GMAT shuffled list

Thanks to torino168 for information.

 

hefty	(adj.) heavy or powerful The unabridged dictionary makes for a hefty book.
surfeit	(v.; n.) excessively indulging; overindulgence The teenagers were warned not to surfeit at the party. The result of her surfeit was a week of regret.
syllogism	(n.) reasoning in order from general to particular The syllogism went from fish to guppies.
doting	(adj.) excessively fond of With great joy, the doting father held the toddler.
dowdy	(adj.) shabby in appearance The dowdy girl had no buttons on her coat and the threads were falling apart.
slander	(v.) defame; maliciously misrepresent Orville said he'd been slandered, and he asked the court who would-or could- give him his name back.
enfranchised	(v.) to free from obligation; to admit to citizenship The player was enfranchised when the deal was called off. The recent immigrants were enfranchised when they took their oath to their new country.
jester	(n.) a person employed to amuse The jester tried all of his tricks to get the girl to laugh.
parody	(n.) a piece of work imitating another in a satirical manner; a poor imitation The play was a parody of the Prince and Princess's marital difficulties. Ugh! This is a parody of a fashionable dress!
liaison	(n.) connection; link The student council served as a liaison between the faculty and the student body.
judicious	(adj.) to have or show sound judgment Because the elder was judicious, the tough decisions were left to him. Putting money away for a rainy day is a judicious decision.
gullible	(adj.) easily fooled Gullible people are vulnerable to practical jokes.
aromatic	(adj.) having a smell which is sweet or spicy The aromatic smell coming from the oven made the man's mouth water.
deliberate	(v.; adj.) to consider carefully; weigh in the mind; intentional The jury deliberated for three days before reaching a verdict. The brother's deliberate attempt to get his sibling blamed for his mistake was obvious to all.
quaint	(adj.) old-fashioned; unusual; odd One of the best qualities of the bed-and-breakfast was its quaint setting in the charming English village.
antipathy	(n.) a strong dislike or repugnance Her antipathy for large crowds convinced her to decline the invitation to the city. The vegetarian had an antipathy toward meat.
humility	(n.) lack of pride; modesty Full of humility, she accepted the award but gave all the credit to her mentor.
rampart	(n.; v.) a defense; to defend The ramparts where beginning to crumble.
depict	(v.) to portray; describe The mural depicts the life of a typical urban dweller.
goad	(n.; v.) a driving impulse; to push into action His goad urged him to pursue the object of his affection. Thinking about money will goad him into getting a job.
taut	(adj.) stretched tightly They knew a fish was biting, because the line suddenly became taut.
nullify	(v.) cancel; invalidate Drinking alcohol excessively will nullify the positive benefits of eating well and exercising daily.
candid	(adj.) honest; truthful; sincere People trust her because she's so candid.
mercurial	(adj.) quick, changeable, fickle The mercurial youth changed outfits six times before deciding what to wear.
affiliate	(v.) to connect or associate with; to accept as a member The hiking club affiliated with the bird-watching club.
discord	(n.) disagreement; lack of harmony There was discord amidst the jury, and therefore a decision could not be made.
plaintive	(adj.) being mournful or sad His wife's death made Sam plaintive.
sardonic	(adj.) having a sarcastic quality H.L. Mencken was known for his sardonic writings on political figures.
tentative	(adj.) not confirmed; indefinite Not knowing if he'd be able to get the days off, Al went ahead anyway and made tentative vacation plans with his pal.
evasion	(n.) the avoiding of a duty The company was charged with tax evasion, as they did not pay all that they owed.
phenomenon	(n.) exceptional person; unusual occurrence Not for nothing do they call Yankee Stadium The House that Ruth Built-the Babe was a phenomenon. The northern lights are a rare phenomenon for those not living near the Arctic Circle.
yoke	(n.) harness; collar; bond The jockey led her horse by the yoke around its neck and face.
prolific	(adj.) fruitful The merger resulted in a prolific business which became an asset to the community.
laconic	(adj.) sparing of words; terse, pithy After a laconic introduction the program began. The people enjoyed the public addresses of the laconic queen.
converge	(v.) to move toward one point (opposite: diverge) It was obvious that an accident was going to occur as the onlookers watched the two cars converge. The two roads converge at the corner.
abaft	(adv.) on or toward the rear of a ship The passengers moved abaft of the ship so as to escape the fire in the front of the ship.
eradication	(n.) the act of annihilating, destroying, or erasing Some have theorized that the eradication of the dinosaurs was due to a radical change in climate.
myriad	(n.) a large number Buying an old house often necessitates fixing a myriad of problems. Gazing up on the clear, dark midnight sky, the astronomer saw a myriad of stars.
mundane	(adj.) ordinary; commonplace The small town was very mundane. Going food shopping soon became mundane, losing all of its excitement.
ceremonious	(adj.) very formal or proper The black-tie dinner was highly ceremonious.
acerbic	(adj.) tasting sour; harsh in language or temper Too much Bay Leaf will make the eggplant acerbic. The baby's mouth puckered when she was given the acerbic medicine. The columnist's acerbic comments about the First Lady drew a strong denunciation from the President.
connotative	(adj.) containing associated meanings in addition to the primary one Along with the primary meaning of the word, there were two connotative meanings. The connotative meaning of their music was spelled out in the video.
swathe	(v.) to wrap around something; envelop Soft blankets swathe the new born baby.
soporific	(adj.) causing sleep The soporific medication should not be taken when you need to drive.
perdition	(n.) ruination The perdition of the building was caused by the strong quake.
molten	(adj.) melted Steel becomes molten after heating it to thousands of degrees.
cogitate	(v.) to think hard; ponder; meditate It is necessary to cogitate on decisions which affect life goals. The room was quiet while every student cogitated during the calculus exam.
improvident	(adj.) not providing for the future An improvident person may end up destitute in latter life.
concede	(v.) to acknowledge; admit; to surrender; to abandon one's position After much wrangling, the conceded that the minister had a point. Satisfied with the recount, the mayor conceded graciously.
pellucid	(adj.) transparent The pellucid material was not an adequate shield from the sun.
minatory	(adj.) threatening The minatory stance of the dog warned the thief of an attack.
insularity	(n.) having the characteristics of an island The insularity of the country made it a great place to build a resort.
calamity	(n.) disaster The fire in the apartment building was a great calamity.
tyranny	(n.) absolute power; autocracy The people were upset because they had no voice in the government that the king ran as a tyranny.
supplant	(v.) to take the place of Can you supplant my position if I cannot play?
debilitate	(v.) to enfeeble; to wear out The phlebitis debilitated him to the point where he was unable even to walk. The illness will debilitate the muscles in his legs.
pessimism	(n.) seeing only the gloomy side; hopelessness After endless years of drought, pessimism grew in the hearts of even the most dedicated farmer.
motility	(n.) spontaneous motion The motility of the car caused the driver to lunge for the brake.
lunge	(v.) to move suddenly The owl will lunge at its prey in order to take it off guard.
adjure	(v.) solemnly ordered The jurors were adjured by the judge to make a fair decision.
slovenly	(adv.) sloppy His mother-in-law did not approve of his slovenly manner.
indignant	(adj.) expressing anger to an injustice He was indignant over the way he was treated.
redolent	(adj.) sweet-smelling; having the odor of a particular thing The redolent aroma of the pie tempted everyone. The restaurant was redolent with the smell of spices.
codify	(v.) to organize laws or rules into a systematic collection The laws were codified by those whom they affected. The intern codified all the city's laws into a computerized filing system.
motif	(n.) theme Although the college students lived in Alaska, they decided on a tropical motif for their dorm room. The decorations include a rose motif.
stigmatize	(v.) to characterize or make as disgraceful The gross error will stigmatize the worker as careless.
sequester	(v.) to separate or segregate The jury was sequestered at the local inn.
copious	(adj.) abundant; in great quantities Her copious notes touched on every subject presented in the lecture.
