extol
praise; glorify
repudiate
disown; disavow
capricious
unpredictable; fickle
superficial
trivial; shallow
censure
blame; criticize
coercion
use of force to get someone to obey
homogeneous
of the same kind
hypothetical
based on assumptions or hypotheses; supposed
hypocritical
pretending to be virtuous; deceiving
disseminate
distribute; spread; scatter (like seeds)
ingenious
clever; resourceful
adulation
flattery; admiration
adversary
opponent
anarchist
person who seeks to overturn the established government; advocate of abolishing authority
extricate
free; disentangle
reticence
reserve; uncommunicativeness; inclination to silence
adversity
poverty; misfortune
superfluous
unnecessary; excessive; overabundant
surreptitious
secret; furtive; sneaky; hidden
taciturn
habitually silent; talking little
inane
silly; senseless
incongruous
not fitting; absurd
incite
arouse to action
reprove
censure; rebuke
hierarchy
arrangement by rank or standing; authoritarian body divided into ranks
advocate
urge; plead for
hedonist
one who believes that pleasure is the sole aim in life
ascetic
practicing self-denial; austere
cursory
casual; hastily done
cryptic
mysterious; hidden; secret
pretentious
ostentatious; pompous; making unjustified claims; overly ambitious
instigate
urge; start; provoke
inundate
overwhelm; flood; submerge
mundane
worldly as opposed to spiritual; everyday
conciliatory
reconciling; soothing
surpass
exceed
precocious
advanced in development
presumptuous
overconfident; impertinently bold; taking liberties
compliance
readiness to yield; conformity in fulfilling requirements
condone
overlook; forgive; give tacit approval; excuse
profane
violate; desecrate; treat unworthily
morose
ill-humored; sullen; melancholy
ascendancy
controlling influence; domination
expedient
suitable; practical; politic
exacerbate
worsen; embitter
oblivion
obscurity; forgetfulness
notoriety
disrepute; ill fame
exonerate
acquit; exculpate
explicit
totally clear; definite; outspoken
apathy
lack of caring; indifference
heresy
opinion contrary to popular belief; opinion contrary to accepted religion
meticulous
excessively careful; painstaking
disperse
scatter
turbulence
state of violent agitation
rhetorical
pertaining to effective communication; insincere in the language
garrulous
loquacious; wordy; talkative
nurture
nourish; educate; foster
commemorate
honor the memory of
abstract
theoretical; not concrete; nonrepresentational
discordant
not harmonious; conflicting
verbose
wordy
abridge
condense or shorten
cajole
coax; wheedle
furtive
stealthy; sneaky
terse
concise; abrupt; pithy
succinct
brief; terse; compact
diminution
lessening; reduction in size
vilify
slander
embellish
adorn; ornament
fanaticism
excessive zeal; extreme devotion to a belief or cause
mitigate
appease; moderate
pervasive
pervading; spread throughout every part
pessimism
belief that life is basically bad or evil; gloominess
peripheral
marginal; outer
sycophant
servile flatterer; bootlicker; yes-man
listless
lacking in spirit or energy
delineate
portray
pacifist
one opposed to force; antimilitarist
induce
persuade; bring about
indict
charge
incorrigible
not correctable
innocuous
harmless
malicious
hateful; spiteful
intrepid
fearless
conflagration
great fire
fallacious
false; misleading
criterion
standard used in judging
erudite
learned; scholarly
equivocal
ambiguous; intentionally misleading
ephemeral
short-lived; fleeting
prolific
abundantly fruitful
autonomous
self-governing
corroborate
confirm; support
contentious
quarrelsome
fastidious
difficult to please; squeamish
flagrant
conspicuously wicked; blatant; outrageous
fervor
glowing ardor; intensity of feeling
stagnant
motionless; stale; dull
volatile
changeable; explosive; evaporating rapidly
discrepancy
lack of consistency; difference
disdain
view with scorn or contempt
venerate
revere
constraint
compulsion; repression of feelings
consensus
general agreement
inherent
firmly established by nature or habit
profound
deep; not superficial; complete
profusion
overabundance; lavish expenditure
innate
inborn
exuberance
overflowing abundance; joyful enthusiasm; flamboyance; lavishness
frugality
thrift; economy
exemplary
serving as a model; outstanding
vacillate
