Abate: to decrease; reduce

Adjunct: something added, attached, or joined

Abdicate: to give up a position, right or power

Admonish: to caution or reprimand

Aberrant: deviating from what is normal

Adulterate: to corrupt or to make impure

Abeyance: temporary suspension or suppression

Aesthetic: relating to beauty or art

Abject: miserable; pitiful

Affected: pretentious, phony

Abjure: to reject; abandon formally

Affinity: fondness; liking; similarity

Abscission: the act of cutting

Aggrandize: to make larger or greater

Abscond: to depart secretly

Aggregate: amounting to a whole; total

Abstemious: moderate in appetite

Alacrity: cheerful willingness; eagerness; speed

Abstinence: the giving up of certain pleasures

Alchemy: a seemingly magical power or process of transmutation

Abysmal: very bad

Allay: to lessen; ease; soothe

Accretion: growth in size or increase in amount

Alleviate: to relieve; improve partially

Accrue: to accumulate; grow by additions

Alloy: a combination; a mixture of two or more metals

Adamant: uncompromising; unyielding

Allure: the power to entice by charm

Amalgamate: to combine into a unified whole

Antecedent: something that comes before

Ambiguous: unclear or doubtful in meaning

Antediluvian: prehistoric

Ambivalence: the state of having conflicting emotional attitudes

Antipathy: hostility; dislike

Ambrosia: something delicious; the food of gods

Apathy: indifference

Ameliorate: to improve

Apex: the highest point

Amenable: agreeable; cooperative; suited

Apogee: the point in an orbit most distant from the body being orbited;

Amenity: something that increases comfort

Apothegm: a terse, witty saying

Amulet: ornament worn as a charm against evil spirits

Appease: to calm, pacify, placate

Anachronism: something out of proper time

Appellation: name

Analgesic: medication that reduces pain

Apposite: strikingly appropriate and relevant

Analogous: comparable

Apprise: to inform

Anarchy: absence of government; state of disorder

Approbation: praise; approval

Anodyne: something that calms or soothes pain

Appropriate: to take possession for ones own use; confiscate

Anomalous: irregular; deviating from the norm

Apropos: relevant

Arabesque: ornate design of intertwined curves

Astringent: harsh; severe

Arcane: understood by few, mysterious

Asylum: place of refuge or shelter

Archeology: the study of material evidence of past human life

Atavism: return of a trait after a period of absence

Ardor: great emotion or passion

Attenuate: to weaken

Arduous: extremely difficult; laborious

Audacious: old; daring

Argot: a specialized vocabulary used by a group

Austere: stern; unadorned

Arrest: to stop; to seize

Autonomous: self-governing; independent

Artifact: item made by human craft

Avarice: greed

Artless: guileless; natural

Aver: to affirm; declare to be true

Ascetic: one who practices self-denial

Avocation: secondary occupation

Asperity: severity; harshness; irritability

Avuncular: like an uncle; benevolent and tolerant

Aspersion: slander; false rumor

Axiomatic: taken for granted

Assiduous: diligent; hardworking

Bacchanalian: pertaining to revelry or riotous or drunken festivity

Assuage: to make less severe

Banal: commonplace; trite

Banter: playful conversation

Bovine: cow like

Bard: poet

Brazen: bold; shameless

Bawdy: obscene

Broach: to mention for the first time

Beatify: to sanctify; to bless; to ascribe a virtue to

Bucolic: characteristic of countryside; rustic; pastoral

Bedizen: to dress in a vulgar, showy manner

Burgeon: to flourish

Behemoth: huge creature; anything very large and powerful

Burnish: to polish

Belie: to contradict; misrepresent; give a false impression

Buttress: to reinforce; support

Beneficent: kindly; doing good

Cacophonous: unpleasant or harsh sounding

Bifurcate: to divide into two parts

Cadge: to beg; sponge

Blandishment: flattery

Callous: thick skinned; insensitive

Blas: bored because of frequent indulgence; unconcerned

Calumny: false and malicious accusation; slander

Bolster: to give a boost; prop up; support

Canard: false, deliberately misleading story

Bombastic: pompous; using inflated language

Canon: an established principle, basis or standard

Boorish: rude; insensitive

Cant: insincere talk; language of a particular group

Cantankerous: irritable; ill-humored

Causality: relating b/w cause and effect; the principle that everything has a cause

