| A | B |
|---|
| licentious | lacking moral discipline or ignoring legal restraint |
| fathom | to penetrate the meaning of; to comprehend |
| gaunt | thin and bony; emaciated, haggard |
| agape | wide open, as in a state of wonder |
| sidle | to move sideways, in an unobtrusive, furtive, or coy way |
| faction | a cohesive group within a group; usually a contentious minority |
| intimation | a hint; an obscure suggestion or notice |
| evade | to escape or avoid, by cleverness or deceit |
| titillate | to excite, to stimulate |
| trepidation | a state of alarm or dread; apprehension |
| immutable | not subject to or susceptible to change |
| quail | to shrink back in fear; to cower |
| inept | not apt or fitting; inappropriate |
| ameliorate | to make or become better; improve |
| lechery | excessive indulgence in sexual activity; lewdness |
| tainted | morally corrupted; infected with decay or disease |
| imperceptible | impossible to detect with the senses |
| daft | mad, crazy; stupid, foolish |
| deferentially | with courteous respect; submissively |
| callous | emotionally hardened; unfeeling |
| immaculate | impeccably clean; spotless |
| incipient | beginning; in an early stage |
| recalcitrant | obstinately stubborn; determined to resist authority; unruly |
| ephemeral | temporary; short-lived |
| concise | brief and compact |
| enhance | increase; improve |
| soporific | sleep-inducing; marked by sleepiness |
| chimerical | fantastically improbable; highly unrealistic |
| capitulate | to surrender |
| denunciate | condemnation, criticism |
| hedonist | one who believes that pleasure is the sole aim in life |
| aberration | abnormality |
| galvanize | stimulate by shock; stir up; revitalize |
| furtive | stealthy, sneaky |
| copious | plentiful |
| caustic | burning; sarcastically biting |
| prodigious | marvelous, enormous |
| incongruous | not fitting; absurd |
| abridge | condense or shorten |
| abstemious | sparing in eating and drinking |
| abstract | theoretical; not concrete |
| abstruse | obscure; profound |
| accessible | easy to approach; obtainable |
| acclaim | applaud; announce with great approval |
| acknowledge | recognize; admit |
| acrimonious | bitter in words or manner |
| adulation | flattery; admiration |
| adversary | opponent |
| adversity | poverty; misortune |
| advocate | to urge, to plead for |
| aesthetic | artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciation of the beautiful |
| affable | easily approachable; warmly friendly |
| affirmation | positive assertion; confirmation |
| alleviate | relieve |
| aloof | apart, reserved |
| altruistic | unselfishly generous; concerned for others |
| ambiguous | unclear or doubtful in meaning |
| ambivalence | the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes |
| analogous | comparable |
| anarchist | one who seeks to overturn the established government |
| anecdote | short account of an amusing or interesting event |
| animosity | hostile feeling or intent |
| antagonism | hostility; active resistance |
| antidote | medecine to counteract a poison or a disease |
| antiquated | old-fashioned; obsolete |
| apathy | lack of caring; indifference |
| appease | pacify or soothe; relieve |
| apprehension | fear |
| arbitrary | capricious; randomly chosen |
| archaic | antiquated |
| arrogance | pride; haughtiness |
| articulate | effective; distinct |
| artifact | object made by human beings |
| artisan | manually skilled worker, craftsman (as opposed to an artist) |
| ascendancy | controlling influence; domination |
| ascetic | practicing self-denial; austere |
| aspire | to seek to attain; to long for |
| astute | wise; shrewd; keen |
| attribute | ascribe; explain |
| augment | increase; add to |
| austere | forbiddingly stern; severely simple and unornamented |
| authoritarian | subordinating the individual to the state; completing dominating another's will |
| autonomous | self-governing |
| aversion | firm dislike |
| beguile | mislead or delude; pass time |
| belie | contradict; give a false impression |
| benevolent | generous; charitable |
| bolster | support; reinforce |
| braggart | boaster |
| brevity | conciseness |
| cajole | coax; wheedle |
| calculated | deliberately planned; likely |
| candor | frankness; open honesty |
| capricious | unpredictable; fickle |
| censorious | critical |
| censure | blame; criticize |
| coercion | use of force to get someone to obey |
| commemorate | honor the memory of |
| compile | assemble; gather; accumulate |
| complacency | self-satisfaction; smugness |
| compliance | readiness to yield; conformity in fulfilling requirements |
