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496 Cards in this Set

  • Front
  • Back
abase
verb: To lower in position, estimation, or the like; degrade.
abdicate
verb: To give up (power or rights). The king abdicated the throne. The congressman abdicated his responsibility when he took a bribe.
aberration
noun: Deviation from a right, customary, or prescribed course.
abeyance
temporary supression or suspension. He held his concerns in abeyance until the speaker was finished.
abject
adjective: Sunk to a low condition.
abstruse
adjective: Dealing with matters difficult to be understood.
acerbity / acerbic
noun/adj: Sourness, with bitterness and astringency.
acquiesce
verb: To comply; submit.
acrimony
noun: Sharpness or bitterness of speech or temper.
adulterate
verb: To make impure by the admixture of other or baser ingredients.
aesthetic
pertaining to beauty or art
aggrandize
verb: To cause to appear greatly.
alacrity
noun: Cheerful willingness.
allegory
noun: The setting forth of a subject under the guise of another subject of aptly suggestive likeness.
amalgamate
verb: To mix or blend together in a homogeneous body.
ameliorate
verb: To relieve, as from pain or hardship
amortize
to diminish by installment payments
anachronism
noun: Anything occurring or existing out of its proper time.
anathema
noun: Anything forbidden, as by social usage.
ancillary
accessory; subordinate; helping
antediluvian
adjective: Of or pertaining to the times, things, events before the great flood in the days of Noah.
anterior
adjective: Prior.
antipathy
noun: dislike, hostility, extreme opposition or aversion
apocryphal
not genuine; fictional
apotheosis
noun: Deification.
approbation
noun: Sanction.
ardent
adjective: Burning with passion.
ardor
noun: Intensity of passion or affection.
arduous
extremely difficult; laborious
ascetic
adjective: Given to severe self-denial and practicing excessive abstinence and devotion.
aspersion
noun: false rumor; damaging report; slander
assiduous
adjective: Diligent.
assuage
verb: To cause to be less harsh, violent, or severe, as excitement, appetite, pain, or disease.
astringent
adjective: Harsh in disposition or character.
atrocious
adjective: Outrageously or wantonly wicked, criminal, vile, or cruel.
atrophy
to waste away; to wither from disuse
attenuate
to weaken, to make thin or slender
augur / augury
verb: To predict. Noun: prophecy, prediction of events
august
dignified, awe inspiring, venerable
auspicious
having favorable prospects, promising
avarice
noun: Passion for getting and keeping riches.
axiom
premise, postulate, self-evident truth
baleful
adjective: Malignant.
banal
adjective: Commonplace.
bastion
fortifications, stronghold
belabor
to insist repeatedly or harp on
beleaguer
to harass, plague
belie
verb: To misrepresent.
bellicose
adjective: Warlike.
belligerent
adjective: Manifesting a warlike spirit.
benighted
unenlightened
bequeath
verb: To give by will.
beseech
verb: To implore.
bilk
to cheat, defraud
blandish
to coax with flattery
blight
to afflict, to destroy
bonhome
good natured geniality, atmosphere of good cheer
boon
blessing, something to be thankful for
bourgeois
middle class
breach
noun: The violation of official duty, lawful right, or a legal obligation.
brigand
noun: One who lives by robbery and plunder.
brusque
adjective: Somewhat rough or rude in manner or speech.
burgeon
to sprout or flourish
buttress
noun: Any support or prop.
cadence
noun: Rhythmical or measured flow or movement, as in poetry or the time and pace of marching troops.
cajole
verb: To impose on or dupe by flattering speech.
callow
adjective: Without experience of the world.
capacious
adjective: Roomy.
capitulate
verb: To surrender or stipulate terms.
caprice / capricious
noun: A whim. Ajd: impulsive, whimsical, without much thought
castigate
verb: To punish.
catharsis
purification, emothionally cleaning
catholic
ajd: broad and comprehensive, universal
cavalier
carefree, happy, with lordly disdain
centripetal
directed or moving towards the center
chagrin
noun: Keen vexation, annoyance, or mortification, as at one's failures or errors.
