Dictionary Refernce Common Words

8/6/2019 Dictionary Refernce Common Words

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1. countenance

(noun)the look or expression of the face, also approval or encouragement; moral support

2. facetious

(adjective)not meant to be taken seriously or literally, lacking serious intent; amusing or

frivolous

3. pedantic

(adjective)ostentatious in one's learning, overly concerned with minute details or formalisms,especially in teaching

4. esoteric

(adjective)understood by or meant for only the select few who have special knowledge orinterest; secret or confidential

5. ambiguous

(adjective)open to or having several possible meanings or interpretations; difficult tocomprehend, distinguish, or classify

6. repudiate

(verb)to reject as having no authority or binding force, to cast off or disown

7. melancholy

(adjective)affected with, characterized by, or showing sadness; mournful; soberly thoughtful

8. paradigm

(noun)a set of forms all of which contain a particular element, an example serving as a model or

pattern

9. capricious

(adjective)subject to, led by, or indicative of caprice or whim; erratic

10. ostentatious

(adjective)characterized by or given to pretentious or conspicuous show in an attempt to impress

others or attract notice


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11. paradox

(noun)a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expressesa possible truth

12. mitigate

(verb)to lessen in force or intensity, as wrath, grief, harshness, or pain; moderate or make lesssevere

13. pragmatic

(adjective)pertaining to a practical point of view or practical considerations

14. auspicious

(adjective)promising success, favored by fortune; prosperous

15. plethora

(noun)overabundance, excess

16. lethargic

(adjective)drowsy and sluggish

17. gullible

(adjective)easily deceived or cheated

18. erudite

(adjective)characterized by great knowledge; learned or scholarly

19. eclectic

(adjective)selecting from various sources or made up of what is selected from different sources

20. obsequious

(adjective)characterized by or showing servile complaisance or deference; fawning, servilelycompliant or deferential

21. refute

(verb)to prove to be false or erroneous, as an opinion or charge


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22. disingenuous

(adjective)lacking in frankness, candor, or sincerity

23. lucid

(adjective)easily understood; completely intelligible or comprehensible

24. opaque

(adjective)not transparent or translucent; impenetrable to light; dark or dull

25. aesthetic

(adjective)pertaining to the beautiful or the branch of philosophy dealing with such notions as thebeautiful, the ugly, the sublime, the comic

26. mundane

(adjective)pertaining to this world or earth as contrasted with heaven; earthly, common, ordinary,banal or unimaginative

27. hyperbole

(noun)obvious and intentional exaggeration; an extravagant statement or figure of speech not

intended to be taken literally

28. loquacious

(adjective)talking or tending to talk much, excessively or freely

29. rhetoric

(noun)the undue use of exaggeration or display in writing or speech; bombast

30. apathy

(noun)absence or suppression of passion, emotion, or excitement; lack of interest in or concern

for things that others find moving or exciting

31. discretion

(noun)the power or right to decide or act according to one's own judgment; freedom of judgmentor choice

32. articulate


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(verb)to utter clearly and distinctly; pronounce with clarity

33. enigmatic

(adjective)perplexing and mysterious

34. appropriate

(verb)to set apart and authorize for some specific purpose; to take for oneself or to take without

permission or consent

35. acumen

(noun)keen insight or shrewdness

36. advocate

(verb)to speak or write in favor of; support or urge by argument; recommend publicly

37. innocuous

(adjective)not harmful or injurious; harmless

38. gregarious

(adjective)fond of the company of others; sociable

39. anathema

(noun)a person or thing detested, loathed, consigned to damnation or destruction; a formal

ecclesiastical curse involving excommunication

40. banal

(adjective)devoid of freshness or originality; hackneyed or trite

41. efficacy

(noun)capacity for producing a desired result or effect; effectiveness

42. benign

(adjective)having a kindly disposition; showing or expressive of gentleness or kindness

43. meticulous


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(adjective)taking or showing extreme care about minute details; precise and thorough

44. ephemeral

(adjective)lasting a very short time, transitory

45. succinct

(adjective)expressed in few words; concise or terse

46. reticent

(adjective)disposed to be silent or not to speak freely; reluctant or restrained

47. contentious

(adjective)tending to argument or strife; causing, involving, or characterized by controversy

48. ambiguity

(noun)doubtfulness or uncertainty of meaning or intention

49. insipid

(adjective)without distinctive, interesting, or stimulating qualities; vapid or bland

