| A | B |
|---|
| acquiesce | to give in, to comply |
| acrimonious | caustic |
| arid | very dry |
| articulate | to speak distinctly; expressing oneself clearly |
| assuage | to ease, to mitigate, to make less painful or burdensome, to calm |
| auspicious | favorable |
| begrudge | to give reluctantly, to envy a possession or one's enjoyment |
| benevolence | kindness, generosity, charity |
| caricature | a portrayal where features are distorted, a parody |
| complacency | the state of being self-satisfied |
| congenital | existing at birth or dating from birth |
| corroboration | authentication, substantiation, validation, verification |
| dictum | an authoritative statement, decree |
| diminution | diminishment, reduction |
| disapprobation | disapproval, condemnation |
| domicile | home or residence, abode |
| drone | speaking in a monotonous tone; a continuous low humming sound |
| edifying | instructing and improving spiritually or morally |
| elucidate | to make clear, to explain |
| enunciate | to pronounce clearly |
| fanaticism | enthusiasm or zeal that is excessively irrational |
| formidable | menacing, causing fear or awe |
| fractious | unruly |
| fraudulent | deceitful; portrayed as genuine but is really an imposter |
| frivolous | lacking in seriousness or importance |
| furtive | secret in an underhanded way, stealthy |
| guileless | without deceit |
| hone | to sharpen, to make more intense, to make more effective |
| impertinent | insolently rude, not within the proper bounds of good taste or manners |
| impudent | disrespectful, characterized by improper bold behavior |
| indigenous | native to a certain area |
| infallible | incapable of error |
| ingenuity | cleverness, inventiveness, resourcefulness |
| innate | existing from birth, inborn |
| inordinate | exceeding reasonable limits, excessive |
| irascible | irritable, easily angered, cranky, cross |
| lament | to mourn or to express sorrow in a demonstrative manner |
| malevolence | ill will or evil intentions |
| melancholy | depression of spirits |
| oblique | slanting, indirect, evasive, devious, misleading |
| oblivion | state of being forgotten |
| ominous | board on which a painter mixes paints |
| palette | board on which a painter mixes paints |
| palliate | to ease pain, guilt or intensity |
| piety | devotion and reverence to God |
| placid | peaceful, calm |
| predilection | preference |
| profane | showing contempt toward sacred things |
| propel | to drive or to push forward |
| propensity | preference, natural inclination |
| protrusion | something sticking out |
| quaint | unusual in character or appearance |
| recluse | a person who lives in solitude, a hermit |
| rectitude | state of moral integrity |
| revere | to honor, to regard with respect |
| rudiment | an essential element or skill, also the early stages of development |
| savory | appetizing |
| sordid | filthy, foul |
| stealthy | acting in a secret and sneaky way--this is a negative term |
| succinct | brief, compact |
| taciturn | quiet, not verbose |
| temerity | boldness that is foolhardy |
| tentative | not fully worked out, provisional, uncertain |
| terrestrial | of the earth or pertaining to the earth |
| tranquil | peaceful, calm |
| turbulence | wild or disturbing activity |
| unmitigated | not made less severe or intense |
| unobtrusive | not readily noticeable, inconspicuous |
| vivid | bright, distinct, and clear |