charlatan
noun: A quack.
chicanery
trickery, fraud, deception
choleric
adjective: Easily provoked to anger.
circumlocution
noun: Indirect or roundabout expression.
circumscribe
verb: To confine within bounds.
circumspect
adjective: Showing watchfulness, caution, or careful consideration.
clandestine
adjective: Surreptitious.
clemency
noun: Mercy.
coalescence
noun: The act or process of coming together so as to form one body, combination, or product.
collateral
accompanying, associated
colloquy
noun: Conversation.
collusion
noun: A secret agreement for a wrongful purpose.
comely / omeliness
adjective: Handsome. Noun: physical grace or beauty
commensurate
proportional, appropriate amount
commodious
roomy, spacious
compliment
verb: To address or gratify with expressions of delicate praise.
compunction
noun: Remorseful feeling.
conciliatory
adjective: Tending to reconcile.
congenital
existing since birth (e.g., congenital disease)
congruity
correspondence, harmony, agreement
conjecture
noun: A guess.
conjure
to evoke, to cast a spell
consonant
adjective: Being in agreement or harmony with.
construe
to interpret or explain
consummate
verb: To bring to completion. Adj: accomplished, complete, perfect
continence
noun: Self-restraint with respect to desires, appetites, and passion.
contravene
verb: To prevent or obstruct the operation of.
convivial
adjective: Devoted to feasting, or to good-fellowship in eating or drinking.
convoke
to call together, to summon
convoluted
adj: twisted, complicated, invovled
copious
adjective: Plenteous.
corporeal
adjective: Of a material nature; physical.
corpulent
adjective: Obese, fat
corroborate
verb: To strengthen, as proof or conviction.
cosset
to pamper, to treat with great care
countenance
Noun: facial expression, look of approval or support Verb: to favor or support
countermand
to annul, cancel, to give a contrary order
craven
cowardly
credence
noun: Belief.
credulous
adjective: Easily deceived.
crescendo
gradual increase (as in loudness of music)
culpable
adjective: Guilty.
cupidity
noun: Avarice.
curmudgeon
cranky person (usually male!)
cursory
adjective: Rapid and superficial.
dauntless / daunt
adjective: Fearless. Verb: to discourage, to intimidate
debase
verb: To lower in character or virtue.
debilitate
to weaken, make feebable
debunk
to discredit, to disprove
deciduous
adjective: Falling off at maturity as petals after flowering, fruit when ripe, etc.
declivity
downward slope
decorous
adjective: Suitable for the occasion or circumstances.
decry
to belittle, to openly condemn
deference
noun: Respectful submission or yielding, as to another's opinion, wishes, or judgment.
deft
skilful, dexterous
deleterious
adjective: Hurtful, morally or physically.
delineate
verb: To represent by sketch or diagram.
deluge
verb: To overwhelm with a flood of water.
demur
to express doubts or objections
dennigrate
to slur someone's reputation
depose
to remove from a high position,as from a throne
deprave\ity
noun: sinfulness, moral corruption
deprecate
verb: To express disapproval or regret for, with hope for the opposite.
depreciate
verb: To lessen the worth of.
derogate
to belittle, to openly disparage
desecrate
to abuse something sacred (like a church or tomb)
desiccant
noun: Any remedy which, when applied externally, dries up or absorbs moisture, as that of wounds.
despondent
adjective: Disheartened.
despot
noun: An absolute and irresponsible monarch.
destitute
adjective: Poverty-stricken.
desultory
adjective: Not connected with what precedes.
dexterity
noun: Readiness, precision, efficiency, and ease in any physical activity or in any mechanical work.
diabolic
adjective: Characteristic of the devil.
diaphanous
adjective: Transparent.
diatribe
noun: A bitter or malicious criticism.
dichotomy
division into two (often opposing) parts
dictum
noun: A positive utterance.
didactic
adjective: Pertaining to teaching.
diffidence
noun: Self-distrust.
