aggrandize | to make larger or greater |
aggregate | amounting to a whole; total |
alacrity | cheerful willingness; eagerness; speed |
alchemy | medieval chemical philosophy based on changing metal into gold; a seemingly magical power or process of transmutation |
allay | to lessen; ease; soothe |
alleviate | to relieve; improve partially |
alloy | a combination; a mixture of two or more metals |
allure | the power to entice by charm |
amalgamate | to combine into a unified whole |
ambiguous | unclear or doubtful in meaning |
ambivalence | the state of having conflicting emotional attitudes |
ambrosia | something delicious; the food of the gods |
ameliorate | to improve |
amenable | agreeable; cooperative; suited |
amenity | something that increases comfort |
amulet | ornament worn as a charm against evil spirits |
anachronism | something out of the proper time |
analgesic | medication that reduces or eliminates pain |
analogous | comparable |
anarchy | absence of government; state of disorder |
anodyne | something that calms or soothes pain |
anomalous | irregular; deviating from the norm |
antecedent | something that comes before |
antediluvian | prehistoric |
antipathy | dislike; hostility |
apathy | indifference |
apex | the highest point |
apogee | the point in an orbit most distant from the body being orbited; the highest point |
apothegm | a terse, witty saying |
appease | to calm, pacify, placate |
appellation | name |
apposite | strikingly appropriate and relevant |
apprise | to inform |
approbation | praise, approval |
appropriate | to take possession of for one's own use; confiscate |
apropos | relevant |
arabesque | ornate design featuring intertwined curves; a ballet position in which one leg is extended in back while the other supports the weight of the body |
archeology | the study of material evidence of past human life |
ardor | great emotion or passion |
arduous | extremely difficult; laborious |
argot | a specialized vocabulary used by a group |
arrest | to stop; to seize |
artifact | item made by human craft |
artless | guileless; natural |
ascetic | one who practices self-denial |
asperity | severity; harshness; irritability |
aspersion | slander; false rumor |
assiduous | diligent; hard-working |
assuage | to make less severe |
astringent | harsh; severe |
asylum | place of refuge or shelter |
atavism | in biology, the reappearance of a characteristic in an organism after several generations of absence; individual or a part that exhibits atavism; return of a trait after a period of absence |
attenuate | to weaken |
audacious | bold; daring |
austere | stern; unadorned; simple |
autonomous | self-governing; independent |
avarice | greed |
aver | to affirm; declare to be true |
avocation | secondary occupation |
avuncular | like an uncle, benevolent and tolerant |
axiomatic | taken for granted; self-evident truth |
bacchanalian | pertaining to riotous or drunken festivity; pertaining to revelry |
banal | commonplace; trite |
banter | playful conversation |
bard | poet |
bawdy | obscene |
beatify | to sanctify; to bless; to ascribe a virtue to |
bedizen | to dress in a vulgar, showy manner |
behemoth | huge creature; anything very large and powerful |
belie | to contradict; misrepresent; give a false impression |
beneficent | kindly; doing good |
bifurcate | to divide into two parts |
blandishment | flattery |
blasé | bored because of frequent indulgence; unconcerned |
bolster | to give a boost to; prop up; support |
bombastic | pompous; using inflated language |
boorish | rude; insensitive |
bovine | cow like |
brazen | bold; shameless |
broach | to mention for the first time |
bucolic | characteristic of the countryside; rustic; pastoral |
burgeon | to grow and flourish |
burnish | to polish |
buttress | to reinforce; support |
cacophonous | unpleasant or harsh-sounding |
cadge | to beg; sponge |
callous | thick-skinned; insensitive |
calumny | false and malicious accusation; slander |
canard | false; deliberately misleading story |
canon | an established set of principles; a basis or standard for judgment; a group of literary works |
cant | insincere talk; language of a particular group |
cantankerous | irritable; ill-humored |
capricious | fickle |
captious | faultfinding; intended to entrap, as in an argument |
