Alacrity
eagerness; enthusiasm; quickness
Burgeon
grow; flourish; put forth new shoots
Deleterious
harmful
Euphemism
a polite phrase to cover something unpleasant
Hypocritical
insincere
Lethargic
tired; without energy
Ogle
stare at; observe in an obvious manner
Postulate
hypothesize; propose
Robust
strong; healthy; tough
Tractable
obedient; dutiful; polite
Alchemy
medieval chemistry; attempt to change base metal into gold
Burnish
polish
Deliberate
to think over deeply
Euphony
pleasant sounds
Iconoclast
person who opposes orthodoxy
Levity
flippancy; joking about serious matters
Olfactory
concerned with the sense of smell
Potable
suitable for drinking
Rotund
round
Tranquil
peaceful
Alibi
an excuse that shows someone was not at a crime scene
Buttress
strengthen; support
Delineation
demarcation; explanation; definition; outlining
Evacuate
vacate; empty; abandon
Idiosyncrasy
a personal peculiarity; something unique to an individual
Libertarian
someone who opposes tyranny
Ominous
threatening
Potent
powerful; compelling; strong
Ruminate
think over something; ponder
Transcribe
copy
Allay
to lessen
Byline
the line that tells you who wrote an article
Demur
hesitate; refuse
Exacerbate
make worse
Ignominious
shameful
Liniment
soothing lotion
Omnipotent
all-powerful
Pragmatic
practical
Ruse
trick; stratagem
Transgress
go astray; disobey; commit a sin
Alleviate
make less severe
Cacophony
discordant loud noises
Denounce
condemn; speak out against
Exasperated
frustrated; annoyed
Ignominy
shame [ignominious (a) = shameful]
Lithe
flexible; supple
Omniscient
all-knowing
Pragmatist
practical person; one who is concerned with usefulness
Saccharin
falsely sweet
Transient
short-lived; ephemeral
Aloof
distant; detached; cold
Cajole
coax
Deplete
use up; lessen
Exceptionable
very bad (something which we should object to)
Illuminate
to light up or make clear
Livid
very angry
Onerous
burdensome; hard to undertake
Preamble
introductory material
Sacrosanct
very holy; inviolable
Traverse
to move across
Altruism
putting others first; being self-sacrificing
Caldron
huge cooking pot
Deplore
regret
Exculpate
free someone from blame; pardon; acquit
Illusory
deceptive; false; misleading
Lobbyist
person who tries to persuade someone to support a particular cause
Onus
burden
Precarious
unstable; risky
Sagacious
wise
Trepidation
fear
Amass
accumulate
Callow
immature
Depravity
moral corruption
Execrable
very, very bad
Immoderate
excessive; extreme
Lofty
snooty; arrogant; haughty
Opaque
does not let light through
Precedent
a previous occurrence used as a guide
Sage
a wise person
Trinket
something of little value; knick-knack
Ambiguity
uncertainty; vagueness
Candid
frank; honest
Deprecate
criticize; denounce
Exegesis
scholarly explanation or interpretation
Immutable
unchanging; permanent
Longevity
long life
Opulent
wealthy; rich; magnificent
Precept
guiding principle
Salacious
lecherous; erotic
Trite
unoriginal; dull
Ambiguous
unclear in meaning; can be interpreted in different ways
Candor
frankness; openness
Deride
ridicule; make fun of; mock
Exemplary
outstandingly good; setting a fine example
Impartial
unbiased; neutral
Loquacious
talkative
ORdain
1. destine2. confer holy orders on a priest
Precinct
district of a city
Sallow
yellowish
Trivial
unimportant
Ambivalence
lack of clarity; wavering; being undecided
Cantankerous
bad-tempered; quarrelsome
Derogatory
uncomplimentary
Exemplify
to serve as a good example
Impecunious
having no money
Lucid
clear
Ornate
highly decorated
Precipice
steep slope
Salubrious
health-giving
Truant
shirker; someone absent without permission
Ambulatory
able to walk around (used of hospital patients)
Capacious
spacious
Desecrate
to damage or pollute a holy place
Exhaustive
complete and thorough
Impious
wicked; profane
Ludicrous
ridiculous; silly
Orthodox
conventional
Precipitous
done in a hurry
Salutary
something which teaches you a lesson; beneficial
Truncate
cut short
Ameliorate
make better
Capitulate
surrender; give in to
Desecration
spoiling something holy
Exonerates
acquits; absolves; removes blame
Impoverished
destitute; poor
Lukewarm
1. unenthusiastic2. neither hot nor cold
Ossify
1. turn to bone2. become fixed and rigid
Preclude
prevent or make impossible
Sanctimonious
hypocritically holy
Tumult
uproar; noise
Amelioration
improvement
Carping
constant criticism
Desist
stop; discontinue; cease
Exorcism
getting free/rid of; eliminating (especially demons)
Lummox
clumsy person
Ostentatious
