abate (verb)
to lessen in intensity or degree
accolade (noun)
an expression of praise
adulation (noun)
excessive praise; intense adoration
aesthetic (adj.)
dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful
ameliorate (verb)
to make better or more tolerable
ascetic (noun)
one who practices rigid self-denial, esp. as an act of religious devotion
avarice (noun)
greed, esp. for wealth
burgeon (verb)
to grow rapidly or flourish
bucolic (adj.)
rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants
cacophony (noun)
harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance
canon (noun)
an established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature
castigation (noun)
severe criticism or punishment
catalyst (noun)
a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing; a person or thing that causes change
caustic (adj.)
bringing or stinging; causing corrosion
chary (adj.)
wary; cautious; sparing
cogent (adj.)
appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing
complaisance (noun)
the willingness to comply with the wishes of others
contentious (adj.)
argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement
contrite (adj.)
regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness
culpable (adj.)
deserving blame
dearth (noun)
smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack
demur (verb)
to question or oppose
didactic (adj.)
intended to teach or instruct
discretion (noun)
cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions
disinterested (adj.)
free of bias or self-interest; impartial
dogmatic (adj.)
expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or improvable principles
ebullience (noun)
the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings
eclectic (adj.)
composed of elements drawn from various sources
elegy (noun)
a mournful poem, esp. one lamenting the dead
emollient (adj.)/(noun)
soothing, esp. to the skin; making less harsh; mollifying; an agent that softens or smoothes the skin
empirical (adj.)
based on observation or experiment
enigmatic (adj.)
mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand
ephemeral (adj.)
brief; fleeting
esoteric (adj.)
intended for or understood by a small, specific group
eulogy (noun)
a speech honoring the dead
exonerate (verb)
to remove blame
facetious (adj.)
playful; humorous
fallacy (noun)
an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief
furtive (adj.)
marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious
gregarious (adj.)
sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people
harangue (verb)/(noun)
to deliver a forceful or angry speech; ranting speech or writing
heretical (adj.)
violating accepted dogma or convention
hyperbole (noun)
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
inert (adj.)
unmoving; lethargic; sluggish
innocuous (adj.)
harmless; causing no damage
intransigent (adj.)
refusing to compromise
inveigle (verb)
to obtain by deception or flattery
morose (adj.)
sad; sullen; melancholy
odious (adj.)
evoking intense aversion or dislike
opaque (adj.)
impenetrable by light; not reflecting light
oscillation (noun)
the act or state of swinging back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm
penurious (adj.)
penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous
pernicious (adj.)
extremely harmful in a way that is not easily seen or noticed
peruse (verb)
to examine with great care
pious (adj.)
extremely reverent or devout; showing strong religious devotion
precursor (noun)
one that precedes and indicates or announces another
preen (verb)
to dress up; to pimp; to groom oneself with elaborate care
prodigious (adj.)
abundant in size, force or extent; extraordinary
prolific (adj.)
producing large volumes or amounts; productive
putrefy (verb)
to rot; to decay and give off a foul odor
quaff (verb)
to drink deeply
quiescence (noun)
stillness; motionlessness; quality of being at rest
redoubtable (adj.)
awe-inspiring; worthy of honor
sanction (noun)/(verb)
authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance; to give permission or authority
satire (noun)
a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision
squalid (adj.)
sordid; wretched and dirty as from neglect
stoic (adj.)
indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain; steadfast
supplant (verb)
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 (verb)
to defame; to characterize harshly
viscous (adj.)
thick; sticky