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SAT Vocab #1
Hot words_800
Term | Definition |
---|---|
abate | v subside or moderate |
aberrant | adj abnormal or deviant |
abrasive | adj rubbing away; tending to grind down |
abridge | v condense or shorten |
absolute | adj complete; totally unlimited; certain |
abstemious | adj sparing in eating and drinking; temperate |
abstract | adj theoretical; not concrete; non-representable |
abstruse | adj obscure; profound; difficult to understand |
accessible | adj easy to approach; obtainable |
acclaim | v applaud; announce with approval |
accolade | n award of merit |
acknowledge | v recognize; admit |
acquiesce | v assent; agree without protesting |
acrimonious | adj bitter in words or manner |
acute | adj quickly perceptive; keen ; brief and severe |
address | v direct a speech to; deal with or discuss |
adherent | n supporter; follower |
adjacent | adj neighbouring; adjoining |
adroit | adj skilful; nimble |
adulation | n flattery; admiration |
adversary | n opponent |
adverse | adj unfavorable; hostile |
advocate | v urge; plead for |
aesthetic | adj artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciation of the beautiful |
affable | adj easily approachable; warmly friendly |
affinity | n natural liking; kinship; similarity |
affirmation | n positive assertion; confirmation; solemn pledge by one who refuses to take an oath |
aggressor | n attacker |
alienate | v make hostile; separate |
alleviate | v relieve |
aloof | adj apart; reserved; standoffish |
altruistic | adj unselfishly generous; concerned for others |
ambiguous | adj unclear or doubtful in meaning |
ambivalence | n the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes |
ameliorate | v improve; make more satisfactory |
amend | v correct; change, general for the better |
amorphous | adj formless; lacing shape or definition |
ample | adj abundant |
analogy | n similarity; parallelism |
anarchist | n person who seeks to overturn the established government; advocate of abolishing authority |
anecdote | n short account of an amusing or interesting event |
animosity | n active enmity |
antagonistic | adj hostile; opposed |
antidote | n medicine to counteract a poison or disease |
antiquated | adj old-fashioned; obsolete |
antithesis | n contrast; direct opposite of or to |
apathy | n lack of caring; indifference |
apocryphal | adj untrue; made up |
appease | v pacify or soothe; relieve |
appreciate | v be thankful for; increase in worth; be thoroughly conscious of |
apprehension | n fear; discernment; capture |
arable | adj fit for growing crops |
arbitrary | adj unreasonable or capricious; randomly selected without any reason; based solely on one's unrestricted will or judgment |
archaic | adj antiquated |
ardor | n heat; passion; zeal |
arid | adj dry; barren |
arrogance | n pride; haughtiness |
articulate | adj effective; distinct |
artifact | n object made by human beings, either hand-made or mass-produced |
artisan | n manually skilled worker; craftsman, as opposed to artist |
ascendancy | n controlling influence |
ascetic | adj practicing self-denial; austere |
aspire | v seek to attain; long for |
assuage | v ease or lessen (pain); satisfy (hunger); soothe (anger) |
astute | adj wise; shrewd |
atrophy | v waste away |
attentive | adj considerate; thoughtful; paying attention |
attribute | v ascribe; explain |
audacious | adj daring; bold |
augment | v increase; add to |
austerity | n sternness; severity; strict economy; lack of luxuries |
authentic | adj genuine |
authoritarian | adj favoring or exercising total control; nondemocratic |
autonomous | adj self-governing |
aversion | n firm dislike |
banal | adj hackneyed; commonplace; trite |
bane | n cause of ruin |
belie | v contradict; give a false impression |
belittle | v disparage; make fun of |
belligerent | adj quarrelsome |
benevolent | adj generous; charitable |
benign | adj kindly; favorable; not malignant |
bequeath | v leave to someone by a will; hand down |
biased | adj slanted; prejudiced |
bland | adj soothing; mild; dull |
blasphemy | n irreverence; sacrilege; cursing |
bolster | v support; reinforce |
braggart | n boastful person |
brawn | n muscular strength; sturdiness |
brevity | n conciseness; briefness |
buttress | v support; prop up |
cacophonous | adj discordant; inharmonious |
cajole | v coax; wheel |
calculated | adj deliberately planned; likely |
candor | n frankness |
capricious | adj fickle; incalculable |
caricature | n distortion; burlesque |
censorious | adj critical |
censure | v blame; criticize |
certitude | n certainty |
