| A | B |
|---|
| adept | adj. Def: Very skilled, able or proficient Sent: Although inept with other musical instruments, Aiko was the most _adept_ cellist at the music academy. |
| advocate | noun Def: One who acts in support or defense of a person or cause Sent: Ron Kovic, former veteran and author of "Born on the 4th of July," is a passionate _advocate_ for world peace, veterans' rights, and respect for the disabled. |
| aesthetic | adj. Def: Pertaining to what is considered beautiful or tasteful Sent: While most medical procedures are conducted to address health problems, plastic surgery is usually performed for _aesthetic_ reasons. |
| anachronism | noun Def: Someone or thing out of its correct chronological or historical order Sent: While _anachronisms_ usually pop up accidentally in period pieces, some programs like The Flintstones, with its prehistoric cars, telephones, and movie studios, completely rely on them. |
| anecdote | noun Def: A short account of an interesting or humorous, often biographical, incident Sent: After a good practice, Coach Crush would entertain players with amusing _anecdotes_ about his brief stint in the NFL. |
| apprehensive | adj. Def: Uneasy, anxious, or fearful about the future; quick to understand or learn Sent: Some students feel _apprehensive_ about the prospect of attending college far from home, while others are positively thrilled. |
| arrogance | noun Def: An offensive display of self-importance or superiority; overbearing pride, haughtiness Sent: When the guest conductor abruptly changed the programs for the rest of the season, the orchestra was astounded at his _arrogance_. |
| boorish | adj. Def: Resembling or characteristic of a boor; crude, coarse, and clumsy in behavior; churlish, oafish, insensitive Sent: Severus sneered at the _boorish_ way the students shoved each other into the field for soccer practice. |
| brevity | noun Def: The quality of being brief in time or duration; concise expression Sent: It is said that, "_Brevity_ is the soul of wit," but I usually need a lot of words to prove how witty I am. |
| cathartic | adj. Def: Emotionally purging Sent: Stoic sorts find the _cathartic_ properties of a good cry impossible to comprehend. |
| censure | verb Def: To express disapproval in a strong or vehement fashion; to criticize, blame, or reprimand Sent: The school board _censured_ the teacher for encouraging her students to make fun of the kindergarteners as they exercised. |
| cite | verb Def: To quote as an authority or example; to mention in support or confirmation Sent: When the principal questioned the teacher's plans for a field trip to the dairy, he _cited_ his predecessor's visit to that locale the previous year. |
| commendable | adj. Def: Worthy of great praise or approval Sent: The boy scouts did not achieve their goal of collecting one-hundred coats for the homeless, but their troop leader said their efforts were _commendable_. |
| conciliatory | adj Def: Attempting to regain goodwill through pleasantness; overcoming hostility; accommodating, appeasing Sent: When the employees objected to the company's elimination of the practice of giving compensatory time for working overtime or on weekends, the CEO made the _conciliatory_ offer of one comp day per year. |
| consensus | noun Def: Majority of opinion among a group; general agreement or accord Sent: The _consensus_ in the cafeteria is that whatever made up today's Mystery Meatloaf should remain a mystery. |
| consummate | adj. Def: Complete or perfect in every respect; supremely skilled Sent: Despite his inexperience, the understudy gave a _consummate_ performance. |
| cursory | adj. Def: Performed hastily and without attention to detail; superficial Sent: Even a _cursory_ examination of the published data reveals how ineffective cola is as a thirst-quencher. |
| defiant | adj. Def: Boldly resisting authority or an opposing force; challenging Sent: _Defiant_ to the end, Nathan Hale is best remembered for the timeless expression, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country," uttered moments before his execution. |
| depict | verb Def: To represent or characterize in words, pictures, or sculpture Sent: While most works _depict_ New Yorkers as rude and belligerent, millions of visitors each year are pleased to discover how kind and helpful denizens of the Big Apple can be. |
| deride | verb Def: To laugh at in scorn or treat with contempt; to ridicule Sent: If the band didn't want critics to _deride_ their newest album, maybe they shouldn't have released such an amateurish, uninspired collection of songs. |
