Wordsmart Two Complete Set

Front 1

abase

Back 1

v. to lower in rank, prestige, or esteem; to humiliate; to humble

Front 2

abet

Back 2

v. to support or encourage someone, especially someone who has done something wrong

Front 3

abeyance

Back 3

n. suspension; temporary cessation

Front 4

abjure

Back 4

v. to repudiate; to take back; to refrain from

Front 5

abomination

Back 5

n. something despised or abhorred; extreme loathing

Front 6

aboriginal

Back 6

adj. native; dating back to the very beginning

Front 7

abound

Back 7

v. to be very numerous (abounding is the adjective)

Front 8

abrogate

Back 8

v. to abolish or repeal formally; to set aside; to nullify

Front 9

accede

Back 9

v. to give in; to yield; to agree

Front 10

accentuate

Back 10

v. to emphasize; to accent; to highlight

Front 11

access

Back 11

n. the right or ability to approach, enter, or use (can also be used as a verb)

Front 12

acclaim

Back 12

v. to praise publicly and enthusiastically (n. acclamation)

Front 13

accord

Back 13

v. to agree; to be in harmony; to grant or bestow

Front 14

accouterments

Back 14

n. personal clothing, accessories, or equipment; trappings

Front 15

accrue

Back 15

v. to accumulate over time

Front 16

acquisitive

Back 16

adj. seeking or tending to acquire; greedy

Front 17

acquit

Back 17

v. to find not guilty; to behave or conduct oneself (n. acquittal) def. 2: to acquit oneself in performing some duty is to do a decent job, usually under adverse conditions

Front 18

acronym

Back 18

n. a word made up of the initials of other words (RADAR)

Front 19

ad-lib

Back 19

v. to improvise; to speak or act spontaneously

Front 20

adage

Back 20

n. a traditional saying; a proverb

Front 21

adduce

Back 21

v. to bring forward as an example or as proof; to cite

Front 22

adjourn

Back 22

v. to suspend until another time

Front 23

adjunct

Back 23

n. something to added to or connected with something else; an assistant (an adjunct professor is one who lacks a permanent position on the faculty)

Front 24

adventitious

Back 24

adj. accidental; connected to but nonetheless unrelated; irrelevant

Front 25

advent

Back 25

n. arrival; coming; beginning (often used in Christianity)

Front 26

adverse

Back 26

adj. unfavorable (don't confuse with averse; n. adversity)

Front 27

advocate

Back 27

n. a person who argues in favor of a position (v. advocate: to support; n. advocacy: a support or an agreement with a position)

Front 28

affidavit

Back 28

n. a sworn written statement made before an official

Front 29

affiliate

Back 29

v. to become closely associated with [if you are affiliated (adj.) with something, you are an affiliate (n.) and you have an affiliation (n.)]

Front 30

affliction

Back 30

n. misery; illness; great suffering; a source of misery, illness, or great suffering

Front 31

afford

Back 31

v. to give; to supply; to confer upon

Front 32

affront

Back 32

n. insult; a deliberate act of disrespect (can also be used as a verb; effrontery: rude and disrespectful behavior)

Front 33

aftermath

Back 33

n. consequence; events following some occurrence or calamity

Front 34

aggrandize

Back 34

v. to exaggerate; to cause to appear greater; to increase (something) in power, reputation (self-aggrandizing: to aggressively increase one's position, power, reputation, or wealth, always with a negative connotation)

Front 35

aggrieve

Back 35

v. to mistreat; to do grievous injury to; to distress

Front 36

aghast

Back 36

adj. terrified; shocked

Front 37

alchemy

Back 37

n. a seemingly magical process of transformation

Front 38

alienate

Back 38

v. to estrange; to cause to feel unwelcome or unloved; to make hostile (noun is alienation)

Front 39

allegiance

Back 39

n. loyalty

Front 40

allegory

Back 40

n. a story in which the characters are symbols with moral or spiritual meanings

Front 41

allot

Back 41

v. to apportion, allocate, or assign (n. allotment: a group of things that have been allotted)

Front 42

altercation

Back 42

n. a heated fight, argument, or quarrel

Front 43

amass

Back 43

v. to pile up; to accumulate; to collect for one's own use

Front 44

amid

Back 44

prep. in the middle of

Front 45

anathema

Back 45

n. something or someone loathed or detested

Front 46

ancillary

Back 46

adj. subordinate; providing assistance

Front 47

angst

Back 47

n. anxiety; fear; dread

Front 48

annex

Back 48

v. to add or attach

Front 49

annuity

Back 49

n. an annual allowance or income; the annual interest payment on an investment; any regular occurance or income

Front 50

antedate

Back 50

v. to be older than; to have come before

Front 51

anterior

Back 51

adj. situated in front

Front 52

anthology

Back 52

n. a collection, especially of literary works (verb is anthologize)

Front 53

anthropomorphic

Back 53

adj. ascribing human characteristics to nonhuman animals or objects (Greek word anthropos means man or human; it means to see human shapes in things that are not human, either literally or metaphorically. hands of a clock and car has a mind of its own are both anthropomorphic)

Front 54

antipodal

Back 54

adj. situated on opposite sides of the Earth (noun is antipodes)

Front 55

antiquity

Back 55

n. ancientness; ancient times (adj. antiquated: too old-fashioned to be of any use anymore; n. antiques are overpriced furniture from the olden days; n. antiquary: a person who studies ancient things (sometimes called, though more incorrectly, antiquarian)

Front 56

aperture

Back 56

n. an opening

Front 57

apex

Back 57

n. highest point

Front 58

apogee

Back 58

n. the most distant point in the orbit of the moon or artificial satellite

Front 59

apoplexy

Back 59

n. a stroke (that is, numbness and paralysis resulting from the sudden loss of blood flow to the brain; adjective is apoplectic)

Front 60

apostasy

Back 60

n. abandonment or rejection of faith or loyalty (n. apostate: a person who commits apostasy)

Front 61

appalling

Back 61

adj. causing horror or consternation

Front 62

apparition

Back 62

n. a ghost or ghostly object

Front 63

appellation

Back 63

n. a name

Front 64

appendage

Back 64

n. something added on to something else; a supplement (v. append: to add something on to something else; n. appendix: a small apparently useless organ attached to your intestine)

Front 65

apportion

Back 65

v. to distribute proportionally; to divide into portions

Front 66

apposite

Back 66

adj. distinctly suitable; pertinent

Front 67

appraise

Back 67

v. to estimate the value or quality of; to judge (n. appraisal: act of appraising)

Front 68

apprise

Back 68

v. to give notice to; to inform

Front 69

appurtenance

Back 69

n. something extra; an appendage; an accessory

Front 70

apropos

Back 70

adj. appropriate; coming at this right time

Front 71

apt

Back 71

adj. appropriate; having a tendency to; likely

Front 72

archives

Back 72

n. a place where historical documents or materials are stored; the documents or materials themselves [can also be verb; a person who does this is an archivist (n.), and things related to archives are archival (adj.)]

Front 73

arid

Back 73

adj. very dry; lacking life, interest or imagination

Front 74

armament

Back 74

n. implements of war; the process of arming for war

Front 75

armistice

Back 75

n. truce

Front 76

arraign

Back 76

v. to bring to court to answer an indictment; to accuse (n. arraignment: an act of arraigning)

Front 77

arrant

Back 77

adj. utter; unmitigated; bad

Front 78

arrears

Back 78

n. the state of being in debt; unpaid debts

Front 79

arsenal

Back 79

n. a collection of armaments; a facility for storing or producing armament; a supply of anything useful

Front 80

Articulate

Back 80

v. to pronounce clearly; to express clearly

Front 81

Artisan

Back 81

n. a person skilled in a craft

Front 82

Ascertain

Back 82

v. to determine with certainty; to find out definitely

Front 83

Ascribe

Back 83

v. to credit to or assign; to attribute

Front 84

Askance

Back 84

adv. with suspicion or disapproval

Front 85

Aspersion

Back 85

n. a slanderous or damning remark

Front 86

Assail

Back 86

v. to attack vigorously (n. assailant: an attacker)

Front 87

Assert

Back 87

v. to claim strongly; to affirm

Front 88

Assess

Back 88

v. to evaluate; to estimate; to appraise (v. reassess: to reevaluate something)

Front 89

Astringent

Back 89

adj. harsh; sever; withering

Front 90

asylum

Back 90

n. mental hospital or similar institution; refuge; a place of safety

Front 91

atone

Back 91

v. to make amends (this is followed with "for")

Front 92

atrophy

Back 92

v. to wither away ; to decline from disuse

Front 93

attest

Back 93

v to give proof of; to declare to be true or correct; to give testimony

Front 94

attribute

Back 94

v. to credit to or assign; to ascribe (can also be a noun)

Front 95

augur

Back 95

v. to serve as an omen or be a sign; to predict or foretell (noun is augury)

Front 96

august

Back 96

adj. inspiring admiration or awe

Front 97

auspices

Back 97

n. protection; support; sponsorship (adj. auspicious: promising, favorable, or fortunate.)

Front 98

auxiliary

Back 98

adj. secondary; additional; giving assistance or aid

Front 99

avail

Back 99

v. to help; to be of use; to serve (adj. availing: helpful or of use)

Front 100

avant-garde

Back 100

n. the vanguard; members of a group, especially of a literary or artistic one, who are at the cutting edge of their field (can also be adjective)

Front 101

aversion

Back 101

n. a strong feeling of dislike (adj. averse: having an aversion against something)

Front 102

avert

Back 102

v. to turn away; to prevent

Front 103

avid

Back 103

adj. eager; enthusiastic (n. avidity: eagerness; enthusiasm)

Front 104

bacchanal

Back 104

n. a party animal; a drunken reveler; a drunken revelry or orgy [think Bacchus, Roman god of wine; bacchanalia is a word for such a party (n.)]

