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Collection of Words 500 words

Academic Words

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  1. abase
    cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of
  2. abate
    become less in amount or intensity
  3. abdicate
    give up, such as power, as of monarchs and emperors, or duties and obligations
  4. aberrant
    markedly different from an accepted norm
  5. abeyance
    temporary cessation or suspension
  6. abjure
    formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure
  7. abscond
    run away; usually includes taking something or somebody along
  8. abstain
    choose not to consume
  9. abstemious
    marked by temperance in indulgence
  10. abyss
    a bottomless gulf or pit; any unfathomable (or apparently unfathomable) cavity or chasm or void extending below (often used figuratively)
  11. accretion
    an increase by natural growth or addition
  12. acidulous
    being sour to the taste
  13. acme
    the highest point (of something)
  14. adulterate
    corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones
  15. advocate
    a person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea
  16. aerie
    the lofty nest of a bird of prey (such as a hawk or eagle)
  17. aesthetic
    concerning or characterized by an appreciation of beauty or good taste
  18. affected
    acted upon; influenced
  19. aggrandize
    add details to
  20. alacrity
    liveliness and eagerness
  21. alleviate
    provide physical relief, as from pain
  22. amalgamate
    to bring or combine together or with something else
  23. ambiguous
    having more than one possible meaning
  24. ameliorate
    to make better
  25. amortize
    liquidate gradually
  26. amulet
    a trinket or piece of jewelry usually hung about the neck and thought to be a magical protection against evil or disease
  27. anachronism
    something located at a time when it could not have existed or occurred
  28. analgesia
    absence of the sense of pain without loss of consciousness
  29. analogous
    similar or equivalent in some respects though otherwise dissimilar
  30. anodyne
    capable of relieving pain
  31. anomaly
    deviation from the normal or common order or form or rule
  32. antagonize
    provoke the hostility of
  33. antipathy
    a feeling of intense dislike
  34. apathy
    an absence of emotion or enthusiasm
  35. Apocryphal
    of or belonging to the Apocrypha
  36. apostate
    not faithful to religion or party or cause
  37. approbation
    official approval
  38. arbitrary
    based on or subject to individual discretion or preference or sometimes impulse or caprice
  39. arbitrate
    act between parties with a view to reconciling differences
  40. archaic
    so extremely old as seeming to belong to an earlier period
  41. ardor
    feelings of great warmth and intensity
  42. arrogate
    seize and take control without authority and possibly with force; take as one's right or possession
  43. articulate
    express or state clearly
  44. assail
    attack someone physically or emotionally
  45. assuage
    provide physical relief, as from pain
  46. attenuate
    become weaker, in strength, value, or magnitude
  47. audacious
    disposed to venture or take risks
  48. augury
    an event that is experienced as indicating important things to come
  49. August
    the month following July and preceding September
  50. austere
    of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect
  51. axiom
    (logic) a proposition that is not susceptible of proof or disproof; its truth is assumed to be self-evident
  52. banal
    repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
  53. belfry
    a bell tower; usually stands alone unattached to a building
  54. bevy
    a flock of birds (especially when gathered close together on the ground)
  55. bifurcate
    split or divide into two
  56. bilk
    cheat somebody out of what is due, especially money
  57. blight
    any plant disease resulting in withering without rotting
  58. blithe
    carefree and happy and lighthearted
  59. bolster
    support and strengthen
  60. bombastic
    ostentatiously lofty in style
  61. bonhomie
    a disposition to be friendly and approachable (easy to talk to)
  62. boor
    a crude uncouth ill-bred person lacking culture or refinement
  63. burgeon
    grow and flourish
  64. burnish
    polish and make shiny
  65. cabal
    a clique (often secret) that seeks power usually through intrigue
  66. cacophony
    loud confusing disagreeable sounds
  67. calumny
    a false accusation of an offense or a malicious misrepresentation of someone's words or actions
  68. canard
    a deliberately misleading fabrication
  69. candid
    openly straightforward and direct without reserve or secretiveness