charlatan | n quack; pretender to knowledge |
chronicle | v report; record (in chronological order) |
civil | adj having to do with citizens or the state; courteous and polite |
clamor | n noise |
clemency | n disposition to be lenient; mildness, as of the weather |
coercion | n use of force to get someone's compliance |
commemorate | v honor the memory of |
compelling | adj overpowering; irresistible in effect |
compile | v assemble; gather; accumulate |
compliance | n readiness to yield; conformity in fulfilling requirements |
composure | n mental calmness |
comprehensive | adj thorough; inclusive |
concede | v admit; yield |
conciliatory | adj reconciling; appeasing; amiable |
concise | adj brief and compact |
conclusive | adj convincing; decisive |
concur | v agree in opinion |
condone | v overlook voluntarily; forgive |
confirm | v corroborate; verify; support |
conflagration | n great fire |
confound | v confuse; puzzle |
confront | v face; challenge |
conscientious | adj scrupulous; careful |
consensus | n general agreement |
consistency | n absence of contradictions; dependability; uniformity; degree of thickness |
constraint | n compulsion; repression of feelings |
contagion | n infection |
contemporary | n person belonging to the same period |
contend | v struggle; compete; assert earnestly |
contentious | adj quarrelsome |
contract | v compress or shrink; make a pledge; catch a disease |
converge | v approach; tend to meet; come together |
conviction | n strongly held belief |
cordial | adj gracious; heartfelt |
corroborate | v confirm; support |
corrosion | n destruction by chemical action |
credibility | n believability |
credulity | n belief on slight evidence; gullibility; naivete |
criterion | n standard used in judging |
cryptic | adj mysterious; hidden; secret |
cursory | adj casual; hastily done |
curtail | v shorten; reduce |
cynic | n one who is sceptical or distrustful of human motives |
daunt | v intimidate; frighten |
dawdle | v loiter; waste time |
debilitate | v weaken; enfeeble |
debunk | v expose something as nonsensical or false |
decorum | n propriety; orderliness and good taste in manners |
defame | v harm someone's reputation; malign |
deference | n courteous regard for another's wish |
defiance | n refusal to yield; resistance |
degenerate | v become worse; deteriorate |
degrade | v lower in rank or dignity; debase |
deliberate | v consider; ponder |
delineate | v portray; depict; sketch |
denounce | v condemn; criticize |
deny | v contradict; refuse |
depict | v portray; describe |
deplore | v regret strongly; express grief over |
depravity | n corruption; wickedness |
deprecate | v express disapproval of; protest against; belittle |
deride | v ridicule; make fun of |
derivative | adj unoriginal; derived from another source |
despondent | adj depressed; gloomy |
despot | n tyrant; harsh, authoritarian ruler |
detached | adj emotionally removed; calm and objective; indifferent |
deterrent | n something that discourages; hindrance |
detrimental | adj harmful; damaging |
devious | adj roundabout; erratic; not straightforward |
devise | v think up; invent; plan |
didactic | adj teaching; instructional |
diffuse | adj wordy; rambling; spread out |
digression | n wandering away from the subject |
diligence | n steadiness of effort; persistent hard work |
diminution | n lessening; reduction in size |
disband | v dissolve; disperse |
discerning | adj mentally quick and observant; having insight |
disclose | v reveal |
discordant | adj not harmonious; conflicting |
discount | v disregard |
discredit | v defame; destroy confidence in; disbelieve |
discrepancy | n lack of consistency; difference |
discriminating | adj able to see differences; prejudiced |
discursive | adj digressing; rambling |
disdain | v view with scorn or contempt |
disinclination | n unwillingness |
disinterested | adj unprejudiced |
dismantle | v take apart |
dismiss | v put away from consideration; reject |
disparage | v belittle |
disparity | n difference; condition of inequality |
dispassionate | adj calm; impartial |
dispel | v drive away; scatter; cause to vanish |
disperse | v cause to break up; scatter |
disputatious | adj argumentative; fond of arguing |
disseminate | v distribute; spread; scatter (like seeds) |
dissent | v disagree |
dissipate | v squander; waste; scatter |
dissonance | n dissonance; discord |
dissuade | v advise against |
distant | adj reserved or aloof; cold in manner |
divergent | adj differing; deviating |
diverse | adj differing in some characteristics; various |
divulge | v reveal |
