| A | B |
|---|
| bombast | inflated or pretentious speech |
| bona fide | genuine or sincere |
| boudoir | a woman's dressing room |
| buffoon | a clown or laughable person |
| buttress | to support or prop |
| cacophonous | noisy or harsh-sounding |
| cadence | rhythm |
| carcinogen | a cancer causing substance |
| carnivore | a meat-eating animal |
| caucus | a closed meeting for members of a political party |
| celestial | heavenly |
| circumvent | to avoid by going around |
| citadel | a fortress |
| cogitate | to ponder |
| comatose | inactive |
| conflagration | a huge, destructive fire |
| contrite | sincerely sorry for wrong doing |
| conveyance | a means of transportation |
| corona | a halo of light around the sun |
| cryptic | arcane |
| cuisine | food |
| debonaire | charming |
| decanter | a container used for receiving liquids poured from another |
| deciduous | shedding or losing leaves as part of a regular process |
| dexterous | skilled |
| disheveled | messy |
| demagogue | a leader who makes false promises to get elected |
| doggerel | inferior poetry |
| dormant | comatose |
| dulcet | sweet or comforting |
| apex | the highest point |
| aborigine | an original inhabitant |
| androgynous | unisex |
| amphibious | able to function on both land or water |
| effervescent | bubbly |
| emaciated | painfully thin, wasted |
| apparition | an unexpected sight |
| abstruse | difficult to comprehend |
| aperture | a hole or opening |
| appendage | a limb |
| echelon | one in a series of ranks |
| altercation | a noisy argument or dispute |
| embellish | to decorate |
| equestrian | of or relating to horses |
| equilibrium | balance |
| escalate | to heighten or increase |
| exodus | a mass departure |
| expletive | an exclamatory phrase |
| expunge | to delete or erase |
| fecund | fertile |
| festoon | garland |
| fiasco | a failure |
| flamboyant | outrageous or colorful |
| ambrosial | sweet-smelling or fragrant |
| formidable | frightening |
| gargoyle | a rain spout |
| gauntlet | a glove |
| germinate | to grow |
| globule | a small drop |
| indolent | lazy |
| harbinger | messenger |
| hirsute | very hairy |
| holocaust | widespread destruction |
| incarcerate | to put in jail |
| inclement | stormy |
| intrepid | bold or daring |
| irreparable | unable to be fixed |
| itinerary | route of a journey |
| juxtapose | to place side by side |
| jettison | to discard |
| kowtow | to be overly flattering |
| labyrinthine | like a maze, confusing |
| lambent | softly glowing |
| languid | drooping, sluggish |
| libation | a beverage |
| lineage | heritage, ancestory |
| loquacious | talkative |
| ludicrous | ridiculous |
| masticate | to chew |
| mausoleum | a tomb |
| mellifluous | smooth, sweetly flowing |
| metamorphosis | change |
| nadir | the lowest point |
| nocturnal | active at night |
| nodule | a lump |
| obdurate | stubborn |
| opulent | luxurious |
| panorama | a wide, unbroken view |
| pariah | an outcast |
| pogrom | an organized persecution or massacre |
| pinnacle | synonym to apex |
| ambulatory | capable of moving or walking |
| arcane | secret or mysterious |
| archetype | an original pattern or model |
| oscillate | to swing back and forth |
| ostracize | to make an outcast |
| ovation | applause |
| paraphernalia | accessories or tackle |
| parochial | limited in scope or related to a parish |
| penurious | stingy |
| pilfer | to steal insignificant items |
| pinion | to bind or hold fast |
| plummett | to plunge |
| polyglot | multilingual |
| posh | luxurious |
| ballyhoo | a noisy, attention-getting talk or demonstration |
| bedlam | uproar or confusion |
| bellicose | warlike or quarrelsome |
| bizarre | odd, out of the ordinary, unexpected |
| blatant | obvious in a crude or vulgar way |
| brouhaha | hubbub, uproar, or confusion |
| cameo | a raised image on a stone or a small role |
| dogmatic | rigid or strict in opinion or belief |
| fortuitous | accidental; fortunate or lucky |
| gossamer | something light or delicate |
| gregarious | social and outgoing |
| gyrate | to revolve around a point or axis |
| halcyon | calm or peaceful |
| impropriety | rudeness or lack of manners |
| innocuous | harmless or inoffensive |
| irascible | easily angered or hot-tempered |
| luminary | one who is notable in a field |
| maelstrom | a powerful storm or whirlpool |
| manacle | handcuffs |
| monolith | a single large stone; often in the form of a column or monument |
| obsequious | fawning, flattering, or submissive |
