Magoosh Common Words II

didactic

Intended to instruct; teaching, or teaching a moral lesson

rustic

Relating to country life, unsophisticated; primitive, made of rough wood (adj); rural or uncultured person (noun)

exacerbate

Make worse (more violent, severe), inflame; irritate or embitter (a person)

superfluous

serving no useful purpose; more than is needed, desired, or required

conspicuous

without any attempt at concealment; completely obvious

dictatorial

expecting unquestioning obedience; characteristic of an absolute ruler

chortle

to chuckle, laugh merrily

banal

Lacking freshness and originality; clich�

gall

the trait of being rude and impertinent; feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will

cryptic

mysterious or vague, usually intentionally

deferential

showing respect

platitude

A shallow, overused statement; cliche

querulous

Given to complaining, grumbling

meticulous

Taking extreme care in regards to details; precise, fussy

engender

Produce, give rise to, cause to exist; procreate

obscure

make unclear; known by only a few

culpability

a state of guilt

frivolous

not serious in content or attitude or behavior

mawkish

overly sentimental to the point that it is disgusting

torpor

Sluggishness, lethargy, or apathy; a period of inactivity

incisive

having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions

aesthetic

Concerning the appreciation of beauty or good taste, pertaining to the science of what is beautiful (adj); a sense of beauty and taste of a particular time and place (noun)

entrenched

fixed firmly or securely

decorous

Behaving with propriety and good taste; polite

perfidious

Disloyal, treacherous, violating one's trust

mitigate

Make less severe; lesson or moderate (damage, grief, pain, etc.)

culminate

Reach the highest point or final stage

voluble

Easily fluent in regards to speech

diffident

Lacking confidence, shy

predilection

Preference, tendency or favorability towards

lambast

criticize severely or angrily

gossamer

characterized by unusual lightness and delicacy

audacious

Very bold or brave, often in a rude or reckless way; extremely original

inexorable

Relentless, unyielding; not moved by pleading

gainsay

Declare false, deny; oppose

eschew

Shun, avoid, abstain from

fortuitous

Happening by chance; lucky

vociferous

Noisily crying out, as in protest

bucolic

Pertaining to shepherds; suggesting a peaceful and pleasant view of rural life

preclude

keep from happening or arising; make impossible

presient

Having foreknowledge or foresight, seeing the future

impudent

improperly forward or bold

dogmatic

highly opinionated, not accepting that your belief may not be correct

reticent

Not talking much; private (of a person), retrained, reserved

germane

Relevant and appropriate, on-topic

aesthete

one who professes great sensitivity to the beauty of art and nature

glut

an excessive supply; supply with an excess of

recondite

Not easily understood, hidden, dealing with an obscure topic

apathy

Not caring; absence of feeling; lack of interest or concern

concede

Give in, admit, yield; acknowledge reluctantly; grant or give up (such as giving up land after losing war)