showy
Precocious
developing early
Impromptu
unrehearsed; spontaneous
Sanction
give approval to
Turpitude
depravity
Amiable
friendly
Cartographer
person who makes maps
Despondent
having no hope; miserable
Expatriate
refugee; emigrant; someone living away from his own country
Inadvertent
not intentional
Luscious
juicy; moist; succulent
Oust
push out of a position
Predecessor
one who came before
Sanguinary
bloodthirsty; bloody
Tyro
novice; beginner
Amity
friendship
Castigate
scold strongly
Destitution
hardship; poverty; misery
Expedient
convenient; practical
Incantation
chant; invocation; prayer
Lynch
assassinate; kill; illegal hanging
Overt
obvious; not hidden
Predicament
dilemma; difficult situation
Sanguine
Optimistic; cheerful
Ubiquitous
found everywhere; omnipresent
Amorphous
lacking shape
Catharsis
purging of pent-up emotions
Deter
put off; prevent
Expedite
make faster
Incarceration
putting in prison
Machinations
plots and plans
Overwrought
worked up; in an emotional state
Preeminent
famous; outstanding
Sardonic
mocking
Unalloyed
undiluted; total
Analgesic
medicine to combat pain
Caucus
type of private political meeting
Deteriorate
worsen; decline
Exposition
clear explanation
Incessant
without stopping
Maelstrom
whirlpool; storm in the ocean
Palatable
good to eat; agreeable
Prerogative
right or privilege
Savant
person with knowledge
Unctuous
oily; using excessive flattery
Analogous
comparable
Caustic
burning
Detrimental
harmful
Extol
praise
Incipient
just beginning
Magnanimous
generous; big-hearted
Palisade
fence made of posts
Prescient
having fore-knowledge
Scale
to climb
Undermined
damaged; attacked
Anarchy
chaos; lack of government
Cavalcade
procession of vehicles
Devoured
greedily eaten/consumed
Extradite
deport from one country back to the home country
Inclination
tendency; a leaning toward
Magnate
powerful businessman
Palliative
a remedy that improves but doesn't cure
Presentiment
a feeling that something might happen
Scapegoat
person on whom blame is placed for faults of others
Underscore
emphasize
Anecdote
a brief amusing story
Celerity
speed
Dexterous
skillful with hands
Extraneous
irrelevant
Incoherent
not clear
Maladroit
clumsy; unskillful
Pallid
pale
Presumptuous
assuming too much; arrogant
Scrupulous
careful; diligent; painstaking
Unequivocal
clear; obvious
Animosity
hatred; antagonism
Censorious
disapproving; critical
Dichotomy
a division into two parts
Extrapolate
extend; predict on the basis of known data
Incongruous
not fitting in; out of place
Malady
illness
Palpable
easily felt; easily perceived
Pretentious
pompous; self-important
Scrutinize
examine carefully
Unfetter
set free
Annex (n)
A building which is an addition to an existing building
Censure
blame
Didactic
intended to teach; instructive
Extrinsic
irrelevant; on the outside
Inconsequential
unimportant; insignificant; negligible
Malediction
a curse
Panacea
remedy for all ills
Prevaricate
speak misleadingly and evasively
Scuttle
sink
Unfrock
to remove a priest from his position
Annex (v)
take possession of; seize; capture
Cerebral
intellectual
Diffident
lacking confidence
FallaciousTrue False
false
Inconspicuous
not easily seen; subtle; not noticeable
Malefactor
a wrong-doer
Paradigm (3)
1. example2. model3. way of looking at things
Pristine
unspoiled
Seminary
an institution in which priests are trained
Unprecedented
never having happened before
Anomaly
something which does not fit in a pattern; irregularity
Certitude
certainty
Digress
wander off the subject
Falter
hesitate; waver
Indelible
cannot be wiped out
Malinger
deliberately avoid work; shirk
Paradox
apparently contradictory statement
Proclivity
tendency towards
Sensuous
appealing to the senses
Unscathed
unharmed; intact; without a scratch
Antagonism
hostility; strong opposition
Charlatan
trickster who claims knowledge he doesn't have
Dike
dam; embankment
Fanatical
obsessive; fixated
Indifferent
1. neutral2. not outstanding
Malingerer
person who deliberately tries to avoid work
Paragon
a perfect example
Procrastinate
delay; put off
Sentinel
guard; sentry
Unwitting
not deliberate; unconscious
Antagonistic
opposed; hostile; aggressive
Chary
wary of; cautious about; reluctant to give
Dilatory
slow; falling behind with one's work
Fanaticism
passion; excessive devotion
Indigenous
native to a particular area
Malleable
flexible; can be shaped
Paramount
of supreme importance
Prodigal
wasteful; extravagant
Sequester
isolate
Upbraid
scold; tell off; reprimand