cardinal | of foremost importance |
carnal | of the flesh or body; related to physical appetites |
carping | to find fault; complain |
cartography | science of making maps |
caste | any of the hereditary social classes in Hindu society; social stratification |
castigation | punishment; chastisement; criticism |
cataclysm | a violent upheaval that causes great destruction and change |
catalyst | something that causes change |
categorical | absolute; without exception |
caucus | smaller group within an organization |
causal | involving a cause |
caustic | burning; stinging; causing corrosion |
celestial | concerned with sky or heavens; sublime |
centrifugal | moving away from a center |
centripetal | moving or directed toward a center |
champion | to defend or support |
chasten | to correct by punishment or reproof; to restrain or subdue |
chicanery | trickery; fraud |
chivalry | the qualities idealized by knighthood such as bravery and gallantry toward women |
churlish | rude; boorish |
circuitous | roundabout |
clairvoyant | one who can predict the future; psychic |
clamor | noisy outcry |
clique | a small, exclusive group |
cloister | to confine; seclude |
coagulate | thicken; congeal |
coalesce | to cause to become one |
coda | concluding part of a literary or musical composition; something that summarizes or concludes |
codify | to systematize |
cognizant | informed; conscious; aware |
collage | artistic composition of materials pasted over a surface; an assemblage of diverse elements |
commensurate | proportional |
compendium | brief, comprehensive summary |
complacent | self-satisfied |
complaisant | overly polite; willingness to comply with the wishes of others |
complement | something that completes or makes up a whole |
compliant | yielding |
compunction | uneasiness caused by guilt |
concave | curving inward |
conciliatory | overcoming distrust or hostility |
concoct | to invent |
concomitant | existing concurrently |
condone | to overlook voluntarily; forgive |
confound | to baffle; perplex; mix up |
congenial | similar in tastes and habits; friendly; suited to |
conjugal | pertaining to marriage agreement |
connoisseur | expert in matters of taste; expert knowledge or training |
conscript | a person compulsorily enrolled for military service |
consecrate | to declare sacred |
contend | to assert |
contentious | quarrelsome; causing quarrels |
contiguous | touching; neighboring; connecting without a break |
continence | self-control; abstention from sexual activity |
contrite | very sorrowful for a wrong; seeking forgiveness |
contumacious | disobedient; rebellious |
conundrum | riddle; puzzle with no solution |
convention | practice widely observed in a group; custom; accepted technique or device |
converge | to approach; come together; tend to meet |
convex | curved outward |
convivial | sociable |
convoluted | twisted; complicated |
copious | abundant; plentiful |
coquette | woman who flirts |
cornucopia | horn overflowing with fruit and grain; state of abundance |
cosmology | study of the universe as a totality; theory of the origin and structure of the universe |
covert | hidden; secret |
covetous | desiring something owned by another |
cozen | to mislead by trick or fraud; deceive |
craven | cowardly |
credence | acceptance of something as true |
credo | statement of belief or principle; creed |
daunt | to discourage; intimidate; dishearten |
dearth | scarcity |
debauchery | corruption |
decorum | proper behavior |
defame | to malign; harm someone's reputation |
default | to fail to act |
deference | respect; regard for another's wish |
defunct | no longer existing |
delineate | to represent or depict |
demographic | related to population balance |
demotic | pertaining to people |
demur | to express doubt; question or oppose |
denigrate | to slur someone's reputation |
denizen | an inhabitant; a regular visitor |
denouement | outcome; unraveling of the plot of a play or work of literature |
deride | to mock |
derivative | something derived; unoriginal |
desiccate | to dry completely |
desuetude | state of disuse |
desultory | random; disconnected; rambling |
deterrent | something that discourages or hinders |
detraction | the act of taking away |