Front 105

baleful

Back 105

adj. menacing; threatening

Front 106

balk

Back 106

v. to abruptly refuse (to do something); to stop short

Front 107

ballyhoo

Back 107

n. sensational advertising or promotion; uproar

Front 108

balm

Back 108

n. something that heals or soothes [adj. balmy weather is weather that's mild, pleasant, and wonderful. slang definition (adj.) is eccentric or foolish]

Front 109

bandy

Back 109

v. to toss back and forth; to exchange

Front 110

banter

Back 110

n. an exchange of good-humored or mildly teasing remarks (can also be verb: to converse with someone)

Front 111

baroque

Back 111

adj. extravagantly ornate; flamboyant in style (Baroque is a study of art, architecture, and music in Europe from 1600s-1700s)

Front 112

barrage

Back 112

n. a concentrated outpouring of artillery fire, or of anything else (can also be used as verb)

Front 113

bauble

Back 113

n. a gaudy trinket; a small, inexpensive ornament

Front 114

bedlam

Back 114

n. noisy uproar and chaos; a place characterized by noisy uproar and chaos

Front 115

begrudge

Back 115

v. to envy another's possession or enjoyment of something; to be reluctant to give, or to give grudgingly

Front 116

behest

Back 116

n. command; order

Front 117

bemoan

Back 117

v. to mourn about; to lament

Front 118

benediction

Back 118

n. a blessing; an utterance of good wishes

Front 119

benighted

Back 119

adj. ignorant; unenlightened

Front 120

bestow

Back 120

v. to present as a gift; to confer

Front 121

bile

Back 121

a greenish-yellow liquid excreted by the liver

Front 122

bilious

Back 122

adj. ill-tempered; cranky

Front 123

bivouac

Back 123

n. a temporary encampment, especially of soldiers(can also be used as verb, but it refers to people rather than soldiers)

Front 124

blanch

Back 124

v. to turn pale; to cause to turn pale

Front 125

blandishment

Back 125

n. flattery

Front 126

bland

Back 126

adj. mild; tasteless; dull; unlively

Front 127

bliss

Back 127

n. perfect contentment; extreme joy (adj. blissful: serenely and supremely content)

Front 128

bluster

Back 128

v. to roar; to be loud; to be tumultuous (can also be used as noun: roar; adjective is blustery, which is usually used with wind)

Front 129

bombast

Back 129

n. pompous or pretentious speech or writing (adj. bombastic)

Front 130

bon vivant

Back 130

n. a person who enjoys good food, good drink, and luxurious living

Front 131

bona fide

Back 131

adj. sincere; done in good faith; authentic; genuine

Front 132

boon

Back 132

n. a blessing; a benefit

Front 133

boor

Back 133

n. a rude or churlish person (adjective is boorish)

Front 134

booty

Back 134

n. goods taken from an enemy in war; plunder; stolen or confiscated goods

Front 135

botch

Back 135

v. to bungle; to ruin through poor or clumsy effort

Front 136

bracing

Back 136

adj. invigorating

Front 137

brandish

Back 137

v. to wave or display threateningly

Front 138

bravado

Back 138

n. a false show or ostentatious show of bravery or defiance

Front 139

brawn

Back 139

n. big muscles; great strength (adj. is brawny)

Front 140

brazen

Back 140

adj. impudent; bold ( can also mean is made of or is similar to brass)

Front 141

breach

Back 141

n. a violation; a gap or break

Front 142

brink

Back 142

n. edge (brinkmanship is a political term describing a n effort by one country or official to gain advantage over another by appearing willing to push a dangerous situation to the brink, such as resorting to nuclear weapons)

Front 143

bristle

Back 143

v. to stiffen with anger; to act in a way suggestive of an animal whose hair is standing on end; to appear in some way similar to hair standing on end (n. bristle: short, stiff hairs)

Front 144

bromide

Back 144

n. a dull, obvious, over familiar saying; a cliché (refers to certain compounds containing bromine)

Front 145

brouhaha

Back 145

n. uproar; hubbub

Front 146

brusque

Back 146

adj. abrupt in manner; blunt

Front 147

buffoon

Back 147

n. a joker, especially one who is coarse or acts like an ass

Front 148

bulwark

Back 148

n. a wall used as an defensive fortification; anything used as the main defense against anything else

Front 149

byzantine

Back 149

adj. extremely intricate or complicated in structure; having to do with the Byzantine Empire

Front 150

cabal

Back 150

n. a group of conspirators; the acts of such a group; a clique

Front 151

cache

Back 151

n. a hiding place; the things hidden in a secret place

Front 152

calamity

Back 152

n. a disaster

Front 153

callous

Back 153

adj. insensitive; emotionally hardened (n. Callus a patch of thickened or rough skin)

Front 154

calumny

Back 154

n. slander; a maliciously false statement (v. calumniate)

Front 155

canon

Back 155

n. a rule or law, especially a religious one; a body of rules or laws; an official set of holy books; an authoritative list; the set of works by an author that are accepted as authentic

Front 156

cant

Back 156

n. insincere or hypocritical speech

Front 157

canvass

Back 157

v. to seek votes or opinions; to conduct a survey (not same as canvas, a rough cotton cloth that stuff like circus tents are made of; n. canvass: an act of canvassing)

Front 158

capacious

Back 158

adj. spacious; roomy; commodious

Front 159

capital

Back 159

n. the town or city that is the seat of government; money, equipment, and property owned by a business; wealth used in creating more wealth

Front 160

captivate

Back 160

v. to fascinate; to enchant; to enrapture

Front 161

carcinogenic

Back 161

adj. causing cancer (carcinogen is an agent that causes cancer).

Front 162

cardinal

Back 162

adj. most important; chief

Front 163

careen

Back 163

v. to swerve; to move rapidly without control; to lean to one side

Front 164

cartography

Back 164

n. the art of making maps and charts (n. cartographer: a person who makes maps and charts)

Front 165

cascade

Back 165

n. a waterfall; anything resembling a waterfall (can also be a verb)

Front 166

cataclysm

Back 166

n. a violent upheaval; an earthquake; a horrible flood (adj. is cataclysmic)

Front 167

caucus

Back 167

n. a meeting of the members of a political party or political faction; a political group whose members have common interests or goals (can also be verb)

Front 168

cavalier

Back 168

adj. arrogant; haughty; carefree; causal

Front 169

cavil

Back 169

v. to quibble; to raise trivial objections (can also be a noun)

Front 170

chaff

Back 170

n. worthless stuff

Front 171

chameleon

Back 171

n. a highly changeable person (like chameleon, the lizard that changes color to match surroundings and camouflage)

Front 172

champion

Back 172

v. to defend; to support

Front 173

channel

Back 173

v. to direct; to cause to follow a certain path

Front 174

chaste

Back 174

adj. pure and unadorned; abstaining from sex

Front 175

cherub

Back 175

n. a supercute chubby-cheeked child; a kind of an angel (adj. is cherubic)

Front 176

chortle

Back 176

v. to chuckle with glee (can also be a noun)

Front 177

churl

Back 177

n. a rude person; a boor (adj is churlish)

Front 178

chutzpah

Back 178

n. brazenness; audacity

Front 179

cipher

Back 179

n. a zero; a nobody; a code; the solution to a code (v. decipher to decode a message; v. encipher: to put into code)

Front 180

circumnavigate

Back 180

v. to sail or travel all the way around (can be used figuratively)

Front 181

citadel

Back 181

n. a fortress defending a city; a stronghold; a bulwark

Front 182

clandestine

Back 182

adj. concealed or secret, usually for evil or subversive purpose

Front 183

classic

Back 183

adj. top-notch; of the highest quality; serving as a standard or model ( can also be noun; Classical refers to Greece and Rome)

Front 184

cleave

Back 184

v. to cling; to split (has opposite definitions)

Front 185

climatic

Back 185

adj. having to do with climate (don't get confused with climactic, which means having to do with climax)

Front 186

cloister

Back 186

n. a covered walk, with columns on one side, that runs along the perimeters of a courtyard, especially in a convent or monastery; a convent or monastery; a tranquil, secluded place (verb form: to cloister someone is to put them into seclusion)

Front 187

clone

Back 187

n. an exact duplicate; an organism genetically identical to another (can also be a verb)

Front 188

clout

Back 188

n. a blow; influence

Front 189

cloy

Back 189

v. to cause to feel too full, especially when indulging something overly sweet; to become wearisome through excess

Front 190

coddle

Back 190

v. to baby

Front 191

cogitate

Back 191

v. to ponder; to meditate; to think carefully about (noun is cogitation)

Front 192

cohort

Back 192

n. a group

Front 193

commemorate

Back 193

v. to honor the memory of; to serve as memorial to (commemoration is noun)

Front 194

commiserate

Back 194

v. to express sorrow or sympathy for; to sympathize with; to pity (noun is commiseration)

Front 195

commodious

Back 195

adj. spacious; roomy; capacious (notice that some words with prefix "com" and "con" mean "with" somebody or something, though not this one and a few others)

Front 196

compatible

Back 196

adj. harmonious; capable of functioning, working, or living together in harmony; consistent (opposite is incompatible; noun is compatibility)

Front 197

competent

Back 197

adj. capable; qualified (opposite is incompetent; noun is competence)

Front 198

compile

Back 198

v. to gather together; to gather together into a book (noun is compilation)

Front 199

comply

Back 199

v. to act or be in accordance (add with after; noun is compliance)

Front 200

composed

Back 200

adj. calm; tranquil (noun is composure)

Front 201

compromise

Back 201

n. a settlement of differences in which each sides gives up something ( can also be a verb or it can mean to abandon or give up)

Front 202

compunction

Back 202

n. remorse; a feeling of uneasiness at doing something wrong

Front 203

concave

Back 203

adj. curved inward, like the inside of a circle or sphere (not convex)

Front 204

concede

Back 204

v. to acknowledge as true or right; to grant or yield (noun is concession)

Front 205

concentric

Back 205

adj. having the same center

Front 206

concert

Back 206

n. combined action; agreement (adj. is concerted)

Front 207

concoct

Back 207

v. to create by mixing ingredients; to devise (noun is concoction)

Front 208

concomitant

Back 208

adj. following from; accompanying; going along with

Front 209

confederate

Back 209

n. an ally; an accomplice (like Confederacy; confederate is also verb)

Front 210

confer

Back 210

v. to exchange ideas; to consult with; to bestow (n. conference is a meeting at which people confer)

Front 211

confidant

Back 211

n. a person with whom secrets or private thoughts are shared (n. confidante: female confidant)

Front 212

configuration

Back 212

n. arrangement (v. configure: to arrange)

Front 213

conflagration

Back 213

n. a large fire

Front 214

confluence

Back 214

n. a flowing together

Front 215

confound

Back 215

v. to bewilder; to amaze; to throw into confusion

Front 216

congeal

Back 216

v. to solidify; to jell

Front 217

conjugal

Back 217

adj. having to do with marriage

Front 218

connive

Back 218

v. to conspire; to aid or encourage a wrong by feigning ignorance (n. connivance)

Front 219

conservatory

Back 219

n. a greenhouse, usually one attached to another structure; a music or drama school

Front 220

consign

Back 220

v. to hand over; to assign; to entrust; to banish (n. consignment)

Front 221

consolidate

Back 221

v. to combine or bring together; to solidify; to strengthen

Front 222

conspicuous

Back 222

adj. easily seen; impossible to miss

Front 223

consternation

Back 223

n. a sudden confusion

Front 224

constituency

Back 224

n. the group of voters represented by a politician; a group of supporters for anything (made up of constituents)

