Elite Vocabulary 375-500

headstrong

determined to have one's own way; stubbornly willful

euphony

pleasing sound, esp. of words

vortex

a flow of fluid around an axis, like a whirlpool

aviary

a large enclosure for keeping birds

incipient

beginning to appear or be noticed

medley

a mixture; an arrangement of songs performed together

amenity

pleasantness; something increasing comfort

acrid

harsh; sarcastic; bitter to the taste

infatuated

experiencing an unreasonable passion or attraction

parched

very thirsty; dried up because of the heat

affluence

wealth

spat

a small argument or dispute

reminisce

to recall the past, esp. fondly

keen

having a sharp edge; perceptive

verbatim

word for word

pompous

characterized by excessive self importance or exaggerated dignity

pithy

relating to the central part of something; economically phrased

methodical

done in an orderly, systematically way

obfuscate

to make difficult to understand; to make indistinct

desist

to cease; to stop

penchant

a strong liking

fastidious

showing or acting with careful attention to detail; not easy to please; very critical or discriminating

malaise

a vague feeling of physical discomfort or uneasiness

sporadic

occurring irregularly

concave

hollowed out; curved inward

condescend

to lower oneself to a less formal or less dignified level

enigma

something that is puzzling, ambiguous, mysterious

plight

a sad situation

impasse

a dead end

ostensible

outwardly appearing as such

sluggish

lazy; lacking energy

bland

having a moderate, undisturbed quality

hovel

a small, miserable dwelling

compel

to cause to occur by pressure; to force

artisan

a worker trained or skilled in some manual trade

impeccable

flawless

surmount

to overcome; to climb to the top of

pastoral

relating to country life, esp. of the herds; rustic

superfluous

unnecessary; extra

avert

to turn away

mandate

a command; an order

proscribe

to prohibit or forbid; to denounce

consanguinity

blood relationship

prone

tending or likely to do something; lying face down

credible

capable of being believed

complicity

involvement as an accomplice in a crime or wrongful act

kudos

glory; fame

fruitless

without results

paucity

smallness of number; scarcity

sycophant

one who seeks favor by flattering people of wealth or influence

tractable

easily managed or controlled

holistic

dealing with something as a whole rather than by its individual parts

verdant

green

promulgate

to make known by official announcement

skeptical

tending to question or doubt

forte

something at which a person excels at

harbinger

someone or something that indicates what is to come

annul

to make void or invalid

adversity

misfortune; trouble

castigate

to criticize severely, esp. in public

oratory

public speaking, esp. marked by pompous rhetoric

conduit

a channel for conducting fluids; a means by which something is transmitted

bolster

to support or strengthen

wont

accustomed

recur

to repeat; to occur again

brook

to tolerate

consecrate

to make or set apart as sacred

espouse

to give loyalty or support to; to adopt

dispose

to give a tendency or inclination to

modicum

a small quantity

composed

calm and self-possessed

edifice

a building; architectural monument

reserved

self restrained and withdrawn in speech and manner

translucent

letting light through, but no visual details

endeavor

a serious attempt or effort

glib

easy and fluent in conversation or writing; often suggesting insincerity or deceitfulness

subtle

not immediately obvious; hard to understand

scurry

to move with light running steps

rabble

a noisy crowd; the lowest, coarsest class of people

tenuous

weak; thin

glutton

one who eats too much

frenetic

wildly excited or active

forthright

direct and without evasion; honest

nominal

appearing in name only; negligible or of low amount

savant

a well educated person; a scholar

coerce

to force by threat or intimidation

prescient

knowing things before they occur

concise

brief and to the point

opaque

not letting in light; unintelligible

excise

to remove by or as if by cutting

dossier

a group of documents

culminate

to reach

allot

to distribute; to assign as a portion

conundrum

a riddle or puzzle, esp. one without a solution

bevy

a group, esp. of birds

frowzy

having an uncared-for appearance

diminution

a decrease of diminishing

aplomb

self assurance; self confidence; poise

cower

to draw back out of fear

affable

friendly; easy to talk to

foliage

leaves

prerogative

an exclusive right or privilege, esp. one that is the result of heredity or official position

capricious

erratic; tending to change abruptly

unilateral

one sided; unequal

crux

an essential or pivotal point; a perplexing difficulty

manuscript

a book or other document written by hand; an author's regional copy of a document submitted for publication

segue

an easy, effective, or uninterrupted transition

supple

easy to bend

civil

observing accepted social customers; not rude

callous

lacking pity or mercy; unfeeling

procure

to obtain or acquire

apprise

to inform or notify

niche

a place or situation suited for a person or thing; a recess in a wall

creed

a system of beliefs, principles, or opinions

discord

conflict or disagreement

parameter

one of a set of measurable factors that determine a system's behavior and are varied in an experiment

denomination

a name or a special class of persons, such as a religious group

obviate

to stop from occurring; to prevent or make unnecessary

aggravate

to worsen

replete

well filled; abundantly supplied

forbidding

disagreeable; menacing

improvise

to do without preparation

proceeds

money derived from some activity; price or profit

hyperbole

exaggeration

relentless

harsh; pitiless; persistent