GRE

alex G. (United States of America)
727 words 10 learners

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words only definitions & notes
  1. abase
    cause to feel shame
  2. aberrant
    markedly different from an accepted norm
  3. abeyance
    temporary cessation or suspension
  4. abjure
    formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief
  5. abscond
    run away, often taking something or somebody along
  6. absquatulate
    run away, taking something or somebody along
  7. abstruse
    difficult to understand
  8. acerbic
    sour or bitter in taste
  9. acidulous
    being sour to the taste
  10. acumen
    shrewdness shown by keen insight
  11. admonition
    a firm rebuke
  12. adulation
    exaggerated flattery or praise
  13. adumbrate
    describe roughly or give the main points or summary of
  14. aesthetic
    characterized by an appreciation of beauty or good taste
  15. affected
    influenced
  16. aggrandize
    embellish; increase the scope, power, or importance of
  17. alacrity
    liveliness and eagerness
  18. alloy
    a mixture containing two or more metallic elements
  19. ambit
    an area in which something operates or has power or control
  20. amortize
    pay off a debt by making periodic payments
  21. analgesia
    absence of the sense of pain without loss of consciousness
  22. analgesic
    capable of relieving pain
  23. anathema
    a formal ecclesiastical curse accompanied by excommunication
  24. anatomize
    dissect in order to analyze
  25. anfractuous
    full of twists and turns
  26. anodyne
    capable of relieving pain
  27. antediluvian
    of or relating to the period before the biblical flood
  28. aphorism
    a short pithy instructive saying
  29. aplomb
    great coolness and composure under strain
  30. apocryphal
    being of questionable authenticity
  31. apoplectic
    marked by extreme anger
  32. apostate
    not faithful to religion or party or cause
  33. apothegm
    a short pithy instructive saying
  34. apotheosis
    model of excellence or perfection of a kind
  35. apotheosize
    glorify or elevate to god-like status
  36. appanage
    a grant (by a sovereign or a legislative body) of resources to maintain a dependent member of a ruling family
  37. apposite
    being of striking appropriateness and pertinence
  38. approbation
    official acceptance or agreement
  39. arcane
    requiring secret or mysterious knowledge
  40. archly
    with playful slyness or roguishness
  41. arrogate
    seize and take control without authority
  42. artifice
    the use of deception or trickery
  43. ascetic
    someone who practices self denial as a spiritual discipline
  44. asperity
    harshness of manner
  45. asseverate
    state categorically
  46. assiduous
    marked by care and persistent effort
  47. assuage
    provide physical relief, as from pain
  48. astringent
    tending to draw together or constrict soft organic tissue
  49. atrabilious
    irritable as if suffering from indigestion
  50. attenuate
    become weaker, in strength, value, or magnitude
  51. audacious
    disposed to venture or take risks
  52. augury
    an event indicating important things to come
  53. austere
    of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor
  54. autochthonic
    originating where it is found
  55. aver
    declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true
  56. axiom
    a proposition that is not susceptible of proof or disproof
  57. axiomatic
    evident without proof or argument
  58. backbite
    say mean things
  59. banal
    repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
  60. bathetic
    very sentimental or emotional
  61. bathos
    a change from a serious subject to a disappointing one
  62. becloud
    make less visible or unclear
  63. beguile
    attract; cause to be enamored
  64. belfry
    a tower in which bells are hung
  65. bellicose
    having or showing a ready disposition to fight
  66. benighted
    overtaken by darkness
  67. besmirch
    smear so as to make dirty or stained
  68. bete noire
    a detested person or thing
  69. bevy
    a flock of birds
  70. bifurcate
    split or divide into two
  71. bilk
    cheat somebody out of what is due, especially money
  72. blandish
    praise somewhat dishonestly
  73. blase
    nonchalantly unconcerned
  74. blight
    any plant disease resulting in withering without rotting
  75. blithe
    carefree and happy and lighthearted
  76. bloviate
    speak verbosely and windily
  77. blowsy
    characteristic of or befitting a slut or slattern
  78. bombastic
    ostentatiously lofty in style
  79. bonhomie
    a disposition to be friendly and approachable
  80. boor
    a crude uncouth ill-bred person lacking refinement
  81. bounteous
    given or giving freely
  82. bromidic
    given to uttering bromides
  83. brook
    a natural stream of water smaller than a river
  84. bucolic
    devoted to raising sheep or cattle
  85. bumptious
    offensively self-assertive
  86. burgeon
    grow and flourish
  87. calumniate
    charge falsely or with malicious intent
  88. calumny
    a false accusation of an offense
  89. canonical
    conforming to orthodox or recognized rules
  90. cant
    a slope in the turn of a road or track
  91. cantankerous
    stubbornly obstructive and unwilling to cooperate
  92. capricious