doctrine | n teachings, in general; particular principle (religious, legal, and so on) taught |
document | v provide written evidence |
dogmatic | adj opinionated; arbitrary; doctrinal |
dormant | adj sleeping' lethargic; latent |
dubious | adj doubtful; questionable |
duplicity | n double-dealing; hypocrisy |
duration | n length of time something lasts |
dutiful | adj respectful; obedient |
ebb | v recede; lessen |
eccentric | adj odd; whimsical; irregular |
eclectic | adj selective in choosing from a variety of sources |
eclipse | v darken; extinguish; surpass |
effervescent | adj exuberant; bubbly and excited |
egotistical | adj excessively self-centered; self-important; conceited |
elated | adj overjoyed; in high spirits |
eloquence | n expressiveness; persuasive speech |
elusive | adj evasive; baffling; hard to grasp |
embellish | v adorn; ornament |
emulate | v imitate; rival |
endorse | v approve; support |
enduring | adj lasting; surviving |
enervate | v weaken |
engender | v cause; produce |
enhance | v advance; improve |
enigma | n puzzle; mystery |
enmity | n ill will; hatred |
enumerate | v list; mention one by one |
ephemeral | adj short-lived; fleeting |
epic | n long heroic poem, or similar work of art |
epicure | n connoisseur of food and drink |
episodic | adj loosely connected; divided into incidents; occurring at intervals |
equanimity | n calmness of temperament; composure |
equivocal | adj ambiguous; intentionally misleading |
erratic | adj odd; unpredictable; wandering |
erroneous | adj mistaken; wrong |
erudite | adj learned; scholarly |
esoteric | adj hard to understand; known only to the chosen few |
espouse | v adopt; support |
esteem | v respect; value; judge |
ethereal | adj light; heavenly; unusually refined |
eulogy | n expression of praise, often on the occasion of someone's death |
euphemism | n mild expression used in place of an unpleasant one |
euphonious | adj pleasing in sound |
euphoria | n feeling of great happiness and well-being (sometimes exaggerated) |
evanescent | adj fleeting; vanishing |
exacerbate | v worsen; embitter |
exacting | adj extremely demanding |
exalt | v raise in rank or dignity; praise |
execute | v put into effect; carry out |
exemplary | adj serving as a model; outstanding |
exemplify | v serve as an example of; embody |
exhaustive | adj thorough; comprehensive |
exhilarating | adj invigorating and refreshing; cheering |
exonerate | v acquit; exculpate |
expedient | adj suitable to achieve a particular end; practical; politic |
expedite | v hasten |
expertise | n specialized knowledge; expert skill |
explicit | adj totally clear; definite; outspoken |
exploit | n deed or action, particularly a brave deed |
exploit | v make use of, sometimes unjustly |
expository | adj explanatory; intended to explain |
extant | adj still in existence |
extol | v praise; glorified |
extraneous | adj not essential; superfluous |
extricate | v free; disentangle |
exuberance | n overflowing abundance; joyful enthusiasm |
facile | adj easily accomplished; ready or fluent; superficial |
facilitate | v help bring about; make less difficult |
fallacious | adj false; misleading |
fantacism | n excessive zeal; extreme devotion to a belief or cause |
fastidious | adj difficult to please; squeamish |
feasible | adj practical |
fervor | n glowing ardor; intensity of feeling |
fickle | adj changeable; faithless |
figurative | adj not literal, but metaphorical; using a figure of speech |
flagrant | adj conspicuously wicked; blatant; outrageous |
flippant | adj lacking proper seriousness |
florid | adj ruddy; reddish; flowery |
fluctuate | v waver; shift |
foolhardy | adj rash; heedless |
foresight | v ability to foresee future happenings; prudence |
forestall | v prevent by taking action in advance |
forsake | v desert; abandon; renounce |
forthright | adj outspoken; frank |
fortuitous | adj accidental; by chance |
foster | v rear; encourage; nurture |
founder | v fail completely; sink |
founder | n person who establishes (an organization, business) |
frail | adj weak |
frivolous | adj lacking in seriousness; self-indulgently carefree; relatively unimportant |
frugality | n thrift; economy |
fundamental | v basic; primary; essential |
furtive | adj stealthy; sneaky |
futile | adj ineffective; fruitless |
galvanize | v stimulate by shock; stir up; revitalize |
garbled | adj mixed up; jumbled; distorted |
garrulous | adj loquacious; wordy; talkative |
genre | n particular variety of art or literature |
germane | adj pertinent; bearing upon the case at hand |
glacial | adj like a glacier; extremely cold |
glib | adj fluent; facile; slick |