50. alacrity

(noun)cheerful readiness, promptness, or willingness

51. austere

(adjective)severe in manner or appearance, rigorously self-disciplined and severely moral;

lacking softness

52. presumptuous

(adjective)unwarrantedly or impertinently bold; forward

53. dogmatic

(adjective)of the nature of a dogma or doctrine, asserting opinions in an arrogant manner;

opinionated

54. arcane


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(adjective)known or understood by very few; mysterious, secret or obscure

55. taciturn

(adjective)inclined to silence; reserved in speech; dour, stern, and silent in expression and

manner

56. impetuous

(adjective)characterized by sudden or rash action; impulsive; moving with great force or violence

57. anomaly

(noun)a deviation from the common rule, type, arrangement, or form; an odd or peculiar

condition

58. inherent

(adjective)existing in someone or something as a permanent and inseparable element, quality, orattribute

59. pernicious

(adjective)causing insidious harm or ruin, injury or hurt

60. spurious

(adjective)not genuine, authentic, or true; pretended or counterfeit

61. contrite

(adjective)showing sincere remorse; filled with a sense of guilt and the desire for atonement

62. volatile

(adjective)tending or threatening to break out into open violence; changeable or mercurial

63. emulate

(verb)imitate with effort to equal or surpass or to rival with some degree of success

64. petulant

(adjective)moved to or showing sudden, impatient irritation, especially over some trifling

annoyance


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65. convoluted

(adjective)twisted or coiled; complicated or intricately involved

66. obstinate

(adjective)firmly or stubbornly adhering to one's purpose or opinion; not yielding to argument,

persuasion, or entreaty

67. laconic

(adjective)using few words; expressing much in few words; concise

68. propensity

(noun)a natural inclination or tendency

69. audacious

(adjective)extremely bold or daring; recklessly brave and fearless, also extremely original

70. pique

(noun)a feeling of irritation or resentment, as from a wound to pride or self-esteem

71. prosaic

(adjective)commonplace or dull; matter-of-fact or unimaginative; having the character of proserather than poetry

72. mercurial

(adjective)changeable, volatile, fickle, flighty and erratic

73. hegemony

(noun)leadership or predominant influence exercised by one nation over others; predominance

74. exacerbate

(verb)to increase the severity, bitterness, or violence of; aggravate

75. nascent

(adjective)beginning to exist or develop


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76. disparate

(adjective)distinct in kind and essentially different; dissimilar

77. avarice

(noun)insatiable greed for riches; miserly desire to gain and hoard wealth

78. sporadic

(adjective)appearing or happening at irregular intervals in time; scattered or isolated instances

79. assuage

(verb)to make milder or less severe; relieve, ease or mitigate

80. penchant

(noun)a strong inclination, taste, or liking for something

81. arduous

(adjective)requiring great exertion; laborious, using much energy and vigor; full of hardships

82. specious

(adjective)apparently good or right though lacking real merit; superficially pleasing

83. dearth

(noun)an inadequate supply; scarcity; lack as during famine

84. cogent

(adjective)convincing or believable by virtue of forcible, clear, or incisive presentation

85. ambivalence

(noun)uncertainty, especially when caused by inability to make a choice or by a simultaneousdesire to say or do two opposite or conflicting things

86. ameliorate

(verb, verb)to make or become better, more bearable, or more satisfactory; improve

87. perfunctory


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(adjective)performed merely as a routine duty; hasty and superficial; lacking interest, care, orenthusiasm; indifferent or apathetic

88. lugubrious

(adjective)mournful, dismal, or gloomy in an affected, exaggerated, or unrelieved manner

89. pithy

(adjective)brief, forceful, and meaningful in expression; full of vigor, substance, or meaning;terse

90. empirical

(adjective)depending upon experience or observation alone, without using scientific method ortheory

91. tenuous

(adjective)thin or slender in form like a thread; lacking a sound basis in reasoning; an

unsubstantiated or weak stand, statement or argument

92. amenable

(adjective)ready or willing to answer, open to influence, persuasion, or advice; agreeable

93. catalyst

(noun)a person or thing that precipitates an event or change

94. digress

(verb)to deviate or wander away from the main topic or purpose in speaking or writing

95. peruse

(verb)to read through with thoroughness or care, to examine in detail

96. indolent

(adjective)having or showing a disposition to avoid exertion; slothful

97. tacit

(adjective)understood without being openly expressed; implied, unvoiced or unspoken


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98. latent

(adjective)present but not visible, apparent, or actualized; existing as potential

