Term
|
Definition
To leave secretly.
The patron absconded from the restaurant without paying his bill by sneaking out the back door. |
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Term
|
Definition
Abnormal or deviant.
Given the aberrant nature of the data, we came to doubt the validity of the entire experiment. |
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Term
|
Definition
To reduce in amount, degree, or severity.
As the hurricane's force abated, the winds dropped and the sea became calm. |
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Term
|
Definition
To make impure.
The restaurateur made his ketchup last longer by adulterating it with water. |
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Term
|
Definition
To increase in power, influence, and reputation.
The supervisor sought to aggrandize himself by claiming that the achievements of his staff were actually his own. |
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Term
|
Definition
To combine; to mix together.
Giant Industries amalgamated with Mega Products to form Giant-Mega Products Incorporated. |
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Term
|
Definition
To make better; to improve.
The doctor was able to ameliorate the patient's suffering using painkillers. |
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Term
|
Definition
Something out of place in time.
The aged hippie used anachronistic phrases like 'groovy' and 'far out' that had not been popular for years. |
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Term
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Definition
Extreme dislike.
The antipathy between the French and the English regularly erupted into open warfare. |
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Term
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Definition
To judge a dispute between two opposing parties.
Since the couple could not come to an agreement, a judge was forced to arbitrate their divorce proceedings. |
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Term
|
Definition
Intense and passionate feeling.
Bishop's ardor for landscape was evident when he passionately described the beauty of the scenic Hudson Valley. |
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Term
|
Definition
To make something unpleasant less severe.
Serena used aspirin to assuage her pounding headache. |
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Term
|
Definition
To reduce in force or degree; to weaken.
The Bill of Rights attenuated the traditional power of government to change laws at will. |
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Term
|
Definition
Fearless and daring.
Her audacious nature allowed her to fulfill her dream of skydiving. |
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Term
|
Definition
Severe or stern in appearance; undecorated.
The lack of decoration makes Zen temples seem austere to the untrained eye. |
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Term
|
Definition
Suspended action.
The deal was held in abeyance until her arrival. |
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Term
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Definition
Sparing in eating and drinking; temperate.
Concerned whether her vegetarian son's abstemious diet provided him with sufficient protein, the worried mother pressed food on him. |
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Term
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Definition
Gather; accumulate.
Before the Wall Street scandals, dealers in so-called junk bonds managed to aggregate great wealth in short periods of time. |
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Term
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Definition
Cheerful promptness; eagerness.
Phil and Dave were raring to get off of the mountains; they packed up their ski gear and climbed into the van with alacrity. |
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Term
|
Definition
Inform.
When NASA was apprised of the dangerous weather conditions, the head of the space agency decided to postpone the shuttle launch. |
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Term
|
Definition
Approval.
Wanting her parents' regard, she looked for some sign of their approbation. |
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Term
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Definition
Acquire; take possession for one's own use.
The ranch owners appropriated the lands that had originally been set aside for Indians' use. |
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Term
|
Definition
Without guile; open and honest.
Red riding hoods artless comment, "Grandma, what big eyes you have!" indicates the child's innocent surprise at her "grandmother's" changed appearance. |
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Term
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Definition
Practicing self-denial; austere.
The wealthy, self-indulgent young man felt oddly drawn to the strict, ascetic life led by members of some monastic orders. |
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Term
|
Definition
Diligent.
It took Rembrandt weeks of assiduous labor before he was satisfied with his portrait of his son. |
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Term
|
Definition
Self-governing.
Although the University of California at Berkeley is just one part of the state university system, in many ways Cal Berkeley is autonomous, for it runs several programs that are not subject to outside control. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Assert confidently or declare; as used in law, state formally as fact.
The self-proclaimed psychic averred that, because he had extra-sensory perception on which to base his predictions, he needed no seismographs or other gadgets in order to foretell earthquakes. |
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Term
|
Definition
| Taken as a given; possessing self-evident truth. (noun form: axiom) |
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Term
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Definition
| Excessive praise; intense adoration. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
| Greed, esp. for wealth. (adj. form: avaricious) |
|
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Term
|
Definition
| Keen, accurate judgment or insight. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Agreeable; responsive to suggestion. |
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Term
|
Definition
| Having a tightening effect on living tissue; harsh; severe; |
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Term
|
Definition
Predictable; cliched; boring.