Capricious: fickle

Caustic: sarcastically biting; burning

Captious: faultfinding; intended to entrap in an argument

Celestial: concerning the sky or heavens; sublime

Cardinal: of foremost importance

Centrifugal: moving away from a center

Carnal: of the flesh or body; related to physical appetites

Centripetal: moving or directed toward a center

Carping: to find fault; complain

Champion: to defend or support

Cartography: science of making maps

Chasten: to correct by punishment or reproof; to restrain or subdue

Caste: social classes of Hindus

Chicanery: trickery; fraud

Castigation: punishment; chastisement; criticism

Chivalry: qualities idealized by knighthood like bravery/gallantry towards women

Cataclysm: violent upheaval that causes great destruction and change

Churlish: rude; boorish

Catalyst: something causing change

Circuitous: roundabout

Categorical: absolute; without exception

Clairvoyant: one who can predict future; psychic

Caucus: smaller group within an organization

Clamor: noisy outcry

Causal: involving a cause

Clique: a small, exclusive group

Cloister: to confine, seclude

Concave: curving inward

Coagulate: thicken; congeal

Conciliatory: overcoming distrust or hostility

Coalesce: to cause to become one

Concoct: to invent

Coda: something that summarizes or concludes

Concomitant: existing concurrently

Codify: to systematize

Condone: to overlook voluntarily; forgive

Cognizant: informed; conscious; aware

Confound: to baffle; perplex; mix-up

Collage: artistic composition of materials pasted over a surface

Congenial: similar in tastes-habits; friendly; suited-to

Commensurate: proportional

Conjugal: pertaining to marriage agreement

Compendium: brief, comprehensive summary

Connoisseur: person with expert knowledge/training/discriminating taste

Complacent: self-satisfied

Conscript: person compulsorily enrolled for military service

Complaisant: overly polite; willing to please; obliging

Consecrate: to declare sacred

Complement: something that completes or makes up a whole

Contend: to assert

Compliant: yielding

Contentious: quarrelsome; causing quarrels

Compunction: uneasiness caused by guilt

Contiguous: touching; neighboring; connecting without a break

Continence: self-control; abstention from sexual activity

Covetous: desiring something owned by another

Contrite: very sorrowful for a wrong

Cozen: to mislead by trick or fraud; deceive

Contumacious: disobedient; rebellious

Craven: cowardly

Conundrum: riddle; puzzle with no solution

Credence: acceptance of something as true

Conventional: practice widely accepted/observed in a group; custom;

Credo: statement of belief or principle; creed

Converge: to approach; come together; tend to meet

Daunt: to discourage; intimidate; dishearten

Convex: curved outward

Dearth: scarcity

Convivial: sociable

Debauchery: corruption

Convoluted: twisted; complicated

Decorum: proper behavior

Copious: abundant; plentiful

Defame: to malign; harm someones reputation

Coquette: woman who flirts

Default: to fail to act

Cornucopia: horn overflowing with fruit and grain; state of abundance

Deference: respect; regard for anothers wish

Cosmology: theory of the origin and structure of universe

Defunct: no longer existing

Covert: hidden; secret

Delineate: to represent or depict

Demographic: related to population balance

Diatribe: bitter verbal attack

Demotic: pertaining to people

Dichotomy: division into two usually contradictory parts

Demur: to express doubt

Diffidence: shyness; lack of confidence

Denigrate: to slur someones reputation

Diffuse: to spread out

Denizen: an inhabitant; a regular visitor

Digression: act of straying from the main point

Denouement: outcome; unraveling of the plot of a play or work of literature

Dirge: funeral hymn

Deride: to mock

Disabuse: to free from a misconception

Derivative: something derived; unoriginal

Discerning: perceptive; exhibiting keen insight and good judgement

Desiccate: to dry completely

Discomfit: to make uneasy; disconcert

Desuetude: state of disuse

Discordant: not in tune

Desultory: random; disconnected; rambling

Discrepancy: difference between

Deterrent: something that discourages or hinders

Discrete: constituting a separate thing; distinct

Detraction: the act of taking away; derogatory comment on a persons character

Discretion: quality of showing self-restraint in speech or actions; circumspection;

