A

apogee
noun: the highest point
alacrity
noun: an eager willingness to do something
anathema
noun: a detested person; the source of somebody's hate
apostate
noun: a person who has abandoned a religious faith or cause
artless
adjective: without cunning or deceit
attenuate
verb: to weaken (in terms of intensity); to taper off/become thinner.
arrant
adjective: complete and wholly (usually modifying a noun with negative
connotation)
anathema
noun: a detested person; the source of somebody's hate
apotheosis
noun: exaltation to divine status; the highest point of development
arch
adjective: to be deliberately teasing
arriviste
noun: a person who has recently reached a position of power; a social
climber
artlessness
noun: the quality of innocence
anodyne
noun: something that soothes or relieves pain
anemic
adjective: lacking energy and vigor
approbatory
adjective: expressing praise or approval
apposite
adjective: remarkably appropriate

asperity
noun: harshness of manner
asperity
noun: harshness of manner
artifice
noun: cunning tricks used to deceive others
atavism
noun: a reappearance of an earlier characteristic; throwback
anachronism
noun: something that is inappropriate for the given time period (usually
something old).
apothegm
noun: a short, pithy instructive saying
antic
adjective: ludicrously odd

B
base
adjective: the lowest, without any moral principles
byzantine
adjective: intricate and complex
beg
verb: assume something is true (usu. followed by "the question", meaning
that you ask a question in which you assume something that hasn't been
proven true)
blinkered
adjective: to have a limited outlook or understanding
benighted
adjective: fallen into a state of ignorance

bilious
adjective: irritable; always angry
bowdlerize
verb: edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate
broadside
noun: a strong verbal attack

brook
verb: put up with something or somebody unpleasant
besotted
adjective: strongly affectionate towards
baleful
adjective: threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
browbeat
verb: be bossy towards; discourage or frighten with threats or a
domineering manner

C
chary
adjective: cautious, suspiciously reluctant to do something
conciliate
verb: to make peace with
churlish
adjective: lacking manners or refinement
choleric
adjective: prone to outbursts of temper; easily angered
contentious
adjective: likely to argue
catholic
adjective: of broad scope; universal
cupidity
noun: greed for money
curmudgeon
noun: a grouchy, surly person
charlatan
noun: a flamboyant deceiver; one who attracts customers with tricks or
jokes
cede
verb: relinquish possession or control over
corollary
noun: a practical consequence that follows naturally
crystallize
verb: cause to take on a definite and clear shape
crestfallen
adjective: brought low in spirit
cosset
verb: treat with excessive indulgence
celerity
noun: speed, rapidity
chimera
noun: something desired or wished for but is only an illusion and impossible
to achieve

D
diatribe
noun: a strong verbal attack against a person or institution
defray
verb: to help pay the cost of, either in part or full
disabuse
verb: to persuade somebody that his/her belief is not valid
derelict
adjective: (of a person) not doing one's duties
duplicity
noun: deceitfulness, pretending to want one thing but interested in
something else
dispensation
noun: an exemption from a rule or obligation
dovetail
verb: fit together tightly, as if by means of an interlocking joint
denouement
noun: the final resolution of the many strands of a literary or dramatic work;
the outcome of a complex sequence of events
decry
verb: express strong disapproval of
disingenuous
adjective: not straightforward; giving a false appearance of frankness
deign
verb: do something that one considers to be below one's dignity

E
equivocate
verb: to speak vaguely, usually with the intention to mislead or deceive
expansive
adjective: communicative, and prone to talking in a sociable manner
expunge
verb: to eliminate completely
exegesis
noun: critical explanation or analysis, especially of a text
execrate
verb: to curse and hiss at
excoriate
verb: to criticize very harshly
expurgate
verb: to remove objectionable material
epiphany
noun: a sudden revelation or moment of insight
enjoin
verb: give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority
enthrall
verb: hold spellbound
effrontery
noun: audacious (even arrogant) behavior that you have no right to
equitable
adjective: fair to all parties as dictated by reason and conscience
encumber
verb: hold back
ersatz
adjective: not real or genuine; phony
epigram
noun: a witty saying
embryonic
adjective: in an early stage of development

