abate
To reduce in amount, degree, severity, or intensity
abscond
to leave secretly
abstain
To choose not to do something
abyss
An extremely deep hole
adulterate
To make impure
advocate
To speak in favor of
aesthetic
Concerns the appreciation of beauty
Aggrandize
(v.) to increase in greatness, power, reputation or wealth; to build up or intensify; to make appear greater
alleviate
to relieve, make more bearable
amalgamate
To combine; to mix together
ambiguous
Doubtful or uncertain; able to be interpreted several ways
ameliorate
To make better; to improve
anachronism
something out of place in time
EX. The aged hippie still used "far out" in 2019
analogous
Similar or alike in some way; equivalent to
anomaly
deviation from what is normal
antagonize
to annoy or provoke to anger
antipathy
(N) Extreme dislike
apathy
Lack of interest or emotion
Arbitrate
to judge a dispute between two opposing parties
archaic
Ancient; old fashioned
ardor
Intense and passionate feeling
articulate
able to speak clearly and expressively
assuage
To make something unpleasant less severe
attentuate
To reduce in force or degree; to weaken
Audacious
Fearless and daring
austere
Undecorated
banal
predictable; cliched; boring
bolster
To support; to prop up
bombtastic
Pompous in speech and manner
cacophony
Harsh noise
candid
Impartial and honest in speech
capricious
Changing ones mind quickly and often
castigate
(v.) to punish severely; to criticize harshly
catalyst
Something that brings about a change in something else
caustic
(adj.) able to burn or eat away by chemical action; biting, sarcastically clever
chauvinist
someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs
Chicanery
Deception by means of craft or guile
EX. Dishonest salesmen use chicanery to sell bad cars
cogent
(N) something convincing and well-reasoned
condone
to overlook, pardon, or disregard
convoluted
Intricate and complicated
corroborate
To provide supporting evidence
credulous
Too trusting; gullible
crescendo
Steadily increasing volume or force
decorum
proper behavior or conduct
deference
respect; consideration
deride
to ridicule, laugh at with contempt
desiccate
to dry out
desultory
jumping from one thing to another; disconnected
diatribe
abusive speech; verbal attack
diffident
lacking self-confidence
dilate
to make larger; expand
dilatory
Something that is Intended to delay
dilettante
someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic
dirge
a funeral hymn or mournful speech
disabuse
(V) to set right; to free from error
discern
to see clearly, recognize
disparate
fundamentally different; entirely unlike
dissemble
(v.) to disguise or conceal, deliberately give a false impression/appearance
dissonance
Disagreeable sounds or ideas
Dogma
a firmly held opinion, often a religious belief
dogmatic
Ones opinions rule over the rest; dictatorial
dupe
to deceive; a person who is easily deceived
eclectic
selecting from or made up from a variety of sources
efficacy
effectiveness
elegy
A sorrowful poem or speech
eloquent
persuasive and moving, especially in speech
enervate
To reduce in strength
engender
cause
enigma
a puzzle; a mystery
enumerate
to count, list, or itemize
ephemeral
lasting a very short time
equivocal
Misleading
equivocate
to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead
erratic
unpredictable
erudite
learned; scholarly
esoteric
known or understood only by a few
estimable
admirable
eulogy
speech in praise of someone
Euphemism
An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant
exacerbate
To make worse
exculpate
to clear from blame; prove innocent
exigent
urgent; requiring immediate action
exonerate
to free from blame
explicit
clearly stated
fawn
to grovel
fervid
Intensely emotional
florid
excessively decorated or embellished
foment
To incite feeling
garrulous
Tending to take a lot
gregarious
outgoing; sociable
guile
deceit; trickery
iconoclast
one who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions
imperturbable
(adj.) not easily disturbed; emotionally steady
impervious
incapable of being affected
impetuous
Quick to act without thinking
implacable
unable to be calmed down or made peaceful
inchoate
not fully formed; disorganized
ingenuous
innocent and naive
inimical
hostile, unfriendly
innocuous
harmless
insipid
lacking interest or flavor
intransigent
uncompromising; refusing to be reconciled
inundate
To overwhelm; to cover with water
irascible
easily angered
laconic
using few words
lament
to express sorrow; to grieve
laud
praise; to glorify
lavish
extremely generous or extravagant; to give unsparingly
lethargic
acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner
loquacious
Talkative
lucid
clear and easily understood
luminous
bright; brilliant; glowing
Malinger
to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill
malleable
capable of being shaped
Metaphor
A comparison without using like or as; a symbol for something
meticulous
extremely careful/particular about details
misanthrope
(n.) a person who hates or despises people
mitigate
to make milder or softer, to moderate in force or intensity
mollify
To calm or make less severe
monotony
Lack of variation
naive
lacking sophistication or experience
obdurate
hardened in feeling; resistant to persuasion
obsequious
overly submissive and eager to please
obstinate
stubborn
obviate
to prevent; to make unnecessary
occlude
To stop up; to prevent the passage of
onerous
troublesome and oppressive; burdensome
opaque
impossible to see through; preventing the passage of light
opprobrium
public disgrace
ostentatious
Excessive showiness
Paradox
a contradiction or dilemma
paragon
a model of excellence or perfection
pedant
someone who shows off learning
perfidious
willing to betray one's trust
perfunctory
done in a routine way; indifferently done
permeate
to penetrate
philanthropy
charity; a desire or effort to promote goodness
placate
to soothe or pacify
plastic
able to be molded, altered, or bent
plethora
excess
pragmatic
practical, as opposed to idealistic
precipitate
To bring about abruptly; not deliberate
prevaricate
To lie or deviate from the truth
pristine
fresh and clean; uncorrupted
prodigal
lavish; wasteful
proliferate
to reproduce, increase in number, or spread rapidly
propitiate
to conciliate; to appease
propriety
correct behavior; obedience to rules and customs
prudence
wisdom, caution, or restraint
pungent
sharp and irritating to the senses
quiescent
motionless; inactive; still
rarefy
to make thinner or sparser
repudiate
to reject the validity of
reticent
silent; reserved
Rhetoric
effective writing or speaking
satiate
(v.) to satisfy completely; to fill to excess; (adj.) full, satisfied
soporific
causing sleep or lethargy
specious
deceptively attractive; seemingly plausible but fallacious
stigma
a mark of shame or discredit
stolid
unemotional; lacking sensitivity
sublime
lofty or grand
tacit
Done without using words
taciturn
silent; not talkative
tirade
long, harsh speech or verbal attack
torpor
extreme mental and physical sluggishness
transitory
temporary; lasting a brief time
vacillate
To sway physically; to be indecisive
venerate
To respect deeply
veracity
truthfulness, accuracy
verbose
wordy
vex
to annoy
volatile
easily aroused or changeable; lively or explosive
waver
to fluctuate between choices
whimsical
acting in a fanciful or capricious manner; unpredictable
zeal
passion; excitement