-
savage
without civilizing influences
-
destitute
poor enough to need help from others
-
impending
close in time; about to occur
-
shrill
having or emitting a high-pitched and sharp tone or tones
-
bemoan
regret strongly
-
decadent
a person who has fallen into a decadent state (morally or artistically)
-
facile
arrived at without due care or effort; lacking depth
-
sneer
a facial expression of contempt or scorn; the upper lip curls
-
harangue
a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion
-
avert
turn away or aside
-
hemorrhage
the flow of blood from a ruptured blood vessel
-
impoverish
make poor
-
crusade
a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end
-
tantalizing
arousing desire or expectation for something unattainable or mockingly out of reach
-
tinge
color lightly
-
coffer
a chest especially for storing valuables
-
excise
remove by cutting
-
dictate
a guiding principle
-
solvent
capable of meeting financial obligations
-
metastasize
spread throughout the body
-
remission
(law) the act of remitting (especially the referral of a law case to another court)
-
curmudgeon
a crusty irascible cantankerous old person full of stubborn ideas
-
discretionary
having or using the ability to act or decide according to your own discretion or judgment
-
stringently
in a stringent manner
-
cobble
repair or mend
-
automate
make automatic or control or operate automatically
-
granular
composed of or covered with particles resembling meal in texture or consistency
-
divert
turn aside; turn away from
-
pauper
a person who is very poor
-
adhere
stick to firmly
-
pessimist
a person who expects the worst
-
recurring
coming back
-
ostentatious
intended to attract notice and impress others
-
bulwark
an embankment built around a space for defensive purposes
-
jaundice
yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes caused by an accumulation of bile pigment (bilirubin) in the blood; can be a symptom of gallstones or liver infection or anemia
-
fiasco
a sudden and violent collapse
-
counterintuitive
contrary to what common sense would suggest
-
abhor
find repugnant
-
misnomer
an incorrect or unsuitable name
-
spry
moving quickly and lightly
-
soporific
sleep inducing
-
blatantly
in a blatant manner
-
brazenly
in a brazen manner
-
toil
work hard
-
erroneously
in a mistaken manner
-
dole
a share of money or food or clothing that has been charitably given
-
fret
be agitated or irritated
-
horde
a vast multitude
-
premise
a statement that is assumed to be true and from which a conclusion can be drawn
-
caveat
a warning against certain acts
-
unequivocally
in an unambiguous manner
-
extol
praise, glorify, or honor
-
vest
a man's sleeveless garment worn underneath a coat
-
prospectus
a formal written offer to sell securities (filed with the SEC) that sets forth a plan for a (proposed) business enterprise
-
adept
having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude
-
agitate
move or cause to move back and forth
-
proxy
a person authorized to act for another
-
realm
a domain in which something is dominant
-
preposterous
incongruous;inviting ridicule
-
malfeasance
wrongful conduct by a public official
-
quintuple
having five units or components
-
enthralled
filled with wonder and delight
-
conducive
tending to bring about; being partly responsible for
-
perverse
deviating from what is considered moral or right or proper or good
-
deem
keep in mind or convey as a conviction or view
-
paltry
contemptibly small in amount
-
conventional
following accepted customs and proprieties
-
dolt
a person who is not very bright
-
ploy
a maneuver in a game or conversation
-
divest
take away possessions from someone
-
obviate
do away with
-
memoir
an account of the author's personal experiences
-
fret
be agitated or irritated
-
devour
eat immoderately
-
trough
a long narrow shallow receptacle
-
cynical
believing the worst of human nature and motives; having a sneering disbelief in e.g. selflessness of others
-
cusp
point formed by two intersecting arcs (as from the intrados of a Gothic arch)
-
looting
plundering during riots or in wartime
-
ardent
characterized by intense emotion
-
plethora
extreme excess
-
bulge
swell or protrude outwards
-
prudent
careful and sensible; marked by sound judgment
-
pare
strip the skin off
-
speculative
not based on fact or investigation
-
pensive
deeply or seriously thoughtful
-
reflective
capable of physically reflecting light or sound
-
catalyst
(chemistry) a substance that initiates or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affected
-
lull
make calm or still
-
dibs
a claim of rights
-
opine
express one's opinion openly and without fear or hesitation
-
obscure
not clearly understood or expressed
-
agglomeration
the act of collecting in a mass; the act of agglomerating
-
mystified
totally perplexed and mixed up
-
voracious
devouring or craving food in great quantities
-
hemorrhage
the flow of blood from a ruptured blood vessel
-
excruciating
extremely painful
-
gouge
an impression in a surface (as made by a blow)
-
moot
of no legal significance (as having been previously decided)
-
percolate
cause (a solvent) to pass through a permeable substance in order to extract a soluble constituent
-
truncated
cut short in duration
-
inundated
covered with water
-
missive
a written message addressed to a person or organization
-
siege
the action of an armed force that surrounds a fortified place and isolates it while continuing to attack
-
sabbatical
a leave usually taken every seventh year
-
succulent
full of juice
-
succumb