| disparage | verb Def: To speak of with disrespect; to belittle or depreciate Sent: He made _disparaging_ remarks about his bitter enemy. |
| eclectic | adj. Selecting, employing, or comprising individual elements from a wide variety of sources Sent: Ginger loved her local coffee shop, particularly the ever-changing array of international pastries on its _eclectic_ menu. |
| elaborate | adj. Planned or executed with great care and attention; painstaking Sent: While Dexter agonized over his _elaborate_ plans to woo the woman of his dreams, his rival took action by simply picking up the phone and asking her to the prom. |
| eloquent | adj. Characterized by clear, powerful, and persuasive speech Sent: The candidate hired the best speechwriter he could find in the hope of being the most _eloquent_ person at the debate. |
| elucidate | verb Def: To make lucid or clear; to explain Sent: Susan found the textbook's description of the US Electoral College unclear, so he asked his teacher to _elucidate_ on it. |
| embody | verb Def: To represent in bodily, material, or tangible form Sent: The art critic said the impermanence of sand sculptures _embodies_ man's frailty in the face of time and nature. |
| equitable | adj. Def: Characterized by fairness and impartiality; just or reasonable Sent: It is the job of an arbitrator to find the most _equitable_ solution to a dispute between parties. |
| erratic | adj. Def: Having no fixed or regular course; wandering; lacking consistency, or regularity, eccentric Sent: Alison's _erratic_ work schedule made it impossible to know whether she'd be at home or at the restaurant on a given night. |
| ethical | adj. Def: Being in accordance with the rules or standards for right conduct or practice; adhering to moral principles Sent: Father Edward attempted to convince his parishioner that her overseas business activities, although legal, were not _ethical_. |
| exemplary | adj. Def: worthy of imitation; estimable; praiseworthy Sent: Melissa was so pleased with her children's _exemplary_ behavior during the long day of shopping that she treated them to ice cream. |
| felicitious | adj. Def: Well-suited for the occasion, appropriate; marked by good fortune Sent: Bumping into Juliana at the mall was most _felicitious_ because I needed a ride home. |
| florid | adj. Def: Reddish or rosy; excessively ornate or flowery Sent: Modern furniture has cleaner lines than the _florid_ style of Victorian era furnishings. |
| foster | verb Def: To promote the growth or development of; cultivate; nurture Sent: In addition to providing physical benefits, participation in a team sport can "foster" self-confidence in a child. |
| holistic | adj. Sent: Emphasizing the importance of the whole and the interdependence of parts, as opposed to separation into parts Sent: Some people are drawn to _holistic_ health care because they feel traditional western medicine ignores important aspects of the patient's life. |
| idiosyncrasy | noun Def: A habit, mannerism, or characteristic that is peculiar to an individual Def: Public speaking coaches try to make their clients aware of _idiosyncrasies_ which distract the listener. |
| ineffable | adj Def: Defying expression or description; inexpressible Sent: The novelist was stumped in his attempt to capture the _ineffable_ allure of sailing around the world. |
| intemperate | adj. Def: Given to or characterized by excessive indulgence; not moderate or restrained Sent: Try to keep your cool in an argument; _intemperate_ words often lead to later regrets. |
| irreverent | adj. Def: Showing lack of due respect; impertinent; satirical Sent: Staid critics panned the play for its _irreverent_ portrayal of the queen as a jester. |
| disparity | noun Def: Lack of equality or similarity; difference Sent: Gender income _disparity_ seems to be diminishing, but within many professions or companies, men still earn more than women for essentially the same jobs. |
| lament | verb Def: To feel or express grief or regret; to mourn for Sent: Olivia sent a sympathy card when her friend's mother died, but _lamented_ the fact that she could not attend the funeral. |
| laudatory | adj Def: Containing or expressing praise Sent: The _laudatory_ speech made my stomach turn because I knew how malicious Tanya could be. |
| lucid | adj Def: Clear; rational; sane; easily understood Sent: The directions Pradeep wrote on the side of the Styrofoam cup were no longer _lucid_; spilled coffee blurred the street names. |
| magnanimous | adj Def: Generous in forgiving; unselfish; free of resentment or vindictiveness Sent: Though still annoyed, Sandy recognized the flowers as a _magnanimous_ gesture and forgave her boyfriend for finishing the last of the lasagna. |
