highest point; culmination; zenith Synonyms: summit	Winning the Pulitzer Prize was an affirmation that the journalist was at the apogee of her career.
Archaic adjective	outdated; associated with an earlier, perhaps more primitive time Synonyms: antiquated	In the current age of cell phones, many are treating landline telephones as archaic forms of technology.
Apprise verb	to give notice to; to inform Synonyms: notify	Be sure to apprise the security officers that you will be visiting the site so they don't think you are a trespasser.
Acumen noun	quick, keen, or accurate knowledge or insight Synonyms: shrewdness, perspicacity	Her business acumen led her to invest in new companies just before they launched successful products.
Acerbic adjective	having a sour or bitter taste or character Synonyms: acrid	The child was so adorable that even the acerbic old man had to smile.
Arcane adjective	mysterious; esoteric Synonyms: inscrutable	Arcane vocabulary words are a source of great frustration for many GRE test-takers.
Aver verb	to state as a fact; to confirm or support Synonyms: assert, affirm	The court records show that the witness averred that she saw the defendant at the scene of the crime.
Antithetical adjective	diametrically opposed; as in antithesis Synonyms: opposite	She quit her position as press secretary when she realized that her views on civil rights were antithetical to the senator's.
Artless adjective	completely without guile; unsophisticated Synonyms: naive	A few unscrupulous people took advantage of the artless owner of the antique shop.
Assuage verb	to ease or lessen; to appease or pacify Synonyms: alleviate, allay, soothe	Shining a flashlight under the bed helped to assuage the child's fears of a monster lurking there.
Assiduous adjective	diligent; hard-working Synonyms: devoted	The Internet has made research so easy that the gap between the assiduous student and the lackadaisical student is harder to discern.
Anathema noun	a solemn or ecclesiastical (religious) curse; a cursed or thoroughly loathed person or thing Synonyms: detested thing	When the soccer player's bribery scandal came to light, the signed jersey the fan once had treasured became anathema to him.
Apostate noun	one who abandons long-held religious or political convictions Synonyms: defector	The senator was branded an apostate after he switched political parties midterm.
Amenable adjective	agreeable; responsive to suggestion Synonyms: acquiescent	Even investment banks, which traditionally resist restraints, are now amenable to some regulations.
Amalgamate verb	to combine several elements into a whole Synonyms: unite	The law allows two or more small companies to amalgamate into one large corporation.
Abjure verb	to renounce or reject solemnly Synonyms: recant	I had no choice but to abjure my allegiance to the organization after the chairman appointed his underqualified friends to the board.
Apocryphal adjective	of dubious authenticity or origin; spurious Synonyms: questionable	The apocryphal story about the origins of the school mascot is clearly a legend.
Assay verb	to put to a test Synonyms: assess	Her ability to quickly assay a situation and find a solution is what makes her a great manager and troubleshooter.
Atrophy verb	to waste away or deteriorate Synonyms: wither	Kate's leg has been in a cast for weeks, and her muscles are starting to atrophy from lack of use.
Aspersion noun	an act of defamation or maligning Synonyms: slander	The hot-headed candidate cast aspersions on his opponent's honesty.
Auspices noun	protection or support Synonyms: patronage	Since my project falls under the auspices of the Department of Homeland Security, I no longer have to wait in airpor lines>
Aesthetic adjective	dealing with, appreciative of , or responsive to art or beauty Synonyms: artistic	Elena enjoys the aestethic qualities of great works of literature.
Avarice noun	greed, especially for wealth Synonyms: acquisitiveness	The investor's avarice led her to make risky moves to increase her already sizable fortune.
Apposite adjective	appropriate; pertinent; relevant Synonyms: suitable	The lawyer argued that the witness's testimony was apposite to the case.
Admonish verb	to reprove; to express warning or disapproval Synonyms: caution	Adam admonished his son for tracking mud into the house.
Anomaly noun	deviation from the normal order, form, or rule; abnormality Synonyms: abnormality, aberration, peculiarity	It was an anomaly that I got a D on that quiz, because my grades are usually excellent.
Alchemy noun	a medieval science aimed at the transmutation of metals, especially base metals, into gold Synonyms: sorcery	Although alchemy never produced its intended results, it led to advances in industries like metal refining and manufacturing.
Approbation noun	an expression of approval or praise Synonyms: admiration, esteem	The civil rights leader's most recent speech to her supporters was received with great approbation.
Attenuate verb	to weaken or make thinner Synonyms: rarefy	Economic hardships have attenuated the value of the dollar, making it much more expensive for Americans to travel in Europe.
Auspicious adjective	favorable Synonyms: propitious	The cost of failure is too great, so we must wait for the most auspicious moment to strike.
Adroit adjective	adept; dexterous Synonyms: skillful	The adroit watchmaker carefully repaired my grandfather's shattered pocket watch.
Aberrant adjective	deviating from the norm Synonyms: abnormal, deviant, anomalous	The child is usually well-mannered; sticking out her tongue was aberrant behavior.
Abrogate verb	repeal; revoke Synonyms: annul	Activists launched a statewide campaign to abrogate the death penalty.
Aggrandize verb	to increase in intensity, power, or prestige Synonyms: strengthen, exalt	The Romans aggrandized their influence through the use of military tactics.
Abate verb	to lessen in intensity or degree Synonyms: decrease	Although she filed her tax returns late, Mary hoped the IRS would abate the penalties.
Alacrity noun	eager and enthusiastic willingnes Synonyms: eagerness, enthusiasm, readiness	The alacrity with which students headed for the door when the bell rang was a sure indication that the class was boring.
Adulterate verb	to reduce purity by combining with inferior ingredients Synonyms: taint; debase	Some people believe that cream and sugar adulterate coffee.
Adulation noun	excessive praise; intense adoration Synonyms: idolization	The young girl's adulation of the pop singer irritated her older brothers.
Anachronistic adjective	out of place in terms of historical or chronological context Synonyms: misplaced	The movie, set in ancient Rome, was criticized for its use of exploding projectiles, wine glasses, and other anachronistic props.
Abstemious adjective	eating and drinking in moderation Synonyms: self-restrained	Studies have shown that abstemious people live longer, but I love cheesecake too much to moderate my intake.
Arabesque noun	a complex, ornate design; also a dance position Synonyms: ornamentation	The highly valuable picture frame was covered with arabesques, including gold-leaf animals, plants, and fruits.
Accolade noun	an expression of praise Synonyms: kudos	The speeches at Sue's retirement dinner were filled with accolades for her achievements.
Audacious adjective	daring and fearless; recklessly bold Synonyms: impudent, foolhardy	The candidate made the audacious claim that his rival had mismanaged public funds.
Ascetic noun	someone practicing self-denial Synonyms: Spartan	The ascetic tried to convince others that there was virtue in the denial of worldly goods.
Augury noun	omen; portent Synonyms: indication	The smooth test-run of the new software was a favorable augury of the product's success.
Astringent adjective	biting; severe Synonyms: harsh	After hearing the director's astringent criticism of his performance, the actor stormed out of the theater.
Apotheosis noun	deification; supreme example Synonyms: glorification	With the face that launched a thousand ships, Helen of Troy was said to be the apotheosis of female beauty.
Burnish verb	to make smooth; to rub to a shine Synonyms: polish	A few more big sales will burnish my reputation and position me well for my next salary review.
byzantine adjective	labyrinthine; complex Synonyms: intricate	In our department, byzantine filing systems are a form of job security since we are the only ones who can find key documents.
Bellicose adjective	belligerent; warlike Synonyms: hostile	The bellicose voices in the Senate grab the headlines, but fortunately the diplomatic voices are more likely to grab the votes.
boisterous adjective	loud; noisy; lacking restraint Synonyms: raucous	Children are boisterous by nature, but experienced teachers can calm an entire class down in a matter of seconds.
Bolster verb	to provide support Synonyms: reinforce	Bob convinced me he was right only after he bolstered his argument with facts and data.
Bombast noun	self-important or pompous writing or speech Synonyms: bluster	The CEO's toast at the launch party was quickly turning into bombast.
Boor noun	a rude or insensitive person Synonyms: churl	Many people have called him a boor; his genius leaves him with little patience for social niceties.
Burgeon verb	to grow rapidly or flourish Synonyms: increase	The researcher was pleased to discover that the wolf population burgeoned only two years after the area was turned into a reserve.
Beleaguer verb	to beset; to besiege Synonyms: harass	Within a week of starting the job, she was beleaguered by complaints from clients and employees about the company's bad service.
Baleful adjective	sinister; ominous Synonyms: threatening	The set director created a baleful scene of a dark, dirty alley on a rainy night.
Beatify verb	to bless, make happy, or ascribe a virtue to Synonyms: exalt	Inductions into the Hall of Fame are ways to beatify the greatest players of the game.
Behemoth noun	something enormous; a gigantic creature Synonyms: leviathan	That huge shopping mall is a behemoth that ruins the charm of the historical waterfront.
Belie verb	to give a false impression of Synonyms: contradict	The lack of school funding belies the government's claim of making education reform a top priority.
Cabal noun	a scheme or plot; a group of plotters Synonyms: coterie	The stock price of a healthy company is not likely to drop that dramatically unless a cabal of investors decides to sell the stock short.