glutton | n someone who eats too much; greedy person |
gorge | n small, steep-walled canyon |
grandiose | adj pretentious; high-flown; ridiculously exaggerated; impressive |
gratify | v please |
gratuitous | adj given freely; unwarranted; unprovoked |
gravity | n seriousness |
gregarious | adj sociable |
grievance | n cause of complaint |
grudging | adj unwilling; reluctant; stingy |
guile | n deceit; duplicity; wiliness; cunning |
gullible | adj easily deceived |
hackneyed | adj commonplace; trite |
hallowed | adj blessed; consecrated |
hamper | v obstruct |
harass | v annoy by repeated attacks; torment |
hardy | adj sturdy; robust; able to stand inclement weather |
haughtiness | n pride; arrogance |
hedonist | n one who believes that pleasure is the sole aim in life |
heed | v pay attention to; consider |
heresy | n opinion contrary to popular belief; opinion contrary to accepted religion |
heterodox | adj unorthodox; unconventional |
heterogeneous | adj dissimilar; mixed |
heyday | n time of greatest success; prime |
hiatus | n gap; interruption in duration or continuity; pause |
hierarchy | n arrangement by rank or standing; authoritarian body divided into ranks |
hindrance | n block; obstacle |
hoard | v stockpile; accumulate for future use |
homogeneous | adj of the same kind |
hone | v sharpen |
hostility | n unfriendliness; hatred |
humane | adj marked by kindness or consideration |
husband | v use sparingly; conserve; save |
hyperbole | n exaggeration; overstatement |
hypocritical | adj pretending to be virtuous; deceiving |
hypothetical | adj based on assumptions or hypotheses; supposed |
iconoclast | n one who attacks cherished traditions |
idiosyncrasy | n individual trait, usually odd in nature; eccentricity |
ignominy | n deep disgrace; shame or dishonor |
allicit | adj illegal |
illuminate | v brighten; clear up or make understandable; enlighten |
illusory | adj deceptive; not real |
imbalance | n lack of balance or symmetry; disproportion |
immaculate | adj spotless; flawless; absolutely clean |
immune | adj resistant to; free or exempt from |
immutable | adj unchangeable |
impair | v injure; hurt |
impartial | adj not biased; fair |
impassive | adj without feeling; imperturbable; stoical |
impeccable | adj faultless |
impecunious | adj without money |
impede | v hinder; block; delay |
impel | v drive or force onward |
imperceptible | adj unnoticeable; undetectable |
imperious | adj domineering; haughty |
impervious | adj impenetrable; incapable of being damaged or distressed |
impetuous | adj violent; hasty; rash |
implausible | adj unlikely; unbelievable |
implement | v put into effect; supply with tools |
implication | n something hinted at or suggested |
implicit | adj understood but not stated |
impoverished | adj poor |
impromptu | adj without previous preparation; off the cuff; on the spur of the moment |
impudence | n impertinence; insolence |
inadvertently | adv by oversight; carelessly or unintentionally |
inane | adj silly; senseless |
inaugurate | v start; initiate; install in office |
incense | v enrage; infuriate |
incentive | n motive |
incessant | adj uninterrupted; unceasing |
incidental | adj not essential; minor |
incisive | adj cutting; sharp |
incite | v arouse to action; goad; motivate; induce to exist |
incline | v slope; slant |
inclined | adj tending to leaning toward; bent |
inclusive | adj tending to include all |
incoherent | adj unintelligible; muddled; illogical |
incongruous | adj not fitting; absurd |
inconsequential | adj insignificant; unimportant |
incontrovertible | adj indisputable; not open to question |
incorrigible | adj uncorrectable |
indefatigable | adj tireless |
indict | v charge |
indifferent | adj unmoved; lacking concern |
indigenous | adj native |
digent | adj poor; destitute |
indiscriminate | adj choosing at random; confused |
indolent | adj lazy |
indomitable | adj unconquerable; unyielding |
indubitable | adj unable to be doubted; unquestionable |
induce | v persuade; bring about |
indulge | v humor; treat leniently |
industrious | adj diligent; hard-working |
effectual | adj not effective; weak |
inept | adj unsuited; absurd; incompetent |
inequity | n unfairness |
inert | adj inactive; lacking power to move |
inexorable | adj relentless; unyielding; implacable |
infamous | adj notoriously bad |
infer | v deduce; conclude |
infiltrate | v pass into or through; penetrate (an organization) sneakily |
infinitesimal | adj exceedingly small; so small as to be almost non-existent |
infraction | n violation (o fa rule or regulation); breach |