tumid	(adj.) swollen; pompous The tumid river washed away the homes built on the shore. After he earned his high-school diploma, he became insufferably tumid. The tumid balloon floated, but the empty one did not.
fortuitous	(adj.) happening accidentally Finding the money under the bush was fortuitous.
recusant	(adj.) disobedient of authority Recusant inmates may be denied privileges.
lax	(adj.) careless; irresponsible She was lax in everything she did and therefore could not be trusted with important tasks.
epigram	(n.) a witty or satirical poem or statement The poet wrote an epigram about the upcoming election.
unobtrusive	(adj.) out of the way; remaining quietly in the background The shy man found an unobtrusive seat in the far corner of the room. It was easy to miss the unobtrusive plaque above the fireplace.
diffuse	(adj.) spread out; verbose (wordy); not focused The toys were discovered in a diffuse manner after the birthday party. His monologue was so diffuse that all his points were lost.
indomitable	(adj.) not easily discouraged or defeated The underdog candidate had an indomitable spirit.
euphony	(n.) pleasant combination of sounds The gently singing birds created a beautiful euphony. The euphony created by the orchestra was due to years of practice.
harangue	(n; v.) a lengthy, heartfelt speech; to talk or write excitedly We sat patiently and listened to her harangue. When he finally stopped his haranguing, I responded calmly.
autocracy	(n.) an absolute monarchy; government where one person holds power The autocracy was headed by a demanding man. She was extremely power-hungry and therefore wanted her government to be an autocracy.
beseech	(v.) to ask earnestly The soldiers beseeched the civilians for help.
p	(adj.) mocking; cynical He has a wry sense of humor which sometimes hurts people's feelings.
insipid	(adj.) uninteresting, boring flat, dull Many people left the insipid movie before it was finished. Declaring the offerings insipid, the critic grudgingly awarded the restaurant one star.
cabal	(n.) a group of persons joined by a secret The very idea that there could be a cabal cast suspicion on the whole operation.
staid	(adj.) marked by self-control The horse was staid as it entered the stable.
obdurate	(adj.) stubborn The obdurate child refused to go to school. The obdurate youngster refused to eat the Brussels sprouts.
peremptory	(adj.) barring future action; that cannot be denied, changed, etc. The peremptory means of defense was satisfactory to keep out the intruders. The wildcat strike was a peremptory move on the part of the workers.
economical	(adj.) not wasteful; thrifty With her economical sense she was able to save the company thousands of dollars.
debacle	(n.) disaster; collapse; a rout The Securities and Exchange Commission and the stock exchanges implemented numerous safeguards to head off another debacle on Wall Street.
tribunal	(n.) the seat of judge The tribunal heard the case of the burglary.
dais	(n.) a raised platform at one end of a room The dais was lowered to make the speaker look taller.
timorous	(adj.) lacking courage; timid The timorous child hid behind his parents. Hillary came to accept him as a timorous soul who needed succor.
corroborate	(v.) to confirm the validity The witness must corroborate the prisoner's story if she is to be set free.
languid	(adj.) lacking vitality; indifferent The languid student was always late to class. I have studied so much that I have grown languid to the subject. During her illness she was so languid she could not leave her bed.
condone	(v.) to overlook; to forgive The loving and forgiving mother condoned her son's life of crime I will condone your actions of negligence.
polemic	(adj.) controversial The polemic decision caused a stir in the community.
obviate	(v.) to make unnecessary The invention of cars has obviated the use of horse and carriage. A cure for the common cold would obviate the need for shelf after shelf of cold remedies.
amalgamate	(v.) to mix, merge, combine If the economy does not grow, the business may need to amalgamate with a rival company. The three presidents decided to amalgamate their businesses to build one strong company.
neophyte	(n.) beginner; newcomer Critics applauded the neophyte's success and speculated how much better he would get with age and experience. The neophyte dancer was overcome by the fast tempo and exotic rhythms.
lassitude	(n.) a state of being tired or listless Lassitude was evident in the nurses who had been working for 24 hours straight. Ten days of continual work caused a feeling of lassitude for the worker.
apocryphal	(adj.) counterfeit; of doubtful authorship or authenticity The man who said he was a doctor was truly apocryphal.
incompatible	(adj.) disagreeing; disharmonious not compatible Being incompatible with each other, children were assigned to sit on opposite sides of the room.
cursory	(adj.) hasty; slight The detective's cursory examination of the crime scene caused him to overlook the lesser clues.
parity	(n.) state of being the same in power, value, or rank When the younger brother was promoted to co-president with the elder son, it established parity between the two.
iniquitous	(adj.) wicked; unjust The verbal abuse towards the man was truly iniquitous.
ardent	(adj.) with passionate or intense feelings The fans' ardent love of the game kept them returning to watch the terrible team.
ignoble	(adj.) ordinary; dishonorable; The king was adamant about keeping his son from wedding an ignoble serf. Consciously lying to someone is ignoble. It was ignoble to disgrace the family in front of all of the townspeople.
diffidence	(n.) a hesitation in asserting oneself A shy person may have great diffidence when forced with a problem.
affable	(adj.) friendly; amiable; good-natured Her affable puppy loved to play with children.
acrimony	(n.) sharpness or bitterness in language or manner. The acrimony of her response was shocking.
solemnity	(n.) a deep, reverent feeling often associated with religious occasions The church service was full of solemnity. The solemnity of the funeral procession stood in stark contrast to the young children splashing with delight in a nearby pool.
ellipsis	(n.) omission of words that would make the meaning clear The accidental ellipsis confused all those who heard the speech.
ingratiate	(v.) to bring into one's good graces The man was hoping to ingratiate himself with his wife by buying a bouquet of flowers and candy.
ferret	(v.; n.) to force out of hiding; to search for; a small, weasel-like mammal The police will ferret the fugitive out of his hiding place. I spent the morning ferreting for my keys I have a pet ferret.
equinox	(n.) precise time when day and night is of equal length On the equinox we had twelve hours of night and day.
rivet	(v.) to secure; to hold firmly, as in eyes We can rivet the boat to the dock. She could not look away from the morbid scene; she was riveted to it.
placid	(adj.) undisturbed and calm The placid lake's water was completely motionless.
glutton	(n.) overeater The glutton ate 12 hot dogs
succor	(n.) aid; assistance Succor was given to the fire victim in the form of clothes and temporary shelter.
lucrative	(adj.) profitable; gainful She entered the pharmaceutical industry in the belief that it would be lucrative.
marauder	(n.) plunderer or raider The marauder had been traveling for two months searching for the large stash.
aloof	(adj.) distant in interest; reserved; cool Even though the new coworker was aloof, we attempted to be friendly. The calm defendant remained aloof when he was wrongly accused of fabricating his story.
raconteur	(n.) a person skilled at telling stories Our entertainment was a raconteur who told a story of talking animals.
noxious	(adj.) harmful to one's health The noxious fumes caused the person to become ill.
ulterior	(adj.) buried; concealed; undisclosed She was usually very selfish, so when she came bearing gifts he suspected that she had ulterior motives. My ulterior concerns are more important than my immediate ones. The man's ulterior motive was to spy on the lab, though he said he wanted a job.
exemplary	(adj.) serving as an example; outstanding The honor student's exemplary behavior made him a role model to the younger children. Employees of the month are chosen for their exemplary service to the firm.
calumny	(n.) slander I felt it necessary to speak against the calumny of the man's good reputation.
incursion	(n.) an entry into, especially when not desired The incursion by enemy forces left the country shocked.
plenary	(adj.) full; entire; complete A plenary class of students staged the protest.
seethe	(v.) to be violently disturbed By the time I arrived, she was seething with anger. He seethed at the prospect of losing the business to his conniving uncle.
libertine	(n.) one who indulges his desires without restraint For the libertine, missing his child's birthday was not as significant as missing a football game.
sagacious	(adj.) wise Many of her friends came to her with their problems because she gave sagacious advice. The old man gave sagacious advice.
striated	(adj.) having lines or grooves The striated road was ready for traffic.
