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ISEE Vocabulary
ISEE Vocabulary Words
Word | Definition |
---|---|
abduct (v.) | - to kidnap |
abase (v.) | - to lower, demean, degrade |
abscond (v.) | - to sneak away and hide |
abate (v.) | - to lessen, to reduce in severity |
abbreviate (v.) | - to shorten, reduce |
abundant (adj.) | - in great numbers |
accede (v.) | - to agree |
accentuate (v.) | - to emphasize, to highlight |
aberration (n.) | - a deviation from the expected course |
abhor (v.) | - to hate, loathe |
abide (v.) | - to put up with, tolerate |
abject (adj.) | - of the most miserable kind |
abort (v.) | - to give up unfinished |
abridge (v.) | - to shorten, cut down |
accommodating (adj.) | - obliging, helpful |
accost (v.) | - to approach or confront aggressively |
acumen (n.) | - keen insight |
acute (adj.) | - sharp, severe |
affable (adj.) | - friendly, amiable |
affluent (adj.) | - rich, wealthy |
aggrandize (v.) | - to increase or make greater |
abrogate (v.) | - to abolish, often by authority |
aggregate (v.) | to gather, amass |
aghast (adj.) | struck by amazement |
agoraphobia (n.) | an abnormal fear of open or public places |
akimbo (adj.) | with hands on hips |
alacrity (n.) | speed readyness |
algid (adj.) | fridgid, cold |
allay (v.) | to sooth, assuage |
alleviate (v.) | to relieve |
aloof (adj.) | reserved, distant |
altercation (n.) | an argument, dispute |
amalgamation (n.) | a union, a merger |
ambivalent (adj.) | having contradictory feelings |
amble (v.) | to stroll, walk |
ameliorate (v.) | - to improve, to make better |
amend (v.) | - to change for the better, |
amiable (adj.) | - friendly, affable |
amorous (adj.) | - relating to or showing love |
amorphous (adj.) | - without shape or borders |
anomaly (n.) | - something that does not fit into the normal order |
antechamber (n.) | - a waiting room |
anxiety (n.) | - uneasiness |
aphorism (n.) | - a short saying |
apocalypse (n.) | - total devastation, the end of the world |
apparitional (adj.) | - ghostly, spectral |
arbitrator (n.) | - one who settles controversy between two sides |
ascetic (n.) | - one who practices restraint as a means of self-discipline |
assuage (v.) | - to ease, pacify |
atone (v.) | - to apologize, make amends |
audacious (adj.) | - excessively bold |
augment (v.) | - to increase or make larger |
austere (adj.) | - very bare, bleak, simple |
baleful (adj.) | - harmful, threatening |
bard (n.) | - a poet, often a singer as well |
battery (n.) | - an assault or an array of similar things intended for use together |
belligerent (adj.) | - contentious, ready to fight |
benevolent (adj.) | - kind, good, caring |
benign (adj.) | - non-threatening, innocuous |
berate (v.) | - to scold severely |
bereft (adj.) | - without, devoid of |
bide (v.) | - to wait, or remain in a condition |
bilk (v.) | - to cheat, to swindle |
blandish (v.) | - to coax through flattery |
bloated (adj.) | - swollen, bigger than desired |
boisterous (adj.) | - loud, energetic |
bourgeois (adj.) | - middle class |
brash (adj.) | - hasty or lacking in sensitivity |
brazen (adj.) | - excessively bold, brash |
brumal (adj.) | - wintry, relating to winter |
brusque (adj.) | - short, abrupt, dismissive |
buffet (n.) | - a spread of food involving choices |
buffet (v.) | - to hit or strike |
burgeon (v.) | - to come forth, blossom |
cacophony (n.) | - noise, discordant sound |
cadence (n.) | - rhythm |
cajole (v.) | - to urge, coax |
callous (adj.) | - harsh, cold, unfeeling |
calumny (n.) | - an attempt to defame another's reputation |
camaraderie (n.) | - cheerful unity among a group |
canvas (n.) | - a piece of cloth on which an artist paints |
capricious (adj.) | - impulsive, unpredictable, subject to whim |
captivate (v.) | - to hold the interest of, to gain the attention of |