Cachinnate verb	to laugh loudly Synonyms: guffaw	The mad scientist began to cachinnate after he thought of a brilliant plan to capture the hero.
Cacophony noun	harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance Synonyms: inharmony	Gerald can't sleep because of the cacophony of car alarms going off each night.
Cajole verb	to inveigle; to coax through flattery Synonyms: wheedle	The director had to cajole the vain actor ino wearing the chicken suit.
Calumniate verb	to slander Synonyms: smear	Tight political races can become very dirty in their final days, with each candidate trying to calumniate the other.
Calumny noun	slander Synonyms: defamation	Othello believed the calumy that his wife was cheating on him, setting in motion Shakespeare's tragedy.
Canon noun	an established set or principles or code of laws, often religious in nature Synonyms: rules	The priest encouraged the parishioners to adhere to the canons of the church.
Capricious adjective	inclined to change one's mind impulsively or unpredictably Synonyms: whimsical, erratic, fickle	At first the child wanted tacos, but now she wants banana pudding; she cannot help her capricious appetite.
Captious adjective	calculated to confuse or entrap in argument Synonyms: tricky	Watch out for captious question during the cross-examination; the opposing counsel is a master at entrapping witnesses on the stand.
Castigate verb	severely criticize or punish Synonyms: chastise	The teacher castigated the student for arriving late to class.
Catalyst noun	a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing; a person who causes change Synonyms: accelerator, impetus	We hope the new ambassador will be a catalyst for reviving peace discussions.
Caustic adjective	burning or stinging, causing corrosion Synonyms: sarcastic	We were reminded to wear gloves when handling the caustic chemicals.
Celerity noun	speed Synonyms: haste	The celerity with which she accepted the terms indicated that we had perhaps offered too much.
Censure verb	to criticize severely; to officially rebuke Synonyms: chastise, denounce, reprimand	When the senator was caught buying a boat with taxpayer dollars, many members of his party publicly censured him.
Chary adjective	wary; cautious, sparing Synonyms: careful	Chuck was chary about lending money to his brother, who has always mismanaged his bank accounts.
Chasten verb	to restrain or correct Synonyms: reprove	We all hoped that joining the army would chasten his wild behavior.
Chauvinist noun	a blindly devoted patroit Synonyms: jingoist	Giovanni is a chauvinist about his grandmother's cooking and complains constantly whenever he eats at an Italian restaurant.
Chicanery noun	trickery or subterfuge Synonyms: ruse, sham, deception	Enron's financial chicanery included creating fake businesses in order to boost profit.
Chimera noun	an illusion; originally, an imaginary fire-breathing monster Synonyms: delusion	Your vision of running New York City entirely on solar power is a chimera.
Churlish adjective	vulgar; difficult and intractable Synonyms: boorish	As I am far from a morning person, my loud nieces are likely to find me churlish before eight o' clock.
Coalesce verb	to come together or unite Synonyms: fuse	Suddenly, all the different ideas coalesced into one perfect story and the rest of the script practically wrote itself.
Coda noun	concluding section of a musical or literary piece Synonyms: conclusion	At the end of the movie, a coda described what happened to each of the characters later in life.
Cogent adjective	appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing Synonyms: persuasive	Corrine's cogent argument made a lot of sense to me, so I switched my vote.
Commensurate adjective	matching; corresponding in degree, size, or amount Synonyms: proportionate	Many job listings don't give a specific salary, but state that it will be commensurate with experience.
Complaisance noun	the willingness to comply with the wishes of others Synonyms: agreeableness	The child showed her complaisance by wearing the dress her mother chose.
Connoisseur noun	an informed and astute judge in matters of taste; expert Synonyms: aficionado, enthusiast, specialist	Derek is such a chocolate connoisseur that he has chocolates shipped to him from Belgium and Switzerland.
Contiguous adjective	sharing a border; touching; adjacent Synonyms: bordering	We offer free shipping to any of the forty-eight contiguous states in the United States.
Contrite adjective	regretful, penitent; seeking forgiveness Synonyms: apologetic	The judge looked favorably on the defendant's contrite plea for leniency.
Convention noun	a generally agreed-upon practice or attitude Synonyms: custom	Flouting convention, the bride wore a brilliant red suit while her bridesmaids wer dressed in white.
Corrigible adjective	capable of being set right; correctable Synonyms: reformable	The earlier the intervention, the more corrigible the condition; if left too long, it can't be fixed.
Cosset verb	to coddle Synonyms: pamper	He was a selfish child and was cosseted by his parents, so he never learned to share or to compromise.
Countenance verb	to approve of or tolerate Synonyms: sanction	The judge was quite a disciplinarian and would not countenance any stunts in his courtroom.
Cozen verb	to deceive, beguile, or hoodwink Synonyms: mislead	A common Internet scam attempts to cozen people into revealing their bank account details.
Craven adjective	contemptibly fainthearted; lacking any courage	Despite all his military training, he feared he was craven by nature and would turn and run in battle.
Credulous adjective	tending to believe too readily Synonyms: gullible	The con artist easily deceived his credulous victims.
Crestfallen adjective	dejected; disappointed Synonyms: discouraged	She interviewed for the position three times and was crestfallen when the job was finally offered to another candidate.
Curmudgeon noun	an irritable, ill-tempered person Synonyms: complainer	My neighbor is an old curmudgeon who complains loudly whenever anyone makes a sound.
Cursory adjective	hasty; done with little attention Synonyms: hurried	The producer took a cursory look at the script, then tossed it in the trash.
Cynicism noun	an attitude or quality of belief that all people are motivated by selfishness Synonyms: distrust, pessimism	People driven by cynicism are often skeptical of others' generosity.
Daunt verb	to cow or dismay Synonyms: discourage	The size of the workload alone is likely to daunt even the most dedicated students.
Dearth noun	smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack Synonyms: deficiency	Given the dearth of food in her pantry, Rebecca considered having her pet rabbit for dinner.
Debacle noun	rout; fiasco; complete failure Synonyms: breakdown	Our date was a debacle; not only did I forget her name and spill wine on her, but we ran into my ex-girlfriend, who told me I had ruined her life.
Decorum noun	polite or appropriate conduct or behavior Synonyms: propriety	There are courses available in which one can learn the proper decorum for job interviews, such as shaking hands firmly and looking your interviewer in the eye.
Decorous adjective	correct; formal; marked by decorum Synonyms: proper	I don't trust such decorous behavior; people who rely so heavily on politeness probably have something to hide.
Denigrate verb	to belittle; to defame Synonyms: disparage	Some tried to denigrate the hometown hero with stories of his questionable private life, but most citizens still idolized him.
Denizen noun	inhabitant; one who frequents a place Synonyms: resident	The denizens of that artists' studio are a tight-knit group who don't welcome strangers.
Denouement noun	an outcome or solution; the unraveling of a plot Synonyms: resolution	The story lacks both a conflict and a denouement; it's just a description of a day in the life of the main character.
Demur verb	to question or oppose Synonyms: object	Concerned about the budget deficit, I had to demur at the candidate's position on lowering taxes.
Deposition noun	official testimony Synonyms: statement	The deposition states that the defendant was at home on the night in question, but I know that's not the whole story.
Derivative adjective	unoriginal; obtained from another source Synonyms: adapted	Until she developed her own style, her early paintings wer derivative; their reliance on other artists' work was obvious.
Desecrate verb	to violate the sanctity of Synonyms: defile	When folding a national flag, you should nt desecrate it by letting it drag on the ground.
Didactic adjective	intended to teach or instruct Synonyms: pedagogic	A didactic lecture is far more effective when it is interactive.
Diffident adjective	reserved; shy; lacking in self-confidence Synonyms: timid	He is too diffident to be a good teacher, which is a shame because he possesses a boundless knowledge of the subject.
Dilatory adjective	causing delay Synonyms: dallying	I realized later that the students' dilatory interruptions were a plot to get to the end of class before I had time to assign the homework.
Dilettante noun	one with an amateurish or superficial interest in the arts or a branch of knowledge Synonyms: amateur	These advanced cheese-tasting courses are meant for connoisseurs; dilettantes should take the beginners' class.
Discordant adjective	conflicting; dissonant or harsh in sound Synonyms: cacophonous, inharmonious, jarring	The sound of the opera singer's voice over the accordion was quite discordant.
Discretion noun	cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions Synonyms: carefulness	Daniel edited his article with discretion and double-checked all the facts and quotes.
Disinterested adjective	unbiased, neutral, or free from personal motive Synonyms: dispassionate	Seamus and his landlord turned to a disinterested third party to resolve their dispute over the security deposit.
Disparage verb	to slight or belittle Synonyms: demean	The bully disparaged the classmate for her mismatched socks and outdated clothes.
Divulge verb	to disclose something secret Synonyms: reveal	CIA agents may not divulge any information related to the jobs, even to their family members.
Dogmatic adjective	stubbornly opinionated Synonyms: adamant	Nancy is dogmatic about food and insists that lemon makes everything taste better.
Dormant adjective	inactive; in abeyance Synonyms: latent	The separatist group, which had been dormant after the arrest of a top leader, struck last night for the first time in five years.