diaphanous | transparent; vague; insubstantial |
diatribe | bitter verbal attack |
dichotomy | division into two usually contradictory parts |
diffidence | shyness; lack of confidence |
diffuse | to spread out |
digression | act of straying from the main point |
dirge | funeral hymn |
disabuse | free from a misconception |
discerning | perceptive; exhibiting keen insight and good judgment |
discomfit | to make uneasy; disconcert |
discordant | not in tune |
discredit | to dishonor; disgrace |
discrepancy | difference between |
discrete | constituting a separate thing; distinct |
discretion | quality of showing self-restraint in speech or actions |
disingenuous | not candid, crafty |
disinterested | unprejudiced; objective |
disjointed | lacking order or coherence; dislocated |
dismiss | put away from consideration; reject |
disparage | to belittle |
disparate | dissimilar |
dissemble | to pretend; disguise one's motives |
disseminate | to spread; scatter; disperse |
dissident | person who disagrees about beliefs |
dissolution | disintegration; debauchery |
dissonance | discord; lack of harmony |
distend | to expand; swell out |
distill | extract the essential elements |
distrait | inattentive; preoccupied |
diverge | to vary; go in different directions from the same point |
divest | to strip; deprive; rid |
divulge | to make known something that is secret |
doctrinaire | dogmatic; unyielding |
document | to provide with written evidence to support |
doggerel | poor verse |
dogmatic | stating opinions without proof |
dormant | inactive |
dross | waste; worthless matter |
dupe | to deceive; trick |
ebullient | exhilarated; overly enthusiastic |
eclectic | selecting from various sources |
effervescence | state of high spirits or liveliness; process of bubling as gas escapes |
effete | depleted of vitality; over refined; decadent |
efficacy | effectiveness; efficiency |
effrontery | shameless boldness; presumptuousness |
egoism | the tendency to see things in relation to oneself; self-centeredness |
egotistical | excessively self-centered; conceited |
elegy | poem or song expressing lamentation |
elicit | to provoke; draw out |
elixir | a sustance believed to have the power to cure ills |
Elysian | delightful; blissful |
emaciated | thin and wasted |
embellish | to adorn; enhance |
emollient | soothing; mollifying |
empirical | derived from observation or experiment |
emulate | to imitate; copy |
encomium | a formal expression of praise |
endemic | inherent; belonging to an area |
enervate | to weaken |
engender | to cause; produce |
enhance | to increase; improve |
entomology | the scientific study of insects |
enunciate | to pronounce clearly |
ephemeral | short-lived; fleeting |
epistemology | branch of philosophy that examines the nature of knowledge |
equable | steady; unvarying; serene |
equanimity | composure; calmness |
equivocate | intentionally use vague language |
errant | mistaken; straying from the proper course |
erudite | learned; scholarly |
esoteric | hard to understand; known only to a few |
essay | to make an attempt; subject to a test |
estimable | admirable; possible to estimate |
ethnocentric | based on the attitude that one's group is superior |
etiology | causes or origins |
etymology | origin an history of a word |
eugenics | study of factors that influence the hereditary qualities of the human race and ways to improve those qualities |
eulogy | high praise to a death person |
euphemism | use of agreeable or inoffensive language in place of offensive language |
euphoria | feeling of extreme happiness |
euthanasia | mercy killing |
evince | to show plainly; be an indication of |
evocative | tending to call to mind or produce a reaction |
exacerbate | to aggravate; make worse |
exact | to force the payment of; demand and obtain by authority |
exculpate | to clear of blame; vindicate |
execrable | detestable; abhorrent |
exhort | to urge by strong appeals |
exigency | crisis; urgent requirements |
existential | having to do with existence |
exorcise | to expel evil spirits; free from bad influences |
expatiate | to speak or write at length |
expatriate | to send into exile |
expiate | to atone for |
explicate | to explain; interpret; clarify |
expository | explanatory |
extant | in existence; not lost |