  70. capricious
    determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason
  71. cartography
    the making of maps and charts
  72. castigate
    inflict severe punishment on
  73. catalyst
    (chemistry) a substance that initiates or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affected
  74. Catholic
    of or relating to or supporting Catholicism
  75. caustic
    of a substance, especially a strong acid; capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action
  76. Chaos
    (Greek mythology) the most ancient of gods; the personification of the infinity of space preceding creation of the universe
  77. chauvinist
    a person with a prejudiced belief in the superiority of his or her own kind
  78. chicanery
    the use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract money from them)
  79. circumspect
    heedful of potential consequences
  80. cloying
    overly sweet
  81. coalesce
    fuse or cause to grow together
  82. coffer
    a chest especially for storing valuables
  83. cogent
    powerfully persuasive
  84. collusion
    secret agreement
  85. condone
    excuse, overlook, or make allowances for; be lenient with
  86. connoisseur
    an expert able to appreciate a field; especially in the fine arts
  87. contrite
    feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses
  88. contumacious
    wilfully obstinate; stubbornly disobedient
  89. convoluted
    rolled longitudinally upon itself
  90. corroborate
    give evidence for
  91. cosset
    treat with excessive indulgence
  92. coterie
    an exclusive circle of people with a common purpose
  93. craven
    lacking even the rudiments of courage; abjectly fearful
  94. credulous
    showing a lack of judgment or experience
  95. crescendo
    (music) a gradual increase in loudness
  96. cupidity
    extreme greed for material wealth
  97. curmudgeon
    a crusty irascible cantankerous old person full of stubborn ideas
  98. debutante
    a young woman making her debut into society
  99. declivity
    a downward slope or bend
  100. decorous
    characterized by propriety and dignity and good taste in manners and conduct
  101. decorum
    propriety in manners and conduct
  102. deface
    mar or spoil the appearance of
  103. deference
    courteous regard for people's feelings
  104. deleterious
    harmful to living things
  105. demagogue
    a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular passions and prejudices
  106. demur
    take exception to
  107. deride
    treat or speak of with contempt
  108. desiccate
    lacking vitality or spirit; lifeless
  109. desultory
    marked by lack of definite plan or regularity or purpose; jumping from one thing to another
  110. diaphanous
    so thin as to transmit light
  111. diatribe
    thunderous verbal attack
  112. dictum
    an authoritative declaration
  113. diffident
    showing modest reserve
  114. dilate
    become wider
  115. dilatory
    wasting time
  116. dilettante
    an amateur who engages in an activity without serious intentions and who pretends to have knowledge
  117. dirge
    a song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person
  118. disabuse
    free somebody (from an erroneous belief)
  119. discern
    detect with the senses
  120. disparate
    fundamentally different or distinct in quality or kind
  121. dissemble
    behave unnaturally or affectedly
  122. dissonance
    disagreeable sounds
  123. distaff
    the staff on which wool or flax is wound before spinning
  124. distend
    cause to expand as it by internal pressure
  125. dither
    act nervously; be undecided; be uncertain
  126. diurnal
    having a daily cycle or occurring every day
  127. Divine
    terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
  128. doctrinaire
    a stubborn person of arbitrary or arrogant opinions
  129. dogma
    a doctrine or code of beliefs accepted as authoritative
  130. dogmatic
    of or pertaining to or characteristic of a doctrine or code of beliefs accepted as authoritative
  131. droll
    comical in an odd or whimsical manner
  132. dupe
    fool or hoax
  133. dyspeptic
    suffering from dyspepsia
  134. ebullient
    joyously unrestrained
  135. electric
    using or providing or producing or transmitting or operated by electricity
  136. edify
    make understand
  137. efficacy
    capacity or power to produce a desired effect
  138. effigy
    a representation of a person (especially in the form of sculpture)
  139. effrontery
    audacious (even arrogant) behavior that you have no right to
  140. elegy
    a mournful poem; a lament for the dead
  141. eloquent
    expressing yourself readily, clearly, effectively
  142. embellish
    make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.