dilatory
adjective: Tending to cause delay.
diminutive
small, little; Betty is dimutive of Elizabeth
disconcerting
bewildering, perplexing, slightly disturbing
discord
noun: Absence of harmoniousness, disagrement, variance
discursive
adjective: Passing from one subject to another.
disparage
verb: To regard or speak of slightingly.
dissemble
verb: To hide by pretending something different.
disseminate
verb: To sow or scatter abroad, as seed is sown.
dissension
noun: Angry or violent difference of opinion.
dissipate
verb: To disperse or disappear.
distend
verb: To stretch out or expand in every direction.
dither
to move or act confusedly or without clear purpose
diurnal
adjective: Daily.
divine
verb: to fortell the future adj: godlike
divisive
creating disunity or conflict
dogmatic
adjective: Making statements without argument or evidence.
doleful
adjective: Melancholy.
droll
amusing in a wry, subtle way
dulcet
pleasant sounding, soothing to the ear
duress
threat of force or intimidation
dyspeptic
gloomy and irritable, suffering from indigestion
ebb
to fade away; to recede
ebullient
adjective: Showing enthusiasm or exhilaration of feeling.
edict
noun: That which is uttered or proclaimed by authority as a rule of action.
edify
verb: To build up, or strengthen, especially in morals or religion.
efface
verb: To obliterate.
efficacious
adjective: Effective.
effigy
likeness of a person (symbol for a person instead of the person themselves) He was hanged in effigy since they couldn't hang him for real.
effrontery
noun: Unblushing impudence.
effulgence
noun: Splendor, brilliance
effusive
adj: expressing emotion without restraint, overflowing with emotion
egregious
adjective: Extreme.
egress
noun: Any place of exit.
elucidate
verb: To bring out more clearly the facts concerning.
endemic
adjective: Peculiar to some specified country or people.
enervate
verb: To render ineffective or inoperative.
engender
verb: To produce.
enmity
noun: Hatred.
ennui
boredom, lack of interest or energy
ensconce
to settle comfortably into a place (like an arm chair, or job(
entreaty
noun: An earnest request.
ephemeral
momentary, transitory, fleeting
Epicurean
adjective: Indulging, ministering, or pertaining to daintiness of appetite.
epigram
noun: A pithy phrasing of a shrewd observation.
equanimity
noun: Evenness of mind or temper.
erudite
adjective: Very-learned.
esoteric
understood by only a few (like very high math)
ethereal (ih theer ee uhl)
not of this world, spiritual, very delicate
ethos
belief or (moral) character of a group (
evanescent
adjective: Fleeting.
evince
verb: To make manifest or evident.
exacerbate
verb: To make more sharp, severe, or virulent.
exculpate
to clear of blame or fault, vindicate (clear of crime)
execrable
adjective: Abominable.
exhort
to urge or incite by strong speech
exhume
verb: To dig out of the earth (what has been buried).
exigent
adjective: Urgent.
exonerate
verb: To relieve or vindicate from accusation, imputation, or blame.
expedient
adjective: Contributing to personal advantage.
expiate
verb: To make satisfaction or amends for.(like for a sin)
expurgate
to censor, to get rid of all trace of
extemporaneous
adjective: Done or made without much or any preparation.
extricate
verb: Disentangle.
fallow
noun: Land broken up and left to become mellow or to rest.
fastidious
adjective: Hard to please.
fatuous
adjective: Idiotic
fecund
fertile, fruitful, productive (lots of growing things or babies)
felicitate
verb: To wish joy or happiness to, especially in view of a coming event.
fervid
adjective: Intense.
fetid
foul-smelling, putrid (like a scummy pond)
fetter
to bind, chain, confine
flacid
limp, flabby, weak
florid
adjective: Flushed with red.
foible
noun: A personal weakness or failing.
foment
to arouse or incite (foment a riot)
forbearance
noun: Patient endurance or toleration of offenses.
forswear
verb: To renounce upon oath.
forte (fohr tay)
noun: A strong point.
