Vocabulary List

abate – reduce, diminish

abase - Degrade or humble; to lower in rank, status, or esteem
aberrant
abet,
abettor
abhorrent, abhorrence
abide
abjure
abode
abound
abreast of
abrogate
abscond
abstruse
acclaim
accord
accrue, accrual
acculturation
acerbic
acuity acumen - Keen, quick, accurate insight or judgmentacute addled
addlepated
adduce
adept
adherence – Stick (to), such as with glue, or to a plan or belief
adjudicator
adjuvant
admonish
adroit
adulatory
adumbrate
aerial
aesthetics
affinity
aforementioned
agglomerate
aggrandize
aggravate
aggrieved
aghast
agog agonistic agrarian akimbo alacrity albatross aleatory alias
alienate – Cause to become unfriendly, hostile, or distant
allegorical
altruistic
amateur
ambiguous
ambivalent
ameliorate
amenable
amend amiable amicable amity amorphous amortize
anachronism, anachronistic analeptic
analgesia - Pain relief; inability to feel pain
anathema anecdote anemic annihilate anodyne
anomaly, anomalous anomie
antagonism
antediluvian
antipathy
antiquated
antithetical to apathy, apathetic - Not caring; absence of feeling; lack of interest or concern
ape (v.)
apex
aphorism
apocalyptic
apocryphal,
apocrypha
apollonian
apologia
apologist
appellant
appellations
appendage
apportion
apposed
apposite
apprenticeship
apprising
approbation
appropriate (v.) - Set aside or authorize (such as money) for a particular purpose; take for one’s own use
aptitude
arbitrary
arcadian
arcane
arch (adj.) archaic ardor arduous arid aristocratic arrant arresting artful articulate artifact artifice artisan
artless - Free of deceit or craftiness, natural, genuine; lacking skill or knowledge, crude, uncultured
ascent
ascertain
ascetic
asinine
askance
to asperity aspersion
assay
assent
asseveration
assiduousness
assimilation assuage astute asymmetrical atrocious
attest
attenuate - Weaken or thin out
to auspicious austere autodidact autonomy auxiliary avail
avant-garde avarice averred
bald
balk - Refuse to proceed or to do something
balkanize ballast banal baneful banter barbaric barbarous baroque base
bask baying bedazzle bedizen bedlam beguile belie belletristic bellicose belligerent
beneficent – doing good
benign, benignant berate
berserk beseech besmirch besotted biased bifurcate bile blacklist
blandishments blatant
blather bleat (v.) blithe bloodthirsty
blunt (verb) bogged down boisterous bolster bombastic boom (n.) boon boondoggle boor, boorish boosterism
bootless botch boycott
brandish - hake, wave, or flourish, as a weapon
brawl
breach breadth brusque bucolic bureaucrat burgeon bustling buttress
bygone - Past, former (adj); that which is in the past (usually plural noun)
cabal
cad cajole calibrated callous callow calumny
candid, candor canon canonization capital capitulatory capricious careen carnage castigate catalyst catharsis caustic
cavalier celerity censorious censure chagrin champion (v.) chary
chastity
chauvinism - Fanatical patriotism or blind enthusiasm for military glory; undue or biased devotion to any group,
cause, etc
chicanery chide
chilly choleric chronic chronology chump
circumspect - Cautious, prudent; careful to consider the circumstances and consequences
clamor clandestine claptrap cleave to coalesce coarse coda cogent cognitive collide
collude, collusive color (v.)