Diaphanous: transparent; fine-textured; insubstantial; vague

freedom to act on ones own

Disingenuous: not candid; crafty

Diverge: to vary; go in different directions from the same point

Disinterested: unprejudiced; objective

Divest: to strip; deprive; rid

Disjointed: lacking order or coherence; dislocated

Divulge: to make known something that is secret

Dismiss: put away from consideration; reject

Doctrinaire: relating to a person that cannot uncompromised about points of a

Disparage: to belittle

Disparate: dissimilar

Document: to provide with written evidence to support

Dissemble: to pretend; disguise ones motives

Doggerel: poor verse

Disseminate: to spread; scatter; disperse

Dogmatic: stating opinions without proof

Dissident: person who disagrees about beliefs

Dormant: inactive

Dissolution: disintegration; debauchery

Dross: waste; worthless matter; trivial matter

Dissonance: discord; lack of harmony

Dupe: to deceive; trick

Distend: to expand; swell out

Ebullient: exhilarated; enthusiastic

Distill: extract the essential elements

Eclectic: selecting from various sources

Distrait: inattentive; preoccupied

Effervescence: state of high spirits or liveliness; the process of bubbling as gas escapes

theory or doctrine; dogmatic; unyielding

Effete: depleted of vitality; over-refined; decadent

Encomium: a formal expression of praise

Efficacy: efficiency; effectiveness

Endemic: inherent; belonging to an area

Effrontery: shameless boldness; presumptuousness

Enervate: to weaken

Egoism: the tendency to see things in relation to one-self; self-centeredness

Engender: to cause; produce

Egoistical: excessively self-centered; conceited

Enhance: to increase; improve

Elegy: poem or song expressing lamentation

Entomology: the scientific study of insects

Elicit: to provoke; draw out

Enunciate: to pronounce clearly

Elixir: substance believed to have power to cure ills

Ephemeral: short-lived; fleeting

Elysian: blissful; delightful

Epistemology: branch of philosophy that examines the nature of knowledge

Emaciated: thin and wasted

Equable: steady; unvarying; serene

Embellish: to adorn; decorate; enhance; make more attractive by adding details

Equanimity: composure; calmness

Emollient: soothing; mollifying

Equivocate: to intentionally use vague language

Empirical: derived from observation or experiment

Errant: mistaken; straying from the proper course

Emulate: to imitate; copy

Erudite: learned; scholarly

Esoteric: hard to understand known only to a few

Evocative: tending to call to mind or produce a reaction

Essay: to make an attempt; subject to a test

Exacerbate: to aggravate; make worse

Estimable: admirable; possible to estimate

Exacting: to force the payment of; demand and obtain by authority

Ethnocentric: based on the attitude that ones group is superior

Exculpate: to clear of blame; vindicate

Etiology: causes or origins

Execrable: detestable; abhorrent

Etymology: origin and history of a world

Exhort: to urge by strong appeals

Eugenics: study of factors that influence the hereditary qualities of human race and

Exigency: crisis; urgent requirements

ways to improve these qualities

Existential: having to do with existence; based on experience;

Eulogy: high praise; especially of a person who has recently died

Exorcise: to expel evil spirits; free from bad influences

Euphemism: use of agreeable or inoffensive language in place of unpleasant or

Expatiate: to speak or write at length

offensive language

Expatriate: to send into exile

Euphoria: feeling of extreme happiness

Expiate: to atone for

Euthanasia: mercy killing

Explicate: to explain; interpret; clarify

Evince: to show plainly; be an indication of

Expository: explanatory

Extant: in existence; not lost

Felicitous: suitably expressed; appropriate; well chosen

Extemporaneous: unrehearsed

Feral: existing in a wild or untamed state

Extirpate: to root up; to destroy

Fervor: warmth and intensity of emotion

Extraneous: not essential

Fetid: having a bad smell

Extrapolation: the act of estimation by projecting known information

Fetter: to bind; confine

Extrinsic: not inherent or essential

Fiat: arbitrary order; authorization

Facetious: humorous

Fidelity: loyalty; exact correspondence

Facilitate: to make less difficult

Filibuster: use of obstructive tactics in a legislature to block passage of a law

