WORDS

Abrogated

DEFINITIONS

To repeal or do away with; to abolish

VERB / NOUN /
ADJECTIVE

Verb

Abstemious

Indulging only very moderately in something.

Adjective

Abstract

Theoretical; not concrete; vague

Adjective

Abstruse

Difficult to understand; obscure

Adjective

Abut

To have a common boundary with; to touch or lean on

Verb

Accolade

An award or privilege granted as a special honor.

Noun

Accretion

Accumulation

Noun

Ad-lib

To speak or perform without previous preparation

Verb

Adjured
Admonished

To urge or request solemnly.

To reprimand firmly; to chastise; to castigate; to scold

Verb
Verb

WORDS

DEFINITIONS

VERB / NOUN /
ADJECTIVE

Adroit

Clever or skillful; adept

Adjective

Aegis

Shield; a form of protection.

Noun

Affable

Friendly; good natured; pleasant; amicable; amiable

Adjective

Affray

An instance of fighting in a public place; a brawl

Noun

Alacrity

Brisk and cheerful; willingness; eagerness

Adjective

Altruistic

Concerned for the welfare of others; unselfish

Adjective

Ambivalent

The state of having mixed or conflicting feelings; uncertainty

Adjective

Ameliorate

To make better; make more tolerable

Verb

Amorphous

Without a clearly defined shape or form

Adjective

Anachronism

A thing belonging or appropriate to a period than that in which it

exists.

Noun

Anarchistic

Subversion of authority

Noun

WORDS

DEFINITIONS

VERB / NOUN /
ADJECTIVE

Anathema

Something or someone that one vehemently dislikes

Noun

Animus

Hostility or ill feeling

Noun

Anomalous

Deviating from what is standard, normal or expected; abnormal

Adjective

Antecedent

A thing that existed before or logically precedes another

Noun

Antediluvian

Of or belonging to the time before the biblical flood; old fashioned

Adjective

Antiquated

Old-fashioned; outdated

Adjective

Archaic

Very old or old-fashioned

Adjective

Ascendancy

Occupation of a position of power or influence

Noun

Ascetic

Severe self-discipline from all indulgence; rejecting physical pleasures

Adjective

Assiduously

Showing great care and perseverance

Adjective

Astute

Shrewdness; perspicacity; being able to accurately asses situations or people

Adjective

Atrophy

Decrease in size or wasting away of a body part or tissue; a wasting away or

Noun

WORDS

DEFINITIONS

VERB / NOUN /
ADJECTIVE

progressive decline
Audacity

Intrepid boldness or a bold or arrogant disregard of normal restraints

Noun

Austere

Morally strict or stern and cold in appearance or manner

Adjective

Avarice

An excessive or insatiable desire of wealth or gain

Noun

Avuncular

Kindness or geniality

Adjective

Banal

Lacking originality; dull, boring and repetitive.

Adjective

Bedizened

To dress or adorn gaudily

Adjective

Belabored

To attack verbally or physically or insist excessively.

Verb

Bellicose

War like, aggressive

Adjective

Belligerent

Combative, quarrelsome

Adjective

Benevolent

Marked by or disposed to doing good

Adjective

Benign

Of a gentle disposition, of a mild type or character that does not threaten

Adjective

WORDS

DEFINITIONS

VERB / NOUN /
ADJECTIVE

health or life or having no significant effect.

Bequeathed

To give or leave by will or to hand down

Verb

Blasphemy

The act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God;

sacrilege

Noun

Bolster

To support with or give a boost to

Verb

Bowdlerize

To expurgate (as a book) by omitting or modifying parts considered vulgar

or to modify by abridging, simplifying, or distorting in style or content

Verb

Bucolic

Relating to rural life or of herdsmen and shepherds

Adjective

Buttressed

To support, strengthen

Noun

Calumny

A misrepresentation intended to harm another's reputation; the act of

uttering false charges; misrepresentations maliciously calculated to
harm another's reputation