  143. emulate
    strive to equal or match, especially by imitating
  144. encomium
    a formal expression of praise
  145. endemic
    native to or confined to a certain region
  146. enervate
    weaken mentally or morally
  147. engender
    make children
  148. enigma
    something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
  149. enumerate
    determine the number or amount of
  150. ephemeral
    anything short-lived, as an insect that lives only for a day in its winged form
  151. epicure
    a person devoted to refined sensuous enjoyment (especially good food and drink)
  152. equivocate
    be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information
  153. erratic
    liable to sudden unpredictable change
  154. ersatz
    an artificial or inferior substitute or imitation
  155. erudite
    having or showing profound knowledge
  156. eschew
    avoid and stay away from deliberately; stay clear of
  157. esoteric
    confined to and understandable by only an enlightened inner circle
  158. estimable
    deserving of respect or high regard
  159. ethos
    (anthropology) the distinctive spirit of a culture or an era
  160. eulogy
    a formal expression of praise for someone who has died recently
  161. euphemism
    an inoffensive or indirect expression that is substituted for one that is considered offensive or too harsh
  162. euphony
    any agreeable (pleasing and harmonious) sounds
  163. exacerbate
    make worse
  164. exculpate
    pronounce not guilty of criminal charges
  165. exigent
    demanding attention
  166. exonerate
    pronounce not guilty of criminal charges
  167. explicit
    precisely and clearly expressed or readily observable; leaving nothing to implication
  168. exponent
    a mathematical notation indicating the number of times a quantity is multiplied by itself
  169. expurgate
    edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate
  170. fallow
    left unplowed and unseeded during a growing season
  171. fanatical
    marked by excessive enthusiasm for and intense devotion to a cause or idea
  172. fatuous
    devoid of intelligence
  173. fawn
    a young deer
  174. fecund
    capable of producing offspring or vegetation
  175. fervid
    characterized by intense emotion
  176. fetid
    offensively malodorous
  177. flag
    emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design
  178. florid
    elaborately or excessively ornamented
  179. foment
    try to stir up public opinion
  180. Ford
    United States manufacturer of automobiles who pioneered mass production (1863-1947)
  181. forestall
    act in advance of; deal with ahead of time
  182. fortuitous
    occurring by happy chance
  183. fractious
    easily irritated or annoyed
  184. frenetic
    excessively agitated; distraught with fear or other violent emotion
  185. frugality
    prudence in avoiding waste
  186. furtive
    secret and sly or sordid
  187. gambol
    play boisterously
  188. garner
    store grain
  189. garrulous
    full of trivial conversation
  190. gestation
    the period during which an embryo develops (about 266 days in humans)
  191. glib
    artfully persuasive in speech
  192. glower
    look angry or sullen, wrinkle one's forehead, as if to signal disapproval
  193. gradation
    relative position in a graded series
  194. gregarious
    instinctively or temperamentally seeking and enjoying the company of others
  195. grievous
    causing or marked by grief or anguish
  196. grovel
    show submission or fear
  197. guile
    shrewdness as demonstrated by being skilled in deception
  198. gullible
    naive and easily deceived or tricked
  199. hapless
    deserving or inciting pity
  200. hegemony
    the dominance or leadership of one social group or nation over others
  201. hermetic
    completely sealed; completely airtight
  202. heterogeneous
    consisting of elements that are not of the same kind or nature
  203. hoary
    showing characteristics of age, especially having grey or white hair
  204. homogeneous
    all of the same or similar kind or nature
  205. husband
    a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
  206. hyperbole
    extravagant exaggeration
  207. iconoclast
    someone who attacks cherished ideas or traditional institutions
  208. idiosyncrasy
    a behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual
  209. ignoble
    completely lacking nobility in character or quality or purpose
  210. imbue
    spread or diffuse through
  211. impasse
    a situation in which no progress can be made or no advancement is possible
  212. impecunious
    not having enough money to pay for necessities
  213. imperturbable
    not easily perturbed or excited or upset; marked by extreme calm and composure
  214. impervious
    not admitting of passage or capable of being affected
  215. impetuous
    characterized by undue haste and lack of thought or deliberation
  216. impious
    lacking piety or reverence for a god
  217. implacable
    incapable of being placated
  218. imprecation
    the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil (and usually serves as an insult)
  219. impugn
    attack as false or wrong
  220. incarnadine
    make flesh-colored
  221. inchoate
    only partly in existence; imperfectly formed
  222. inculcate
    teach and impress by frequent repetitions or admonitions
  223. indolent
    disinclined to work or exertion
  224. inexorable
    not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty
  225. ingenuous
    lacking in sophistication or worldliness
  226. ingrate
    a person who shows no gratitude
  227. ingratiate
    gain favor with somebody by deliberate efforts
  228. inimical
    not friendly
  229. iniquity
    absence of moral or spiritual values
  230. innocuous
    not injurious to physical or mental health
  231. inquest
    an inquiry into the cause of an unexpected death
  232. insipid
    lacking interest or significance or impact
  233. insurrection
    organized opposition to authority; a conflict in which one faction tries to wrest control from another
  234. inter
    place in a grave or tomb
  235. interregnum
    the time between two reigns, governments, etc.