He used banal phrases like 'have a nice day,' or 'another day, another dollar.' |
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Term
|
Definition
Pompous in speech and manner.
The dictator's speeches were mostly bombastic; his boasting ans outrageous claims had no basis in fact. |
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Term
|
Definition
Contradict; give a false impression.
His coarse, hard-bitten exterior belied his innate sensitivity. |
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Term
|
Definition
Kindly; doing good.
The overgenerous philanthropist had to curb his beneficient impulses before he gave away all his money and left himself with nothing. |
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Term
|
Definition
Rude; insensitive.
Though Mr. Potts constantly interrupted his wife, she ignored his boorish behavior, for she had lost hope of teaching him courtesy. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
To grow forth; send out buds.
In the spring, the plants that burgeon are a promise of the beauty that is to come. |
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Term
|
Definition
Make shiny by rubbing; polish.
The maid burnished the brass fixtures until they reflected the lamplight. |
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Term
|
Definition
To support; prop up.
Just as architects buttress the walls of cathedrals with flying buttresses, debaters buttress their arguments with facts. |
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Term
|
Definition
| Rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants. |
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Term
|
Definition
Impartial and honest in speech.
The observations of a child can be charming since they are candid and unpretentious. |
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Term
|
Definition
Changing one's mind quickly and often.
Queen Elizabeth I was quite capricious; her courtiers could never be sure which of their number would catch her fancy. |
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Term
|
Definition
To punish or criticize harshly.
Americans are amazed at how harshly the authorities in Singapore castigate perpetrators of what would be considered minor crimes in the United States. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Biting in wit.
Dorothy Parker gained her reputation for caustic wit from her cutting, yet clever, insults. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Deception by means of craft or guile.
Dishonest used car salesmen often use chicanery to sell their beat-up old cars. |
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Term
|
Definition
Convincing and well reasoned.
Swayed by the cogent argument of the defense, the jury had no choice but to acquit the defendant. |
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Term
|
Definition
Too trusting; gullible.
Although some four-year-olds believe in the Easter Bunny only the most credulous nine-year-olds also believe in him. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Steadily increasing volume or force.
The crescendo of tension became unbearable as Evel Knievel prepared to jump his motorcycle over the school buses. |
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Term
|
Definition
Corresponding in extent, degree, amount, etc.; proportionate.
By the close of World War II much progress had been made in assigning nurses rank and responsibilities commensurate with their training and abilities. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Brief, comprehensive summary.
This text can serve as a compendium of the tremendous amount of new material being developed in this field. |
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Term
|
Definition
Trying to please; overly polite; obliging.
Fearing that the king might become enraged if his will were thwarted, the complaisant Parliament recognized Henry VIII as king of Ireland. |
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Term
|
Definition
Claim; thesis.
It is our contention that, if you follow our tactics, you will boost your score on the GRE. |
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Term
|
Definition
Quarrelsome.
Disagreeing violently with the referees' ruling, the coach became so contentious that the referees threw him out of the game. |
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Term
|
Definition
Regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness.
(noun form: contrition)
Her contrite tears did not influence the judge when he imposed sentence. |
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Term
|
Definition
Cowardly.
Lillian's craven refusal to join the protest was criticized by her comrades, who had expected her to be brave enough to stand up for her beliefs. |
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Term
|
Definition
| Following or in agreement with accepted, traditional standards. (noun form: canon) |
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Term
|
Definition
| To criticize severely; to officially rebuke. |
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Term
|
Definition
|
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Term
|
Definition
| Deserving blame. (noun: culpability) |
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Term
|
Definition
Appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety.
The countess complained that the vulgar peasants lacked the decorum appropriate for a visit to the palace. |
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Term
|
Definition
Respect; courtesy.
The respectful young law clerk treated the Supreme Court justice with the utmost deference. |
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Term
|
Definition
To dry out thoroughly.
After a few weeks of lying on the desert's baking sands, the cows carcass became completely desiccated. |
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Term
|
Definition
Jumping from one thing to another; disconnected.
Diane had a desultory academic record; she had changed majors 12 times in three years. |
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Term
|
Definition
An abusive, condemnatory speech.
The trucker bellowed a diatribe at the driver who had cut him off. |
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Term
|
Definition
Lacking self-confidence.
Steve's diffident manner during the job interview stemmed from his nervous nature and lack of experience in the field. |
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Term
|
Definition
Intended to delay.
