 #33 (permalink) Mon Oct 05, 2009 0:51 am Prefix- might help you |
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a, an- without, not -asexual, amoral, anarchy, anhydrous, Anabaptist, anachronism
ab, abs, a- apart, away from- abnormal, abduct, abductor (muscle), abscission .
acro- high, tip, top, acrobat, acrophobia, acromegaly
See ad in Prefixes,
ad –to, toward- adhere, adductor (muscle) . See ab in Prefixes section), adumbrate
agere –act-agent, agency, agenda
alt- high- altitude, altimiter, altocumulus
ambul- to walk- ambulatory, amble, somnambulist
amphi, ambi -round, both sides -amphitheater, amphibian, ambidextrous, ambivalent
ante –before-antedate, anteroom, antecedent, anterior
anti, ant- against, opposite, antisocial, antibody, antidepressant
anthro –man-anthropology, anthropomorphic
anti -against -antipathy, antitank, anticlimax
aqua –water-aquarium, aqueous
archaios -ancient -archeology, archetype, archaic, archeozoic
archos -leader, first, chief -monarchy, oligarchy, anarchy, archetype, architect
audio -hear -audiophile, audiometer, auditory
auto –self-automatic, automaton, auto-immune
be- thoroughly- bedecked, besmirch, begrudge
bell- war- belligerent, antebellum, rebel
bene -well, favorable-benefit, benevolent, benefactor, beneficent
bi -two -bi-partisan, bisexual, biennial, binary, bicuspid, bivalve
bible –book-bibliography, Bible, bibliophile
bio –life-biology, biography, bio-active
caco –Bad-cacophony
cede, ceed, cess- to go, to yield, succeed, proceed, receded
chron- time- chronology, chronmeter
cide, cis –kill, to cut-homicide, parricide, germicidal, ecocide, suicide, excision, concise
circum --around -circumference, circumlocution, circumnavigate
clud, clus claus- to close- include, exclude, claustrophobia, reclusive
con, com- with, together- convene, compress, contemporary, confluence, combine
constitutus -stand -constitution, statute
contra, counter- against, opposite- contradict, contray, contraband
corpus -body -corpse, corporeal punishment, corpus callosum
cracy –rule-democracy, theocrat, technocracy
credo –belief-credit, (see also roots section)
commun- to share- commune, communism, communication
cycl-circle, wheel- bicycle, cyclical, motorcycle, tricycle
de- from, down, away- detach, deploy, derail, deice
demos –people-democracy, demographic
dei, div- God- divinity, divine, deify
di -two, double-dimorphism, dicotyledon, diatomic
dia -across, through-diagonal, dialectic, dialogue, diagnosis
dict-speak- predict, verdict, dictionary, dictate, indict
dis, dys, dif –away, not, negative- dismiss, distemper, disperse, disinherit, disenfranchise, distend
dominus -lord -dominant, dominion
duc, duct- to lead, pull, produce, abduct, transducer, induct
dyn, dyna- power- dynamic, heterodyne, dynasty
dynasthai -be able -dynamic, dynamo, dynasty, dynamite
ecto- outside, external- ectomorph, ectopic, ectoderm, ectothermal
ego -I, self-ego, egomaniac, egocentric,
endo- inside, with in- endotoxin, endogenous
epi -upon, over-epidermis, epidemic, epigram, epitaph, epithet, epiphyte, epistasis, epinephrine, epiphysis
equi- equal- equidistant, equilibrium, equator
e, ex –out, away from -exotic, exterior, extraneous, extemporaneous, exophalmic, exogenous, exothermic, exoskeleton, emit, explusion, exceed
exter, extra- outside of- external, extraordinary, extraneous, extreme
federis (see also Roots section)-league, pact-federation, confederate
flu, flux- flow- effluence, influence, fluctuate, confluence
flect, flex- to bend- flexible, reflection, circumflex
frater -brother -fraternize, fraternity, fraternal, fratricide
geo –earth-geology, geography, geocentric, geomancy
graph (see also Roots section) -write, record -graphic, graphite, graphology,
hetero -mixed, unlike-heterogeneous, heterosexual, heterodox, heterodont, hetero atom, heterocyclic, heterozygous,
homo -same, alike-homogeneous, homogenized, homozygous, homolytic fission, Homo sapiens, homonid, homeostasis
hyper-over, above- hyperactive, hyperventilate, hypertext
hypo- below, less than- hypotension, hypoglycemia, hypothermia
idem -the same -identity, idiopathic, I, individual
ideo -idea -ideology, ideation, ideal
idios -one's own-idiom, idiosyncrasy, idiopathic
in –in-incarcerate, incorporate, inculcate, induction, inductance, indigenous, indicator, inspiration
in, im -not -incredible, ignoble, inglorious, inhospitable, infinite, infinitesimal, immoral
infra- beneath- infrared, infrastructure
inter, intro –between-interact, interstellar, interpret, interstitial
intra- within, into- intrapersonal, intramural, intramuscular
jac, ject, to throw- reject, eject, project, interject
legis (lex) -law -legal, legislature
lexis –word-lexicon, lexicography
liber -free, book-liberty, library, liberal
locus –place-locality, local, circumlocution
macro –large-macroeconomics, macroscopic, macrophage
mal- bad, badly- malformation, dismal, malfunction
mania (see Roots section also)-obsession-maniac, Beatlemania
mega- great, million- megabyte, megaphone
meso- middle- mesomorph, mesosphere
meta- beyond, change- metaphor, metabolism, metainformation
meter (see Roots section also) –measure-metronome, speedometer, odometer
micro -small -microscope, micron, micrometer, microorganism
mis- bad- misinform, mispronounciate, mistake
mittere, mitto (see Roots section also) -send -mission, transmit, remit
mono -one, single-monocle, monopoly, monogamy, monovalent, monomania, monarchy
morph- shape- metamorphosis, morpheme, amorphous