extemporaneous | unrehearsed |
extirpate | to root up; to destroy |
extraneous | not essential |
extrapolation | the act of estimation by projecting known information |
extrinsic | not inherent of essential |
facetious | humorous |
facilitate | to make less difficult |
factotum | a person who does all sorts of work; a handyman |
fallacious | based on a false idea or fact; misleading |
fallow | plowed but not sowed; uncultivated |
fatuous | foolishly self-satisfied |
fauna | animals of a period o region |
fawning | seeking flavor by flattering |
felicitous | suitable expressed; wee-chose; appropriate |
feral | existing in a wild or untamed state |
fervor | warmth and intensity of emotion |
fetid | having a bad smell |
fetter | to bind; confine |
fiat | arbitrary order; authorization |
fidelity | loyalty; exact correspondence |
filibuster | use of obstructive tactics in a legislature to block passage of a law |
finesse | to handle with a deceptive or evasive strategy; refined in performance |
fissure | crevice |
flag | to droop; grow weak |
fledging | beginner; novice |
flora | plants of a region or era |
florid | ruddy; reddish; flowery |
flourish | en embellishment or ornamentation |
flout | to treat scornfully |
flux | flowing; a continuous moving |
foment | to incite; arouse |
forbearance | patience |
forestall | to prevent; delay |
formidable | menacing; threatening |
forswear | renounce; repudiate |
founder | to sink; fail; collapse |
fracas | a loud quarrel; brawl |
fractious | quarrelsome; unruly; rebellious |
fresco | a painting done on plaster |
frieze | ornamental band on a wall |
froward | stubbornly contrary; obstinately disobedient |
frugality | thrift |
fulminate | to attack loudly; denounce |
fulsome | so excessive as to be disgusting |
fusion | union; synthesis |
futile | ineffective; useless; fruitless |
gainsay | to deny; dispute; oppose |
gambol | to frolic; leap playfully |
garrulous | very talkative; wordy |
gauche | coarse and uncouth; clumsy |
geniality | cheerfulness; kindliness; sociability |
gerrymander | to divide an area into voting districts in a way that favors a political party |
glib | fluent in an insincere way; offhand |
goad | to prod; urge on |
gossamer | sheer; light and delicate; like cobwebs |
gouge | to tear out; scoop out; overcharge |
grandiloquent | pompous; bombastic |
gregarious | outgoing; sociable |
grouse | to complain |
guileless | free of cunning or deceit; artless |
guise | outward appearance; false appearance |
gullible | easily deceived |
gustatory | affecting the sense of taste |
halcyon | calm and peaceful; happy; golden; prosperous |
hallowed | holy; sacred |
harangue | long, pompous speech; tirade |
harrowing | extremely distressing; terrifying |
herbivorous | an animal that feeds mainly on plants |
hermetic | tightly sealed; magical |
heterodox | not widely accepted |
hieroglyphics | a system of writing in which pictorial symbols represent meanings or sounds; writing or symbols that are difficult to decipher |
hirsute | covered with hair |
histrionic | relating to exaggerated emotional behavior calculated for effect; theatrical acts or performances |
homeostasis | automatic maintenance by an organism in balance with itself |
homily | sermon; tedious moralizing lecture |
homogeneous | composed of identical parts; uniform in composition |
hyperbole | purposeful exaggeration for effect |
iconoclastic | attacking cherished traditions |
idolatry | idol worship; blind or excessive devotion |
igneous | produced by fire; volcanic |
imbroglio | complicated situation; an entanglement |
immutable | unchangeable |
impair | to damage; injure |
impassive | showing no emotion |
impecunious | poor; having no money |
impede | to hinder; block |
impermeable | impossible to permeate |
imperturbable | not easily disturbed |
impervious | incapable of being affected; impossible to penetrate |
impinge | to strike; encroach |
implacable | inflexible; incable of being pleased or calmed down |
implausible | unlikely; unbelievable |
implicit | implied; understood but not stated |
implode | collapse inward violently |
imprecation | curse; damnation |
impute | to attribute the fault to; relate to a particular cause or source |
inadvertently | carelessly; unintentionally |