The congressmen used dilatory measures to delay the passage of the bill. |
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Term
|
Definition
Someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic.
Jerry's friends were such dilettantes that they seemed to have new jobs and hobbies every week. |
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Term
|
Definition
To set right; to free from error.
Galileo's observations disabused scholars of the notion that the Sun revolved around the Earth. |
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Term
|
Definition
Fundamentally different; entirely unlike.
Although the twins appear to be identical physically, their personalities are disparate. |
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Term
|
Definition
To present a false appearance; to disguise one's real intentions or character.
The villain could dissemble to the police no longer - he admitted the deed and tore up the floor to reveal the body of the old man. |
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Term
|
Definition
Dictatorial in one's opinions.
The dictator was dogmatic - he, and only he, was right. |
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Term
|
Definition
Failure to act.
When Jack failed to make the payments on his Jaguar, the dealership took back the car because he had defaulted on his debt. |
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Term
|
Definition
Portray; depict; sketch.
Using only a few descriptive phrases, Austen delineates the character of Mr. Collins so well that we can predict his every move. |
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Term
|
Definition
Blacken.
All attempts to denigrate the character of our late president have failed; the people still love him and cherish his memory. |
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Term
|
Definition
Unoriginal; obtained from another source.
Although her earlier poetry was clearly derivative in nature, the critics thought she had promise and eventually would find her own voice. |
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Term
|
Definition
Split; branching into two parts (especially contradictory ones).
Willie didn't know how to resolve the dichotomy between his ambition to go to college and his childhood longing to run away and join the circus. |
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Term
|
Definition
Wordy; rambling; spread out (like a gas).
If you pay authors by the word, you tempt them to produce diffuse manuscripts rather than brief ones. |
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Term
|
Definition
Unprejudiced; unbiased.
Given the judge's political ambitions and the lawyers' financial interest in the case, the only disinterested person in the courtroom may have been the court reporter. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
To belittle.
A doting mother, Emma was more likely to praise her son's crude attempts at art than to disparage them. |
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Term
|
Definition
Disintegration; looseness in morals.
The profligacy and dissolution of life in Caligula's Rome appall some historians. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Expand; swell out.
I can tell when he is under stress by the way the veins distend on his forehead. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
To strip; to deprive.
He was divested of his power and could no longer govern. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
| Smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack. |
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Term
|
Definition
|
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Term
|
Definition
| Intended to teach or instruct. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
A sorrowful poem or speech.
Although Thomas Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" is about death and loss, it urges readers to endure this life, and to trust in spirituality. |
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Term
|
Definition
To reduce in strength.
The guerrillas hoped that a series of surprise attack would enervate the regular army. |
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Term
|
Definition
To count, list, or itemize.
Moses returned from the mountain with tablets on which the commandments were enumerated. |
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Term
|
Definition
Lasting a short time.
The lives of mayflies seem ephemeral to us, since the flies' average life span is a matter of hours. |
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Term
|
Definition
To use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead.
When faced with criticism of his policies, the politician equivocated and left all parties thinking he agreed with them. |
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Term
|
Definition
Admirable.
Most people consider it estimable that Mother Teresa spent her life helping the poor of India. |
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Term
|
Definition
Speech in praise of someone.
His best friend gave the eulogy, outlining his many achievements and talents. |
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Term
|
Definition
Use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one.
The funeral director preferred to use the euphemism "sleeping" instead of the word "dead." |
|
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Term
|
Definition
To clear from blame; prove innocent.
The adversarial legal system is intended to convict those who are guilty and exculpate those who are innocent. |
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Term
|
Definition
Urgent; requiring immediate action.
The patient was losing blood so rapidly that it was exigent to stop the source of the bleeding. |
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Term
|
Definition
To clear of blame.
The fugitive was exonerated when another criminal confessed to committing the crime. |
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Term
|
Definition
Showing excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm.
Amy's ebullient nature could not be repressed; she was always bubbling over with excitement. |
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Term
|
Definition
Impudence; shamelessness; boldness; sheer nerve; presumptuousness.
When the boss told Frank she was firing him for laziness and insubordination, he had the effrontery to ask her for a letter of recommendation. |
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Term
|
Definition
Based on experience.
He distrusted hunches and intuitive flashes; he placed his reliance entirely on empirical data. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Prevailing among a specific group of people or in a specific area or country.
This disease is endemic in this part of the world; more than 80 percent of the population are at one time or another affected by it. |
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Term
|
Definition
Calmness of temperament; composure.