| composure | mental calmness |
| comprehensive | thorough; inclusive |
| concede | admit; yield |
| conciliatory | reconciling; soothing |
| concise | brief and compace |
| concur | agree |
| conflagration | great fire |
| confound | confuse; puzzle |
| condone | overlook; forgive; give tacit approval |
| consensus | general agreement |
| constraint | repression of feelings |
| contend | struggle; compete; assert earnestly |
| contentious | quarrelsome |
| contract | compress or shrink; make a pledge; catch a disease |
| conviction | judgement that someone is guilty of a crime; strongly held belief |
| cordial | gracious; heartfelt |
| corroborate | confirm, support |
| credulity | belief on slight evidence; gullibility; naivete |
| criterion | standard used in judging |
| cryptic | mysterious, hidden, secret |
| cursory | casual, hastily done |
| curtail | shorten; reduce |
| decorum | propriety; orderliness and good taste in manners |
| deference | courteous regard for another's wish |
| degradation | humiliation; debasement; degeneration |
| delineate | portray; depict; sketch |
| denounce | condemn; criticize |
| deplore | regret; disapprove of |
| depravity | extreme corruption; wickedness |
| deprecate | express disapproval of; protest against; belittle |
| deride | ridicule; make fun of |
| derivative | unoriginal; derived from another source |
| despondent | depressed; gloomy |
| detached | emotionally removed; calm and objective; physically unconnected |
| deterrent | something that discourages; hindrance |
| detrimental | harmful; damaging |
| devious | roundabout; erratic; not straightforward |
| devise | think up; invent; plan |
| diffuse | wordy; rambling; spread out (as a gas) |
| digression | wandering away from the subject |
| diligence | steadiness of effort; persistent hard work |
| diminution | lessening; reduction in size |
| discerning | mentally quick and observant; having insight |
| disclose | reveal |
| discordant | not harmonious; conflicting |
| discount | disregard; dismiss |
| discriminating | able to see differences; prejudiced |
| disdain | view with scorn or contempt |
| disinclination | unwillingness |
| dismiss | to put away from consideration; reject |
| disparage | belittle |
| disparity | difference; condition of inequality |
| disperse | scatter |
| disputatious | argumentative; fond of arguing |
| adamant | unshakable or unmoveable, especially in opposition |
| tantalize | excite (another) by exposing something desirable and keeping it out of reach |
| befuddle | confuse; perplex |
| incredulous | skeptical; disbelieving |
| beguile | deceive by guile; delude |
| conciliatory | regaining or trying to regain friendship or goodwill by pleasant behavior |
| probity | complete and confirmed by uprightness; integrity |
| transfixed | render motionless, as with terror, amazement, or awe |
| unperturbed | calm and serene; unruffled |
| reprieve | postponement or cancellation of a punishment; temporary relief, as from punishment or pain |
| elucidate | make clear or plain, especially by clarification |
| egregious | conspicuously bad or offensive |
| fastidious | possessing or displaying careful attention to detail; exacting, difficult to please |
| fervor | great warmth and intensity of emotion |
| obsolete | no longer in use; outmoded in style or design |
| relegate | assign to an obscure place or position; assign to a particular class or category |
| squalid | dirty and wretched, as from lack of care; morally repulsive; sordid |
| venerate | regard with respect, reverence or heartfelt deference |
| vitriolic | bitterly scathing; caustic |
| assuage | make something less intense or severe; satisfy or appease |
| moribund | being in a dying condition |
| aphorism | a short saying stating a general truth |
| admonish | scold gently; warn or advise |
| sublime | having awe-inspiring beauty or grandeur |
| manifold | marked by diversity or variety |
| decorum | conforming to accepted standards of conduct |
| aspirant | one who aspires; candidate; applicant; seeker |
| aversion | a feeling of repugnance for something decidedly disliked |
| manifest | readily perceived by the senses, and especially the sight |
| kindred | of a like nature or character |
| impertinent | improperly forward or bold; exceeding the limits of propriety or decorum |
| impervious | incapable of being penetrated or affected |
| superfluous | beyond what is required or sufficient |
| assiduous | constant in application or attention; diligent |
| invidious | tending to arouse ill will, animosity, or resentment |
| expedient | appropriate to a purpose |