Factotum: a person who does all sorts of work; handyman

Finesse: to handle with a deceptive/evasive strategy; to use refinement in

Fallacious: based on a false idea or fact; misleading

Fallow: plowed but not sowed; uncultivated

Fissure: crevice

Fatuous: foolishly, self-satisfied

Flag: to droop; grow weak

Fauna: animals of a period or region

Fledgling: beginner; novice

Fawning: seeking favor by flattering

Flora: plants of a region or era

performance

Florid: ruddy; reddish; flowery

Froward: stubbornly contrary; obstinately disobedient

Flourish: an embellishment or ornamentation

Frugality: thrift

Flout: to treat scornfully

Fulminate: to attack loudly; denounce

Flux: flowing; continuous moving

Fulsome: so excessive to be disgusting

Foment: to incite; arouse

Fusion: union; synthesis

Forbearance: patience

Futile: ineffective; useless; fruitless

Forestall: to prevent; delay

Gainsay: to deny; dispute; oppose

Formidable: menacing; threatening

Gambol: to frolic; leap playfully

Forswear: renounce; repudiate

Garrulous: very talkative; wordy

Founder: to sink; fall; collapse

Geniality: cheerfulness: kindness; sociability

Fracas: a loud quarrel; brawl

Gauche: coarse and uncouth; clumsy

Fractious: quarrelsome; unruly; rebellious

Gerrymander: to divide an area into voting districts in a way that favors a political

Fresco: painting done on plaster

Frieze: ornamental band on a wall

party

Glib: fluent in an insincere way; offhand

Goad: to prod; urge on

Herbivorous: relating to a herbivore, an animal that mainly feeds on plants

Gossamer: sheer; light and delicate like cobwebs

Hermetic: tightly sealed; magical

Gouge: to tear out; scoop out; overcharge

Heterodox: unorthodox; not widely accepted

Grandiloquent: pompous; bombastic

Hieroglyphics: system of writing with pictorial symbols; writing or symbols that are

Gregarious: sociable

Grouse: to complain

Hirsute: covered with hair

Guileless: free of cunning or deceit; artless

Histrionic: related to exaggerated emotional behavior calculated for effect; theatrical

Guise: outward appearance; false appearance; pretense

Gullible: easily deceived

Gustatory: affecting the sense of taste

Halcyon: calm and peaceful; happy; golden; prosperous

Homily: sermon; tedious moralizing lecture; platitude

Hallowed: holy; sacred

Homogeneous: uniform in composition; composed of identical parts

Harangue: long, pompous speech; tirade

Hyperbole: purposeful exaggeration for effect

Harrowing: extremely distressing; terrifying

Iconoclastic: attacking cherished traditions

difficult to decipher; the symbols used in advanced mathematics

arts or performances

Homeostasis: automatic maintenance by an organism of normal temperature,

chemical balance etc., within itself

Ideological: relating to ideology, the set of ideas that form the basis of a political or

Implausible: unlikely; unbelievable

economic system

Implicit: implied; understood but not stated

Idolatry: idol worship; blind or excessive devotion

Implode: collapse inward violently

Igneous: produced by fire; volcanic

Imprecation: curse

Imbroglio: complicated situation; an entanglement

Impute: to relate to a particular cause or source; attribute the fault to; assign as a

Immutable: unchangeable

Impassive: showing no emotion

Inadvertently: carelessly; unintentionally

Impecunious: poor; having no money

Incarnate: having bodily form

Impede: to hinder; block

Inchoate: imperfectly formed or formulated

Impermeable: impossible to penetrate

Incongruity: state of not fitting

Imperturbable: not easily disturbed

Inconsequential: insignificant; unimportant

Impervious: impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected

Incorporate: introduce something into another thing already in existence; combine

Impinge: to strike, encroach

Incorporate: introduce something into another thing already in existence; combine