Dynamo noun	generator; forceful, energetic person Synonyms: live wire	The visionary dynamo had no problems finding investors for her start-up.
Din noun	loud, sustained sounds Synonyms: noise	The din in the train station rendered cell phone conversation futile, but fortunately texting saved the day.
Descry verb	to observe or discern Synonyms: detect	The astute editor could descry a misspelling or factual error before the rest of us could even finish the sentence.
Dross noun	slag; worthless matter; impurity Synonyms: waste	Meditation is a good technique for purging the dross of your everyday thoughts.
Dulcet adjective	melodious; pleasant-sounding Synonyms: harmonious	The dulcet tones of her voice lulled the baby to sleep.
Discomfit verb	to embarrass or perplex Synonyms: disconcert	The students discomfited me with sharp questions, a sign that I wasn't prepared enough for class.
Desuetude noun	the state of not being used Synonyms: disuse	VCRs fell into desuetude as more people started buying DVD players.
Diatribe noun	a harsh denunciation Synonyms: fulmination	My failure to turn off the light led to my father's diatribe on saving electricity.
Doggerel noun	trivial or poorly constructed verse Synonyms: limerick	Amid the doggerel on the bathroom walls, there is occasionally one piece of poetry that's quite clever.
Dirge noun	a song or poem of grief Synonyms: lament	At the funeral, Claudia sang a dirge she had composed in honor of her grandmother.
Derision noun	scorn; ridicule; contemptuous treatment Synonyms: mockery, contempt	The regional manager was held in derision by the entire board for botching his annual presentation.
Detraction noun	slandering, verbal attack; aspersion Synonyms: disparagement	The company's representatives responded quickly to the whistleblower's detraction and hoped to deflect any bad press about the faulty product.
Diaphanous adjective	transparent; gauzy Synonyms: translucent	The celebrity's diaphanous dress was the talk of the town the next day.
Desiccate verb	to dry out; to make dull or dry Synonyms: dehydrate	When you desiccate fresh herbs, they keep longer but lose some of their flavor.
Distention noun	the state or act of extending or being swollen out of shape Synonyms: swelling	After eating the large holiday meal, I could barely hide the distention of my belly.
Dissemble verb	to disguise or conceal; to mislead Synonyms: camouflage	The celebrity wore a wig and glasses to dissemble her appearance and avoid prying photographers.
Desultory adjective	random; disconnected Synonyms: haphazard	The patient's desultory speech pattern was a sign she was still under the anesthetic.
Deprecate verb	to disparage or put down Synonyms: belittle	Annie has low self-esteem and always deprecates herself despite her many accomplishments.
Discursive adjective	digressive; passing from one topic to another Synonyms: rambling	It took the discursive professor two class sessions to get through the same material that it took the succinct professor to get through in one.
Disparate adjective	fundamentally distinct or dissimilar Synonyms: incongruent, contrasting, unlike	After the controversial proposition passed, there were disparate reactions.
Eclectic adjective	culled from many sources Synonyms: varied	One has to be well-versed in dozens of topics to appreciate the writer's eclectic references.
Errant adjective	wandering; straying Synonyms: roving	No amount of hair gel can tame the errant strands at the top of my head.
Exculpate verb	exonerate; to clear of blame Synonyms: absolve, pardon, acquit	It took centuries for the church to officially exculpate Galileo for stating that the Earth revolved around the Sun.
Equivocate verb	to use ambiguous language with a deceptive intent Synonyms: prevaricate, vacillate, quibble	When asked by employees about cuts to benefits, the CEO equivocated and steered the discussion to a different topic.
Esoteric adjective	intended for or understood by a small, specific group Synonyms: obscure	Janice's thesis on deconstructing syntax and meter of Old Norse poetry is esoteric.
Epitome noun	embodiment or quintessence Synonyms: representation	He's the epitome of a used-car salesman: slicked-back hair, toothy smile, and unctuous manner.
Epithet noun	disparaging or descriptive word or phrase Synonyms: slur	An old man yelled epithets at the kids who were vandalizing a wall.
Equanimity noun	composure; self-possession Synonyms: calmness	My mother took the news of the stolen car with surprising equanimity.
Expurgate verb	to remove obscenity, especially from a book Synonyms: censor	The expurgated edition of the story is more suitable for children.
Estimable adjective	worthy; formidable Synonyms: admirable	All great heroes, in order to be great heroes, must have equally estimable foes.
Eccentric adjective	departing from norms or conventions Synonyms: unconventional, aberrant, peculiar	The new physics professor quickly became known for flinging marbles around the room, throwing things off the roof, and other eccentric teaching methods.
Encomium noun	glowing and enthusiastic praise Synonyms: tribute	The young actress received encomiums from theater critics for her stunning debut.
Egress noun	a path to go out; the right to go out Synonyms: exit	As a result of a tragic fire in a garment factory in 1911, factories and other places of business now must have at least two means of egress.
Enormity noun	execessive wickedness; evil Synonyms: outrage	Genocide is such an enormity that one wonders if its perpetrators are as human as you or I.
Effusive adjective	gushing; excessively demonstrative Synonyms: profuse	It was hard not to feel welcomed by such an effusive greeting.
Extirpate verb	to destroy; to exterminate; to cut out Synonyms: abolish	After their break-up, she extirpated his face from every photo in the album.
Effrontery noun	boldness; impudence; arrogance Synonyms: presumptuousness	The effrontery of the CEOs who insist on bonuses during the recession is not ingratiating them to the public.
Erudite adjective	learned Synonyms: scholarly	Social policy advocates, political strategists, and economists often call on the erudite professor for advice.
Exonerate verb	to remove blame Synonyms: acquit	Velma insists that she did not commit the crime and that DNA evidence will exonerate her.
Episodic adjective	loosely connected; sporadic Synonyms: occasional	The comic's episodic narrative was entertaining, though hard to follow.
Endemic adjective	characteristic of or often found in a particular locality, region, or people Synonyms: native, indigenous	The destruction of plant and animal habitats is endemic to population growth.
Evince verb	to show clearly Synonyms: manifest	I told the bully I was not afraid, but my knocking knees evinced otherwise.
Ebullience noun	the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings Synonyms: effervescence	Edna can hardly contain her ebullience when she talks about her new puppy.
Empirical adjective	based on observation or experiment Synonyms: observed	The researchers spent four years gathering empirical data for their study on obsessive-compulsive behaviors.
Emollient adjective	soothing, especially to the skin; making less harsh Synonyms: softening	The emollient properties of aloe make it a popular additive to moisturizers.
Eloquent adjective	well-spoken; expressive Synonyms: articulate, persuasive, fluent	The author of the book sounded eloquent when he read his work, bu he mumbled and stuttered during the Q & A session.
Effluvia noun	outflow in a stream of particles; a noxious odor or vapor Synonyms: emanations	The effluvia that emerged when we unclogged our shower drain was as disturbing as it was smelly.
Exemplar noun	typical or standard specimen; model Synonyms: archetype	"Candy Girl" is an exemplar of the Jackson 5's best work.
Ennui noun	dissatisfaction or restlessness resulting from boredom or apathy Synonyms: boredom, languor, tedium	At least a dozen students became victims of ennui during the torturous economics lecture.
Enervate verb	to weaken; to reduce in vitality Synonyms: debilitate, sap	Working a double shift at the restaurant enervated me.
Exigent adjective	urgent; pressing; requiring immediate action or attention Synonyms: crucial, dire, imperative	I've already missed two payments, so writing a check to the gas company is my most exigent priority.
Edifying adjective	enlightening Synonyms: instructive	Spending the holidays with his family was edifying; I now know the source of many of his quirks and fears.
Exacerbate verb	to make worse or more severe Synonyms: aggravate, intensify	Scratching an insect bite will only exacerbate the itch.
Eschew verb	to avoid Synonyms: shun	In order to reduce his cholesterol, my father must eschew foods high in saturated fat and sodium.
Enigmatic adjective	mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand Synonyms: cryptic	Historians have long debated the meaning of the Mona Lisa's enigmatic smile.
Epicure noun	one devoted to sensual pleasure, particularly food and drink Synonyms: gourmet	Always trust an epicure's restaurant recommendations.
Ephemeral adjective	fleeting; short-lived Synonyms: brief	The bump to his ego lasted far longer than his ephemeral brush with fame.
Elegy noun	a mournful poem, especially one lamenting the dead Synonyms: lament	After Lincoln's assassination, Walt Whitman wrote an elegy that is now considered one of his finest poems.
Engender verb	to cause; to give rise to Synonyms: propagate	The president's policies have engendered arguments within the party.
Evanescent adjective	tending to disappear like vapor; vanishing Synonyms: ephemeral	Despite the evanescent nature of fashion, the classic look of blue jeans and a T-shirt will never go out of style.
Excoriate verb	to censure scathingly Synonyms: upbraid	The radio host excoriated the caller for defending the unpopular politician.
Exegesis noun	critical examination; explication Synonyms: interpretation	The exegesis of the ancient Rosetta Stone has contributed much to our understanding of hieroglyphic writing.
Fervent adjective	greatly emotional or zealous Synonyms: ardent	Fred sent a fervent letter to his senator expressing his strong opposition to the bill.