Even the inevitable strains of caring for an ailing mother did not disturb Bea's equanimity. |
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Term
|
Definition
Joking (often inappropriately); humorous.
I'm serious about this project; I don't need any facetious, smart-alecky cracks about do-good little rich girls. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
| Dissatisfaction and restlessness resulting from boredom or apathy. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
| Improvised; done without preparation. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
| Soothing, esp. to the skin; making less harsh; mollifying; an agent that softens or smooths the skin. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
| Tending to disappear like vapor; vanishing. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
To grovel.
The understudy fawned over the director in hopes of being cast in the part on a permanent basis. |
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Term
|
Definition
Intensely emotional; feverish.
The fans of Maria Callas were unusually fervid, doing anything to catch a glimpse of the great opera singer. |
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Term
|
Definition
Excessively decorated or embellished.
The palace had been decorated in an excessively florid style; every surface had been carved and gilded. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
To arouse or incite.
The protesters tried to foment feeling against the war through their speeches and demonstrations. |
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Term
|
Definition
Brainless; inane; foolish, yet smug.
Attacking the notion that women should defer to men's supposedly superior intelligence, Germaine Greer wrote that she was sick of pretending that some fatuous male's self-important pronouncements were the objects of her undivided attention. |
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Term
|
Definition
Apt; suitably expressed; well chosen.
He was famous for his felicitous remarks and as called upon to serve as master-of-ceremonies at many a banquet. |
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Term
|
Definition
Reject; mock; show contempt for.
The painter Julian Schnabel is known for works that flout the conventions of high art, such as paintings on velvet or linoleum. |
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Term
|
Definition
Prevent by taking action in advance.
By setting up a prenuptial agreement, the prospective bridge and groom hoped to forestall and potential arguments about money in the event of a divorce. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
| Intentional obstruction, esp. using prolonged speechmaking to delay legislative action. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
| To loudly attack or denounce. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
| Marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Tending to talk a lot.
The garrulous parakeet distracted its owner with its continuous talking. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Outgoing, sociable.
She was so gregarious that when she found herself alone she felt quite sad. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
To deny.
She was too honest to gainsay the truth of the report. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
To urge on.
She was goaded by her friends until she yielded to their wishes. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
To overcharge.
During the World Series, ticket scalpers tried to gouge the public, asking astronomical prices even for bleacher seats. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Pompous; bombastic; using high-sounding language.
The politician could never speak simply; she was always grandiloquent. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Without deceit.
He is naive, simple, and guileless; he cannot be guilty of fraud. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Relevant to the subject at hand; appropriate in subject matter. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Marked by ease or informality; nonchalant; lacking in depth; superficial. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
A long, passionate, and vehement speech.
In her lengthy harangue, the principle berated the offenders. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Exaggeration; overstatement.
As far as I'm concerned, Apple's claims about the new computer are pure hyperbole; no machine is that good! |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Devotion to pleasurable pursuits, esp. to the pleasures of the senses. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
| The consistent dominance of one state or ideology over others. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Quick to act without thinking.
It is not good for an investment broker to be impetuous, since much thought should be given to all possible options. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Unable to be calmed down or made peaceful.
His rage at the betrayal was so great that he remained implacable for weeks. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Not fully formed; disorganized.
The ideas expressed in Nietzsche's mature work also appear in an inchoate form in his earliest writing. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Showing innocence or childlike simplicity.
She was so ingenuous that her friends feared that her innocence and trustfulness would be exploited when she visited the big city. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Hostile, unfriendly.
Even though the children had grown up together they were inimical to each other at school. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Lacking interest or flavor.
The critic claimed that the painting was insipid, containing no interesting qualities at all. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Uncompromising; refusing to be reconciled.
The professor was intransigent on the deadline, insisting that everyone turn the assignment in at the same time. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Easily made angry.
Attila the Hun's irascible and violent nature made all who dealt with him fear for their lives. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Without feeling; imperturbable; stoical.
Refusing to let the enemy see how deeply shaken he was by his capture, the prisoner kept his face impassive. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Poverty.
Neither the economists nor the political scientists have found a way to wipe out the inequities or wealth and eliminate indigence from our society. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Lazy.
Couch potatoes lead an indolent life lying back in their Lazyboy recliners watching TV. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Unconscious; unresponsive.