Implacable: inflexible; incapable of being pleased

Incursion: sudden invasion

characteristic

Indeterminate: uncertain; indefinite

Intangible: not material

Indigence: poverty

Interdict: to forbid; prohibit; to confront & halt the activities, advance, or entry of

Indolent: habitually lazy; idle

Internecine: deadly to both sides

Ineluctable: not to be avoided or escaped; inevitable

Interpolate: to insert; change by adding new words or material

Inert: unable to move; sluggish

Interregnum: interval between reigns; gap in continuity

Ingenuous: nave and trusting; lacking sophistication

Intimate: marked by close acquaintance

Inherent: firmly established by nature or habit

Intractable: not easily managed

Innocuous: harmless

Intransigence: stubbornness; refusal to compromise

Insensible: unconscious; unresponsive

Introspective: contemplating ones own thoughts and feelings

Insinuate: to suggest; say indirectly; imply

Inundate: to cover with water; overwhelm

Insipid: lacking flavor; dull

Inured: hardened; accustomed; used to

Insouciant: indifferent; lacking concern or care

Invective: verbal abuse

Insularity: narrow-mindedness; isolation

Inveigh: to disapprove; protest vehemently

Insuperable: insurmountable; unconquerable

Inveigle: to win over by flattery or coaxing

Inveterate: confirmed; long standing; deeply-rooted

Labile: likely to change

Invidious: likely to provoke ill-will; offensive

Laconic: using few words

Irascible: easily angered

Lambaste: to thrash verbally or physically

Irresolute: unsure of how to act; weak

Lascivious: lustful

Itinerant: wandering from place to place; unsettled

Lassitude: lethargy; sluggishness

Itinerary: route of a travelers journey

Latent: present but hidden; potential

Jaundice: having yellowish discoloration of the skin; affected by envy, resentment or

Laud: to praise

hostility

Lethargic: inactive

Jibe: to be in agreement

Levee: an embankment that prevents a river from overflowing

Jocose: fond of joking; jocular; playful

Levity: light manner or attitude

Juggernaut: huge force destroying everything in its path

Liberal: tolerant; broad minded; generous; lavish

Junta: group of people united in political intrigue

Libertine: one without moral restraint

Juxtapose: place side by side

Libido: sexual desire

Kudos: fame; glory; honor

Lilliputian: extremely small

Limn: to draw; describe

Maelstrom: whirlpool; turmoil

Limpid: clear transparent

Magnanimity: generosity; nobility

Linguistic: pertaining to language

Malign: to speak evil of

Litany: lengthy recitation; repetitive chant

Malinger: to feign illness to escape duty

Literati: scholarly or learned persons

Malleable: capable of being shaped by pounding; impressionable

Litigation: legal proceedings

Maverick: dissenter

Log: record of a voyage; record of daily activities

Megalomania: delusions of power or importance

Loquacious: talkative

Menagerie: a variety of animals kept together

Lucid: bright; clear; intelligible

Mendacious: dishonest

Lucre: money or profits

Mendicant: beggar

Luminous: bright; brilliant; glowing

Meretricious: gaudy; plausible but false; specious

Lustrous: shining

Mesmerize: to hypnotize

Machiavellian: crafty; double-dealing

Metamorphosis: change; transformation

Machinations: plots or schemes

Metaphysics: branch of philosophy that investigates the ultimate nature of reality

Meteorological: concerned with the weather

Mnemonic: related to memory; assisting memory

Meticulous: very careful; fastidious

Modicum: limited quantity

Mettle: courage; endurance

Mollify: to soothe

Mettlesome: full of courage and fortitude; spirited

Monolithic: solid and uniform; constituting a single, unified whole

Microcosm: a small system having analogies to a larger system

Morose: ill humored; sullen

Militate: to work against

Motley: many colored; made up of many parts

Minatory: threatening menacing

Multifarious: diverse

Minuscule: very small

Mundane: worldly as opposed to spiritual; concerned with ordinary

Minutia: petty details

Necromancy: black magic

Misanthrope: one who hates humanity

Negate: to cancel out; nullify

Miscellany: mixture of writings on various subjects

Neologism: new word or expression

Miscreant: villain; criminal

Neophyte: novice; beginner

Misogynist: one who hates women

Nexus: a means of connection; a connected group of series, a center

Mitigate: to cause to become less harsh, severe or painful; alleviate

Nonplussed: bewildered

Nostalgia: sentimental longing for a past time

Onomatopoeia: formation of words that imitate sounds of the actions they refer to