catharsis	(n.) a purging or relieving of the body or soul He experienced a total catharsis after the priest absolved his sins. Admitting his guilt served as a catharsis for the man.
adroit	(adj.) expert or skillful The repair was not difficult for the adroit craftsman. The driver's adroit driving avoided a serious accident.
exhaustive	(adj.) thorough; complete It took an exhaustive effort, using many construction workers, to complete the new home by the deadline.
pommel	(n.) the rounded, upward-projecting front of a saddle The woman was so nervous about being on the horse she would not let go of the pommel.
acclaim	(n.) loud approval; applause Edward Albee's brilliantly written Broadway revival of A Delicate Balance received wide acclaim.
dirge	(n.) a hymn for a funeral; a song or poem expressing lament The mourners sang a traditional Irish dirge .
diffident	(adj.) timid; lacking self-confidence The director is looking for a self-assured actor, not a diffident one. Her diffident sister couldn't work up the courage to ask for the sale.
dilettante	(n.) an admirer of the fine arts; a dabbler Though she played the piano occasionally, she was more of a dilettante.
ratify	(v.) to make valid; confirm The Senate ratified the new law that would prohibit companies from discriminating according to race in their hiring practices. Hunters were called in to rarefy the deer population.
lustrous	(adj.) bright; radiant; shining Surrounded by rubies, the lustrous diamond looked magnificent.
ephemeral	(adj.) very short-lived; lasting only a short time Living alone gave him an ephemeral happiness, soon to be replaced with utter loneliness.
remonstrate	(v.) to protest or object to The population will remonstrate against the new taxes.
ostracize	(v.) to exclude The students tend to ostracize the children they dislike from their games.
contravene	(v.) to act contrary to; to oppose or contradict The story of the accused contravened the story of the witness. The United Nations held that the Eastern European nation had contravened the treaty.
wizened	(adj.) shriveled; withered The wizened face of the old man was covered by his hat.
perceptive	(adj.) full of insight; aware The perceptive detective discovered that the murder weapon was hidden in a safe under the floor.
omniscient	(adj.) having knowledge of all things The future can be told by the omniscient woman.
proliferate	(v.) to reproduce quickly Gerbils are known to proliferate quickly.
impenitent	(adj.) without regret, shame, or remorse It was obvious after his impenitent remark to the press that the defendant felt no remorse for his crime.
terse	(adj.) concise; abrupt She believed in getting to the point, so she always gave terse answers. The terse speech contained only the essential comments.
novel	(adj.) new It was a novel idea for the rock group to play classical music.
equanimity	(n.) the quality of remaining calm and undisturbed Equanimity can be reached when stress is removed from life.
presage	(n.) an omen; a foreshadowing characteristic They considered the rainbow at their wedding a presage for a happy life. Bright sun in the morning was a good presage that it was going to be a good day.
surmise	(n; v) a guess; to guess Was my surmise correct? I surmise that we will not. He surmised how the play would end before the second act began.
salubrious	(adj.) promoting good health Salubrious food helps maintain an ideal weight. Exercising frequently and eating healthy foods are salubrious habits.
doggerel	(n.) verse characterized by forced rhyme and meter Contrary to its appearance, doggerel can contain some weighty messages.
anonymous	(adj.) nameless; unidentified Not wishing to be identified by the police, he remained anonymous by returning the money he had stolen by sending it through the mail.
spendthrift	(n.) a person who spends money extravagantly The spendthrift bought two new necklaces and three pairs of shoes.
reverent	(adj.) respectful; feeling or showing deep love, respect, or awe The congregation was very reverent of its spiritual leader.
ecclesiastic	(adj.) pertaining or relating to a church Ecclesiastic obligations include attending mass.
accolade	(n.) approving or praising mention; a sign of approval or respect Rich accolades were bestowed on the returning hero. Accolades flowed into her dressing room following the opening-night triumph.
deride	(v.) to laugh at with contempt; to mock No matter what he said, he was derided. It is impolite to deride someone even if you dislike him.
repast	(n.) food that is eaten The repast consisted of cheese, wine, and bread.
genial	(adj.) contributing to life; amiable Key West's genial climate is among its many attractive aspects. Her genial personality made her a favorite party guest.
homage	(n.) honor; respect The police officers paid homage to their fallen colleague with a ceremony that celebrated her life.
capricious	(adj.) changeable; fickle The capricious bride-to-be has a different church in mind for her wedding every few days.
decry	(v.) to denounce or condemn openly The pastor decried all forms of discrimination against any minority group.
whet	(v.) to sharpen by rubbing; to stimulate Before carving the turkey, you must whet the blade. The smell of cooking food has whet my appetite. The smell of dinner cooking whetted her appetite.
program	(n.) the parts of entertainment; a plan for dealing with a matter; coded instructions The free-form music program on Sunday nights is virtually unique in commercial radio. The program for better health is to eat more vegetables and fruits. The store's computer program allows sale information to prompt at the register for certain items at certain hours.
ostensible	(adj.) apparent The ostensible reason for choosing the girl was for her beauty.
depravity	(n.) moral corruption; badness Drugs and money caused depravity throughout the once decorous community. The depravity of the old man was bound to land him in jail one day.
incorrigible	(adj.) not capable of correction or improvement The mischievous boy was an incorrigible practical joker.
usurpation	(n.) art of taking something for oneself; seizure During the war, the usurpation of the country forced an entirely new culture on the natives.
incidental	(adj.) extraneous; unexpected The defense lawyer argued that the whereabouts of the defendant's sneakers were only incidental to the commission of the crime.
baleful	(adj.) harmful, malign, detrimental After she was fired, she realized it was a baleful move to point the blame at her superior. The strange liquid could be baleful if ingested.
crass	(adj.) stupid or dull; insensitive; materialistic To make light of someone's weakness is crass. They made their money the old-fashioned way, but still they were accused of being crass. My respect for the man was lowered when he made the crass remark.
impiety	(n.) irreverence toward God; lack of respect The bishop condemned the impiety of the celebrity's assertions. Impiety is evident in the way many people commit rude actions.
workaday	(adj.) commonplace The workaday meal was not exciting to the world class chef.
rabid	(adj.; n.) furious; with extreme anger; a disease affecting animals The insult made him rabid. Discovering that the dog was rabid, the mail carrier knew he'd have to get a shot. He's been a rabid sports fan for as long as I have known him.
parsimony	(n.) to be unreasonably careful when spending The parsimony of the wealthy woman was uncalled for.
liberalism	(n.) believing in personal freedom (favoring reform or progress) If you believe in liberalism, the First Amendment is sacrosanct.
innovate	(v.) introduce a change; depart from the old She innovated a new product for the home construction market.
doughty	(adj.) brave and strong The doughty fireman saved the woman's life.
cascade	(n; v.) waterfall; pour; rush; fall The hikers stopped along the path to take in the beauty of the rushing cascade. The water cascaded down the rocks into the pool. He took a photograph of the lovely cascade. The drapes formed a cascade down the window.
conceit	(n.) an exaggerated personal opinion The man's belief that he was the best player on the team was pure conceit.
deign	(v.) condescend; stoop He said he wouldn't deign to dignify her statement with a response. Fired from his job as a programmer analyst, Joe vowed he would never deign to mop floors-even if he were down to his last penny.
fetid	(adj.) having a smell of decay The fetid smell led us to believe something was decaying in the basement.
finesse	(n.) the ability to handle situations with skill and diplomacy The executor with the most finesse was chosen to meet with the diplomats.
disputatious	(adj.) argumentative; inclined to disputes His disputatious streak eventually wore down his fellow parliament members. The child was so disputatious he needed to be removed from the room.
complaisance	(n.) the quality of being agreeable or eager to please The complaisance of the new assistant made it easy for the managers to give him a lot of work without worrying that he may complain.
fret	(v.) to make rough or disturb The pet will fret the floor if he continues to scratch.
laggard	(n.; adj.) a person who has fallen behind; moving slowly The laggard child was lost in the crowd. The train was laggard. Anything can happen in a swim meet: Last year's leader can become this year's laggard.