Noun

Capricious
Castigated

Impulsive, fickle

To subject to severe punishment, reproof, or criticism

Adjective
Verb

WORDS

DEFINITIONS

VERB / NOUN /
ADJECTIVE

Cataclysmic

A momentous and violent event marked by overwhelming upheaval and

demolition

Adjective

Catharsis

A purification or purgation of emotion that brings about spiritual

renewal or release from tension

Noun

Cavalier

A gentleman trained in arms and horsemanship

Noun

Charlatan

A quack, imposter

Noun

Chary
Chicanery

Chimerical

Wary/Cautious

Deception by artful subterfuge or sophistry

Fantastic, a product of unchecked imagination

Adjective
Noun

Adjective

Churlish

A lack of civility or graciousness

Adjective

Circumspect

Careful to consider all circumstances and possible consequences

Adjective

Clairvoyance

The power of discerning objects not present to the senses; the ability to
perceive matters beyond the range of ordinary perception

Noun

WORDS

DEFINITIONS

VERB / NOUN /
ADJECTIVE

Compendium

A brief summary of a larger work or of a field of knowledge

Noun

Concede

To accept as true, valid, or accurate

Verb

Conciliatory

To gain (as goodwill) by pleasing acts

Adjective

Condescending

Patronizing or superior behavior towards others

Adjective

Condone

To regard or treat (something bad or blameworthy) as acceptable, forgivable,

or harmless

Verb

Consecrate

Solemn dedication

Verb

Contentious

Likely to cause disagreement or argument

Adjective

Contrite

Feeling or showing sorrow and remorse for a sin or shortcoming

Adjective

Conundrums

Riddles whose answer is or involves a pun or a question or problem

having only a conjectural answer

Noun

Corroborate

To support with evidence or authority : make more certain

Verb

WORDS

DEFINITIONS

VERB / NOUN /
ADJECTIVE

Covertly

Veiled, hidden

Adverb

Credulity

Unquestioningly believing in something that has little or no evidence

that supports it

Noun

Cryptic

Having a secret or hidden meaning

Adjective

Cursory

Rapid, and usually careless: hasty

Adjective

Decadent

Behavior that shows low morals, and a great love of pleasure, money,
fame, etc; self-indulgence

Noun

Decimating

To destroy a large number of things: plants, animals, people, etc.

Verb

Deference

A way of behaving that shows respect for someone or something

Noun

Delineate

To clearly show or describe something

Verb

Demagogue

A political leader who tries to get support by making false claims and
promises and using arguments made on emotions rather than
reason.

Noun

Depravity

Very evil quality, or way of behaving.

Noun

WORDS

DEFINITIONS

VERB / NOUN /
ADJECTIVE

Deprecate

To criticize or express disapproval of someone or something.

Verb

Derogatory

1. Insulting someone or something, or to suggest that

someone/something is not worthy of respect.
2. Derogate from: to lessen the importance of value of someone or
something

Despot

Diatribe

Someone who has full power, and uses their power in cruel and
unfair ways
A bitter and abusive speech or writing

Adjective

Noun

Noun

Didactic

Intended to convey instruction or moral

Adjective

Dilatory

Causing a delay

Adjective

Discursive

Talking or writing about many different things in a way that is

unorganized

Adjective

Disdain

A feeling of strong dislike or disapproval of someone or something

you feel doesnt deserve respect.

Noun

Disparaging

To describe something or someone badly: unimportant, weak, mean,

Adjective

WORDS

DEFINITIONS

VERB / NOUN /
ADJECTIVE

etc
Disparity

A noticeable (often unfair) difference between people or things

Noun

Disputatious

Fond of having heated arguments.

Adjective

Dogmatic

Expressing personal opinions or beliefs that are biased, but

portraying them to be undoubtedly true

Adjective

Ebullient

Cheerful, lively, flowing

Adjective

Eclectic

Including things taken from many different sources, a varied mix of

things.

Adjective

Effervescent

1. Bubbles that form/arise in liquid like sparkling water

2. An exciting or lively quality in a person/thing

Adjective

Efficacious

The capability to produce a desired result or effect

Adjective

Effusive

Expression of great or excessive emotion or enthusiasm

Adjective

Egregious

Noticeably very bad

Adjective

WORDS

Elicited

DEFINITIONS

Evoked

VERB / NOUN /
ADJECTIVE

Verb

Emaciated

Very skinny and bony due to hunger or disease

Adjective

Embellished

Adding details or features to something in order to decorate it and

make it more appealing or attractive

Verb

Embryonic

Early undeveloped stage of a process

Adjective

Emulate

To try to be like someone or something that you admire

Verb

Enervated

To make someone/something feel very weak or tired

Verb

Engendered

1. Caused (a feeling, emotion etc)

2. Garnered

Verb

Enigma

Someone/something that is difficult to understand or explain

Noun

Equivocal

Having two or more possible meanings; ambiguous

Adjective

Erudite

Displaying a great deal of knowledge that is a result of studying

Adjective

WORDS

DEFINITIONS

VERB / NOUN /
ADJECTIVE

Eschew

To avoid something because you think its gross, improper, immoral,

etc.