mortis –death-mortician, mortuary, moribund, morbid
multi- many- multitude, multifaceted, multimedia
neo- new- neonate, neophyte
non- not- nonferrous, nonprofit, nonsense
nomen –name-noble, ignominy, nomenclature, nominal
olig –few-oligarchy, oligopoly
omni- all- omnivore, omniscient, omnibus
para- beside- paraphrase, parallel, comparision
pater –father-paternal, paternity, patricide
ped (see Roots section also) –foot-pedestrian, pedal, pedicure, podiatrist
per- through, intensive- permit, persuade, permit, perform
peri –around-peripatetic, periscope, perineum, peritoneum
phage (see Roots section also)-eat-phagocyte, phagocytosis
philo –love-philosophy, philanthropy
phobos (see Roots section)-fear
phon (see Roots section) –sound-telephone, phonics, phonetically
phot- light- photograph, photon
polein –sell-monopoly
polis (see Roots section also)-city-political, metropolitan
poly (see Roots section also) -many -polygamy, polyphonic, hoi polloi
porto –carry-porter, export
post –after-post script (p.s.), ex post facto, post hoc, post-mortem
pre –before-premier, preview, premium, prescient
pro -before, in favor of-project, projectile,
psyche -mind, soul-psychology
publicus –people-public, republic, pub, publican
re- back, again- report, retort, rebuke, reluctant
retro- backward- retrorocket, retrogression
riparia –river-riparian
sanct- holy- sanctify, sanctuary
scribe-, script- to write- inscription, manuscript, prescribtion
scope –examine-microscope, oscilloscope
scribo (see Roots section also)-write-transcribe, scribe, script
sect, sec- cut- intersect, section, transect
semi- half- semiconcous, semiconductor, semiprofessional
spect- to look- inspect, retrospect, speculate
solus –alone-solo, solitary
subter -under, secret-subterfuge, subtle, subaltern, subterranean
super, supra- above- superior, superme, supernatural, superficial
syn, sin (sys before b, p, or m)-together, with-synchronize, symphony, sympathy, syncretic, syncope
tele –distance-telegraph, telephone, teleology
therm, thermo- heat- thermal, thermodynamics, thermometer
tract- to drag, draw- attract,m tractor, retract, contract
trans –across-transport, transcend, transmogrify
un- not- unlikely, unimaginative, unquestionable
utilis –useful-utility, utilitarian
veh, vect- to carry- vector, vehicle, vehement
vert, vers- to turn- convert, revert, introvert, vertigo
vide, visibil, vis- see- video, vision, visible
vita- life- vitality, vitamin |
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Grestudyer2009
New Member
Joined: 29 Sep 2009
Posts: 3
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| #34 (permalink) Mon Oct 05, 2009 0:57 am Some vocabs courtesy of grewords.com |
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Abdicate - To step down from a position of Power
Abridge - To shorten, condense or lessen in length
Absolve - to forgive or free from blame
Abysmal - extremely wretched, bottomless
Acquiesce - to comply passively, to give in
Advocate - to support, or be in favor of
Aesthetic - concerned with or appreciative of beauty
Affinity - sympathy, attraction, kinship
Agenda - Program, things to be done
Aggrandize - to make great
Allusion - an indirect reference
Altruistic - unselfish concern with the welfare of others
Amnesty - an official pardon for a group of people who violate a law
Animosity - ill will, active dislike
Anomalous - irregular, abnormal, unusual
Arduous - difficult to do, laborious
Augment - to increase or enlarge
Austere - stern in manner or appearance, strict in morals
Aversion - strong or fixed dislike, a feeling of repugnance
Banal - commonplace, trite, unoriginal
Baroque - extravagantly ornate, flamboyant, characterized by bold ornamentation
Begrudge - to envy another’s possessions, to concede reluctantly
Benediction - a blessing, a good wish
Benign - gentle, not harmful, kind
Blanch - to turn pale
Blithe - happily, lighthearted, joyful
Botch - to bungle, to foul up
Bracing - invigorating, to prepare
Broach - to open up a subject for discussion
Buffoon - clown or fool
Bulwark - something used as a defense, a strong protection
Cache - a hiding place, something hidden in a secret place
Callous - unfeeling and insensitive
Candor - truthfulness, great honesty, frankness
Capitulate - to surrender, to stop resisting
Catharsis - an emotional purification, an emotional release
Caustic - biting in humor
Censure - the act of blaming or condemning
Chastise - to criticize severely
Chronic - constant, lasting a long time
Circumspect - careful, thought through
Clemency - disposition towards mercy, mildness
Clique - an exclusive group
Coalesce - to come together as one, to fuse or unite
Coherent - making sense, organize and logical
Colloquial - conversational, used in informal speech
Compatible - able to get along well
Convey - to transport, to conduct, to communicate
Conviction - determination, a state of being convinced
Copious - abundant, lavish
Corroborate - to support with evidence
Craven - cowardly
Criterion - standard for judging
Cursory - brief, without much attention to detail
Dearth - a shortage
Deference - respect, courtesy
Deft - skillful
Delineate - to describe or picture in words, to detail
Delude - to deceive, to have false illusion
Depravity - moral corruption
Depreciate - to lessen in value, to belittle
Desecrate - to treat with disrespect
Destitute - very poor, totally lacking
Diatribe - a denunciation, a biting speech