99. placate

(verb)to appease or pacify, especially by concessions or conciliatory gestures

100. eloquent

(adjective)having or exercising the power of fluent, forceful, and appropriate speech,

characterized by forceful and appropriate expression

101. ascetic

(noun)a person who dedicates his or her life to a pursuit of contemplative ideals and practices

extreme self-denial for religious reasons

102. vindictive

(adjective)disposed or inclined to revenge; proceeding from or showing a revengeful spirit

103. caustic

(adjective)capable of burning, corroding, or destroying living tissue; severely critical or sarcastic

104. garrulous

(adjective)excessively talkative in a rambling, roundabout manner, especially about trivialmatters

105. recalcitrant

(adjective)resisting authority or control, not obedient or compliant

106. precarious

(adjective)dependent on circumstances beyond one's control; uncertain, unstable or insecure

107. anachronism

(noun)something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time, especially

one that belongs to an earlier time

108. prodigal


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(adjective)wastefully or recklessly extravagant or lavish

109. diatribe

(noun)a bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism

110. bane

(noun)a person or thing that ruins or spoils

111. morose

(adjective)gloomily or sullenly ill-humored, as a person or mood; characterized by or expressinggloom

112. verbose

(adjective)characterized by the use of many or too many words

113. deleterious

(adjective)injurious to health

114. onerous

(adjective)burdensome, oppressive, or troublesome; having obligations or that outweigh the

advantages

115. rescind

(verb)to annul, revoke or repeal, to invalidate by a later action or a higher authority

116. axiom

(noun)a self-evident truth that requires no proof, a universally accepted principle or rule

117. abate

(verb)to reduce in amount, degree, or intensity

118. assiduous

(adjective)unremitting; constant in application or effort; working diligently at a task

119. admonish


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(verb)to caution, advise, to reprove or scold in a mild and good-willed manner

120. ostensible

(adjective)outwardly appearing, professed or pretended

121. corroborate

(verb)to make more certain; confirm

122. lament

(verb)to feel or express sorrow or regret for, to mourn for something or someone

123. sagacious

(adjective)having or showing acute mental discernment and keen practical sense; shrewd

124. sanction

(noun)authoritative permission that serves to support an action or condition

125. paucity

(noun)smallness of quantity, scarcity, insufficiency of number

126. fervent

(adjective)having or showing great warmth or intensity of spirit, feeling, enthusiasm; ardent

127. terse

(adjective)neatly or effectively concise, brief and pithy

128. bombastic

(adjective)high-sounding, inflated or pretentious speech or writing

129. malevolent

(adjective)wishing evil or harm to another or others; showing ill will

130. whimsical

(adjective)given to whimsy or fanciful notions; capricious


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131. decorum

(noun)dignified propriety of behavior, speech and dress; an observance or requirement of politesociety

132. abscond

(verb)to depart in a sudden and secret manner, especially to avoid capture and legal prosecution

133. connoisseur

(noun)a person who is especially competent to pass critical judgments in an art, particularly oneof the fine arts, or in matters of taste

134. obdurate

(adjective)unmoved by persuasion, pity, or tender feelings; stubborn, unyielding

135. resolute

(adjective)firmly resolved or determined, characterized by firmness and determination

136. apocryphal

(adjective)of doubtful authorship or authenticity

137. diffident

(adjective)lacking confidence in one's own ability, worth, or fitness; restrained or reserved inmanner or conduct

138. zealot

(noun)an excessively zealous person or a fanatic

139. archaic

(adjective)marked by the characteristics of an earlier period; antiquated or primitive

140. guile

(noun)insidious cunning in attaining a goal; crafty or artful deception

141. inchoate

(adjective)not yet completed or fully developed; just begun; incipient; not organized


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142. ingenuous

(adjective)free from reserve, restraint, or dissimulation; candid or sincere

143. fortuitous

(adjective)happening or produced by chance; lucky or fortunate

144. endemic

(adjective)characteristic of a specific people or place; native or indigenous

145. fatuous

(adjective)foolish or inane, especially in an unconscious, complacent manner; silly

146. halcyon

(adjective)calm and tranquil; rich and prosperous; happy and carefree

147. disparage

(verb)to treat slightingly or belittle

148. irascible

(adjective)easily provoked to anger; very irritable

149. propriety

(noun)conformity to established standards of good or proper behavior or manners

150. misanthrope

(noun)a person who dislikes other people

151. hackneyed

(adjective)made commonplace or trite; stale or banal

152. vindicate

(verb)to clear, as from an accusation, imputation or suspicion; to uphold or justify by argument

or evidence

153. acerbic


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(adjective)sour or astringent in taste; harsh or severe, as of temper or expression