Nostrum: medicine or remedy of doubtful effectiveness; supposed cure

Opprobrium: disgrace; contempt

Nugatory: trifling; invalid

Ornithologist: scientist who studies birds

Obdurate: stubborn

Oscillate: to move back and forth

Obsequious: overly submissive

Ostentatious: showy; trying to attract attention; pretentious

Obsequy: funeral ceremony

Paean: song of joy or triumph; a fervent expression of joy

Obviate: to make unnecessary; to anticipate and prevent

Paleontology: study of past geological eras through fossil remains

Occlude: to shut; block

Pallid: lacking color or liveliness

Occult: relating to practices connected with supernatural phenomena

Panegyric: elaborate praise; formal hymn of praise

Odyssey: a long, adventurous voyage; a quest

Paragon: model of excellence or perfection

Officious: too helpful; meddlesome

Partisan: one-sided; committed to a party, group or cause; prejudiced

Olfactory: concerning the sense of smell

Pathological: departing from normal condition

Oligarchy: form of government in which power belongs to only a few leaders

Patois: a regional dialect; nonstandard speech; jargon

Onerous: burdensome

Paucity: scarcity

Pedantic: showing off learning

Petulant: rude; peevish

Pellucid: transparent; translucent; easily understood

Phlegmatic: calm in temperament; sluggish

Penchant: inclination

Phoenix: mythical, immortal bird (burns to death and rises from ashes); anything that

Penury: extreme poverty

Peregrination: wandering from place to place

Physiognomy: facial features

Peremptory: imperative; leaving no choice

Piety: devoutness

Perennial: present throughout the years; persistent

Piquant: appealingly stimulating; pleasantly pungent; attractive

Perfidious: faithless; disloyal; untrustworthy

Pique: fleeting feeling of hurt pride

Perfunctory: superficial; not thorough; performed really as a duty

Placate: to lessen anothers anger; to pacify

Perigee: point in an orbit that is closest to the earth

Placid: calm

Permeable: penetrable

Plaintive: melancholy; mournful

Perturb: to disturb greatly; make uneasy or anxious; cause a body to deviate from its

Plasticity: condition of being able to be shaped or formed

regular orbit

Platitude: stale; overused expression

Pervasive: spread throughout every part

Platonic: spiritual; without sexual desire; theoretical

is restored after great destruction

Plethora: excess; overabundance

Premonition: forewarning; presentiment

Plumb: to determine the depth; to examine deeply

Presage: to foretell; indicate in advance

Plummet: to fall; plunge

Presumptuous: rude; improperly bold; readiness to presume

Plutocracy: society ruled by the wealthy

Preternatural: beyond the normal course of nature; supernatural

Porous: full of holes; permeable to liquids

Prevaricate: to quibble; evade the truth

Poseur: person who affects an attitude or identity to impress others

Primordial: original; existing from the beginning

Pragmatic: practical

Pristine: untouched; uncorrupted

Prate: to talk idly; chatter

Probity: honestly; high-mindedness

Prattle: meaningless, foolish talk

Problematic: posing a problem; doubtful; unsettled

Preamble: preliminary statement

Prodigal: wasteful; extravagant; lavish

Precarious: uncertain

Profound: deep; not superficial

Precept: principle; law

Prohibitive: so high as to prevent the purchase or use of; preventing; forbidding