Didactic - instructive, intended to educate
Diffuse - wordy, not concentrated, to spread widely
Digress - to stray from the main subject
Discerning - keenly perceptive, shrewd
Discount - to deduct, to disregard
Diva - an opera singer, prima donna, a tempermental, conceited person
Docile - easily tought, submissive
Dogmatic - arrogantly assertive, positive about unproven ideas
Dormant - as though asleep, not actively growing
Dupe - to deceive, to trick
Ebb - to decline, to recede
Eccentric - nonconventional, a little kooky
Eclectic - drawn from many sources
Efface - to erase, to rub away the features, to obscure
Egocentric - self-involved, selfish
Egregious - extremely bad, flagrant
Elucidate - to make clear
Embellish - to add to, to exaggerate, garnish, ornament
Emigrate - to move to a new country, to move to a new place
Emissary - a messenger or representative, an agent
Emulate - to imitate, to strive to equal
Engaging - charming, interesting
Enigma - a puzzle, a baffling situation, something obscure
Enshroud - to cover, to enclose with a dark cover
Esoteric - understood by only a few
Eulogize - to speak in praise of someone, to pay written or spoken tribute
Exacerbate - to make worse or more severe
Exacting - greatly demanding, requiring close attention
Exalt - to raise high, to glorify
Exorbitant - extravagant, exceeding what is usual
Expedite - to make faster or easier, to carry out promptly
Explicit - clearly stated, precisely shown
Expunge - to erase, to strike out
Extol - to praise highly
Façade - the principal front of a building, a false appearance
Faction - a group, or part of large group, united on an issue
Fallacy - false idea, mistaken belief, an implausible argument
Fawning - to show excessive affection, to be overly flattering in return for favor
Feign - to pretend, give a false impression, to invent falsely
Fidelity - a state of being faithful, loyal
Finesse - delicacy of workmanship, subtlety, skillful maneuvering
Fledgling - a young bird learning to fly, a beginner, a novice
Flourish - to grow strong, to grow abundantly, to thrive or prosper
Fluke - a chance event, a coincidence, a stroke of luck
Fodder - raw material for a given end
Foray - an initial venture, to raid in search of plunder
Forfeit - to give up something as a penalty for some error or crime
Fortuitous - happening by chance, lucky fortunate
Furtive - secret, done by stealth, sly
Futile - useless, hopeless, without effect
Galvanize - to arouse suddenly, to stimulate, spur to action
Gamut - the full range of something
Garner - to gather and store away, to acquire by effort
Genteel - refined, polite, aristocratic
Gratuitous - freely given, unnecessary, uncalled for, unwarranted
Gravity - seriousness
Grimace - to make an ugly disapproving facial expression
Grovel - to beg persistently, to degrade oneself
Guile - cunning duplicity, purposeful deceit
Guise - an external appearance
Gullible - easily deceived
Harbinger - a precursor, an indication, one that foreshadows what is coming
Herald - to give notice of, to hail or greet
Heresy - any belief that is strongly opposed to established beliefs, or practice
Hiatus - a break or interruption from work or any other established routine
Homage - reverence, respect, an expression of high regard
Homogeneous - similar, of the same kind, uniform in nature
Hubris - excessive pride, arrogance, exaggerated self-confidence
Hyperbole - extravagant exaggeration used as a figure of speech
Immaterial - insignificant, unimportant
Imminent - about to occur, hanging threatening over one’s head
Immutable - something that is unchangeable, permanent
Imperious - commanding, lordly, arrogant
Impotent - lacking power, helpless, unable to perform sexual intercourse
Incessant - unceasing, never ending, flowing without interruption
Incipient - beginning to be, in an early stage
Incontrovertible- not disputable, not open to question
Indigenous - native, produced or living in a particular area
Indigent - poverty stricken, needy
Inept - clumsy, awkward, incompetent
Infamy - an evil reputation borne of a criminal act, a reputation for evildeeds
Inhibit - to keep from free activity or expression, to restrain or even forbid
Insidious - sly, treacherous, having a gradual effect
Insipid - lacking taste, dull, bland
Intrepid - fearless, having fortitude and endurance
Irreverent - disrespectful, gently or humorously mocking
Jargon - a specialized vocabulary of a group, an obscure language
Jaunt - a short pleasure trip
Jeopardy - exposure to danger, peril
Judicious - wise, showing judgment, cautious
Junction - a place of meeting or joining, a linkup
Juxtapose - to place side by side
Karma - a good or bad emanation of force from someone or something
Laconic - brief in speech, using very few words
Lament - to mourn, to express regret
Latent - present but not visible or apparent, dormant, potential
Laud - to praise, to applaud, to extol
Lax - careless, too relaxed
Legacy - something handed down from the past , a bequest
Levity - lack of seriousness, frivolity
Liaison - connection between different groups, a close bond
Listless - a lack of energy, spiritless
Lucid - clear, easily understood
Luminous - glowing, bright, emitting light
Magnanimous - noble in spirit, generous, giving
Malaise - a feeling of depression, uneasiness, of being unwell
Manifest - to make evident by showing
Marshal - to gather together something for a purpose, to arrange in order