incarnate | having bodily form |
inchoate | imperfectly formed or formulated |
incongruity | state of not fitting |
inconsequential | insignificant; unimportant |
incorporate | introduce something into another thing already in existence |
incursion | sudden invasion |
indeterminate | uncertain; indefinite |
indigence | poverty |
indolent | habitually lazy; idle |
ineluctable | not to be avoided or escaped; inevitable |
inert | unable to move; sluggish |
ingenuous | naive and trusting; lacking sophistication |
inherent | firmly established by nature or habit |
innocuous | harmless |
insensible | unconscious; unresponsive |
insinuate | to suggest; say indirectly; imply |
insipid | lacking in flavor; dull |
insouciant | indifferent; lacking concern or care |
insularity | narrow-mindedness; isolation |
insuperable | insurmountable; unconquerable |
intangible | not material |
interdict | to forbid; prohibit |
internecine | deadly to both sides |
interpolate | to insert; change by adding new words or material |
interregnum | interval between reigns; gap in continuity |
intimate | marked by close acquaintance |
intractable | not easily managed |
intransigence | stubbornness; refusal to compromise |
introspective | contemplating one's own thoughts and feelings |
inundate | to cover with water, overwhelm |
inured | hardened; accustomed; used to |
invective | verbal abuse |
inveigh | to disapprove; protest vehemently |
inveigle | to win over by flattering or coaxing |
inveterate | confirmed; long standing |
invidious | likely to provoke ill will |
irascible | easily angered |
irresolute | unsure of how to act; weak |
itinerant | wandering from place to place; unsettled |
itinerary | route of a traveler's journey |
jaundiced | having a yellowish discoloration of the skin; affected by envy |
jibe | to be in agreement |
jocose | fond of joking; jocular |
juggernaut | huge force destroying everything in its path |
junta | group of people united in political intrigue |
juxtapose | place side by side |
kudos | fame; glory; honor |
labile | likely to change |
laconic | using few words |
lambaste | to trash verbally or physically |
lascivious | lustful |
lassitude | lethargy; sluggishness |
latent | dormant; potential not apparent |
laud | praise |
lethargic | inactive |
levee | en embankment that prevents a river from overflowing |
levity | light manner or attitude |
liberal | tolerant; broad-minded |
libertine | one without moral restraint |
libido | sexual desire |
Lilliputian | extremely small |
limn | to draw, describe |
limpid | clear; transparent |
linguistic | pertaining to language |
litany | lengthy recitation; repetitive chant |
literati | scholarly of learned persons |
litigation | legal proceedings |
log | record of a voyage; record of daily activities |
loquacious | talkative |
lucid | bright; clear; intelligible |
lucre | money or profits |
luminous | bright; brilliant; glowing |
lustrous | shining |
Machiavellian | crafty; double-dealing |
machinations | plots or schemes |
maelstrom | whirlpool; turmoil |
magnanimity | generosity; nobility |
malign | to speak evil of |
malinger | to feign illness to escape duty Nevertheless, paradoxical though it may seem, cases of pure malingering of mental disease are comparatively ________ in actual practice. sporadic illogical intermittent obvious contradictory compelling |
malleable | capable of being shaped by pounding; impressionate |
maverick | dissenter |
megalomania | delusions of power or importance |
menagerie | a variety of animals kept together |
mendacious | dishonest |
mendicant | beggar |
meretricious | gaudy; specious; falsely attractive |
mesmerize | to hypnotize |
metamorphosis | change; transformation |
metaphysics | a branch of philosophy that investigates the ultimate nature of reality |
meteorological | concerned with the weather |
meticulous | very careful; picky; fastidious |
mettle | courage; endurance |
mettlesome | full of courage and fortitude |
microcosm | a small system having analogies to a larger system |
militate | to work against |
minatory | threatening; menacing |
minuscule | very small |
minutia | petty details |
misanthrope | one who hates humanity; one who dislikes others |
miscellany | mixture of writings on various subjects |