adage	(n.) an old saying now accepted as being truthful The adage do unto others as you wish them to do unto you is still widely practiced.
execute	(v.) to put to death; kill; to carry out; fulfill The evil, murderous man was executed for killing several innocent children. I expected him to execute my orders immediately.
proverbial	(adj.) well-known because it is commonly referred to King Solomon's proverbial wisdom has been admired through the ages.
objective	(adj.; n.) open-minded; impartial; goal It's hard to set aside your biases and be objective. The law student decided that her primary objective after graduation was to pass the Bar examination.
prefatory	(adj.) coming before The prefatory comments informed the audience of what was to come.
dank	(adj.) damp and chilly The cellar became very dank during the winter time.
yore	(n.) former period of time When he sees his childhood friends, they speak about the days of yore.
perfunctory	(adj.) done in a routine, mechanical way, without interest Change in career is a good cure for someone who has become bored with their occupation and is currently performing their duties in a perfunctory fashion. The girl will not improve unless she changes her perfunctory attitude.
decorous	(adj.) showing decorum; propriety, good taste This movie provides decorous refuge from the violence and mayhem that permeates the latest crop of Hollywood films. The decorous suit was made of fine material.
circumlocutory	(adj.) being too long, as in a description or expression; a roundabout, indirect, or ungainly way of expressing something It was a circumlocutory documentary that could have been cut to half its running time to say twice as much.
gibber	(v.) to rapidly speak unintelligibly They did not want him to represent their position in front of the committee since he was prone to gibbering when speaking in front of an audience.
adulterate	(v.) to corrupt, debase, or make impure The dumping of chemicals will adulterate the pureness of the lake.
savant	(n.) one who is intelligent The savant accepted his award of excellence.
soliloquy	(n.) a talk one has with oneself (esp. on stage) Imagine T.S. Eliot's poem The Waste Land performed on stage as a kind of soliloquy! The soliloquy by the man standing alone on the cliff sent a message of regret.
genre	(adj.) designating a type of film or book The genre of the book is historical fiction.
surreptitious	(adj.) done secretly The surreptitious maneuvers gave the advancing army an advantage.
recluse	(adj.; n.) solitary; a person who lives secluded His recluse life seems to make him happy. Howard Hughes, among the most famous and enigmatic figures of the 20th century, ultimately retreated to a life as a recluse.
denigrate	(v.) to defame, to blacken or sully; to belittle After finding out her evil secret, he announced it to the council and denigrated her in public. Her attempt to denigrate the man's name was not successful.
guile	(n.) slyness; deceit By using his guile, the gambler almost always won at the card table.
pensive	(adj.) reflective; contemplative She was in a pensive mood, just wanting to be alone to think. My hours alone are often more pensive than the time I spend with friends. The pensive mood was broken by a witty joke.
tutelage	(n.) the condition of being under a guardian or a tutor Being under the tutelage of a master musician is a great honor.
passive	(adj.) submissive; unassertive He is so passive that others walk all over him.
debauchery	(n.) indulgence in one's appetites The preacher decried debauchery and urged charity.
conciliation	(n.) an attempt to make friendly or placate The attempt at conciliation
guffaw	(n.) boisterous laughter A comedian's success is assured when the audience gives forth a guffaw following his jokes.
fissure	(n.) a cleft or crack The earthquake caused a fissure which split the cliff face.
macerate	(v.) to soften by steeping in liquid It was necessary to macerate the food before the elderly man could eat it. They placed her foot in the solvent to macerate the cement she had stepped in.
infamous	(adj.) having a bad reputation; notorious After producing machines that developed many problems, the production company became infamous for poor manufacturing. The infamous gang was known for robbery.
deplete	(v.) to reduce; to empty, exhaust Having to pay the entire bill will deplete the family's savings.
saturate	(v.) soak thoroughly; drench She saturated the sponge with soapy water before she began washing the car.
occult	(adj.) hidden; beyond human understanding; mystical; mysterious The occult meaning of the message was one of dislike for the authorities. Some spend years pursuing the occult, only to find themselves no closer to the answer. Relating to the occult world means entering a new realm.
tumult	(n.) a noisy commotion; disturbance The tumult was caused by two boys wanting the same toy. After the tumult, I found it difficult to resume my studies.
impasse	(n.) a situation that has no solution or escape The workers and administration were at an impasse in their negotiations.
effeminate	(adj.) having qualities attributed to a woman; delicate A high-pitched laugh made the man seem effeminate.
froward	(adj.) not willing to yield or comply with what is reasonable The executive had to deal with a froward peer who was becoming increasingly difficult.
formidable	(adj.) something which causes dread or fear The formidable team caused weak knees in the opponents.
eulogy	(n.) words of praise, especially for the dead The eulogy was a remembrance of the good things the man accomplished in his lifetime.
sycophant	(n.) flatterer Rodolfo honed his skills as a sycophant, hoping it would get him into Sylvia's good graces. The sycophant is known for attending many parties.
austere	(adj.) having a stern look; having strict self-discipline The old woman always has an austere look about her. The austere teacher assigned five pages of homework each day.
enervate	(v.) to weaken; to deprive of nerve or strength The sickness enervates its victims until they can no longer get out of bed.
renegade	(n.) a person who abandons something, as a religion, cause or movement; a traitor Benedict Arnold remains one of the most notorious renegades in American history.
encomium	(n.) formal expression of high praise The sitcom actress gave her co-stars a long encomium as she accepted her Emmy.
disarray	(n.) (state of) disorder The thief left the house in disarray.
miser	(n.) penny pincher, stingy person The miser made no donations and loved counting his money every night.
eloquence	(n.) the ability to speak well The speaker's eloquence was attributed to his articulate manner of speaking.
wry	(adj.) mocking; cynical He has a wry sense of humor which sometimes hurts people's feelings.
oligarchy	(n.) form of government in which the supreme power is placed in the hands of a small, exclusive group. The oligarchy took control after the king was overthrown.
resplendent	(adj.) dazzling and shining Her new diamond was resplendent in the sunshine.
diatribe	(n.) a bitter or abusive speech During the divorce hearings she delivered a diatribe full of the emotion pushing her away from her husband. The diatribe was directed towards a disrespectful supervisor.
mien	(n.) appearance, being or manner Her mien was typically one of distress, especially after the mishap.
abject	(adj.) of the worst or lowest degree The Haldemans lived in abject poverty, with barely a roof over their heads.
proselytize	(v.) to convert from one belief or religion to another The preacher often attempts to proselytize wayward travelers.
amortize	(v.) to put money into a fund at fixed intervals The couple was able to amortize their mortgage sooner than they thought.
unequivocal	(adj.) clear and unambiguous The 50-0 vote against the bill was an unequivocal statement against the measure. His response was unequivocal, which seemed unusual for a politician.
digress	(v.) stray from the subject; wander from topic It is important to not digress from the plan of action.
prevaricate	(v.) to speak equivocally or evasively, i.e., to lie The mayor's desperate attempt to prevaricate about the scandal was transparent to the voters. His mother knew no one else could have done it, but the child foolishly prevaricated about the stain on the rug.
renascence	(n.) a new life; rebirth The renascence of the band resulted in a new recording contract.
indubitably	(adj.) unquestionably; surely The officer was best indubitably the candidate for captain.
abeyance	(n.) a state of temporary suspension or inactivity Since the power failure, the town has been in abeyance.
recalcitrant	(adj.) stubbornly rebellious The boy became recalcitrant when the curfew was enforced. The recalcitrant youth dyed her hair purple, dropped out of school, and generally worked hard at doing whatever others did not want her to do.
hamper	(v.) interfere with; hinder The roadblock hampered their progress, but they knew a shortcut.
plumb	(adj.; v.) perfectly straight down; to solve The two walls met plumb at the corner. I was able to plumb the riddle in a few seconds.
conviviality	(n.) a fondness for festiveness or joviality His conviviality makes him a welcome guest at any social gathering.
gauntlet	(n.) a protective glove The gauntlet saved the man's hand from being burned in the fire.
