| A | B |
|---|
| abate | to reduce in amount, degree, or intensity; to lessen |
| acerbic | of a sour or severe taste, character, or tone |
| amnesty | an official pardon for offenders (usually political) during a fixed period of time; a decision to take no action and look the other way |
| arbitrary | determined by whim or impulse; subject to individual judgement; unfair or biased |
| auspicious | marked by success; favorable; promising |
| besiege | to surround with hostile forces; to crowd around or hem in |
| bravado | swaggering behavior; showiness; a pretense of bravery |
| campaign | an organized course of action for a particular purpose; to engage in an operation for a particular purpose, such as a military maneuver |
| coalition | an alliance for combined or unified action, made up of people, nations, or groups |
| contagious | capable of being transmitted through direct or indirect contact; carrying a disease |
| curtail | to cut short; abbreviate |
| dilapidated | fallen into a state of disrepair; broken down |
| epic | an extended narrative celebrating legendary or heroic feats; pertaining to illustrious literary work; surpassing the usual or ordinary |
| facsimile | an exact copy or replication; duplicated |
| florid | ornate, flowery, or grandiose; flushed with rosy color |
| gusto | fondness; taste; vigorous enjoyment; zest |
| incite | to stimulate to action; to urge on or provoke |
| perennial | lasting for years or continuing for a long time; something that recurs on an yearly or continual basis |
| posthumous | following or occurring after death |
| rendezvous | a meeting; a popular gathering place; to meet at a specified time and place |
| replenish | to fill or make complete again; to inspire or nourish |
| sloth | extreme laziness or indolence; lethargic idleness |
| translucent | transmitting light but diffusing it enough to cause images to be blurred |
| vigilante | a person who suppresses and punishes crime without any legal authority to do so; a member of a vigilance committee |
| vociferous | vehement, insistent, and loud, often in an outcry for the purpose of compelling attention |
| abject | sunk to a miserable state; showing complete hopelessness; wretched |
| ambidextrous | able to use both hands equally well; skillful |
| collusion | a secret agreement among or between parties with the intention of deceit or fraud |
| contrite | remorseful and regretful; penitent |
| indolent | not inclined toward work; habitually lazy |
| remiss | negligent or lax in duty; careless |
| banal | lacking freshness, originality, or novelty; trite; overused |
| spartan | self-disciplined, simple, rigorous |
| vicarious | feeling or living through the experience of another; having the function of a substitute or surrogate |
| chasten | to inflict punishment or criticism upon in order to improve or correct |
| kernel | a seed; a central or essential part |
| ravage | to lay waste; to destroy; the act of destroying or devastating |
| chagrin | embarrassment or humiliation caused by failure or disappointment; to cause one to feel mortified |
| mores | the accepted traditional customs necessary for the survival of a particular social group |
| vista | a view, often scenic or panoramic, as seen through a narrow opening or frame |
| acquiesce | to consent tacitly or passively; to agree without protest |
| caustic | able to burn, corrode, or dissolve; cutting or sarcastic |
| arduous | requiring great effort or labor; strenuous |
| dearth | scarcity; lack; paucity; shortage |
| quell | to subdue, suppress, or overcome by force; to pacify or quiet |
| abstain | to refrain from something by one's own choice |
| amend | to improve; to remove faults or errors; to correct |
| immobile | incapable of moving or of being moved; motionless |
| induce | to lead or move by influence or persuasion; to cause |
| appease | to pacify, quiet, or satisfy, especially by giving in to demands |
| decimate | to severely damage, kill, or destroy a large part of; to reduce or destroy a tenth of something |
| furtive | characterized by stealth, deceit, or secrecy; misleading; clandestine |
| precarious | dangerously unstable; dependent upon uncertain circumstances or assumptions |
| tantalize | to tease; to excite by exposing something desirable while keeping it out of reach |
| fervor | intense or passionate emotion; zeal |
| hoard | a hidden collection of something kept for future use; to keep hidden or private |
| limpid | crystal clear or transparent; calm or serene |
| forte | something in which a person excels |
| pensive | deeply thoughtful or meditative; contemplative, often in a melancholy way |
| allege | to make a claim; to affirm without proof |
| balk | to halt in refusal; to hinder; to hesitate at an obstruction |
| dormant | sleeping or as if sleeping; latent or inactive |
| felicitous | used or expressed in a way suitable to the occasion; marked by good fortune |
| lucrative | producing wealth; profitable |
| plausible | apparently true, likely, or acceptable; credible |
| depict | to picture in words; to represent in a drawing or painting |
| encompass | to surround; to hold inside or within; to include |
| incisive | sharp and clear; direct and to the point |
| inept | awkward; clumsy; unsuitable; inappropriate |
| broadcast | to distribute widely, to transmit a signal, or to make widely known |
| charlatan | a person who claims to have knowledge or skills that s/he does not have |
| extricate | to free, release, or disentangle from a constraint or difficulty |
| jovial | good-humored and full of jokes, cheerfulness, or conviviality |
| complement | something that completes or makes whole; to bring to perfection |
| estrange | to alienate; to remove from a place or community |
| fluster | to become nervous, excited, or upset |
| sever | to part, divide, or separate |
| gauche | lacking in social graces; inclined to commit social blunders |
| marauder | one who roves in quest of plunder; one who raids to appropriate goods and valuables for himself |
| niche | a special place; a comfortable spot or position in life |
| rapport | a harmonious or trusting relationship |
| verve | energy and enthusiasm, especially in artistic performances; vitality; liveliness |
| cleave | to divide or split; to cling to |
| deluge | a great flood; drenching rain; anything that overwhelms like a flood; to inundate |
| temerity | rashness, recklessness, or foolhardy disregard of danger |
| aloof | unfriendly; distant with other people; apart |
| coalesce | to unite; to grow together; to fuse |
| culpable | deserving blame or censure for being wrong, injurious, evil, or improper |
| demeanor | the outward manner in which a person behaves |
| eclectic | deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources |
| elicit | to bring out; to draw forth; to bring to light |
| emulate | to strive to equal or excel; to imitate; to rival through imitation |
| eschew | to take care to avoid; to shun; to elude |
| incongruous | lacking harmony or agreement; incompatible |
| malcontent | dissatisfied with existing conditions; one who is chronically dissatisfied; one who rebels against the establishment or the status quo |
| neophyte | a recent convert; a beginner or novice |
| ostracize | to exclude; to banish; to shut out; to shun |
| paramount | ranking highest in power or importance |
| pariah | a social outcast |
| quixotic | caught up in the romance of noble deeds and pursuit of unreachable goals; idealistic; without regard to practicality |
| resilient | able to spring back; readily recovering from illness or adversity |
| stigma | a lasting mark of disgrace, infamy, or reproach |
| stoic | a person apparently unaffected by pleasure, grief, or pain; indifferent, impassive |
| supercilious | haughty; condescending; expressing contempt |
| sycophant | a servile individual who attempts to advance him/herself through flattery |