coltish commercial (adj.) communal compendious complaisant complement composure compound (v.) con artist
concatenate
concede - Give in, admit, yield; acknowledge reluctantly; grant or give up (such as giving up land after losing a war)
conceit concentrated (adj.) concessions conciliatory condescending condone confabulation confounded, confounding
congenial congruent conjectural conjure consanguineous consecrate considerable considered (adj.) conspiratorial
construe contemporary, contemporaries contempt contemptible
contentious - Controversial; prone to causing arguments, especially gratuitous or petty ones
contiguous contingent contortion contraband contrapuntal contretemps contrite contrivance contrived conundrum
conventional conversance convivial convoke convoluted copious cornerstone corroborate cosmopolitan cosseted
costive couched in
counterargument counterfactual countless
countenance - Facial expression or face (noun); approve or tolerate (verb)
covey crack (adj.) crackpot credence credibility credulous crescendo crucible crushed cryptic
culminate, culmination - Reach the highest point or final stage
culpable
cumbersome cunning curb (v.) cursory
curt curtail cynical daft dally dated daunting dearth debacle debase
debauchery, debauched
debunk decipherable décor
declivity - Downward slope
decry deface defame defeasible defector
defer - Respectful submission; yielding to the authority or opinion of another
defile deflect deft degrade
deification, deify dejected deleterious delimit
delineate deluge delve demarcate dementia demonize denigrate
denomination denouement depose depreciate depredate derivation derogate descent desecrate desiccated despot
desuetude
deterrence; deter - Something that restrains or discourages
detonation detractor detriment devoid of devotee devout dexterous dialect dialectical dicey didactic diffident digress
dilapidated dilettante
diminutive din dionysian diplomatic dire
dirge disabuse disaffection disclaim disconcerting discount (v.) disdain
disenfranchisement disincentive disinclination
disingenuous - Insincere, not genuine
disinterested
dispensation disquiet dissembling disseminate
dissent - D i s a g r e e o r t a k e a n o p p o s i n g v i e w , e s p . i n r e l a t i o n t o a f o r m a l b o d y s u c h
as a government, political party, or church; such a view
dissimulation dissipate, dissipation
dissolute, dissolution dissuade
distort divagate divergence doctrinaire doggedly dogmatic dotage doting doyenne draconian dramaturgy dross
drum dulcet
dumbfounded dupe
duplicitous, duplicity dwindle
dyed-in-the-wool dynamic
dynamo dystopian earmark earnest earthy ebb
ebullient eccentric eclectic ecumenical edifice eerie efface effect (v.) effectual effeminate effete efficacious effusive
e.g. – exempli gratia (Latin)
egoist, egoistic egregious elicit
eloquent - Marked by forceful, fluid, apt speech; expressive, emotionally moving
emblazon emblematic eminence empathetic empirical
encomium - Warm, glowing praise, esp. a formal expression of praise
enamored encumbered, encumbrances endemic enervate enhance
enigmatic, enigma enshrine
ephemeral - Lasting only a short time, fleeting
ensure enthralled ephemera ephemeral epicurean epoch equable equanimity equity equivocal equivocate eremitic
erode erratic erroneous ersatz erstwhile
erudite, erudition eschew
esoteric espouse esteemed estrangement
ethos
eulogize, eulogy
euphony - Pleasing or sweet sound, especially as formed by a harmonious use of words
evanescent evergreen evocative
evoke exacerbate
exacting - Very severe in making demands; requiring precise attention
excogitate excoriate excruciating exculpate executive
exegesis, exegetic exhaustive exorbitant expedite expeditious explicate
explicit exploits extant
extemporaneous extenuate extirpate
extort, extortionate extraneous fabulous
facetious facile faction factotum faculties fad, faddish fallacious fallacy famine
fanatical - Excessively devoted, enthusiastic, or zealous in an uncritical way
fantastical
farce, farcical fascist fastidious fatuous
faux-naif
fawning - Show affection or try to please in the manner of a dog; try to win favor through flattery and submissive