apathy	(n.) lack of emotion or interest He showed apathy when his relative was injured. The disheartened peasants expressed apathy toward the new law which promised new hope and prosperity for all.
retroaction	(n.) a reverse action The retroaction of the car sent those standing behind it fleeing. The bill's retroaction stood to save taxpayers an average of $500 a head.
resonant	(adj.) resounding; re-echoing Beautiful resonant music escaped from the cathedral's windows.
shoddy	(adj.) of inferior quality; cheap The state's attorney said many homes, as they were built with shoddy materials, were bound to just blow apart even in winds of 60 or 70 miles per hour. The shoddy homes were blown over in the storm.
melancholy	(n.) depression; gloom The funeral parlor was filled with the melancholy of mourning.
caustic	(adj.) eating away at; sarcastic words The caustic chemicals are dangerous. The girl harmed her mother with her caustic remarks. His caustic sense of humor doesn't go over so well when people don't know what they're in for.
sovereign	(adj.) superior The power was given to the sovereign warrior.
welter	(n.) a confused mass; turmoil When the emergency alarm sounded, a welter of shivering office workers formed in the street as people evacuated the site. The welter moved from street to street to escape the fire.
obscure	(adj.) not easily understood; dark The orchestra enjoys performing obscure American works, hoping to bring them to a wider audience.
cloying	(adj.) too sugary; too sentimental or flattering After years of marriage the husband still gave cloying gifts to his wife. Complimenting her on her weight loss, clothing and hairstyle was a cloying way to begin asking for a raise.
pallid	(adj.) pale in color The visitor left the hospital room with a pallid face.
wanton	(adj.) unmanageable; unjustifiably malicious My wanton hunger must be satiated. With wanton aggression, the army attacked the defenseless village. It is hard to lose weight when one has a wanton desire for sweets.
kindle	(v.) ignite; arouse Being around children kindled her interest in educational psychology.
itinerary	(n.) travel plan; schedule; course Their trip's itinerary was disrupted by an unexpected snow storm.
confound	(v.) to lump together, causing confusion; to damn The problem confounded our ability to solve it. Confound you, you scoundrel!
levity	(n.) lack of seriousness; instability The levity with which he faced the destruction hampered the rescue effort. Levity characterized the first months of his administration. Levity is a necessary trait for a comedian.
derision	(n.) the act of mocking; ridicule, mockery A day of derision from the boss left the employee feeling depressed. Constant derision from classmates made him quit school.
licentious	(adj.) morally lacking in restraint The people of Sodom and Gomorra were known for their licentious lifestyle.
flux	(n.) a flow; a continual change With the flux of new students into the school, space was limited.
lurid	(adj.) glowing through haze; shocking, sensational A lurid sun shone upon them as they watched the sun set on the beach. The tabloid specialized in lurid stories about celebrities' indiscretions.
assiduous	(adj.) carefully attentive; industrious It is necessary to be assiduous if a person wishes to make the most of his time at work. He enjoys having assiduous employees because he can explain a procedure once and have it performed correctly every time.
descant	(v.) lengthy talking or writing The man will descant on the subject if you give him too much speaking time.
quandary	(n.) dilemma Joe and Elizabeth were caught in a quandary: Should they spend Thanksgiving with his parents or hers? Unable to make a firm decision, I've been in this quandary for weeks. When the car broke down the commuter was left in a quandary.
apposite	(adj.) suitable; apt; relevant Discussion of poverty was apposite to the curriculum, so the professor allowed it. Without reenacting the entire scenario, the situation can be understood if apposite information is given.
instigate	(v.) start; provoke It was uncertain to the police as to which party instigated the riot.
equivocations	(n.) a purposely misleading statement The equivocations by the man sent the search team looking in the wrong direction.
palliate	(v.) to alleviate or ease pain but not cure; to make appear less serious The medication will help palliate the pain. The lawyer attempted to palliate the offense to the jury.
flamboyant	(adj.) being too showy or ornate The flamboyant nature of the couple was evident in their loud clothing.
hapless	(adj.) unlucky; unfortunate The hapless team could not win a game.
preclude	(v.) inhibit; make impossible A healthy diet and lifestyle will not preclude you from getting ill, although it improves your immune system. Exercise may help to preclude heart disease.
burlesque	(v.; n.) to imitate in a non-serious manner; a comical imitation His stump speeches were so hackneyed, he seemed to be burlesquing of his role as a congressman. George Burns was considered one of the great practitioners of burlesque.
wreak	(v.) to give vent; to inflict The dragon will wreak havoc upon the countryside.
imprecate	(v.) to pray for evil; to invoke a curse A witch may imprecate an enemy with a curse of bad luck.
gourmand	(n.) one who eats eagerly A gourmand may eat several servings of an entree.
phlegmatic	(adj.) without emotion or interest; sluggish and dull The playwright had hoped his story would take theatergoers on an emotional roller coaster, but on opening night they just sat there, stonefaced and phlegmatic. The phlegmatic child rarely went outside to play.
autocrat	(n.) an absolute ruler The autocrat in charge of the government was a man of power and prestige. The autocrat made every decision and divided the tasks among his subordinates.
fulminate	(v.) to blame, denunciate It is impolite to fulminate someone for your mistakes. Senator Shay fulminated against her opponent's double-standard on campaign finance reform.
abrogate	(v.) to cancel by authority The judge would not abrogate the law.
lucid	(adj.) shiny; clear minded He chose a shimmering, lucid fabric for his curtains. When lucid, the man spoke of vivid memories.
fraught	(adj.) loaded; charged The comment was fraught with sarcasm.
substantive	(adj.) existing independently of others; a large quantity The only company not acquired in the merger retained its substantive existence. A substantive amount of money will be needed to fund the project.
quarantine	(n.) isolation of a person or persons to prevent the spread of disease To be sure they didn't bring any contagions back to Earth, the astronauts were put under quarantine when they returned.
turbulence	(n.) condition of being physically agitated; disturbance Everyone on the plane had to fasten their seat belts as the plane entered an area of turbulence.
nugatory	(adj.) trifling; futile; insignificant Because the problem was nugatory it was not addressed immediately.
dubious	(adj.) doubtful; uncertain; skeptical; suspicious Many people are dubious about the possibility of intelligent life on other planets. The new information was dubious enough to re-open the case.
saga	(n.) a legend; any long story of adventure or heroic deed The saga of King Arthur and his court has been told for generations.
extemporize	(v.) to improvise; to make it up as you go along It was necessary for the musician to extemporize when his music fell off the stand.
abase	(v.) to degrade; humiliate; disgrace The mother's public reprimand abased the girl. The insecure father, after failing to achieve his own life-long goals, abased his children whenever they failed.
reprehend	(v.) to reprimand; to find fault with Finding the need to reprehend the student's actions, she gave her detention.
compatible	(adj.) in agreement with; harmonious When repairing an automobile, it is necessary to use parts compatible with that make and model.
indemnify	(v.) to insure against or pay for loss or damage It is important to indemnify your valuables with a reliable insurance company.
garrulous	(adj.) extremely talkative or wordy No one wanted to speak with the garrulous man for fear of being stuck in a long, one-sided conversation.
debonair	(adj.) having an affable manner; carefree; genial Opening the door for another is a debonair action.
harmonious	(adj.) having proportionate and orderly parts The challenge for the new conductor was to mold his musicians' talents into a harmonious orchestra.
discerning	(adj.) distinguishing one thing from another; having good judgment He has a discerning eye for knowing the original from the copy. Being discerning about a customer's character is a key qualification for a loan officer.
biased	(adj.) prejudiced; influenced; not neutral The vegetarian had a biased opinion regarding what should be ordered for dinner.
fetter	(n.) a chain to bind the feet A fetter kept the dog chained to the fence.
ingenue	(n.) an unworldly young woman As an ingenue, Corky had no experience outside of her small town.
exultation	(n.) the act of rejoicing Exultation was evident by the partying and revelry.