waver; fluctuate
arbitrary
capricious; randomly chosen; tyrannical
articulate
effective; distinct
denounce
condemn; criticize
deterrent
something that discourages; hindrance
digression
wandering away from the subject
belie
contradict; give a false impression
disinclination
unwillingness
concise
brief and compact
astute
wise; shrewd; keen
austere
forbiddingly stern; severely simple
deride
ridicule; make fun of
deprecate
express disapproval of; protest against; belittle
depravity
extreme corruption; wickedness
undermine
weaken; sap
skeptic
doubter; person who suspends judgment until the evidence supporting a point of view has been examined
eclectic
composed of elements drawn from disparate sources
elusive
evasive; baffling; hard to grasp
servile
slavish; cringing
somber
gloomy; depressing; dark; drab
ponderous
weighty; unwieldy
eloquence
expressiveness; persuasive speech
quandary
dilemma
acclaim
applaud; announce with great approval
sanction
approve; ratify
miserly
stingy; mean
rancor
bitterness; hatred
substantiate
establish by evidence; verify; support
satirical
mocking
scrutinize
examine closely and critically
despondent
depressed; gloomy
redundant
superfluous; repetitious; excessively wordy
disparage
belittle
disparity
difference; condition of inequality
dismiss
put away from consideration; reject
relegate
banish to an inferior position; delegate; assign
refute
disprove
conviction
judgment that someone is guilty of a crime; strongly held belief
eulogy
expression of praise, often on the occasion of someone's death
emulate
imitate; rival
credulity
belief on slight evidence; gullibility; naivete
proximity
nearness
proliferation
rapid growth; spread; multiplication
brevity
conciseness
enhance
increase; improve
enigma
puzzle; mystery
materialism
preoccupation with physical comforts and things
impair
injure; hurt
impede
hinder; block; delay
immutable
unchangeable
transient
momentary; temporary; staying for a short time
retract
withdraw; take back
scrupulous
conscientious; extremely thorough
innovation
change; introduction of something new
insipid
lacking in flavor; dull
alleviate
relieve
prudent
cautious; careful
prevalent
widespread; generally accepted
prodigal
wasteful; reckless with money
benevolent
generous; charitable
altruistic
unselfishly generous; concerned for others
discerning
mentally quick and observant; having insight
euphemism
mild expression in place of an unpleasant one
esoteric
hard to understand; known only to the chosen few
divergent
differing; deviating
laud
praise
ostentatious
showy; pretentious; trying to attract attention
partisan
one-sided; prejudiced; committed to a party
opportunist
individual who sacrifices principles for expediency by taking advantage of circumstances
ironic
resulting in an unexpected and contrary outcome
lethargic
drowsy; dull
piety
religious devotion; godliness
opulence
extreme wealth; luxuriousness; abundance
recluse
hermit; loner
rebuttal
refutation; response with contrary evidence
decorum
propriety orderliness and good taste in manners
duplicity
double-dealing; hypocrisy
frivolous
lacking in seriousness; self-indulgently carefree; relatively unimportant
virtuoso
highly skilled artist
opaque
dark; not transparent
pragmatic
practical; concerned with the practical worth or impact of something
haughtiness
pride; arrogance
preclude
make impossible; eliminate
renounce
abandon; disown; repudiate
reprehensible
deserving blame
guile
deceit; duplicity; wiliness; cunning
predecessor
former occupant of a post
reprimand
reprove severely; rebuke
affirmation
positive assertion; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath
philanthropist
lover of mankind; doer of good
dogmatic
opinionated; arbitrary; doctrinal
ambiguous
unclear or doubtful in meaning
exhaustive
thorough; comprehensive
placate
pacify; conciliate
extraneous
not essential; superfluous
usurp
seize another's power or rank
hamper
obstruct
zealot
fanatic; person who shows excessive zeal
levity
lack of seriousness; lightness
rectify
set right; correct
gregarious
sociable
gravity
seriousness
ambivalence
the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes
aesthetic
artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciation of the beautiful