carouse (v.) | - to revel, to party |
cavity (n.) | - a hole |
cavort (v.) | - to frolic, leap, prance |
celestial (adj.) | - relating to the sky or the heavens |
chastise (v.) | - to criticize, to scold |
choreographed (adj.) | - arranged, as in dance |
circumlocution (n.) | - indirect language |
circumspect (adj.) | - cautious |
clairvoyant (adj.) | - able to see things that others cannot |
claustrophobia (n.) | - an abnormal fear of closed or crowed spaces |
cliché (n.) | - a trite, overused expression |
coalesce (v.) | - to combine into one |
cogent (adj.) | - intelligent, viable |
collusion (n.) | - a conspiracy, a secret agreement |
colossus (n.) | - an enormous structure |
comatose (adj.) | - lethargic |
commendable (adj.) | - worthy of praise |
commodious (adj.) | - spacious, roomy |
compel (v.) | - to force |
complicit (adj.) | - being an accomplice in a wrong act |
compliment (n.) | - an expression of esteem or approval |
concede (v.) | - to give in, to accept |
conciliatory (adj.) | - agreeable, friendly |
concoct (v.) | - to make up or invent |
concord (n.) | - agreement |
conduit (n.) | - a pipe, passage, channel |
confluence (n.) | - a convergence, a coming together |
confound (v.) | - to frustrate |
connotation (n.) | - a meaning or association suggested by a word beyond its definition |
contusion (n.) | - bruise, injury |
convalescence (n.) | - the gradual return to health after illness |
copious (adj.) | - abundant, plentiful |
corpulent (adj.) | - very fat |
cosmopolitan (adj.) | - worldly, sophisticated |
credulity (n.) | - readiness to believe |
cursory (adj.) | - brief to the point of being superficial |
daft (adj.) | - insane, foolish |
daunting (adj.) | - intimidating |
dearth (n.) | - a lack, scarcity |
defame (v.) | - to destroy the reputation of |
deft (adj.) | - skilled, adept |
defunct (adj.) | - no longer used or existing |
deleterious (adj.) | - harmful |
delude (v.) | - to deceive, to mislead |
deluge (n.) | - a great flood or something that overwhelms like a flood |
derelict (adj.) | - run-down, abandoned |
desolate (adj.) | - deserted, lifeless |
despondent (adj.) | - discouraged, hopeless, depressed |
destitute (adj.) | - impoverished |
diaphanous (adj.) | - transparent, light, airy |
dictate (v.) | - to pronounce, command, prescribe |
differentiate (v.) | - to distinguish, to make different |
dilapidated (adj.) | - in a state of disrepair |
diligent (adj.) | - careful, showing care |
diminish (v.) | - to decrease or make smaller |
diminutive (adj.) | - miniature, small |
discreet (adj.) | - prudent or inconspicuous |
discrete (adj.) | - separate, distinct, individual |
disparage (v.) | - to criticize, degrade, belittle |
dissonance (n.) | - lack of harmony or agreement |
divergent (adj.) | - different, deviating, contrary |
diverse (adj.) | - varied |
divisive (adj.) | - causing conflict, opposition |
domicile (n.) | - a residence, a home |
doppelganger (n.) | - a ghostly double of a living person |
douse (v.) | - to drench, saturate |
dutiful (adj.) | - careful to fulfill obligations |
dynamic (adj.) | - characterized by continuous change or activity |
elocution (n.) | - the art of public speaking |
elucidate (v.) | - to clarify |
empathetic (adj.) | - feeling another’s pain as own's own |
empathy (n.) | - the experience of another’s feelings as one's own |
enervate (v.) | - to weaken, make weary |
enervated (adj.) | - lacking energy, weakened, exhausted |
entity (n.) | - something that exists as a discrete unit |
entomology (n.) | - the study of insects |
envious (adj.) | - jealous |
erect (v.) | - to construct, to raise |
erroneous (adj.) | - mistaken, incorrect |
euphoric (adj.) | - elated, overjoyed |
exacerbate (v.) | - to make more violent, intense |
excursion (n.) | - a trip, an outing |
exemplary (adj.) | - serving as an example |