endorse	(v.) support; to approve of; recommend The entire community endorsed the politician who promised lower taxes and a better school system.
inconclusive	(adj.) not final or of a definite result The results being inconclusive, the doctors continued to look for a cause of the illness.
obtrude	(v.) to force oneself or one's ideas upon another; to thrust forward; to eject The inquisitive coworker obtrudes into the conversation often.
duress	(n.) imprisonment; the use of threats His duress was supposed to last 10-15 years. The policewoman put the man under duress in order to get a confession. The Labor Department inspector needed to establish whether the plant workers had been held under duress.
gloat	(v.) brag; glory over She gloated over the fact that she received the highest score on the exam, annoying her classmates to no end.
privy	(adj.) private; confidential He was one of a handful of people privy to the news of the pending merger. Only the woman's best friend was privy to her secret.
ideology	(n.) speculation; representative way of thinking His ideology proved to be faulty. The ideology of business can be found in the new book. He joined the religious group because he agreed with their ideology.
baneful	(adj.) deadly or causing distress, death Not wearing a seat belt could be baneful.
audacious	(adj.) fearless; bold The audacious soldier went into battle without a shield.
insolvent	(adj.) unable to pay debts The insolvent state of his bank account kept him from writing any checks.
inimical	(adj.) hostile, unfriendly The chess player directed an inimical stare at his opponent to knock him off his game.
impudent	(adj.) disrespectful and shameless Impudent actions caused him to be unpopular.
complacent	(adj.) content; self-satisfied; smug The CEO worries regularly that his firm's winning ways will make it complacent. The candidate was so complacent with his poll numbers that he virtually stopped campaigning.
feign	(v.) pretend It is not uncommon for a child to feign illness in order to stay home from school.
assuage	(v.) to relieve; ease; make less severe Medication should assuage the pain. The medication helped assuage the pain of the wound.
abstruse	(adj.) hard to understand; deep; recondite The topic was so abstruse the student was forced to stop reading. The concept was too abstruse for the average student to grasp.
obloquy	(n.) widespread condemnation or abuse; disgrace or infamy resulting from this. The child suffered quite an obloquy at the hands of his classmates. Lawyers must face frequent obloquy with their reputation as ambulance chasers.
implement	(v.; n.) to carry into effect; something used in a given activity In case of emergency implement the evacuation plan immediately. The rack is an implement of torture.
attenuate	(v.) to thin out; to weaken Water is commonly used to attenuate strong chemicals. The chemist attenuated the solution by adding water.
analogy	(n.) similarity; correlation; parallelism The teacher used an analogy to describe the similarities between the two books. Comparing the newly discovered virus with one found long ago, the scientist made an analogy between the two organisms.
nefarious	(adj.) morally bad; wicked The nefarious criminal was the scourge of the local police force.
superfluous	(adj.) unnecessary; extra Although the designer considered the piece superfluous, the woman wanted the extra chair in her bedroom. Only the first sentence is necessary; all of these details are superfluous. After they finished their seven-course meal, a large dessert seemed superfluous.
nebulous	(adj.) unclear or vague The ten page directions were a collection of nebulous words and figures.
discourse	(v.) to converse; to communicate in an orderly fashion The scientists discoursed on a conference call for just five minutes but were able to solve three major problems. The interviewee discoursed so fluently, she was hired on the spot.
amass	(v.) to collect together; accumulate Over the years the sailor has amassed many replicas of boats. The women amassed a huge collection of priceless diamonds and pearls.
ubiquitous	(adj.) omnipresent; present everywhere A ubiquitous spirit followed the man wherever he went. Water may seem ubiquitous, until a drought comes along.
guise	(n.) appearance The undercover detective, under the guise of friendship, offered to help the drug runner make a connection.
appease	(v.) to satisfy; to calm A milk bottle usually appeases a crying baby.
fervid	(adj.) intensely hot; fervent; impassioned Her fervid skin alerted the doctor to her fever. The fervid sermon of the preacher swayed his congregation.
rigor	(n.) severity She criticized the planning board's vote with rigor.
knead	(v.) mix; massage After mixing the ingredients, they kneaded the dough and set it aside to rise.
awry	(adj; adv.) crooked(ly); uneven(ly); wrong; askew Hearing the explosion in the laboratory, the scientist realized the experiment had gone awry.
connivance	(n.) secret cooperation in wrongdoing With the guard's connivance, the convict was able to make his escape.
furtive	(adj.) secretive; sly The detective had much difficulty finding the furtive criminal.
relegate	(v.) banish; put to a lower position With Internal Affairs launching an investigation into charges that Officer Wicker had harassed a suspect, he was relegated to desk duty.
refurbish	(v.) to make new; renovate The Newsomes are refurbishing their old colonial home with the help of an interior designer.
incognito	(adj.) unidentified; disguised; concealed The federal Witness Protection Program makes its charges permanently incognito.
clandestine	(adj.) secret The clandestine plan must be kept between the two of us!
tantalize	(v.) to tempt; to torment The desserts were tantalizing, but he was on a diet.
peripheral	(adj.) marginal; outer Those are peripheral problems; let's look at the central challenge. The peripheral shrubs were used to create a fence-like blockade. He thought he was my best friend, when in fact, he was a peripheral acquaintance.
abrupt	(adj.) happening or ending unexpectedly The abrupt end to their marriage was a shock to everyone.
stolid	(adj.) showing little emotion With a stolid expression, the man walked away from the confrontation.
conjoin	(v.) to combine The classes will conjoin to do the play.
bastion	(n.) a fortified place or strong defense The strength of the bastion saved the soldiers inside of it.
lethargic	(adj.) lazy; passive Feeling very lethargic, he watched television or slept the whole day.
approbatory	(adj.) approving or sanctioning The judge showed his acceptance in his approbatory remark.
chastise	(v.) to punish; discipline; admonish The dean chastised the first-year student for cheating on the exam.
premise	(n.) the basis for an argument The prosecutor claimed that the defense lawyer's premise was shaky, and thus his whole argument was suspect.
colloquial	(adj.) having to do with conversation; informal speech The colloquial reference indicated the free spirit of the group. When you listen to the difference between spoken colloquial conversation and written work, you realize how good an ear a novelist must have to write authentic dialogue.
thwart	(v.) prevent from accomplishing a purpose; frustrate Their attempt to take over the country was thwarted by the palace guard.
stymie	(v.) to hinder or obstruct Large amounts of snowfall will stymie the rescue effort.
modulate	(v.) to regulate or adjust; to vary the pitch He modulated the color knob on the television set until the picture was perfect. A trained singer knows how to modulate her voice to the desired pitches.
implicit	(adj.) understood but not plainly stated; without doubt The child's anger was implicit. Implicit trust must be earned.
malefactor	(n.) an evil person The malefactor ordered everyone to work over the holidays. The prison contains malefactors of all ages.
compromise	(v.) to settle by mutual adjustment Labor leaders and the automakers compromised by agreeing to a starting wage of $16 an hour in exchange for concessions on health-care premiums.
tribute	(n.) expression of admiration Her performance was a tribute to her retiring teacher.
intrepid	(adj.) fearless, bold The intrepid photographer flew on some of the fiercest bombing raids of the war. Her intrepid actions deserved a medal.
disperse	(v.) to scatter; separate The pilots dispersed the food drops over a wide area of devastation. Tear gas was used to disperse the crowd.
callow	(adj.) being young or immature With the callow remark the young man demonstrated his age. Although the girl could be considered an adult, the action was very callow.
extricable	(adj.) capable of being disentangled The knots were complicated, but extricable.
ameliorate	(v.) to improve or make better A consistent routine of exercise has shown to ameliorate health. We can ameliorate the flooding problem by changing the grading.
agrarian	(adj.) of the land Many agrarian people are poor.
dictum	(n.) a formal statement of either fact or opinion Computer programmers have a dictum: garbage in, garbage out.
intractable	(adj.) stubborn, obstinate; not easily taught or disciplined Every teacher in the school became frustrated with the intractable student and sent him to the principal's office. An intractable pet can be very frustrating..