behavior
fealty feasible feckless fecund fester fetid fettle
fib
ford - Place where a river or similar body of water is shallow enough to walk or ride a vehicle across (noun); to cross at
such a place (verb)
fickle fictive field (v.) figurative finite fissile
flabbergasted flag (v.) flagging flagitious flagrant flamboyant flashy flawless fledgling fleeting flimsy
floe flout flowery fluke flummox foibles
forebears
foreshadow - Indicate or suggest beforehand, presage
foresee forfeit forgery
forgo, forwent forte
fortitude foster fractured frank frantic fraught fruition full-bore fulmination furnish (v.) gadfly gaffe gainsay
gallivant galvanizing garlanded garner garnish (v.) gauche genesis genteel
germane - Relevant and appropriate, on-topic
gestation - Pregnancy; the period from conception until birth of an animal or (metaphorically) of an idea or plan
gibe
gilded
ginger, gingerly gist
glamorize glean
glib gore
grandiloquent grave (adj.) gregarious grievous grizzled groaning guesswork guileless hackneyed hale
hallmark hallow hampered hankering haphazard hapless harbingers hedonism
hearken - Listen, pay attention to
grouse - Complain or grumble (verb); a reason for complaint (noun)
hegemony, hegemonic heinous
hemorrhage hence herald heretofore hermeneutic heuristic
hierarchy, hierarchical high-handed
hermetic - Airtight, sealed, isolated; reclusive; pertaining to alchemy, occult
hinder hinterland histrionics hodgepodge hoi-polloi homage to homely homily homogeneous hone hortatory host
of humanize humbling husband (v.) hyperbole hypocrisy
idealistic idealogues ideological idiom idiosyncratic idle
idyllic
indigence - Extreme poverty
inquest - Legal or judicial inquiry, especially before a jury and especially made by a coroner into the cause of
someone’s death; the results of such an inquiry
impetuous - Passionately impulsive, marked by sudden, hasty emotion; forceful, violent
ignoble - Not noble; having mean, base, low motives; low quality
ignominious immaterial immortalize impartial impasse impeccable impecunious impede impenetrable imperil
imperious impious implacability
implicated, implication implicit
importunate improbity impromptu impudent imputation inadvertently inane incendiary incensed
incentive, incentivize inchoate
incipient incomprehensible incongruous
inconsequential - Insignificant, unimportant; illogical
inconsolable incorrigible indefatigable indelicate indemnify indeterminate indict
indifferent indigenous indignant indiscretion indistinct indolent industrious inexorable
infamy infinitesimal infirmity inform ingénue ingenuity ingenuous inhibited inimical initially inkling innocuous
innuendo inquisition inscrutable insidious insipid insofar insolvent insurgent inter interlocutor interlude interpolate
intractable - Difficult to control, manage, or manipulate; hard to cure; stubborn
intransigent intrepid intrinsic inundate inured to invalidate investiture iota irascible irate ironclad irony
irreconcilable irredeemable irredentist irrefutable irrelevancies iteration, iterative jaundiced
jejune
jettison - Discard, cast off; throw items overboard in order to lighten a ship in an emergency
jeopardize jingoistic jocular jouissance joviality jurisprudence keen
klutzy
livid - Furiously angry, enraged
malinger - Pretend to be sick, esp. to get out of work, duties, etc.
milieu - Environment, atmosphere; the environmental setting in which something happens or develops
labile labyrinthine lackadaisical lackey
laconic - Using few words, concise
lacunae lament
lapse lascivious lassitude laud lavish
lax
layperson, layman leery
legions of leitmotifs leniency
levy - Collect tax from, wage war on, or enlist for military service; (verb); act of collecting tax or amount owed, or
the drafting of troops into military service (noun)
libertine, libertinous limpid
lissome literati lithe loaf (v.)
loathsome lobbying lofty logistical loquacious lubricious lucidity lull lummox lurid
lurk macabre magnanimity mainstream makeshift malfeasance
malice, malicious malign
manifest manumit markedly marrow martial masquerade material (adj.)