miscreant | villain; criminal |
misogynist | one who hates women |
mitigate | alleviate; to become less severe |
mnemonic | related to memory; assisting memory |
modicum | limited quantity |
mollify | to soothe |
monolithic | solid and uniform; constituting a single, unified whole |
morose | ill-humored; sullen |
motley | many colored; made up of many parts |
multifarious | diverse |
mundane | worldly as opposed to spiritual; concerned with the ordinary |
necromancy | black magic |
negate | to cancel out; nullify |
neologism | new word or expression |
neophyte | novice; beginner |
nexus | a means of connection; a center |
nonplussed | bewildered |
nostalgia | sentimental longing for a past time |
nostrum | medicine or remedy of doubtful effectiveness |
nugatory | trifling; invalid |
obdurate | stubborn |
obsequious | overly submissive |
obsequy | funeral ceremony |
obviate | to make unnecessary; to anticipate and prevent |
occlude | to shut; block |
occult | relating to practices connected with supernatural phenomena |
odyssey | a long, adventurous voyage; a quest |
officious | too helpful; meddlesome |
olfactory | concerning the sense of smell |
oligarchy | form of government in which power belongs to only a few leaders |
onerous | burdensome |
onomatopoeia | formation or use of words that imitate sounds of the actions they refer to |
opprobrium | public disgrace; contempt |
ornithologist | scientist who studies birds |
oscillate | to move back and forth |
ostentatious | showy; pretentious |
overweening | presumptuous; arrogant |
paean | song of joy or triumph; a fervent expression of joy |
paleonthology | study of past geological eras through fossil remains |
pallid | lacking color or liveliness |
panegyric | elaborate praise; formal hymn of praise |
paragon | model of perfection or excellence |
partisan | one-sided; committed to a party, group or cause |
pathological | departing from normal condition |
patois | jargon; a regional dialect |
paucity | scarcity |
pedantic | showing off learning |
pellucid | transparent; easily understood |
penchant | inclination |
penury | extreme poverty |
peregrination | wandering from place to place |
peremptory | imperative; leaving no choice |
perennial | present throughout the years; persistent |
perfidious | faithless; disloyal; untrustworthy |
perfunctory | superficial; performed really as a duty |
perigee | point in an orbit that is closest to the earth |
permeable | penetrable |
perturb | to disturb greatly; make uneasy or anxious |
pervasive | spread throughout every part |
petulant | rude; peevish |
phlegmatic | unemotional; calm in temperament |
phoenix | anything that is restored after suffering great destruction |
physiognomy | facial features |
piety | devoutness |
piquant | pleasantly pungent; attractive |
pique | fleeting feeling or hurt pride |
placate | soothe; pacify |
placid | calm |
plaintive | melancholy; mournful |
plasticity | pliability; condition of being able to be shaped or formed |
platitude | stale; overused expression |
platonic | spiritual; theoretical |
plethora | excess; overabundance |
plumb | to examine deeply; determine the depth |
plummet | to fall; plunge |
plutocracy | society ruled by the wealthy |
porous | full of holes; permeable to liquids |
poseur | person who affects an attitude to impress others |
pragmatic | practical |
prate | to talk idly; chatter |
prattle | meaningless, foolish talk |
preamble | preliminary statement |
precarious | uncertain |
precept | principle; law |
precipitate | rash; hasty; sudden; done without deliberation |
precipitate | to cause to happen; throw down from a height |
precursor | forerunner; predecessor |
preempt | to supersede; appropriate for oneself |
prehensile | capable of grasping |
premonition | forewarning; presentiment |
presage | to foretell; indicate in advance |
presumptuous | rude; improperly bold |
preternatural | supernatural; beyond the normal use of nature |
prevaricate | to quibble; evade the truth |
primordial | original; existing from the beginning |
pristine | untouched; uncorrupted |
probity | honesty; high-mindness |
problematic | posing a problem; doubtful |
prodigal | wasteful; extravagant; lavish |
profound | deep, not superficial |
prohibitive | so high as to prevent the purchase or use of, forbidding |
