English Vocab Tools A B abate lessen aberration departure from the normal abet encourage evilly abject servile;cringing abrogate cancel abstemious moderate in alchol abstruse profound; obscure accolade salutation accost greet with abuse accrue be added by growth acerb acid; sour acme highest point acolyte novice; young assisstant acquiesce comply, yield acrimonious biting; sharp acumen insight adamant persistent; stubborn admonition gentle warning adulation excessive praise adumbrate foreshadow evil adventitious happening by chance aeon age aesthetic pertaining to the beautiful affable sociable affluent prosperous aggravate make worse; intensify aggregate total; to form in a mass or whole agnostic a doubter alacrity briskness; eagerness alleviate lighten alluvial pertaining to mud left by running water altercation quarrel altruistic unselfish ambiguous vague; of doubtful nature ameliorate to better amenable responsive amity friendliness analogy similarity anathema curse; abomination anomalous abnormal; irregular antipathy strong dislike antithesis contrast apathy indifference apocryphal of dubious originl fictitious apostate renegade; one who deserts his principles apposite appropriate apt likely; fit; skillful arbiter judge arbitrary biased; prejudiced arboreal pertaining to trees argot slang aroma scent; smell arrogance proud and offensive self-esteem artless frank; without cunning ascetic self-denying ascribe attribute askance distrustfully askew turned to one side asperity harshness; severity in temper assisuous attentive; dilligent assuage soften; alleviate astral pertaining to stars astute shrewd atrophy waste away attrition grinding down; wearing down augment increase augury predicition august stately auspicious favorable austere severe; strict authentic genuine autonomous self-governing avarice greed aver assert averse reluctant; disinclined avert turn aside; prevent avid greedy avouch declare strongly awry turned to one side axiomatic self-evident baleful deadly; evil balk thwart; frustrate; prevent balmy mild; refreshing banal commonplace baneful destructive banter jesting bauble cheap toy beget produce offspring; cause beguile cheat; charm bellicose warlike benign kindly benison blessing bibliophile lover of books bibliophobe hater of books bigoted prejudiced bizarre strange; fantastic bland mild blandish persuade by flattery blasphemy irreverence blatant noisy blithe cheerful bogus not genuine bombastic pompous in language bounty generosity bowdlerize remove offensive portions from a book braggadocio unjustified boasting brusque abrupt bucolic pertaining to the country bumptious boldly conceited buttress support or prop up cabal intrique; a group plotting secretly cache hiding place cadaverous haggard; ghastly pale cadence rhythm cajole persuade by flattery or deceit callous insensitive callow immature calumny false; malicous accusationq canard an absurd rumor circulated to decieve the public candid frank canine pertaining to dogs cant slang cantankerous ill-natured; peevish caper skip as a child, or evil crime capricious changeable; whimsical captious quick to find petty fault; hypercritical caren tip over carouse drinking revelry castigate punish cataclysm upheavel catholic tolerant; universal caustic biting cavil find petty fault celerity speed celibate one who refrains from sexual activity chaos confusion charlatan pretender of knowledge cherubic angelic chafe irritate chalice cup chastice punish chauvinist extreme nationalist chicanery deception by sharp practice chide scold chimerical fantastic choleric ill-tempered choreography art of the dance circuitous indirect circumlocutory wordy circumspect cautious circumvent evade cite name; mention clandestine secret clarion trumpet, sound of a trumpet, sonorous sound cleavage division clemency mercy cliche a commonplace phrase coalesce fuse; merge coerce compel cogent strongly persuasive or compelling cogitate ponder or consider deeply cognizant aware collaborate work together comely pleasant to look at commodious roomy compatible agreeable; consistent compendium summary complacent self-satisfied complaisant complying; courteous compunction sorrow for sin con read carefully concatenation series; linking + conclave a secret conference concomitant accompanying concur agree condign deserved condiment spice condolence sympathy condone excuse; overlook conducive contributing to a result congenital existing at birth conglomeration mass of varied elements conjecture guess connive plot; conspire connoisseur expert consecrate make holy; hallow constellation an assemblage of stars or distinguished people construe interpret; explain consummate (adj.) perfect (verb) complete or perfect contiguity closeness contrite pentient; sorry for sin contumacious scornfully insubordinate convival joyous copious plenteous corroborate confirm; substantiate coruscate sparkle coterie clique; circle covert hidden covetous grasping; craving crass coaersly stupid craven cowardly credence belief credulous inclined to believe anything culinary pertaining to the kitchen culmination build up to a high point culpable guilty cumbrous burdensome cupidity greed cursory hasty curtail shorten(event) cynical sneerking; sarcastic cynosure center of attention dearth scarcity debacle collapse decorum behavior decrepit infirm defection desertion deference aubmission to another's will or opinion defunct dead delectable pleasant delete expunge; cancel deleterious harmful delineate sketch deluge flood demagogue rabble-rouser demise death demure hesitate to agree; protest demure extremely modest denizen inhabitant deplete empty deplore lament; regret deprecate protest strongly derelict negligent deride riducule derogatory belittiling descry discern desecrate make unholy; render unholy desiccant drying destitute poverty-stricken; deprived desuetude disuse from being old desultory unmethodical; rambling detergent