| A | B |
|---|
| altruistic | unselfishly concerned for the welfare of others, generous |
| ambivalent | having contrary feelings or attitudes, uncertain as to course of action |
| angular | lean; sharp cornered; gaunt |
| arrogant | overbearingly assuming; insolently proud |
| aversion | strong disinclination, disliking |
| discern | to differentiate between two or more things |
| disdain | intense dislike; to treat with scorn or contempt, to reject as unworthy |
| disparage | to degrade, to speak of someone or something in a derogatory manner |
| disparity | inequality, the condition or fact of being unequal in age, rank, or degree |
| embellish | to decorate, to make beautiful with ornamentation |
| engender | to cause, to produce, to create |
| innocuous | harmless, producing no injury |
| insipid | boring and stupid |
| lament | to mourn or to express sorrow in a demonstrative manner |
| laud | to praise, to extol |
| obscure | difficult to see, vague |
| ostentatious | showy, pretentious |
| prodigal | wasteful, a person given to extravagance |
| repudiate | to reject, to disown, to disavow |
| reticence | restraint in speech, reluctance to speak |
| revere | to honor, to regard with respect |
| serene | calm, placid |
| subtle | delicate, elusive, not obvious |
| superfluous | beyond what is needed or required, an overflow |
| taciturn | quiet, not verbose |
| abstruse | difficult to understand, recondite, concealed |
| affable | friendly, courteous, amiable |
| audacity | excessive boldness, rashness, daring |
| contrite | extremely apologetic, remorseful, repentant |
| credulous | believing on slight evidence, gullible |
| depravity | moral corruption, a wicked or perverse act |
| deprecate | to disapprove regretfully, to belittle, to express mild disapproval |
| didactic | instructive, designed to teach |
| dormant | inactive, sleeping |
| enigmatic | mysterious, inexplicable, puzzling |
| erudite | scholarly |
| exotic | foreign, unfamiliar |
| fuse | to mix or to join (usually by melting) |
| immutable | unchanging |
| incorrigible | incapable of being reformed or improved |
| loathe | to detest |
| mitigate | to cause to become less harsh or hostile; to make less severe |
| nullify | to cause not to be in effect, to negate |
| pacifistic | opposed to war or use of force |
| pretentious | making an extravagant outward show, self-important |
| prologue | introductory remarks in a speech, play or literary work, introductory action |
| recant | to withdraw or to repudiate a statement or belief, revoke |
| servile | overly submissive |
| trepidation | fear, trembling, agitation |
| vilify | to malign, to defame, to utter abusive statements against |
| antithesis | a direct opposite, a contrast |
| ascend | to move upward, to rise from a lower station |
| austere | strict, stern; unadorned, ascetic |
| autonomous | independent, self-contained |
| banal | common, ordinary, lacking freshness, hackneyed |
| benign | not causing harm, of gentle disposition, beneficial |
| capricious | changing suddenly, fickle |
| dawdle | to waste time, to spend time idly, to move in a lackadaisical manner |
| defamation | act of harming or ruining another's reputation |
| esoteric | understood only by a small group or a select few |
| exacerbate | to aggravate, to irritate, to vex |
| extol | to praise, to glorify |
| fastidious | reflecting a meticulous or demanding attitude, critical to an extreme |
| furtive | secret in an underhanded way, stealthy |
| gregarious | sociable and outgoing |
| hypocrite | one who is insincere or deceitful |
| innate | existing from birth, inborn |
| lethargic | sluggish, languid |
| melancholy | depression of spirits |
| opaque | not allowing the passage of light, not transparent; hard to understand |
| prolific | abundantly fruitful, marked by great productivity |
| reprove | to scold or to rebuke for a misdeed usually with kindly intent |
| symmetry | balanced proportions |
| tranquil | peaceful, calm |
| venerate | to honor, to revere |
