| A | B |
|---|
| auspices | n. A sign indicative of future prospects; an omen: Auspices for the venture seemed favorable. |
| auspicious | adj. Attended by favorable circumstances; propitious: It was an auspicious time to ask for a raise in salary. |
| circumspect | adj. Heedful of circumstances and potential consequences; prudent.: Physicians are now more circumspect about recommending the use of the drug with new evidence of its harmful side effects. |
| despicable | adj. Deserving of contempt or scorn; vile.: Who would do something as despicable as murder? |
| introspective | adj. examining own sensory and perceptual experiences: Homer and Socrates were extremely introspective philosophers. |
| perspicuity | n. The quality of being perspicuous; clearness and lucidity: Her teacher demanded perspicuity in their papers along with a direct thesis. |
| prospective | adj. Likely or expected to happen.: The realtor insisted that the prospective clients submit the required finacial documents to be considered. |
| specious | adj. Having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually fallacious: The South's insistence before the Civil War that slavery was beneficial for the Union's economy was a specious argument. |
| specter | n. haunting or disturbing image or prospect: The Cold War brought the terrible specter of nuclear war to the forefront of everybody's minds. |
| spectrum | n. A broad sequence or range of related qualities, ideas, or activities: The broad spectrum of 17th-century believed slavery was an acceptable institution. |
| acuity | n. Acuteness of vision or perception; keenness.: With great acuity the doctor diagnosed the patient's problem. |
| consummate | v. To bring to completion; conclude: He went to work early in order to get ready to consummate a business deal with new clients.2. adj. Highly skilled; polished: Karry, a consummate musician, was awarded first chair in the orchestra. |
| cunning | adj. Sly; crafty; clever: It was a pity the cunning scheme didn't work. 2. Skill in deception; guile: It takes great cunning to be a spy. |
| deft | adj. Quick and skillful; adroit: With the deft hands of a magician, the card was gone in a blink of an eye. |
| endowment | n. Money or property donated to an institution or person as a source of income: The endowment payed for the new library books. |
| facile | adj. Done with little effort or difficulty; easy: I was glad it was my day to take out the trash instead of washing the dishes as the former was a facile task. |
| incompetent | adj. Not having or showing adequate abilities or qualifications; incapable: His limited experience means that he is incompetent to do complicated repairs. |
| inept | adj. Awkward or clumsy; lacking skill or competence:The inept performance was blamed on the actor's horrible performance on stage.. |
| proficient | adj. Performing skillfully; competent; adept: It takes many years of study and experience to become a proficient surgeon. |
| propensity | n. A natural tendency; an inclination: Her propensity to exaggerate events made her a good if not truthful storyteller. |
| beseech | v. To ask earnestly; entreat; implore: After all efforts on her own part failed she was forced to beseech the authorities for help. |
| blandishment | n. A word or an act meant to coax or flatter. Often used in the plural: The advertisement's blandishments didn't persuade us to buy. |
| cajole | v. To persuade by flattery or insincere talk; coax: Immigrants were cajoled into going west by promises of great wealth and land. |
| elicit | v. To bring out; draw forth; evoke: By clever questioning the lawyer elicited the truth from the witness. |
| enjoin | v. 1. To direct or impose with authority and emphasis: The doctor enjoined the patient to walk one mile each day. 2. To prohibit or forbid: The court enjoined the company from merging with its competitor. |
| exigent | adj. Requiring immediate action or remedy; urgent.:The necessity for preventing war has become exigent. |
| imperious | adj. Arrogant; overbearing; domineering: The boss's imperious treatment of the workers caused many to quit. |
| injunction | n. An order or a command: The teacher's injunction to be silent quieted the class. |
| mendicant | adj. Depending on alms for a living: A religious guru in ancient India often lived a medicant lifestyle as he had no way to earn money in his profession. |
| query | n. A question; an inquiry.: Reporters’ probing queries can be awkward for politicians and movie stars. |