exigent (adj.) | - critical, urgent |
existential (adj.) | - relating to existence |
exorbitant (adj.) | - excessive |
extol (v.) | - to praise |
extravagant (adj.) | - excessive, over-the-top |
fabricate (v.) | - to invent, make-up, concoct |
fabulist (n.) | - a teller of fables; a liar |
facile (adj.) | - easy |
fallacious (adj.) | - incorrect, misleading |
familial (adj.) | - relating to family |
fatuous (adj.) | - silly, foolish |
fecund (adj.) | - fertile, fruitful |
feign (v.) | - to fake or pretend to |
feral (adj.) | - savage, wild, untamed |
fetter (v.) | - to restrain, chain, tie |
fey (adj.) | - magical |
fickle (adj.) | - characterized by changeableness, whimsical |
figurative (adj.) | - symbolic |
firmament (n.) | - the sky, the heavens |
flabbergasted (adj.) | - astounded, stupefied |
flaccid (adj.) | - limp |
flattery (n.) | - compliments, sycophancy |
flout (v.) | - to scorn, ignore, show contempt for |
fluctuate (v.) | - to vary irregularly |
flux (n.) | - a state of constant change or a flow |
forage (v.) | - to rummage, scavenge, graze for food |
forestall (v.) | - to delay, impede |
forlorn (adj.) | - lonely, hopeless |
formidable (adj.) | - arousing fear or alarm |
forsake (v.) | - to abandon, forget |
fortify (v.) | - to strengthen |
fortitude (n.) | - strength, bravery |
fortuitous (adj.) | - lucky, occurring by chance |
foster (v.) | - to stimulate, promote, encourage |
frenetic (adj.) | - frenzied, hectic, frantic |
gape (v.) | - to open the mouth and stare stupidly |
gay (adj.) | - happy, cheery, or homosexual |
gluttonous (adj.) | - insatiable in appetite |
goad (v.) | - to urge, to provoke into action |
gourmand (n.) | - one who likes eating and drinking |
grandiose (adj.) | - extraordinary, grand in scope |
gregarious (adj.) | - sociable, outgoing |
grotto (n.) | - a small cave or cavern |
guile (n.) | - deceitful actions or behavior |
hail (v.) | - to come from |
hapless (adj.) | - unlucky |
harmony (n.) | - agreement, often of sound |
harrowing (adj.) | - agonizing, distressing |
hedonist (n.) | - one whose primary pursuit is pleasure |
henchman (n.) | - a trusted follower, goon |
hiatus (n.) | - an interruption in continuity, a break |
hiemal (adj.) | - wintry, relating to winter |
hierarchy (n.) | - a ranking system of groups or individuals |
histrionic (adj.) | - excessively dramatic or emotional |
idolatrous (adj.) | - worshiping excessively an object or person |
illusory (adj.) | - deceptive, produced by an illusion |
immaculate (adj.) | - impeccably clean, spotless, pure |
immutable (adj.) | - not susceptible to change |
impecunious (adj.) | - excessively poor |
impervious (adj.) | - unable to be penetrated, unaffected |
impudent (adj.) | - rude, improper |
incessant (adj.) | - without interruption |
incisive (adj.) | - clear, sharp, direct |
inclement (adj.) | - stormy, bad, severe |
inclination (n.) | - a tendency, propensity |
indictment (n.) | - accusation of wrongdoing |
indignation (n.) | - anger due to an unfair situation |
inextricable (adj.) | - hopelessly confused or tangled |
infuse (v.) | - to inject |
ingenious (adj.) | - marked by special intelligence |
inimical (adj.) | - hostile, threatening |
iniquity (n.) | - a wicked act, a sin |
innate (adj.) | - inborn, native, inherent |
innocuous (adj.) | - harmless |
inquisitor (n.) | - someone who asks questions or makes an inquiry |
inundate (v.) | - to flood |
invariable (adj.) | - not susceptible to change |
invective (n.) | - a verbal attack |
inveterate (adj.) | - habitual, natural |
irascible (adj.) | - easily angered |
jubilant (adj.) | - joyful, happy |
judicious (adj.) | - of sound judgment |
juvenile (adj.) | - young or immature |
juxtapose (v.) | - to put next to each other |
labyrinthine (adj.) | - intricate, maze-like |
laceration (n.) | - a cut, a rip |
lachrymose (adj.) | - tearful |