154. approbation

(noun)approval; commendation or official sanction

155. platitude

(noun)a flat, dull, or trite remark uttered as if it were fresh or profound

156. sordid

(adjective)morally ignoble or base; meanly selfish, self-seeking, or mercenary

157. impede

(verb)to retard in movement or progress by means of obstacles or hindrances

158. precipitate

(verb)to hasten the occurrence of; bring about prematurely, or to cast or plunge violently

159. maverick

(noun)an unbranded calf that is separated from its mother, or a lone dissenter who takes anindependent stand apart from his or her associates

160. perennial

(adjective)lasting for an indefinitely long time; enduring

161. adroit

(adjective)expert or nimble in the use of the hands or body; cleverly skillful, resourceful, oringenious

162. quotidian

(adjective)daily, usual or customary; everyday

163. flippant

(adjective)frivolously disrespectful, shallow, or lacking in seriousness; characterized by levity

164. pusillanimous


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(adjective)lacking courage or resolution; timid

165. levity

(noun)lightness of mind, character, or behavior; lack of appropriate seriousness or earnestness

166. tirade

(noun)a prolonged outburst of bitter, outspoken denunciation

167. obviate

(verb)to anticipate and prevent or eliminate difficulties by effective measures; renderunnecessary

168. inscrutable

(adjective)incapable of being investigated, analyzed, or scrutinized; not easily understood;

mysterious

169. odious

(adjective)deserving or causing hatred; highly offensive

170. blithe

(adjective)joyous, merry, or gay in disposition; without thought or regard

171. phlegmatic

(adjective)not easily excited to action or display of emotion; self-possessed, calm, or composed

172. deference

(noun)respectful submission or yielding to the judgment, opinion or will of another

173. paragon

(noun)a model or pattern of excellence or of a particular excellence

174. voracious

(adjective)craving or consuming large quantities of food; exceedingly eager or avid

175. soporific


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(adjective)causing sleep; characterized by drowsiness

176. accolade

(noun)award, honor, or laudatory notice; originally a light touch on the shoulder with the flat

side of the sword in the ceremony of conferring knighthood

177. feign

(verb)to invent fictitiously or deceptively, as a story or an excuse

178. extant

(adjective)still existing, not destroyed or lost

179. abeyance

(noun)temporary inactivity, cessation, or suspension

180. prevaricate

(verb)to speak falsely, deliberately misstate or create an incorrect impression; to lie

181. antipathy

(noun)a basic, or habitual repugnance; aversion or dislike

182. boisterous

(adjective)rough and noisy, jolly or rowdy; clamorous and unrestrained

183. propitious

(adjective)presenting favorable conditions; auspicious

184. salacious

(adjective)lustful or lecherous; obscene writing or photographs

185. appease

(verb)to bring to a state of peace, quiet, ease, calm, or contentment

186. dilettante


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(noun)a person who takes up an art, activity, or subject merely for amusement, especially in asuperficial way; a dabbler

187. aberrant

(adjective)departing from the right, normal, or usual course; exceptional

188. umbrage

(noun)offense, annoyance or displeasure; the slightest indication or vaguest feeling of suspicion,doubt or hostility

189. invidious

(adjective)calculated to create ill will, resentment or give offense; hateful

190. filial

(adjective)pertaining to or befitting a son or daughter; noting or having the relation of a child to aparent

191. elegy

(noun)a mournful, melancholy poem, especially in remembrance of the dead

192. truculent

(adjective)fierce; cruel; brutally harsh or aggressively hostile

193. iconoclast

(noun) a person who attacks cherished beliefs, traditional institutions, or religions as being based

on error or superstition

194. incipient

(adjective)beginning to exist or appear; in an initial stage

195. anomalous

(adjective)deviating from or inconsistent with the common order, form, or rule; not fitting into acommon or type or pattern

196. partisan


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(noun)an adherent or supporter of a person, group, party, or cause, especially one that shows abiased, emotional allegiance

197. opprobrium

(noun)the disgrace incurred by conduct considered outrageously shameful; infamy

198. exigent

(adjective)requiring immediate action or aid; requiring a great deal, or more than is reasonable

199. vacillate

(verb)to waver in mind or opinion; be indecisive or irresolute

200. desultory

(adjective)lacking in consistency or visible order; random

201. lassitude

(noun)weariness of body or mind from strain; a condition of indolent indifference