proliferate | to increase rapidly |
propensity | inclination, tendency |
propitiate | to win over, appease |
propriety | correct conduct, fitness |
proscribe | to condemn, forbid, outlaw |
provident | providing for future need, frugal |
puissant | powerful |
punctilious | careful in observing rules of behavior |
pungent | penetrating, caustic, to the point |
purport | to profess, suppose, claim |
pusillanimous | cowardly |
quagmire | marsh, difficult situation |
quail | to cower, lose heart |
qualified | limited, restricted |
qualm | sudden feeling of faintness or nausea |
query | question |
quibble | to argue over insignificant and irrelevant details |
quiescent | inactive, still |
quorum | number of member necessary to conduct a meeting |
raconteur | witty, skillful storyteller |
rail | to scold with bitter or abusive language |
raiment | clothing |
ramification | implication, consequence |
rarefied | refined |
rationale | fundamental reason |
rebu | puzzle in whic pictures or symbols represent words |
recalcitrant | resisting authority or control |
recant | retract a statement of opinion |
recluse | person who lives in seclusion and often in solitude |
recondite | abstruse, profound |
redoubtable | formidable, arousing fear |
refractory | stubborn, resisting ordinary methods of treatment |
refulgent | brightly shining, resplendent |
refute | to contradict, disprove |
regale | to entertain |
relegate | to consign to an inferior position |
remonstrate | to object or protest |
renege | to go back on one's word |
reparation | amends, compensation |
repine | fret, complain |
reprise | repetition, especially of a piece of music |
reproach | to find fault with, blame |
reprobate | morally unprincipled person |
repudiate | to reject as having no authority |
rescind | to cancel |
resolution | determination, resolve |
resolve | determination, firmness of purpose |
reticent | nor speaking freely, reserved, reluctant |
reverent | expressing deep respect, worshipful |
riposte | retaliatory action or retort |
rococo | excessively ornate |
rubric | protocol, title or heading |
rue | regret |
ruse | trick, crafty stratagem |
sage | wise |
salacious | lascivious, lustful |
salubrious | healthful |
salutary | expecting an improvement, favorable to health |
sanction | to approve, ratify, permit |
sardonic | cynical, scornfully mocking |
sartorial | pertaining to tailors |
satiate | to satisfy |
saturate | imbue throughout, soak thoroughly |
saturnine | gloomy |
satyr | a creature that is half-man, half beast, with the horns and legs of a goat |
savor | to enjoy, have a distinctive flavor or smell |
schematic | relating to or in the form of an outline or diagram |
secrete | produce and release substance into organism |
sedition | behavior prompting rebellion |
sedulous | diligent, assiduous |
seismic | relating to earthquakes |
sensual | relating to the senses, gratifying the physical (sexual) senses |
sensuous | relating to the senses |
sentient | aware, conscious, able to perceive |
servile | submissive, obedient |
sextant | navigation tool that determines latitude and longitude |
shard | a piece of broken glass or pottery |
sidereal | relating to the stars |
simian | apelike, relating to apes |
simile | comparison of one thing with another using "like" or "as" |
sinecure | well-paying job that requires little or no work |
singular | unique, extraordinary, odd |
sinuous | intricate, complex |
skeptic | one who doubts |
sobriety | seriousness |
sodden | thoroughly soaked, saturated |
solicitous | concerned, attentive, eager |
soliloquy | literary or dramatic speech by one character, not addressed to others |
solvent | able to meet financial obligations |
somatic | relating to or affecting the body, corporeal |
soporific | sleep producing |
sordid | filthy, contemptible and corrupt |
specious | seeming to be logical and sound, but not really so |
spectrum | band of color, broad range of related ideas or objects |
spendthrift | person who spends money recklessly |
sporadic | irregular |
squalor | filthy, wretched condition |
staccato | marked by abrupt, clear-cut sounds |
stanch | to stop or check the flow of |
stentorian | extremely loud |
stigma | mark of disgrace or inferiority |