Sherry and I are very different; at times when I would be covered with embarrassment, she seems insensible to shame. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Narrow-mindedness; isolation.
The insularity of the islanders manifested itself in their suspicion of anything foreign. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Unruly; stubborn; unyielding.
Charlie Brown's friend Pigpen was intractable; he absolutely refused to take a bath. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Accustomed, hardened.
She became inured to the Alaskan cold. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Abuse.
He had expected criticism but not the invective that greeted his proposal. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
| Lacking funds; without money. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
| Beginning to come into being or to become apparent. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| To obtain by deception or flattery. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
| Unfortunate; inappropriate. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Steadfast and courageous. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Using few words.
She was a laconic poet who built her reputation on using words as sparingly as possible. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
To give praise; to glorify.
Parades and fireworks were staged to laud the success of the rebels. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Languor; weariness.
After a massage and a long soak in the hot tub, I surrendered to my growing lassitude and lay down for a nap. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Earthen or stone embankment to prevent flooding.
As the river rose and threatened to overflow the levee, emergency workers rushed to reinforce the walls with sandbags. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Lack of seriousness or steadiness; frivolity.
Stop giggling and wriggling around in the power; such levity is improper in church. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
To avoid responsibility by pretending to be ill.
A common way to avoid the draft was by malingering - pretending to be mentally or physically ill so as to avoid being taken by the Army. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
| The character Scrooge in A Christmas Carol is such a misanthrope that even the sight of children singing makes him angry. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
To soften; to lessen.
A judge my mitigate a sentence if she decides that a person committed a crime out of need. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Rebel; nonconformist.
To the masculine literary establishment, George Sand with her insistence on wearing trousers and smoking cigars was clearly a maverick who fought her proper womanly role. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Lying,; habitually dishonest.
Distrusting Huck from the start, Miss Watson assumed he was mendacious and refused to believe a word he said. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
ill-humored; sullen; melancholy.
Forced to take early retirement, Bill acted morose for months; then, all of a sudden, he shook off his gloom and was his usual cheerful self. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
| Characterized by rapid and unpredictable change in mood. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Coming into being; in early developmental stages. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Hardened in feeling; resistant to persuasion.
The President was completely obdurate on the issue, and no amount of persuasion would change his mind. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Overly submissive and eager to please.
The obsequious new associate made sure to compliment her supervisor's tie and agree with him on every issue. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Stubborn, unyielding.
The obstinate child could not be made to eat any food that he disliked. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
To prevent; to make unnecessary.
The river was shallow enough to wade across at many points, which obviated the need for a bridge. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
To stop up; to prevent the passage of.
A shadow is thrown across the Earth's surface during a solar eclipse, when the light from the sun is occluded by the moon. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Troublesome and oppressive; burdensome.
The assignment was so extensive and difficult to manage that it proved onerous to the team in charge of it. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Public disgrace.
After the scheme to embezzle the elderly was made public, the treasurer resigned in utter opprobrium. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Meddlesome; excessively pushy in offering one's services.
After her long flight, Jill just wanted to nap, but the officious bellboy was intent on showing her all the special features of the deluxe suite. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
| Invoking intense aversion or dislike. |
|
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Term
|
Definition
Model of excellence or perfection.
She is the paragon of what a judge should be: honest, intelligent, hardworking, and just. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Someone who shows off learning.
The graduate instructors tedious and excessive commentary on the subject soon gained her a reputation as a pedant. |
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Willing to betray one's trust.
The actress's perfidious companion revealed all of her intimate secrets to the gossip columnist. |
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Done in a routine way; indifferent.
The machinelike bank teller processed the transaction and gave the waiting customer a perfunctory smile. |
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To penetrate.
This miraculous cleaning fluid is able to permeate stains and dissolve them in minutes! |
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Able to be molded, altered, or bent.
The new material was very plastic and could be formed into products of vastly different shape. |
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To throw violently or bring about abruptly; lacking deliberation.
Upon learning that the couple married after knowing each other only two months, friends and family members expected such a precipitate marriage to end in divorce. |
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To lie or deviate from the truth.
Rather than admit that he had overslept again, the employee prevaricated and claimed that the heavy traffic prevented him from arriving at work on time. |
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Lavish, wasteful.
The prodigal son quickly wasted all of his inheritance on a lavish lifestyle devoted to pleasure. |
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To increase in number quickly.