latent (adj.) | - present but hidden |
laud (v.) | - to applaud or praise |
laudatory (adj.) | - admiring, praising |
lavish (adj.) | - extravagant |
lethargic (adj.) | - sluggish, weary, apathetic |
lewd (adj.) | - vulgar, offensive, rude |
libel (n.) | - a statement giving an unjust or unfavorable representation of a person or thing |
licentious (adj.) | - amoral, lawless, lewd |
limber (adj.) | - bending or flexing readily, pliable |
limpid (adj.) | - clear, easily understood |
linchpin (n.) | - something that holds separate things together |
lithe (adj.) | - graceful, flexible, supple |
loquacious (adj.) | - talkative |
lull (n.) | - a relatively calm interval, as in a storm |
luminescence (n.) | - light from non-thermal sources |
magnanimous (adj.) | - generous, noble |
malaise (n.) | - vague feeling of discomfort |
malevolent (adj.) | - having intent to harm others |
malicious (adj.) | - malevolent, harmful |
malign (v.) | - to slander, to smear, to libel, to defame, to speak evil of |
malleable (adj.) | - easily shaped or formed |
mandatory (adj.) | - required, not optional |
manifest (v.) | - to show clearly |
manifold (adj.) | - many |
masticate (v.) | - to chew |
matrimony (n.) | - marriage |
maudlin (adj.) | - sentimental |
maxim (n.) | - a common saying of advice or virtue |
meager (adj.) | - lacking in quality stature |
mediate (v.) | - to intervene, to arbitrate, to sort out |
melodramatic (adj.) | - exaggeratedly emotional or sentimental; histrionic |
mendacious (adj.) | - inclined to lie or mislead |
meritorious (adj.) | - deserving of praise or merit |
metamorphosis (n.) | - a change of form, shape or substance |
mimic (v.) | - to imitate, to copy |
misogyny (n.) | - hatred of women |
modicum (n.) | - a small amount of something |
mollify (v.) | - to soften in temper |
mercurial (adj.) | - quick and changeable in temperment |
monogamy (n.) | - having only one spouse at a time |
mores (n.) | - moral attitudes |
morose (adj.) | - gloomy or sullen |
munificent (adj.) | - generous, benevolent |
mutability (n.) | - capability of change |
myopic (adj.) | - short-sighted |
myriad (adj.) | - consisting of a very great number |
narrate (v.) | - to tell a story |
nebulous (adj.) | - indistinct, hazy |
nefarious (adj.) | - horribly villainous |
neologism (n.) | - the creation of new words, or a new word |
neonate (n.) | - a newborn baby |
noisome (adj.) | - foul, offensive, particularly to the sense of smell |
notoriety (n.) | - infamy, known in bad regard |
novel (adj.) | - strikingly new, unusual, or different |
noxious (adj.) | - harmful, toxic |
obdurate (adj.) | - unyielding to persuasion or moral influences |
obfuscate (v.) | - to render incomprehensible |
obsequious (adj.) | - excessively compliant or submissive |
odious (adj.) | - meriting strong displeasure |
officious (adj.) | - offering unwanted help or service |
olfactory (adj.) | - relating to the sense of smell |
ominous (adj.) | - foreboding or foreshadowing evil, portentous |
oration (n.) | - a dignified and formal speech |
ostracize (v.) | - to exclude from a community |
pacify (v.) | - to sooth, ease |
paragon (n.) | - model of perfection |
pariah (n.) | - an outcast |
parody (n.) | - a satirical imitation |
patent (adj.) | - clear, apparent |
pedagogue (n.) | - a schoolteacher |
pellucid (adj.) | - clear |
penchant (n.) | - a tendency, partiality, preference |
peregrinate (v.) | - to travel from place to place on foot |
perfunctory (adj.) | - showing little enthusiasm, done as duty |
permeate (v.) | - to spread out, to pervade |
persevere (v.) | - to persist, remain constant |
pertinacious (adj.) | - stubbornly persistent, holding to a belief or position |
peruse (v.) | - to examine carefully |
pervasive (adj.) | - to spread throughout |
petulance (n.) | - irritability, impoliteness |
