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601 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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abjure
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to renounce or reject solemnly; to recant; to avoid
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abrogate
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to abolish or annul by authority; put down
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adroit
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adept, dexterous
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adumbrate
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to foreshadow vaguely, intimate, suggest or outline sketchily
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alacrity
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eager and enthusiastic willingness
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alchemy
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a magical or wonderful transformation
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anathema
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a solemn or ecclesiastical (religious) curse; accursed or thoroughly loathed person or thing
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anodyne
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soothing
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antithetical
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diametrically opposed, as in antithesis
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apocryphal
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of dubious authenticity or origin; spurious; mythical, fictional, untrue
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apogee
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farthest or highest point; culmination; zenith
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perigee
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lowest or closest point, or nadir
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apostate
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one who abandons long-held religious or political convictions, a betrayer of a cause
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apposite
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appropriate, pertinent, relevent, apropos
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appropriate
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to take for one's own use, confiscate
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arcane
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mysterious, abstruse, esoteric, knowable only to initiates
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arrant
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impudent; in every way, being completely such, bare-faced, utter; downright; thorough; unmitigated; notorious
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asperity
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severity, rigor; roughness, harshness; acrimony, irritability
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aspersion
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act of defamation or maligning
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assiduous
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diligent, hard-working; constant, unremitting
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augury
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omen, portent, the reading of omens
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august
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majestic, venerable
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auspice
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protection or support, patronage; also sign or portent
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auspicious
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favorable, propitious, successful, prosperous
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avarice
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greed, especially for wealth
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baleful
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sinister, pernicious, omnious
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bane
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causing harm or ruin, pernicious, destructive; cause of injury, source of harm; source of persistent frustration
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beatify
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to bless, make happy, or ascribe a virtue to; to regard as saintly
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bedizen
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to adorn, especially in a cheap, showy manner; festoon, caparison
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belie
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to give a false impression of, to misrepresent
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bent
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leaning, inclination, proclivity, tendency
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blandish
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to coax with flattery, toady or fawn
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blithe
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carefree, merry
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broach
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bring up, announce, begin to talk about
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brook
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to tolerate, endure, countenance
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bucolic
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rustic and pastoral; characteristic or rural areas and their inhabitants
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burnish
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to polish, rub to a shine
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byzantine
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labrynthine, complex
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cadge
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to sponge, beg, or mooch
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cajole
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to inveigle, coax, wheedle, sweet-talk
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calumniate
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to slander, make a false accusation
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canon
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established set of principles or code of laws; often religious in nature
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capricious
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inclined to change one's mind impulsively; erratic; unpredictable
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cardinal
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of basic importance or consequence; primary
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caret
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insertion mark ^ used by editors and proofreaders
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carnality
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something relating to the body or flesh
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castignation
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severe criticism or punishment
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catalyst
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a person or thing that causes change
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calumniate
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to slander, make a false accusation
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causality
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relationship betw cause and effect
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caustic