  236. intractable
    not tractable; difficult to manage or mold
  237. intransigent
    impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, reason
  238. intrepid
    invulnerable to fear or intimidation
  239. inundate
    fill or cover completely, usually with water
  240. inure
    cause to accept or become hardened to; habituate
  241. invective
    abusive or venomous language used to express blame or censure or bitter deep-seated ill will
  242. investiture
    the ceremonial act of clothing someone in the insignia of an office; the formal promotion of a person to an office or rank
  243. invidious
    containing or implying a slight or showing prejudice
  244. irascible
    quickly aroused to anger
  245. itinerant
    traveling from place to place to work
  246. jargon
    specialized technical terminology characteristic of a particular subject
  247. jettison
    throw away, of something encumbering
  248. jingoism
    fanatical patriotism
  249. jocular
    characterized by jokes and good humor
  250. judicious
    marked by the exercise of good judgment or common sense in practical matters
  251. juncture
    the shape or manner in which things come together and a connection is made
  252. keen
    intense or sharp
  253. kindle
    catch fire
  254. kinetic
    relating to the motion of material bodies and the forces associated therewith
  255. knell
    the sound of a bell rung slowly to announce a death or a funeral or the end of something
  256. kudos
    an expression of approval and commendation
  257. lachrymose
    showing sorrow
  258. laconic
    brief and to the point; effectively cut short
  259. lament
    a cry of sorrow and grief
  260. lampoon
    ridicule with satire
  261. languid
    lacking spirit or liveliness
  262. lapidary
    a skilled worker who cuts and engraves precious stones
  263. larceny
    the act of taking something from someone unlawfully
  264. largess
    liberality in bestowing gifts; extremely liberal and generous of spirit
  265. lassitude
    a feeling of lack of interest or energy
  266. latent
    potentially existing but not presently evident or realized
  267. laud
    praise, glorify, or honor
  268. lavish
    very generous
  269. leery
    openly distrustful and unwilling to confide
  270. legerdemain
    an illusory feat; considered magical by naive observers
  271. lethargic
    deficient in alertness or activity
  272. levity
    a manner lacking seriousness
  273. liberal
    showing or characterized by broad-mindedness
  274. libertine
    unrestrained by convention or morality
  275. licentious
    lacking moral discipline; especially sexually unrestrained
  276. limpid
    clear and bright
  277. lionize
    assign great social importance to
  278. lissome
    moving and bending with ease
  279. listless
    lacking zest or vivacity
  280. livid
    furiously angry
  281. loquacious
    full of trivial conversation
  282. lucid
    (of language) transparently clear; easily understandable
  283. lugubrious
    excessively mournful
  284. lumber
    the wood of trees cut and prepared for use as building material
  285. luminous
    softly bright or radiant
  286. machination
    a crafty and involved plot to achieve your (usually sinister) ends
  287. maelstrom
    a powerful circular current of water (usually the result of conflicting tides)
  288. magnate
    a very wealthy or powerful businessman
  289. malediction
    the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil (and usually serves as an insult)
  290. malinger
    avoid responsibilities and duties, e.g., by pretending to be ill
  291. malleable
    capable of being shaped or bent or drawn out
  292. mannered
    having unnatural mannerisms
  293. Mar
    the month following February and preceding April
  294. martinet
    someone who demands exact conformity to rules and forms
  295. maudlin
    effusively or insincerely emotional
  296. mendacious
    given to lying
  297. mendicant
    practicing beggary
  298. Mercurial
    relating to or having characteristics (eloquence, shrewdness, swiftness, thievishness) attributed to the god Mercury
  299. meretricious
    tastelessly showy
  300. metaphor
    a figure of speech in which an expression is used to refer to something that it does not literally denote in order to suggest a similarity
  301. meticulous
    marked by precise accordance with details
  302. militate
    have force or influence; bring about an effect or change
  303. mirth