refute	(v.) challenge; disprove He refuted the proposal, deeming it unfair
delineate	(v.) to outline; to describe She delineated her plan so that everyone would have a basic understanding of it.
curb	(n.) a restraint or framework A curb was put up along the street to help drainage.
sedentary	(adj.) characterized by sitting; remaining in one locality The sedentary child had not moved after two hours. The old woman who never left her home town has led a sedentary life.
bellicose	(adj.) quarrelsome; warlike The bellicose guest would not be invited back again.
parochial	(adj.) religious; narrow-minded Devout Christians, the Chesterfields enrolled their children in a parochial school. Governor Kean urged Republicans to rise above parochial interests and be the party of inclusion.
haphazard	(adj.) disorganized; random He constantly misplaced important documents because of his haphazard way of running his office.
painstaking	(adj.) thorough, careful, precise Helga's painstaking research paid off with a top grade on her essay.
apocalyptic	(adj.) pertaining to a discovery or new revelation Science-fiction movies seem to relish apocalyptic visions.
succinct	(adj.) clearly stated; characterized by conciseness The speech was succinct yet emotional. Usually, the most succinct definition is the right one. Articles in USA Today are so succinct that some observers nicknamed the newspaper McPaper.
abstemious	(adj.) sparing in use of food or drinks If we become stranded in the snow storm, we will have to be abstemious with our food supply. In many abstemious cultures the people are so thin due to the belief that too much taken into the body leads to contamination of the soul.
document	(n.; v.) official paper containing information; to support; substantiate; verify They needed a written document to prove that the transaction occurred. Facing an audit, she had to document all her client contacts.
whimsical	(adj.) fanciful; amusing Strolling down Disney World's Main Street is bound to put child and grown-up alike in a whimsical mood.
pernicious	(adj.) dangerous; harmful Standing oil combined with a fresh rain on the asphalt can have a pernicious impact on a driver's control of the road. The pernicious fire engulfed four blocks of homes.
deference	(n.) a yielding of opinion; courteous respect for To avoid a confrontation, the man showed deference to his friend. The deference shown to the elderly woman's opinion was heartwarming.
dexterous	(adj.) skillful, quick mentally or physically The dexterous gymnast was the epitome of grace on the balance beam.
paradigm	(n.) model, prototype; pattern The machine could no longer be produced after the paradigm was destroyed. The Massachusetts gubernatorial race was considered a paradigm of campaign civility.
uncouth	(adj.) uncultured; crude The social club would not accept an uncouth individual.
truncate	(v.) to shorten by cutting With the football game running over, the show scheduled to follow it had to be truncated.
table	(n.) a systematic list of details The train schedule was set up as a table.
irreparable	(adj.) that which cannot be repaired or regained The damage to the house after the flood was irreparable. The head-on collision left the car irreparable.
traumatic	(adj.) causing a violent injury It was a traumatic accident, leaving the driver with a broken vertebra, a smashed wrist, and a concussion.
sloth	(n.) disinclination to action or labor Employers want to guard against hiring sloths as new employees.
pallor	(n.) lack of facial color The more vivid the testimony grew, the more the witness seemed to take on a ghostly pallor.
misanthrope	(n.) a person who distrusts everything; a hater of mankind After the man swindled all of the woman's savings, she became a misanthrope. The misanthrope lived alone in the forest.
specious	(adj.) plausible, but deceptive; apparently, but not actually, true The jury forewoman said the jury saw through the defense lawyer's specious argument and convicted his client on the weight of the evidence. I was unsure of the meaning of the specious statement.
rhetorical	(adj.) having to do with verbal communication; artificial eloquence In posing a rhetorical question, he hoped to get people thinking. The perception that Gary Hart was spouting rhetorical flourishes enabled fellow Democrat Walter Mondale to score debate points by asking, Where's the beef?
impromptu	(adj.) without preparation Her impromptu speech was well-received, giving her new confidence in her ability to speak off the cuff.
resilient	(adj.) flexible; capable of withstanding stress The elderly man attributed his resilient health to a good diet and frequent exercise.
flagrant	(adj.) glaringly wrong The flagrant foul was apparent to everyone.
peccadillo	(n.) a slight fault or offense The child was embarrassed when he was caught committing the peccadillo of eating chocolate before dinner.
superlative	(adj.) of the highest kind or degree The Golden Gate Bridge is a superlative example of civil engineering.
heed	(v.) obey; yield to If the peasant heeds the king's commands, she will be able to keep her land.
condescend	(v.) to come down from one's position or dignity The arrogant, rich man was usually condescending towards his servants.
derisive	(adj.) showing disrespect or scorn for The derisive comment was aimed at the man's life long enemy.
aggrandize	(v.) to make more powerful The king wanted to aggrandize himself and his kingdom.
trenchant	(adj.) cutting; keen or incisive words Without a trenchant tool, they would have to break the branches rather than cut them. The trenchant words hurt the man deeply.
rapacious	(adj.) using force to take Rapacious actions were needed to take the gun from the intruder.
ominous	(adj.) threatening Seeing ominous clouds on the horizon, the street fair organizers decided to fold up their tent and go home.
decadence	(n.) a decline in morals or art Some believe the decadence of Nero's rule led to the fall of the empire.
permeable	(adj.) porous; allowing to pass through Because the material was permeable, the water was able to drain.
zealot	(n.) believer; enthusiast; fan The zealot followed whatever rules the cult leader set.
loiter	(v.) to spend time aimlessly Many teenagers loiter around the mall when there is nothing else to do.
aberrant	(adj.) abnormal; straying from the normal or usual path The aberrant flight pattern of the airplane alarmed the air traffic controllers. His aberrant behavior led his friends to worry the divorce had taken its toll.
kith	(n.) relatives and acquaintances Our kith will meet at the family reunion.
insinuate	(v.) to work into gradually and indirectly He will insinuate his need for a vacation by saying how tired he has been lately.
anomaly	(n.) an oddity, inconsistency; a deviation from the norm An anomaly existed when the report listed one statistic, and the spokeswoman reported another. In a parking lot full of Buicks, Chevys, and Plymouths, the Jaguar was an anomaly.
protocol	(n.) an original draft or record of a document The protocol was given to the president once it was completed.
imbue	(v.) to soak or stain; permeate The wound will imbue the shirt in blood. The new day imbued him with a sense of optimism.
comeliness	(n.) beauty; attractiveness in appearance or behavior The comeliness of the woman attracted everyone's attention.
foster	(v.) encourage; nurture; support A good practice routine fosters success. After the severe storm the gardener fostered many of his plants back to health.
inanimate	(adj.) to be dull or spiritless; not animated, not endowed with life The boy nagged his father for a real puppy, not some inanimate stuffed animal.
dispassionate	(adj.) lack of feeling; impartial She was a very emotional person and could not work with such a dispassionate employer.
bode	(v.) to foretell something The storm bode that we would not reach our destination.
effusive	(adj.) pouring out or forth; overflowing The effusive currents rush through the broken dam.
warrant	(v.) justify; authorize The police official warranted the arrest of the suspect once enough proof had been found.
replica	(n.) copy; representation; reproduction The equine sculpture was a replica of a Remington.
propagate	(v.) to reproduce or multiply Rabbits and gerbils are said to propagate quickly.
collaborate	(v.) to work together; cooperate The two builders collaborated to get the house finished.
symmetry	(n.) correspondence of parts; harmony The roman columns give the building a symmetry.
petulant	(adj.) peevish; cranky; rude The long illness put the boy in a petulant mood. The tone of his voice and the things that he says become quite petulant when he has not gotten enough sleep.
recidivism	(n.) habitual or chronic relapse of criminal or antisocial offenses Even after intense therapy the parolee experienced several episodes of recidivism, and was eventually sent back to prison.
fortitude	(n.) firm courage; strength It is necessary to have fortitude to complete the hike.
citadel	(n.) a fortress set up high to defend a city A citadel sat on the hill to protect the city below.