cleansing agent deviate wander from the usual course devious indirect; crooked dexterous skillful diabolic fiendish; devilish diagnosis explanation resulting from a careful study of facts diatribe abusive speech dichotomy division into two parts; exact opposite dictum authorative statement didactic instructive diffident shy dilatory tardy; late dilemma a perplexing situation dilettante amateur; dabbler dirge funeral song discerning having keen insight discomfiture disappointement; embarrasement discord disagreement; lack of harmony discursive rambling from one subject to another disparage belittle disparate completely different disparity inequality disseminate disperse dissolute dissipated distrait absent-minded distraught bewildered; perplexed diurnal daily divulge disclose docile submissive doggerel trivial poetry dogmatic strongly asserting an opinion doleful sad dolorous sad drab monotonous; dull drastic extreme in effect droll comical with dry humor dubious doubtful dudgeon sullen resentment or anger dulcet sweet duplicity deception duress being not able to move dynamic energetic ebullition bubbling over; outburst of spirit eclat brilliance eclogue a poem about the countryside edify enlighten effete no longer productive efficacious powerful effigy to burn or hang a dummy effrontery boldness egregious outstanding in the worst sense ejaculate exclaim elicit draw forth emaciated haggard emanate issue forth embezzle steal emollient softener emolument payment for work empirical experimental emulate try to excel or equal encomium praise engender cause enhance increase enigma puzzle enjoin prohibit ephemeral short-lived epicure lover of luxurious living epitaph writing on a tombstone epithet characterization epitome highest point; summary equable even-tempered equanimity calmness equitable just; fair equity justice equivocal lying erode wear away eschew avoid; foregoe esoteric profound; understood by few espouse wed; advocate estrange alienate ethereal heavenly ethnology science of cultures and racial origins etymology science of word origins eulogy praise euphemism mild expression of an offensive fact euphony pleasing sound of words evanescent fleeting; vanishing exacerbate ambitter; aggravate excoriate scold severly exculpate free of guilt execration curse exigency pressing need exigent pressing exonerate clear of blame exotic strange; foreign expatiate talk or write at great length expedient convenient; advantageous expiate pay for sin expatriate exile explicit clearly expressed expeditious speedy expostulate reason earnestly with expunge erase expurgate cleanse of offensive passages extant in existance extenuate excuse; modify the severity of extinct no longer existing extirpate root out extraneous irrelevant; not basic exude ooze out facetious humorous factious given to causing dissensions fain glad fallacy mistake in logic fallow uncultivated fastidious hard to please; squeamish fatuous silly feasible workable feckless cowardly fecund highly productive; prolific feign pretend felictious appropriately expressed fetid malodorous fetish an object of unreasoning devotion fetter chain fiasco a ridiculous failure fickle changeable fictitious imaiginary filch steal fissure a crack in the earth flamboyant showy flay scold severly; skin fleet moving fast fluctuate waver foible peculiarity forensic relating to public debate formidable dreadfully powerful fortuitous happening by chance founder sink fracas a noisy argument fractious irratible frugal sparing of expenditure fulsome repulsive furtive slyly secretive futile useless gainsay deny gamut range garland wreath garner gather garrulous talkative gauche clumsy(in manners) gaudy showy gaunt haggard, thin germane relevant gibe mock; scoff gird invest with power; fasten; surround glib fluent (to much of) gossamer flimsy material; gauzy grandiose grand; imposing gregarious sociable grimace facial expression; usually of disgust guile deception; stratagem guileless native; without cunning gullible easily imposed upon hackneyed worn out by use; commonplace haggard thin; gaunt halcyon peaceful hallow make holy hapless unfortunate harangue a noisy; ranting speech harbringer forerunner harlequin clown haughty scornfully proud hauteur scornful pride hedonist lover of pleasure heinous atrocious heresy unorthodox doctrine heterogenous not uniform hiatus gap hibernal wintery hibernate spend the winter resting hilarious boisterously merry histrionic theatrical, overly dramatic hoax trick(act) used to decieve the public holocaust destruction by fire homily sermon homogenous uniform hoodwink deceive humid damp hybrid of mixed breed hyperbole excessive exaggeration idiosyncracy whim; eccentricity igominy disgrace, shame imbue fill excessively so all is saturated immaculate spotless immutable unchangeable impasse barrier impeccable faultless impediment obstruction impervious not penetrable impious irreverent implacable not easily pacified imponderable incable of being weighed (problems) importune plead with imprecation curse impromptu without previous preparation impugn accuse impunity exemption from punishment impute charge with credit inane silly inadvertent thoughtless inarticulate unable to express in words incarcerate imprison incessant without pause incipient beginning inclement merciless; stormy incognito of concealed identity incongruous inconsistent; inharmonious incorrigible beyond correction incredible unbelievable incubus an oppresive weight; burden incumbent obligatory; an office-holder indigenous native idigent poor indolent lazy indomitable unconquerable inebriety drunkenness ineffable indescribable inert motionless inexorable pitiless inference logical conclusion or deduction ingenious skillful ingenuous frank; without cunning; unsophisticated inhibit restrain ingratiate work oneself into another's good graces inimical hostile iniquitous wicked innocuous harmless innuendo insinuation