abyss
bottomless hole, a vast expanse or depth
(ex. The man had fallen into the abyss of depravity.)
adamant
inflexible, immovable, obstinate
(ex. The man was adamant in his decision to seek a political office.)
affable
friendly, courteous, amiable
(ex. He had a very affable nature, always saying "Hello" to everyone.)
avarice
greed for wealth
(ex. Avarice and gluttony are two vices that can destroy lives.)
baleful
destructive, deadly
(ex. War is a baleful experience for many.)
beguile
to deceive, to mislead, to persuade with charm
(ex. We sometimes allow ourselves to be beguiled by flatterers.)
benevolence
kindness, generosity, charity
(ex. His benevolence was shown when he set up soup kitchens for the poor.)
boisterous
rowdy, rough, and stormy
(ex. The boisterous child was running through the store screaming and laughing.)
cant
secret jargon or slang
(ex. The rites of the Masons are characterized by their cant.)
caustic
sarcastically biting, acrid
(ex. Critics are known for their caustic remarks about movies they do not like.)
celestial
pertaining to the sky or heavens
(ex. Stars are celestial bodies.)
congeal
to solidify or to coagulate
(ex. We waited three hours for the Jell-O to congeal.)
corroboration
conformation
(ex. Fortunately, I had some corroboration for my whereabouts on the night of the crime.)
credulous
believing on slight evidence, gullible
(ex. Because the lady's horoscope said that she should stay inside, the credulous woman did not go to work.)
deference
courteous going along with the opinions or wishes of another
(ex. In deference to your wishes, I will not see him again.)
deft
skillful, adroit
(ex. He was very deft in handling the questions from the reporter.)
demur
to hesitate, to delay, to object
(ex. To demur at this time might cause the whole operation to be destroyed.)
desolate
deserted, without inhabitants, barren
(ex. Some of the western states have large areas that are desolate.)
despondency
depression, dejection
(ex. Because he thought that he had failed the test, he felt great despondency.)
destitution
state of being extremely poor, in extreme want
(ex. We face destitution if our father loses his job)
diffuse
to spread in all directions
(ex. The rioting crowd was diffused by tear gas and water hoses.)
dirge
funeral hymn, lament
(ex. The music was so morose and solemn that it sounded like a dirge.)
disdain
intense dislike; to treat with scorn or contempt, to reject as unworthy
(ex. Never having had to do manual labor, he disdained the idea of becoming a cotton picker.)
elicit
to bring out a response, to evoke
(ex. I would like to elicit your participation in the blood drive.)
entreaty
a plea, an earnest request
(ex. The lawyer made a lengthy entreaty to the jury before they retired to the chambers.)
execrable
extremely bad, deserving of hate
(ex. The cheerleader told a joke about the drill team that was so execrable that he was suspended for three days.)
feint
a false appearance, a fake punch to occupy defenses allowing a real blow
(ex. Fooled by his opponent's feint, the boxer dropped his guard and was knocked down.)
ferocity
savagery; fierceness; barbarity
(ex. A tiger is an animal that has ferocity.)
flaunt
to show off; to display ostentatiously
(ex. The woman was obviously trying to flaunt the new diamond ring on her finger.)
furrow
to make wrinkles or grooves
(ex. The man's furrowed brow showed deep concern.)