Antediluvian
outdated; prehistoric; very old-fashioned
Chastises
punishes
Dilemma
puzzling situation
Fastidious
overly particular; finicky
Indolence
laziness
Mallet
1. wooden hammer2. stick used for polo
Parasite
1. scrounger2. animal which takes digested food from another
Prodigious
very large
Serendipity
fortunate coincidence; unsought discovery
Uproarious
hilarious; hysterical; very funny
Anthology
a book which is a collection of poems or stories
Chicanery
trickery
Delettante
person who dabbles in a subject without serious study
Fatuous
silly; foolish
Inductee
novice; beginner
Manipulatable
influencable; controllable
Parched
dried up
Profane
unholy
Serene
calm; peaceful
Upshot
outcome
Anthropocentrism
putting man at the center of one's philosophy
Chimerical
changeable; unstable
Diligent
hard-working
Feasible
possible and practicable
Indulgent
pampering; satisfying desires
Marred
damaged; spoiled
Pariah
an outcast from society
Profanity
swearing; cursing
Serrated
jagged; saw-like
Urbane
sophisticated; suave
Antiquated
outdated; old-fashioned
Choleric
easily angered
Diorama
model of a scene
Fecund
fertile
Inebriation
drunkenness; intoxication
Marshal
to gather together
Parity
equality
Profound
having deep meaning
Servile
overly submissive; groveling
Usurp
take someone's position (usually by force)
Apathetic
indifferent; uninterested; lethargic
Chronicler
person who records historical information
Dirge
mournful song
Felicitous
apt
Ineffable
cannot be expressed in words
Marsupial
pouched mammal (like a kangaroo)
Parochial
narrow-minded; concerned only with local matters
Profundity
depth
Skeptical
doubting; not gullible
Utilitarian
useful
Apathy
lack of interest or emotion
Circuitous
indirect
Disapprobation
disapproval
Fervor
passion; enthusiasm
Inept
incompetent; unskilled; useless
Martinet
person who believes in strict discipline
Parody
a mockery; imitation for ridicule; spoof
Proletarian
member of the working class
Skirmish
minor battle
Utopian
a believer in an ideal world
Apocryphal
of doubtful origin
Circumlocution
using too many words; long-windedness
Discern
to distinguish one thing from another
Fickle
unpredictable; whimsical; easily swayed
Inertia
inactivity; lethargy
Masochist
person who intentionally inflicts pain on himself
Parry
ward off; avoid
Prolific
producing a lot
Sluggard
slow-moving; lethargic person
Vacillate
waver; hesitate
Appease
pacify; soothe; calm down; make peace with
Circumscribe
limit
Discord
disagreement
Finesse
skill
Inevitable
cannot be avoided
Matriarchy
society governed by women
Parsimonious
economical; frugal; thrifty
Proponents
promoters; supporters
Smelt
refine an ore
Vacuous
empty; silly; meaningless
Apprenhensive
worried; fearful
Circumspect
cautious; considering all sides
Discordancy
cacophony; harshness; jarring
Fitful
not continuous; stopping and starting
Inexorable
relentless
Maverick
a loner
Parsimony
stinginess; frugality; cost-cutting
Prosaic
dull; boring; ordinary
Smorgasbord
a Swedish buffet of cold dishes
Vagrant
person wandering without a home
Arable
can be cultivated
Circumvent
avoid
Discrepancy
something which does not match up; inconsistency
Flagrant
Clearly wrong
Inexpedient
not advisable
Meager
in short supply
Partisan
biased; one-sided; committed to one group
Proscribe
forbid
Solace
comfort for grief
Vapid
dull; uninspiring
Arbitrary
random; for no definite reason
Clairvoyant
psychic; mystic
Discriminate
to make a clear distinction; see the difference
Flamboyant
showy; ornate
Infallible
perfect; flawless; cannot make mistakes
Meander
wander from side to side
Pathos
evoking sadness or pity
Prosody
study of versification
Solicit
to ask for; seek
Variegated
multicolored; speckled
Arcane
obscure; known only to a few people
Clamor
shout; scream
Discursiveness
long windedness; indirectness
Flaunt
show off; display in a showy manner
Infamous
famous for something bad
Mellow
soft; melodious; ripe
Patron
one who gives support (usually financial)
Prostration
1. lying face down2. be overcome with extreme weakness
Somnambulist
sleepwalker
Vehemence
violence; fervor; forcefulness
Archaic
ancient; outdated; old fashioned
Clandestine
secret; covert; stealthy
Disdain
contempt; strong dislike
Flippant
making jokes about serious matters
Infer
deduce; conclude
Menagerie
collection of animals
Patronize
condescend to; behave in an arrogant manner towards
Protagonist
main character in film, book, play etc.
Soothsayer
fortuneteller
Vehement
forceful