202. apposite

(adjective)suitable, well-adapted, pertinent, relevant or apt

203. inhibit

(verb)to restrain, hinder, arrest, or check; to prohibit or forbid

204. implacable

(adjective)not to be appeased, mollified, or pacified

205. eulogy

(noun)a speech or writing in praise and in honor of a deceased person

206. effrontery

(noun)shameless or impudent boldness; barefaced audacity

207. inimical

(adjective)adverse in tendency or effect, unfavorable; unfriendly or hostile


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208. turgid

(adjective)swollen, distended, tumid; overblown or pompous

209. bolster

(verb)to support with a pillow or cushion, or to support and uphold

210. pristine

(adjective)having its original purity; uncorrupted or unsullied

211. neophyte

(noun)a beginner or novice, a person newly converted to a belief, as a heathen, heretic, ornonbeliever

212. credulous

(adjective)willing to believe or trust too readily without proper or adequate evidence; gullible

213. anodyne

(noun)a medicine that relieves or allays pain

214. iniquity

(noun)gross injustice or wickedness; a violation of right or duty

215. apotheosis

(noun)the elevation or exaltation of a person to the rank of a god; an ideal example

216. exonerate

(verb)to clear, as of an accusation; free from guilt or blame

217. demur

(noun)the act of making objection

218. dissonance

(noun)inharmonious or harsh sound; a simultaneous combination of tones conventionallyaccepted as being in a state of needing completion


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219. viscous

(adjective)of a thick nature or consistency

220. rue

(verb)to feel sorrow over or regret bitterly; to wish that something had never taken place

221. salubrious

(adjective)favorable to or promoting health

222. pungent

(adjective)sharply affecting the organs of taste or smell, as if by a penetrating power; biting oracrid

223. flout

(verb)to treat with disdain, scorn, or contempt

224. reprobate

(adjective)morally depraved, unprincipled or bad; rejected by God and beyond hope of salvation

225. inert

(adjective)having no inherent power of action, motion, or resistance

226. abstain

(verb)to hold oneself back voluntarily, especially from something regarded as improper orunhealthy

227. apprise

(verb)to give notice to; inform or advise

228. amalgamate

(verb)to combine, unite, merge, or coalesce

229. castigate

(verb)to criticize or reprimand severely, or punish in order to correct


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230. apostate

(noun)a person who forsakes his religion, cause or party

231. luminous

(adjective)radiating or reflecting light; shining; bright; enlightened, as in a writer or a writer's

works

232. engender

(verb)to produce, cause, or give rise to

233. belie

(verb)show to be false; to misrepresent or act unworthily according to some standard

234. chicanery

(noun)trickery or deception by quibbling or sophistry

235. derivative

(adjective)not original but secondary

236. fallacious

(adjective)containing a fallacy; logically unsound or misleading

237. noxious

(adjective)harmful or injurious to health or physical well-being; morally harmful, corrupting orpernicious

238. august

(adjective)inspiring reverence or admiration; of supreme dignity or grandeur; majestic

239. immutable

(adjective)unchangeable, changeless

240. enervate

(verb)to deprive of force or strength; destroy the vigor of and weaken


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241. exhort

(verb)to urge, advise, or caution earnestly; urgently admonish

242. itinerant

(adjective)traveling from place to place, journeying

243. harangue

(noun)a scolding or a long or intense verbal attack; a long, passionate, vehement speech

delivered before a public gathering

244. venerate

(verb)to regard or treat with reverence

245. stint

(verb)to limit to a certain amount, number, share, or allowance, often inappropriately

246. recondite

(adjective)dealing with very profound or difficult subject matter; beyond ordinary knowledge orunderstanding

247. precursor

(noun)a person, animal, or thing that goes before and indicates the approach of someone orsomething else; harbinger

248. perfidy

(noun)deliberate breach of faith or trust

249. imperious

(adjective)domineering in a haughty manner; dictatorial or overbearing

250. renege

(verb)to break a rule of play or go back on one's word

251. attenuate


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(verb)to weaken or reduce in force, intensity, effect, quantity, or value; to make thin, slender orfine

252. stolid

(adjective)not easily stirred or moved mentally; unemotional or impassive

253. probity

(noun)integrity and uprightness; honesty

254. gauche

(adjective)lacking social grace, sensitivity, or acuteness; awkward, crude or tactless

255. culpable

(adjective)deserving blame or censure; blameworthy

256. intractable

(adjective)not easily controlled or directed; not docile or manageable; stubborn

257. subpoena

(noun)the usual writ for the summoning of witnesses or the submission of evidence, as records or

documents, before a court

258. impugn

(verb)to challenge as false; to cast doubt upon

259. tortuous

(adjective)full of twists, turns, or bends; not direct or straightforward, as in procedure or speech