    determined by chance or impulse rather than by necessity
  93. captious
    tending to find and call attention to faults
  94. cardinal
    a vivid red color
  95. castigation
    verbal punishment
  96. catechism
    an elementary book summarizing the principles of a religion
  97. catechist
    one who instructs catechumens in preparation for baptism
  98. catechumen
    a new convert being taught the principles of Christianity by a catechist
  99. catholic
    comprehensive or broad-minded in tastes and interests
  100. caustic
    capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action
  101. cavil
    raise trivial objections
  102. celerity
    a rate that is rapid
  103. censure
    harsh criticism or disapproval
  104. cerebrate
    exercise the mind in order to reason or make inferences
  105. certitude
    complete assurance or confidence
  106. chagrin
    strong feelings of embarrassment
  107. chary
    characterized by great caution
  108. chauvinist
    a person with a prejudiced belief in his own superiority
  109. chicanery
    the use of tricks to deceive someone
  110. chimera
    a grotesque product of the imagination
  111. churl
    a crude or uncouth person lacking culture or refinement
  112. cipher
    a secret method of writing
  113. circumlocution
    an indirect way of expressing something
  114. circumspect
    careful to consider potential consequences and avoid risk
  115. clamant
    conspicuously and offensively loud; given to vehement outcry
  116. claver
    talk socially without exchanging too much information
  117. cloying
    overly sweet
  118. coalesce
    fuse or cause to come together
  119. codex
    a written manuscript, typically from ancient times
  120. coetaneous
    of the same period
  121. coeval
    of the same period
  122. cogent
    powerfully persuasive
  123. cogitate
    consider carefully and deeply
  124. comeuppance
    a usually negative outcome or fate that is well deserved
  125. comity
    a state or atmosphere of harmony or mutual civility
  126. comme il faut
    according with custom or propriety
  127. comminate
    curse or declare to be evil or anathema or threaten with divine punishment
  128. complaisance
    a tendency to try to please or yield to the will of others
  129. comport
    behave in a certain manner
  130. compunction
    a feeling of deep regret, usually for some misdeed
  131. conciliate
    gain the good will of or cause to be more favorably inclined
  132. concupiscence
    a desire for sexual intimacy
  133. confabulate
    talk socially without exchanging too much information
  134. congenial
    suitable to your needs
  135. connivance
    agreement on a secret plot
  136. consecrate
    give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause
  137. consequential
    having important effects or results
  138. consonant
    a speech sound that is not a vowel
  139. consternation
    sudden shock or dismay that causes confusion
  140. construe
    make sense of; assign a meaning to
  141. contrite
    feeling or expressing pain or sorrow
  142. contumacious
    willfully obstinate; stubbornly disobedient
  143. copse
    a dense growth of trees, shrubs, or bushes
  144. corporeal
    having material or physical form or substance
  145. cosset
    treat with excessive indulgence
  146. countenance
    the appearance conveyed by a person's face
  147. cozen
    be dishonest with
  148. craven
    lacking even the rudiments of courage; abjectly fearful
  149. credulous
    showing a lack of judgment or experience
  150. crepuscular
    like or relating to twilight; dim
  151. culpable
    deserving blame or censure as being wrong or injurious
  152. cupidity
    extreme greed for material wealth
  153. damp
    slightly wet
  154. dearth
    an insufficient quantity or number
  155. declivity
    a downward slope or bend
  156. decorous
    characterized by propriety and dignity and good taste
  157. degage
    showing lack of emotional involvement
  158. delectation
    a feeling of extreme pleasure or satisfaction
  159. deleterious
    harmful to living things
  160. demur
    politely refuse or take exception to
  161. denude
    make bare or strip of a covering
  162. deprecate
    express strong disapproval of; deplore
  163. deprecatory
    tending to diminish or disparage
  164. deracinate
    pull up by or as if by the roots
  165. derring-do
    brave and heroic action
  166. descry
    catch sight of
  167. desiccate
    lacking vitality or spirit; lifeless
  168. desuetude
    a state of inactivity or disuse
  169. desultory
    marked by lack of definite plan, purpose, or enthusiasm
  170. deus ex machina
    an agent who appears unexpectedly to solve a difficulty
  171. diaphanous
    so thin as to transmit light
  172. diatribe
    thunderous verbal attack
  173. die
    lose all bodily functions necessary to sustain life
  174. diffident
    showing modest reserve
  175. dilate
    become wider
  176. dilatory
    wasting time
  177. dilettante
    an amateur engaging in an activity without serious intention
  178. dirge
    a song or hymn of mourning as a memorial to a dead person
  179. disabuse
    free somebody from an erroneous belief
  180. discomfiture
    anxious embarrassment
  181. disconcert
    cause to lose one's composure
  182. discrepant
    not in agreement
  183. disinterested
    unaffected by concern for one's own welfare