Front 225

contempt

Back 225

n. disdain; disgrace (such as contempt of the court)

Front 226

continuum

Back 226

n. a continuous whole without clear division into paarts

Front 227

contraband

Back 227

n. smuggled goods

Front 228

contretemps

Back 228

n. an embarrassing occurrence; a mishap

Front 229

contumely

Back 229

n. rudeness; insolence; arrogance (adj. contumelious)

Front 230

conundrum

Back 230

n. a puzzle or problem without a solution

Front 231

convene

Back 231

v. to gather together; to assemble; to meet (n. convention is an event at which people convene)

Front 232

conversant

Back 232

adj. familiar; experienced

Front 233

converse

Back 233

n. the opposite

Front 234

convey

Back 234

v. to transport; to conduct; to communicate (n. conveyance: an act of transporting)

Front 235

conviction

Back 235

n. strong belief; a determination of guilt

Front 236

convolution

Back 236

n. a twist or turn; the act of twisting or turning (a convoluted plot has lots of twists and turn; a convoluted argument is a complex argument that is hard to follow; v. convolute)

Front 237

copious

Back 237

adj. abundant; plentiful

Front 238

cordial

Back 238

adj. gracious; warm; sincere (n. cordiality)

Front 239

corollary

Back 239

n. a preposition that follow easily and obviously from another; a natural consequence or conclusion (like in geometry)

Front 240

corporeal

Back 240

adj. material; tangible; having substance, like the body (don't get confused with corporal, which means having to do with body; corpulent is a person with lots of body fat; corp is a body of people)

Front 241

correlation

Back 241

n. a mutual relation between two or more things

Front 242

corrosive

Back 242

adj. eating away; destructive

Front 243

corrugated

Back 243

adj. shaped with folds or waves

Front 244

coterie

Back 244

n. a group of close associates; a circle (of friends of associates)

Front 245

cower

Back 245

v. to shrink away or huddle up in fear

Front 246

crass

Back 246

adj. extremely unrefined; gross; stupid

Front 247

craven

Back 247

adj. cowardly

Front 248

crescendo

Back 248

n. a gradual increase in the volume of a sound; a gradual increase in the intensity of anything

Front 249

crestfallen

Back 249

adj. dejected; dispirited [think head is crest, when dejected you put your head down, so "crest" (head) + "fallen" (down)]

Front 250

crevice

Back 250

n. a narrow split, crack, or fissure (a large crevice in a glacier is called a crevasse)

Front 251

cringe

Back 251

v. to shrink back with fear; to cower; to be servile or suck up in a horrible way

Front 252

critique

Back 252

n. a critical review (can also be a verb; neutral connotation though often used negatively)

Front 253

crux

Back 253

n. the central point; the essence (crux of an argument is crucial part of it)

Front 254

cuisine

Back 254

n. a style of cooking

Front 255

cull

Back 255

v. to pick out from among many; to select; to collect

Front 256

curb

Back 256

v. to restrain or control (noun is something that curbs)

Front 257

curmudgeon

Back 257

n. a difficult, bad-tempered person (usually used with "old")

Front 258

cursory

Back 258

adj. quick and not thorough; hasty; superficial

Front 259

debase

Back 259

v. to lower in quality or value; to degrade (n. debasement; see abase)

Front 260

debunk

Back 260

v. to expose the nonsense of (n. bunk: meaningless talk or nonsense)

Front 261

decree

Back 261

n. an official order, usually having the force of law (can also be a verb)

Front 262

decry

Back 262

v. to put down; to denounce

Front 263

deem

Back 263

v. to judge; to consider

Front 264

deficit

Back 264

n. a shortage especially of money (closely related to deficiency and defect)

Front 265

defile

Back 265

v. to make filthy or foul; to desecrate

Front 266

deft

Back 266

adj. skillful

Front 267

defunct

Back 267

adj. no longer in effect; no longer in existence (related to function)

Front 268

degrade

Back 268

v. to lower in dignity or status; to corrupt; to deteriorate (noun is degradation and adjective is degraded)

Front 269

deign

Back 269

v. to condescend; to think it in accordance with one's dignity (to do something)

Front 270

deity

Back 270

n. a god or goddess (v. deify: to treat someone as a deity)

Front 271

dejected

Back 271

v. depressed; disheartened (noun is dejection, think rejection causes dejection)

Front 272

delectable

Back 272

adj. delightful; delicious

Front 273

delinquent

Back 273

adj. neglecting a duty or law; late in payment (can also be a noun: a person that neglects the law)

Front 274

delve

Back 274

v. to search or study intensively (originally meant to dig)

Front 275

demeanor

Back 275

n. behavior; manner (don't confuse with v. demean or adj. demeaning. v. demean means to lower its dignity or stature)

Front 276

demise

Back 276

n. death

Front 277

demography

Back 277

n. the statical study of characteristics of populations (think democracy is people, graph is statistics, so it is people statistics; person that studies this is a demographer)

Front 278

demure

Back 278

adj. shy; reserved; sedate (don't confuse with demur)

Front 279

demur

Back 279

v. to object; to take exception (don't confuse with demure)

Front 280

denomination

Back 280

n. a classification; a category name

Front 281

denote

Back 281

v. to signify; to indicate; to mark

Front 282

denounce

Back 282

v. to condemn (n. denunciation)

Front 283

depict

Back 283

v. to portray, especially in a picture; to describe (n. depiction; think de"pict" means to draw a "pict"ure in one's mind)

Front 284

deplete

Back 284

v. to decrease the supply of; to exhaust; to use up (n. depletion; adj. replete: full, n. repletion)

Front 285

deplore

Back 285

v. to regret; to condemn; to lament

Front 286

deploy

Back 286

v. to station soldiers or armaments strategically; to arrange strategically

Front 287

depose

Back 287

v. to remove from office or position of power

Front 288

depredate

Back 288

v. to prey upon; to plunder (n. depredation or predation)

Front 289

derelict

Back 289

adj. neglectful; delinquent; deserted (can also be a noun)

Front 290

desist

Back 290

v. to stop doing (something)

Front 291

devout

Back 291

adj. deeply religious; fervent (related to devoted; n. devotee)

Front 292

diatribe

Back 292

n. a bitter; abusive denunciation

Front 293

dichotomy

Back 293

n.a division into two parts, especially contradictory ones

Front 294

diffuse

Back 294

v. to cause to spread out; to cause to disperse; to disseminate (can also be adj; noun is diffusion)

Front 295

dilapidated

Back 295

adj. broken down; fallen into ruin (comes from Latin version meaning to pelt with stones)

Front 296

dilate

Back 296

v. to make larger; to become larger; to speak or write at length (n. dilation)

Front 297

dilemma

Back 297

n. a situation in which one must choose between two equally attractive choices; any problem or predicament (comes from Greek words meaning double proposition, so it's real meaning is between two things but informally it can mean between any amount of choices; close synonym of quandary)

Front 298

diminution

Back 298

n. the act or process of diminishing; reduction (adj. diminutive means very small)

Front 299

dire

Back 299

adj. disastrous; desperate

Front 300

dirge

Back 300

n. a funeral song (a mournful song played at your funeral intended to make people you know feel sad)

Front 301

disaffect

Back 301

v. to cause to lose affection; to estrange; to alienate (disaffection means the loss of affection; adj. disaffected is no longer content or no longer loyal)

Front 302

disarray

Back 302

n. disorder; confusion (can also be a verb)

Front 303

disclaim

Back 303

v. to deny any claim to; to renounce (n. disclaimer; like the advertisements)

Front 304

discomfit

Back 304

v. to frustrate; to confuse

Front 305

disconcert

Back 305

v. to upset; to ruffle; to perturb

Front 306

discrepancy

Back 306

n. difference; inconsistency (adj. discrepant)

Front 307

discursive

Back 307

adj. rambling from one topic to another, usually aimlessly

Front 308

disgruntle

Back 308

v. to make sulky and dissatisfied; to discontent (adj. disgruntled: discontented; discontent)

Front 309

disinformation

Back 309

n. false information purposely disseminated, usually by a government, for the purpose of creating a false impression

Front 310

dismal

Back 310

adj. dreary; causing gloom; causing dread

Front 311

dismay

Back 311

v. to fill with dread; to discourage greatly; to perturb (n. dismay: anxiety; dread; sudden disappointment)

Front 312

dispassionate

Back 312

adj. unaffected by passion; impartial; calm (adj. impassioned: passionate, emotional, all worked up; adj. dispassionate: cool and objective, not to let judgement be affected by emotions; adj. impassive: closely related word that means revealing no emotions, expressionless)

Front 313

disperse

Back 313

v. to scatter; to spread widely; to disseminate (n. dispersion)

Front 314

dispirit

Back 314

v. to discourage; to dishearten; to lose spirit

Front 315

disposition

Back 315

n. characteristic attitude; state of mind; inclination; arrangement (opp. predisposition an attitude or state of mind beforehand)

Front 316

disproportionate

Back 316

adj. out of proportion; too much or too little (opp. proportionate)

Front 317

disquiet

Back 317

v. to make uneasy (can also be a noun meaning unease or nervousness)

Front 318

dissemble

Back 318

v. to conceal the real nature of; to act or speak falsely in order to deceive (not the same thing as disassemble)

Front 319

dissent

Back 319

v. to disagree; to withhold approval (n. dissenter: a person who dissents; can also be a noun)

Front 320

disservice

Back 320

n. a harmful action; an ill turn

Front 321

dissident

Back 321

n. a person who disagrees or dissents (dissident can also be an adjective)

Front 322

dissuade

Back 322

v. to persuade not to (opposite of persuade; dissuasion is noun)

Front 323

distinct

Back 323

adj. separate; different; clear and unmistakeable (n. distinction; opposite is indistinct)

Front 324

diurnal

Back 324

adj. occurring every day; occurring during the daytime (opposite of nocturnal)

Front 325

divine

Back 325

v. to intuit; to prophesy (n. divination)

Front 326

divulge

Back 326

v. to reveal, especially to reveal something that has been secret

Front 327

document

Back 327

v. to support with evidence, especially written evidence

Front 328

doldrums

Back 328

n. low spirits; a state of inactivity (for sailors it means a place near the equator with little winds)

Front 329

doleful

Back 329

adj. sorrowful; filled with grief (syn. dolorous)

Front 330

dolt

Back 330

n. a stupid person; a dunce

Front 331

dotage

Back 331

n. senility; foolish affection (to dote on something is to be foolishly or excessively affectionate toward it)