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burning or stinging; causing corrosion
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canon
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established set of principles or code of laws; often religious in nature
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capricious
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inclined to change one's mind impulsively; erratic; unpredictable
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cardinal
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of basic importance or consequence; primary
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caret
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insertion mark ^ used by editors and proofreaders
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carnality
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something relating to the body or flesh
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castignation
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severe criticism or punishment
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catalyst
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a person or thing that causes change
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causality
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relationship betw cause and effect
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caustic
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burning or stinging; causing corrosion
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censure
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to criticize severely; to officially rebuke
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chaos
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condition of confusion or unpredictability
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chary
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wary; cautious; sparing
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chasten
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to chastise or correct; subdue
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chicanery
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trickery or subterfuge
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chimera
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an illusion
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choleric
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tending toward anger
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churlish
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boorish, vulgar, loutish; difficult and intractable
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coalesce
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to come together; to fuse or unite
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cogent
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appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing
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color
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to change as if by dyeing, influence, distort, or gloss over
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commensurate
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matching, corresponding, or proportionate in degree, size, amount, or other property
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confound
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to cause to be confused; to frustrate
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consequential
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pompous, self-important
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contemn
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to scorn or despise
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contiguous
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sharing a border; touching; adjacent
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contrite
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regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness
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contrition
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regret or remorse
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convention
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a generally agreed-upon practice or attitude
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corrigible
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capable of being set right, correctable, reparable
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countenance
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to approve of or tolerate; mien, face, composure
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cozen
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to deceive, beguile, hoodwink
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craven
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contemptibly fainthearted, pusillanimous, lacking any courage
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credulous
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tending to believe too readily; gullible
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culpable
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deserving blame
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cynicism
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attitude or quality of belief that all people are motivated by selfishness
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damp
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to diminish the intensity or check something, such as a sound or feeling
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daunt
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to intimidate or dismay
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dearth
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smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; lack
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debacle
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rout, fiasco, complete failure
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decorum
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politeness or appropriateness of conduct or behavior
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deleterious
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injurious; harmful
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demur
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to question or oppose
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denigrate
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blacken, belittle, sully, defame, disparage
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denouement
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outcome or solution; unraveling of a plot
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deprecate
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to disparage or belittle
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depredate
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to plunder, pillage, ravage or destroy; to exploit in a predatory manner
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desiccate
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to dry out or dehydrate; to make dry or dull
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desuetude
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disuse
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desultory
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random; thoughtless; marked by a lack of plan or purpose
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detraction
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slandering, verbal attack, aspersion
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diaphanous
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transparent, gauzy
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didactic
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intended to teach or instruct
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die