Fracas noun	noisy quarrel; brawl Synonyms: donnybrook	The fracas outside of the nightclub caused the manager to call the police.
Fractious adjective	quarrelsome; unruly Synonyms: irritable	What appeared to outsiders as a fractious department was actually an open and democratic team in which all opinions were heard and debated.
Fetid adjective	stinking; smelly Synonyms: malodorous	I needed gloves, bleach, and a mask to clean the fetid refrigerator.
Filibuster noun	intentional obstruction, especially using prolonged speechmaking to delay legislative action Synonyms: delay, impediment, hindrance	The senators decided that a filibuster was their only remaining option to block the other party's legislation.
Frieze noun	a semi-sculptural, raised-surface strip of ornamental facade on a building Synonyms: decorative band	It is ironic that a frieze depicting the Roman conquest, enslavement, and plundering of Corinth adorns the courthouse.
Feckless adjective	ineffectual; irresponsible Synonyms: incompetent	The feckless chief inspector always solved the crime despite his ignorance and uselessness.
Felicitous adjective	apt; suitably expressed; well chosen Synonyms: appropriate	The felicitous arrival of the pizza put my grumbling stomach at ease.
Florid adjective	flowery; ornate; ruddy Synonyms: flowery	The lyrics to the song were positively florid; every other word was about hearts or love.
Filigree noun	an ornamental work, especially of delicate, lace-like patterns Synonyms: ornamentation	I appreciate the work that goes into making filigree jewelry, but I prefer a simpler modern style.
Fetter verb	to shackle; to put in chains Synonyms: restrain	My understanding of the argument was fettered by my lack of fluency in the language.
Fatuous adjective	silly; foolish Synonyms: inane	Critics claim that fatuous reality shows have eroded standards of taste and quality in the public realm.
Forestall verb	to hinder; to avert Synonyms: prevent	In order to forestall his creditors, Jack put his utility bills on a new credit card, thereby exacerbating the problem.
Fawn verb	to flatter or praise excessively Synonyms: adulate	The star's fans were fawning over his great new look.
Fallow adjective	unseeded; inactive; dormant Synonyms: unproductive	My creativity has lain fallow this winter; I haven't written anything in months.
Forswear verb	to renounce; repudiate Synonyms: disavow	I forswear Twinkies, Ding Dongs, and other junk food and promise to maintain a healthier diet.
Fallacy noun	an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief Synonyms: misconception	Scientists have exposed the fallacy that certain cigarettes are safe.
Fortuitous adjective	happening by fortunate accident or chance Synonyms: lucky	It was fortuitous that I missed the bus and ended up running into an old friend on the street.
Forbearance noun	patience; willingness to wait Synonyms: tolerance	His forbearance in not replying to the extremely sarcastic waiter was commendable.
Flout verb	to demonstrate contempt for, as in a rule or convention Synonyms: defy	Fabio flouts the class rules by speaking out of turn and interrupting students.
Founder verb	to sink; to fail completely Synonyms: stumble	I had a great business plan and product, but my company foundered because I couldn't attract investors.
Foment verb	to incite; to rouse Synonyms: instigate	Elvis's rock music was said to foment impure thought and rebelliousness in his young audience.
Furtive adjective	marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious Synonyms: shifty	Jack shot a furtive glance at the celebrity who sat at the next table.
Gainsay verb	to deny; to oppose Synonyms: contradict	After I easily won the Pac-Man tournament, my competitors could no longer gainsay my video-game dominance.
Gambol verb	to skip about playfully Synonyms: frolic	After months in their winter den, the polar bear cubs finally emerged and gamboled in the snow.
Garner verb	to gather and save; to store up Synonyms: amass	The talented actor continued to garner accolades despite his brushes with the law.
Garrulous adjective	pointlessly talkative; talking too much Synonyms: loquacious	I just wanted the garrulous waiter to stop rambling and take my order.
Gauche adjective	crude; awkward Synonyms: tactless	Asking how much the property cost at the housewarming party was gauche.
Germane adjective	relevant to the subject at hand; appropriate in subject matter Synonyms: applicable	Greg could have cut out several sentences from his essay that were not germane to his thesis statement.
Glib adjective	marked by ease or informality; nonchalant; lacking in depth Synonyms: superficial	Your glib response to my question lets me know that you don't take me seriously.
Gossamer adjective	delicate; insubstantial or tenuous Synonyms: diaphanous	Light filtered in through the gossamer curtains.
Grandiloquence noun	pompous speech or expression Synonyms: bombast	The nominee ended up losing votes because his grandiloquence annoyed his audience at every campaign speech.
Gratuitous adjective	unnecessary; uncalled for Synonyms: unprovoked	Constructive comments will help me improve, but gratuitous criticism just makes me defensive.
Gregarious adjective	sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people Synonyms: affable	The gregarious employees liked to get together after work.
Guile noun	artfulness; trickery; duplicity Synonyms: deceit	Pulling off slight-of-hand tricks unsuccessfully requires dexterity and guile.
Hackneyed adjective	rendered trite or commonplace by frequent usage Synonyms: banal	"You win some, you lose some" is an example of a hackneyed saying.
Halcyon adjective	calm and peaceful Synonyms: serene	I'm looking forward to a halcyon vacation on a secluded beach.
Hallowed adjective	holy; consecrated Synonyms: revered	Strawberry Fields in Central Park is hallowed ground for fans of John Lennon.
Harangue verb	to deliver a pompous speech or tirade Synonyms: hassle	Sonny harangued his brother for returning the car with no gas.
Harbinger noun	something that signals what is to come Synonyms: forerunner	The Grim Reaper, with his cloak and scythe, is a harbinger of death.
Harrow verb	to distress; to cause agony to Synonyms: torment	The child's uncontrollable outbursts at home harrowed his parents.
Hedonism noun	devotion to pleasurable pursuits, especially to the pleasures of the senses Synonyms: debauchery, indulgence	Monks lead a quiet, ascetic life devoid of hedonism.
Hegemony noun	the consistent dominance of one state or ideology over others Synonyms: predominance, leadership	At its height, the Roman Empire exercised hegemony over the entire Mediterranean area.
Heretical adjective	dissenting from established dogma Synonyms: unorthodox	Some might find it heretical to put celery in a grilled-cheese sandwich, but I recommend trying it before passing judgement.
Hermetic adjective	sealed; airtight Synonyms: impervious	When you buy a bottle of medicine, check the hermetic seal to make sure it is not broken.
Heterodox adjective	unorthodox; iconoclastic Synonyms: heretical	The heterodox dessert combined bits of bacon and chocolate.
Homily noun	a sermon or morally instructive lecture Synonyms: admonition	The priest's homily encouraged people to be generous toward their enemies.
Hubris noun	arrogant presumption or pride Synonyms: conceit	The governor's hubris was in appointing his son to lead the commission.
Iconoclast noun	one who attacks or undermines traditional conventions or institutions Synonyms: radical, rebel	Socrates was put on trial and accused of being an iconoclast on matters of politics and religion.
Iconoclastic adjective	attacking cherished beliefs Synonyms: irreverent	The controversial artist's iconoclastic work both stunned and impressed critics.
Idolatrous adjective	given to intense or excessive devotion to something Synonyms: committed	My son's idolatrous adoration of his grandmother is overwhelming; I think he loves her more than me.
Idyll noun	a carefree, lighthearted pastoral or romantic episode Synonyms: carefree scene	Often while riding the subway to her monotonous job, she daydreamed of tropical idyll.
Ignominious adjective	shameful; undignified Synonyms: humiliating	The senator's corruption scandal cast an ignominious shadow over his career.
Imbroglio noun	difficult or bitter situation Synonyms: entanglement, disagreement	The governor was caught in an imbroglio over misappropriated funds.
Imminent adjective	about to happen Synonyms: impending	The police have identified a suspect and an arrest is imminent.
Immutable adjective	not capable of change Synonyms: permanent	Gravity is an immutable law of nature.
Impassive adjective	revealing no emotion Synonyms: apathetic, imperturbable	The defendant looked surprisingly impassive after the judge sentenced him to life in prison.
Impecunious adjective	lacking funds; without money Synonyms: destitute	The impecunious author survived on the generosity of her friends until she sold her first manuscript.
Imperious adjective	commanding; arrogant; haughty Synonyms: domineering	Writers and photographers feared the editor-in-chief because of her imperious attitude.
Intractable adjective	not easily managed or directed Synonyms: stubborn, obstinate	The financial crisis has created intractable problems for the new government in power.
Imperturbable adjective	marked by extreme calm, impassivity, and steadiness Synonyms: unflappable	After an hour of meditation, Ivan is imperturbable and nothing will faze him.
Impetuous adjective	hastily or rashly energetic; impulsive and vehement Synonyms: reckless	Teenagers often make impetuous decisions that they later regret.
Implacable adjective	not capable of being appeased or significantly changed Synonyms: uncompromising	Sadly, Irina is an implacable pessimist and will never see the brighter side of any situation.
Importune verb	to ask incessantly; to beg; to nag Synonyms: exhort	The actor importuned the director to give him a bigger part in the play.
Impugn verb	to challenge; to call into question Synonyms: discredit	The candidate impugned his opponent's flawless record in office.