Martyr - one who suffers for a cause, a person who sacrifices for a principle
Maverick - a person who breaks away from the crowd, a non conformist
Meander - to wander aimlessly
Mercenary - a person who serves only for money, motivated by greed
Moot - of no matter or consequence, not important
Morose - gloomy, bad tempered, a sullen disposition
Myriad - an immense indefinite number, multitude
Negligent - careless, remiss
Nemesis - a powerful river, a usually unconquerable opponent
Nomadic - without a permanent home, constantly wandering
Nominal - insignificant, trifling
Novel - new, original
Nuance - a subtle distinction, a slight difference in definition
Nullify - to repeal, cancel, render void
Obliterate - to blot out leaving no traces, to destroy
Obscure - unclear, vague partially hidden, hard to understand
Obviate - to make unnecessary, to avert, to preclude
Odious - hateful, evil, vile
Odyssey - a long difficult journey marked by changes in fortune
Ogle - to stare at in a disrespectful way
Oligarchy - a government in which the power is in the hand of only a few
Opaque - difficult to see through, unclear, dark
Opportunist - a person who takes advantage of opportunity with no regard for principle
Osmosis - gradual or subtle absorption, an unconscious process of absorption
Oust - to eject, to banish, to expel
Overture - an opening move, a preliminary offer
Palatable - pleasant to the taste, agreeable in feeling
Paltry - a tiny or insignificant amount, meager, scant
Pariah - an outcast
Partition - a dividing wall, a division
Paucity - scarcity, smallness in number or amount
Pedantic - boringly, scholarly, academic in mode
Penchant - a strong like for something, a predilection
Permeate - to spread or seep through, to penetrate, to pervade
Peruse - to study, to read over leisurely
Philanthropy - good will towards all people, love of mankind, and act of generosity
Pious - reverent, devout, dutiful, may at times be marked by hypocrisy
Pique - to hurt or rile the feelings of someone, irritate
Pivotal - crucial, something around which things turn
Placate - to soothe, to appease with concessions
Plausible - believable
Poignant - emotionally moving
Polemic - a powerful argument to defend a thesis
Precept - a rule or principle to guide conduct
Preclude - to make impossible, to shut out, to bar
Pretentious - showy, self-important, make unjustifiable claims to excellence
Prolific - marked by abundant production or offspring
Prosaic - dull, unimaginative, lacking excitement
Provincial - limited in outlook, narrow in ideas
Prudent - careful, cautious
Quaint - pleasantly old-fashioned, picturesque
Quell - to put an end to, to squelch, to calm
Quintessential - the most perfect example of
Quixotic – foolishly impractical and idealistic
Raucous - boisterous, harsh sounding, noisy and disorderly
Rebuff - to snub, to refuse in a blunt or rude way
Rebuke - to criticize or reprimand sharply
Reciprocal - mutual, shared, interchangeable
Relegate - to dismiss to a less prominent position, to banish
Relic - an object associated with a saint, something that remains from the past
Replenish - to refill, to supply once more
Reprehensible - deserving of blame
Reprove - to gently criticize
Rescind - to cancel, to repeal
Resilient - an ability to recover from, or adjust easily
Respite - an interval of rest, a temporary delay
Resplendent - brilliant, gloriously bright
Robust - strong and healthy, vigorous
Rustic - primitive, rural, lacking city comforts
Saccharine - excessively sweet
Sardonic - disdainful, scornfully mocking
Scanty - minimal, hardly sufficient
Scintillate - to sparkle, to gleam, to be animated or brilliant
Servile - submissive, behaving like a slave
Sloth - sluggish, laziness, indolence
Spurious - false, fake, not genuine
Stagnate - to lie inactive, to stay in one place
Static - stationary, not changing or moving
Steadfast - loyal, faithful
Stoic - showing indifference to pain, apathetic
Stratagem - a trick or deceptive scheme
Strident - loud, harsh, grating
Stymie - to get in the way of, to hinder, to block
Succinct - concise, clearly expressed with a few words
Surfeit - abundance, excessive amount
Surmise - abundance, excessive amount
Table - to remove from consideration
Tedious - boring, tiresome
Teem - to swarm, to be inundated, to become full to overflowing
Temperance - habitual moderation, the avoidance of excess
Tenet - a principle, doctrine or belief held as so by a group
Tentative - uncertain, temporary not fully worked out
Tenuous - flimsy,
Tepid - lukewarm, unenthusiastic, halfhearted
Terse - concise, brief, free of extra word
Theology - the study of God or religion
Thwart - to prevent from being accomplished, to frustrate, to hinder
Tirade - a long and angry speech
Tonic - a refreshing drink, something that invigorates
Tortuous - winding, twisting, full of curves
Tout - to brag publicly, to praise highly
Transfix - to cause to stand motionless with awe or other intense emotion
Travesty - a parody, an imitation that makes crude fun of something
Trite - unoriginal, overused, clichéd, commonplace
Trivial - unimportant, insignificant
Tryst - a secret meeting of lovers
Tumult - noisy commotion, uproar
Turpitude - shameful wickedness, evil, depravity
Undermine - to weaken the support of, to injure in a slow or sneaky way
Unilateral - on one side alone
Urbane - suave, sophisticated, polished
Usurp - to size wrongfully
Vapid - tasteless, dull
Vehement - intense, forceful marked by strong feeling