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a tool used for shaping
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diffident
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reserved, shy, unassuming; lacking in self-confidence
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dilate
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to become wider or more open
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dilatory
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causing delay, procrastinating
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dilettante
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one with an amateurish or superficial interest in the arts or a branch of knowledge
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din
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loud sustained noise
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disabuse
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to undeceive; to set right
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discomfit
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to defeat, put down
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discordant
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conflicting; dissonant or harsh in sound
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discretion
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cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions
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disinterested
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free from self-interest; unbiased
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disparage
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to slight or belittle
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disparate
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fundamentally distinct or dissimilar
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dissemble
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to disguise or conceal; to mislead
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dissolution
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disintegration, looseness in morals
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dissonance
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lack of harmony; conflict
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distrait
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distracted; absent-minded, esp due to anxiety
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divulge
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to disclose something secrete
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doggerel
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trivial, poorly constructed verse
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dogmatic
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authoritatively and or arrogantly assertive of principles, which often cannot be proved; stubbornly opinionated
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dross
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slag, waste or foreign matter, impurity, surface scum
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dulcet
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melodious, harmonious, mellifluous
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dupe
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one who is deceived
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dynamo
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generator; forceful, energetic person
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ebullience
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quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings
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eccentric
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departing from norms or conventions
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eclectic
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composed of elements drawn from various sources
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edifying
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enlightening, informative
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efficacy
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ability to produce an intended result
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effrontery
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extreme boldness; presumtuousness
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effusive
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gushing; excessively demonstrative
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egress
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exit
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eloquent
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well-spoken; expressive; articulate
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emollient
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soothing, esp to the skin; making less harsh; mollifying
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encomium
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glowing and enthusiastic praise; panegyric, tribute, eulogy
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engender
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to cause, produce, give rise to
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ennui
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dissatisfaction and restlessness resulting from boredom or apathy
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enormity
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excessive wickedness, evilness
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ephemeral
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brief; fleeting, short-lived
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epicure
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one devoted to sensual pleasure, particularly in food and drink; gourmand, sybarite
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episodic
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loosely connected, not flowing logically, occuring at intervals
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epithet
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disparaging word or phrase
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epitome
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embodiment; quintessence
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equanimity
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composure, self-possession
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equable
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level; not able to be easily disturbed
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equivocate
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to use ambiguous language with a deceptive intent
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errant
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traveling, itinerant, peripatetic
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erratic
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without consistency
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erudite
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very learned; scholarly
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eschew
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to shun or avoid
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esoteric
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intended for our understood by a small, specific group
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essay
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to test or try; attempt, experiment
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estimable
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worthy, formidable
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evanescent
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tending to disappear like vapor; vanishing