Front 332

double entendre

Back 332

n. a word or phrase having a double meaning, especially when the second meaning is risqué

Front 333

dour

Back 333

adj. forbidding; severe; gloomy

Front 334

downcast

Back 334

adj. directed downward; dejected

Front 335

downplay

Back 335

v. to minimize; to represent as being insignificant

Front 336

draconian

Back 336

adj. harsh; severe; cruel (often capitalized; derived from the name of Draco, an Athenian official who created a notoriously harsh code of laws)

Front 337

droll

Back 337

adj. humorous; amusing in an odd, often understated way

Front 338

dross

Back 338

n. worthless stuff, especially worthless stuff arising from the production of valuable stuff

Front 339

duress

Back 339

n. coercion; compulsion by force or threat (usually preceded by under)

Front 340

ebb

Back 340

v. to diminish; to recede (also means from old word to mean low tide; opposite is flood)

Front 341

ecclesiastical

Back 341

adj. having to do with the church

Front 342

eclipse

Back 342

v. to block the light of; to overshadow; to reduce the significance of; to surpass

Front 343

ecosystem

Back 343

n. a community of organisms and the physical environment in which they live (n. ecology: science of the relationships between organisms an their environment; adjective is ecological)

Front 344

edict

Back 344

n. an official decree

Front 345

edifice

Back 345

n. a big, imposing building

Front 346

effectual

Back 346

adj. effective; adequate (opp. ineffectual)

Front 347

efficacy

Back 347

n. effectiveness

Front 348

effigy

Back 348

n. a likeness of someone, especially one used in expressing hatred for the person of whom it is a likeness (often used in the clichéd phrased burned an effigy)

Front 349

elation

Back 349

n. a feeling of great joy (adj. elated; v. elate)

Front 350

electorate

Back 350

n. the body of people entitled to vote in an election; the voters (adj. electoral)

Front 351

elegy

Back 351

n. a mournful poem or other piece of writing; a mournful piece of music (adj. elegiac)

Front 352

elite

Back 352

n. the best or most select group (can also be a adjective; elitists are snobs)

Front 353

elocution

Back 353

n. the art of public speaking (a locution is a particular phrase or word; when someone speaks well he is eloquent)

Front 354

emaciate

Back 354

v. to make extremely thin through starvation or illness (n. emaciation)

Front 355

emanate

Back 355

v. to come forth; to issue (n. emanation)

Front 356

emancipate

Back 356

v. to liberate; to free from bondage or restraint (n. emancipation)

Front 357

embargo

Back 357

n. a government order suspending foreign trade; a government order suspending the movement of freight-carrying ships in and out of the country's ports (syn. sanction)

Front 358

embellish

Back 358

v. to adorn; to beautify by adding ornaments; to add fanciful or fictitious details to (n. belle is a beautiful young woman; to embellish is to make beautiful or to adorn; can also have negative connotations, such as when lies are added to make a story more appealing)

Front 359

embody

Back 359

v. to personify; to give physical form to (n. embodiment)

Front 360

embroil

Back 360

v. to involve in conflict; to throw into disorder (n. imbroglio: a confused, difficult, embarrassed situation)

Front 361

embryonic

Back 361

adj. undeveloped; rudimentary (any unborn animal that is in earliest stages of development)

Front 362

emissary

Back 362

n. a messenger or representative sent to represent another (v. emit: to send out; n. emission: something sent out; emissary: a person sent out as a messenger or representative)

Front 363

empathy

Back 363

n. identification with the feelings or thoughts of another (v. empathize; don't get confused with sympathy and apathy; empathy goes further than sympathy)

Front 364

empower

Back 364

v. to give power or authority to; to enable

Front 365

endear

Back 365

v. to make dear; to make beloved (n. endearment)

Front 366

engaging

Back 366

adj. charming; pleasing; attractive

Front 367

enmity

Back 367

n. deep hatred; animosity; ill will (enmity is what enemies feel towards each other)

Front 368

ennui

Back 368

n. boredom; listless lack of interest (french word for boredom)

Front 369

ensue

Back 369

v. to follow immediately afterward; to result

Front 370

entail

Back 370

v. to have as necessary consequence; to involve

Front 371

entity

Back 371

n. something that exists; a distinct thing (opposite is nonentity)

Front 372

entreat

Back 372

v. to ask earnestly; to beg; to plead (n. entreaty)

Front 373

entrepreneur

Back 373

n. an independent business person; one who starts, runs and assumes the risk of operating an independent business enterprise (adj. entrepreneurial)

Front 374

enumerate

Back 374

v. to name one by one; to list (innumerable things are too numerous to be able to listed one by one)

Front 375

envision

Back 375

v. to imagine; to forsee (envisage is a synonym but is just a little bit more stilted.)

Front 376

epicure

Back 376

n. a person with refined taste in wine and food (adj. epicurean)

Front 377

epilogue

Back 377

n. an afterword; a short concluding chapter of a book; a short speech at the end of a play (opposite of prologue)

Front 378

epoch

Back 378

n. an era; a distinctive period of time (don't confuse with epic; adj. epochal: extremely important)

Front 379

equestrian

Back 379

adj. having to do with horseback riding (can also be a noun who rides on horseback)

Front 380

errant

Back 380

adj. wandering; straying; in error (not to be confused with arrant)

Front 381

estimable

Back 381

adj. worthy of admiration; capable of being estimated

Front 382

estrange

Back 382

v. to make unfriendly or hostile; to cause to feel removed from

Front 383

ethics

Back 383

adj. moral standards governing behavior (adj. ethical)

Front 384

eulogy

Back 384

n. a spoken or written tribute to a person, especially a person who has just died (v. eulogize; syn. panegyric)

Front 385

evince

Back 385

v. to demonstrate convincingly; to prove

Front 386

evoke

Back 386

v. to summon forth; to draw forth; to awaken; to produce or suggest (n. evocation; don't confuse with invoke)

Front 387

excise

Back 387

v. to remove by cutting, or as if by cutting (n. excision)

Front 388

exempt

Back 388

adj. excused; not subject to (can also be verb, n. exemption)

Front 389

exhume

Back 389

v. to unbury; to dig out of the ground

Front 390

exodus

Back 390

n. a mass departure or journey away (second book of Bible containing the exit of Moses and the Israelite from Egypt)

Front 391

exorbitant

Back 391

adj. excessively costly; excessive (literally sky-high or out of reach, figuratively costs are out of reach)

Front 392

expiate

Back 392

v. to make amends for; to atone for (n. expiation

Front 393

explicate

Back 393

v. to make a detailed explanation of the meaning of (n. explication; inexplicable is unexplainable)

Front 394

exposition

Back 394

n. explanation; a large public exhibition (v. expound; expository)

Front 395

expostulate

Back 395

v. to reason with someone in order to warn or dissuade

Front 396

expunge

Back 396

v. to erase; to eliminate any trace of

Front 397

exquisite

Back 397

adj. extraordinarily fine or beautiful; intense

Front 398

extant

Back 398

adj. still in existence

Front 399

extort

Back 399

v. to obtain through force, threat or illicit means ("tort" means twist, n. extortion, see tortuous)

Front 400

extremity

Back 400

n. the outermost point or edge; the greatest degree; grave danger; a limb or appendage of the body

Front 401

exuberant

Back 401

adj. highly joyous or enthusiastic; overflowing; lavish (n. exuberance)

Front 402

facade

Back 402

n. the front of a building; the false front of a building; the false front or misleading appearance of anything

Front 403

facet

Back 403

n. any of the flat, polished surfaces of a cut gem; aspect

Front 404

fallacy

Back 404

n. a false notion or belief; a misconception (adj. fallacious)

Front 405

fathom

Back 405

v. to understand; to penetrate the meaning of

Front 406

faux

Back 406

adj. false (faux pas means literally false step but it usually means an embarrassing mistake)

Front 407

fawn

Back 407

v. to exhibit affection; to seek favor through flattery; to kiss up to someone

Front 408

feign

Back 408

v. to make a false representation of; to pretend (a feigning motion, gesture, or action is a feint which can also be a verb)

Front 409

fester

Back 409

v. to generate pus; to decay

Front 410

fetish

Back 410

n. an object of obsessive reverence, attention, or interest (many people often associate this with sexual desire, though the original meaning use to have a religious one)

Front 411

fiasco

Back 411

n. a complete failure or disaster; an incredible screwup

Front 412

fiat

Back 412

n. arbitrary decree or order

Front 413

fickle

Back 413

adj. likely to change for no good reason

Front 414

figment

Back 414

n. something made up or invented; a fabrication

Front 415

fiscal

Back 415

adj. pertaining to financial matters; monetary

Front 416

fledgling

Back 416

adj. inexperience or immature (full-fledged means complete, full-grown)

Front 417

flippant

Back 417

adj. frivolously disrespectful; saucy; pert; flip (n. flippancy; see flip)

Front 418

florid

Back 418

adj. ruddy; flushed; red-faced (related to floral and florist)

Front 419

fodder

Back 419

n. coarse food for livestock; raw material (fodder and food have same root)

Front 420

folly

Back 420

n. foolishness; insanity; imprudence (folly and fool have same root)

Front 421

foray

Back 421

n. a quick raid or attack; an initial venture

Front 422

forebode

Back 422

v. to be an omen of; to predict; to foretell (sometimes means to predict or prophesy; n. foreboding: the feeling that something awful is about to happen; syn. bode)

Front 423

foreclose

Back 423

v. to deprive a mortgagor of his or her right to redeem a property; to shut out or exclude (n. foreclosure)

Front 424

forensic

Back 424

adj. related to or used in courts of law (can also be the study or practice of debate)

Front 425

forestall

Back 425

v. to thwart, prevent, or hinder something from happening; to head off

Front 426

foreswear

Back 426

v. to retract, renounce, or recant; to take back

Front 427

forte

Back 427

n. a person's strong point, special talent, or specialty

Front 428

forthright

Back 428

adj. frank; outspoken; going straight to the point

Front 429

foster

Back 429

v. to encourage; to promote the development of

Front 430

fragmentary

Back 430

adj. incomplete; disconnected; made up of fragments (v. fragment: to break into pieces; adj. fragmented: divided)

Front 431

fruitful

Back 431

adj. productive; producing good or abundant results; successful (fruitless means unproductive, pointless, or unrewarding; to reach fruition is to accomplish or fulfill what has been sought or striven for)

Front 432

fuel

Back 432

v. to stimulate; to ignite; to kindle; as if providing with fuel

Front 433

fulminate

Back 433

v. to denounce vigorously; to protest vehemently against something (syn. diatribe)