ingenious | adj clever; resourceful |
ingrate | n ungrateful person |
inherent | adj firmly established by nature or habit; intrinsic |
inimcal | adj unfriendly; hostile; harmful; detrimental |
initiate | v begin; originate; receive into a group |
injurious | adj harmful |
innate | adj inborn |
innocuous | adj harmless |
innovation | n change; introduction of something new |
inopportune | adj untimely; poorly chosen |
insatiable | adj not easily satisfied; greedy |
insightful | adj discerning; perceptive |
insinuate | v hint; imply; creep in |
insipid | adj lacking in flavor; dull |
insolvent | adj bankrupt; unable to repay one's debts |
instigate | v urge; start; provoke |
insularity | n narrow-mindedness; isolation |
insuperable | adj insurmountable; unbeatable |
insurgent | adj rebellious |
intangible | adj not material; not able to be perceived by touch; vague; elusive |
integral | adj complete; necessary for completeness |
integrity | n uprightness; wholeness |
intermittent | adj periodic; on and off |
intervene | v come between |
intimidate | v frighten |
intractable | adj unruly; stubborn; unyielding |
intrasigence | n refusal of any compromise; stubbornness |
intrepid | adj fearless |
intricate | adj complex; knotty; tangled |
intrinsic | adj essential; inherent; built-in; material |
introspective | adj looking within oneself |
intuition | n immediate insight; power of knowing without reasoning |
inundate | v overwhelm; flood; submerge |
invert | v turn upside down or inside out |
irascible | adj irritable; easily angered |
ironic | adj relating to a contradiction between an event's expected result and its actual outcome; sarcastic |
irrational | adj illogical; lacking reason; insane |
irrelevant | adj not applicable; unrelated |
irreproachable | adj blameless; impeccable |
irresolute | adj uncertain how to act; weak |
irreverence | n lack of proper respect |
jargon | n language used by a special group; technical terminology; gibberish |
jocular | adj said or done in jest; joking |
judicious | adj sound in judgment; wise |
justification | n good or just reason; defence; excuse |
kindle | v start a fire; inspire |
labyrinth | n maze |
laconic | adj brief and to the point |
lament | v grieve; express sorrow |
lassitude | n languor; weariness |
laud | v praise |
lavish | adj liberal; wasteful |
legacy | n a gift made by a will |
lethargic | adj drowsy; dull |
levity | n lack of seriousness; lightness |
linger | v loiter or dawdle; continue or persist |
list | v tilt; lean over |
listlessness | n lack in spirit or energy |
loathe | v detest |
lofty | adj very high |
loquacious | adj talkative |
lucid | adj easily understood; clear; intelligible |
lurid | adj wild; sensational; graphic; gruesome |
magnanimous | adj generous |
magnate | n person of prominence or influence |
maladroit | adj clumsy; bungling |
malevolent | adj wishing evil |
malice | n hatred; spite |
malign | v speak evil of; bad-mouth; defame |
marred | adj damaged; disfigured |
martinet | n rigid disciplinarian; strict military officer |
materialism | n preoccupation with physical comforts and things |
meager | adj scanty; inadequate |
meander | v wind or turn in a course |
medley | n mixture |
meek | adj quiet and obedient |
melancholy | adj gloomy; morose; blue |
mercenary | adj interested in money or gain |
mercurial | adj capricious; changing; fickle |
merger | n combination (of two business corporations) |
methodical | adj systematic |
meticulous | adj excessively careful; painstaking; scrupulous |
minute | adj extremely small |
misanthrope | n one who hates mankind |
miserly | adj stingy; mean |
misnomer | n wrong name; incorrect designation |
mitigate | v appease; moderate |
mock | v ridicule; imitate, often in derision |
mollify | v soothe |
momentous | adj very important |
monotony | n sameness leading to boredom |
morbid | adj given to unwholesome thought; moody; characteristic of disease |
morose | adj ill-humoured; sullen; melancholy |
mundane | adj worldly as opposed to spiritual |
munificent adj very generous | |
mutability | n ability to change in form; fickle |
muted | adj silent; muffled; toned down |
naivete | n quality of being unsophisticated; simplicity; artlessness; gullibility |
nefarious | adj very wicked |
negate | v cancel out; nullify; deny |
nonchalance | n indifference; lack of concern; composure |
nonentity | n person of no importance; nonexistence |
nostalgia | n homesickness; longing for the past |
notoriety | n disrepute; ill fame |
novelty | n something new; newness |
novice | n beginner |
nuance | n shade of difference in meaning or color |