physiognomy (n.) | - the art of judging human character from facial features |
pique (v.) | - to provoke or to cause indignation |
pithy (adj.) | - succinctly meaningful |
pittance (n.)– | - very small amount |
placate (v.) | - to soothe, appease |
placid (adj.) | - calm, tranquil |
plethora (n.) | - a great number, an abundance |
pliable (adj.) | - flexible, bendable |
poach (v.) | - to hunt or fish illegally |
poised (adj.) | - balanced, readied |
polygamy (n.) | - having more than one spouse at a time |
portentous (adj.) | - foreboding or forshadowing evil, ominous |
portly (adj.) | - fat, chubby, round |
precarious (adj.) | - dangerously lacking in |
predestination (n.) | - the concept of destiny or fate |
premonition (n.) | - a presentiment of the future |
preponderance (n.) | - a great amount or frequency |
presage (n.) | - an omen |
prestidigitation (n.) | - a sleight of hand |
presumptuous (adj.) | - disrespectfully bold |
profane (adj.) | - indecent, blasphemous |
profuse (adj.) | - abundant, lavish, prolific |
propensity (n.) | - an inclination, preference |
propriety (n.) | - decency, state of being proper |
protean (adj.) | - readily taking on various shapes or forms |
prudent (adj.) | - cautious, careful |
puerile (adj.) | - immature |
pugnacious (adj.) | - belligerent |
pulchritude (n.) | - physical beauty |
punctilious (adj.) | - eager to follow rules |
pungent (adj.) | - having a sharp, strong quality especially related to smell |
purport (v.) | - to present an intention that is often false |
putrid (adj.) | - rotten, rancid, foul |
quaint (adj.) | - old-fashioned |
quid pro - (n., latin) | – a mutually beneficial exchange |
quotidian (adj.) | - daily, everyday |
radiant (adj.) | - bright, beaming |
rancid (adj.) | - rotten, spoiled, disgusting in smell or taste |
ratiocinate (v.) | - to think, contemplate |
raze (v.) | - to demolish |
recalcitrant (adj.) | - defiant |
recalibrate (v.) | - to readjust or make corrections to |
recapitulate (v.) | - to repeat, reiterate |
rectify (v.) | - to set right, correct |
redact (v.) | - to revise, edit |
redoubtable (adj.) | - formidable, commanding respect |
redress (v.) | - to set right or remedy |
reel (v.) | - to be thrown off balance or feel dizzy |
refrain (v.) | - to hold oneself back, forbear |
reiterate (v.) | - to repeat |
relish (v.) | - to take zestful pleasure in, enjoy flavor of |
remiss (adj.) | - negligent, exhibiting carelessness |
render (v.) | - to say, or to make |
renovate (v.) | - to restore, return to original state |
repose (n.) | - rest, sleep |
reprehensible (adj.) | - deserving criticism |
repudiate (v.) | - to reject, turn down |
repulse (v.) | - to cause disgust or distaste, or to drive back, repel |
requisition (n.) | - a demand for goods, often by an authority |
restitution (n.) | - compensation, reimbursement |
retaliation (n.) | - revenge, punishment |
retract (v.) | - withdraw |
retribution (n.) | - vengeance, revenge, payback |
revel (v.) | - to enjoy |
rife (adj.) | - abundant |
ruddy (adj.) | - having a healthy, reddish color |
ruse (n.) | - a trick |
saccharine (adj.) | - overly sweet |
rustic (adj.) | - relating to country life |
sacrosanct (adj.) | - sacred, holy |
sagacious (adj.) | - shrewd, showing sound judgment |
salient (adj.) | - significant, conspicuous |
salutation (n.) | - a greeting |
sanguine (adj.) | - cheery, optimistic, hopeful |
sate (v.) | - to satisfy (an appetite) fully. |
satiate (v.) | - to satisfy excessively |
savor (v.) | - to appreciate fully, enjoy |
scathing (adj.) | - hurtful, critical |
scourge (n.) | - a plague |
scurrilous (adj.) | - crude, vulgar |
sedate (v.) | - to calm, soothe |
sedentary (adj.) | - sitting |
seer (n.) | - a fortune teller |
seminal (adj.) | - original, ground-breaking |
serendipity (n.) | - the act of finding things not sought, luck |