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evince
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to show clearly, to indicate
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exact
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to demand, call for, require, take
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excoriate
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to censure scathingly, to upbraid
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exculpate
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exonerate; to clear of blame
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exemplar
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typical or standard specimen; paradigm, model
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exhort
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to incite, to make urgent appeals
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exigent
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urgent; pressing; requiring immediate action or attention
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exonerate
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to remove from blame
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expatiate
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discuss or write about at length; to range freely
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expiate
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to atone or make amends for
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expurgate
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to remove obscenity, purify, censor
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extant
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existing, not destroyed or lost
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extemporaneous
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improvised; done without preparation
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extirpate
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to destroy, exterminate, cut out, pull out by the roots
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zealous
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fervent, ardent, impassioned
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kinetic
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having to do with motion; lively; active
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jejune
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vapid; uninteresting; childish, immature; lacking nutrition
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jibe
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to agree, to be in accord
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jocose
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given to joking; humorous
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quaff
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to drink deeply
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quail
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to shrink back in fear, lose courage
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qualify
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to limit
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qualms
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misgivings, reservations, causes for hesitancy
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queries
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questions, inquires, reservations
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querulous
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prone to complaining or grumbling, quarrelsome
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quiescence
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stillness, motionlessness, quality of being at rest
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quotidian
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occuring or recurring daily, commonplace
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facetious
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playful; humorous; not serious
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fallacy
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an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief
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fallow
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untilled, inactive, dormant
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fatuous
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silly, inanely foolish
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fawn
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to flatter or praise excessively
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feckless
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ineffectual; irresponsible
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felicitous
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apt; suitably expressed, well chosen, apropos; delightful
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fell
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a barren or stony hill; an animal's hide
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fervent
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greatly emotional or zealous
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fetid
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stinking, having a heavy bad smell
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fetter
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to shackle, put in chains, restrain
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filibuster
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intentional obstruction, usually using a prolonged speechmaking to delay legislative action
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filigree
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an ornamental work, esp of delicate lacelike patterns; resembling such a pattern
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flag
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to droop or sag, to become spiritless, to decline
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flip
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sarcastic, impertinent
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florid
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flushed with color, ruddy, ornate
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flout
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to demonstrate contempt for
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foment
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to stir up, incite, rouse
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forbearance
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patience, willingness to wait
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forestall
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to act in a way to hinder, exclude or prevent an action; to circumvent or thwart
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forswear
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to renounce, disallow, repudiate
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fortuitous
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happening by fortunate accident or chance
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fracas
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noisy fight or quarrel, brawl
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fractious
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quarrelsome, rebellious, unruly, cranky
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froward
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intractable, not willing to yield or comply, stubbornly disobedient
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fulminate
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to attack loudly or denounce
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furtive