Verbose - wordy
Vestige - the remains of something that no longer exists
Viable - workable, capable of living and growing, able to succeed
VIE - to complete, to contest
Vilify - to defame, to slander, to blacken the character of
Virulent - extremely poisonous, malignant, full of hate
Vivacious - lively, spirited
Volatile - explosive, tend to burn quickly
Wanton - immoral, lewd, deliberate maliciousness, having no regards for others
Waver - to be indecisive or inconstant, to fluctuate in opinion
Winsome - charming, sweetly engaging
Wistful - yearning, sad longing, a gentle desire
Zealot - a person with great enthusiasm for and commitment to a cause
Zenith - the highest point
Abeyance - a temporary suspension of activity
Abrogate - to repeal, to set aside, to nullify
Abscond - to leave quickly and secretively
Abstinence - voluntarily refraining from eating certain foods or drink
Abstruse - hard to understand or grasp
Accolade - award or honor, high praise
Accouterments - personal clothing, accessories, or equipment
Acquit - to find not guilty, to conduct oneself
Adjure - to command or urge solemnly and earnestly
Adumbrate - to suggest partly, to give a hint of things to come
Aegis - protection, patronage
Aggrieve - to distress, to mistreat
Akimbo - having one’s hands in a bent position on the hips,
Alacrity - cheerful readiness, liveliness or eagerness
Alchemy - a process of transformation that is seemingly magical
Ambulatory - able to walk or move about
Ameliorate - to make better, to ease or improve
Anathema - something or someone loathed or intensely dislike
Ancillary - subsidiary, subordinate
Anomie - instability caused by an erosion of value or lack of purpose
Antipodal - situated on opposite side of the earth or being exactly opposite
Apocryphal - false, spurious, of doubtful origin
Apoplexy - a stroke resulting from loss of blood of the brain,
Apostasy - a judge, one who decides
Ascetic - hermitlike, self-denial, austere
Assiduous - hardworking, busy, diligent
Assignation - a secret meeting, a tryst, or something assigned
Bacchanal - a drunken reveler or orgy
Bandy - to toss and forth, to exchange, to use in a glib way
Bathos - a transition from the illustrious to the commonplace, overdone pathos,
Behemoth - something that is enormous, or monstrous in size and power
Belie - to run counter to, to show something as false
Besmirch - to stain or soil ( commonly as to reputation )
Bilious - ill-tempered, cranky, angry
Bivouac - a temporary encampment
Bon Vivant - someone who enjoys luxurious living
Bowdlerize - to censor prudishly
Brook - to tolerate, to put up with something
Bumptious - pushy, conceited, noisily self-assertive
Byzantine - extremely intricate or complicated in structure
Cabal - a secret group of conspirators, a clique
Cachet - a mark of distinction, a quality that “says” prestige
Calumny - slander, deliberate false statements
Capricious - whimsical, fanciful, impulsive
Castigate - to punish, chastise, criticize severely
Cataclysm - a violent upheaval, an earthquake, a flood
Cavil - to quibble, to raise trivial objections
Chary - careful, cautious, wary
Chicanery - deception or trickery
Chimerical - wildly fanciful, absurd
Circumlocution - wordy language, an indirect, roundabout expression
Clout - influence, a forceful blow
Cogitate - to ponder over, to mediate, to think
Comport - to behave
Compunction - remorse, feeling uneasy after having done something
Concomitant - accompanying, attending, going along with
Conflagration - a large, disastrous fire
Contentious - argumentative over a point, quarrelsome
Cortege - a procession, a group of attendants
Coterie - an intimate group of people with a common interest
Covet - to wish for with envy
Debacle - a disaster or violent breakdown
Decimate - to kill or destroy a large part of
Deleterious - harmful
Depredate - to prey upon, to plunder with violence if necessary
Descry - to discern, to see something, to teach sight of
Desiccate - to dry out
Dichotomy - division into two often contradictory parts
Dilettante - a dabbler, someone with a superficial knowledge (usually of the arts)
Discomfit - to confuse, deceive
Disquiet - to make uneasy
Dissipate - to break up, to squander, to indulge excessively in sensual pleasure
Diurnal - occurring during the day, happens everyday
Doff - to take off (usually clothing) as a sign of greeting
Doggerel - comic, sometimes crude, informal verse
Dossier - a file of documents, letters and records
Draconian - severe, exceedingly harsh
Dulcet - having a nice, agreeable, melodious sound
Effete - exhausted, lost vitality, over refined
Élan - vigor, distinctive, elegant style
Elliptical - oval, obscure in expression
Encomium - a eulogy or expression of high praise
Endemic - native, belonging to a specific region
Enervate - to weaken, to sap the strength
Ennui - boredom, listlessness, lack of interest
Ensconce - to settle in snugly, to hide in a secure place
Ersatz - an inferior substitute
Erudite - scholarly, deeply learned, well read
Espy - to glimpse, to descry, to catch sight of
Ethnocentric - the belief in the superiority of one’s race or ethnic group
Evanescent - vanishing, happening for the briefest moment
Exemplar - an excellent model, a typical example
Exigent - urgent, demands prompt action
Extirpate - to rip up by the roots, to abolish, to annihilate
Facetious - humorous, joking in a somewhat inappropriate or clumsy manner
Fauna - animals