stint | to be sparing |
stipulate | to specify as an essential condition |
stolid | having or showing little emotion |
stratified | arranged in layers |
striated | marked with thin, narrow grooves or channels |
stricture | something that restrains, negative criticism |
strident | loud, harsh, unpleasantly noisy |
strut | to swagger, display to impress others |
stultify | to impair or reduce to uselessness |
stupefy | to dull the senses of, stun, astonish |
stygian | dark and gloomy, hellish |
subpoena | notice ordering someone to appear in court |
subside | to settle down, grow quiet |
substantiate | to support with proof or evidence |
substantive | essential |
subsume | to include, incorporate |
subversive | intended to undermine or underthrown, especially an established government |
succor | relief, help in time of distress or want |
suffrage | the right to vote |
sundry | various |
supersede | to replace, especially to displace as inferior or antiquated |
supine | lying in the back, marked by lethargy |
supplant | to replace, substitute |
suppliant | beseeching |
supplicant | one who asks humbly and earnestly |
supposition | the act of assuming to be true or real |
syllogism | a form of deductive reasoning with a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion |
sylvan | related to the woods or forest |
tacit | silently understood, implied |
talisman | charm to bring good luck and avert misfortune |
tangential | peripheral, irrelevant, digressing |
tautology | unnecessary repetition |
taxonomy | science of classification |
tenet | belief, doctrine |
tenuous | weak, insubstantial |
terrestrial | earthly, commonplace |
theocracy | government by priests representing a god |
thespian | an actor or actress |
timbre | voice tone color |
tirade | long, violent speech, verbal assault |
toady | flatterer, yes-man |
tome | book, usually large and academic |
torpor | lethargy, dormancy, sluggishness |
torque | a turning or twisting force |
tortuous | having many twists and turns, highly complex |
tout | to promote or praise energetically |
tractable | obedient, yielding |
transgression | act of trespassing or violating a law or rule |
transient | temporary, fleeting |
translucent | partially transparent |
travail | work, especially arduous work |
travesty | parody, exaggerated imitation, caricature |
treatise | article treating a subject systematically and thoroughly |
tremulous | trembling, frugal, timid |
trepidation | fear and anxiety |
truculence | aggressiveness, ferocity |
tryst | agreement between lovest to meet, rendez-vous |
tumid | swollen, distended |
turbid | muddy, opaque, in a state of great confusion |
turgid | swollen, pompous |
tutelary | serving as a guardian or protector |
uncanny | mysterious, strange |
undulating | moving in waves |
unfeigned | not false, genuine |
untenable | indefensible |
untoward | not favorable, troublesome, unruly |
usury | a practice of lending money at exorbitant rates |
vacillate | to waver, oscillate |
vacuous | empty, void, lacking intelligence |
valedictory | pertaining to a farewell |
vapid | tasteless, dull |
variegated | varied, marked with different colors |
vaunt | to boast, drag |
venal | mercenary, corruptible |
vendetta | prolonged feud marked by bitter hostility |
venerate | to adore, honor, respect |
veracious | truthful, accurate |
verbose | wordy |
vertigo | dizziness |
vexation | irritation, annoyance |
viable | practicable, capable of developing |
vindictive | vengeful, unforgiving |
virtuoso | someone with master skills, expert musician |
visage | appearance, aspect |
viscous | thick, syrupy |
vitiate | to impair the quality of, corrupt morally |
vituperative | using or containing harsh, abusive censure |
vivisection | dissection, surgery, or painful experiments performed on a living animal for the purpose of scientific research |
x
vogue | prevailing fashion or practice |
volatile | tending to vary frequently, fickle |
vortex | whirlpool, center of turbulence |
warranted | justified |
wary | careful, cautious |
welter | wallow or roll, toss about, be in turmoil |
whimsical | fanciful, unpredictable |
wistful | vaguely longing, sadly thoughtful |
zealot | one who is fanatically devoted to a cause |
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