| impetuous | characterized by sudden or forceful energy or emotion; impulsive and passionate |
| alacrity | cheerful willingness; eagerness |
| eradication | tearing up by the roots; getting rid of |
| insurrection | open revolt against an established authority or government |
| taciturn | habitually untalkative |
| dichotomy | division into two usually contradictory parts or opinions |
| insatiable | impossible to satiate or satisfy |
| misanthrope | one who hates or distrusts humankind |
| vociferate | to utter or cry out loudly or vehemently, especially in protest |
| pejorative | tending to make or become worse; disparaging, belittling |
| deleterious | having a harmful or injurious effect |
| innocuous | having no adverse effect; harmless |
| cognizant | fully informed; conscious |
| satiate | to satisfy (an appetite) fully |
| predestination | destiny, fate |
| morose | suddenly melancholy; gloomy |
| fortuitous | happening by accident or chance |
| disdain | to consider as beneath oneself, to regard with haughty disrespect |
| cajole | to urge with gentle and repeated appeals, teasing, or flatter |
| delineate | to draw or trace the outline of; sketch out |
| embellish | to make beautiful, as by ornamentation; to decorate |
| inadvertent | not duly attentive; marked by unintentional lack of care |
| lucid | easily understood; intelligible |
| malicious | deliberately harmful; spiteful |
| disseminate | distribute; scatter (like seeds); spread |
| dissent (v) | disagree |
| distend | expand; swell out |
| divergent | differing; deviating |
| doctrine | teachings, in general; particular principle (religious, legal, etc.) taught |
| document (v) | provide written evidence |
| dogmatic | opinionated; arbitrary; doctrinal |
| dubious | questionable; filled with doubt |
| dupe (n) | someone easily fooled |
| duplicity | double-dealing; hypocrisy |
| ebullient | showing excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm |
| eclectic | composed of elements drawn from disparate sources |
| edify | instruct; correct morally |
| efface | rub out |
| effervescence | inner excitement or exuberance; bubbling from fermentation or carbonation |
| egotistical | excessively self-centered; self-important; conceited |
| elated | overjoyed; in high spirits |
| elegy | a poem or song expressing lamentation |
| elicit | to draw out by discussion |
| eloquence | expressiveness; persuasive speech |
| elucidate | explain; enlighten |
| elusive | evasive; baffling; hard to grasp |
| emaciated | thin and wasted |
| embellish | adorn; ornament |
| emend | correct |
| emulate | imitate; rival |
| endorse | approve; support |
| enhance | increase; improve |
| enigma | puzzle; mystery |
| enmity | ill will; hatred |
| ephemeral | short-lived; fleeting |
| equanimity | calmness of temperament; composure |
| equitable | fair; impartial |
| equivocal | ambiguous |
| erroneous | mistaken; wrong |
| erudite | learned scholarly |
| esoteric | hard to understand; known only to the chosen few |
| eulogy | expression of praise, often on the occasion of someone's death |
| euphemism | mild expression in place of an unpleasant one |
| evanescent | fleeting; vanishing |
| exacerbate | worsen; embitter |
| exalt | raise in dignity or rank; praise |
| excerpt | selected passage (written or musical) |
| execute | put into effect; carry out |
| exemplary | serving as a model; outstanding |
| exemplify | serve as an example of; embody |
| exhaustive | thorough; comprehensive |
| exhilarating | invigorating and refreshing; cheering |
| exonerate | acquit; exculpate |
| expedient | suitable; practical; politic |
| expedite | hasten |
| explicit | totally clear; definite; outspoken |
| exploit | make use of , sometimes unjustly |
| extol | praise; glorify |
| extraneous | not essential; superfluous |
| extricate | free; disentangle |
| exuberance | overflowing abundance; joyful enthusiasm; flamboyance; lavishness |
| peruse | read or examine, esp. with great care |
| unscathed | not injured or harmed |
| pugnacious | combative in nature; belligerent |
| urbane | polite, refined, and often elegant in manner |
| bullyrag | mistreat or intimidate by bullying |
| cavort | have lively or boisterous fun; bound about in a playful or sprightly manner |
| edict | a formal pronouncement or command |
| callow | lacking adult maturity or experience; immature |
| blasphemous | uttering or exibiting anything impious or irreverent |
| arduous | demanding great effort or labor; difficult |
| dogged | stubbornly persevering |
| tenuous | having little substance or strength; shaky; unsure, weak |
| superficial | concerned only with what is on the surface or obvious; shallow |