260. laud

(verb)to praise, extol

261. insular

(adjective)of or pertaining to an island or islands, or detached and isolated

262. churlish


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(adjective)boorish and rude, difficult to work or deal with

263. reverent

(adjective)feeling, exhibiting, or characterized by reverence; deeply respectful

264. noisome

(adjective)offensive or disgusting, such as an odor; harmful or injurious to health

265. equivocate

(verb)to use ambiguous or unclear expressions, usually to avoid commitment or in order tomislead

266. pedestrian

(adjective)lacking in vitality, imagination or distinction; commonplace or dull

267. fell

(noun)an upland pasture, moor, or thicket; a highland plateau

268. compendium

(noun)a brief account of an extensive subject; a summary

269. impecunious

(adjective)having little or no money; penniless, poor

270. excoriate

(verb)to denounce or berate severely; to strip off or remove the skin from; verbally flay

271. homogeneous

(adjective)composed of parts or elements that are all of the same kind; of the same kind or nature

272. officious

(adjective)objectionably aggressive in offering one's unrequested and unwanted services, help, or

advice; meddlesome

273. confound


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(verb)to perplex or amaze by a sudden disturbance or surprise; to throw into confusion ordisorder

274. dissolution

(noun)the act or process of resolving or dissolving into parts or elements, the undoing orbreaking of a bond, tie, union or partnership

275. sedulous

(adjective)diligent in application or attention; persistently or carefully maintained

276. inundate

(verb)to flood or cover with water; deluge, or to overwhelm

277. trenchant

(adjective)incisive or keen, as language or a person; vigorous, effective and energetic

278. querulous

(adjective)full of complaints; complaining or peevish

279. intransigent

(adjective)refusing to agree or compromise; inflexible

280. occlude

(verb)to close, shut, or stop up

281. pervade

(verb)to become spread throughout all parts of

282. fledgling

(adjective)young, new, or inexperienced

283. palliate

(verb)to relieve or lessen without curing; to try to conceal the gravity of an offense by excuses orapologies

284. denigrate


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(verb)to speak damagingly in a derogatory manner; to treat or represent as lacking in value orimportance

285. philanthropic

(adjective)pertaining to or engaged in benevolent giving, engaging in the betterment of conditionfor others; charitable work

286. augury

(noun)the art or practice of divination or a related omen, token, or indication

287. solicitous

(adjective)anxious or concerned about; desirous or eager

288. deprecate

(verb)to express earnest disapproval of; to protest against a scheme

289. mendacious

(adjective)telling lies, habitually dishonest, untruthful

290. relegate

(verb)to send or consign to an inferior position, place, or condition

291. mollify

(verb)to soften in feeling or temper; pacify or appease; reduce or soften

292. perfidious

(adjective)deliberately faithless, treacherous or deceitful

293. foment

(verb)to instigate or foster discord or ill feeling

294. torpid

(adjective)inactive or sluggish; slow; dull or lethargic

295. turpitude


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(noun)vile, shameful or base character or act

296. deride

(verb)to laugh at in scorn or contempt; scoff, jeer or mock

297. satiate

(verb)to supply with anything to excess, so as to disgust or weary; or to satisfy to the full

298. proscribe

(verb)to denounce or condemn as dangerous or harmful; prohibit or banish into exile

299. vitiate

(verb)to impair or weaken the effectiveness of; invalidate

300. fawn

(verb)to seek notice or favor by servile demeanor or to behave affectionately

301. mendacity

(noun)the quality of being untruthful, an instance of lying

302. magnanimity

(noun)the quality of being extremely generous

303. din

(noun)a loud, confused noise, continued or tumultuous

304. dilatory

(adjective)tending to delay or procrastinate; to slow

305. prolix

(adjective)extended to great, unnecessary, or tedious length; long and wordy

306. venal

(adjective)willing to sell one's influence in return for a bribe


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307. penury

(noun)extreme poverty or destitution

308. dissemble

(verb)to give a false or misleading appearance to; conceal the truth or real nature of something in

a feign

309. propitiate

(verb)to make favorably inclined; appease

310. aver

(verb)to assert with confidence; declare in a positive or peremptory manner

311. timorous

(adjective)full of fear, subject to fear; timid

312. peremptory

(adjective)leaving no opportunity for denial or refusal; imperative, decisive or final