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marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious
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gainsay
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to deny, disupte, contradict, oppose
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gambol
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to skip about playfully, frolic
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garner
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to gather and save, store up, acquire
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garrulous
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pointlessly talkative, talking too much
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gauche
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crude, awkward, tasteless
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germane
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relevant to the subject at hand; appropriate in subject matter
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glib
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marked by ease or informality; nonchalant; lacking in depth; superficial
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gossamer
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delicate, insubstantial or tenuous; insincere
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grandiloquence
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pompous speech or expression
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gregarious
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sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people
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grouse
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to complain or grumble
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guile
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trickery, duplicity, cunning
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guy
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rope or cord attached to something as a brace or guide
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hackneyed
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rendered trite or commonplace by frequent usage
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halcyon
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calm and peaceful, prosperous
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nadir
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low point, perigee
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nascent
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coming into being; in early developmental stages
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natty
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trimly neat and tidy, dapper
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nebulous
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vague, cloudy, lacking clearly defined form
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neologism
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new word, expression or usage; the creation or use of new words or senses
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neophyte
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recent convert; beginner; novice
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nexus
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connection, tie, or link; center of focus
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nice
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exacting, extremely or even excessively precise; done with delicacy or skill
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noisome
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offensive, esp to one's sense of smell, fetid
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nonplussed
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baffled, in a quandary, at a loss for what to say, do or think
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nostrum
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cure-all, placebo, questionable remedy
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noxious
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harmful; injurious
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hallow
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to set apart as holy
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harangue
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to deliver a loud, pompous speech or tirade
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harrow
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to distress, create stress or torment
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hedonism
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devotion to pleasurable pursuits, esp to pleasures of the senses
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hegemony
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consistent dominance or influence of one group, state, or ideology over others
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heretical
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violating accepted dogma or convention, unorthodox
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hermetic
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airtight, impervious to outside influence
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heterodox
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unorthodox, heretical, iconoclastic
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hirsute
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hairy, shaggy
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homily
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sermon or morally instructive lecture, a platitude
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hubris
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arrogant presumption or pride
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iconoclast
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one who attacks or undermines traditional conventions or institutions
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idolatrous
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given to intense or excessive devotion to something
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idyll
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carefree, light-hearted pastoral or romantic episode or experience; a literary or musical piece describing such
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ignominious
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shameful, dishonorable, ignoble, undignified, disgraceful
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imbroglio
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difficult or embarrassing situation
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imminent
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about to happen; impending
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immutable
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not capable of change
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impassive
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revealing no emotion or sensibility
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impecunious
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lacking funds; without money
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imperious
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commanding, masterful, arrogant, domineering, haughty
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imperturbable
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marked by extreme calm, impassivity and steadiness
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impetuous
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hastily or rashly energetic; impulsive and vehement
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implacable
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not capable of being appeased or significantly changed
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importune