Precipitate: to cause to happen; throw down from a height; rash; hasty; sudden

Proliferate: to increase rapidly

Precursor: forerunner; predecessor

Propensity: inclination; tendency

Propitiate: to win over; appease

Query: to question

Propriety: correct conduct; fitness

Quibble: to argue over insignificant and irrelevant details

Proscribe: to condemn; forbid; outlaw

Quiescent: inactive; still

Provident: providing for future needs; frugal

Quorum: number of members necessary to conduct a meeting

Puissant: powerful

Raconteur: witty, skillful storyteller

Punctilious: careful in observing rules of behavior or ceremony

Rail: to scold with bitter or abusive language

Pungent: strong or sharp smell or taste; penetrating; caustic; to the point

Raiment: clothing

Purport: to profess; suppose; claim

Ramification: implication; outgrowth; consequence

Pusillanimous: cowardly

Rarefied: refined

Quagmire: marsh; difficult situation

Rationale: fundamental reason

Quail: to cower; lose heart

Rebus: puzzle in which pictures or symbols represent words

Qualified: limited; restricted

Recalcitrant: resisting authority or control

Qualm: sudden feeling of faintness or nausea; uneasy feeling about the rightness of

Recant: to retract a statement or opinion

actions

Recluse: person who lives in seclusion and often in solitude

Recondite: abstruse; profound

Repudiate: to reject as having no authority

Redoubtable: formidable; arousing fear; worthy of respect

Rescind: to cancel

Refractory: stubborn; unmanageable; resisting ordinary methods of treatment

Resolution: determination; resolve

Refulgent: brightly shining; resplendent

Resolve: firmness of purpose; determination

Refute: to contradict; disprove

Reticent: not speaking freely; reserved; reluctant

Regale: to entertain

Reverent: expressing deep respect; worshipful

Relegate: to consign to an inferior position

Riposte: retaliatory action or retort

Remonstrate: to object or protest

Rococo: excessively ornate; highly decorated; style of architecture in 18 century

Renege: to go back on ones word

Reparation: amends; compensation

Rubric: title or heading; category established mode of procedure or conduct; protocol

Repine: fret; complain

Rue: to regret

Reprise: repetition, especially of a piece of music

Ruse: trick; crafty stratagem; subterfuge

Reproach: to find fault with; blame

Sage: wise

Reprobate: morally unprincipled person

Salacious: lascivious; lustful

th

Europe

Salubrious: healthful

Sedulous: diligent

Salutary: expecting an improvement; favorable to health

Seismic: relating to earthquakes; earthshaking

Sanction: to approve; ratify; permit

Sensual: relating to senses; gratifying the physical senses especially sexual appetites

Sardonic: cynical; scornfully mocking

Sensuous: relating to the senses; operating through the senses

Sartorial: pertaining to tailors

Sentient: aware; conscious; able to perceive

Satiate: to satisfy

Servile: submissive; obedient

Saturate: to soak thoroughly; imbue throughout

Sextant: navigation tool that determines latitude and longitude

Saturnine: gloomy

Shard: a piece of broken glass or pottery

Satyr: a creature that is half-man, half-beast with the horns and legs of a goat; follower