nullify | v to make in valid; void; abolish |
nurture | v nourish; educate; foster |
obdurate | adj stubborn |
objective | adj not influenced by emotions; fair |
objective | n goal; aim |
obliterate | v destroy completely |
oblivion | n obscurity; forgetfulness |
oblivious | adj inattentive or unmindful; wholly absorbed |
obscure | adj dark; vague; unclear |
obscure | v darken; make unclear |
obsequious | adj slavishly attentive; servile; fawning; sycophantic |
obsessive | adj related to thinking about something constantly; preoccupying |
obstinate | adj stubborn; hard to control or treat |
obtuse | adj blunt; stupid |
officious | adj meddlesome; excessively pushy in offering one's services |
ominous | adj threatening |
opaque | adj dark; not transparent |
opportunist | n individual who sacrifices principles for expediency by taking advantage of circumstances |
optimist | n person who looks on the good side |
opional | adj not compulsory; left to one's choice |
opulence | n extreme wealth; luxuriousness; abundance |
orator | n public speaker |
ornate | adj excessively or elaborately decorated |
ostentatious | adj showy; pretentious; trying to attract attention |
pacifist | n one opposed to force; antimilitarist |
painstaking | adj showing hard work; taking great care |
paltry | adj insignificant; petty; trifling |
paradigm | n model; example; pattern |
paradox | n something apparently contradictory in nature; statement that looks false but is actually correct |
paragon | n model of perfection |
parochial | adj narrow in outlook; provincial; related to parishes |
parody | n humorous imitation; spoof; takeoff; travesty |
parry | v ward off a blow; deflect |
parsimony | n stinginess; excessive frugality |
partial | adj 1 incomplete. 2 biased; having a liking for something |
partisan | adj one-sided; prejudiced; committed to a party |
passive | adj not reactive; acted upon |
paucity | n scarcity; lack |
pedantic | adj showing off learning; bookish |
penchant | n strong inclination; liking |
pensive | adj dreamily thoughtful; thoughtful with a hint of sadness; contemplative |
perceptive | adj insightful; aware; wise |
perfunctory | adj superficial; not thorough; lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm |
peripheral | adj marginal; outer |
perjury | n false testimony while under oath |
pernicious | adj very destructive |
perpetuate | v make something last; preserve from extinction |
perturb | v disturb greatly |
pervasive | adj pervading; spread throughout every part |
pessimism | n belief that life is basically bad or evil; gloominess |
petty | adj trivial; unimportant; very small |
petulant | adj touchy; peevish |
phenomena | n, pl observable facts; subjects of scientific investigation |
philanthropist | n lover of mankind; doer of good |
pious | adj devout; religious |
pitfall | n hidden danger; concealed trap |
pithy | adj concise; meaningful; substantial; meaty |
pivotal | adj crucial; key; vital |
placate | v pacify; conciliate |
plagiarize | v steal another’s ideas and pass them off as one's own |
platitude | n trite remark; commonplace statement |
plausible | adj having a show of truth but open to doubt; specious |
pliant | adj flexible; easily influenced |
plight | n condition, state (especially a bad state or condition); predicament |
poignancy | n quality of being deeply moving; keenness of emotion |
polemial | adj aggressive in verbal attack; disputatious |
pomposity | n self-important behavior; acting like a stuffed shirt |
ponderous | adj weighty; unwieldy |
porous | adj full of pores; like a sieve |
potent | dj powerful; persuasive; greatly influential |
pragmatic | adj practical (as opposed to idealistic); concerned with the practical worth or impact of something |
prattle | v babble |
precarious | adj uncertain; risky |
precedent | n something preceding in time that may be used as an authority or guide for future action |
precipitate | adj rash; premature; hasty; sudden |
precipitous | adj steep; overhasty |
preclude | v make impossible; eliminate |
precocious | adj advanced in development |
predator | n creature that seizes and devours another animal; person who rods or exploits others |
predecessor | n former occupant of a post |
predilection | n partiality; preference |
preposterous | adj absurd; ridiculous |
prestige | n impression produced by achievements or reputation |
presumptuous | adj overconfident; impertinent |
pretentious | adj ostentatious; pompous; making unjustified claims; overambitious |
prevalent | adj widespread; generally accepted |
problematic | adj doubtful; unsettled; questionable; perplexing |