maverick - Rebel, individualist, dissenter
maudlin maxim mayhem
means (n.) meddling melancholy melange mendacious mercenary mercurial meretricious messianic metastasize
meticulous militant mimetic minuscule minutiae mired mirror (v.) mirth misanthrope, misanthropy miser mishap
mishmash misnomer mitigate mock modicum modish mollify monarchy moneyed monological moot moralist
mordant
mores - Customs, manners, or morals of a particular group
morose - Gloomy, sullen
mortifying mote
nontrivial - Important or big enough to matter
motley muckraking mundane munificent mushroom muster mute, muted
mutiny, mutinous myopic
myriad myrmidon nadir nascent
naysayer nebulous nemesis neologism
nominal, nominally nonchalant nonplussed nostrum
notional notorious notwithstanding novel
novelty novice noxious nugatory nuisance
objective, objectivity obliging
obloquy obsequious obsolete obtuse obviate odious officious oft oligarchy olio ominous omnipotent,
omnipresence opine opportunism opprobrium orthodox
ostentatious - Pretentious, boastful showiness
ostracize otherworldly oust
penury - Extreme poverty or scarcity
phlegmatic - Apathetic, sluggish, not easily excited or made emotional
parley - Discussion, negotiation, esp. between enemies (noun); to have such a discussion (verb
outdone outlaw outpace outright outstrip override overrun overt overtake overture pacific pacifist
paean painstaking palliating pan (v.) panacea panache pandemic pander panegyric pantheon parable
paradigm, paradigmatic paradox, paradoxical paragon
parameter paramount paramour parlous parochial parody
parsimony, parsimonious partial, partiality
partisan - Devoted to a particular group, cause, etc. (adj.); fervent supporter of a group, party, idea, etc.; guerilla
fighter (noun)
parvenu passé pastime patent (adj.) pathogen
patrimony, patrimonial patronize, patronizing paucity
peccadillo pecuniary pedantic, pedantry peddle
pell-mell pellucid penchant penetrating penitential penumbra pepper (v.) peppery perennial perfidy peril perilous
peripheral pernicious perpetuity perquisites personable
perspicacious pert
pertinent peruse pervade petty phased in philippic philistine physiology picayune pidgins piecemeal piety pilfering
pillory pine
pious piques pith, pithy placate placid plangent plateau platitude plaudits plenary plethora plum plunder poignant
polemic politicize polymath ponderous pontificate populist posit posterity postulate potable poultice pragmatic
prattle - Talk in an idle, simple-minded, meaningless, or foolish way; chatter, babble
precedent precocious
predicated on
preempt - Prevent; take the place of, supplant; take before someone else can
premeditated preoccupied preposterous prerequisites presage
prescient presumptuous pretentious preternatural prevalence priggish probity proclivity procure prodigal prodigy
profane profligate
profound - Very insightful, penetrating deeply into a subject; pervasive, intense, “down to the very bottom”; at the
very bottom
profundity progeny progressive prologue promulgate proponent propound proscribe protagonist protean proverbial
providential provincial prowess prude, prudish
prudent - Wise in practical matters, carefully providing for the future
prurient puckish puerile puffery puissant
pulchritude – physical beauty
pun punctilious pundit puritanical purported putative putsch pyrrhic
quack quagmire quantum quarrelsome quiescent quietus quisling quixotic quotidian
rabble ramifications rampage ramshackle rancor rapscallion rapture
rash (adj.) ratify ravish raze
reactionary recant - Withdraw, retract, or disavow something one has previously said, esp. formally
recapitulate recede recidivist reciprocal recondite recount recrimination rectitude
red-blooded redoubtable redress redundant refinement regalia regressive reign rejoinder rejuvenation
relegate - Send or commit to an inferior place, rank, condition, etc.; exile, banish; assign (a task) to someone else
reminiscences, reminisce remorse
remuneration rend
render renege
repast - A meal (noun); to eat or feast (verb)
renown, renowned replicate reportorial republican reputability requisite
requite resolute resplendent restive restless resurrect retch
retort retract
retrograde retrospective reverent revisionist revivification rhetoric, rhetorical rife with
rift rigor risible risqué robust rote roundly rousing rout rudder
rue - Regret, remorse (noun); to feel regret or remorse (verb)
ruminate rustic sabotage
saccharine safeguard
sagavious - Wise; showing good judgment and foresight
sagacity sage
said (adj.) salubrious salutation salvo sanctimonious sangfroid sanguinary sanguine
sap (n.), (v.) sardonic sate, satiate
satire, satirical saturnine scanty scapegoat scintillating scorn
scotch (v.)