founder
to sink, to fall hoplessly (either physically or emotionaly)
fracas
noisy dispute
fractious
unruly, rebellious
fulsome
adjective: Offensive from excess of praise or commendation.
gambol
noun: Playful leaping or frisking.
garner
to gather and store (his great deeds garnered praise from everyone)
garrulous
adjective: Given to constant trivial talking.
gibe
verb: To utter taunts or reproaches.
glib
smooth spoken in an insincere manner, offhand, casual
glower
to glare, stare angrily and intensely
goad
to prod or urge (goad the mule on, goad him until he lost his temper)
guile
noun: Duplicity.
gustatory / gusto
adj: relating to sense of taste noun: keen enjoyment
hackney
verb: To make stale or trite by repetition.
hapless
unfortunate, having bad luck, cannot get anything right
harbinger
noun: One who or that which foreruns and announces the coming of any person or thing.
harrowing
extremely distressing, terrifying (harrowing journey through the volcano)
hermetic
tightly sealed (safe from germs)
hidebound
excessively rigid in their actions, dry and stiff personality
hinterland
wilderness, outside settled areas
hoary
very old (typically person), whitish or gray from age
hyperbole
purposeful exageration of a story for effect
iconoclast
noun: An image-breaker.
idiosyncrasy
noun: A mental quality or habit peculiar to an individual.
ignominious
adjective: Shameful.
ilk
type of kind (often a person - a thief or one of that ilk)
imbue
to infuse, to dye/wet/moisten
immutable
adjective: Unchangeable.
impecunious
adjective: Having no money.
impervious
adjective: Impenetrable.
impetus
noun: Any impulse or incentive.
importune
verb: To harass with persistent demands or entreaties.
improvident
adjective: Lacking foresight or thrift.
impugn
verb: To assail with arguments, insinuations, or accusations.
incendiary
noun: Chemical or person who starts a fire-literally or figuratively.
inchoate
adjective: Incipient.
incipient
adjective: Initial.
inculcate
to teach, indoctrinate, impress in the mind
inculpate
to blame, charge with a crime
incursion
sudden invasion (incursion of the burglars into the home)
indefatigable
never tired (indomitable)
indigent
adjective: Poor.
indignant
adjective: Having such anger and scorn as is aroused by meanness or wickedness.
indolent
adjective: Habitually inactive or idle.
indubitable
adj: unquestionably, true without a doubt
inert
adjective: Inanimate.
inexorable
adjective: Unrelenting.
ingenious
adjective: Evincing skill, originality, or cleverness, as in contrivance or arrangement.
ingenuous
adjective: Candid, frank, or open in character or quality.
ingress
entrance, opposite of egress (exit)
inimical
adjective: Adverse.
iniquity
noun: Gross wrong or injustice.
insidious
adjective: Working ill by slow and stealthy means.
interdict
noun: Authoritative act of prohibition.
interloper
trespasser, meddler in others affairs
interpolate
to insert, to change by adding new words or material, mathematically to estimate a value between two points
interpose
verb: To come between other things or persons.
intransigent
uncompromising, refusing to be reconciled
inure
verb: To harden or toughen by use, exercise, or exposure.
invective
noun: An utterance intended to cast censure, or reproach.
invidious
adjective: Showing or feeling envy.
jingoism
belligerent (excessive) support for one's country
juggernaut
huge force destroying everything in its path (the battleship was a true juggernaut, your mother is a juggernaut when she gets going)
jurisprudence
noun: The science of rights in accordance with positive law.
juxtapose
verb: To place close together.
knell
sound of a funeral bell, omen of death or failure
lachrymose
tearful (she was lachrymose over the death of her dog)
laconic
using few words, person who doesn't say much
laggard
adjective: Falling behind.
lassitude
lethargy, tiredness, sluggishness, lack of energy
legerdemain
trickery, sleight of hand
limpid
clear, transparent (she had beautiful limpid eyes)
lionize
to treat as a celebrity or hero
lissome
easily flexed, limber (e.g., dancer), agile
lugubrious
sorrowful, mournful, dismal
machination
plot or scheme
maelstrom
turmoil, agitated state of mind, whirlpool
magnanimous
adjective: Generous in treating or judging others.