Front 434

gaffe

Back 434

n. a social blunder; an embarrassing mistake; a faux pas

Front 435

galvanize

Back 435

v. to startle into sudden activity; to revitalize (to galvanize is to literally cover with zinc, protecting and making it stronger)

Front 436

gambit

Back 436

n. a scheme to gain an advantage; to ploy

Front 437

gamut

Back 437

n. the full range (of something)

Front 438

garner

Back 438

v. to gather; to acquire; to earn

Front 439

gastronomy

Back 439

n. the art of eating well

Front 440

generic

Back 440

adj. general; common; not protected by trademark

Front 441

genesis

Back 441

n. origin; creating; beginning (first book of bible)

Front 442

genocide

Back 442

n. the extermination of national, racial, or religious group (the Holocaust; "cide" means murder such as homicide, matricide is mother-murder, patricide is father murder, suicide is self-murder, insecticide murders insects)

Front 443

germane

Back 443

adj. applicable; pertinent; relevant

Front 444

ghastly

Back 444

adj. shockingly horrible; frightful; ghostlike

Front 445

gratis

Back 445

adj. free of charge (n. gratuity: an amount that is paid by choice; gratuitous violence is violence that is unwarranted and not essential to the plot)

Front 446

grievous

Back 446

adj. tragic; agonizing; severe

Front 447

grimace

Back 447

v. to make an ugly, disapproving facial expression (can also be a noun)

Front 448

guise

Back 448

n. appearance; semblance (can also mean false appearance or a pretense)

Front 449

habituate

Back 449

v. to train; to accustom to a situation (n. habitué: a person that is a frequent visitor sf some place)

Front 450

halcyon

Back 450

adj. peaceful; carefree; serene

Front 451

harass

Back 451

v. to harass repeatedly; to torment or pester

Front 452

harbinger

Back 452

n. the precursor; an indication; an omen

Front 453

harp

Back 453

v. to repeat tediously; to go on and on about something (don't confuse with v. carp: to complain excessively or finding unreasonable fault with something)

Front 454

harry

Back 454

v. to harass; to annoy (adj. harried)

Front 455

heinous

Back 455

adj. shockingly evil; abominable; atrocious

Front 456

herald

Back 456

n. a royal proclaimer; a harbinger

Front 457

hoary

Back 457

adj. gray or white with age; ancient; stale

Front 458

homage

Back 458

n. reverence; respect

Front 459

hubris

Back 459

n. arrogance; excessive pride

Front 460

hypertrophy

Back 460

n. excessive growth

Front 461

hypocrisy

Back 461

n. insincerity; two-facedness (n. hypocrite; adj. hypocritical)

Front 462

idiom

Back 462

n. an expression whose meaning is different from the literal meaning of words (adj. idiomatic; letting the cat out the bag)

Front 463

imbue.

Back 463

v. to inspire; to permeate or tinge (syn. infuse)

Front 464

impasse

Back 464

n. a deadlock; a situation from which there is no escape

Front 465

impeach

Back 465

v. to accuse or indict; to challenge; call into question (impeachment of President Richard Nixon)

Front 466

impecunious

Back 466

adj. without money; penniless (adj. pecuniary: relating to money; v. peculate: to embezzle or steal money)

Front 467

impede

Back 467

v. to obstruct or interfere with; to delay (n. impediment)

Front 468

impending

Back 468

adj. approaching; imminent; looming (v. impend)

Front 469

impenetrable

Back 469

adj. incapable of being penetrated; impervious; incomprehensible (syn. impregnable)

Front 470

imperative

Back 470

adj. completely necessary; vitally important (can also be a noun: command, order, or requirement)

Front 471

impetuous

Back 471

adj. rash;; overimpulsive; headlong

Front 472

implication

Back 472

n. something implied or suggested; ramification (syn. intimation; not same thing as infer: infer is to figure out what is being implied)

Front 473

importune

Back 473

v. to urge with annoying persistence; to trouble (adj. importunate)

Front 474

impoverish

Back 474

v. to reduce to poverty; to make destitute (n. impoverishment: poverty, the act of reducing poverty)

Front 475

impregnable

Back 475

adj. unconquerable; able to withstand attack; impenetrable

Front 476

impresario

Back 476

n. a person who manages public entertainments (especially operas, but other events as well)

Front 477

impromptu

Back 477

adj. done without preparation, on the spur of the moment

Front 478

improvise

Back 478

v. to perform without preparation (n. improvisation: the act or an instance of improvising)

Front 479

impunity

Back 479

n. freedom from punishment or harm

Front 480

inadvertent

Back 480

adj. unintentional; heedless; not planned

Front 481

inalienable

Back 481

adj. sacred; incapable of being transferred lost, or taken away

Front 482

incarnation

Back 482

n. embodiment (reincarnation is when your soul returns to earth in another body)

Front 483

incendiary

Back 483

adj. used for setting property on fire; tending to arous passion or anger; inflammatory (v. incense: to anger)

Front 484

inclination

Back 484

n. tendency; preference; liking (adj. inclined)

Front 485

inculcate

Back 485

v. to instill or implant by repeated suggestions or admonitions

Front 486

incumbent

Back 486

adj. currently holding an office; obligatory (can also be a noun)

Front 487

incursion

Back 487

n. a hostile invasion; a raid

Front 488

indict

Back 488

v. to charge with a crime; to accuse of wrongdoing (n. indictment)

Front 489

induce

Back 489

v. to persuade; to influence; to cause (n. inducement: something that persuades)

Front 490

ineluctable

Back 490

adj. inescapable; incapable of being resisted or avoided

Front 491

ineradicable

Back 491

adj. incapable of being removed or destroyed or eradicated

Front 492

inflammatory

Back 492

adj. fiery; tending to arouse passion or anger; incendiary (don't get confused with inflammable, both are related to fire but only inflammatory is tending to arouse passion or anger)

Front 493

influx

Back 493

n. inflow; arrival of large numbers of people or things (in flux means in a state of change)

Front 494

infraction

Back 494

n. violation; infringement; the breaking of a law (fracture is to break; infraction is a breaking of a law)

Front 495

infrastructure

Back 495

n. the basic framework of a system; foundation

Front 496

infringe

Back 496

v. to violate; to encroach or trespass (n. infringement)

Front 497

infuse

Back 497

v. to introduce into; to instill; to imbue (n. infusion)

Front 498

ingratiate

Back 498

v. to work to make yourself liked ()n. ingratiation)

Front 499

inimical

Back 499

adj. unfavorable; harmful; detrimental; hostile

Front 500

inimitable

Back 500

adj. impossible to imitate; incomparable; matchless; the best

Front 501

innuendo

Back 501

n. an insinuation; a sly hint (pl. innuendos)

Front 502

inquisition

Back 502

n. ruthless questioning; an official investigation characterized with cruelty (Spanish Inquisition)

Front 503

insouciant

Back 503

adj. nonchalant; lighthearted; carefree

Front 504

insufferable

Back 504

adj. unbearable; intolerable

Front 505

insuperable

Back 505

adj. unable to be overcome; insurmountable; overwhelming

Front 506

insurrection

Back 506

n. the act of open rebellion against authority; revolt

Front 507

integral

Back 507

adj. essential indispensable (v. integrate: to make whole; inter: whole number; integral sometimes means whole, fulfilled, or perfect)

Front 508

interim

Back 508

n. meantime; an intervening time; a temporary arrangement (can also be an adjective)

Front 509

interloper

Back 509

n. an intruder; trespasser; unwanted person

Front 510

interlude

Back 510

n. an intervening episode; an intermission; a pause

Front 511

interminable

Back 511

adj. seemingly unending; tediously long (v. terminate is end like in Terminator; interminable means unending)

Front 512

intermittent

Back 512

adj. occasional; repeatedly starting and stopping; recurrent

Front 513

intersperse

Back 513

v. to place at intervals; to scatter among

Front 514

intervene

Back 514

v. to come between opposing groups; to mediate; to take place; to occur between times

Front 515

intimate

Back 515

v. to hint or imply

Front 516

intricate

Back 516

adj. complicated; sophisticated; having many parts or facets (n. intricacy)

Front 517

intrigue

Back 517

n. a secret scheme; a crafty plot

Front 518

invidious

Back 518

adj. causing envy or resentment; offensively harmful

Front 519

inviolate

Back 519

adj. free from injury; pure (syn. inviolable: unassailable, incapable of being harmed)

Front 520

invoke

Back 520

v. to entreat or pray for; to call as in prayer; to declare to be in effect (n. invocation)

Front 521

iridescent

Back 521

adj. displaying glowing, changing colors (closely related to iris, colored part of eye)

Front 522

jargon

Back 522

n. the specialized language or vocabulary of a particular job or trade; meaningless or pretentious language; a local dialect or idiom or vernacular

Front 523

jaunt

Back 523

n. a short pleasure trip (can also be used as a verb; jaunty means lighthearted, sprightly, or dapper

Front 524

jingoism

Back 524

n. belligerent, chauvinistic patriotism

Front 525

jocular

Back 525

adj. humorous; jolly; fond of joking (syn. jocund: cheerful,merry, or pleasant rather than overtly funny; syn. 2 jocose: more funny than jocular)

Front 526

jubilation

Back 526

n. exultation joy (adj. jubilant; jubilee: a jubilant celebration)

Front 527

junction

Back 527

n. convergence; linkup; the act or state of being joined together (syn. juncture: junction that usually refers to more important point in time or crucial state of affairs; conjunction: concurrence, combination)

Front 528

junta

Back 528

n. a small group ruling a country after a coup d'état

Front 529

karma

Back 529

n. good or bad emanations from someone or something

Front 530

larceny

Back 530

n. theft; robbery (adj. larcenous)

Front 531

lascivious

Back 531

adj. lustful; obscene; lewd

Front 532

lavish

Back 532

v. to spend freely or bestow generously; to squander (can also be an adjective)

Front 533

lax

Back 533

adj. negligent; lazy; irresponsible (n. laxity)

Front 534

layman

Back 534

n. a nonprofessional; a person who is not a member of the clergy (pl. laity)

Front 535

liaison

Back 535

n. connection; association; alliance; secret love affair

Front 536

licentious

Back 536

adj. lascivious; lewd; promiscuous; amoral (n. licentiousness)

Front 537

limpid

Back 537

adj. transparent; clear; lucid

Front 538

listless

Back 538

adj. sluggish; without energy or enthusiasm (n. listlessness)

Front 539

litany

Back 539

n. recital or list; tedious recounting

Front 540

livid

Back 540

adj. discolored; black and blue; enraged

Front 541

loath

Back 541

adj. extremely unwilling; reluctant (describes mood; loathsome is used to describe people that are disgusting or repellent; don't confuse with loathe: despise or hate)