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to ask incessantly, beg, nag
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impudent
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shamelessly bold; insolent; impertinent; arrant
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impugn
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attack or assail verbally, cesure, execrate, deny
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impunity
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immunity from punishment, penalty or harm
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impute
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to attribute to a cause or source, ascribe, assign as a characteristic
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inalienable
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cannot be transferred
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inchoate
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in an initial stage, not fully formed
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incipient
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beginnign to come into being or to become apparent
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indefatigable
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not easily exhaustible, tireless, dogged
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indifferent
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having no interest or concern, apathetic; showing no bias or prejudice
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indolent
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lazy, listless, torpid
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ineluctable
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certain, inevitable
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ingenuous
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artless, frank and candid, lacking in sophistication
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inimical
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damaging, harmful, injurious, hostile, unfriendly
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inimitable
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one of a kind, peerless
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iniquity
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wickedness, gross injustice
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innervate
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to supply with nerves, energize
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innocuous
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harmless; causing no damage
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inscrutable
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incapable of being discovered or understood, mysterious
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insensible
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unconscious, unresponsive, unaware, unaffected, numb
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insipid
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without taste or flavor, lacking in spirit, dull
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insouciant
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unconcerned, carefree, nonchalant
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insular
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parochial, narrow-minded, like an island
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interdict
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prohibit, forbid, ban, halt
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intimate
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to imply, suggest or insinuate
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intractable
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not easily managed or directed, stubborn, obstinate
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intransigent
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refusing to compromise
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intrepid
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steadfast, courageous
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inundate
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to cover or overwhelm, to flood
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inured
|
accustomed to accepting something undesirable
|
|
|
inveigh
|
to attack verbally, denounce, deprecate
|
|
|
inveigle
|
to obtain by deception or flattery
|
|
|
inveterate
|
deep rooted, ingrained, habitual
|
|
|
invidious
|
tending to arouse envy or ill will in others
|
|
|
irascible
|
easily angered; prone to temperamental outbursts
|
|
|
itinerate
|
to travel from place to place
|
|
|
waft
|
a light breeze, a puff
|
|
|
waver
|
to move to and fro, to sway; to be unsettled in opinion
|
|
|
welter
|
to writhe, to toss about, to be in turmoil
|
|
|
wend
|
to go, proceed, walk
|
|
|
whet
|
to sharpen or stimulate
|
|
|
whimsical
|
imaginative; unpredictable
|
|
|
usury
|
charging an exorbitant or illegal rate of interest
|
|
|
urbane
|
sophisticated, refined, elegant
|
|
|
upbraid
|
to scold, censure, rebuke, chastise
|
|
|
untoward
|
troublesome, unruly, unseemly, adverse
|
|
|
untenable
|
indefensible, not viable, uninhabitable
|
|
|
unfeigned
|
genuine, not false or hypocritical
|
|
|
undulate
|
to move in wavelike fashion, fluctuate
|
|
|
umbrage
|
offense, resentment
|
|
|
ubiquitous
|
existing everywhere at the same time, constantly encountered, widespread
|
|
|
vacillate
|
to waver indecisively betw one course of action or opinion and another, sway from one side to the other
|
|
|
variegated
|
multicolored, characterized by a variety of patches of different color
|
|
|
vaunt
|
to brag or boast
|
|
|
venal
|
capable of being bought or bribed, mercenary
|
|
|
venerate
|
to revere
|
|
|
veracity
|
truthfulness, honesty
|
|
|
verisimilitude
|
appearing true or real
|
|
|
veritable
|
authentic, real, genuine
|
|
|
vexation
|
annoyance, irritation
|
|
|
vigilant
|
alertly watchful
|
|
|
vilify
|
to defame, characterize harshly
|
|
|
virulent
|
extremely harmufl or poisonous, bitterly hostile or antagonistic
|
|
|
viscous
|
thick, sticky
|
|
|
vitiate
|
to reduce the value of, debase, spoil, make ineffective
|
|
|
vituperate
|
to use harsh condemnatory language; abuse or censure severely
|
|
|
volatile
|
readily changing to a vapor; changeable, fickle, explosive
|
|
|
voracious
|
having an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit, ravenous
|
|
|
labile
|
readily open to change, unstable
|
|
|
lachrymose
|
causing tears, tearful, showing sorrow
|
|
|
laconic
|
using few words; terse
|
|
|
lassitude
|
listlessness, languor, weariness
|
|
|
laud
|
to praise highly
|
|
|
lavish
|
extravagent
|
|
|
lethargic
|
characterized by lethargy or sluggishness
|
|
|
libertine
|
someone unrestrained by morality or convention or leading a dissolute life
|
|
|
limn
|
to draw, outline in detail
|
|
|
limpid
|
transparent, serene, clear and simple in style, untrobled
|
|
|
list
|
to tilt or lean to one side
|
|
|
lucid
|
intelligible, sound, clear
|
|
|
lumber
|
to move heavily and clumsily or with a rumbling sound
|
|
|
luminous
|
characterized by brightness and the emisson of light, enlightened, clear
|
|
|
malevolent
|
having or showing often vicious ill will, spite, or hatred
|
|
|
malinger
|
to feign illness so as to avoid work
|
|
|
martinet
|
a rigid disciplinarian
|
|
|
maunder
|
to talk or move aimlessly, mutter
|
|
|
mellifluous
|
sweetly flowing, usually used to describe words or sounds
|
|
|
mendacity
|
the condition of being untruthful, dishonesty
|
|
|
mendicant
|
beggar, supplicant
|
|
|
mercurial
|
characterized by rapid and unpredictable change in mood
|
|
|
meretricious
|
tawdry, pretentious, attractive but false, showy, having to do with prostitution
|
|
|
meticulous
|
characterized by extreme care and precision, attentive to detail
|
|
|
mettlesome
|
courageous, high-spirited
|
|
|
militate
|
to have weight or bearing on, to argue (against)