    great merriment
  304. misanthrope
    someone who dislikes people in general
  305. missive
    a written message addressed to a person or organization
  306. mitigate
    lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of
  307. mollify
    cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of
  308. molt
    cast off hair, skin, horn, or feathers
  309. monastic
    of communal life sequestered from the world under religious vows
  310. monotony
    constancy of tone or pitch or inflection
  311. mores
    (sociology) the conventions that embody the fundamental values of a group
  312. multifarious
    having many aspects
  313. myopic
    unable to see distant objects clearly
  314. nadir
    an extreme state of adversity; the lowest point of anything
  315. naive
    marked by or showing unaffected simplicity and lack of guile or worldly experience
  316. nascent
    being born or beginning
  317. neologism
    a newly invented word or phrase
  318. neophyte
    any new participant in some activity
  319. nettle
    any of numerous plants having stinging hairs that cause skin irritation on contact (especially of the genus Urtica or family Urticaceae)
  320. noisome
    causing or able to cause nausea
  321. nominal
    relating to or constituting or bearing or giving a name
  322. nuance
    a subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude
  323. numismatics
    the collection and study of money (and coins in particular)
  324. obdurate
    stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing
  325. oblique
    slanting or inclined in direction or course or position--neither parallel nor perpendicular nor right-angled
  326. obsequious
    attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
  327. obstinate
    tenaciously unwilling or marked by tenacious unwillingness to yield
  328. obviate
    do away with
  329. occlude
    block passage through
  330. officious
    intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner
  331. onerous
    not easily borne; wearing
  332. opaque
    not transmitting or reflecting light or radiant energy; impenetrable to sight
  333. opine
    express one's opinion openly and without fear or hesitation
  334. opprobrium
    a state of extreme dishonor
  335. orotund
    ostentatiously lofty in style
  336. ossify
    become bony
  337. ostensible
    appearing as such but not necessarily so
  338. ostentation
    pretentious or showy or vulgar display
  339. overwrought
    deeply agitated especially from emotion
  340. palatial
    relating to or being a palace
  341. palliate
    lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of
  342. pallid
    abnormally deficient in color as suggesting physical or emotional distress
  343. panache
    distinctive and stylish elegance
  344. panegyric
    formally expressing praise
  345. panoply
    a complete and impressive array
  346. paradox
    (logic) a statement that contradicts itself
  347. paragon
    an ideal instance; a perfect embodiment of a concept
  348. pare
    strip the skin off
  349. pariah
    a person who is rejected (from society or home)
  350. parley
    a negotiation between enemies
  351. parry
    impede the movement of (an opponent or a ball)
  352. pastiche
    a work of art that imitates the style of some previous work
  353. pathogenic
    able to cause disease
  354. peccadillo
    a petty misdeed
  355. pedant
    a person who pays more attention to formal rules and book learning than they merit
  356. pejorative
    expressing disapproval
  357. penury
    a state of extreme poverty or destitution
  358. peregrinate
    travel around, through, or over, especially on foot
  359. perfidious
    tending to betray; especially having a treacherous character as attributed to the Carthaginians by the Romans
  360. perfunctory
    hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
  361. Peripatetic
    a follower of Aristotle or an adherent of Aristotelianism
  362. permeate
    spread or diffuse through
  363. perspicacious
    mentally acute or penetratingly discerning
  364. pervade
    spread or diffuse through
  365. phalanx
    any closely ranked crowd of people
  366. philanthropy
    voluntary promotion of human welfare
  367. Philistine
    of or relating to ancient Philistia or its culture or its people
  368. phlegmatic
    showing little emotion
  369. pithy
    concise and full of meaning
  370. placate
    cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of