Front 542

lobby

Back 542

v. to urge legislative action; to exert influence (n. lobbyist: a person who lobbies)

Front 543

lout

Back 543

n. boor; oaf; clod (adj. loutish)

Front 544

ludicrous

Back 544

adj. ridiculous; absurd

Front 545

lyrical

Back 545

adj. melodious; song-like; poetic

Front 546

malapropism

Back 546

n. humorous misuse of a word that sounds similar to the word intended but has a ludicrously different meaning

Front 547

malediction

Back 547

n. curse or slander

Front 548

mania

Back 548

n. crazed, excessive excitement; insanity; delusion (n. maniac: a person that is maniacal; adj. maniac: a person with mania)

Front 549

marginal

Back 549

adj. related to or located the margin or border; at the lower limit of quality; insignificant (a person who manages to qualify for something may be said to qualify for it only marginally)

Front 550

materialistic

Back 550

adj. preoccupied with material things; greedy for possessions

Front 551

mawkish

Back 551

adj. overly sentimental; maudlin

Front 552

meander

Back 552

v. to travel along a winding or indirect route; to ramble or stray off topic

Front 553

medium

Back 553

n. the means by which someone is conveyed or accomplished; a substance through which something is transferred or conveyed; the materials used by an artist (pl. media)

Front 554

melancholy

Back 554

adj. gloomy; depressed and weary (can also be a noun, alt. adj: melancholic; alt. n. melancholia)

Front 555

melee

Back 555

n. a brawl; a confused fight or struggle; a violent free-for-all; tumultuous confusion

Front 556

menagerie

Back 556

n. a collection of animals

Front 557

meticulous

Back 557

adj. precise and careful about details; fussy

Front 558

millennium

Back 558

n. a period of 1,000 years; a thousandth anniversary (adj. millennial)

Front 559

mire

Back 559

n. marshy, mucky ground (can also be a verb, figurative or literal; quagmire: swamp or marsh, figuratively a complicated predicament)

Front 560

mode

Back 560

n. method of doing; type; manner; fashion

Front 561

modulate

Back 561

v. to reduce or regulate; to lessen the intensity of

Front 562

momentum

Back 562

n. the force of movement; speed; impetus

Front 563

moratorium

Back 563

n. a suspension of activity; a period of delay

Front 564

mores

Back 564

n. a customary moral standards (noun is always plural)

Front 565

motif

Back 565

n. a recurring theme or idea

Front 566

motley

Back 566

adj. extremely varied or diverse; heterogeneous; multicolored

Front 567

municipal

Back 567

adj. pertaining to a city (or town) and its government (n. municipality: a distinct city or town with its own government)

Front 568

muse

Back 568

v. to ponder; to meditate (can also be a noun, anyone who inspires an artist's creativity; adj. bemused: preoccupied or engrossed)

Front 569

muster

Back 569

v. to assemble for battle or inspection; to summon up ("to pass muster" is an idiomatic expression which means to be found acceptable)

Front 570

mystic

Back 570

adj. otherwordly; mysterious; enigmatic (can also be noun, a person who has contact with other worlds; mysticism is the practice of spiritual discipline of trying to reach or understand God through deep meditation

Front 571

nebulous

Back 571

adj. vague or indistinct; unclear; hazy (n. nebula: a cloud of interstellar gas and dust, plural nebulae)

Front 572

nemesis

Back 572

n. unconquerable opponent or rival; one who seeks just compensation or revenge to right a wrong

Front 573

neophyte

Back 573

n. beginner; novice ("neo" means new, neologism for example is a new word or an old word used in a new way. Neonate is newborn; neoprene is a new kind of synthetic rubber, or at least new when it was invented)

Front 574

nirvana

Back 574

n. a blissful, painless, worry-free state

Front 575

noisome

Back 575

adj. offensive or disgusting; stinking; noxious (does not have to do with noise)

Front 576

nomadic

Back 576

adj. wandering from place to place; without a permanent home (n. nomad: one of a group of wandering people who move from place to place in search of food and water for themselves and for their animals)

Front 577

nomenclature

Back 577

n. a set or system of names; a designation; a terminology (n. nomenclator: a giver of names

Front 578

nonchalant

Back 578

adj. indifferent; coolly unconcerned; blasé (n. nonchalance)

Front 579

nullify

Back 579

v. to repeal; to cancel; to void (adj. null means empty or ineffective; v. annul to cancel or make void a marriage or law)

Front 580

obeisance

Back 580

n. a bow or curtsy; deep reverence (related to obey and obedience)

Front 581

objective

Back 581

adj. unbiased; unprejudiced (n. objectivity; n. objective: goal, destination, or aim; opposite: subjective)

Front 582

obtrusive

Back 582

adj. interfering; meddlesome, having a tendency to butt in (v. intrude)

Front 583

obviate

Back 583

v. to make unnecessary; to avert

Front 584

occult

Back 584

adj. supernatural; magic; mystical (can also be noun)

Front 585

odious

Back 585

adj. hateful; evil; vile (n. odium: hatred, deep contempt, or disgrace)

Front 586

odyssey

Back 586

n. a long, difficult journey, usually marked by many changes of fortune (Homer's epic poem)

Front 587

olfactory

Back 587

adj. pertaining to the sense of smell (gustatory is related but refers to taste)

Front 588

oligarchy

Back 588

n. government by only a very few people (n. oligarch: one of the ruling leaders)

Front 589

ominous

Back 589

adj. threatening; menacing; portending doom (related: omen)

Front 590

omniscient

Back 590

adj. all-knowing; having infinite wisdom (omni- is a prefix meaning all, omnipotent means all-powerful, an omnivorous animal eats all kinds of food, and something omnipresent is seen everywhere)

Front 591

opprobrious

Back 591

adj. damning; extremely critical; disgraceful (n. opprobrium: reproach, scorn, or disgrace)

Front 592

ordinance

Back 592

n. law; regulation; decree (don't confuse with ordnance, or military weapons or artillery)

Front 593

oscillate

Back 593

v. to swing back and forth; to pulsate; to waver or vacillate between beliefs or ideas

Front 594

osmosis

Back 594

gradual or subtle absorption (in science diffusion of a fluid through a membrane)

Front 595

ostracize

Back 595

v. to shun; to shut out or exclude a person from a group (n. ostracism)

Front 596

oust

Back 596

v. to eject; to expel; to banish (n. ouster: an instance of ousting)

Front 597

override

Back 597

v. to overrule; to prevail over

Front 598

overture

Back 598

n. an opening move; preliminary offer (musical term means a composition that introduces a larger work)

Front 599

oxymoron

Back 599

n. a figure of speech in which two contradictory words or phrases are used together

Front 600

palatable

Back 600

adj. pleasant to the taste; agreeable to the feelings (palate refers both to mouth and, more commonly, to taste)

Front 601

palindrome

Back 601

n. a word or expression that reads the same way right to left as it does left to right

Front 602

pallor

Back 602

n. paleness; whiteness

Front 603

pandemic

Back 603

adj. prevalent through a large area (epidemic is a larger scale endemic refers to a particular place)

Front 604

panegyric

Back 604

n. an elaborate praise; eulogy

Front 605

parable

Back 605

n. religious allegory; fable; morality tale

Front 606

paragon

Back 606

n. a model or pattern of excellence

Front 607

parallel

Back 607

adj. similar; comparable (can also be a noun and a verb)

Front 608

paranoia

Back 608

n. a mental illness in which the sufferer believes people are out to get him; unreasonable anxiety (adj. paranoid)

Front 609

paranormal

Back 609

adj. having to do with an event or events that can't be explained scientifically; supernatural (polite synonym for phony)

Front 610

paroxysm

Back 610

n. a sudden, violent outburst; a severe attack

Front 611

partition

Back 611

n. division; diving wall (can also be a verb)

Front 612

pastoral

Back 612

adj. rural; rustic; peaceful and calm, like the country (syn. halcyon, but pastoral has more of a country association)

Front 613

pathos

Back 613

n. that which makes people feel pity or sorrow (don't confuse with bathos which is trite, insincere, and sentimental pathos)

Front 614

patina

Back 614

n. a surface discoloration caused by age and oxidation

Front 615

patrimony

Back 615

n. an inheritance, especially from a father; a legacy (related word: patronage; patrons are people that give patrimony)

Front 616

peculiar

Back 616

adj. unusual; bizarre; individual; belonging to a particular region

Front 617

peregrination

Back 617

n. wandering; traveling; expedition

Front 618

perigee

Back 618

n. the closest point in the orbit of the moon or of an artificial satellite

Front 619

perpetrator

Back 619

n. the one who committed the act

Front 620

perpetuate

Back 620

v. to make something perpetual; to keep from perishing

Front 621

perverse

Back 621

adj. contrary; stubborn

Front 622

phantasm

Back 622

n. apparition; ghost; phantom

Front 623

phlegmatic

Back 623

adj. calm or indifferent; not easily roused to excitement (phlegm now means mucus; syn. stolid)

Front 624

pilgrimage

Back 624

n. religious or spiritual journey; excursion; peregrination (a pilgrim is someone who takes a long journey from home for a religious or spiritual reason)

Front 625

placebo

Back 625

n. a false medication; a fake medication sued as a control in tests of the effectiveness of drugs

Front 626

platonic

Back 626

adj. nonsexual; purely spiritual (love that never gets physical)

Front 627

plausible

Back 627

adj. believable; convincing (opp. implausible; n. plausibility)

Front 628

pliable

Back 628

adj. flexible; easy to bend; easy to convince, persuade, or mold

Front 629

plight

Back 629

n. a dangerous, distressing, or unpleasant situation

Front 630

plunder

Back 630

v. to loot; to ransack (can also be a noun)

Front 631

pluralism

Back 631

n. a condition of society in which distinct groups exist and function together yet restrain their own identities (adj. pluralistic)

Front 632

pontificate

Back 632

v. to speak pompously or dogmatically (n. pontification)

Front 633

porous

Back 633

adj. filled with many tiny holes; permeable; absorbent (to be porous is to have porousness or porosity)

Front 634

posterior

Back 634

adj. situated in end (opposite of anterior)

Front 635

posterity

Back 635

n. future generations; descendants; heirs

Front 636

posthumous

Back 636

adj. occurring after one's death; published after the death of the author

Front 637

posture

Back 637

v. to act or speak artificially or affectedly

Front 638

prattle

Back 638

v. to chatter on and on; to babble childishly (can also be a noun)

Front 639

precarious

Back 639

adj. dangerously insecure or unsteady

Front 640

precocious

Back 640

adj. unusually mature; uncommonly gifted (n. precociousness or precocity)