Verb

Esoteric

Only taught to or understood by members of a certain group

Adjective

Eulogy

A speech that praises someone who died

Noun

Exacerbate

To make a situation or problem worse

Verb

Exalt

To praise someone or something highly

Verb

Excoriated

To criticize someone or something very harshly

Verb

Exculpate

To prove that someone is not guilty of doing something wrong that

they were accused of

Verb

Exemplary

A good example that deserves praise: can be a good example of

behavior, morals, efficiency, etc, displayed in a person or thing

Adjective

Exemplify

To be a good example of something, to show something very

clearly.

Verb

WORDS

DEFINITIONS

VERB / NOUN /
ADJECTIVE

Expediently

Often an easy and quick way to solve a problem, that cuts corners.

Adverb

Extemporize

To get along in a makeshift manner

Verb

Extoll

To praise highly, glorify

Verb

Facetious

Joking inappropriately

Adjective

Fallacious

To deceive or mislead

Adjective

Fecundity

Ability to produce an abundant amount of vegetation, offspring, etc.

Adjective

Fractious

Disputable, divisive

Adjective

Gregarious

Someone who enjoys to be surrounded by people, outgoing, and

sociable

Adjective

Halcyon

Calm, peaceful, happy, golden, prosperous, affluent.

Adjective

Hedonistic

The idea that pleasure and happiness are the sole goods in life, or
the sole meaning.

Adjective

Immutable

Not capable of change

Adjective

WORDS

DEFINITIONS

VERB / NOUN /
ADJECTIVE

Incantatory

Spells, or magical chants

Adjective

Incongruous

Not conforming

Adjective

Incontrovertible

Not open to question

Adjective

Indicted

Charged with a fault or an offense

Verb

Indolent

1. Causing little or no pain

2. Averse to activity, effort, or movement.

Adjective

Innate

Qualities of an individual that have been with them since birth without
influence of anyone.

Adjective

Innocuous

Unlikely to offend or inflict any type of pain.

Adjective

Insolent

Disrespectful or rude in speech or conduct

Adjective

Intractable

Not easily governed, managed, or directed.

Adjective

Intrinsic

Belonging to the essential nature of a thing

Adjective

Inundated

Overflow; overwhelm

Verb

WORDS

DEFINITIONS

VERB / NOUN /
ADJECTIVE

Irascible

Easily irritated

Adjective

Jingoistic

Extreme nationalism marked especially by a belligerent foreign

policy

Adjective

Jocular

Humorous, facetious

Adjective

Laconic

Concise to the point of seeming rude or mysterious.

Adjective

Languished

1. To live in a state of depression, or decreasing liveliness.

2. To be or become feeble or weak.

Verb

Larceny

The unlawful taking of personal property, with the intent of the thief to
be to deprive the rightful owner of it permanently.

Noun

Loquacious

Someone who talks excessively, wordy.

Adjective

Machinations

A crafty scheme, cunning plan.

Noun

Malfeasance

Wrongful conducted by a public official

Noun

Malinger

To pretend to be sick or injured in order to avoid a commitment

(school, work, appointment)

Verb

WORDS

DEFINITIONS

VERB / NOUN /
ADJECTIVE

Maverick

An independent individual who does not belong to a group or party:

e.g. someone who is neither republican or democratic.

Noun

Mitigated

To make less severe or harsh.

Verb

Obfuscate

To make obscure, or to confuse someone.

Verb

Ostentatious

Displaying wealth, knowledge, etc. in a way that is meant to attract

attention, admiration, or envy.

Adjective

Partisan

Pejorative

1. Someone who is a strong supporter of a party that exhibits a

prejudiced relation with the group.
2. Someone who is a member of a group, but is really a member of an
enemy group and is almost acting as a spy.
Having negative connotations

Adjective

Noun

Penchant

A strong liking

Noun

Perdition

Complete destruction

Noun

Perfidy

Being faithless or disloyal.