slander (n.) | - a FALSE statement to damage the reputation of anothr |
sobriety (n.) | - moderation from excess, calm, tranquility |
somnolent (adj.) | - sleepy |
soothsayer (n.) | - a fortune teller |
sordid (adj.) | - dirty |
spectral (adj.) | - ghostly |
spurious (adj.) | - FALSE but intended to seem believable or possible |
stagnant (adj.) | - still, not flowing |
stagnate (v.) | - to be idle, to be still |
static (adj.) | - not moving, being at rest |
steadfast (adj.) | - fixed or unchanging |
strenuous (adj.) | - requiring tremendous strength or energy |
strife (n.) | - conflict |
stupefy (v.) | - to astound |
submissive (adj.) | - easily yielding to authority |
subsist (v.) | - to live, exist |
succinct (adj.) | - marked by compact precision |
suffice (v.) | - to meet needs |
supplant (v.) | - to displace and substitute for another |
surfeit (n.) | - an excess, a surplus, an overabundance |
surmise (v.) | - to guess, infer, suppose |
surreptitious (adj.) | - done in a secret, or stealthy way |
swarthy (adj.) | - of dark color or complexion |
sybarite (n.) | - someone devoted to pleasure and luxuary, a voluptuary |
sycophant (n.) | - a self-serving flatterer |
sympathetic (adj.) | - compassionate |
sympathy (n.) | - an expression of pity for another, compassion |
synopsis (n.) | - a summary |
taciturn (adj.) | - not inclined to talk |
tantamount (adj.) | - equivalent in value or significance |
tedious (adj.) | - boring, dull |
telepathic (adj.) | - capable of reading minds |
tenuous (adj.) | - having little substance or strength |
terrestrial (adj.) | - relating to the land |
terse (adj.) | - abrupt, short, brief |
timorous (adj.) | - fearful, timid |
tome (n.) | - a large book |
toothsome (adj.) | - delicious, luscious |
torpid (adj.) | - lazy, lethargic, moving slowly |
torrid (adj.) | - giving off intense heat, passionate |
tortuous (adj.) | - winding, twisted |
tragedy (n.) | - a disastrous event, or a work of art in which the hero meets a terrible fate |
tranquil (adj.) | - calm, serene, peaceful |
travesty (n.) | - a grossly inferior imitation |
trek (v.) | - to walk, travel by foot |
trite (adj.) | - overused, hackneyed |
truculent (adj.) | - eager to fight, violent |
ubiquitous (adj.) | - existing everywhere, widespread |
ultimate (n.) | - the last part, or a fundamental element |
umbrage (n.) | - anger, offense, resentment |
uncanny (adj.) | - of supernatural character or origin |
undulate (v.) | - to move in a smooth wavelike motion |
uniform (adj.) | - unvarying, conforming to one principle |
unilateral (adj.) | - having only one side |
unique (adj.) | - being the only one of its kind |
upbraid (v.) | - to criticize, scold, reproach |
vacillate (v.) | - to sway from one side to another |
variance (n.) | - a difference between what is expected and what actually occurs |
variegate (v.) | - to diversify |
vast (adj.) | - enormous, immense |
veneer (n.) | - a superficial or deceptively attractive appearance, facade |
veracious (adj.) | - honest, truthful |
verbose (adj.) | - wordy |
vicarious (adj.) | - experienced through another's actions |
vicissitudes (n.) | - the unexpected changes and shifts often encountered in one’s life |
vigor (n.) | - vitality and energy, vim |
vim (n.) | - and energy, vigor |
vivacious (adj.) | - lively, spirited, full of life |
vocation (n.) | - one’s work or professional calling |
volition (n.) | - a conscious choice or decision |
voluminous (adj.) | - large, ample |
voluptuary (n.) | - someone devoted to sensory pleasure and luxury, a sybaritye |
wane (v.) | - to decrease gradually in size or degree |
wax (v.) | - to increase gradually in size or degree |
weather (v.) | - to withstand or survive a situation |
whet (v.) | - to make more keen, stimulate |
winsome (adj.) | - charming, attractive |
Zeitgeist (n.) | - the spirit of the time |