Front 641

predecessor

Back 641

n. someone or something that precedes in time (opp. successor)

Front 642

predicament

Back 642

n. a dangerous or unpleasant situation; a dilemma

Front 643

predispose

Back 643

v. to make susceptible; to put in a frame of mind for; to incline toward (n. predisposition)

Front 644

predominant

Back 644

adj. most important; dominant; having power over others (v. predominate)

Front 645

pregnant

Back 645

adj. highly significant; overflowing

Front 646

prelude

Back 646

n. introduction; something that precedes something else

Front 647

premeditated

Back 647

adj. planned before hand; prearranged; plotted (v. to meditate is to think long and hard about something)

Front 648

preponderance

Back 648

n. superiority in weight, number, size, extent, influence, etc.; majority; predominance

Front 649

presage

Back 649

v. to portend; to foreshadow; to forecast or predict

Front 650

presentiment

Back 650

n. the feeling that something (especially something bad) is about to happen

Front 651

presumably

Back 651

adv. probably; the assumption is that; doubtless

Front 652

presuppose

Back 652

v. to assume beforehand; to take for granted in advance; to require as a prior condition

Front 653

primal

Back 653

adj. first; original; of the greatest importance

Front 654

pristine

Back 654

adj. perfectly clean and untouched; uncontaminated

Front 655

privation

Back 655

n. lack of comforts or necessities; poverty (n. deprivation: the state of being deprived of things, especially something important to one's well-being)

Front 656

proclaim

Back 656

v. to announce; declare; make known

Front 657

procure

Back 657

v. to obtain or acquire by special means (n. procurement)

Front 658

progeny

Back 658

n. offspring; descendants

Front 659

propagate

Back 659

v. to reproduce; to multiply; to spread or disseminate

Front 660

propound

Back 660

v. to set forth or purpose; to offer for consideration (same roots as propose and proposition)

Front 661

protocol

Back 661

n. diplomatic etiquette and customs

Front 662

protégé

Back 662

n. a person under the care of someone interested in his welfare or career (female: protégée)

Front 663

provocation

Back 663

n. the act of provoking; incitement; cause (v. provoke)

Front 664

prowess

Back 664

n. exceptional skill or strength; uncommon bravery

Front 665

prurient

Back 665

adj. having lustful thoughts or desires; causing lust (n. prurience)

Front 666

pseudonym

Back 666

n. a false name; an alias ("pseudo" means false, a psuedointellectual person is someone that pretends to be interested in intellectual things)

Front 667

psyche

Back 667

n. the human soul; the mind; the spirit

Front 668

pummel

Back 668

v. to pound or punch with the fists

Front 669

punctilious

Back 669

adj. meticulously attentive to detail; scrupulously exact (more erudite way to say anal-retentive)

Front 670

pundit

Back 670

n. an expert; an authority; a learned person

Front 671

pungent

Back 671

adj. sharp-tasting or sharp-smelling; acrid; caustic

Front 672

punitive

Back 672

adj. inflicting a punishment

Front 673

purblind

Back 673

adj. dim-sighted; practically blind; lacking understanding or imagination

Front 674

puritanical

Back 674

adj. severe and strict about morals (Puritans were a group of people who were very strict about morals)

Front 675

quaint

Back 675

adj. pleasantly old-fashioned; picturesque

Front 676

quandary

Back 676

n. state of perplexity; predicament; dilemma

Front 677

quasi

Back 677

adv. or adj., almost; near; resembling

Front 678

quay

Back 678

n. a landing on the edge of the water; wharf; pier

Front 679

quell

Back 679

v. to put an end; to squelch; to suppress

Front 680

query

Back 680

n. a question; an inquiry (can also be a verb)

Front 681

queue

Back 681

n. a line of file (can also be a verb)

Front 682

quiescent

Back 682

adj. motionless; at rest; still

Front 683

quintessential

Back 683

adj. being the most perfect example of (n. quintessence)

Front 684

quizzical

Back 684

adj. teasing; mocking; questioning; inquisitive (adj. quizzical: questioning and inquisitive)

Front 685

quotidian

Back 685

adj. daily; everyday; ordinary

Front 686

rampant

Back 686

adj. widespread; uncontrollable; prevalent; raging

Front 687

rapture

Back 687

n. ecstasy; bliss; unequaled joy (adj. rapturous; adj. rapt: entranced or ecstatic; enraptured: to be enthralled or in state of rapture)

Front 688

rarefied

Back 688

adj. esoteric; interesting to a select group only; exalted; thin (v. rarefy)

Front 689

ratify

Back 689

v. to confirm; to approve something formally (n. ratification)

Front 690

ratiocination

Back 690

n. logical reasoning (v. ratiocinate)

Front 691

rationale

Back 691

n. underlying reason; basis; reasoning (v. rationalize)

Front 692

raucous

Back 692

adj. stridently loud; harsh; rowdy

Front 693

reactionary

Back 693

adj. ultraconservative; right-wing; backward-thinking (can also be a noun)

Front 694

rebuff

Back 694

v. to snub; to reject (can also be a noun)

Front 695

recidivism

Back 695

n. the act of repeating an offense (recidivist: a person who repeats an offense)

Front 696

reclaim

Back 696

v. to make uncultivated areas of land fit for cultivation; to recover usable substances from refuse; to claim again; to demand the restoration of (n. reclamation)

Front 697

redeem

Back 697

v. to buy back; to fulfill; to make up for; to rescue from sin (irredeemable: unable to be rescued from sin or wrongdoing)

Front 698

redress

Back 698

v. to remedy; to make amends for (n.redress: reparation, compensation, making amends for a wrong)

Front 699

referendum

Back 699

n. a public vote on measure proposed or passed by a legislature (referendum and refer are closely related)

Front 700

refractory

Back 700

adj. disobedient and hard to manage; resisting treatment

Front 701

regimen

Back 701

n. a regulated course

Front 702

regime

Back 702

n.a governing power; a system of government; a period in which a government is in power

Front 703

remission

Back 703

n. the temporary or permanent disappearance of a disease; pardon (v. remit: to send back or pay; remission: payment)

Front 704

remuneration

Back 704

n. payment; recompense (it is one way to redress a crime)

Front 705

render

Back 705

v. to make; to cause to be; to provide; to depict

Front 706

rend

Back 706

v. to tear; to rip (adj. rent)

Front 707

repartee

Back 707

n. a quick, witty reply; witty, spirited conversation full of quick, witty replies

Front 708

replicate

Back 708

v. to reproduce exactly; to duplicate; to repeat (n. replica)

Front 709

repose

Back 709

n. rest; tranquility; relaxation

Front 710

repress

Back 710

v. to hold back; to conceal from oneself; to suppress (n.repression)

Front 711

reprimand

Back 711

n. stern reproof; official rebuke (can also be a verb)

Front 712

reprisal

Back 712

n. retaliation; revenge; counterattack (v. reprise)

Front 713

reprobate

Back 713

n. a depraved, wicked person; a degenerate

Front 714

repugnant

Back 714

adj. repulsive; offensive; disgusting

Front 715

resignation

Back 715

n. passive submission; acquiescence (adj. resigned)

Front 716

resplendent

Back 716

adj. brilliantly shining; radiant; dazzling

Front 717

resurrection

Back 717

n. return to life; revival

Front 718

retort

Back 718

v. to make a sharp reply (can also be a noun)

Front 719

retrospect

Back 719

n. looking backward; a review (n. retrospective: an exhibition of an artist's work from over a period of years; opp.: prospect: a view of the future, either figurative or literal)

Front 720

revamp

Back 720

v. to revise; to renovate

Front 721

revel

Back 721

v. to enjoy thoroughly; to take delight in; to carouse (n. revelry; person who revels is a reveler)

Front 722

revile

Back 722

v. to scold abusively; to berate; to denounce

Front 723

revulsion

Back 723

n. loathing; repugnance; disgust (no such thing as revulse)

Front 724

rhapsodize

Back 724

v. to speak extremely enthusiastically; to gush (adj. rhapsodic)

Front 725

ribald

Back 725

adj. indecent or vulgar; off-color (n. ribaldry: ribald language)

Front 726

rife

Back 726

adj. occurring frequently; widespread; common; swarming

Front 727

rivet

Back 727

v. to engross; to hold firmly (related word: transfix)

Front 728

rout

Back 728

v. to put to flight; to scatter; to cause a huge defeat (can also be a noun)

Front 729

rue

Back 729

v. to mourn; to regret (adj. rueful)

Front 730

sally

Back 730

n. a sudden rushing attack; an excursion; an expedition; a repartee; a clever rejoinder (can also be a noun)

Front 731

salutation

Back 731

n. greeting; welcome; opening words of greeting (n. salutatory: a welcoming address given to an audience, given by a salutatorian, or a person that has the second highest grade point average in the class)

Front 732

sanction

Back 732

n. official permission or approval; endorsement; punitive measure (other definition is opposite of this, like cleave; can also be a verb)

Front 733

sarcasm

Back 733

n. irony; jokingly or bitingly saying the opposite of what is meant sneer (adj. sarcastic)

Front 734

savant

Back 734

n. a scholar; a very knowledgeable and learned person pundit erudite (usually with more sophisticated feats of knowledge because of French roots; savoir-faire is another French phrase that means social grace, or the knowledge of what to do and how to believe in any situation)

Front 735

scant

Back 735

adj. limited; meager; barely sufficient (can also be a verb; similar with scanty, scant is barely sufficient in amount but scanty means barely sufficient in number, extent, or quantity)

Front 736

schism

Back 736

n. division; separation; discord or disharmony

Front 737

scorn

Back 737

v. to disdain; to find someone or something contemptible (can also be a noun)

Front 738

seamless

Back 738

adj. without a seam; without anything to indicate where two things were joined together; smooth

Front 739

secede

Back 739

v. to withdraw from an alliance (n. succession)

Front 740

seclusion

Back 740

n. aloneness; withdrawal from other people (v. seclude)

Front 741

sect

Back 741

n. a small religious subgroup or religion; any group with a uniting theme of purpose (matters pertaining to sects are sectarian; sectarian def. 2: single-mindedly devoted to a sect; nonsectarian: not pertaining to any particular sect or group)

Front 742

sedentary

Back 742

adj. largely confined to sitting down; not physically active

Front 743

self-made

Back 743

adj. having succeeded in life without help from others (n. self-esteem: opinion one has of oneself; self-evident: obvious without need to be pointed out; self-possessed person: one who has good control of his or her feelings; self-righteous person: a person who is sanctimonious, smug, and intolerant of others, believing that everything he or she does is right; self-satisfied person: a person who is over-satisfied with oneself; A self-starter takes initiative and doesn't need the help of others to get going)