maladroit
clumsy (physically or in manners/speech), tactless
malinger
to evade responsibility, pretending to be ill to avoid work
martinet
strict disciplinarian
matriculate
to enroll as a student in a college or universtity
maudlin
adjective: Foolishly and tearfully affectionate.
mendacious
adjective: Untrue.
mendicant
noun: A beggar.
mercurial
quick, shrewd, unpredictable
meticulous
adjective: Over-cautious.
mettle
noun: Courage.
militate
verb: to work against, operate against (the terrorist militated against peace)
mirth
frivolity, amusement, laughter
moribund
adjective: On the point of dying.
motley / mottle
adjective: Composed of heterogeneous or inharmonious elements. Verb: to cover in spots
multifarious
diverse, many different forms or aspects
munificent
adjective: Extraordinarily generous.
nadir
lowest point (nadir of the graph) opposite of zenith
nascent
starting to develop, coming into existence
negligible
adjective: so small or unimportant that it's not worth considering
neophyte
adjective: Having the character of a beginner.
nettle
verb: To excite sensations of uneasiness or displeasure in.
noisome
adjective: stinking, putrid, Very offensive, particularly to the sense of smell.
notorious / notoriety
adjective: Unfavorably known to the general public. Noun: unfavorable fame
noxious
adjective: Hurtful.
nuance
noun: A slight degree of difference in anything perceptible to the sense of the mind.
nullify
to make legally invalid (the penalty nullified the goal)
oblique
adjective: indirect, evasive, misleading, devious
obsequious
adjective: Showing a servile readiness to fall in with the wishes or will of another.
obstreperous
adjective: Boisterous.
obtuse
insensitive, stupid,dull, unclear (not understandable)
obviate
verb: To clear away or provide for, as an objection or difficulty.
occlude
verb: To absorb, as a gas by a metal.
officious
adjective: Intermeddling with what is not one's concern.
omniscience
noun: Unlimited or infinite knowledge.
onerous
adjective: Burdensome or oppressive.
opulent / oppulence
adjective: Wealthy. Noun: wealth
ostensible
apparent (not always true) The ostensible reason she came was for the homework, but the real reason was love.
ostentation
noun: A showy display dictated by vanity and intended to invite applause or flattery.
palaver
idle talk or conversation
pall
verb: To make dull by satiety. Noun: covering over coffin
palliate
verb: To cause to appear less guilty.or serious
panacea
noun: A remedy or medicine proposed for or professing to cure all diseases.
panoply
noun: an impressive array, A full set of armor.
parity
noun: Equality, as of condition or rank.
parley
verb: To converse in. Noun: discussion between enemies
parochial
of limited scope or outlook Europeans accuse americans of having a parochial outlook that only considers their own interests.
parry
to ward off or deflect (verbal attack, sword stroke, etc)
parsimonious
adjective: Unduly sparing in the use or expenditure of money.
pastiche
piece of literature or music imitating or made up of other works
paucity
noun: Fewness, scarcity, lack (paucity of people to do the job)
peccadillo
noun: A small breach of propriety or principle.
pedagogue
noun: A schoolmaster.
pedant
noun: A scholar who makes needless and inopportune display of his learning.
pejorative
having bad connotations, disparaging, They made disparaging remarks about his intelligence.
percipient
adj: discerning, able to perceive clearly
perdition
complete and utter loss, damnation (road to perdition)
perfidy
noun: Treachery.
perfunctory
adjective: done in a half hearted way, no real attempt to do it well
peripatetic
adjective: Walking about, moving from place to place
permeable
pentratable, the cloth was permeable to water
pernicious
adjective: Tending to kill or hurt.
perspicacious
adjective: Astute., shrewd
pertinacious
adjective: Persistent or unyielding.
pestilence
noun: A raging epidemic.
