abash

cause to be embarrassed

abdicate

give up, such as power, as of monarchs and emperors

aberration

a state or condition markedly different from the norm

abhor

find repugnant

abortive

failing to accomplish an intended result

absolve

grant remission of a sin to

abysmal

resembling an abyss in depth; so deep as to be immeasurable

accost

speak to someone

acumen

shrewdness shown by keen insight

adamant

very hard native crystalline carbon valued as a gem

adherent

someone who believes and helps to spread a doctrine

adulterate

make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance

affectation

a deliberate pretense or exaggerated display

affinity

a natural attraction or feeling of kinship

ambience

the atmosphere of an environment

amenity

pleasantness resulting from agreeable conditions

amorous

inclined toward or displaying love

antecedent

a preceding occurrence or cause or event

antipathy

a feeling of intense dislike

aphorism

a short pithy instructive saying

apocalypse

a cosmic cataclysm in which God destroys the powers of evil

apotheosis

model of excellence or perfection of a kind

aptitude

inherent ability

arbiter

someone chosen to judge and decide a disputed issue

arcane

requiring secret or mysterious knowledge

arduous

characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion

artifice

a deceptive maneuver, especially to avoid capture

attrition

the act of rubbing together

avow

to declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true

avuncular

being or relating to an uncle

awry

turned or twisted to one side

axiom

a proposition that is not susceptible of proof or disproof

bastion

projecting part of a rampart or other fortification

beget

generate children

belabor

beat soundly

beleaguer

annoy persistently

bemuse

cause to be confused emotionally

benefactor

a person who helps people or institutions

bequest

a gift of personal property by will

beset

assail or attack on all sides

blithe

carefree and happy and lighthearted

bovine

any of various wild or domestic cattle

broach

bring up a topic for discussion

bucolic

devoted to raising sheep or cattle

burgeon

grow and flourish

burlesque

a theatrical entertainment of broad and earthy humor

cadence

the accent in a metrical foot of verse

callow

young and inexperienced

catalyst

substance that initiates or accelerates a chemical reaction

categorical

relating to or included in a class or classes

catharsis

purging the body to stimulate evacuation of the bowels

catholic

free from provincial prejudices or attachments

cerebral

of or relating to the brain

chagrin

strong feelings of embarrassment

chasm

a deep opening in the earth's surface

chicanery

the use of tricks to deceive someone

chimera

a grotesque product of the imagination

choleric

characterized by anger

circuitous

deviating from a straight course

clemency

leniency and compassion shown toward offenders

cogent

powerfully persuasive

commensurate

corresponding in size or degree or extent

compendium

a publication containing a variety of works

complicity

guilt as a confederate in a crime or offense

condescend

behave in a patronizing manner

conducive

tending to bring about; being partly responsible for

congenital

present at birth but not necessarily hereditary

conjecture

to believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds

connoisseur

an expert able to appreciate a field

construe

make sense of; assign a meaning to

contentious

showing an inclination to disagree

contiguous

having a common boundary or edge

contingent

determined by conditions or circumstances that follow

contrite

feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses

corollary

an inference following from the proof of another proposition

cosmopolitan

composed of people from many parts of the world

covenant

an agreement between God and his people

covet

wish, long, or crave for

criterion

the ideal in terms of which something can be judged

culpable

deserving blame or censure as being wrong or injurious

cursory

hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough

daunt

cause to lose courage

dearth

an insufficient quantity or number

decadent

marked by excessive self-indulgence and moral decay

decimate

kill one in every ten, as of mutineers in Roman armies

decorous

characterized by propriety and dignity and good taste

deduce

reason from the general to the particular

deluge

a heavy rain

denizen

a plant or animal naturalized in a region

desiccate

lacking vitality or spirit; lifeless

destitute

poor enough to need help from others

desultory

marked by lack of definite plan or regularity or purpose

dexterous

skillful in physical movements; especially of the hands

dialectical

relating to reasoning by the exchange of logical arguments

dictum

an authoritative declaration

diffident

showing modest reserve

dilettante

an amateur engaging in an activity without serious intention

discreet

marked by prudence or modesty and wise self-restraint

discrete

constituting a separate entity or part

distend

cause to expand as it by internal pressure

docile

easily handled or managed

doctrinaire

a stubborn person of arbitrary or arrogant opinions

eccentric

conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual

edify

make understand

efface

remove by or as if by rubbing or erasing

effusion

an unrestrained expression of emotion

egalitarian

favoring social equality

egregious

conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible

elicit

call forth, as an emotion, feeling, or response

eminent

standing above others in quality or position

empirical

derived from experiment and observation rather than theory

endemic

native to or confined to a certain region

enormity

the quality of extreme wickedness

epigram

a witty saying

epitome

a standard or typical example

equitable

fair to all parties as dictated by reason and conscience

equivocal

open to two or more interpretations

exasperate

make furious

exhaustive

performed comprehensively and completely

exhort

spur on or encourage especially by cheers and shouts

exigency

a pressing or urgent situation

existential

relating to or dealing with the state of being

expatriate

a person who is voluntarily absent from home or country

extrapolate

draw from specific cases for more general cases

exult

feel extreme happiness or elation

fabrication

the act of making a product from raw materials

facetious

cleverly amusing in tone

farcical

broadly or extravagantly humorous

fatuous

devoid of intelligence

fecund

capable of producing offspring or vegetation

felicity

pleasing and appropriate manner or style

fetter

a shackle for the ankles or feet

flout

treat with contemptuous disregard

foible

a minor weakness or peculiarity in someone's character

foment

