Hit Parade 4

Front 1

acerbic

Back 1

adj.
having a sour or bitter taste or character; sharp; biting

Front 2

aggrandize

Back 2

verb
to increase in intensity, power, influence or prestige

Front 3

alchemy

Back 3

noun
a medieval science aimed as the transmutation of metals, esp. base metals into gold
(an alchemist is one who practices alchemy)

Front 4

amenable

Back 4

adj.
agreeable; responsive to suggestion

Front 5

anachronism

Back 5

noun
something or someone out of place in terms of historical or chronological context

Front 6

astringent

Back 6

adj/noun
having a tightening effect on living tissue; harsh; severe; something with a tightening effect on tissue

Front 7

contiguous

Back 7

adj.
sharing a border; touching; adjacent

Front 8

convention

Back 8

noun
a generally agreed-upon practice or attitude

Front 9

credulous

Back 9

adj.
tending to believe too readily; gullible
(noun form: credulity)

Front 10

cynicism

Back 10

noun
an attitude or quality of belief that all people are motivated by selfishness
(adj. form: cynical)

Front 11

decorum

Back 11

noun
polite or apporpriate conduct or behavior
(adj. form: decorous)

Front 12

derision

Back 12

noun
scorn, ridicule, contemptuous tratment
(adj. form: derisive; verb form: deride)

Front 13

desiccate

Back 13

verb
to dry out or dehydrate; to make dry or dull

Front 14

dilettante

Back 14

noun
one with amateurish or superficial interest in the arts or a branch of knowledge

Front 15

disparage

Back 15

verb
to slight or belittle

Front 16

divulge

Back 16

verb
to disclose something secret

Front 17

fawn

Back 17

verb
to flatter or praise excessively

Front 18

flout

Back 18

verb
to show contempt for, as in a rule or convention

Front 19

garrulous

Back 19

adj.
pointlessly talkative, talking too much

Front 20

glib

Back 20

adj.
marked by ease or informality; nonchalant; lacking in depth; superficial

Front 21

hubris

Back 21

noun
overbearing presumption or pride; arrogance

Front 22

imminent

Back 22

adj.
about to happen; impending

Front 23

immutable

Back 23

adj.
not capable of change

Front 24

impetuous

Back 24

adj.
hastily or rashly energetic; impulsive and vehement

Front 25

indifferent

Back 25

adj.
having no interest or concern; showing no bias or prejudice

Front 26

inimical

Back 26

adj.
damaging; harmful; injurious

Front 27

intractable

Back 27

adj.
not easily managed or directed; stubborn; obstinate

Front 28

intrepid

Back 28

adj.
steadfast and courageous

Front 29

laconic

Back 29

adj.
using few words; terse

Front 30

maverick

Back 30

noun
an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party

Front 31

mercurial

Back 31

adj.
characterized by rapid and unpredictable change in mood

Front 32

mollify

Back 32

verb
to calm or soothe; to reduce in emotional intensity

Front 33

neophyte

Back 33

noun
a recent convert; a beginner; novice

Front 34

obfuscate

Back 34

verb
to deliberately obscure; to make confusing

Front 35

obstinate

Back 35

adj.
stubborn; hardheaded; uncompromising

Front 36

ostentatious

Back 36

adj.
characterized by or given to pretentious display

Front 37

pervade

Back 37

verb
to permeate throughout
(adj. form: pervasive)

Front 38

phlegmatic

Back 38

adj.
calm; sluggish; unemotional

Front 39

plethora

Back 39

noun
an overabundance; a surplus

Front 40

pragmatic

Back 40

adj.
practical rather than idealistic

Front 41

presumptuous

Back 41

adj.overstepping due bounds (as of propriety or courtesy); taking liberties

Front 42

pristine

Back 42

adj.
pure; incorrupted; clean

Front 43

probity

Back 43

noun
adherence to highest principles; complete and confirmed integrity; uprightness

Front 44

proclivity

Back 44

noun
a natural predisposition or inclination

Front 45

profligate

Back 45

adj.
excessively wasteful; recklessly extravagant
(noun form: profligacy)

Front 46

propensity

Back 46

noun
a natural inclination or tendency, penchant

Front 47

prosaic

Back 47

adj.
dull; lacking in spirit or imagination

Front 48

pungent

Back 48

adj.
characterized by a strong, sharp smell or taste

Front 49

quixotic

Back 49

adj.
foolishly impractical; marked by lofty romantic ideals

Front 50

quotidian

Back 50

adj.
occurring or recurring daily; commonplace

Front 51

rarefy

Back 51

verb
to make or become thin, less dense; to refine

Front 52

recondite

Back 52

adj.
hidden; concealed; difficult to understand; obscure

Front 53

refulgent

Back 53

adj.
radiant; shiny; brilliant

Front 54

renege

Back 54

verb
to fail to honor a commitment; to go back on a promise

Front 55

sedulous

Back 55

adj.
diligent; persistent; hard-working

Front 56

shard

Back 56

noun
a piece of broken pottery or glass

Front 57

soporific

Back 57

adj.
causing drawsiness; tending to induce sleep

Front 58

sparse

Back 58

adj.
thin; not dense; arrange at widely spaced intervals

Front 59

spendthrift

Back 59

noun
one who spends money wastefully

Front 60

subtle

Back 60

adj.
not obvious; elusive; difficult to discern

Front 61

tacit

Back 61

adj.
implied; not explicitly stated

Front 62

terse

Back 62

adj.
brief and concise in wording

Front 63

tout

Back 63

verb
to publicly praise or promote

Front 64

trenchant

Back 64

adj.
sharply perceptive; keen; penetrating

Front 65

unfeigned

Back 65

adj.
genuine; not false or hypocritical

Front 66

untenable

Back 66

adj.
indefensible; not viable; uninhabitable

Front 67

vacillate

Back 67

verb
to waver indecisively between one course or action or opinion and another; waver

Front 68

variegated

Back 68

adj.
multicolored; characterized by a variety of patches of different color

Front 69

vexation

Back 69

noun
annoyance; irritation
(verb form: vex)

Front 70

vigilant

Back 70

adj.
alertly watchful
(noun form: vigilance)

Front 71

vituperate

Back 71

verb
to use harsh, condemnatory language; to abuse or censure severely or abusively; berate

Front 72

volatile

Back 72

adj.
readily changing to a vapor; changeable; fickle; explosive
(noun form: volatility)