  184. disquisition
    an elaborate analytical or explanatory essay or discussion
  185. dissemble
    behave unnaturally or affectedly
  186. dissolute
    unrestrained by convention or morality
  187. distaff
    a stick on which wool or flax is wound before spinning
  188. dither
    be undecided or uncertain
  189. doleful
    filled with or evoking sadness
  190. dolorous
    showing sorrow
  191. droll
    comical in an odd or whimsical manner
  192. dudgeon
    a feeling of intense righteous anger
  193. dyspeptic
    suffering from indigestion
  194. ebullience
    eager enjoyment or approval
  195. eclectic
    selecting what seems best of various styles or ideas
  196. educe
    construe a meaning or elicit a principle
  197. effete
    excessively self-indulgent, affected, or decadent
  198. effloresce
    come into or as if into flower
  199. effrontery
    audacious behavior that you have no right to
  200. effulgence
    the quality of being bright and sending out rays of light
  201. effusive
    uttered with unrestrained enthusiasm
  202. elegy
    a mournful poem; a lament for the dead
  203. emollient
    a substance with a soothing effect when applied to the skin
  204. emolument
    compensation received by virtue of holding an office
  205. encomium
    a formal expression of praise
  206. endemic
    native to or confined to a certain region
  207. enervate
    weaken physically, mentally, or morally
  208. ennui
    the feeling of being bored by something tedious
  209. enormity
    the quality of extreme wickedness
  210. epicure
    a person who takes great pleasure in fine food and drink
  211. equanimity
    steadiness of mind under stress
  212. equanimous
    calm in mind or temper; in full control of one's faculties
  213. equipoise
    equality of distribution
  214. equivocate
    be deliberately ambiguous or unclear
  215. ersatz
    an artificial or inferior substitute or imitation
  216. erudite
    having or showing profound knowledge
  217. eschew
    avoid and stay away from deliberately
  218. esoteric
    understandable only by an enlightened inner circle
  219. essay
    an analytic or interpretive literary composition
  220. estimable
    deserving of respect or high regard
  221. evanescent
    short-lived; tending to vanish or disappear
  222. evince
    give expression to
  223. exchequer
    the funds of a government or institution or individual
  224. excoriate
    express strong disapproval of
  225. excrescence
    something that bulges out or projects from its surroundings
  226. exculpate
    pronounce not guilty of criminal charges
  227. execrate
    curse or declare to be evil or anathema
  228. exigent
    demanding immediate attention
  229. exiguous
    extremely scanty
  230. expatiate
    add details to clarify an idea
  231. expiate
    make amends for
  232. exponent
    notation of how many times to multiply a quantity by itself
  233. exposit
    state
  234. expostulate
    reason with for the purpose of dissuasion
  235. expurgate
    edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate
  236. extemporaneous
    with little or no preparation or forethought
  237. extenuate
    lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or degree of
  238. extirpate
    destroy completely, as if down to the roots
  239. extraneous
    not belonging to that in which it is contained
  240. exuviate
    cast off hair, skin, horn, or feathers
  241. facetious
    cleverly amusing in tone
  242. facile
    arrived at without due care or effort; lacking depth
  243. faineant
    disinclined to work or exertion
  244. fait accompli
    an irreversible accomplishment
  245. fallow
    left unplowed and unseeded during a growing season
  246. fatuous
    devoid of intelligence
  247. fawn
    a young deer
  248. febrile
    of or relating to or characterized by fever
  249. feckless
    generally incompetent and ineffectual
  250. fecund
    capable of producing offspring or vegetation
  251. felicitous
    exhibiting an agreeably appropriate manner or style
  252. fell
    cause to go down by or as if by delivering a blow
  253. fetid
    offensively malodorous
  254. fictive
    capable of or relating to imaginative creation
  255. filibuster
    a tactic for delaying legislation by making long speeches
  256. filigree
    delicate and intricate ornamentation
  257. fin de siecle
    relating to or characteristic of the end of a century
  258. flag
    a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design
  259. flip
    turn upside down, or throw so as to reverse
  260. flout
    treat with contemptuous disregard
  261. flyspeck
    a tiny dark speck made by the excrement of a fly
  262. fortuitous
    lucky; occurring by happy chance
  263. founder
    a person who establishes some institution
  264. fractious
    easily irritated or annoyed
  265. fulminate
    cause to explode violently and with loud noise
  266. fulmination
    the act of exploding with noise and violence
  267. fulsome
    unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating
  268. furtive
    secret and sly
  269. fustian
    a strong cotton and linen fabric with a slight nap
  270. gainsay
    take exception to
  271. gambit
    a chess move in which the player sacrifices minor pieces
  272. gambol
    play or run boisterously
  273. garrulous
    full of trivial conversation