| ambivalent | simultaneously having opposing feelings; uncertain |
| stratagem | a clever trick used to deceive or outwit |
| ruse | a crafty trick; an artifice |
| coup | a brilliantly executed plan |
| spurious | not genuine; false; counterfeit |
| reclamation | the act of making something useful again |
| mollify | to calm or soothe |
| emollient | softening and soothing OR something that softens or soothes |
| asylum | a place of retreat or security |
| gratuitous | given freely; unearned; unwarranted |
| frenetic | wildly excited or active |
| flagrant | extremely or deliberately shocking or noticeable; egregious |
| effusive | emotionally unrestrained; gushy |
| ostentatious | showy or pretentious |
| ornate | elaborately decorated[; embellished] |
| opulent | exhibiting a display of great wealth |
| florid | flowery or elaborate (as in speech) |
| torpor | laziness; inactivity; dullness |
| listless | lacking energy |
| insipid | uninteresting; unchallenging |
| indolent | lazy; disclined to activity |
| dilatory | habitually late |
| quandary | a state of uncertainty or perplexity |
| convoluted | intricate; complex |
| patronizing | treating in a condescending manner |
| despotic | exercising absolute power; tyrannical |
| vindicated | freed from blame ;acquitted; exculpated |
| substantiated | supported with proof or evidence; verified |
| penitent | expressing remorse for one's misdeeds |
| jurispudence | the philosophy or science of law |
| integrity | trustworthiness; honor; completeness |
| incontrovertible | Iidisputable; not open to question |
| exculpate | to free from guilt or blame; acquit; vindicate |
| rhetoric | the art of using language effectively and persuasively |
| pundit | an authority who expresses his/her opinions |
| discourse | verbal expression or exchange; conversation |
| didactic | intended to instruct |
| intrepid | courageous; fearless |
| maverick | one who is independent and resists adherence to a group |
| obdurate | stubborn; inflexible |
| obstinate | stubbornly adhering to an opinion or a course of action |
| proliferate | to grow or increase rapidly |
| tenacity | persistence |
| incumbent | imposed as a duty; obligatory |
| malleable | easily shaped or formed; easily influenced |
| conception | the ability to form or understand an idea |
| virtuoso | a highly skilled artist |
| verbose | wordy |
| surpass | exceed |
| scrupulous | conscientious; extremely thorough |
| scrutinize | examine closely and critically |
| satirical | mocking |
| reticence | reserve; uncommunicativeness; inclination to silence |
| reprove | censure; rebuke |
| prudent | cautious; careful |
| preclude | make impossible; eliminate |
| placate | pacify; conciliate |
| pervasive | pervading; spread throughout every part |
| nurture | nourish; educate; foster |
| notoriety | disrepute; ill fame |
| levity | lack of seriousness; lightness |
| laud | praise; extol |
| ironic | resulting in an unexpected and contrary outcome |
| incite | arouse to action |
| hierarchy | arrangement by ranking or standings; authoritarian body divided into ranks |
| flagrant | conspicuously wicked; blatant; outrageous |
| gravity | seriousness |
| solace | easing of grief; comfort |
| aspirant | candidate for high position |
| dregs | most worthless part |
| scurrilous | coarse; grossly or obscenely abusive |
| octogenarian | person in his or her eighties |
| sordid | dirty, base, dishonorable |
| castigate | correct by punishing |
| laceration | jagged wound |
| tangible | having actual form; able to be touched |
| pugnacious | quarrelsome; combative |
| promulgate | make known officially |
| brash | impudent; bold |
| scoff | sneer at |
| belittle | make seem less important |
| alacrity | lively action; briskness |
| disdain | contempt |
| belligerent | warlike |
| feint | a false attack |
| accost | to approach, greet, or attack |
| adroit | clever; adept |
| avid | eager, enthusiastic |
| cajole | coax or wheedle |
| hapless | unlucky, unfortunate |
| intrepid | courageous, bold |
| irate | furious |
| laconic | concise; pithy |
| nuance | shade of difference |
| plethora | abundance; great quantity |
| pretext | an excuse |
| rudimentary | basic or elementary |
| reticent | reluctant to speech; uncommunicative |
| cessation | a temporary or complete stopping |
| condolence | expression of sympathy |
| lackluster | lacking brightness, energy, or focus |
| repudiate | disown; refuse to accept |
| stipulate | make a specific demand |
| tremulous | trembling; timid; fearful |
| wrest | twist, turn, or pull away by force |
| mundane | common, earthly, basic |