malign	(v.; adj.) to speak evil of; having an evil disposition toward others (opposite: benign) In her statement to the judge she maligned her soon-to-be ex-husband. She had such a malign personality that no one even tried to approach her, mostly out of fear.
inquisitive	(adj.) eager to ask questions in order to learn An inquisitive youngster is likely to become a wise adult.
ingenuous	(adj.) noble; honorable; candid; also naive, simple, artless, without guile The ingenuous doctor had a great bedside manner, especially when it came to laying out the full implications of an illness.
garish	(adj.) gaudy, showy The gold fixtures seemed garish.
discomfit	(v.) to frustrate the expectations of The close game discomfited the number one player.
upshot	(n.) the final act or result The upshot of the debate was that the bill would be released to the floor.
susceptible	(adj.) easily imposed; inclined She gets an annual flu shot since she is susceptible to becoming ill.
debase	(v.) to make lower in quality The French are concerned that Franglais, a blending of English and French, will debase their language.
sordid	(adj.) filthy; base; vile The sordid gutters needed to be cleaned after the long, rainy autumn. The criminals thought patterns were so sordid that he was not granted parole.
consort	(n.; v.) a companion, spouse; to associate An elderly woman was seeking a consort. They waited until dark to consort under the moonlight.
choleric	(adj.) cranky; cantankerous; easily moved to feeling displeasure The choleric man was continually upset by his neighbors. Rolly becomes choleric when his views are challenged.
censor	(v.) to examine and delete objectionable material The children were allowed to watch the adult movie only after it had been censored.
impugn	(v.) to attack with words; to question the truthfulness or integrity The defense lawyer impugned the witness's testimony, which set back the prosecution's case. If I believe the man is a fraud I will impugn his comments.
conventional	(adj.) traditional; common; routine The bride wanted a conventional wedding ceremony, complete with white dresses, many flowers, and a grand reception party. Conventional telephones are giving way to videophones.
negligence	(n.) carelessness Negligence contributed to the accident: She was traveling too fast for the icy conditions.
nemesis	(n.) a person who inflicts just punishment; retribution; a rival The criminal was killed by his nemesis, the brother of the man he murdered. The football team plays its nemesis on Saturday.
malevolent	(adj.) wishing evil (opposite: benevolent) The man threatened his opponent with threats and malevolent words. She had malevolent feelings toward her sister.
pittance	(n.) a small amount The reward money was only a pittance compared to the money lost. The little girl received a pittance every week for keeping her room clean.
alacrity	(n.) eager readiness or speed The manager was so impressed by the worker's alacrity; he suggested a promotion. On the first day of her new job, the recent college graduate was able to leave early after completing all of her tasks with alacrity.
churlishness	(n.) crude or surly behavior; behavior of a peasant The fraternity's churlishness ran afoul of the dean's office. The churlishness of the teenager caused his employer to lose faith in him.
eschew	(v.) to shun; to avoid Eschew the traffic and you may arrive on time.
termagant	(n.) a constantly quarrelsome woman Agreement with the termagant was an impossibility.
bestial	(adj.) having the qualities of a beast; brutal The bestial employer made his employees work in an unheated room.
jovial	(adj.) cheery; jolly; playful She was a jovial person, always pleasant and fun to be with.
satire	(n.) a novel or play that uses humor or irony to expose folly The new play was a satire that exposed the President's inability to lead the country.
rout	(n.; v.) a noisy or disorderly crowd; a retreat or terrible defeat; to dig up The rout kept the police busy all morning with crowd control. The Scarlet Knights beat the Fighting Irish in a rout, 56-14. I need to rout the backyard in order to put in the pipes.
epitaph	(n.) an inscription on a monument; in honor or memory of a dead person The epitaph described the actions of a brave man.
fundamental	(adj.) basic; necessary Shelter is one of the fundamental needs of human existence.
arbitrary	(adj.) based on one's preference or judgment Rick admitted his decision had been arbitrary, as he claimed no expertise on the matter.
tensile	(adj.) undergoing or exerting tension The pipeline was capable of flexing to withstand the tremendous tensile strain that might accompany an seismic movement.
fervor	(n.) passion; intensity of feeling The crowd was full of fervor as the candidate entered the hall.
feint	(v.; n.) to pretend to throw a punch, as in boxing; a fake show intended to deceive The fighter feinted a left hook just before he went for the knockout.
solace	(n.) hope; comfort during a time of grief When her father passed away, she found solace amongst her friends and family.
curmudgeon	(n.) an ill-tempered person The curmudgeon asked the children not to play near the house.
affinity	(n.) a connection; similarity of structure There is a strong emotional affinity between the two siblings. It turns out that the elements bear a strong affinity to each other.
waive	(v.) to give up; to put off until later I will waive my rights to have a lawyer present because I don't think I need one. As hard as he tried, he could only waive his responsibility for so long.
insular	(adj.) having the characteristics of an island; narrow-minded, provincial After walking along the entire perimeter and seeing that the spit of land was actually insular, we realized it was time to build a boat. His insular approach to education makes him a pariah among liberals.
banal	(adj.) trite; without freshness or originality Attending parties became trite after a few weeks. It was a banal suggestion to have the annual picnic in the park, since that was where it had been for the past five years.
gerrymander	(v.) to gain advantage by manipulating unfairly To gerrymander during negotiations is considered unfair.
plausible	(adj.) probable; feasible After weeks of trying to determine what or who was raiding the chicken coop, the farmer came up with a plausible explanation. After scrimping and saving for a decade, it was now plausible to send his daughter to college.
immaculate	(adj.) perfectly clean; correct; pure An immaculate house is free of dust or clutter.
explicit	(adj.) specific; definite The explicit recipe gave directions for making a very complicated dessert.
anecdote	(n.) a short account of happenings The speaker told an anecdote about how he lost his shoes when he was young.
deliquesce	(v.) to dissolve The snow deliquesced when the temperature rose.
quiescence	(n.) state of being at rest or without motion After a tough day on the shipping dock, one needs quiescence. A period of quiescence is useful to calm the nerves.
compliant	(adj.) complying; obeying; yielding Compliant actions should be reinforced. The slave was compliant with every order to avoid being whipped.
taciturn	(adj.) inclined to silence; speaking little; dour, stern The man was so taciturn it was forgotten that he was there.
temper	(v.) to moderate, as by mingling with something else; to bring to the proper condition by treatment She drew a hot bath, but then realized she'd have to temper it with a little cool water or end up scalded. The craftsman tempered the steel before being able to twist it to form a table leg.
mire	(v.) to cause to get stuck in wet, soggy ground The car became mired in the mud.
impecunious	(adj.) poor; having no money The Great Depression made family after family impecunious.
ignominious	(adj.) contemptible; disgraced; degrading The behavior was so ignominious he was ashamed to be associated with it. She left him because of his ignominious treatment of her.
caprice	(n.) a sudden, unpredictable or whimsical change The caprice with which the couple approached the change of plans was evidence to their young age. The king ruled by caprice as much as law.
atypical	(adj.) something that is abnormal The atypical behavior of the wild animal alarmed the hunters.
nostrum	(n.) a questionable remedy for difficulties The doctor's prescription was so unusual that it could be seen as a nostrum. The nostrum of pine leaves and water did not seem to cure the illness.
materialism	(n.) the belief that everything in the universe is explained in terms of matter; the belief that worldly possessions are the be-all and end-all in life Spiritualists will tell you that materialism is only half the story. Some said that the prince's profligacy gave materialism a bad name.
blithe	(adj.) happy; cheery; merry; a cheerful disposition The wedding was a blithe celebration. The blithe child was a pleasant surprise.
optimist	(n.) person who hopes for the best; sees the good side He's ever the optimist, always seeing the glass as half full.
fulsome	(adj.) disgusting due to excess The man became obese when he indulged in fulsome eating.
consummation	(n.) the completion; finish Following the consummation of final exams, most of the students graduated.
germane	(adj.) pertinent; related; to the point Her essay contained germane information, relevant to the new Constitutional amendment.
render	(v.) deliver; provide The Y