313. felicitous

(adjective)well-suited for the occasion, as an action, manner, or expression; apt or appropriate

314. salutary

(adjective)promoting or conducive to health; wholesome

315. temperate

(adjective)moderate or self-restrained; not extreme in opinion, statement, or overly indulgent inappetite or passion

316. florid

(adjective)reddish, ruddy or rosy; flowery or excessively ornate

317. fetid

(adjective)having an offensive odor; stinking


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318. craven

(adjective)cowardly, contemptibly timid, pusillanimous

319. dirge

(noun)a funeral song expressing mourning in commemoration of the dead

320. complaisant

(adjective)inclined or disposed to please; agreeable or gracious

321. munificent

(adjective)extremely liberal in giving; very generous

322. recant

(verb)to withdraw or disavow a statement or opinion; to formally retract

323. aspersion

(noun)a damaging or derogatory remark or criticism; the act of slandering

324. saturnine

(adjective)sluggish in temperament; gloomy or taciturn

325. tractable

(adjective)easily managed or controlled; docile; easily worked, shaped, or otherwise handled

326. accretion

(noun)an increase by natural growth or by gradual external addition; growth in size or extent

327. impassive

(adjective)without emotion, unmoved; calm or serene

328. strut

(verb)to walk with a vain, pompous bearing, as with head erect and chest thrown out

329. ebullience


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(noun)high spirits, exhilaration or exuberance

330. talisman

(noun)a stone, ring, or other object supposed to possess occult powers to be worn as an amulet or

charm

331. burgeon

(verb)to grow or develop quickly; flourish

332. gossamer

(noun)a fine, filmy cobweb seen on grass or bushes or floating in the air in calm weather; any

thin, light fabric with this quality

333. fervid

(adjective)heated or vehement in spirit, enthusiasm; burning, glowing or intensely hot

334. refractory

(adjective)hard or impossible to manage; stubbornly disobedient

335. tendentious

(adjective)having or showing a definite tendency, bias, or purpose

336. dupe

(noun)a person who is easily deceived, a gullible person who unquestioningly or unwittinglyserves a cause or another person

337. astringent

(adjective)harshly biting, stern or severe; sharply incisive or pungent

338. oscillate

(verb)to swing or move to and fro, as a pendulum does, or to vacillate between differing beliefs,

opinions or conditions

339. turbid

(adjective)not clear or transparent because of stirred-up sediment; clouded, opaque or obscured


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340. waver

(noun)an act of fluttering or vacillating

341. discordant

(adjective)being at variance; disagreeing or harsh

342. panegyric

(noun)a lofty oration or writing in praise of a person or thing; an eulogy

343. expiate

(verb)make amends or reparation for

344. encomium

(noun)a formal expression of high praise; eulogy

345. aggrandize

(verb)to widen in scope, enlarge or extend, to make greater in power, wealth, rank, or honor

346. buttress

(noun)any prop or support built to steady a structure by opposing its outward thrusts

347. adumbrate

(verb)to produce a faint image or resemblance of; to foreshadow, darken or partially conceal

348. untoward

(adjective)unfavorable or unfortunate; improper

349. antagonism

(noun)an active hostility or opposition, as between unfriendly or conflicting groups; an opposingforce or tendency

350. multifaceted

(adjective)having many facets, such as a gem, or having many aspects or phases

351. exculpate


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(verb)to clear from a charge of guilt or fault; free from blame

352. flag

(verb)to fall off in vigor, energy, activity, interest; to hang loosely or droop

353. veracious

(adjective)habitually speaking the truth; characterized by truthfulness; honest in content

354. sinuous

(adjective)having many curves, bends, or turns; winding and indirect; devious.

355. imperturbable

(adjective)incapable of being upset or agitated; not easily excited, calm

356. penurious

(adjective)extremely stingy, parsimonious or miserly; extremely poor

357. daunt

(verb)to overcome with fear; intimidate

358. adulterate

(verb)to debase or make impure by adding inferior materials or elements

359. desiccate

(verb)to become thoroughly dried or dried up

360. libertine

(noun)a person who is morally or sexually unrestrained, or a freethinker in religious matters

361. limpid

(adjective)clear and transparent, such as water, crystal, or air; completely calm, without distressor worry

362. baleful

(adjective)full of menacing or malign influences


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363. asperity

(noun)harshness or sharpness of tone or manner; roughness and unevenness

364. rent

(noun)an opening made by rending or tearing; a breach of relations or union between individuals

or groups

365. reproof

(noun)the act of reproving, censuring, or rebuking

366. remonstrate

(verb)to say or plead in protest, objection, or disapproval

367. disinterested

(adjective)unbiased by personal interest or advantage; not influenced by selfish motives