  371. plastic
    generic name for certain synthetic or semisynthetic materials that can be molded or extruded into objects or films or filaments or used for making e.g. coatings and adhesives
  372. plebeian
    of or associated with the great masses of people
  373. plethora
    extreme excess
  374. plucky
    showing courage
  375. polemic
    a controversy (especially over a belief or dogma)
  376. politic
    marked by artful prudence, expedience, and shrewdness
  377. polyglot
    a person who speaks more than one language
  378. posit
    take as a given; assume as a postulate or axiom
  379. potentate
    a ruler who is unconstrained by law
  380. pragmatic
    concerned with practical matters
  381. prattle
    speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly
  382. precipitate
    hurl or throw violently
  383. precis
    a sketchy summary of the main points of an argument or theory
  384. prescient
    perceiving the significance of events before they occur
  385. prevaricate
    be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information
  386. pristine
    immaculately clean and unused
  387. probity
    complete and confirmed integrity; having strong moral principles
  388. proclivity
    a natural inclination
  389. prodigal
    recklessly wasteful
  390. profligate
    unrestrained by convention or morality
  391. proliferate
    grow rapidly
  392. propitiate
    make peace with
  393. propriety
    correct or appropriate behavior
  394. prudence
    discretion in practical affairs
  395. puerile
    displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity
  396. pugilism
    fighting with the fists
  397. pulchritude
    physical beauty (especially of a woman)
  398. pungent
    strong and sharp;"the pungent taste of radishes"
  399. pusillanimous
    lacking in courage and manly strength and resolution; contemptibly fearful
  400. querulous
    habitually complaining
  401. quiescent
    being quiet or still or inactive
  402. quixotic
    not sensible about practical matters; idealistic and unrealistic
  403. quotidian
    found in the ordinary course of events
  404. raconteur
    a person skilled in telling anecdotes
  405. rarefy
    lessen the density or solidity of
  406. redress
    make reparations or amends for
  407. rejoinder
    a quick reply to a question or remark (especially a witty or critical one)
  408. repast
    the food served and eaten at one time
  409. replete
    filled to satisfaction with food or drink
  410. repose
    freedom from activity (work or strain or responsibility)
  411. repudiate
    refuse to acknowledge, ratify, or recognize as valid
  412. requite
    make repayment for or return something
  413. restive
    being in a tense state
  414. reticent
    reluctant to draw attention to yourself
  415. rhetoric
    study of the technique and rules for using language effectively (especially in public speaking)
  416. ribald
    humorously vulgar
  417. rococo
    having excessive asymmetrical ornamentation
  418. rustic
    characteristic of rural life
  419. sacrosanct
    must be kept sacred
  420. sagacious
    acutely insightful and wise
  421. salient
    having a quality that thrusts itself into attention
  422. salubrious
    promoting health; healthful
  423. sanguine
    inclined to a healthy reddish color often associated with outdoor life
  424. sardonic
    disdainfully or ironically humorous; scornful and mocking
  425. satiate
    fill to satisfaction
  426. scintilla
    a tiny or scarcely detectable amount
  427. sedition
    an illegal action inciting resistance to lawful authority and tending to cause the disruption or overthrow of the government
  428. sentient
    endowed with feeling and unstructured consciousness
  429. seraphic
    of or relating to an angel of the first order
  430. sinecure
    an office that involves minimal duties
  431. slake
    satisfy (thirst)
  432. sobriquet
    a familiar name for a person (often a shortened version of a person's given name)
  433. solecism
    a socially awkward or tactless act
  434. soporific
    sleep inducing
  435. Spartan
    of or relating to or characteristic of Sparta or its people
  436. specious
    plausible but false
  437. sportive
    given to merry frolicking
  438. stasis
    inactivity resulting from a static balance between opposing forces
  439. stentorian
    used of the voice
  440. stigma
    a symbol of disgrace or infamy
  441. stolid