|
|
|
minatory
|
menacing, threatening
|
|
|
mince
|
pronounce or speak affectedly or too carefully, euphemize, take tiny steps, tiptoe
|
|
|
misogynist
|
one who hates women
|
|
|
mitigate
|
to make or become less severe or intense, moderate
|
|
|
mollify
|
to calm or soothe, reduce in emotional intensity
|
|
|
monotony
|
tedious lack of variety or change
|
|
|
morose
|
sad, sullen, melancholy
|
|
|
multifaceted
|
having many aspects
|
|
|
multifarious
|
varied, motley, greatly diversified
|
|
|
mundane
|
of the world, typical of or concerned with the ordinary
|
|
|
obdurate
|
unyielding, hardhearted, inflexible
|
|
|
obeisance
|
gesture that expresses deference, such as a bow or curtsy
|
|
|
obfuscate
|
to deliberately obscure, to make confusing
|
|
|
obsequious
|
exhibiting a fawning attentiveness; subservient
|
|
|
obstinate
|
stubborn; hardheaded; uncompromising
|
|
|
obstreperous
|
noisy, loudly stubborn, boisterous
|
|
|
obtain
|
to be established, accepted, or customary, prevail
|
|
|
obtuse
|
lacking sharpness of intellect, not clear or precise in thought or expression
|
|
|
obviate
|
to anticipate and make unnecessary
|
|
|
occult
|
hidden, concealed, beyond comprehension
|
|
|
odious
|
hateful; arousing strong feelings of dislike
|
|
|
officious
|
meddlesome, pushy in offering one's services where they are unwanted
|
|
|
onerous
|
troubling, burdensome
|
|
|
opaque
|
impermeable by light; dense in mind
|
|
|
opprobrium
|
disgrace, contempt, scorn
|
|
|
oscillation
|
the act or state of swining back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm
|
|
|
ossified
|
changed into bone; made rigidly conventional and unreceptive to change
|
|
|
ostensible
|
seeming, appearing as such, professed
|
|
|
ostentatious
|
characterized by or given to pretentiousness
|
|
|
overweening
|
presumptuously arrogant, overbearing, immoderate
|
|
|
table
|
to remove (as a parliamentary motion) from consideration
|
|
|
taciturn
|
not talkative, silent
|
|
|
talisman
|
something believed to have magic power or bestow good luck
|
|
|
tamp
|
to plug, to drive in or down by a series of blows
|
|
|
tautology
|
a repetition, a redundancy, a circular argument
|
|
|
tawdry
|
cheap, gaudy, showy, tacky, indecent
|
|
|
tenacity
|
the quality of adherence or persistence to something valued
|
|
|
tendentious
|
biased, showing marked tendencies
|
|
|
tender
|
to offer formally
|
|
|
tenuous
|
having little substance or strength, flimsy, weak
|
|
|
terse
|
brief and concise in wording
|
|
|
timorous
|
timid, fearful, diffident
|
|
|
tirade
|
long and extremely critical speech, harsh denunciation
|
|
|
toady
|
sycophant, flatterer, yes-man
|
|
|
torpid
|
lethargic, sluggish, dormant
|
|
|
torque
|
force that causes rotation
|
|
|
torrid
|
scorching, ardent, passionate, hurried
|
|
|
tortuous
|
winding, twisting, excessively complicated
|
|
|
tout
|
to publicly praise or promote
|
|
|
tractable
|
docile, obedient, easily led
|
|
|
transient
|
fleeting, passing quickly, brief
|
|
|
travesty
|
mockery, caricature, parody
|
|
|
trenchant
|
sharply perceptive, keen, penetrating, biting, clear cut
|
|
|
truculent
|
fierce, scathing, eager to fight
|
|
|
tumid
|
swollen
|
|
|
turbid
|
muddy, having sediment stirred up, clouded to the point of being opaque, in a state of turmoil
|
|
|
turgid
|
swollen, bloated, pompous, excessively ornate
|
|
|
turpitude
|
depravity, baseness
|
|
|
tyro
|
novice, beginner in learning
|
|
|
rail
|
to complain about bitterly
|
|
|
ramify
|
to be divided or subdivided, branch out
|
|
|
rancorous
|
characterized by bitter, long-lasting resentment
|
|
|
rapacious
|
voracious, greedy, plundering, subsisting on prey
|
|
|
rarefy
|
to make or become thin, less dense, refine
|
|
|
rebus
|
riddle, a representation of words by pictures or symbols that sound like the words
|
|
|
recalcitrant
|
obstinately defiant of authority or guidance, difficult to manage
|
|
|
recant
|
to retract, esp a previously held belief
|
|
|
recapitulate
|
to summarize, to repeat concisely
|
|
|
recondite
|
hidden, concealed, difficult to understand, obscure
|
|
|
reconnoiter
|
to engage in reconnaissance, make a preliminary inspection of
|
|
|
recumbent
|
leaning, resting, prone
|
|
|
redolent
|
fragrant, suggestive or evocative
|
|
|
redoubtable
|
awe-inspiring, worthy of honor
|
|
|
refulgent
|
radiant, shiny, brilliant
|
|
|
refute
|
to disprove, successfully argue against
|
|
|
regale
|
to delight or entertain, feast
|
|
|
relegate
|
to forcibly assign, esp to a lower place or position
|
|
|
remonstrate
|
to protest, object
|
|
|
renege
|
to fail to honor a commitment, go back on a promise
|
|
|
rent
|
torn, split apart, pierced as by a sound
|
|
|
repine
|
to feel or express dejection or discontent, long for
|
|
|
repudiate
|
to refuse to have anything to do with, disown
|
|
|
rescind
|
to invalidate, repeal, retract
|
|
|
resolute
|
adamant, steadfast, determined
|
|
|
reticent
|
quiet, reserved, reluctant to express thoughts and feelings
|
|
|
reverent
|
marked by, feeling, or expressing a feeling of profound awe and respect
|
|
|
rhetoric
|
art or study of effective use of language for communication and persuasion
|
|
|
risible
|
hilarious, provoking laughter
|
|
|
rubric
|
authoritative rule, heading, title, or category
|
|
|
rue
|
to regret, feel remorse
|
|
|
provident
|
frugal, looking to the future
|
|
|
puerile
|
childish, immature
|
|
|
pugnacious
|
contentious, quarrelsome, given to fighting, belligerent
|
|
|
punctilious
|
precise, paying attention to trivialities, esp in regard to etiquette
|
|
|
pundit
|
an authority on a subject, one who gives opinions
|
|
|
pungent
|
characterized by a strong, sharp smell or taste, penetrating, to the point
|
|
|
pusillanimous
|
cowardly, craven
|
|
|
putrefy
|
to rot, decay and give off a foul odor, become gangrenous
|
|
|
proscribe
|
to outlaw or prohibit
|
|
|
prosaic
|
dull, unimaginative
|
|
|
paean
|
a song or expression of praise and thanksgiving
|
|
|
palliate
|
to make something appear less serious, gloss over, mitigate
|
|
|
panegyric
|
formal expression of praise
|
|
|
paradigm
|
something that serves as a model, example, or pattern; the framework of assumptions and understandings shared by a group or discipline that shapes its worldview
|
|
|
paradox
|
contradiction; a seemingly self-contradictory statement that seems true nonetheless
|
|
|
paragon
|
something regarded as a model of excellence or perfection in some way
|
|
|
pariah
|
outcast, a rejected and despised person
|
|
|
propriety
|
appropriateness; conformity with standards of acceptable behavior
|
|
|
propitious
|
auspicious, favorable
|
|
|
propitiate
|
to appease or pacify
|
|
|
plumb
|
to measure the depth, to examine critically
|
|
|
plummet
|
to plunge or drop straight down
|
|
|
poignant
|
distressing, pertinent, touching, stimulating, emotional
|
|
|
polemical
|
controversial, argumentative
|
|
|
pragmatic
|
practical rather than idealistic
|
|
|
portent
|
warning, augury; indication or omen of something about to happen esp soemthing momentous; a prodigy or marvel; threatening or disquieting significance
|
|
|
prate
|
chatter, babble
|
|
|
prattle
|
to babble meaninglessly; to talk in an empty and idle manner
|
|
|
precarious
|
uncertain, risky, dangerous
|
|
|
precept
|
rule establishing standards of conduct, a doctrine that is taught
|
|
|
precipitate
|
acting with excessive haste or impulse
|
|
|
precursor
|
something that precedes and indicates or announces another
|
|
|
predilection
|
disposition in favor of something, preference
|
|
|
preempt
|
to replace, to supersede, to appropriate
|
|
|
preen
|
to dress up, primp, groom oneself with elaborate care; in animals, to clean fur or feathers
|
|
|
prescience
|
knowing of events prior to their occuring
|
|
|
presumptuous
|
overstepping bounds, as of propriety or courtesy; taking liberties
|
|
|
prevaricate
|
to deliberatley avoid the truth; mislead
|
|
|
pristine
|
pure, uncorrupted, clean
|
|
|
prize
|
to pry, press or force with a lever
|
|
|
probity
|
adherence to highest principles, uprightness
|
|
|
proclivity
|
natural disposition or inclination
|
|
|
prodigal
|
recklessly wasteful, extravagent, profuse, lavish
|
|
|
