Tough Vocabolary

cow‘Logic monsters’ use ‘logic’ to bully and cow

people into doing what they want.

cow (v.): cause (someone) to submit to one's wishes by intimidation.Synonyms: intimidate, daunt, browbeat, bully, scare, terrorize, frighten, unnerve, subdue, psych out, bulldoze

wooPolitical parties have roped in Bollywood stars

only to woo the young.

woo (v.): try to gain the love of (someone, typically a woman), especially with a view to marriage.Synonyms: entice, tempt, coax, persuade, sweet-talk

fecklessThere are feckless and irresponsible young

fathers out there.

feckless (adj.): lacking initiative or strength of character; irresponsible.Synonyms: useless, worthless, incompetent, inept, good-for-nothing

scintillatingIt’s a bright day with scintillating sun.

scintillating (adj.): sparkling or shining brightly.Synonyms: sparkling, shining, bright, brilliant

incendiaryOnly one incendiary bomb would set the

whole place into fire.

incendiary (adj.): (of a device or attack) designed to cause fires.Synonyms: combustible, inflammatory

veraciousIt is disheartening for a veracious wife to

listen to the lies of a prevaricating husband.

veracious (adj.): speaking or representing the truth. Synonyms: right

impecuniousShe comes from an impecunious family. She

barely has the money to make her living.

impecunious (adj.): having little or no money.Synonyms: penniless, poor, impoverished

assiduousShe deserved the grant. She was assiduous in

pointing out every feature in her proposal.

assiduous (adj.): showing great care and perseverance. Synonyms: diligent, careful, meticulous, thorough

irksomeHis victory was so irksome to his opponents

that they left without congratulating him.

irksome (adj.): irritating; annoying.

pivotalThe manager’s decision to stop the project

was pivotal to minimize our losses . Without it we would have lost all the fund.

pivotal (adj.): of crucial importance in relation to the development or success of something else.Synonyms: central, crucial, vital, critical

reconditeThe book is full of recondite terms. We consulted our professor to comprehend

them.

recondite (adj.): (of a subject or knowledge) little known; abstruse.Synonyms: obscure, difficult, complex, incomprehensible

efflorescenceIn the era of Renaissance, the whole country

witnessed efflorescence in sciences, arts and commerce.

efflorescence (n.): blossoming, flowering.

tepidThe performance wasn’t very impressive. The

applause it received was tepid.

tepid (adj.): showing little enthusiasm.Synonyms: unenthusiastic, apathetic, muted

clangorousThe clangorous sounds the band made by

their instruments proved that they were not clever musicians.

clangorous (adj.): making a loud, resonant metallic sound or series of sounds. Synonyms: ringing, chiming

feignHe feigned injury to win the sympathy of the

judge, but she knew he was lying.

feign (v.): pretend to be affected by (a feeling, state, or injury).Synonyms: simulate, pretend, affect, assume

dissembleHe is an honest, sincere person with no need

to dissemble.

dissemble (v.): conceal one's true motives, feelings, or beliefs. Synonyms: dissimulate, pretend, feign

untappedUntil only a few years ago, Sudan's oil

reserves represented no more than untapped potential.

untapped (v.): (of a resource) not yet exploited or used.

apportionedIn Europe, football is the most popular sport, whereas in America, fandom is fairly evenly apportioned among a few different sports.

apportion (v.): divide and allocate.

castigatedHe was castigated for not setting a good

example.

castigate (v.): reprimand (someone) severely. Synonyms: chastise, scold, rebuke

demonize The movie seeks neither to glorify nor to

demonize slavery.

demonize (v.): portray as wicked and threatening.

deifyShe was deified by the early Romans as a

fertility goddess.

deify (v.): worship, regard, or treat (someone or something) as a god.Synonyms: worship, revere

ruminatePeople are often consumed with the past,

ruminating about events and chewing them over and over.

ruminate (v.): think deeply about something.Synonyms: contemplate, muse

averHis confession averred that it was he who

committed the crime.

aver (v.): state or assert to be the case.Synonyms: allege, assert, verify

contortA spasm of pain contorted his face.

contort (v.): twist or bend out of its normal shape.Synonyms: twist, bend out of shape, distort

leniencyThe court showed leniency toward the

criminal because of his young age.

leniency (v.): the fact or quality of being more merciful or tolerant than expected.Synonyms: tolerance, mildness

probityHis probity prevented him from maligning his

opponent.

probity (v.): the quality of having strong moral principles.Synonyms: integrity, honesty, uprightness

swindleHis is just a dishonorable businessman who swindles investors out of millions of dollars.

swindle (v.): use deception to deprive (someone) of money or possessions.Synonyms: cheat, trick, deceive

disabuseProphets of universal religions came to

disabuse people of their mercenary conception of their lives.

disabuse (v.): persuade (someone) that an idea or belief is mistaken.Synonyms: disillusion about, open someone's eyes about, enlighten on/about

delugeThe rainfall was heavy and the flood deluged

the banks of the river.

deluge (v.): inundate with a great quantity of something.Synonyms: overwhelm, overrun, flood