  274. gasconade
    an instance of boastful talk
  275. germane
    relevant and appropriate
  276. glib
    artfully persuasive in speech
  277. glower
    look angry or sullen as if to signal disapproval
  278. glowering
    showing a brooding ill humor
  279. gnosis
    intuitive knowledge of spiritual truths
  280. grandiloquence
    high-flown style; excessive use of verbal ornamentation
  281. grandiloquent
    lofty in style
  282. graven
    cut into a desired shape
  283. gravidity
    technical terms for pregnancy
  284. gregarious
    temperamentally seeking and enjoying the company of others
  285. grouse
    popular game bird having a plump body and feathered legs
  286. guy
    an informal term for a youth or man
  287. hackneyed
    repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
  288. halcyon
    a mythical bird said to breed at the winter solstice
  289. harangue
    a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion
  290. hauteur
    overbearing pride with a superior manner toward inferiors
  291. hedonism
    an ethical system that values the pursuit of pleasure
  292. hegemony
    the dominance or leadership of one social group over others
  293. heterodox
    characterized by departure from accepted standards
  294. hoary
    having gray or white hair as with age
  295. hortatory
    giving strong encouragement
  296. husband
    a male partner in a marriage
  297. iconoclast
    someone who attacks cherished ideas or institutions
  298. idolatrous
    relating to or practicing idolatry
  299. ignominious
    deserving or bringing disgrace or shame
  300. ignominy
    a state of dishonor
  301. imbroglio
    an intricate and confusing interpersonal situation
  302. immolate
    kill as a sacrifice, especially by fire
  303. immure
    lock up or confine, in or as in a jail
  304. impassive
    having or revealing little emotion or sensibility
  305. impecunious
    not having enough money to pay for necessities
  306. imperious
    having or showing arrogant superiority
  307. imperturbable
    marked by extreme calm and composure
  308. impetuous
    characterized by undue haste and lack of thought
  309. impolitic
    lacking tact, shrewdness, or prudence
  310. imprecation
    the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil
  311. improvident
    not supplying something useful for the future
  312. impudence
    the trait of being rude and impertinent
  313. impugn
    attack as false or wrong
  314. impunity
    exemption from punishment or loss
  315. incarnadine
    redden or make pinkish
  316. inchoate
    only partly in existence; imperfectly formed
  317. incipient
    only partly in existence; imperfectly formed
  318. incongruous
    lacking in harmony or compatibility or appropriateness
  319. inculcate
    teach and impress by frequent repetitions or admonitions
  320. indelible
    not able to be forgotten, removed, or erased
  321. indemnity
    protection against future loss
  322. indifferent
    marked by a lack of interest
  323. indolence
    inactivity resulting from a dislike of work
  324. indolent
    disinclined to work or exertion
  325. ineffable
    defying expression or description
  326. ineluctable
    impossible to avoid or evade
  327. inert
    unable to move or resist motion
  328. infelicitous
    not appropriate in application; defective
  329. ingenuous
    lacking in sophistication or worldliness
  330. ingurgitate
    overeat or eat immodestly; make a pig of oneself
  331. inhume
    place in a grave or tomb
  332. inimical
    tending to obstruct or cause harm
  333. inimitable
    matchless
  334. iniquity
    absence of moral or spiritual values
  335. innocuous
    not injurious to physical or mental health
  336. insatiate
    impossible to satisfy
  337. inscrutable
    difficult or impossible to understand
  338. insensate
    devoid of feeling and consciousness and animation
  339. insidious
    working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way
  340. insipid
    lacking interest or significance or impact
  341. insouciance
    a casual or lighthearted feeling of unconcern
  342. insouciant
    marked by unconcern
  343. intern
    someone who works for an expert to learn about a job
  344. interregnum
    the time between two reigns or governments
  345. interstice
    small opening between things
  346. intractable
    difficult to manage or mold
  347. intransigent
    impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, or reason
  348. intrepid
    invulnerable to fear or intimidation
  349. intuit
    know or grasp by instinct or feeling alone
  350. inure
    cause to accept or become hardened to
  351. inured
    made tough by habitual exposure
  352. inveigh
    complain bitterly
  353. inveigle
    influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
  354. investiture
    the ceremonial promotion of a person to an office or rank
  355. inveterate
    habitual
  356. invidious
    containing or implying a slight or showing prejudice
  357. ipso facto
    by the fact itself
  358. irascible
    quickly aroused to anger
  359. irredentist
    an advocate of irredentism
  360. irresolute
    uncertain how to act or proceed
  361. irreverent
    showing lack of due respect or veneration
  362. jejune
    lacking interest or significance or impact
  363. jeremiad
    a long and mournful complaint