Feckless - lacking responsibility, ineffective
Fecund - fertile, productive, fruitful
Feral - wild, like a wild animal, savage
Fetter - to impede, restrain, hamper
Fey - otherworldly, magical, “touched”
Flagellate - to whip, or to punish as if by whipping
Foment - to stir up, to incite
Forswear - retract, renounce or recant
Fusillade - a rapid outburst, spray of gunfire
Gainsay - to deny, to speak or act against
Gamin - a street urchin, a slim girl with an impish charm
Garrulous - talkative
Gerrymander - to divide into election districts to gain political advantage
Gestalt - a structure, whose parts cannot stand alone
Gesticulate - to gesture, especially when speaking
Gird - to invest with authority, to brace
Halitosis - bad breath
Hidebound - excessively rigid, dry and stiff, inflexible
Histrionic - overly dramatic, theatrical, deliberately affected
Hoary - gray or white with age, ancient, stale
Homeopathy - a system of natural healing
Husbandry - the judicious used of resources, livestock farming
Ignominious - disgraceful and dishonorable
Imbroglio - a difficult and confused situation, a complicated disagreement
Impecunious - without money, penniless
Impervious - does not allow something to pass through, impenetrable
Impugn - to attack the integrity of something
Implacable - not capable of being appeased or mollified
Inchoate - just beginning, not organized or orderly, incomplete
Iniquitous - evil, unjust
Insouciant - nonchalant, lighthearted, unconcerned
Interregnum - the period between two successive governments,
Intransigent - uncompromising, stubborn
Inveterate - habitual, deeply rooted or established
Irascible - hot-tempered, cranky
Itinerant - moving from place to place
Juggernaut - a massive, unstoppable object
Junta - a small group that rules a country after a coup d’etat
Largess - a generous giving of gifts, philanthropy
Lassitude - a weariness, listlessness, a state of lethargy
Leitmotif - a dominant or recurring theme or emotion
Levee - an embankment designed to prevent a river from flooding
Libation - a pouring of a liquid for a religious ceremony, a drink
Libidinous - lustful, lascivious
Lope - to run at steady, easy pace
Macerate - to soften by soaking, to cause to waste away
Machination - scheming activity foe an evil purpose
Malapropism - the humorous misuse of a word that sound very much like the word intended
Malfeasance - an illegal act especially by a public official
Martinet - one who adheres strictly to rules
Matriculate - to enroll, most particularly in college
Maudlin - overly sentimental
Mellifluous - sweetly flowing
Mendacious - dishonest, deceitful
Mercurial - emotionally unpredictable, give to rapid changes in mood
Miasma - a poisonous swamp vapor, a harmful influence or atmosphere
Milieu - environment, surroundings
Mirthful - merry, gleeful
Mordant - bitingly sarcastic, incisive, caustic in manner
Moribund - being in a dying or decaying condition
Muckrake - to expose political misconduct
Munificent - generous
Myopia - nearsightedness, lacking foresight
Nabob - a wealthy, influential person
Nascent - coming into existence, being born
Neophyte - a beginner, a novice
Nepotism - showing favoritism to friends or family, as in granting positions in jobs or politics
Niggardly - stingy, small in a mean way
Nihilism - the belief that there are no values or morals in the universe,
Nirvana - a blissful, painless state,
Noisome - harmful, unwholesome, stinking, putrid
Nonplus - to bewilder, to puzzle
Obdurate - stubborn
Obsequious - fawning, subservient, servile
Oeuvre - a work of art, the sum of an artist’s work
Officious - unnecessarily helpful, meddlesome, interfering
Omniscient - all knowing, infinite awareness
Omnivorous - eating or absorbing everything, feeding on both animal and vegetable Substances
Onerous - burdensome, oppressive, troublesome
Onus - burden, blame, obligation
Opprobrious - damning, extremely critical, disgraceful
Opus - a creative work, musical composition
Oscillate - to swing back and forth
Ossify - to become rigid, to be come set in one’s ways
Palliate - to hide the seriousness of something with excuses or apologies,
Pallid - lacking color, wan
Panacea - a remedy that cures everything
Panegyric - lofty praise, eulogistic writing
Paradigm - a model or example
Parsimonious - stingy
Patina - surface discoloration caused by age and oxidation,
Patois - a language used by a particular population that differs from standard Speech
Penultimate - next to last
Penury - extreme poverty
Peregrination - an expedition, wandering
Perfidious - faithless, untrustworthy
Perfunctory - careless, unenthusiastic, done merely as duty
Perorate - to make a long, formal speech, to sum up a speech
Perquisite - a privilege or perk that goes along with a job
Perspicacious - shrewd, astute, showing strong powers of discernment
Petulant - cranky, ill tempered, irritable, peevish
Phantasm - an apparition, phantom
Phlegmatic - calm, indifferent, not easily aroused
Piquant - pungent, charmingly provocative
Placebo - a fake medication
Plebeian - common, vulgar, low class
Pluralism - a society in which distinct group function together, but retain their identities
Portent - an omen, a sign of something coming, a foreshadowing
Pregnant - highly significant, overflowing, rich in significance
Prepossess - to cause to be preoccupied, to influence, positively, in advance
Prescient - having foresight
Prevaricate - to deviate from the truth