try to stir up

forbear

refrain from doing

forego

do without or cease to hold or adhere to

founder

fail utterly; collapse

frenetic

excessively agitated

gauche

lacking social polish

gesticulate

show, express, or direct through movement

glut

supply with an excess of

hapless

unfortunate and deserving pity

harbinger

something indicating the approach of something or someone

hegemony

the dominance or leadership of one social group over others

hermetic

completely sealed or airtight

histrionic

characteristic of acting or a stage performance

idyllic

charmingly simple and serene

imminent

close in time; about to occur

impartial

free from undue bias or preconceived opinions

impervious

not admitting of passage or capable of being affected

inane

devoid of intelligence

incandescent

emitting light as a result of being heated

incantation

a ritual reciting of words believed to have a magical effect

ineffable

defying expression or description

infatuated

marked by foolish or unreasoning fondness

innate

present at birth but not necessarily hereditary

insidious

working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way

intrinsic

belonging to a thing by its very nature

invective

abusive language used to express blame or censure

inveterate

habitual

irascible

quickly aroused to anger

juxtapose

place side by side

lampoon

ridicule with satire

latent

potentially existing but not presently evident or realized

libel

a false and malicious publication

litigate

engage in legal proceedings

lugubrious

excessively mournful
machination

a crafty and involved plot to achieve your ends

malaise

a general feeling of discomfort, uneasiness, or depression

malfeasance

wrongful conduct by a public official

malinger

avoid responsibilities and duties

marshal

a military officer of highest rank

matriculate

enroll as a student

maudlin

effusively or insincerely emotional

maverick

someone who exhibits independence in thought and action

maxim

a saying that is widely accepted on its own merits

mendacious

given to lying

mendicant

a pauper who lives by begging

microcosm

a miniature model of something

milieu

the environmental condition

misanthropic

hating mankind in general

monolithic

imposing in size or bulk or solidity

moribund

being on the point of death

nebulous

lacking definite form or limits

neologism

a newly invented word or phrase

nepotism

favoritism shown to relatives or friends by those in power

nihilism

complete denial of established authority and institutions

noxious

injurious to physical or mental health

obfuscate

make obscure or unclear

oblique

slanting or inclined in direction or course or position

ostensible

appearing as such but not necessarily so

pacify

ease the anger, agitation, or strong emotion of

panacea

hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases

paradigm

a standard or typical example

parsimonious

excessively unwilling to spend

peccadillo

a petty misdeed

pejorative

expressing disapproval

penitent

feeling or expressing remorse for misdeeds

peremptory

putting an end to all debate or action

perfidy

an act of deliberate betrayal

perquisite

an incidental benefit for certain types of employment

peruse

examine or consider with attention and in detail

philistine

a person who is uninterested in intellectual pursuits

plaintive

expressing sorrow

portent

a sign of something about to happen

postulate

maintain or assert

pragmatic

concerned with practical matters

precept

rule of personal conduct

preeminent

greatest in importance or degree or significance

premise

a statement that is held to be true

prepossess

cause to be preoccupied

prerogative

a right reserved exclusively by a person or group

proletariat

a social class comprising those who do manual labor

promulgate

state or announce

proprietary

protected by trademark or patent or copyright

proselytize

convert or try to convert someone to another religion

purportedly

believed or reputed to be the case

putative

purported

quixotic

not sensible about practical matters

rapacious

living by preying on other animals

reciprocal

concerning each of two or more persons or things

recondite

difficult to penetrate

recrimination

mutual accusations
redolent

having a strong pleasant odor

relinquish

turn away from; give up

remonstrate

argue in protest or opposition

reparation

something done or paid in expiation of a wrong

ruminate

reflect deeply on a subject

rustic

characteristic of rural life

saccharine

overly sweet

sacrilege

blasphemous behavior

salient

conspicuous, prominent, or important

salutary

tending to promote physical well-being; beneficial to health

sanctimonious

excessively or hypocritically pious

sanguine

confidently optimistic and cheerful

scintillate

emit or reflect light in a flickering manner

sentient

endowed with feeling and unstructured consciousness

serendipity

good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries

slander

words falsely spoken that damage the reputation of another

solicitous

full of anxiety and concern

solvent

capable of meeting financial obligations

sordid

foul and run-down and repulsive

specious

plausible but false

spurious

plausible but false

squalor

sordid dirtiness

squander

spend thoughtlessly; throw away

stigmatize

to condemn or openly or formally or brand as disgraceful

stipulate

make an express demand or provision in an agreement

stoic

seeming unaffected by pleasure or pain; impassive

stratum

one of several parallel layers of material

stricture

severe criticism
stringent

demanding strict attention to rules and procedures

subjugate

make subservient; force to submit or subdue

substantive

having a firm basis in reality and therefore important

synthesis

the combination of ideas into a complex whole

tacit

implied by or inferred from actions or statements

tautological

characterized by unnecessary repetition

temerity

fearless daring

tenable

based on sound reasoning or evidence

tenet

a religious doctrine proclaimed as true without proof

tenuous

very thin in gauge or diameter

touchstone

a basis for comparison

tout

advertise in strongly positive terms

transgress

act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises

turpitude

a corrupt or depraved or degenerate act or practice

urbane

showing a high degree of refinement

utilitarian

having a useful function

vehement

marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions

verisimilitude

the appearance of truth; the quality of seeming to be true

vestige

an indication that something has been present

vex

disturb, especially by minor irritations

vicarious

experienced at secondhand

vitiate

make imperfect

vitriolic

harsh, bitter, or malicious in tone

wanton

a lewd or lascivious person

wistful

showing pensive sadness