Impunity noun	immunity from punishment or penalty Synonyms: exemption	I was granted impunity for my repeated absences from work due to serious medical problems.
Inchoate adjective	in an initial stage; not fully formed Synonyms: rudimentary, amorphous	The more experienced engineers sent his original, inchoate proposal back for revision.
Incipient adjective	beginning to come into being or to become apparent Synonyms: developing	Fortunately, the doctor detected the patient's incipient tumor during a routine check-up.
Indefatigable adjective	dogged; tireless Synonyms: unflagging	The shark's indefatigable pursuit of the seal was eventually rewarded.
Indifferent adjective	having no interest or concern; showing no bias or prejudice Synonyms: disinterested	Some buyers are indifferent to shipping costs and will order items online with no regard for the extra charges.
Indolent adjective	lazy; listless Synonyms: lethargic	The fat, indolent cat didn't even stir when the mouse skittered across the kitchen.
Ineptitude noun	incompetence Synonyms: incapacity	The ineptitude of the new assistant was maddening; he forgot to take meeting minutes and misplaced the packages he was supposed to send out.
Inert adjective	unmoving; lethargic; sluggish Synonyms: motionless	The overweight dog inert and refuses to go for a walk.
Infelicitous adjective	unfortunate; inappropriate Synonyms: malapropos, ill-chosen	An uncomfortable silence fell over the dinner table after one of the guests made an infelicitous comment to the hostess.
Ingenuous adjective	artless; frank and candid; lacking in sophistication; naive Synonyms: guileless, innocent, trusting	Her fears about childbirth seemed ingenuous to the women at the baby shower.
Inherent adjective	ingrained within one's nature Synonyms: intrinsic	Even though lumpectomies are common, there are still dangers inherent to any surgery.
Inimical adjective	damaging, harmful, or injurious; hostile, adverse, or unfriendly Synonyms: deleterious	It has been proven that asbestos has inimical effects on respiratory health.
Iniquity noun	gross injustice; wickedness Synonyms: sin	The iniquity of the government bailouts angers me; large corporations are being saved, while public schools are struggling for funding.
Innocuous adjective	harmless; causing no damage Synonyms: inoffensive	The movie is innocuous entertainment suitable for all ages.
Inscrutable adjective	incapable of being discovered or understood Synonyms: unfathomable	The secrets of the inscrutable Sphinx are likely to remain undiscovered forever.
Insensible adjective	unconscious; unresponsive Synonyms: indifferent	The boxer dropped his defenses just long enough for his opponent to land a right hook that left him insensible on the canvas for a few minutes.
Insipid adjective	without taste or flavor; lacking in spirit Synonyms: bland	Without any seasoning or sauce, chicken can often be insipid and dry.
Insouciant adjective	unconcerned; carefree; heedless Synonyms: nonchalant	The insouciant cyclist sang along with his headphones as he wove in and out of the busy downtown traffic.
Insular adjective	provincial; narrow-minded Synonyms: isolated	The board was so insular in its thinking that its members were shocked to hear criticism of its policies from stockholders.
Intransigent adjective	refusing to compromise Synonyms: inflexible	Otto's intransigent stance made an out-of-court settlement unlikely.
Intrepid adjective	steadfast and courageous Synonyms: fearless	The intrepid eater will try any regional dish wherever she travels.
Inured adjective	accustomed to accepting something undesirable Synonyms: numbed, habituated, hardened	The explorer was inured to the cold wind; she no longer noticed her chapped skin.
Inveigle verb	to obtain by deception or flattery Synonyms: manipulate	The salesperson inveigled the woman to buy the outlandish and expensive hat.
Irascible adjective	easily angered; prone to temperamental outbursts Synonyms: touchy, testy, irritable	The hot-headed coach frequently shouted irascible comments at the referees.
Itinerant adjective	traveling from place to place Synonyms: roving	Long before newspapers, telephones, and the Internet, itinerant salesmen were once valuable sources of news.
Jejune adjective	vapid; uninteresting; immature Synonyms: childish	Critics slammed the author's first novel for being jejune; hopefully her second will be more mature.
Jettison verb	to throw overboard Synonyms: discard	The CEO of the failing company jettisoned the entire product development department and hired a new team.
Jibe verb	to agree; to be in accord Synonyms: conform	Despite our very different backgrounds, Richard's political views jibe rather closely with my own.
Jocular adjective	humorous; joking Synonyms: jesting	His jocular attitude and hilarious take on things made him a pleasure to work with.
Kinetic adjective	characterized by motion Synonyms: dynamic	The kinetic choreography had audience members gasping during the performance.
Laconic adjective	using few words Synonyms: terse	The exhausted babysitter's laconic response was simply, "No."
Lambaste verb	to excoriate; to berate Synonyms: scold	The coach lambasted his players at halftime for their bad attitude, bad decisions, and exceptionally bad performance.
Laud verb	to praise highly Synonyms: acclaim, extol	The sea-weary crew lauded the captain's decision to stay in port for an extra day.
Libertine noun	someone unrestrained by morality or convention Synonyms: swinger	Libertines challenge society's understanding of morality and sexuality.
Limn verb	to draw; to outline in detail Synonyms: describe	The artist limned the Parisian market scene so perfectly that I could imagine myself in the painting.
Limpid adjective	transparent; serene; untroubled Synonyms: clear	I looked into my ailing grandmother's limpid eyes and understood that she was at peace with her life.
Lissome adjective	supple; graceful Synonyms: lithe	The ballerina's lissome form does not come easily; she spends hours practicing every day.
Loquacious adjective	extremely talkative Synonyms: garrulous	My aunt is annoyingly loquacious; she speaks at great length about minor occurrences in her life.
Lubricious adjective	lewd; wanton; slippery Synonyms: salacious	The lubricious stare from that strange man in the park left me disgusted.
Luminous adjective	characterized by brightness and the emission of light Synonyms: brilliant, radiant	Sirius is considered the most luminous star in the northern sky.
Maculate adjective	marked with spots or blotches; impure Synonyms: stained	After the unruly holiday feast, we all laughed over the maculate tablecloth.
Magnanimous adjective	generous and noble in mind and heart, especially in forgiving Synonyms: altruistic, beneficent, high-minded	Giving the employees Fridays off during the summer was a magnanimous gesture.
Malevolent adjective	having or showing often vicious ill will, spite, or hatred Synonyms: evil	Once the intruder revealed his gun, it was clear that he had malevolent intentions.
Malinger verb	to feign illness to avoid work Synonyms: dodge	She malingered so often that when she actually fell ill, she had used up all of her sick days.
Malleable adjective	capable of being shaped or formed; tractable Synonyms: pliable	Mabel kneaded the malleable clay into a work of art.
Martial adjective	associated with war and the armed forces Synonyms: military, soldierly	During the riots, the National Guard was called in to enforce martial law.
Maverick noun	an independent individual who does not go along with a group Synonyms: nonconformist	The candidate was once considered a maverick, but now most people agree that he just follows the party line.
Mellifluous adjective	sweetly flowing, often used to describe a voice Synonyms: smooth	The grandmother's mellifluous voice soothed the crying child.
Mendacity noun	the condition of being untruthful Synonyms: dishonesty	When his lies became public, Will lost many friends because of his mendacity.
Mendicant noun	beggar; supplicant Synonyms: pauper	The humble mendicant spent his days collecting money to help others.
Mercurial adjective	characterized by rapid and unpredictable change in mood Synonyms: inconstant	You can never tell what mood the director will be in because of his mercurial personality.
Meretricious adjective	flashy; gaudy Synonyms: tawdry	The meretricious stretch limousine looked out of place in the church parking lot.
Meticulous adjective	characterized by extreme care and precision; attentive to detail Synonyms: conscientious	Maury is a meticulous editor who will find every last typo and mistake.
Mettle noun	strength of spirit; courage Synonyms: fortitude	The weeks of physical competition tested his mettle in unforeseen ways.
Minatory adjective	menacing; threatening Synonyms: intimidating	The territorial dog gave a minatory look at the mail carrier.
Misanthrope noun	one who hates all other humans Synonyms: cynic	The movie is about an adorable young child who wins the heart of a misanthrope.
Misogynist noun	one who hates women Synonyms: sexist	Sometimes I wonder if my boss is a misogynist because none of the female employees get promotions.
Mitigate verb	to make or become less severe or intense; to moderate Synonyms: lessen	Aspirin can mitigate pain.
Mollify verb	to calm or soothe; to reduce in emotional intensity Synonyms: pacify	Marlena tried to mollify her angry neighbor by offering to pay for the broken window.
Morose adjective	sad; sullen Synonyms: melancholy	Alan's morose attitude made him an unpopular dinner guest.
Mundane adjective	of the world; typical of or concerned with the ordinary Synonyms: commonplace, everyday, banal	You might think that an office is too mundane a setting for a comedy, but popular TV shows prove otherwise.
Munificence noun	generosity Synonyms: bounteousness	I respect Bill Gates for his munificence; he has funded much of the research to combat malaria in developing countries.
Nadir noun	low point Synonyms: rock bottom	At my emotional nadir, I considered some drastic options to relieve my pain.
Nascent adjective	coming into being; in early developmental stages Synonyms: emerging, embryonic, burgeoning	My novel is still in its nascent form, so I'm hesitant to describe the plot.