Although he only kept two guinea pigs initially, they proliferated to such an extent that he soon had dozens. |
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| To conciliate; to appease. The management propitiated the irate union by agreeing to raise wages for its members. |
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Correct behavior; obedience to rules and customs.
The aristocracy maintained a high level of propriety, adhering to even the most minor social rules. |
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Scarcity.
They closed the restaurant because the paucity of customers made it uneconomical to operate. |
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Strong inclination; liking.
Dave has a penchant for taking risks; one semester he went steady with three girls, two of whom were stars on the school karate team. |
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Severe poverty; stinginess.
When his pension fund failed, George feared he would end his days in penury. He became such a penny-pincher that he turned into a closefisted, penurious miser. |
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Definition
Something long-lasting.
These plants are hardy perennials and will bloom for many years. |
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calm; not easily disturbed.
The nurse was a cheerful but phlegmatic person, unexcited in the face of sudden emergencies. |
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Trite remark; commonplace statement.
In giving advice to his son, old Polonius expressed himself only in platitudes; every word out of his mouth was a truism. |
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uncertain; risky.
Saying the stock was currently overpriced and would be a precarious investment, the broker advised her client against purchasing it. |
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Arrogant; taking liberties.
It seems presumptuous for one so relatively new to the field to challenge the conclusions of its leading experts. |
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Doubtful; unsettled; questionable; perplexing.
Given the way building costs have exceeded estimates for the job, whether the area will ever be completed is problematic. |
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Natural inclination.
Convinced of his own talent, Sol has an unfortunate propensity to belittle the talents of others. |
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Ostracize; banish; outlaw.
Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus proscribed all those who had conspired against Julius Caesar. |
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| A song or hymn of praise and thanksgiving. |
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| Acutely perceptive; having keen discernment. |
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| To babble meaninglessly; to talk in an empty and idle manner. |
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| A disposition in favor of something; preference. |
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| Foreknowledge of events; knowing of events prior to their occurring. |
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| Extremely harmful; potentially causing death. |
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| To examine with great care. |
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| To dress up; to primp; to groom oneself with elaborate care. |
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| the essential or central part. |
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| Controversial; argumentative. |
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| Adherence to highest principles; complete and confirmed integrity; uprightness. |
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| A natural predisposition or inclination. |
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| Excessively wasteful; recklessly extravagent. |
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| Dull; lacking in spirit or imagination. |
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Motionless.
Many animals are quiescent over the winter months, minimizing activity in order to conserve energy. |
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Limited; restricted.
Unable to give the candidate full support, the mayor game him only a qualified endorsement. |
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| Prone to complaining or grumbling; peevish. |
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| Foolishly impractical; marked by lofty romantic ideals. |
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| Occurring or recurring daily; commonplace. |
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Definition
to make thinner or sparser.
Since the atmosphere rarefies as altitudes increase, the air at the top of very tall mountains is too thin to breathe. |
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Definition
To reject the validity of.
The old woman's claim that was was Russian royalty was repudiated when DNA tests showed she was of no relation to them. |
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Silent, reserved.
Physically small and reticent in her speech, Joan Didion often went unnoticed by those upon whom she was reporting. |
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Definition
effective writing or speaking.
Lincoln's talent for rhetoric was evident in his beautifully expressed Gettysburg Address. |
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| Obstinately stubborn; determined to resist authority; unruly. |
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Disclaim or disavow; retract a previous statement; openly confess error.
Hoping to make Joan of Arc recant her sworn testimony, her English captors tried to convince her that her visions had been sent to her by the Devil. |
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Definition
Abstruse; profound; secret.
He read many recondite books in order to obtain the material for his scholarly thesis. |
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Definition
Stubborn; unmanageable.
The refractory horse was eliminated from the race when he refused to obey the jockey. |
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Banish to an inferior position; delegate; assign.
After Ralph dropped his second try of drinks that week, the manager swiftly relegated him to a minor post cleaning up behind the bar. |
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Definition
Person hardened in sin, devoid of a sense of decency.
I cannot understand why he has so many admirers if he is the reprobate you say he is. |
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Definition
To cancel.
Because of the public outcry against the new taxes, the senator proposed a bill to rescind the unpopular financial measure. |
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| awe-inspiring; worthy of honor. |
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| Radiant; shiny; brilliant. |
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| To fail to honor a commitment; to go back on a promise. |
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Definition
Causing sleep or lethargy.