Sidereal: relating to the stars

of Dionysus; a lecher

Simian: apelike; relating to apes

Savor: to enjoy; have a distinctive flavor or smell

Simile: comparison of one thing with another using like or as

Schematic: relating to or in the form of an outline or diagram

Sinecure: well-paying job or office that requires little or no work

Secrete: produce and release substance into organism

Singular: unique; extraordinary; odd

Sedition: behavior prompting rebellion

Sinuous: winding; intricate; complex

Skeptic: one who doubts

Staccato: marked by abrupt, clear cut sounds

Sobriety: seriousness

Stanch: to stop or check the flow of

Sodden: thoroughly soaked; saturated

Stentorian: extremely loud

Solicitous: concerned; attentive; eager

Stigma: mark of disgrace or inferiority

Soliloquy: literary or dramatic speech by one character, not addressed to others

Stint: to be sparing

Solvent: able to meet financial obligations

Stipulate: to specify as an essential condition

Somatic: relating to or affecting the body; corporeal

Stolid: having or showing little emotion

Soporific: sleep producing

Stratified: arranged in layers

Sordid: filthy; contemptible and corrupt

Striated: marked with thin, narrow grooves or channels

Specious: seeming to be logical and sound, but not really so

Stricture: something that restrains; negative criticism

Spectrum: a broad range or related ideas or objects

Strident: loud; harsh; unpleasantly noisy

Spendthrift: person who spends money recklessly

Strut: to swagger; display to impress others

Sporadic: irregular

Stultify: to impair or reduce to uselessness

Squalor: filthy, wretched condition

Stupefy: to dull the senses of; stun; astonish

Stygian: dark and gloomy; hellish

Supplant: to replace; substitute

Subpoena: notice ordering someone to appear in court

Suppliant: beseeching; making or expressing a humble or earnest plea

Subside: to settle down; grow quiet

Supposition: the act of assuming to be true or real

Substantiate: to support with proof or evidence

Syllogism: Deductive reasoning which has a major premise, a minor premise and a

Substantiate: to support with proof or evidence

Substantive: essential; pertaining to the substance

Sylvan: related to the woods or forest

Subsume: to include; incorporate

Tacit: silently understood; implied

Subversive: intended to undermine or overthrow, especially an established

Taciturn: habitually talkative

government

Talisman: charm to bring good luck and avert misfortune

Succor: relief; help in time of distress or want

Tangential: peripheral; digressing

Suffrage: the right to vote

Tautology: unnecessary repetition

Sundry: various

Taxonomy: science of classification

Supersede: to replace, especially to displace inferior or antiquated

Tenet: belief; doctrine

Supine: lying on the back; marked by lethargy

Tenuous: weak; insubstantial

conclusion

Theocracy: government by priests representing a god

Translucent: partially transparent

Thespian: an actor or actress

Travail: work, especially arduous work; tribulation; anguish

Timbre: characteristic quality of sound produced by a particular instrument or voice;

Travesty: parody, exaggerated imitation; caricature

tone color

Treatise: article treating a subject systematically and thoroughly

Tirade: long, violent speech verbal assault

Tremulous: trembling; quivering; frugal; timid

Toady: flatterer; hanger-on; yes-man

Trepidation: fear and anxiety

Tome: book, usually large and academic

Truculence: aggressiveness; ferocity

Torpor: lethargy, dormancy, sluggishness

Tryst: agreement between lovers to meet; rendezvous

Torque: turning or twisting force; the moment of a force;

Tumid: swollen; distended

Tortuous: having many twists and turns; highly complex

Turbid: muddy; opaque: in a state of great confusion

Tout: to promote or praise energetically

Turgid: swollen; bloated; pompous

Tractable: obedient; yielding

Tutelary: serving as a guardian or protector

Transgression: act of trespassing or violating a law or rule

Uncanny: mysterious; strange

Transient: temporary; short-lived; fleeting

Undulating: moving in waves

Unfeigned: not false; not made-up; genuine

Verbose: wordy

Untenable: indefensible

Vertigo: dizziness

Untoward: not favorable; troublesome; adverse; unruly

Vexation: irritation; annoyance; confusion; puzzlement

Usury: practice of lending money at exorbitant rates

Viable: practicable; capable of developing

Vacillate: to waver; oscillate

Vindictive: spiteful; vengeful; unforgiving

Vacuous: empty; void; lacking intelligence; purposeless

Virtuoso: someone with mastery skills; expert musician

Valedictory: pertaining to a farewell

Visage: countenance; appearance; aspect

Vapid: tasteless; dull

Viscous: thick, syrupy and sticky

Variegated: varied; marked with different colors

Vitiate: to impair the quality of; corrupt morally; make inoperative

Vaunt: to boast; brag

Vituperative: using or containing harsh, abusive censure

Venal: bribable; mercenary; corruptible

Vivisection: dissection; surgery; or painful experiments performed on a living animal

Vendetta: prolonged feud marked by bitter hostility

Venerate: to adore; honor; respect

Vogue: prevailing fashion or practice

Veracious: truthful; accurate

Volatile: tending to vary frequently; fickle

for the purpose of scientific research

Vortex: whirlpool; whirlwind; center of turbulence

Warranted: justified

Wary: careful; cautious

Welter: to wallow or roll; toss about; be in turmoil

Whimsical: fanciful; unpredictable

Wistful: vaguely longing; sadly thoughtful

Zealot: one who is fanatically devoted to a cause