Natty adjective	trimly neat and tidy Synonyms: dapper	The natty young man always wore a well-pressed suit to the office.
Nebulous adjective	vague; cloudy; lacking clearly defined form Synonyms: hazy, unformulated, unclear	My plans for tomorrow are nebulous, but I'll contact you later to work out the details.
Nefarious adjective	wicked Synonyms: sinful	Some of the most nefarious criminals in the world are held in that maximum-security prison.
Neologism noun	a new word, expression, or usage Synonyms: coinage (of a word or phrase)	Many neologisms arise from technology, including "spam," "mouse," and "Internet."
Neophyte noun	a recent convert; a beginner Synonyms: tyro, novice	The freshman senator is a neophyte to the conventions of Capitol Hill.
Nexus noun	a connection; tie or link Synonyms: core	Greenwich Village became a nexus for artists and writers during the 1920s.
Noisome adjective	offensive, especially to one's sense of smell Synonyms: foul	We took out the garbage, but the noisome stench remained.
Nonplussed verb	baffled; at a loss for what to say or do Synonyms: bewildered	When I first saw that I had the winning lottery numbers I was nonplussed, but I soon recovered and went on a shopping spree.
Nostrum noun	panacea; questionable remedy Synonyms: cure-all	Chocolate chip cookies were an effective nostrum for the crying child.
Noxious adjective	harmful; injurious Synonyms: toxic, poisonous, deleterious	I think my old car is leaking noxious gases because whenever I drive it, I get a headache.
Nugatory adjective	trifling; inconsequential Synonyms: piddling	Our meeting was derailed because we discussed nugatory details instead of matters of substance.
Obdurate adjective	unyielding; hardhearted Synonyms: intractable	The obdurate ruler would not change his policies, even to ease the suffering of his people.
Obfuscate verb	to deliberately obscure; to make confusing Synonyms: confound	The politician obfuscated the truth about his corruption by accusing his opponent of having an affair.
Obloquy noun	sharp criticism; abusively detractive language Synonyms: calumny	After the judge was arrested for accepting bribes, she became the target of public obloquy.
Obsequious adjective	exhibiting a fawning attentiveness Synonyms: kowtowing	Roger thought fawning over the boss would help him get promoted, but his obsequious behavior annoyed his co-workers.
Obstinate adjective	stubborn; hardhearted Synonyms: uncompromising	Otto was obstinate and refused to compromise even on trivial issues.
Obstreperous adjective	noisy; defiant Synonyms: unruly	The obstreperous child ran down the aisles of the movie theater and disrupted audience members.
Obtuse adjective	lacking sharpness of intellect; not clear or precise in thought or expression Synonyms: thickheaded, simple-minded, dull-witted	My father is obtuse when it comes to computers; he doesn't even know how to turn one on.
Obviate verb	to anticipate and make unnecessary Synonyms: intervene, preclude, avert	Streaming movies online obviates the need to go to a video store.
Occlude verb	to obstruct or block Synonyms: clog, congest	The last mile of the trail was occluded by overgrown brush and fallen trees.
Odious adjective	evoking intense aversion or dislike Synonyms: repugnant	Rotting eggs cause an odious smell.
Officious adjective	meddlesome; pushy in one's services Synonyms: intrusive	My neighbor is extremely officious; she keeps offering to set me up with her nephew.
Ombudsman noun	a person who investigates citizens' complaints Synonyms: mediator	The newspaper's ombudsman fielded phone calls from readers who complained about factual errors in the front-page story.
Onerous adjective	troubling; burdensome Synonyms: arduous, grueling, laborious	Shoveling out the stables is a more onerous task than feeding the chickens.
Opaque adjective	impenetrable by light; not reflecting light Synonyms: turbid	The opaque curtains prevent the early morning light from waking me up.
Opprobrium noun	disgrace; contempt Synonyms:scorn	Allegations of steroid use brought such opprobrium that the athlete lost several sponsors.
Ossified adjective	tending to become more rigid; conventional; turned into bone Synonyms: hardened	At what point is it no longer possible to change the ossified opinions of someone from an older generation.
Ostensible adjective	seeming; appearing as such Synonyms: outward	The ostensible purpose of college is for children to learn about different academics areas, but what they really learn are life skills and responsibility.
Ostentatious adjective	characterized by or given to pretentiousness Synonyms: showy	The economic downturn is causing some wealthy people to curtail their ostentatious lifestyles.
Overweening adjective	presumptuously arrogant; overbearing Synonyms: excessive	The overweening pride of the celebrity is unbearable; he showed up at the restaurant with an entourage and expected to be seated immediately.
Palliate verb	to make something appear less serious; to make less severe Synonyms: mitigate	I tried to palliate the throbbing migraine with aspirin and deep breathing, but what I really needed to do was go home and sleep.
Panegyric noun	formal praise Synonyms: encomium	At the retirement dinner, Juan's panegyric on loyalty and friendship brought tears to a few people's eyes.
Pariah noun	an outcast; a rejected and despised person Synonyms: leper	His abrasive attitude and angry outbursts made him a pariah at the office.
Parody noun	a humorous imitation intended for ridicule or comic effect, especially in literature and art Synonyms: satire, lampoon, caricature	The comedy troupe performed a parody in which a popular young actress was portrayed by a large hairy man.
Parsimonious adjective	cheap; miserly Synonyms: stingy	The parsimonious man left a meager tip for the kind and overworked waitress.
Partisan adjective	biased or prejudiced Synonyms: sectarian	Many newspapers have become increasingly partisan, and few offer objective and balanced coverage of current events.
Paucity noun	scarcity Synonyms: dearth	In the dead of winter, there is a paucity of fresh vegetables available at the farmers' market.
Peccadillo noun	a slight offense; literally, a minor sin Synonyms: infraction	Taking a few office supplies from the office is a peccadillo, but stealing a laptop is a whole different story.
Pecuniary adjective	having to do with money Synonyms: financial	The stockbrocker was motivated by pecuniary interests and resorted to insider trading.
Pedagogy noun	the art or profession of training, teaching, or instructing Synonyms: education	The pedagogy of early primary science focuses on the development critical thinking skills and exploration through hands-on experiments.
Pedantic adjective	the parading of learning; excessive attention to minutiae and formal rules Synonyms: bookish	Pete is pedantic about grammar and will nitpick my essay for even the minutest of errors.
Pellucid adjective	transparent; easy to understand Synonyms: clear	If the tax code were more pellucid, thousands of accountants would be out of business.
Penchant noun	strong inclination; a liking Synonyms: fondness	The stylist has a penchant for expensive designer labels.
Penury noun	poverty; destitution Synonyms: indigence	During the Great Depression, thousands of people lost their life savings and were reduced to penury.
Perennial adjective	recurrent throughout the year or over many years; happening repeatedly or continually Synonyms: lasting, returning	David is the perennial optimist; he is always hopeful no matter how bad things get at the office.
Perfunctory adjective	done without care or interest; done merely as a duty Synonyms: obligatory, cursory, automatic	I don't expect warm hugs at the registration office, but even a perfunctory hello would be nice.
Perigee noun	the point nearest the earth in an orbit of a body Synonyms: nearest point	At its perigee, the moon appears to be larger in our night sky.
Peripatetic adjective	itinerant; traveling on foot Synonyms: roving	It's difficult to maintain lasting relationships and long-term employment with such a peripatetic lifestyle.
Personable adjective	pleasing in appearance or personality Synonyms: winning	I think personable bartenders make more money than the grumpy or homely ones.
Peruse verb	to examine with great care Synonyms: scrutinize	Frank peruses every page of the newspaper for any mention of his name.
Pervade verb	to permeate Synonyms: infuse	Spring pervaded the entire city; flowers were blooming and everyone was energetic and happy.
Pervasive adjective	having the tendency to permeate or spread throughout Synonyms: ubiquitous	Exaggeration is pervasive in advertising today; I just saw an ad for a diet pill that works overnight!
Petulant adjective	ill-tempered; irritable Synonyms: peevish	The parents apologized for their petulant child and left the dinner party early.
Phlegmatic adjective	calm; sluggish; unemotional Synonyms: dispassionate	Even though Phil seems phlegmatic, I think he actually cares about doing a good job.
Pine verb	to yearn intensely; to languish; to lose vigor Synonyms: mourn, desire	Meredith lost her appetite and became noticeably thinner as she pined for her dog, which had been missing for three months.
Pirate verb	to illegally use or reproduce Synonyms: steal	I always heed the warnings and do not pirate materials by making illegal copies.
Pith noun	the essential or central part Synonyms: core, quintessence	Please stop digressing and get to the pith of your argument.
Pithy adjective	precise and brief Synonyms: succinct	The car had a banal but pithy bumper sticker: "Mean people suck."
Placate verb	to appease; to calm by making concessions Synonyms: assuage, pacify	Doctors often placate children with lollipop after giving them shots.
Platitude noun	a superficial remark, especially one offered as meaningful Synonyms: cliche	The politician's speech was full of the regular, tired platitudes about "making the world a better place for our children and our children's children."
Plethora noun	an overabundance; a surplus Synonyms: plenty	The plethora of pastries at the bakery made it difficult to decide.