prodigious
|
abundant in size, force, or extent; extraordinary
|
|
|
profligate
|
excessively wasteful; recklessly extravagant
|
|
|
profuse
|
given or coming forth abundantly, extravagant
|
|
|
prolific
|
producing large volumes or amounts, productive
|
|
|
prolix
|
long-winded, verbose
|
|
|
propensity
|
natural inclination or tendency, penchant
|
|
|
propinquity
|
nearness in time or place, affinity of nature, kinship
|
|
|
parody
|
humorous imitation intended for ridicule or comic effect, esp in literature and art, also something so bad as to be potentially mistaken for an intentional mockery
|
|
|
parry
|
to block, evade or ward off, as a blow
|
|
|
parsimonious
|
cheap, miserly
|
|
|
paucity
|
scarcity, a lacking of
|
|
|
peccadillo
|
slight offense, literally, minor sin
|
|
|
pedagogy
|
art or profession of training, teaching, or instructing
|
|
|
pedantic
|
ostentatious display of learning, excessive attention to minutiae and formal rules, unimaginative
|
|
|
pedestrian
|
commonplace, trite, unremarkable
|
|
|
penchant
|
strong inclinaion, a liking
|
|
|
penurious
|
penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous
|
|
|
peremptory
|
admitting of no contradiction, putting an end to further debate, haughty, imperious
|
|
|
perfidy
|
intentional breach of faith, treachery
|
|
|
perfunctory
|
cursory, done without care or interest
|
|
|
peripatetic
|
itinerant, traveling, nomadic
|
|
|
pernicious
|
extremely harmful, potentially causing death
|
|
|
personable
|
pleasing in appearance, attractive
|
|
|
perspicacious
|
acutely perceptive, having keen discernment
|
|
|
peruse
|
to examine with great care
|
|
|
pervade
|
to permeate throughout
|
|
|
petrous
|
like a rock, hard, stony
|
|
|
petulant
|
impatient, irritable
|
|
|
philistine
|
crass individual guided by material rather than intelelctual or artistic values
|
|
|
phlegmatic
|
calm, sluggish, unemotional, stoic
|
|
|
picaresque
|
involving clever rogues or adventurers
|
|
|
pied
|
multi-colored, usually in blotches
|
|
|
pillory
|
to punish, hold up to public scorn
|
|
|
pine
|
to yearn intensely, to languish, to lose vigor
|
|
|
pious
|
extremely reverent or devout
|
|
|
piquant
|
agreeably pungent, spicy, stimulating
|
|
|
pique
|
resentment, feeling of irritation due to hurt pride
|
|
|
pirate
|
to use or reproduce illegally
|
|
|
pith
|
essential or central part
|
|
|
placate
|
to appease, to calm by making concessions
|
|
|
plaintive
|
mournful, melancholy, sorrowful
|
|
|
pluck
|
courage, spunk, fortitude
|
|
|
plangent
|
pounding, thundering, resounding
|
|
|
plastic
|
moldable, pliable, not rigid
|
|
|
platitude
|
superficial or trite remark, esp one offered as meaningful
|
|
|
plethora
|
overabundance, a surplus
|
|
|
sagacious
|
having sound judgment, perceptive, wise
|
|
|
salacious
|
appealing to or causing sexual desire, bawdy
|
|
|
salient
|
prominent, protruding, conspicuous, highly relevant
|
|
|
salubrious
|
promoting health or well-being
|
|
|
salutary
|
remedial, wholesome, causing improvement
|
|
|
sanctimony
|
self-righteousness, pretended piety
|
|
|
sanction
|
authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance
|
|
|
sanguine
|
cheerful, confident, optimistic
|
|
|
sap
|
to enervate or weaken the vitality of
|
|
|
satiate
|
to overindulge, satisfy to excess
|
|
|
satire
|
literary work that ridicules or critizes human vice through humor or derision
|
|
|
saturnine
|
gloomy, dark, sullen, morose
|
|
|
scurvy
|
contemptible, despicable
|
|
|
sedulous
|
diligent, persistent, hard-working
|
|
|
seine
|
large net hung out and dragged in to catch fish
|
|
|
sere
|
withered, arid
|
|
|
seminal
|
like a seed, constituting a source, originative
|
|
|
shard
|
piece of broken pottery or glass, any small piece or part
|
|
|
simper
|
to smirk, to say something with a silly, coy smile
|
|
|
sinecure
|
position requiring little or no work and usually providing an income
|
|
|
singular
|
exceptional, unusual, odd
|
|
|
sinuous
|
winding, curving, moving lithely, devious
|
|
|
slake
|
to satisfy, quench, lessen the intensity of
|
|
|
sodden
|
soaked or drenched, unimaginative, dull
|
|
|
solder
|
to weld, fuse or join, as with a soldering gun
|
|
|
solicitous
|
concerned and attentive, eager
|
|
|
solvent
|
able to meet financial obligations
|
|
|
sonorous
|
eloquent, rich and full; loud, deep or resonant as a sound
|
|
|
sophistry
|
fallacious reasoning; plausible but faulty logic
|
|
|
sophomoric
|
exhibiting immaturity, lack of judgment, pretentious
|
|
|
soporific
|
causing drowsiness, tending to induce sleep
|
|
|
sordid
|
characterized by filth, grime, or squalor, foul
|
|
|
sparse
|
thin, not dense, arranged at widely spaced intervals
|
|
|
specious
|
seeming true, but actually false, misleadingly attractive
|
|
|
spendthrift
|
one who spends money wastefully
|
|
|
splenetic
|
bad-tempered, irritable
|
|
|
sporadic
|
occuring only occasionally, or in scattered instances
|
|
|
spurious
|
lacking authenticity or validity, false, counterfeit
|
|
|
squalid
|
sordid, wretched and dirty as from neglect
|
|
|
squander
|
to waste by spending or using irresponsibly
|
|
|
stanch
|
to stop the flow of a fluid
|
|
|
static
|
not moving, active or in motion; at rest
|
|
|
steep
|
to saturate or completely soak
|
|
|
stentorian
|
extremely loud and powerful
|
|
|
stint
|
to restrain, be sparing or frugal
|
|
|
stoic
|
indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain, steadfast
|
|
|
stolid
|
calm, impassive
|
|
|
striated
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striped, banded, or grooved
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strut
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structural support used to brace a framework
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stupefy
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to stun, baffle, or amaze
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stymie
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to block, thwart
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subpoena
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a court order requiring appearance and/or testimony
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subtle
|
not obvious, elusive, difficult to discern, crafty or sly
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succinct
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brief, concise
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succor
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assistance, relief in time of distress
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sundry
|
various, miscellaneous, separate
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supercilious
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disdainful, arrogant, haughty, charcterized by haughty scorn
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superfluous
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exceeding what is sufficient or necessary
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supine
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inactive, lying on one's back, apathetic, mentally or morally slack
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supplant
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to take the place of, supersede
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suppliant
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asking humbly, beseeching
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supplicant
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beggar, one who prays or begs for something
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surfeit
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to feed or supply in excess
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sycophant
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someone who tries to flatter or please for personal gain, parasite
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synthesis
|
combination of parts to make a whole
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g
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x
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