proclivity | n inclination; natural tendency |
procrastinate | v postpone; delay or put off |
prodigal | adj wasteful; reckless with money |
prodigious | adj marvellous; enormous |
prodigy | n marvel; highly gifted child |
profane | v violate; desecrate; treat unworthily |
profligate | adj dissipated; wasteful; wildly immoral |
profound | adj deep; not superficial; complete |
profusion | n overabundance; lavish expenditure; excess |
proliferation | n rapid growth; spread; multiplication |
prolific | adj abundantly fruitful |
prologue | n introduction (to a poem or play) |
prophetic | adj foretelling the future |
propitious | adj favorable; fortunate; advantageous |
proprity | n fitness; correct conduct |
prosaic | adj dull and unimaginative; matter-of-fact; factual |
protract | v prolong |
provincial | adj pertaining to a province; limited in outlook; unsophisticated |
provisional | adj tentative |
provocative | adj arousing anger or interest; annoying |
proximity | n nearness |
prudent | adj cautious; careful |
pugnacity | n combativeness; disposition to fight |
pungent | adj stinging; sharp in taste or smell; caustic |
purse | v pucker; contract into wrinkles |
qualified | adj limited; restricted |
quandary | n dilemma |
quell | v extinguish; put down; quiet |
querulous | adj fretful; whining |
quiescent | adj at rest; dormant; temporarily inactive |
ramble | v wander aimlessly (physically or mentally) |
rancor | n bitterness; hatred |
rant | v rave; talk excitedly; scold; make a grandiloquent speech |
raityf | v approve formally; verify |
raucous | adj harsh and shrill; disorderly and boisterous |
raze | v destroy completely |
rebuttal | n refutation; response with contrary evidence |
recalcitrant | adj obstinately stubborn; determined to resist authority; unruly |
recant | v disclaim or disavow; retract a previous statement; openly confess error |
receptive | adj quick or willing to receive ideas, suggestions, etc. |
recluse | n hermit; loner |
recount | v narrate or tell; count over again |
rectify | v set right; correct |
redundant | adj superfluous; repetitious; excessively wordy |
refute | v disprove |
relegate | v banish to an inferior position; delegate; assign |
relevant | adj pertinent; referring to the case in hand |
relinquish | v give up something with reluctance; yield |
relish | v savor; enjoy |
remorse | n guilt; self-reproach |
renegade | n deserter; traitor |
renounce | v forswear; repudiate; abandon; discontinue |
repel | v drive away; disgust |
replete | adj filled to the brim or to the point of being stuffed; abundantly supplied |
reprehensible | adj deserving blame |
repress | v restrain; hold back; crush; suppress |
reprimand | v reprove severely; rebuke |
reproach | v express disapproval |
reprove | v censure; rebuke |
repudiate | v disown; disavow |
rescind | v cancel |
reserve | n self-control; formal but distant manner |
reisgned | adj unresisting; patiently submissive |
resolution | n determination; resolve |
resolve | n determination; firmness of purpose |
resolve | v decide; settle; solve |
respite | n interval of relief; time for rest; delay in punishment |
resplendent | adj dazzling; glorious; brilliant |
restraint | n controlling force; control over one's emotions |
reticent | adj reserved; uncommunicative; inclined to be silent |
reitring | adj modest; shy |
retract | v withdraw; take back |
reverent | adj respectful |
rhetorical | adj pertaining to effective communication; insincere in language |
rigorous | adj severe; harsh; demanding; exact |
robust | adj vigorous; strong |
rudimentaryy | adj not developed; elementary; crude |
ruthless | adj pitiless; cruel |
sagacious | adj perceptive; shrewd; having insight |
sage | n person celebrated for wisdom |
sanction | v approve; ratify |
sactuary | n refuge; shelter; shrine; holy place |
sarcasm | n scornful remarks; stinging rebuke |
satirical | adj mocking |
saturate | v soak thoroughly |
savory | adj tasty; pleasing, attractive, or agreeable |
scanty | adj meagre; insufficient |
scrupulous | adj conscientious; extremely thorough |
scrutinize | v examine closely and critically |
seclusion | n isolation; solitude |
sectarian | adj relating to a religious faction or subgroup; narrow-minded; limited |
sedentary | adj requiring sitting |
sequester | v isolate; retire from public life; segregate; seclude |
serenity | n calmness; placidity |
servile | adj slavishly submissive; fawning; cringing |
sever | v cut; separate |
severity | n harshness; intensity; austerity; rigidity |
shrewd | adj clever; astute |
singular | adj unique; extraordinary; odd |