semantic - Relating to the different meanings of words or other symbols
scruples, scrupulous scrutiny
scurvy seasoned sectarian
secular - Not religious or holy; pertaining to worldly things
sedulous seemly seething self-styled
semiotic senescent sentries sequelae seraph sere serendipity shabby
shortcomings shorthand shrewd
shun shutter (v.) shyster sidereal similes simpatico simulacrum sinuous siren skeptical skitter skulk
slack slight (n.) slogan smitten snub sobriquets soi-disant solace solecisms solicitous solipsistic somber sop sophistry
sophomoric
soporific - Causing sleep; sleepy, drowsy (adj); something that causes sleep (noun)
spare sparing spartan specious specter spendthrift spooked sporadically spree
sprint spurious
squalid - Disgusting, filthy, foul, extremely neglected
strut - A structural support or brace
stalemate stanchion
transgression - Violation of a law, moral rule, order, etc.; sin
standstill stanza stasis staunch steadfast stew (v.) steward stigmatize stipulate stoic stolid
stonewall (v.) stopgap storied strong suit stygian stymie subjective subsequent subservient to subside subsidize
subterfuge suffrage sumptuous
superannuated supersede supine supplicate surplus surreptitious suspend sweeping swindle sycophant syncopated
synergetic tacit
taciturn – Not talking much, reserved; silent, holding back in conversation
tactful
tactical, tactics tangential tangible tantamount to tarry
taut taxonomy teeming temperate tenacious tenacity tendentious
 tenet tepid
tergiversate tether theses thwart timorous tirade titillation titular toady
toil tome tony
topographical torpid, torpor tortuous torturous totalitarian touchstone tout
tractable trademark traipse traitorous transgressor transient
transitory - Temporary, short-lived, not lasting
transmogrify transmute travesty treachery tremulous trenchant triage tribulation trite
trove truculent trumpet trundle (v.) tumescence turgid turpitude tweak tyrannical ubiquitous ululation umbrage
unbeknownst unbridled
unconscionable - Not guided by conscience; morally wrong, unjust, unreasonable
uncouth

vestige - Trace or sign of something that once existed

unctuous undercut undergirds undermine underpin underscore underserve undeterminable undue unforeseen unnerve
unorthodox unpropitious unscrupulous unseemly unstrung unwavering upend upstanding urbane utilitarian utility
utopia vacillate - Waver in one’s mind or opinions, be indecisive
vainglorious vanquish vapid variegated vaunted
venerable, venerate vent (v.)
veracity verdant versatile vexed viable vice
vicissitude vigorous vindicate vitiation vitreous vociferous volatile volley voluble vulgar
wag wail wallop
wan - Unnaturally pale, or showing some other indication of sickness, unhappiness, etc.; weak, lacking forcefulness
wallowing wanderlust
wane ward off
warily, wary wax (v.) well-heeled wend
whet whimsical whitewash wholly wizened wracked wrongdoing wry
zealot zealous
“accepted as gospel” “at loggerheads” “bode well” “circular logic” “common cause” “fellow feeling”
“fit the bill” “flights of fancy” “for naught” “gain currency” “given teeth” “gloss over” “gray area” “hinge on”
“hold the line” “in a jiffy”
“in cahoots” “in lieu of” “kept at bay”
“laid at the altar of” “lay down arms” “limping along” “lose currency” “no holds barred” “of two minds”
“on par with”
“order of magnitude” “paid dearly”
“part and parcel” “rack and ruin” “rail against” “raking in”
“run the gamut” “run the gauntlet” “sea change”
“separate the wheat from
the chaff”
“single-handedly” “stems from” “takes pains to” “tipping point” “tit-for-tat”
“to send up”
“under the guise of” “vim and vigor” [something is] “lost on” [someone]