  364. judicious
    marked by the exercise of common sense in practical matters
  365. ken
    range of what one can know or understand
  366. kowtow
    bend the knees and bow in a servile manner
  367. lachrymose
    showing sorrow
  368. laconic
    brief and to the point
  369. languor
    inactivity; showing an unusual lack of energy
  370. lapidary
    relating to precious stones or the art of working with them
  371. largess
    liberality in bestowing gifts
  372. lascivious
    driven by lust
  373. lassitude
    a feeling of lack of interest or energy
  374. latitudinarian
    unwilling to accept authority or dogma
  375. legerdemain
    an illusory feat
  376. libertine
    unrestrained by convention or morality
  377. licentious
    lacking moral discipline
  378. limpid
    clear and bright
  379. lissome
    moving and bending with ease
  380. list
    a database containing an ordered array of items
  381. lithe
    moving and bending with ease
  382. locution
    a word or phrase that people use in particular situations
  383. loquacious
    full of trivial conversation
  384. lubricious
    characterized by lust
  385. lucubrate
    discuss in a scholarly way, especially in writing
  386. lugubrious
    excessively mournful
  387. machination
    a crafty and involved plot to achieve your ends
  388. maladroit
    not quick or skillful in action or thought
  389. malediction
    the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil
  390. malinger
    avoid responsibilities and duties, often by faking illness
  391. mannered
    having unnatural behavioral attributes
  392. manque
    unfulfilled or frustrated in realizing an ambition
  393. mantic
    resembling or characteristic of a prophet or prophecy
  394. martinet
    someone who demands exact conformity to rules and forms
  395. maudlin
    very sentimental or emotional
  396. maverick
    someone who exhibits independence in thought and action
  397. maw
    the mouth, jaws, or throat
  398. mawkish
    very sentimental or emotional
  399. meet
    come together
  400. meliorist
    someone who pushes to improve something by changing it
  401. melodrama
    a story with characters behaving in an extreme emotional way
  402. mendacity
    the tendency to be untruthful
  403. mendicant
    a pauper who lives by begging
  404. mercurial
    liable to sudden unpredictable change
  405. meretricious
    tastelessly showy
  406. meridian
    an imaginary great circle on the surface of the earth
  407. metastasize
    spread throughout the body
  408. miasma
    an unwholesome atmosphere
  409. mien
    a person's appearance, manner, or demeanor
  410. militate
    have force or influence; bring about an effect or change
  411. minatory
    threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
  412. mince
    cut into small pieces
  413. mirth
    great merriment
  414. misanthrope
    someone who dislikes people in general
  415. miscreant
    a person without moral scruples
  416. missive
    a written message addressed to a person or organization
  417. mitigate
    lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of
  418. mollify
    cause to be more favorably inclined
  419. mordant
    harshly ironic or sinister
  420. morose
    showing a brooding ill humor
  421. mote
    a tiny piece of anything
  422. moxie
    courage, confidence, and determination
  423. multifarious
    having many aspects
  424. munificent
    given or giving freely, generously, or without restriction
  425. mutatis mutandis
    with the necessary changes having been carried out
  426. nadir
    the lowest point of anything
  427. neologism
    a newly invented word or phrase
  428. neophyte
    a participant with no experience with an activity
  429. Nepenthes
    pitcher plants
  430. nice
    pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance
  431. noisome
    causing or able to cause nausea
  432. nonplussed
    filled with bewilderment
  433. nostrum
    patent medicine whose efficacy is questionable
  434. noxious
    injurious to physical or mental health
  435. nugatory
    of no real value
  436. numinous
    of or relating to or characteristic of a spirit
  437. numismatics
    the collection and study of money
  438. obdurate
    stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing
  439. obeisance
    bending the head or body in reverence or submission
  440. obfuscate
    make obscure or unclear
  441. obloquy
    state of disgrace resulting from public abuse
  442. obnubilate
    make less visible or unclear
  443. obsequious
    attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
  444. obstreperous
    noisily and stubbornly defiant
  445. obtain
    come into possession of
  446. obtuse
    of an angle, between 90 and 180 degrees
  447. obviate
    do away with
  448. occlude
    block passage through
  449. occult
    supernatural forces and events and beings collectively
  450. odalisque
    a woman slave in a harem
  451. officious
    intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner
  452. oleaginous
    containing an unusual amount of grease or oil
  453. onerous
    burdensome or difficult to endure
  454. opprobrious
    expressing offensive reproach
  455. opprobrium
    a state of extreme dishonor
  456. opprobrium
    a state of extreme dishonor
  457. oracular