368. guileless

(adjective)free from guile; sincere, honest, straightforward, frank

369. emollient

(adjective)having the power of softening or relaxing, such as for the skin

370. gainsay

(verb)to deny, dispute, or contradict; to speak or act against; oppose

371. mordant

(adjective)sharply caustic or sarcastic, as wit or a speaker; burning or corrosive

372. fetter

(noun)a chain or shackle placed on the feet; anything that confines or restrains

373. qualify

(verb)to modify or limit in some way; make less strong or positive

374. disabuse


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(verb)to free a person from deception or error

375. auspice

(noun)patronage; support; sponsorship ; a divination or prognostication, originally from

observing birds

376. alloy

(noun)composed of two or more metals, often a less costly metal mixed with a more valuableone

377. undulate

(verb)to move with a wavelike motion; display a smooth rising-and-falling or side-to-sidealternation of movement

378. coda

(noun)in music, an independent passage at the end of a composition, made to bring it to a

satisfactory close; anything that serves as a conclusion

379. tyro

(noun)a beginner in learning anything

380. cacophonous

(adjective)having a harsh or discordant sound

381. bent

(noun)direction taken, as by one's interests; a capacity of endurance

382. inveigh

(verb)to protest strongly or attack vehemently with words

383. forestall

(verb)to prevent by action in advance, anticipate, or to buy up goods in advance in order toincrease the price when resold

384. peccadillo

(noun)a very minor offense, a trifling fault


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385. fulminate

(verb)to explode with a loud noise, or to issue denunciations against

386. malinger

(verb)to pretend illness, especially in order to shirk one's duty or avoid work

387. burnish

(verb)to polish a surface by friction to make smooth and bright

388. vituperate

(verb, verb)to use or address with harsh or abusive language; revile

389. arrant

(adjective)downright, thorough, unmitigated, notorious

390. slake

(verb)to allay by satisfying; to make less active, vigorous, intense

391. descry

(verb)to see something unclear or distant by looking carefully; to discover or detect

392. rancorous

(adjective)full of resentment or spite

393. pillory

(verb)to expose to public derision, ridicule, or abuse

394. beneficent

(adjective)doing good, conferring benefits; kind in action or purpose

395. plastic

(adjective)capable of being molded or of receiving form; pliable and impressionable

396. martinet


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(noun)a strict disciplinarian, especially a military one; someone who stubbornly adheres tomethods or rules

397. arrest

(verb)to catch and hold, attract and fix, to stop and slow down

398. headlong

(adjective)undertaken quickly and suddenly; hasty

399. indigence

(noun)seriously impoverished condition; poverty

400. arabesque

(noun)a sinuous, spiraling, undulating, or serpentine line or linear motif, often used in the Fine

Arts

401. abnegate

(verb)to refuse or deny oneself some rights or conveniences; to reject or renounce

402. shard

(noun)a fragment such as broken earthenware, glass or shell

403. minatory

(adjective)menacing, threatening

404. welter

(verb)to roll, toss, or heave, as waves or the sea; to roll, writhe or tumble about

405. striated

(adjective)marked with narrow furrows or ridges; striped or streaked

406. simper

(noun)a silly, self-conscious smile

407. cadge


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(verb)to obtain by imposing on another's generosity or friendship, to borrow without intent torepay

408. depredation

(noun)the act of preying upon or plundering

409. rarefy

(verb)to make more refined, spiritual, or exalted

410. raillery

(noun)good-humored ridicule or banter

411. artless

(adjective)free from deceit or cunning; natural, simple, uncontrived

412. idolatrous

(adjective)worshiping idols or blindly adoring

413. insensible

(adjective)incapable of feeling or perceiving; deprived of sensation; unconscious

414. bedizen

(verb)to dress or adorn in a showy, gaudy, or tasteless manner

415. novitiate

(noun)the state or period of being a novice of a religious order or congregation; the state orperiod of being a beginner in anything

416. grandiloquence

(noun)speech that is lofty in tone, often to the point of being pompous or bombastic

417. blandish

(verb)to coax or influence by gentle flattery; cajole

418. beatify


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(verb)to make blissfully happy; in the Roman Catholic Church, to declare to be among theblessed entitled to specific religious honor

419. Stoic

(adjective)pertaining to the philosophy that people should be free from passion, unmoved by joyor grief, and submit without complaint to unavoidable necessity

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