v. express disapproval of; protest against, belittle

A firm beleiver in old-fashioned courtesy, Miss Pott deprecated the modern tendency to use first names with strangers. 

n. plundering

After the depredations of the invaders, the people were penniless. 

n. hothead, troublemaker

The police tried to keep track of all the local firebrands when the president came to town. 

v. ridicule, make fun of

The critics derided his pretentious diaologue... 

adj. deceptive; raising vain hopes

Do not raise your hopes on the basis of his delusive promises. 

n. object of general attention

As soon as the movie star entered the room, she became the cynosure of all eyes. 

n. aimless follower of the arts; an amateur dabbler

He was not serious in his painting, he was rather a dilletante. 

n. slang

In the argot of the underworld, she "was taken for a ride.” 

v. corrupt, seduce from virtue

Did Socrates' teachings lead them to virtue, or did they debauch the young men of Athens... 

adj. friendly, aiming to please

The debonair youth was liked by all who met him, because of his cheerful and obliging manner. 

n. pithy, compact saying

Proverbs are apothegms that have become familiar sayings. 

v. mislead or delude; cheat; pass time

THe con-men beguiled him. Broke, he beguiled himself during the long hours by playing solitaire. 

v. to abolish

The king intended to abrogate the decree issued by his predecessor. 

n. quack, pretender to knowledge

Much to Dorothy's dismay, the Wizard of Oz turned out to be nothing more than a charlatan. 

adj. unreasonable or capricious; tyrannical

The coach claimed the team lost because the umpire made some arbitrary calls. 

v. analyze, evaluate

When they assayed the ore, they found that they had discovered a very rich vein. 

adj. secret, mysterious, known only to the initiated.

Secret brotherhoods surround themselves with arcane rituals. 

adj. energetic, vigorously active

The dynamic aerobics instructor kept her students on the run.  She was a little dynamo. 

v. besiege or attack, harass

The babysitter was surrounded by a crowd of unmanageable brats--relentlessly trying to beleaguer her. 

adj. digressing, rambling

As the lecturer wandered from topic to topic, we wondered what if any point there was to his discursive rambling. 

adj. ambiguous; intentially misleading

Rejecting the candidate's equivocal comments on tax reform, the reporters pressed him to state clearly where he stood on the issue.

v. equivocate, n. equivocation 

v. capture; enslave

From the moment he saw her picture, he was enthralled by her beauty. 

n. double dealing; hypocrisy

While Tanya learned that Mark had been two-timing her, she was furious at his duplicity. 

prep. with reference to, regarding

I find your remarks apropos of the present situation timely and pertinent. 

v. let down; restrain

Until it was time to open presents, the children had to bate their curiousity. 

adj. aimless, haphazard; digressing at random

ant. purposeful 

In prison, Malcom X set himself the task of reading the dictionary from cover to cover; to him it was purposeful, not desultory 

v. cheat; hoodwink; swindle

He was the kind of individual who would cozen his friends in a cheap card game but remain ethical in business dealings. 

adj. queer and amusing

He was a popular guest because of his droll anecdotes were always amusing. 

adj. foolish; inane

She is far too intelligent to utter such fatuous remarks. 

n. soothing or softening remedy

He applied an emollient to the inflamed area. also adj.