The movie proved to be so soporific that soon loud snores were heard throughout the theater. |
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Deceptively attractive; seemingly plausible but fallacious.
The students specious excuse for being late sounded legitimate, but was proved otherwise when his teacher called his home. |
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Unemotional; lacking sensitivity.
The prisoner appeared stolid and unaffected by the judge's harsh sentence. |
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Definition
Healthful.
Many people with hay fever move to more salubrious sections of the country during the months of August and September. |
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Definition
Approve; ratify.
Nothing will convince me to sanction the engagement of my daughter to such a worthless young man. |
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Definition
Hide away or cache.
The pack rat secretes odds and ends in its nest. |
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Worried, concerned.
The employer was very solicitous about the health of her employees as replacements were difficult to get. |
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Definition
To be thrifty; to set limits.
"Spare no expense," the bride's father said, refusing to stint on the wedding arrangements. |
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Definition
To make express conditions.
Before agreeing to reduce the American military forces in Europe, the president stipulated that NATO teams be allowed to inspect Russian bases. |
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Definition
Marked with parallel bands; grooved.
The glacier left many striated rocks. |
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Definition
Writ summoning a witness to appear.
The prosecutor's office was ready to serve a subpoena on the reluctant witness. |
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Definition
To cause to be set aside; replace; make obsolete.
Bulk mailing postal regulation 326D supersedes bulk mailing regulation 326C. |
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Definition
Hypothesis; surmise.
I based my decision to confide in him on the supposition that he would be discreet. |
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Definition
| Characterized by filth, grime, or squalor; foul. |
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Definition
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| The combination of parts to make a whole. |
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| Sordid; wretched and dirty as from neglect. |
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Definition
| To take the place of; supersede. |
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Definition
| Able to meet financial obligations; able to dissolve another substance. |
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| Lacking authenticity or validity; false; counterfeit; |
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Definition
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Definition
| An overabundant supply; excess; to feed or supply to excess. |
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| One who spends money wastefully. |
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| Diligent; persistent; hard-working. |
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Definition
done without using words.
Although not a word had been said, everyone in the room knew that a tacit agreement had been made about which course of action to take. |
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Definition
Silent, not talkative.
The clerk's taciturn nature earned him the nickname "Silent Bob." |
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Definition
Long, harsh speech or verbal attack.
Observers were shocked at the manager's tirade over such a minor mistake. |
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Definition
Extreme mental and physical sluggishness.
After surgery, the patient experienced torpor until the anesthesia wore off. |
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Definition
thin; rare; slim.
The allegiance of our allies is held by such tenuous ties that we have little hope they will remain loyal. |
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Winding; full of curves.
Because this road is so tortuous; it is unwise to go faster than twenty miles an hour on it. |
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Definition
Docile; easily managed.
Although Susan seemed a tractable young woman, she had a stubborn streak of independence that occasionally led her to defy the powers-that-be when she felt they were in the wrong. |
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Definition
Aggressiveness; ferocity.
Tynan's reviews were noted for their caustic attacks and general tone of truculence. |
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Definition
| A force that causes rotation. |
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Definition
| lethargic; sluggish; dormant. |
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Definition
| Brief and concise in wording. |
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Definition
| To publicly praise or promote. |
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Definition
| Sharply perceptive; keen; penetrating. |
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Definition
To respect deeply.
In a traditional Confucian society, the young venerate their elders; deferring to the elders' wisdom and experience. |
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Definition
Filled with truth and accuracy.
She had a reputation for veracity, so everyone trusted her description of events.
(veracious = truthful) |
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Definition
To annoy.
The old man who loved his peace and quiet was vexed by his neighbor's loud music. |
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Definition
Acting in a fanciful or capricious manner; unpredictable.
The ballet was whimsical, delighting the children with its imaginative characters and unpredictable events. |
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Definition
Sticky; gluey.
Melted tar is a viscous substance. |
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Definition
Abusive; scolding.
He became more vituperative as he realized that we were not going to grant him his wish. |
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Definition
Turmoil; bewildering jumble.
The existing welter of overlapping federal and state proclaims cries out for immediate reform. |
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Definition
Sophisticated; refined; elegant.
(noun = urbanity) |
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Definition
| To defame; to characterize harshly. |
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Definition
| Genuine; not false or hypocritical. |
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Definition
| Indefensible; not viable; uninhabitable. |
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Definition
| Multicolored; characterized by a variety of patches of different color. |
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