    having or revealing little emotion or sensibility; not easily aroused or excited
  442. stratagem
    an elaborate or deceitful scheme contrived to deceive or evade
  443. sublime
    of high moral or intellectual value; elevated in nature or style
  444. Sully
    United States painter (born in England) of portraits and historical scenes (1783-1872)
  445. supplant
    take the place or move into the position of
  446. surfeit
    indulge (one's appetite) to satiety
  447. surly
    inclined to anger or bad feelings with overtones of menace
  448. sybarite
    a person addicted to luxury and pleasures of the senses
  449. sycophant
    a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage
  450. symbiosis
    the relation between two different species of organisms that are interdependent; each gains benefits from the other
  451. syncopation
    a musical rhythm accenting a normally weak beat
  452. tacit
    implied by or inferred from actions or statements
  453. taciturn
    habitually reserved and uncommunicative
  454. talon
    a sharp hooked claw especially on a bird of prey
  455. tangential
    of superficial relevance if any
  456. tawdry
    tastelessly showy
  457. terrestrial
    of or relating to or characteristic of the planet Earth or its inhabitants
  458. tirade
    a speech of violent denunciation
  459. toady
    a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage
  460. tome
    a (usually) large and scholarly book
  461. torpor
    a state of motor and mental inactivity with a partial suspension of sensibility
  462. transitory
    lasting a very short time
  463. trenchant
    having keenness and forcefulness and penetration in thought, expression, or intellect
  464. turgid
    ostentatiously lofty in style
  465. tyro
    someone new to a field or activity
  466. umbrage
    a feeling of anger caused by being offended
  467. unconscionable
    greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation
  468. unequivocal
    admitting of no doubt or misunderstanding; having only one meaning or interpretation and leading to only one conclusion
  469. upbraid
    express criticism towards
  470. usury
    the act of lending money at an exorbitant rate of interest
  471. vacillate
    be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action
  472. variegated
    having a variety of colors
  473. venerable
    profoundly honored
  474. venerate
    regard with feelings of respect and reverence; consider hallowed or exalted or be in awe of
  475. veracity
    unwillingness to tell lies
  476. verbose
    using or containing too many words
  477. verdant
    characterized by abundance of verdure
  478. vernal
    suggestive of youth; vigorous and fresh
  479. vestige
    an indication that something has been present
  480. vex
    cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations
  481. vicissitude
    a variation in circumstances or fortune at different times in your life or in the development of something
  482. vim
    a healthy capacity for vigorous activity
  483. viscous
    having a relatively high resistance to flow
  484. vituperate
    spread negative information about
  485. volatile
    a volatile substance; a substance that changes readily from solid or liquid to a vapor
  486. voluble
    marked by a ready flow of speech
  487. wan
    become pale and sickly
  488. wanton
    lewd or lascivious woman
  489. waver
    pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
  490. whimsical
    determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason
  491. wily
    marked by skill in deception
  492. winsome
    charming in a childlike or naive way
  493. wizened
    lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness
  494. wraith
    a mental representation of some haunting experience
  495. xenophobia
    a fear of foreigners or strangers
  496. yoke
    support consisting of a wooden frame across the shoulders that enables a person to carry buckets hanging from each end
  497. zeal
    a feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of a person or cause)
  498. Zealot
    a member of an ancient Jewish sect in Judea in the first century who fought to the death against the Romans and who killed or persecuted Jews who collaborated with the Romans
  499. zenith
    the point above the observer that is directly opposite the nadir on the imaginary sphere against which celestial bodies appear to be projected
  500. Zephyr
    (Greek mythology) the Greek god of the west wind