    of or relating to prophecy or someone who tells the future
  458. orotund
    overly formal and pompous in style
  459. ossified
    set in a rigid pattern of behavior, habits, or beliefs
  460. otiose
    serving no useful purpose; having no excuse for being
  461. outre
    conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual
  462. paean
    a hymn of praise
  463. palaver
    loud and confused and empty talk
  464. palliate
    lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of
  465. pallid
    pale, as of a person's complexion
  466. panache
    distinctive and stylish elegance
  467. panegyric
    formally expressing praise
  468. panoply
    a complete and impressive array
  469. paradigm
    a standard or typical example
  470. pariah
    a person who is rejected from society or home
  471. parley
    a negotiation between enemies
  472. paroxysm
    a sudden uncontrollable attack
  473. parse
    analyze the sentence structure of
  474. parsimonious
    excessively unwilling to spend
  475. parsimony
    extreme stinginess
  476. pasquinade
    a composition that humorously imitates somebody's style
  477. pastiche
    a work of art that imitates the style of some previous work
  478. pathogenic
    able to cause disease
  479. patois
    a regional dialect of a language
  480. Pavlovian
    of or relating to Ivan Pavlov or his experiments
  481. peal
    a deep prolonged sound
  482. peccadillo
    a petty misdeed
  483. pedagogy
    the profession of a teacher
  484. pedant
    a person who is preoccupied with rules and learning
  485. pedantic
    marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning
  486. pedantry
    an ostentatious and inappropriate display of learning
  487. pedestrian
    a person who travels by foot
  488. pellucid
    transmitting light; able to be seen through with clarity
  489. pensive
    deeply or seriously thoughtful
  490. penumbral
    of or pertaining to the region of partial shadow around an umbra
  491. penurious
    excessively unwilling to spend
  492. penury
    a state of extreme poverty or destitution
  493. peregrinate
    travel around, through, or over, especially on foot
  494. peremptory
    putting an end to all debate or action
  495. perennial
    lasting an indefinitely long time
  496. perfidious
    tending to betray
  497. perfidy
    an act of deliberate betrayal
  498. perfunctory
    hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
  499. peripatetic
    traveling especially on foot
  500. periphrasis
    an act of expressing things in an indirect or roundabout way
  501. pernicious
    exceedingly harmful
  502. peroration
    the concluding section of a rhetorical address
  503. perquisite
    an incidental benefit for certain types of employment
  504. perspicacious
    mentally acute or penetratingly discerning
  505. pertinacious
    stubbornly unyielding
  506. peruse
    examine or consider with attention and in detail
  507. pettifoggery
    a quarrel about petty points
  508. petulant
    easily irritated or annoyed
  509. Philistine
    of or relating to ancient Philistia or its culture or its people
  510. phlegmatic
    showing little emotion
  511. picayune
    small and of little importance
  512. pied
    having sections or patches colored differently and brightly
  513. piquant
    having an agreeably pungent taste
  514. pith
    spongelike central cylinder of the stems of flowering plants
  515. pithy
    concise and full of meaning
  516. plaintive
    expressing sorrow
  517. plangent
    loud and resounding, often in a mournful way
  518. plastic
    synthetic material that can be molded into objects
  519. platitude
    a trite or obvious remark
  520. platitudinous
    dull and tiresome but with pretensions of significance or originality
  521. plebiscite
    a vote determining public opinion on a question
  522. plenary
    full in all respects
  523. pluck
    pull lightly but sharply
  524. polemical
    of or involving dispute or controversy
  525. pompous
    puffed up with vanity
  526. pontificate
    administer a pontifical office
  527. portentous
    of momentous or ominous significance
  528. potentate
    a powerful ruler, especially one who is unconstrained by law
  529. prandial
    of or relating to a meal
  530. precipitate
    bring about abruptly
  531. precis
    a sketchy summary of the main points of an argument
  532. precursory
    warning of future misfortune
  533. predicative
    of adjectives
  534. predilection
    a predisposition in favor of something
  535. prestidigitation
    manual dexterity in the execution of tricks
  536. preternatural
    existing outside of or not in accordance with nature
  537. prevaricate
    be deliberately ambiguous or unclear
  538. prim
    affectedly dainty or refined
  539. prize
    something given for victory or superiority in a contest or competition or for winning a lottery
  540. probity
    complete and confirmed integrity
  541. prodigal
    recklessly wasteful
  542. prodigious
    great in size, force, extent, or degree
  543. profligate
    unrestrained by convention or morality
  544. profuse
    produced or growing in extreme abundance
  545. prolix
    tediously prolonged or tending to speak or write at length
  546. propitiate
    make peace with
  547. propitiation
    the act of placating and overcoming distrust and animosity
  548. prosaic