F
fractious
adjective: irritable and is likely to cause disruption
factious
adjective: produced by, or characterized by internal dissension
feckless
adjective: lazy and irresponsible
factitious
adjective: artificial; not natural
fell
adjective: terribly evil
flummox
verb: be a mystery or bewildering to
flippant
adjective: showing inappropriate levity

G
gerrymander
verb: to manipulate voting districts in order to favor a particular political
party
gaffe
noun: a socially awkward or tactless act
grandiloquent
adjective: puffed up with vanity
gambit
noun: a maneuver or risk in a game or conversation, designed to secure an
advantage

H
hector
verb: to bully or intimidate
hedge
verb: to limit or qualify a statement; to avoid making a direct statement
histrionic
adjective: to be overly theatrical
hail
verb: enthusiastically acclaim or celebrate something
hagiographic
adjective: excessively flattering toward someone's life or work
hubris
noun: overbearing pride or presumption
hobble
verb: to hold back the progress of something
hoary
adjective: ancient

I
indigent
adjective: poor; having very little
insufferable
adjective: intolerable, difficult to endure
imbibe
verb: to drink or absorb as if drinking
invective
noun: abusive or denunciatory language
impecunious
adjective: lacking money; poor
imbroglio
noun: a confusing and potentially embarrassing situation
insouciance
noun: lack of concern
impute
verb: attribute (responsibility or fault) to something
importune
verb: beg persistently and urgently
illustrious
adjective: widely known and esteemed; having or conferring glory
incontrovertible
adjective: necessarily or demonstrably true; impossible to deny or disprove
inure
verb: to make accustomed to something unpleasant
impetuous
adjective: characterized by undue haste and lack of thought or deliberation
inimitable
adjective: defying imitation; matchless
invidious
adjective: likely to cause resentment
imperious
adjective: having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those
one views as unworthy
immure
verb: to enclose, usually in walls
improvident
adjective: not given careful consideration
intimation
noun: an indirect suggestion
inviolate
adjective: must be kept sacred
irrefutable
adjective: impossible to deny or disprove
inchoate
adjective: only partly in existence; imperfectly formed
ineffable
adjective: too sacred to be uttered; defying expression or description

J
jingoist
noun: a person who thinks their country is always right and who is in favor
of aggressive acts against other countries
juggernaut
noun: a force that cannot be stopped

jaundiced
adjective: to be biased against due to envy or prejudice
jejune
adjective: dull; lacking flavor

K
kowtow
verb: to bow or act in a subservient manner

L
lascivious
adjective: lecherous; sexually perverted
limpid
adjective: having clarity in terms of expression
litany
noun: any long and tedious account of something
lampoon
verb: ridicule with satire
lugubrious
adjective: excessively mournful
lacerate
verb: deeply hurt the feelings of; distress
languish
verb: become feeble
M
malfeasance
noun: misconduct or wrongdoing (especially by a public official)
maudlin
adjective: overly emotional and sad
malapropism
noun: the confusion of a word with another word that sounds similar

mulct
verb: to defraud or swindle
mellifluous
adjective: smooth and sweet-sounding
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noun: A resource available to students to help them study for the GRE.
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mettlesome
adjective: filled with courage or valor
martinet
noun: a strict disciplinarian
maunder
verb: wander aimlessly
mordant
adjective: biting and caustic in thought, manner, or style
moribund
adjective: being on the point of death; declining rapidly losing all
momentum in progress
magisterial
adjective: offensively self-assured or given to exercising unwarranted power
machinate
verb: engage in plotting or enter into a conspiracy, swear together
meteoric
adjective: like a meteor in speed or brilliance or transience

N
nadir
noun: the lowest point
nonchalant
adjective: coming across as uninterested or unconcerned; overly casual
nettlesome
adjective: causing irritation or annoyance

O
overweening
adjective: arrogant; presumptuous
quisling
noun: a traitor
quixotic
adjective: wildly idealistic; impractical
ossify
verb: make rigid and set into a conventional pattern
obstreperous
adjective: noisily and stubbornly defiant; willfully difficult to control
objurgate
verb: express strong disapproval of