Privation - lack of comforts, poverty, a state of being deprived
Probity - honesty, uprightness
Profligate - corrupt, degenerate, wildly extravagant
Propinquity - nearness in place or time, kinship
Protean - readily assuming different shapes or characters
Provenance - origin, source, proof of posting ownership
Prowess - exceptional skill or strength, military valor
Prurient - lascivious, have lustful thoughts or desires
Puissance - power, strength
Punctilious - meticulously attentive to detail, exacting
Putrefy - to rot
Quiescence - state of rest or inactivity
Raffish - jaunty, sporty, disreputable, vulgar, characterized by a careless Unconventionality
Rapprochement - a re-establishment of good relations
Rarefied - esoteric, interesting to only a few
Recalcitrant - stubbornly defiant and resistant of authority
Recidivism - the act of repeating an offense
Recondite - hard to understand, abstruse, over one’s head
Redoubtable - formidable, fearsome, deserving of respect
Remuneration - payment, recompense
Repartee - a quick, witty reply, spirited conversation
Reprobate - a morally unprincipled person, a scoundrel
Reticent - restrained, reluctant, uncommunicative
Ribald - vulgar or indecent language
Rife - widespread, abounding, occurring frequently
Rout - to put to flight, to scatter, to cause a huge defeat
Rubric - heading, title, category
Ruminate - to muse upon
Sagacious - wise shrewd
Sallow - a sickly, greenish-yellow tone
Sally - a rushing attack, witty repartee, a brief excursion
Salubrious - favorable to health
Sangfroid - extraordinary composure in the face of danger
Sartorial - relating to dress or fashion
Saturnine - sullen, gloomy, depressed
Savant - a scholar, a very knowledgeable person
Scofflaw - one who is continually breaking the law
Scotch - to put an end to
Secrete - to give off, to conceal
Sententious - preachy, pompous, using wise sayings excessively
Shibboleth - a distinctive word or behavior that typifies a group, a slogan
Simper - to smile foolishly
Sine qua non - something that is an essential condition of
Sinuous - winding, having many curves
Slatternly - squalid, a slovenly woman
Somnolent - drowsy, sleepy
Spate - a sudden outburst
Spelunker - a cave explorer
Stalwart - unwavering, robust, sturdily built
Striated - marked with thin lines or grooves
Sturm and drang - turmoil
Sui generis - unique, of its own kind, in a class by itself
Supercilious - arrogant, overbearing, condescending
Surreptitious - sneaky, secret
Sycophant - a flatterer, a self-serving yes-man
Syllogism - a form oflogic in which major and minor premises are made and a conclusion drawn,
Sylvan - forestlike, wooded
Synergy - the combined force of two distinct elements that is more powerful then each alone
Temerity - boldness, rashness, audacity
Temporize - to compromise, to draw something out in order to gain time
Tendentious - advancing a point of view, biased
Timorous - fearful, easily frightened
Titular - in title only
Tony - fashionable, trendy, aristocratic
Toothsome - tasty, sexually attractive, luscious
Trice - an moment, a short period of time
Truculent - hostile, aggressive, savage
Umbrage - displeasure or resentment, shade
Undulate - to move smoothly in a wavelike manner
Usury - lending money at a high interest rate
Vacuous - empty, lacking intelligence
Vagary - whim, an unpredictable action
Vainglorious - boastful, pompous
Veneer - façade, coating, outward appearance
Venerate - to honor, to worship, to respect
Veracious - truthful, honest
Verdant - covered with green plants, leafy
Vicarious - acting for another, sharing in an experience of another through the Imagination
Viscosity - a thick or sticky consistency of a liquid
Vitriolic - corrosive, biting, bitterly scathing
Wastrel - someone who wastes, a spendthrift
Wizened - shriveled, withered
Wont - custom, habit
Zaftig - full-figured, plump
Zeitgeist - the mood or spirit of the times
Zephyr - a gentle breeze
Ablution - the act of washing one’s body
Abnegate - to deny to oneself, renounce, surrender
Acidulous - sour, ill tempered
Adventitious - accidental
Afflatus - a creative impulse, divine inspiration
Agathism - the belief that things ultimately lead to good
Agnate - from the father’s side of the family
Aleatory - based on chance
Ana - a collection of materials that reflect a person or place
Animus - hostile feeling
Antediluvian - extremely old, antiquated
Antinomy - a contradiction between two seemingly true statements
Aphasia - loss of speech
Aphorism - a wise saying
Arable - suitable for the growing of crops
Arrant - notoriously without moderation, downright
Arriviste - a social climber, an upstart
Aseptic - surgically clean, free of germs
Atrabilious - inclined to melancholy
Bailiwick - a particular area of expertise
Banausic - routine, mechanical, boring
Bellwether - a person who assumes a leadership role or takes initiative
Benison - blessing, benediction
Bibulous - highly absorbent, given to or fond of alcoholic beverages
Bifurcated - forked, divided into two branches
Boondoggle - a useless or valueless project or activity
Bosky - wooded, covered with trees and shrubs
Braggadocio - arrogant pretension, empty conceit
Brummagem - bogus, fraudulent, cheap, showy
Caducity - the frailty of old age, the quality of being perishable transitoriness
Canard - a fabricated story, or sensational report, a hoax
Celerity - haste, swiftness of movement
Centrifugal - proceeding in action away from the center or axle
