Abate (v)
to lessen in intensity or degree
Adulation (n)
excessive praise; intense adoration
Ameliorate (v)
to make better or more tolerable
Ascetic (n)
one who practices rigid self-denial, especially as an act of religious devotion
Avarice (n)
greed, especially for wealth
Axiom (n)
a universally recognized principle
Burgeon (v)
to grow rapidly or flourish
Bucolic (adj)
rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants
Cacophony (n)
a harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance
Canon (n)
an established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature
Castigation (n)
severe criticism or punishment
Caustic (adj)
burning or stinging; causing corrosion
Chary (adj)
wary; cautious; sparing
Cogent (adj)
appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing
Contentious (adj)
argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement
Contrite (adj)
regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness
Culpable (adj)
deserving blame
Dearth (n)
smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack
Demur (v)
to question or oppose
Didactic (adj)
intended to teach or instruct
Disinterested (adj)
free of bias or self-interest; impartial
Dogmatic (adj)
expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or improvable principles
Emollient (adj/n)
soothing, especially to the skin; making less harsh; mollifying; an agent that softens or smooths the skin
Esoteric (adj)
intended for or understood by a small, specific group
Furtive (adj)
marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious
Gregarious (adj)
sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people
Harangue (v/n)
to deliver a pompous speech or tirade; a long, pompous speech
Heretical (adj)
violating an accepted dogma or convention
Hyperbole (n)
an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech
Impecunious (adj)
lacking funds; without money
Incipient (adj)
beginning to come into being or to become apparent
Intransigent (adj)
refusing to compromise
Inveigle (v)
to obtain by deception or flattery
Odious (adj)
evoking intense aversion or dislike
Penurious (adj)
penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous
Pernicious (adj)
extremely harmful in a way that is not easily seen or noticed
Prodigious (adj)
abundant in size, force or extent; extraordinary
Putrefy (v)
to rot; to decay and give off a foul odor
Quaff (v)
to drink deeply
Quiescence (n)
stillness; motionlessness; quality of being at rest
Redoubtable (adj)
awe-inspiring; worthy of honor
Sanction (n/v)
authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance; to give permission or authority
Squalid (adj)
sordid; wretched and dirty as from neglect
Supplant (v)
to take the place of; to supersede
Torpid (adj)
lethargic; sluggish; dormant
Ubiquitous (adj)
existing everywhere at the same time; constantly encountered; widespread
Urbane (adj)
sophisticated; refined; elegant
Vilify (v)
to defame; to characterize harshly
Viscous (adj)
thick; sticky