Plummet verb	to plunge or drop straight down Synonyms: fall; decline	I watched my flower pot plummet five stories and then shatter on the pavement.
Polemical adjective	controversial; argumentative Synonyms: contentious	Paula disagrees with many of her college's policies and often sends polemical letters to the school paper.
Pragmatic adjective	practical rather than idealistic Synonyms: realistic	Pragmatic solutions often involve cooperation and compromise.
Prattle verb	to babble meaninglessly; to talk in an empty and idle manner Synonyms: chatter, blather	I couldn't stand to hear my teenage sister prattle on about the prom during dinner, so I left the table.
Preen verb	to dress up; to primp; to groom oneself with elaborate care Synonyms: beautify	Male birds of paradise preen their feathers and clean their nests in order to woo females.
Prescience noun	knowing of events prior to their occurring Synonyms: presage, foreknowledge, insight	The fortune-teller's prescience of death prevented her from leaving the house.
Presumptuous adjective	overstepping due bounds (as of propriety or courtesy); taking liberties Synonyms: presuming, rash	It was very presumptuous of him to ask for a raise after only two months at the company.
Prevaricate verb	to deliberately avoid the truth; mislead Synonyms: misinform, deceive, hedge	When my grandmother asked about her broken vase, my brother and I began to prevaricate.
Pristine adjective	pure; uncorrupted; clean Synonyms: untouched	Much of the tundra in northern Canada is still pristine since the region has not been developed.
Probity noun	adherence to highest principles; uprightness Synonyms: integrity	The judge's reputation of probity is well deserved; she recused herself from a case because she had gone to school with the defendant.
Proclivity noun	a natural predisposition or inclination Synonyms: penchant	Gerald's main personality flaw is his proclivity to do anything that anyone asks of him.
Prodigal adjective	recklessly wasteful; extravagant Synonyms: profuse, lavish	The teacher's pet was given prodigal praise.
Prodigious adjective	abundant in size, force, or extent; extraordinary Synonyms: immense	Prodigious numbers of villagers, young and old, traveled to the castle to pay their respects to the departed queen.
Profligate adjective	excessively wasteful; recklessly extravagant Synonyms: prodigal	The profligate young man racked up quite the credit card debt.
Protracted adjective	extended in time Synonyms: prolonged	Protracted contract negotiations prolonged the project.
Prowess noun	superior skill or daring Synonyms: mastery	The gymnast's athletic prowess shined through her routines during the all-around competition.
Pugnacious adjective	contentious; quarrelsome; given to fighting Synonyms: belligerent	The service industry is no place for pugnacious people.
Pundit noun	an authority on a subject; one who gives opinions Synonyms: expert	The political pundits had a field day with the senator's corruption charges.
Pungent adjective	characterized by a strong, sharp smell or taste Synonyms: acrid, pointed	Some people love the pungent aroma of garlic while others find it offensive.
Pusillanimous adjective	cowardly; craven Synonyms: timid	The pusillanimous manager preferred to let the employee show up hours late every day rather than confront him.
Putrefy verb	to rot; to decay and give off a foul odor Synonyms: spoil	Bacteria caused the raw meat to putrefy and stink up the whole refrigerator.
Quaff verb	to drink deeply Synonyms: imbibe	Inga quaffed a liter of water after the marathon.
Quagmire noun	a situation that is difficult to get out of Synonyms: predicament	The company fell into a quagmire when it ran out of money after promising employees year-end bonuses.
Quash verb	to quell; to put an end to forcibly Synonyms: suppress	The governor called in the riot police to quash the protest, which was getting larger and more unruly.
Querulous adjective	prone to complaining or grumbling; quarrelsome Synonyms: cantankerous, complaining	I've had numerous arguments with that querulous man.
Query noun	question; inquiry; doubt in the mind; reservation Synonyms: question, reservation	The magazine editor complied a list of queries for the fact checker to address.
Quixotic adjective	foolishly impractical; marked by lofty romantic ideals Synonyms: fanciful, idealistic	Maria's parents thought that her plans to move to the French countryside were just quixotic dreams.
Quotidian adjective	occurring or recurring daily; commonplace Synonyms: ordinary, everyday	The nonprofit organization strives to supply the quotidian needs of people in remote parts of developing countries.
Raffish adjective	unconventional and slightly disreputable; carefree; vulgar Synonyms: rakish	Though he was raffish, there was something about his careless style that was refreshing in the stuffy boardroom.
Rancorous adjective	characterized by bitter, long-lasting resentment Synonyms: acrimonious	The rancorous feud between the rival families lasted decades.
Rankle verb	to irritate; to cause resentment Synonyms: irk	The critic's mixed review of the book rankled the author for days.
Rarefy verb	to make or become thin or less dense Synonyms: refine, purify	It is hard for climbers to breathe the rarified air at the top of Mount Everest without oxygen masks.
Recalcitrant adjective	obstinately resistant to authority; difficult to manage Synonyms: defiant, rebellious	Boot camps are sometimes used as a last resort to deal with recalcitrant teenagers.
Recondite adjective	hidden; concealed; difficult to understand; obscure Synonyms: abstruse, esoteric	The recondite speech of the guest lecturer left audience members confused and bored.
Reconnoiter verb	to engage in reconnaissance Synonyms: investigate	The captain sent soldiers to reconnoiter the region for signs of enemy activity.
Redolence noun	the state of being fragrant, suggestive, or evocative Synonyms: fragrance	The redolence of dried leaves always brings me back to the colorful falls of my childhood in New England.
Redress verb	to set something right; to make amends for Synonyms: rectify	The waitress redressed her mistake by offering the diners a free desert.
Refulgent adjective	radiant; shining; brilliant Synonyms: luminous, resplendent	At night, Las Vegas is a refulgent sight against the dark and vast desert sky.
Refute verb	to disaprove; to successfully argue against Synonyms: rebut, counter	His claim to be the child's father was refuted by DNA evidence.
Regale verb	to delight or entertain Synonyms: amuse	I could regale you with stories from the family reunion, but let's just say I'm glad that I live on the other side of the country.
Relegate verb	to forcibly assign, especially to a lower place or position Synonyms: demote, downgrade, consign	When we moved into a smaller house, my art studio was relegated to the basement.
Renege verb	to fail to honor a commitment; to break a promise Synonyms: withdraw	Roommate contracts are important in case one party reneges on the agreed financial contributions to the household.
Repartee noun	witty conversation Synonyms: banter	Few contemporary films have the same clever repartee between the lead characters as those screwball comedies of the 1930's.
Reprehensible adjective	worthy of blame or censure Synonyms: shameful	The principal suspended the student for his reprehensible behavior at school.
Repudiate verb	to refuse to have anything to do with; to disown Synonyms: abandon, deny	Galileo was forced to repudiate his heliocentric findings before the church tribunal.
Rescind verb	to invalidate; to repeal; to retract Synonyms: void, annul	Once he realized he had given his troops the wrong target, the captain rescinded his order to attack.
Reverent adjective	marked by, feeling, or expressing profound awe and respect Synonyms: respectful	The entire audience settled into a reverent silence when the Dalai Lama began to speak.
Rhetoric noun	the art or study of effective use of language for communication and persuasion Synonyms: elocution	Clearly the lawyer was skilled at the art of rhetoric; her closing arguments were lucid and moving.
Risible adjective	causing laughter; laughable Synonyms: ludicrous	The teenager was embarrassed by his mother's blond highlights, her use of slang, her constant texting, and other risible attempts to seem younger.
Rue verb	to regret; to feel remorse or sorrow for Synonyms: lament	That mouse will rue the day it ever skittered into my kitchen.
Sagacious adjective	having sound judgement; perceptive Synonyms: wise	Though he was not an expert, Jorge's sagacious observations made him a valuable member of the team.
Salacious adjective	lascivious; lustful; obscene Synonyms: lewd	Let's be honest: the more salacious the gossip, the more we love it.
Salient adjective	prominent; relevant Synonyms: conspicuous	Perhaps the most salient features of the great white shark are its rows of razor-sharp teeth.
Salubrious adjective	promoting health or well-being Synonyms: healthful	I hope the salubrious climate of the Bahamas will soothe my stress.
Salutary adjective	wholesome; favorable to health Synonyms: salubrious	Salutary excercises such as stretching can keep tendonitis from getting worse.
Sanction noun	authoritative permission or approval Synonyms: countenance	City officials granted a sanction to the nonprofit organization, which is organizing a marathon to raise money for cancer research.
Sanguine adjective	cheerful; confident; optimistic Synonyms: upbeat	Ana's sanguine disposition is infectious; everyone cheers up whenever she enters the room.
Saturnine adjective	gloomy; dark; sullen Synonyms: melancholy	The saturnine look on her face indicated that things had not gone well at the hospital.
Schism noun	a split into factions Synonyms: division	Arguments over reading choices caused a schism in my book club; now we have separate fiction and nonfiction groups.
Sedulous adjective	diligent; persistent; hard-working Synonyms: assiduous	With sedulous concentration, the chess player managed to defeat the reigning champion.
Shard noun	a piece of broken pottery or glass Synonyms: fragment	I still found shards of glass in the car weeks after the windshield was repaired.