P
ponderous
adjective: weighed-down; moving slowly
pariah
noun: an outcast
perfunctory
adjective: done routinely and with little interest or care
precipitate
adjective: hasty or rash
prosaic
adjective: dull and lacking imagination

penurious

adjective: lacking money; poor

propitiate
verb: to placate or appease
picayune
adjective: trifling or petty (a person)
protean
adjective: readily taking on different roles; versatile
Pollyannaish
adjective: extremely optimistic
pyrrhic
adjective: describing a victory that comes at such a great cost that the
victory is not worthwhile
peremptory
adjective: bossy and domineering
palimpsest
noun: something that has been changed numerous times but on which
traces of former iterations can still be seen
phantasmagorical
adjective: illusive; unreal
parvenu
noun: a person who has suddenly become wealthy, but not socially
accepted as part of a higher class
punctilious
adjective: marked by precise accordance with details
portentous
adjective: ominously prophetic
provident
adjective: careful in regard to your own interests; providing carefully for the
future
pecuniary
adjective: relating to or involving money
probity
noun: integrity, strong moral principles
prolixity
noun: boring verbosity
prognostication
noun: a statement made about the future
plucky
adjective: marked by courage and determination
primacy
noun: the state of being first in importance
perspicacious
adjective: acutely insightful and wise
pecuniary
adjective: relating to or involving money
provident
adjective: careful in regard to your own interests; providing carefully for the
future
puissant
adjective: powerful
patent
adjective: glaringly obvious
puerile
adjective: of or characteristic of a child; displaying or suggesting a lack of
maturity
presentiment
noun: a feeling of evil to come
peripatetic
adjective: traveling by foot
pith
noun: the most essential part of something
philistine
adjective: smug and ignorant towards artistic and cultural values
percipient
adjective: highly perceptive

paragon
noun: model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal
Q
quail
verb: draw back, as with fear or pain

R
remonstrate
verb: to make objections while pleading
raconteur
noun: a person skilled in telling anecdotes
recapitulation
noun: a summary (think of recap)
redoubtable
adjective: inspiring fear or awe
rarefied
adjective: made more subtle or refined
ribald
adjective: humorously vulgar
recrimination
noun: mutual accusations
rapprochement
noun: the reestablishing of cordial relations
recrudesce
verb: to break out or happen again

S
saturnine
adjective: morose or gloomy
supercilious
adjective: haughty and disdainful; looking down on others
sedulous
adjective: done diligently and carefully
sartorial
adjective: related to fashion or clothes
sybarite
noun: a person who indulges in luxury
schadenfreude
noun: joy from watching the suffering of others
sangfroid
noun: calmness or poise in difficult situations
sententious
adjective: to be moralizing, usually in a pompous sense
sybarite
noun: a person who indulges in luxury
sagacious
adjective: having good judgement and acute insight
semblance
noun: an outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately
misleading
solecism
noun: a socially awkward or tactless act
sinecure
noun: an office that involves minimal duties
surreptitious
adjective: stealthy, taking pains not to be caught or detected
stalwart
adjective: dependable; inured to fatigue or hardships
subterfuge
noun: something intended to misrepresent the true nature of an activity
spartan
adjective: unsparing and uncompromising in discipline or judgment;
practicing great self-denial
solicitude
noun: a feeling of excessive concern

T
truculent
adjective: having a fierce, savage nature
turpitude
noun: depravity; a depraved act
tendentious
adjective: likely to lean towards a controversial view
temerity
noun: fearless daring
tempestuous
adjective: as if driven by turbulent or conflicting emotions; highly energetic
and wildly changing or fluctuating
truculence
noun: defiant aggressiveness

U
untoward
adjective: unfavorable; inconvenient
umbrage
noun: a feeling of anger caused by being offended
unforthcoming
adjective: uncooperative, not willing to give up information
unpropitious
adjective: (of a circumstance) with little chance of success
unflappable
adjective: not easily perturbed or excited or upset; marked by extreme
calm and composure

untenable
adjective: (of theories etc) incapable of being defended or justified
unviable
adjective: not able to work, survive, or succeed (also spelled inviable).
untrammeled
adjective: not confined or limited
unstinting
adjective: very generous

V
vicissitude
noun: change in ones circumstances, usually for the worse
venial
adjective: easily excused or forgiven; pardonable
vituperate
verb: to criticize harshly; to berate
vitriolic
adjective: harsh or corrosive in tone
vitriol
noun: abusive or venomous language used to express blame or bitter deep-
seated ill will
W
X
Y
Z
zeitgeist
noun: spirit of the times