    lacking wit or imagination
  549. provident
    giving something useful for the future
  550. puerile
    displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity
  551. puissance
    power to influence or coerce
  552. pulchritude
    physical beauty, especially of a woman
  553. punctilious
    marked by precise accordance with details
  554. pusillanimous
    lacking in courage, strength, and resolution
  555. putrefy
    decay with an offensive smell
  556. quaff
    swallow hurriedly or greedily or in one draught
  557. quail
    a small game bird
  558. qualify
    prove capable or fit; meet requirements
  559. querulous
    habitually complaining
  560. quiescence
    a state of quiet (but possibly temporary) inaction
  561. quittance
    a document or receipt certifying release from an obligation or debt
  562. quixotic
    not sensible about practical matters
  563. rancorous
    showing deep-seated resentment
  564. rankle
    make resentful or angry
  565. rapacity
    reprehensible acquisitiveness; insatiable desire for wealth
  566. rapport
    a relationship of mutual understanding between people
  567. rarefy
    lessen the density or solidity of
  568. recalcitrant
    stubbornly resistant to authority or control
  569. recondite
    difficult to understand
  570. recriminate
    return an accusation against someone or engage in mutual accusations; charge in return
  571. recrudescence
    a return of something after a period of abatement
  572. rectilinear
    characterized by a straight line or lines
  573. redolent
    having a strong pleasant odor
  574. redoubtable
    inspiring fear
  575. reductive
    characterizing something in an overly simplistic way
  576. refractory
    stubbornly resistant to authority or control
  577. refulgence
    the quality of being bright and sending out rays of light
  578. refulgent
    radiating or as if radiating light
  579. refutation
    the act of determining that something is false
  580. regale
    occupy in an agreeable, entertaining or pleasant fashion
  581. remit
    send in payment
  582. remonstrate
    argue in protest or opposition
  583. renascent
    rising again as to new life and vigor
  584. rent
    a payment or series of payments made by a lessee to an owner
  585. repartee
    adroitness and cleverness in reply
  586. repose
    freedom from activity
  587. repudiate
    refuse to acknowledge, ratify, or recognize as valid
  588. requiem
    a song or hymn of mourning as a memorial to a dead person
  589. requite
    make repayment for or return something
  590. restive
    in a very tense state
  591. reticent
    reluctant to draw attention to yourself
  592. rhetoric
    study of the technique for using language effectively
  593. riposte
    a counterattack made immediately after successfully parrying
  594. risible
    arousing or provoking laughter
  595. robust
    sturdy and strong in form, constitution, or construction
  596. rodomontade
    vain and empty boasting
  597. rubicund
    having a healthy reddish color
  598. sagacious
    acutely insightful and wise
  599. salacious
    suggestive of or tending to moral looseness
  600. salient
    conspicuous, prominent, or important
  601. salubrious
    promoting health
  602. salutary
    tending to promote physical well-being; beneficial to health
  603. sanguine
    confidently optimistic and cheerful
  604. sap
    a watery fluid that circulates in a plant
  605. sapient
    acutely insightful and wise
  606. sardonic
    disdainfully or ironically humorous
  607. satiate
    fill to satisfaction
  608. saturnine
    bitter or scornful
  609. scat
    flee; take to one's heels; cut and run
  610. Schadenfreude
    delight in another person's misfortune
  611. scintilla
    a tiny or scarcely detectable amount
  612. scrofulous
    afflicted with scrofula
  613. scurrilous
    expressing offensive, insulting, or scandalous criticism
  614. scurvy
    a condition caused by deficiency of ascorbic acid
  615. seamy
    morally degraded
  616. seditious
    inciting action or rebellion
  617. sedulous
    marked by care and persistent effort
  618. self-abnegating
    used especially of behavior
  619. sempiternal
    having no known beginning and presumably no end
  620. sententious
    concise and full of meaning
  621. sepsis
    the presence of pus-forming bacteria or their toxins in the blood or tissues
  622. sepulcher
    a chamber that is used as a grave
  623. sepulture
    the ritual placing of a corpse in a grave
  624. seraphic
    having a sweet nature befitting an angel
  625. serendipity
    good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries
  626. sesquipedalian
    a very long word (a foot and a half long)
  627. singular
    being a single and separate person or thing
  628. slake
    satisfy, as thirst
  629. sobriquet
    a familiar name for a person
  630. sojourn
    a temporary stay
  631. solecism
    a socially awkward or tactless act
  632. solicitous
    full of anxiety and concern
  633. solipsism
    the philosophical theory that the self is all that exists
  634. Solomonic
    exhibiting or requiring the wisdom of Solomon in making difficult decisions
  635. somatic
    characteristic of the body as opposed to the mind or spirit
  636. somnific
    sleep inducing
  637. sonorous
    full and loud and deep
  638. sophist
