| A | B |
|---|
| articulate | verb: To pronounce clearly and carefully; to express in words Unable to _articulate_ her discomfort, the infant just bawled in the hopes that her diaper would be changed. |
| colloquial | adj: Having to do with conversation; characteristic of conversation as opposed to formal speech or writing Shivali had learned formal English in school and found it difficult at first to understand _colloquial_ speech. |
| deprecate | verb: To express disapproval of; belittle; deplore; to protest againt It is not unusual for candidates in a debate to _deprecate_ their opponents' views on major issues. |
| diatribe | noun: A thundering verbal attack; a bitter, abusive denunciation The protestor's vicious _diatribe_ against conspicuous consumption was captured on film and played on the evening news. |
| discourse | noun: Communication by words; conversation; a formal spoken or written discussion of a subject The advanced literature students were asked to prepare _discources_ on Charles Dickens' symbolic use of food in "Great Expectations." |
| divulge | verb: To disclose something private or previously unknown Artemis _divulged_ to the reporter that Clementine would announce her candidacy for president the next day. |
| dulcet | adj: pleasing to the ear, melodious While some preferred artists with raspy voices, Serge was drawn to the _dulcet_ tones of Sade. |
| elicit | verb: To draw out or evoke; to arrive at by reasoning In "Harry Potter," Draco Malfoy often _elicits_ fights with Harry and undermines him in whatever ways he can. |
| eulogy | noun: A speech or writing in praise of something or someone, especially for someone who has died. Despite their recent divorce, Griselda was asked to give the _eulogy_ at Hubert's funeral. |
| euphemism | noun: The substitution of a mild or vague expression in the place of a harsh, blunt, or offensive one Parents often employ euphemisms when discussing death until their children are mature enough for the truth. |
| fluent | adj: Spoken or written with ease; able to speak or write with ease; flowing; graceful Bubba used _fluent_ French to express his admiration for the fluent lines of the new building. |
| gibberish | noun: Nonsensical or unintelligible speech or writing; speech or writing that contains obscure, pretentious, or technical words In an effort to impress the CEO, Zeke filled his report with technical terms, only to have it dismissed as _gibberish_. |
| herald | verb: To greet with enthusiasm; to give notice of; to signal the approach of All over the world on the evening of December 31, people _herald_ the New Year in festive ways. |
| loquacious | adj: Tending to talk too much or too freely; chattering Some people become belligerent when drunk; others become _loquacious_ and will tell their life story to anyone who will listen. |
| pejorative | noun: A disparaging or belittling word or expression A crude yet creative individual, the doctor used a different _pejorative_ to describe each of his patients. |
| reiterate | verb: To say or do again; to repeat, possibly to excess The teacher _reiterated_ the homework assignment until he was certain every student had heard it. |
| reproach | verb: To express disapproval of; to criticize; to shame The instructor _reproached_ those students who had not completed the homework assignment. |
| reticent | adj: Reserved; reluctant to speak freely; reluctant Kia enjoyed questioning celebrities about personal aspects of their lives but was _reticent_ about her own. |
| scoff | verb: to mock or jeer; to eat quickly and greedily Benny _scoffed_ at his sister when he found out he got a better score on the algebra exam, which didn't surprise anyone because Benny takes every opportunity to mock her. |
| sermonize | verb: To exhort or lecture; to compose or deliver a sermon To _sermonize_ about humility is far from humble. |