Sidereal adjective	astral; relating to stars or constellations Synonyms: stellar	The girl loved to learn about constellations, galaxies, novas, and all things sidereal.
Sinecure noun	a job that pays a salary but requires little work Synonyms: a cushy job	A sinecure was given to the CEO's son and now he spends most of his days browsing the Internet.
Sinuous adjective	winding; undulating Synonyms: serpentine	A chill ran down my spine when I glimpsed a sinuous shape weave through the underbrush.
Slake verb	to satisfy or quench Synonyms: abate	How could any vampire resist slaking his thirst at the sight of such a long, porcelain neck?
Sodden adjective	soaked or drenched Synonyms: saturated	My shirt was sodden with rain and mud after we played soccer during the downpour.
Solicitous adjective	concerned and attentive; eager Synonyms: ardent, considerate, desirous	Our neighbor made solicitous inquires about our family after my grandmother passed away.
Solvent adjective	able to meet financial obligations; able to dissolve another substance Synonyms: sound	It was impossible for Stephen to remain solvent after he lost his job.
Sophistry noun	fallacious reasoning; faulty logic Synonyms: casuistry	The subtlety of his sophistry made him a dangerous con man.
Soporific adjective	causing drowsiness; tending to induce sleep Synonyms: tranquilizing	The professor's lecture was so soporific that I had to pinch myself to stay awake.
Sparse adjective	thin; not dense; arranged at widely spaced intervals Synonyms: scarce; sporadic	Vegetation is sparse in the Artic, especially during the winter when the region receives little sunlight for plants to flourish.
Specious adjective	seemingly true, but actually being fallacious; misleadingly attractive Synonyms: deceptive	Consumers should by wary of specious advertisements that endorse faulty products.
Spendthrift noun	one who spends money wastefully Synonyms: squanderer	Before he lost his job, he was a spendthrift who squandered his paycheck on champagne, caviar, and other luxury items.
Sporadic adjective	occurring only occasionally, or in scattered instances Synonyms: intermittent, irregular, desultory	Sporadic fire drills kept dorm residents prepared for a real emergency.
Spurious adjective	lacking authenticity or validity; false; counterfeit Synonyms: illegitimate, phony	The painting sold as a da Vinci was later discovered to be spurious-the work of a 19th-century forger.
Static adjective	not moving, active, or in motion; at rest Synonyms: inert, stagnant, immobile	Although the student intensely reviews her notes, her test scores have been static.
Stentorian adjective	extremely loud and powerful Synonyms: booming	The sergeant's stentorian voice and physical size made disobedience unthinkable.
Stupefy verb	to stun, baffle, or amaze Synonyms: astonish, bewilder, astound	The magician aimed to stupefy his audience with his amazing stunts and illusions.
Stygian adjective	gloomy; dark Synonyms: infernal	The moonless night and the suffocating humidity created a stygian backdrop for the murder.
Subpoena noun	a court order requiring appearance and/or testimony Synonyms: summons, decree	The witness was served with a subpoena, so he had to appear in court the following week.
Subtle adjective	not obvious; elusive; difficult to discern Synonyms: inconspicuous, indirect	Crime scene investigators are trained to notice subtle clues left by perpetrators.
Succinct adjective	brief; concise Synonyms: terse	Please keep acceptance speeches succinct so that all the winners get a chance to speak.
Superfluous adjective	exceeding what is sufficient or necessary Synonyms: excessive, lavish	Even after I cut out all the superfluous details, my research paper was still longer than the recommended page limit.
Surfeit noun	excess; overindulgence Synonyms: overabundance, surplus	The surfeit of food at the banquet caused more than a few stomachaches that evening.
Sybarite noun	a person who leads a life of pleasure and luxury Synonyms: hedonist	After winning the lottery, Justin quit his grueling job, and he is now living as a sybarite on a boat in the Caribbean.
Sycophant noun	someone who tries to get ahead through flattery and fawning Synonyms: toady	The sycophants who served on the royal court always let the queen win every croquet match.
Tacit adjective	implied; not explicitly stated Synonyms: implicit, unspoken	My presentation to the investors went well and a tacit agreement was made to proceed with my business plan.
Taciturn adjective	uncommunicative; silent Synonyms: reserved	The taciturn grandfather hardly said a word at the wedding and sat silently all evening.
Tenacious adjective	adhering to or persisting in something valued Synonyms: adamant, persevering	My grandfather's tenacious grip on old habits keeps him away from new experiences.
Tenuous adjective	having little substance or strength; flimsy; weak Synonyms: shaky, feeble	The poor grades from the final exam demonstrated that the students had nothing more than a tenuous understanding of the material.
Terse adjective	brief and concise in wording Synonyms: succinct, laconic	My mother left me a terse message after I broke my curfew: "Home. Now."
Tirade noun	a long and extremely critical speech; a harsh denunciation Synonyms: censure, harangue	After several employees arrived at work after ten o' clock, the boss went on a tirade about punctuality.
Timorous adjective	timid; fearful Synonyms: apprehensive	After the earthquake, our dog was so timorous that he refused to leave his spot under the kitchen table.
Toady noun	sycophant; flatterer Synonyms: flunky	The spineless toady in my department strokes the president's ego in order to get a promotion.
Tortuous adjective	winding; twisting; excessively complicated Synonyms: meandering, circuitous	The tortuous path through the redwoods twists around dozens of three trunks.
Tout verb	to publicly praise or promote Synonyms: laud, herald, acclaim	Javiers's parents always tout his achievements to their coworkers and friends.
Transient adjective	fleeting; passing quickly; brief Synonyms: temporary, momentary	Anti-inflammatory medication can provide transient relief for arthritis but does not cure the condition.
Trenchant adjective	sharply perceptive; keen; penetrating Synonyms: incisive	To become a world-class chess player, one must have both a trenchant strategy and an understanding of human nature.
Truculent adjective	fierce and cruel; eager to fight Synonyms: brutal, vitriolic, belligerent	My neighbor's truculent dog has attacked and chased several kids on the block.
Truncate verb	to cut off abruptly Synonyms: shorten	Carmen's road trip was supported to last for two weeks, but she had to truncate her trip when she got sick.
Tyro noun	novice; greenhorn; rank amateur Synonyms: beginner	The tyro was unable to stand on top of the surfboard and balance, even on calm waters.
Unfeigned adjective	genuine; not false or hypocritical Synonyms: honest, sincere	I could not tell if his apology was unfeigned since he was smiling the entire time.
Untenable adjective	indefensible; not viable; uninhabitable Synonyms: flawed, illogical	The captain ordered soldiers to pull out from the untenable situation.
Untrammeled adjective	not hampered or impeded Synonyms: unrestrained	Sometimes I miss the untrammeled life of my college years, before I had a mortgage, a job, and a family to support.
Urbane adjective	sophisticated; refined; elegant Synonyms: cultivated	The author maintained an urbane tone even in her personal letters.
Vacillate verb	to move indecisively between one course of action or opinion and another Synonyms: waver	Ashley vacillated between the two job offers; one offered a higher salary and the other offered better benefits.
Vagary noun	unpredictable action Synonyms: caprice	Some investors prefer the relative stability of bonds to the vagaries of the stock market.
Variegated adjective	multicolored; characterized by a variety of patches of different color Synonyms: diversified	As she flew across the country for the first time, the child marveled at the variegated landscape below.
Venal adjective	capable of being brought or bribed Synonyms: corruptible	He avoided spending a night in jail because he was able to pay off the venal police officer.
Venerate verb	to revere; to worship Synonyms: idolize	The whole family venerates Grandma Sue because she is so generous, patient, and loving.
Verisimilitude noun	appearance of truth or reality Synonyms: authenticity	Some video games have achieved such verisimilitude that they are now being used to train pilots and soldiers.
Vexation noun	annoyance; irritation Synonyms: aggravation	My brother's pranks on the whole family are a source of vexation, not amusement.
Vigilant adjective	alertly watchful Synonyms: wary, attentive	The new parents were vigilant over their baby and stayed up all night when she got sick.
Viscous adjective	thick; sticky Synonyms: gelatinous	The viscous batter clung to the sides of the bowl.
Vituperate verb	to use harsh, condemnatory language; to abuse severly Synonyms: berate, rebuke	I want to vituperate the company for violating pollution laws, especially since it markets itself as being ecologically conscious.
Volatile adjective	readily changing to a vapor; changeable; fickle Synonyms: explosive, mercurial	The price of the volatile stock rose and fell sharply throughout the day.
Voracious adjective	having an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit Synonyms: avid, ravenous, rapacious	He is a voracious reader; he finishes two books each week.
Waft verb	to cause to move as if by a light breeze Synonyms: drift	The smell of freshly baked apple pie wafted into my bedroom and my mouth began to water.
Waver verb	to move to and fro; to sway; to be unsettled in opinion Synonyms: vacillate, falter, hesitate	At the ice cream shop, the child wavered between mint chocolate chip and fudge vanilla swirl.
Wend verb	to go; to proceed Synonyms: meander	I had to wend my way through the crowds so I could get up close to the stage.
Zealous adjective	fervent; ardent; impassioned Synonyms: fanatical, passionate	Andy is a zealous fan of the show; he always stays home on Friday nights to watch it and has yet to miss an episode.

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