Claque - an audience paid to clap, an obsequious audience
Clerisy - the intellectual elite
Compendium - a comprehensive summary
Culvert - a sewer or drain
Daedal - ingenious or complex in design
Deciduous - shedding or losing leaves on a particular season, not evergreen
Defalcate - to embezzle
Defenestration - the act of throwing someone or something out a window
Deism - the belief that god created the world and then left it to its own devices
Demimonde - a class of kept women or women of lower social standing,
Denouement - the outcome
Denunciation - open condemnation
Diadem - a crown that indicates royalty
Dolorous - sorrowful
Éclat - a dazzling success, acclaim
Edacious - having an instable appetite, great voracity
Ephemeral - short-lived, transitory
Epicene - having characteristics of both male and female neuter
Escarpment - cliff, a steep slope resulting from erosion
Esculent - edible, suitable for eating
Etiolate - pale and drawn, to make weak by stunting growth
Euthenics - the science of improving the condition of humans by improving their environment
Evanescent - fleeting, vanishing, transient
Evince - to show, reveal
Filial - relating to a son
Forward - contrary, consistently disobedient
Fustian - ridiculously pompous, bombastic, grandiose in delivery
Galoot - a loutish oaf, a clumsy but somewhat likable person
Gemeinschaft - a group with similar tastes, a group bound by similar interests and kinship
Grig - a lively person
Hegira - an escape to avoid danger or to get away from an unpleasant location
Homologate - to confirm officially
Hortative - giving advice or exhortation
Hugger-mugger - a confusion, jumble, muddle
Imago - an adult stage of an insect,
Indeterminate - vague, not known in advance
Indubitable - unquestionable
Ineffable - unutterable, unspeakable
Ineluctable - inescapable, not to be avoided
Inquietude - uneasiness, restlessness
Inured - to become accustomed to something undesirable
Jejune - dull, lacking interest, empty of food
Labile - unstable, adaptable, liable to change
Lachrymose - tearful, mournful
Lambent - radiant, flickering, marked by lightness
Lissome - supple
Luminary - a person of great intellectual, creative or spiritual stature
Lupine - having the characteristics of a wolf
Manqué - a failure to realize one’s aspirations
Manumit - to release from slavery
Matrix - something from which something else originates or takes from
Mélange - a mixture of incongruous elements
Mien - demeanor, the air bearing of a person
Minion - a hanger-on, a follower, an underling
Moue - a pout, usually playful, a little grimace
Mugwump - a person or politician who can’t make up his mind, an independent
Nefandous - unspeakable, unutterable
Nimbus - an atmosphere that surrounds a person or thing, a rain cloud,
Obloquy - strong language of condemnation
Obstreperous - stubbornly defiant, angry and clamorous
offal - the waste parts of a product (often as in a butchered animal), refuse, rubbish
Opine - to express an opinion
Pace - with deference to
Pachyderm - a thick-skinned animal
Paralogism - illogical reasoning of which the reason is not aware
Paroxysm - a fit
Parvenu - an upstart who has acquired wealth and class but hasn’
Pastiche - a piece that imitates or is made up from pieces of other works,
Percipience - keen perception
Perdition - eternal damnation
Plenary - complete, fully attended, not deficient in any way
Pluvial - rainy
Poltroon - a coward
Proscenium - the part of the stage in front of the curtain, the wall frame for the stage
Proselytize - to seek to convert someone to a religion, cause or political position
Pulchritude - physical beauty
Qua - in the capacity of
Quiddity - the real nature of a thing, the essence , a hairsplitting distinction
Quisling - a traitor who helps an enemy who occupies his country
Quotidian - occurring every day, commonplace
Retinue - a group of attendants to an elevated person
Roué - a lecherous man, a rake, a person devoted to sensual pleasures
Saporous - tasty, flavorsome
Satrap - a subordinate ruler
Sciolism - superficial knowledge
Senescence - beginning of old age
Sequacious - slavish, obsequious, following in logical sequence
Serried - crowded together
Serviette - a table napkin
Shantung - a heavy nubby fabric, made of wild silk
Supervene - to follow immediately after, to ensue
Surcease - cessation
Tatterdemalion - a ragged person, always in tatters
Teleology - the study of design or purpose in natural phenomena
Temerarious - recklessly daring, rash
Tenebrous - dark and gloomy
Termagant - a quarrelsome woman, a shrew
Tor - a high rock, a high rocky hill, or pile of rocks
Trilemma - a problem for which there are three possible courses of action, and none perfect
Tumid - swollen, distended, a bulging shape, overblown, bombastic
Ukase - an authoritative decree, official edict
Usufruct - the right to use someone else’s property as long as its not damaged in the process
Vernal - occurring in spring, springlike youthful
Vitiate - to impair the quality of, to corrupt morally
Vituperative - harshly scolding, acrimonious
Votary - a person bound by vows to live a life of religious service
Welter - to write, toss, wallow
Winnow - to blow of, or away, to separate the good from the bad
Wraith - a specter, ghost of a dead person
Ziggurat - a terrace |
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Grestudyer2009
New Member
Joined: 29 Sep 2009
Posts: 3
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Dp