Front 744

sententious

Back 744

adj. preachy; pompous; excessively moralizing; self-righteous

Front 745

serene

Back 745

adj. calm; peaceful; tranquil; untroubled (n. serenity)

Front 746

serpentine

Back 746

adj. snakelike in either shape or movement; winding as a snake travels (syn. tortuous)

Front 747

shackle

Back 747

n. a manacle; a restraint (can also be a verb)

Front 748

shibboleth

Back 748

n. a distinctive word pronunciation or behavior that typifies a particular group; a slogan or catchword (can also be a common saying that is essentially meaningless)

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shrewd

Back 749

adj. wily; cunning; sly

Front 750

singular

Back 750

adj. exceptional; unique; unusual (does not mean single)

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skirmish

Back 751

n. a fight between small numbers of troops; a brief conflict (can also be a verb)

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skittish

Back 752

adj. nervous; easily startled; jumpy

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slake

Back 753

v. to quench; to satisfy; to assuage

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solace

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n. consolation; comfort (can also be a verb)

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solidarity

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n. sense of unity; a sense of sharing a common goal or attitude

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sophomoric

Back 756

adj. juvenile; childishly goofy

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sordid

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adj. morally vile; filthy; squalid

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sovereign

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n. supreme ruler; monarch (can also be an adjective meaning principal or foremost; n. sovereignty: supremacy of authority, what kings use to exercise authority over kingdoms)

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spate

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n. a sudden outpouring (British meaning: literal flood; syn. influx)

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specious

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adj. something that seems correct or appropriate but that lacks real worth; deceptive; misleading; not genuine superfluous

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specter

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n. ghost; phantom (doesn't have to be literal, such as anything that haunts; adjectives: spectral, specterlike)

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spectrum

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n. a broad sequence or range of different but related thing s or ideas

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spurn

Back 763

v. to reject disdainfully; to scorn

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stalwart

Back 764

adj. sturdily built; robust; valiant; unwavering

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stark

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adj. utter; unmitigated; harsh; desolate (can also be an adverb meaning utterly)

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stint

Back 766

v. restrict or hold back on; to be frugal (adj. stinting; n. stint: a period of time spent doing a job or special duty)

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stipend

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income; allowance; salary

Front 768

stolid

Back 768

adj. not easily roused to emotion; impassive; apathetic; phlegmatic

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stout

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adj. plump; stocky; substantial (also means brave, plucky, or resolute)

Front 770

stratagem

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n. a maneuver designed to outwit an enemy; a scheme; a ruse (to develop stratagems toward a particular goal is to develop a strategy)

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Stringent

Back 771

adj. strict

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stupendous

Back 772

adj. remarkable; extraordinary; remarkably large or extraordinarily gigantic

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stupor

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n. a stunned condition; near-unconsciousness; apathy; inertia

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subside

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v. to sink or settle; to diminish; to lessen (adj. stuporous; v. stupefy: to astonish or stun)

Front 775

subsidiary

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adj. supplemental; additional; secondary or subordinate (can also be used as a noun, which then refers to a smaller company controlled by or associated with a larger company)

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subsidize

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v. to provide financial aid; to make a financial contribution

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substantiate

Back 777

v. to prove; to verify; to confirm (substantial is a closely relate words that means of significant size, worth, or importance)

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subterfuge

Back 778

n. artifice; a trick or stratagem; a ruse

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suffice

Back 779

v. to be sufficient; to be enough

Front 780

suffrage

Back 780

n. the right to vote

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suffuse

Back 781

v. to cover; to overspread; to saturate (adj. suffuse)

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sumptuous

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adj. luxurious; splendid; lavish

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supersede

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v. to take the place of; to supplant; to make something obsolete

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supine

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adj. lying on one's back (sometimes means someone who is inert or inactive; opposite of prone or lying on ones face)

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supplication

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n. humble prayer; earnest entreaty (v. supplicate; n. supplicant: one who supplicates or makes supplications)

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suppress

Back 786

v. to overpower; to subdue; to quash (see repress)

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surmise

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v. to conjecture; to guess (can also mean a noun meaning a guess or supposition)

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surreal

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adj. having an unreal fantastic quality; hallucinatory; dreamlike

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susceptible

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adj. capable of being influenced by something; capable of being or receptive to

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sweeping

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adj. far-reaching; extensive; wide-ranging

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syntax

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n. the patterns or rules governing the way grammatical sentences are formed in a given language

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systemic

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adj. affecting the entire system especially the entire body (systemic disease affects whole body; don't confuse with systematic)

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tactical

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adj. having to do with tactics especially naval or military tactics; marked tactics or deft maneuvering

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taint

Back 794

n. contaminant; a trace of something spoiled contaminated off-flavor (can also be a verb)

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tedium

Back 795

n. dullness; monotony; boredom

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teem

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v. to swarm; to be inundated; to overrun

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temporal

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adj. pertaining to time; pertaining to life; earthly existence; non eternal; short-lived

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temporize

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v. to stall; to cause delay through indecision; extemporize-

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tepid

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adj. lukewarm; halfhearted

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thesis

Back 800

n. a theory to be proven; a subject for a composition; a formal paper using original research on a subject (pl. theses; opp. antithesis: direct opposite)

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thorny

Back 801

adj. full of difficulties; tough; painful (usually figurative)

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threshold

Back 802

n. the sill of a doorway; a house's or building's entrance; any point of beginning or entering

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throttle

Back 803

v. to choke; to strangle; to work a fuel lever or feed the flow of fuel to an engine (can also be a noun; car's throttle is the gas pedal; to make something go faster put it into throttle; to run an engine at full throttle is full speed; to do anything else in full throttle is to do it quick and with single-mindness)

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thwart

Back 804

v. to prevent from being accomplished; to frustrate; to hinder

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timorous

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adj. fearful; easily frightened (related to timid)

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titillate

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v. to excite; to stimulate; to tease (noun form of word)

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titular

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adj. in title or name only; nominal (also means bearing the same name)

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toil

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n. hard work; labor; drudgery; exhausting effort (can also be a verb)

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tortuous

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adj. winding; twisting; serpentine; full of curves (used figuratively as in hard to follow or understand; don't confuse with torturous)

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toxic

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adj. poisonous (noun is toxin)

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transfix

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v. to cause to stand motionless with awe amazement emotion; to rivet

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trauma

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n. severe shock or distress; a violent wound; a wrenching experience (in medical terms it means a severe wound or shock to body; adj. is traumatic; v. traumatize)

Front 813

travesty

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n. a grotesque or shameful imitation; a mockery; a perversion

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trenchant

Back 814

adj. concise; effective; caustic

Front 815

triumvirate

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n. a ruling coalition of three officials; any group of three working jointly

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tryst

Back 816

n. a secret meeting of lovers

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tumult

Back 817

n. violent noisy commotion; uproar; outbreak (adj. tumultuous)

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turbid

Back 818

adj. murky; opaque; unclear (can also be used figuratively to mean confused or muddled; n. turbidity)

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turmoil

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n. state of great confusion or commotion

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uncanny

Back 820

adj. extraordinary; unimaginable; seeming supernatural (not opposite of canny, meaning artful, wily, or shrewd)

Front 821

underlying

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adj. basic; fundamental; only noticeable under scrutiny

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undermine

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v. to impair; to subvert; to weaken by excavating underneath

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underpinning

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n. a system of supports beneath; a foundation or basis

Front 824

underscore

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v. to underline; to emphasize

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underwrite

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v. to sponsor; to subsidize; to insure (a person or company that underwrites something is called an underwriter)

Front 826

unilateral

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adj. involving one side only; done on behalf of one side only; one-sided; not mutual (a unilateral contract is one in which only one of the signers bare any obligations; bilateral means two-sided; multilateral means multiple sided)

Front 827

usury

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n. lending money at an extremely high rate of interest (usurer is someone that does this; adj. usurious)

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vacuous

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adj. empty of content; lacking in ideas or intelligence (vacant also refers to emptiness, but vacant usually means literally empty, but vacuous can be not literal such as a dumb person has a vacuous skull)

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vagary

Back 829

n. whim; unpredictable action; wild notion (often occurs in plural: vagaries)

Front 830

vanquish

Back 830

v. to conquer; to overpower

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veneer

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n. facade; coating; outward appearance

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verdant

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adj. covered with green plants; leafy; inexperience (derived from French green)

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verge

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n. border; brink; edge (can also be a verb; converge: to come together or meet; diverge: to separate)

Front 834

verity

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n. the quality of being true; something true (mean truth-related words come from Latin root "verus" such as verisimilar meaning having the appearance of a truth, or verisimilitude meaning the quality of being verisimilar; v. aver means to state with confidence, as if you know it is the truth; verify means to prove that something is true, or to confirm it; veracious means habitually truthful)

Front 835

vie

Back 835

v. to complete; to contest; to struggle

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vigilant

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adj. constantly alert; watchful; wary (n. vigilance; vigil is a related word meaning a period of watch or staying awake or peaceful protesting)

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vignette

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n. a small decorative design or drawing; a short literary sketch; a brief but expressive scene in a play or movie

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viscous

Back 838

adj. thick; gluey; sticky (to be viscous is to have viscosity)

Front 839

vivacious

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adj. lively; animated; full of prep (to be have vivacious is to have vivacity)

Front 840

vogue

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n. fashion; style (to be in vogue is to be susceptible to vogues or to voguish

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voluminous

Back 841

adj. large; extensive; having great volume

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voluptuous

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adj. pleasant to the senses; luxurious; pleasure-seeking; extra full and shapely (a voluptuary person is one addicted to voluptuous things)

Front 843

voracious

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adj. having a huge appetite; ravenously

Front 844

waft

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v. to float; to drift; to blow

Front 845

waive

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v. to relinquish a right; to forgo; to put aside for the time being; to forego (n. waiver)

Front 846

wake

Back 846

an all-night vigil kept over a dead body before it is buried; the trail a boat leaves behind it in the water; a track or path left behind something

Front 847

wane

Back 847

v. to decrease in strength or intensity; ti fade away; to decline in power (ant. wax)

Front 848

warrant

Back 848

v. to justify; to provide grounds for; to guarantee (noun: authorization or official permit; n. warranty: written gurantee)

Front 849

wary

Back 849

adj. cautious; watchful; careful (v. beware)

Front 850

wizened

Back 850

adj. shriveled; withered; shrunken

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woe

Back 851

adj. suffering; affliction; distress (adj woeful)

Front 852

wrath

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n. deep anger; fury

Front 853

zeitgeist

Back 853

n. the mood or spirit of the times (German word mean time spirit)

Front 854

zenith

Back 854

n. highest point; peak; pinnacle