petulance
noun: The character or condition of being impatient, capricious or rude
phlegmatic
adjective: Not easily roused to feeling or action., calm temperamant
pilfer
steal
pithy
profound, substantial, concise to the point, succinct
pittance
noun: Any small portion or meager allowance.
placate
verb: To bring from a state of angry or hostile feeling to one of patience or friendliness.
ply
to join together, to use diligently, to engage The soldier plyed his sword against the enemy.
polemics
noun: The art of controversy or disputation.
pontificate
to speak in a pretentious manner (often at great length)
precipitate
verb: To force forward prematurely. Adj: sudden, unexpected
prediliction
preference, liking for
prescient
adjective: Foreknowing, foresight
prevaricate
verb: To use ambiguous or evasive language for the purpose of deceiving or diverting attention.
privation
lack of usual necessities or comforts (like on a desert island)
probity
noun: Virtue or integrity tested and confirmed.
proclivity
tendency, inclination (proclivity to break into song whenever he was happy)
prodigious
adjective: Immense, enormous, extraordinary
profligate
adjective: Abandoned to vice, degenerate, corrupt.
propinquity
nearness (the house's propinquity to the pig pen resulted in foul smells on many days)
propitious
adjective: favorable, advantageous, Kindly disposed.
proselytize
verb: to try and convert to a particular religion or belief
protean
readily assuming different forms or characters
puerile
adjective: Childish, immature, silly
pugilism
boxing (knows as the "sweet sport")
pugnacious
adjective: Quarrelsome, eager and ready to fight
pulchritude
beauty, buxom/full female form
quagmire
swamp, difficult situation you cannot get out of (Vietnam was a quagmire for the U.S.)
querulous
adjective: Habitually complaining.
quiescence
noun: Quiet, inactivity, stillness
Quixotic
adjective: Chivalrous or romantic to a ridiculous or extravagant degree.
quotidian
occuring daily, commonplace
raconteur
witty and skillful storyteller
recalcitrant
resisting authority or control
recant
retract a statement or opinion (the witness recanted when she got to the stand)
recondite
relating to obscure learning, known to only a few
rectitude
noun: The quality of being upright in principles and conduct.
redress
verb: To set right, as a wrong by compensation or the punishment of the wrong-doer.
rejoinder
response (often a response that refutes an argument)
remediable
fixable, capable of being corrected
reprobate
noun: One abandoned to depravity and sin.
repudiate
verb: To refuse to have anything to do with, to reject as having no authority.
reticent
adjective: Habitually keeping silent or being reserved in utterance, not speaking freely
retinue
noun: The body of persons who attend a person of importance in travel or public appearance.
retiring
shy, modest, reserved
retrench
verb: To cut down or reduce in extent or quantity.
revelry
boisterous festivity, wild party
ribald
adjective: Indulging in or manifesting coarse indecency or obscenity, humerous in a vulgar way.
riddle
to make many holes in (riddle with bullets), to permeate (the wood was riddled with termites)
ruminate
verb: to contemplate, to think about; to chew over and over like a cow
sacrosanct
extremely sacred, beyond criticism
sagacious
adjective: Able to discern and distinguish with wise perception.
salubrious
healthful, resulting in good result
sanguine
adjective: cheerful, optimistic, Having the color of blood (cheerful people have sanguine or reddish cheeks)
sardonic
adjective: Scornfully or bitterly sarcastic.
scintilla
noun: The faintest amount, faint ray. There was only a scintilla of light in the cave.
scintillate
verb: To emit or send forth sparks or little flashes of light, can be used for a person - The bride was scintilating in her beautiful gown..
scurrilous
adjective: Grossly indecent or vulgar.
sectarian
narrow minded; relating to a group or sect
senescent
old (often implying getting senile)
sententious
having a moralizing tone (like when you are being scolded for being bad)
sentient
adjective: aware, conscious, Possessing the power of sense or sense-perception.
seraphic
angelic, pure, sublime
simper
to smirk, to smile foolishly
sinuous
adjective: Curving in and out.