consent reluctantly
-
adamant
very hard native crystalline carbon valued as a gem
-
dismay
the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles
-
imminent
close in time; about to occur
-
amply
sufficiently; more than adequately
-
prescient
perceiving the significance of events before they occur
-
unrelenting
not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty
-
wholly
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (`whole' is often used informally for `wholly')
-
volatile
a volatile substance; a substance that changes readily from solid or liquid to a vapor
-
jettison
throw away, of something encumbering
-
pristine
immaculately clean and unused
-
vindicated
freed from any question of guilt
-
scourge
something causing misery or death
-
bountiful
producing in abundance
-
contrive
make or work out a plan for; devise
-
enamored
marked by foolish or unreasoning fondness
-
remote
located far away spatially
-
incessant
uninterrupted in time and indefinitely long continuing
-
oblige
force somebody to do something
-
charismatic
possessing an extraordinary ability to attract
-
spur
a sharp prod fixed to a rider's heel and used to urge a horse onward
-
rankle
gnaw into; make resentful or angry
-
crimp
make ridges into by pinching together
-
slump
fall or sink heavily
-
console
give moral or emotional strength to
-
alibi
(law) a defense by an accused person purporting to show that he or she could not have committed the crime in question
-
dexterity
adroitness in using the hands
-
ephemeral
anything short-lived, as an insect that lives only for a day in its winged form
-
vociferous
conspicuously and offensively loud; given to vehement outcry
-
glean
gather, as of natural products
-
glaring
shining intensely
-
ameliorate
to make better
-
retrospect
contemplation of things past
-
cull
remove something that has been rejected
-
trouncing
a sound defeat
-
unfathomable
impossible to come to understand
-
ken
range of what one can know or understand
-
jargon
specialized technical terminology characteristic of a particular subject
-
opaque
not transmitting or reflecting light or radiant energy; impenetrable to sight
-
gaff
an iron hook with a handle; used for landing large fish
-
adherent
someone who believes and helps to spread the doctrine of another
-
prudence
discretion in practical affairs
-
debacle
a sudden and violent collapse
-
galled
painful from having the skin abraded
-
empirical
derived from experiment and observation rather than theory
-
dud
an explosion that fails to occur
-
agony
intense feelings of suffering; acute mental or physical pain
-
mantra
(Sanskrit) literally a `sacred utterance' in Vedism; one of a collection of orally transmitted poetic hymns
-
centric
having or situated at or near a center
-
secular
someone who is not a clergyman or a professional person
-
vicissitude
a variation in circumstances or fortune at different times in your life or in the development of something
-
cohort
a band of warriors (originally a unit of a Roman Legion)
-
stodgy
excessively conventional and unimaginative and hence dull
-
crude
belonging to an early stage of technical development; characterized by simplicity and (often) crudeness
-
surge
rise and move, as in waves or billows
-
relent
give in, as to influence or pressure
-
infrastructure
the basic structure or features of a system or organization
-
baton
a hollow metal rod that is wielded or twirled by a drum major or drum majorette
-
loathe
find repugnant
-
loath
(usually followed by `to') strongly opposed
-
vanity
feelings of excessive pride
-
staid
characterized by dignity and propriety
-
dwarf
a plant or animal that is atypically small
-
quintessence
the purest and most concentrated essence of something
-
enviable
causing envy
-
prestigious
having an illustrious reputation; respected
-
paucity
an insufficient quantity or number
-
stutter
speak haltingly
-
sweltering
excessively hot and humid or marked by sweating and faintness
-
dowdy
lacking in smartness or taste
-
sheer
so thin as to transmit light
-
prowess
a superior skill that you can learn by study and practice and observation
-
squeamish
excessively fastidious and easily disgusted
-
ineluctable
impossible to avoid or evade:"inescapable conclusion"
-
cadent
marked by a rhythmical cadence
-
induce
cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner
-
definitive
clearly defined or formulated
-
anemic
relating to anemia or suffering from anemia
-
pablum
worthless or oversimplified ideas
-
demystify
make less mysterious or remove the mystery from
-
intuitive
spontaneously derived from or prompted by a natural tendency
-
helm
steering mechanism for a vessel; a mechanical device by which a vessel is steered
-
alas
by bad luck
-
opaque
not transmitting or reflecting light or radiant energy; impenetrable to sight
-
predictive
of or relating to prediction; having value for making predictions
-
stellar
being or relating to or resembling or emanating from stars
-
lag
hang (back) or fall (behind) in movement, progress, development, etc.
-
peg
a wooden pin pushed or driven into a surface
-
obscene
offensive to the mind
-
eradicate
destroy completely, as if down to the roots
-
puny
(used especially of persons) of inferior size
-
stewardship
the position of steward
-
conviction
an unshakable belief in something without need for proof or evidence
-
fad
an interest followed with exaggerated zeal
-
consequential
having important issues or results
-
staggering
so surprisingly impressive as to stun or overwhelm
-
appall
strike with disgust or revulsion