    someone whose reasoning is subtle and often specious
  639. soporific
    inducing sleep
  640. soviet
    an elected governmental council in a communist country
  641. spartan
    unsparing and uncompromising in discipline or judgment
  642. specious
    plausible but false
  643. spendthrift
    someone who spends money freely or wastefully
  644. splenetic
    of or relating to the spleen
  645. spurious
    plausible but false
  646. stand
    be standing; be upright
  647. steep
    having a sharp inclination
  648. stentorian
    very loud or booming
  649. stilted
    artificially formal or stiff
  650. stoic
    seeming unaffected by pleasure or pain; impassive
  651. stolid
    having or revealing little emotion or sensibility
  652. stolidity
    apathy demonstrated by an absence of emotional reactions
  653. strident
    unpleasantly loud and harsh
  654. strut
    walk in a proud, confident way
  655. Sturm und Drang
    a state of violent disturbance and disorder
  656. Stygian
    dark and dismal as of the river in Hades
  657. Stygian
    dark and dismal as of the river in Hades
  658. sub-rosa
    designed and carried out secretly or confidentially
  659. sublimate
    change directly from a solid into a vapor without melting
  660. sublunary
    situated between the earth and the moon
  661. superannuated
    too old to be useful
  662. supercilious
    having or showing arrogant superiority
  663. surcease
    a stopping
  664. surfeit
    indulge (one's appetite) to satiety
  665. susurration
    an indistinct sound, as of whispering or rustling
  666. sybarite
    a person addicted to luxury and pleasures of the senses
  667. sycophant
    a person who tries to please someone to gain an advantage
  668. sylvan
    relating to or characteristic of wooded regions
  669. syncopation
    a musical rhythm accenting a normally weak beat
  670. table
    furniture having a smooth flat top supported by legs
  671. taciturn
    habitually reserved and uncommunicative
  672. tautology
    useless repetition
  673. tellurian
    of or relating to or inhabiting the land as opposed to the sea or air
  674. temerarious
    presumptuously daring
  675. temerity
    fearless daring
  676. tenacity
    persistent determination
  677. tendentious
    having a strong bias, especially a controversial one
  678. tender
    easy to cut or chew
  679. termagant
    a scolding, nagging, bad-tempered woman
  680. terrene
    of or relating to or inhabiting the land as opposed to the sea or air
  681. terse
    brief and to the point
  682. timorous
    shy and fearful by nature
  683. tocsin
    the sound of an alarm (usually a bell)
  684. torpid
    in a condition of biological rest or suspended animation
  685. torpor
    a state of motor and mental inactivity
  686. tortuous
    marked by repeated turns and bends
  687. tout
    advertise in strongly positive terms
  688. transitory
    lasting a very short time
  689. transmundane
    existing or extending beyond the physical world
  690. tremulous
    quivering as from weakness or fear
  691. trenchant
    having keenness and forcefulness and penetration in thought
  692. tropism
    an involuntary orienting response
  693. truculent
    defiantly aggressive
  694. tumescent
    swollen or distended
  695. tumid
    abnormally distended especially by fluids or gas
  696. turpitude
    a corrupt or depraved or degenerate act or practice
  697. tyro
    someone new to a field or activity
  698. ubiquitous
    being present everywhere at once
  699. umbrage
    a feeling of anger caused by being offended
  700. unaffected
    undergoing no change when acted upon
  701. unconscionable
    greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation
  702. unctuous
    unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating
  703. unprepossessing
    creating an unfavorable or neutral first impression
  704. untenable
    incapable of being defended or justified
  705. urbane
    showing a high degree of refinement
  706. usufruct
    a legal right to use and profit from someone else's property
  707. variegated
    having an assortment of colors
  708. verdure
    green foliage
  709. vichyssoise
    a creamy potato soup flavored with leeks and onions
  710. vilify
    spread negative information about
  711. vim
    a healthy capacity for vigorous activity
  712. virago
    a noisy or scolding or domineering woman
  713. virulent
    extremely poisonous or injurious; producing venom
  714. visage
    the human face
  715. vitiate
    make imperfect
  716. vituperate
    spread negative information about
  717. vituperation
    abusive or venomous language to express blame or censure
  718. vociferous
    conspicuously and offensively loud
  719. voluble
    marked by a ready flow of speech
  720. vouchsafe
    grant in a condescending manner
  721. wag
    a movement from side to side
  722. wax
    substance solid at normal temperature and insoluble in water
  723. whimsy
    an odd or fanciful or capricious idea
  724. winsome
    charming in a childlike or naive way
  725. wizened
    lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness
  726. wry
    humorously sarcastic or mocking
  727. yoke
    a wooden frame across the shoulders for carrying buckets
Created on Fri Aug 15 20:51:17 EDT 2008 (updated Wed Sep 24 10:01:10 EDT 2008)

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