Noun

WORDS

DEFINITIONS

VERB / NOUN /
ADJECTIVE

Perfunctory

Characterized by routine or superficiality.

Adjective

Peripatetic

Moving or traveling from place to place.

Adjective

Perjury

An act of swearing to what one knows is untrue

Noun

Picayune

1. Adjective: of little value

2. Noun: a small coin

Adjective

Poignant

Painfully affecting the feelings: sharp, piercing

Adjective

Polemic

An aggressive attack or refutation of the opinions of another.

Noun

Predilection

A natural liking for something

Noun

Prerogative

A special right or privilege given because of ones rank or position.

Noun

Prescience

Pre-knowledge of events

Noun

Proclivity

A natural tendency of the mind or personality

Noun

Procrastinate

To put off intentionally

Verb

WORDS

DEFINITIONS

VERB / NOUN /
ADJECTIVE

Prodigal

Carelessly wasteful

Adjective

Profanities

Abuse, irreverence

Noun

Profligate

Wildly extravagant

Adjective

Progenitors

Someone who first thinks of or does something: a person who begins

something

Noun

Progeny

Descendants, children, kin

Noun

Proliferate

To grow or increase rapidly

Verb

Provincial

1. Of , relating to, or coming from a province.

2. Limited in outlook, lacking the polish of urban society.

Adjective

Puerile

Juvenile, childish, silly.

Adjective

Pugnacious

Quick to argue, quarrel, or fight.

Adjective

Querulous

Always eager to complain, showing a complaining attitude.

Adjective

WORDS

DEFINITIONS

VERB / NOUN /
ADJECTIVE

Raconteur

Someone who is good at telling stories.

Noun

Ratify

To give legal or official approval

Verb

Recalcitrant

Stubbornly refusing to give in to authority

Adjective

Recant

To publicly take back an option.

Verb

Redolent

Aromatic, full of fragrance or odor.

Adjective

Renegade

1. Noun: A person who deserts a faith, cause or party. Person who

rejects lawful or acceptable behavior. (N)
2. Adjective: Having rejected tradition

Noun

Resplendent

Shining brilliantly

Adjective

Restitution

An act of restoring, or a condition of being restored: restoration of

something to its rightful owner, making good or giving an equivalent
for some injury.

Noun

Reticent

Inclined to be silent or uncommunicative in speech

Adjective

Sanctimonious

Pretending to be devoted

Adjective

WORDS

Sanguine

DEFINITIONS

Optimistic

VERB / NOUN /
ADJECTIVE

Adjective

Sedition

The stirring up of feelings against lawful authority.

Noun

Sedulous

Diligent

Adjective

Serendipity

The gift of finding valuable or agreeable things not looked for

Noun

Slothful

Sluggish, indolent

Adjective

Slough off

To glean; to remove a layer from the top

Verb

Slovenly

Untidy, especially in personal appearance.

Adjective

Solicitous

Full of concern or fears, very carful.

Adjective

Somnolent

Sleepy, drowsy

Adjective

Suffrage

The right of voting, also the exercise of such right

Noun

Sycophant

A person who flatters another in order to get ahead: e.g. teachers

pet

Noun

WORDS

DEFINITIONS

VERB / NOUN /
ADJECTIVE

Tenuous

Having little substance or strength: flimsy, weak

Adjective

Timorous

Easily frightened, fearful.

Adjective

Tirade

A long violent angry speech.

Noun

Torpid

Having lost motion or the power of exertion or feeling, having too little
energy or strength

Adjective

Trenchant

Keen, sharp.

Adjective

Truculent

Ready and willing to fight

Adjective

Ubiquitously

Existing or being everywhere at the same time: constantly

encountered: widespread

Adjective

Unctuous
Vacillated

Vagabond

Overly smooth, oily, falsely earnest in speech and manner

Unable to choose
1. Noun: People who travel from place to place, without a home or much
money
2. Adjective: Moving from place to place without a fixed home

Adjective
Verb

Noun

WORDS

DEFINITIONS

VERB / NOUN /
ADJECTIVE

Venerated

To revere, respect

Verb

Veracity

Devotion to the truth

Noun

Verisimilitude

The appearance of being true or real

Noun

Vindicated

To set free

Verb

Visceral

Coming from strong emotions and not from logic or reason

Adjective

Voracious

Having a big appetite

Adjective