solecism
noun: Any violation of established rules or customs, grammatical mistake
solipsism
belief that oneself is the only reality (after all, how do you know the rest of the world is real?)
somnolent
adjective: Sleepy, drowsy
sonorous
adjective: Resonant, prodcing a full righ sound (often used to describe a singers voice).
sophistry
noun: Reasoning sound in appearance only, especially when designedly deceptive.
soporific
tending to cause sleep, Her voice was soporific and soon the audience was snoring.
spurious
adjective: Not genuine, fake, not ligitimate He gave a spurious argument for communism.
staid
adjective: Of a steady and sober character, dull character
stoic
indifferent to or unaffected by emotion
stolid
adjective: Expressing no power of feeling or emotion
stultify
verb: to reduce to uselessness, to impair, The students could just try and stay awake during the stultifying lecture.
subjugate
verb: To conquer.
subterfuge
noun: trick or tactic used to avoid something, Evasion
superannuated
too old, obsolete, outdated (can be a thing, idea, person)
supercilious
adjective: Exhibiting haughty and careless contempt, arrogant contempt
surfeit
noun: excessive amoung, more than full We had a surfeit of food at thanksgiving.
surreptitious
adjective: Clandestine, secretive, undercover
sycophant
noun: A servile flatterer, especially of those in authority or influence. Yes-man
tacit
adjective: Understood, implied
tangential
digressing, diverting, on the side Instead of sticking to the point he kept bringing up tangential arguments.
tenable
defensible, reasonable It was a teneable argument even if we couldn't be sure if it was right!
timorous
adjective: timit, shy, full of aprehension, Lacking courage.
tome
book, usually large and academic
torpor / torpid
noun: Apathy. Adj: lethargic, unable to move, dormant
tractable
adjective: Easily led or controlled, obedient, yeilding (people and things)
treacherous
adjective: Perfidious.
trenchant
adjective: acute, sharp, forceful, effective, Cutting deeply and quickly.
trepidation
noun: Nervous uncertainty of feeling, fear and anxiety
trifling
of slight worth, trivial, insignificant
trite
adjective: Made commonplace by frequent repetition, shallow, superficial.
truncate
to cut off, to shorten (an argument, a meeting, etc)
tumult
state of confusion (often loud), agitation
tyro
noun: One slightly skilled in or acquainted with any trade or profession.
ubiquitous
adjective: Being present everywhere. Smart kids are ubiquitous at TJ..
umbrage
noun: A sense of injur, offense, resentment. I take umbrage at that remark!
unctuous
adjective: smugly and falsely earnest, Oily.
upbraid
verb: To reproach as deserving blame, scold.
urbane
courteous, refined, suave (from "urban" meaning city)
usurp
verb: To take possession of by force. The king's brother usurped his throne.
utilitarian
efficient, functional, useful The suitcase was utilitarian, but not very attractive.
vacillate
verb: To waver, to show indecision.
vacuous
adjective: Empty, lacking intelligence, without purpose.
vapid
adjective: tasteless, dull, Having lost sparkling quality and flavor.
vaunted
adj: boasted about, bragged about
venerate
verb: To cherish reverentially, honor, respect
verdant
adjective: Green with vegetation.
versimilitude
quality of appearing true or real (doesn't mean it actually is true, could just look like it)
vestige
noun: A visible trace, mark, or impression, of something absent, lost, or gone.
vicissitude
noun: A change, especially a complete change, of condition or circumstances, as of fortune.
virtuoso
noun: A master in the technique of some particular fine art.
vitriolic
buring, caustic, sharp, bitter. Her vitriolic remarks caused her victim to burst into tears.
whet
verb: To make more keen or eager.
whimsical
adjective: Capricious, playful, fanciful.
wizened
withered, shriveled, wrinkled (often of a person/face)
xenophobia
fear or hatred of strangers or foreigners
yoke
to join together He yoked the oxen to the cart.
zealot
noun: One who espouses a cause or pursues an object in an immoderately partisan manner.