| A | B |
|---|
| atypical (adj) | unusual |
| amorphous (adj) | shapeless |
| anarchy (n) | disorder; chaos resulting from no leadership |
| antediluvian (adj) | before the flood |
| anachronism (n) | something that occurs out of time |
| anagram (n) | a word or phrase formed using all the letters from another word or phrase |
| anathema (n) | anything greatly detested; a ban or curse |
| abdicate (v) | to step down from, give up a position |
| abstemious (adj) | moderate in use of food and drink |
| abstruse (adj) | difficult to understand |
| abscond (v) | to depart secretly and hide |
| absquatulate (v) | to move off hastily and secretly |
| aberration (n) | error; deviation from norm |
| archetype (n) | first of its kind |
| prototype (n) | archetype |
| amphitheater (n) | circular theater |
| antipathy (n) | hatred |
| antithetical (adj) | opposite |
| antidisestablishmentarianism (n) | belief against those against the system |
| ambiguous (adj) | vague |
| ambidextrous (adj) | using both hands equally well |
| ambivalent (adj) | having two conflicting feelings |
| circumspect (adj) | careful, cautious |
| circumscribe (v) | to limit; draw a circle around |
| circumlocution (n) | the use of too many words to express an idea |
| apocalypse (n) | forecast of doom |
| apogee (n) | highest point |
| apoplectic (adj) | lack of feeling, lack of control |
| dyspepsia (n) | indigestion |
| dyslexia (n) | reading impairment |
| dysphoria (n) | state of anxiety, depression, restlessness |
| dysphoric (adj) | anxious, depressed, restless |
| exonerate (v) | to free from blame or responsibility |
| extol (v) | to praise |
| exude (v) | to ooze |
| expiate (v) | to seek forgiveness; to atone |
| expunge (v) | to erase, delete, obliterate |
| exacerbate (v) | to aggravate or worsen |
| exculpate (v) | to clear from blame |
| exculpatory (adj) | clearing from blame |
| culpable (adj) | blameworthy; guilty |
| execration (n) | curse |
| extirpate | to root out, remove, eliminate |
| diarrhea (n) | a disease causing everything to pass through quickly |
| diaphanous (adj) | transparent |
| dialect (n) | local language, regional language |
| diatribe (n) | an abusive or critical speech |
| diameter (n) | the cross section of a circle |
| benefactor (n) | one who gives money, time, or other aid |
| benevolent (adj) | generous, charitable |
| benign (adj) | mild, harmless |
| benediction (n) | blessing |
| euphoria (n) | bliss, elation, happiness |
| euthanasia (n) | intentional, painless, and easy killing |
| euphony (n) | pleasant, harmonious sound |
| cacophony (n) | unpleasant sound; dissonance |
| euphemism (n) | milder words used in place of more direct language |
| eulogy (n) | speech that gives praise |
| eulogize (v) | to offer words of praise |
| debilitate (v) | to weaken |
| declivity (n) | downward slope |
| decrepit (adj) | worn out, broken down, weak |
| degenerate (v) | to sink to a lower level; deteriorate |
| degenerate (n) | a morally degraded person |
| decry (v) | to speak badly of; denounce; disparage |
| defunct (adj) | having finished the course of life of existence; dead |
| delineate (v) | to outline; to portray, show, depict |
| depravity (n) | corruption, evil, moral badness |
| depraved (adj) | corrupt, evil, wicked |
| deride (v) | to insult, make fun of, ridicule |
| desiccate (v) | to dry out thoroughly; to drain of spirit or life |
| pejorative (adj) | having negative connotations; belittling, degrading, disparaging |
| catatonic (adj) | dazed, mentally out of touch; marked by stupor or immobility |
| cataclysm (n) | disaster, upheaval |
| catacombs (n) | underground cemetery |
| peripatetic (adj) | given to walking, moving from place to place |
| itinerant (adj) | traveling or moving from place to place; peripatetic |
| peripheral (adj) | outer, away from the center |
| periphery (n) | edge, outer part |
| perphrasis (n) | using more words than necessary; wordiness |
| paradox (n) | statement that appears false but is true; a seeming contradiction |
| paradigm (n) | an outstanding example; overall concept accepted by most people in an intelligent community |
| paragon (n) | model of excellence or perfection |
| parasite (n) | one which lives off another without contributing anything |
| para- | beside, next to, like |
| peri- | around |
| cata- | down |
| impervious (adj) | not able to be harmed |
| impecunious (adj) | without money; poor |
| implacable (adj) | not able to be soothed or calmed |
| implicit (adj) | understood though not plainly expressed; implied but not stated |
| imprecation (n) | curse; execration |
| incessant (adj) | non-stop, continual, endless |
| incorrigible (adj/n) | difficult to control, unruly (adj); a delinquent (n) |
| incongito (adj/adv) | with hidden identity; so as not to be recognized |
| indolent (adj) | lazy |
| ineffable (adj) | unable to be put into words; indescribable |
| im-, in- | not |
| inexorable (adj) | relentless; inflexible |
| infidel (n) | non-believer in any particular religion; desbeliever in something specific |
| iniquity (n) | wickedness; sin |
| innocuous (adj) | not harmful or offensive |
| insidious (adj) | treacherous; dangerous or harmful but enticing; developing gradually before becoming apparent |
| intrinsic (adj) | innate, inborn; part of the essential nature |
| insipid (adj) | dull, bland, uninteresting; tasteless |
| im-, in- | not; into, against |
| impetus (n) | stimulus; driving force |
| incite (v) | to stimulate, provoke |
| inundate (v) | to flood, overwhelm, swamp |
| prodigal (adj) | very wasteful, extravagant; very generous, lavish |
| profane (adj/v) | obscene, sacrilegious; to desecrate or treat irreverently |
| propagate (v) | to cause to multiply, breed; to publicize |
| progentior (n) | ancestor, forefather, originator |
| prognosticate (v) | to predict |
| proliferation (n) | rapid growth, increase or spread |
| prosaic (adj) | commonplace, dull, ordinary |
| prostrate (v/adj) | to stretch out on the ground; lying on the ground |
| provincial (adj) | limited in scope; unsophisticated |
| propensity (n) | natural inclination, preference, tendency |
| proclivity (n) | natural tendency or inclination (usually toward something objectionable) |
| pro- | before, for, forward |
| superfluous (adj) | excessive, unnecessary, irrelevant |
| supercilious (adj) | arrogant, snobbish, haughty |
| supernal (adj) | heavenly, celestial |
| subliminal (adj) | below conscious perception |
| sublime (adj) | lofty, noble, grand, majestic; of outstanding spiritual, intellectual, or moral worth |
| sublimate (v) | to refine, to purify |
| subservient (adj) | behaving like a slave; submissive, compliant |
| subjugate (v) | to conquer; to bring under control |
| subterfuge (n) | deception by means of escape, concealment, or evasion |
| subversive (adj) | rebellious; seeking to overthrow or destroy |
| subterranean (adj) | underground |
| super- | above, beyond |
| sub- | under |