skeptical | adj doubting; suspending judgment until one has examined the evidence supporting a point of view |
slacken | v slow up; loosen |
slander | n defamation; utterance of false and malicious statements |
slothful | adj lazy |
sluggish | adj slow; lazy; lethargic |
solemnity | n seriousness; gravity |
solicit | v request earnestly; seek |
solitude | n state of being alone; seclusion |
soluble | adj able to be dissolved; able to be explained |
somber | adj gloomy; depressing; dark; drab |
sparse | adj not thick; thinly scattered; scanty |
spendthrift | n someone who wastes money |
spontaneity | n lack or premeditation; naturalness; freedom from constraint |
sporadic | adj occurring irregularly |
spurious | adj false; counterfeit |
spurn | v reject; scorn |
squalor | n filth; degradation; dirty, neglected state |
squander | v waste |
stagnant | adj motionless; stale; dull |
stanza | n division of a poem |
static | adj unchanging; lacking development |
steadfast | adj loyal; unswerving |
stoic | adj impassive; unmoved by joy or grief |
strident | adj loud and harsh; insistent |
strut | n pompous walk; swagger |
stupefy | v make numb; stun; amaze |
subdued | adj less intense; quieter |
submissive | adj yielding; timid |
subordinate | adj occupying a lower rank; inferior; submissive |
subside | v settle down; descend; grow quiet |
substantial | adj ample; solid |
substantiate | v establish by evidence; verify; support |
subtlety | n perceptiveness; ingenuity; delicacy |
succinct | adj brief; terse; compact |
supercilious | adj arrogant; condescending; patronizing |
superficial | adj trivial; shallow |
superfluous | adj excessive; overabundant; unnecessary |
supplant | v replace; usurp |
suppress | v crush; subdue; inhibit |
surmount | v overcome |
surpass | v exceed |
surreptitious | adj secret; furtive; sneaky; hidden |
susceptible | adj impressionable; easily influenced; having little resistance, as to a disease; receptive to |
sustain | v experience; support; nourish |
swindler | n cheat |
sycophant | n servile flatterer; bootlicker; yes man |
symmetry | n arrangement of parts so that balance is obtained; congruity |
taciturn | adj habitually silent; talking little |
taint | v contaminate; cause of lose purity; modify with a trace of something bad |
tangential | adj peripheral; only slightly connected; digressing |
tangible | adj able to be touched; real; palpable |
tantamount | adj equivalent in effect or value |
tedious | adj boring; tiring |
temper | v moderate; tone down or restrain; toughen (steel) |
tenacity | n firmness; persistence |
tertative | adj provisional; experimental; doubtful |
termination | n end |
terse | adj concise; abrupt; pithy |
treadbare | adj worn through till the threads show; shabby and poor |
thrive | v prosper; flourish |
tirade | n extended scolding; denunciation; harangue |
torpor | n lethargy; sluggishness; dormancy |
tractable | adj docile; easily managed |
tranquility | n calmness; peace |
transcendent | adj surpassing; exceeding ordinary limits; superior |
transient | adj momentary; temporary; staying for a short time |
transparent | adj easily detected; permitting light to pass through freely |
trepidation | n fear; nervous apprehension |
trifiling | adj trivial; unimportant |
trite | adj hackneyed; commonplace |
trivial | adj unimportant; trifling |
turbulence | n state of violent agitation |
turmoil | n great commotion and confusion |
tyranny | n oppression; cruel government |
undermine | v weaken; sap |
uniformity | n sameness; monotony |
universal | adj characterizing or affecting all; present everywhere |
unkempt | adj dishevelled; uncared for in appearance |
unprecedented | adj novel; unparalleled |
unwarranted | adj unjustified; groundless; undeserved |
usurp | v seize another’s power or rank |
vacillate | v waver; fluctuate |
venerate | v revere |
veracity | n truthfulness |
verbose | adj wordy |
viable | adj practical or workable; capable of maintaining life |
vigor | n active strength |
vilify | v slander |
vindicate | v clear from blame; exonerate; justify or support |
vindictive | adj out for revenge; malicious |
virtuoso | n highly skilled artist |
virulent | adj extremely poisonous; hostile; bitter |
volatile | adj changeable; explosive; evaporating rapidly |
voluble | adj fluent; glib; talkative |
voluminous | adj bulky; large |
vulnerable | adj susceptible to wounds |
whimsical | adj capricious; fanciful |
willful | adj intentional; headstrong; stubbornly set on getting one's way |
withhold | v refuse to give; hold back |
zealot | n fanatic; person who shows excessive zeal |