| mock | verb Def: To ridicule; to imitate or mimic; to defy Sent: A true fan, Shelly continued to listen to Milli Vanilli even thoush she was _mocked_ by everyone she knew. |
| mundane | adj. Def: Common or ordinary; pertaining to the world, secular Sent: Drew wanted a life of excitement, so he quit his _mundane_ job waiting tables and joined the circus. |
| naive | adj. Def: Unaffected, unsophisticated; inexperienced, having an unaffected style Sent: College freshman are typically _naive_ and assume that everyone will understand their mistakes; little do they realize that most upperclassman quickly lose patience with students who haven't "learned the ropes." |
| nefarious | adj. Def: wicked, infamous, villainous Sent: The audience at the Wild West show enjoyed hissing at the _nefarious_ outlaw. |
| nostalgia | noun Def: A longing for a former place or time; something that displays nostalgia Sent: Baby boomers revel in the _nostalgia_ of Doo Wop shows. |
| novel | adj. Def: New; different Sent: The professor encouraged his engineering students to find _novel_ ways of keeping a raw egg whole when dropped from a table. |
| obstinate | adj. Def: Stubborn, inflexible, not easily overcome Sent: When he's busy, Brad becomes a very _obstinate_ person, refusing to change his routine to help others. |
| partisan | adj. Def: Devoted to or biased in support of a party, group, or cause Sent: It is amazing that Congress passes any legislation amidst the petty, _partisan_ bickering of Republicans and Democrats. |
| pessimistic | adj. Def: Gloomy, having a negative outlook; expecting the worst Sent: Gloomy Eeyore is a very _pessimistic_ donkey in the children's book "Winne the Pooh." |
| pragmatic | adj. Def: Practical; dealing with actual facts or occurrences Sent: Bella makes _pragmatic_ decisions, always taking into account the practical consequences of her actions. |
| prosaic | adj. Def: Commonplace; dull; lacking in imagination Sent: Jill found Jack _prosaic_ and boring; she turned down a second date knowing his dullness would never change. |
| quell | verb Def: To suppress; to put an end to; to pacifiy Sent: The new mother attempted to _quell_ the baby's cries at night so as not to disturb the neighbors. |
| refute | verb Def: To prove to be false; to prove a person to be in error; to deny Sent: Ian _refuted_ John's argument that the Earth is flat by showing him pictures taken from space proving the Earth's roundness. |
| rhetorical | adj. Def: Used for style or effect only; bombastic Sent: Hend took a _rhetorical_ speech class in order to improve her public speaking skills. |
| sanguine | adj. Def: Optimistic, hopeful or confident; reddish; bloody Sent: A _sanguine_ attitude helps when receiving your test scores; even if they aren't desirable, your optimism will drive you to work harder to do better next time. |
| solicitious | adj. Def: Anxious or concerned; careful; eager. Sent: Though he isn't normally _solicitious_ of his friends' comfort, Jared took pains to ensure that everyone enjoyed the beach volleyball barbeque. |
| somber | adj. Def: Dark; dimly lit; gloomy or depressing Sent: After her father's death, Emily was _somber_ for months. |
| speculate | verb Def: To think or reflect; to conjecture; to engage in a risky business practice in the expectation of a quick or large profit. Sent: Jennifer's mother _speculated_ as to why her son was not eating; she later discovered that he was trying to lose weight for a wrestling tournament. |
| superfluous | adj. Def: More than sufficient; extra; unnecessary or needless Sent: Cindy brought a _superfluous_ amount of clothes with her on vacation but she wanted to be ready for anything. |
| tenacious | adj. Persistent or stubborn; holding fast; holding together; sticky or adhesive Sent: The _tenacious_ student refused to give up his argument with the teacher; finally, the teacher was exhausted and gave the stubborn student the five extra points on his exam. |
| venerate | verb Def: To regard or treat with reverence Sent: At the Veteran's Day parade, the former soldiers were _venerated_ by the cheering crowds. |
| vindicate | verb Def: To clear of accusation or suspicion; to defend, maintain, or avenge Sent: The store clerk was _vindicated_ when the security camera video showed she was not the one who stole the money from the register. |
| zealous | adj. Def: enthusiastic Sent: Orchid collectors, a truly passionate lot, have historically been quite _zealous_ in the pursuit of new varieties. |
