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Top ACT Words

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Full list of words from this list:

  1. abbreviate
    shorten
    It is one thing to abbreviate by contracting, another by cutting off. Webster, Noah
  2. abstinence
    the trait of refraining from something, especially alcohol
    The modern fasting men, and the Hindoo fasters, only show that under very abnormal conditions, long abstinence from food is possible. Bradlaugh, Charles
  3. adulation
    exaggerated flattery or praise
    Around him gamboled the mob, screaming blessings and adulations, strewing his bearers' way with masses of wilted flowers, filched from the halls. Terhune, Albert Payson
  4. adversity
    a state of misfortune or affliction
    Both Sullinger and Robinson are great college basketball players, but on this night the two had remarkably different responses to adversity. New York Times (Apr 1, 2012)
  5. aesthetic
    characterized by an appreciation of beauty or good taste
    Was Mrs. Gingrich interested in switching stylists, and perhaps going for a softer, more touchable, more Laura Bush aesthetic? New York Times (Feb 10, 2012)
  6. amicable
    characterized by friendship and good will
    After his parents divorced — an amicable parting — Trayvon served as a liaison between them, "sending little messages back and forth between us," says Martin.
  7. anachronism
    locating something at a time when it couldn't have existed
    Despite stunning aerial scenes and good intentions, the George Lucas-produced "Red Tails" is grounded by clumsy dialogue, a meandering plot and the occasional jarring anachronism. Seattle Times (Jan 18, 2012)
  8. anecdote
    short account of an incident
    Most of these letters contain interesting anecdotes or references touching the past. Denny, Emily Inez
  9. anonymous
    having no known name or identity or known source
    Many airlines also have anonymous phone lines for crew members to report suspicious behavior to professional standards committees. New York Times (Mar 28, 2012)
  10. antagonist
    someone who offers opposition
    Hood hurled a great rock at his antagonist; but, falling short of the mark, the rock demolished the bridge instead. Lyman, William Denison
  11. arid
    lacking sufficient water or rainfall
    Its arid climate prevents radio signals from being absorbed by water droplets. New York Times (Apr 7, 2012)
  12. assiduous
    marked by care and persistent effort
    The chickens hatched by Gilly found a loving and assiduous foster-mother. Hope, Anthony
  13. asylum
    a shelter from danger or hardship
    Otis subsequently became insane and while confined in an asylum met his death, being struck by a bolt of lightning. Stark, James H.
  14. benevolent
    showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding
    The expression of his face was serene and benevolent. Clark, Ellery H.
  15. camaraderie
    the quality of affording easy familiarity and sociability
    “People know where you are coming from,” said Mr. Connell, who developed a quick camaraderie with his seven other classmates. New York Times (Feb 29, 2012)
  16. censure
    harsh criticism or disapproval
    My censure has never gone farther than that. Acton, John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, Baron
  17. circuitous
    deviating from a straight course
    Having procured their release, he took a circuitous route home, getting up meetings and petitions on the tour. Stanton, Henry B.
  18. clairvoyant
    someone who can perceive things not present to the senses
    A private clairvoyant fell in a trance and described not only the clothing of the bride and bridegroom, but many other spirits present. Helleberg, C. G. (Carl Gustaf)
  19. collaborate
    work together on a common enterprise or project
    But Saudi Arabia and the United States continue to collaborate in areas like counterterrorism. New York Times (Dec 29, 2011)
  20. compassion
    a deep awareness of and sympathy for another's suffering
    New York City already has its annual Respect for All week to encourage compassion and educate students about bullying. New York Times (Apr 12, 2012)
  21. compromise
    an accommodation in which both sides make concessions
  22. condescending
    characteristic of those who treat others with arrogance
  23. condition
    a mode of being or form of existence of a person or thing
  24. conformist
    someone who follows established standards of conduct
  25. congregation
    the act of assembling
  26. convergence
    the act of coming closer
  27. deleterious
    harmful to living things
  28. demagogue
    a leader who seeks support by appealing to popular passions
  29. digression
    a message that departs from the main subject
  30. diligent
    quietly and steadily persevering in detail or exactness
  31. discredit
    the state of being held in low esteem
  32. disdain
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
  33. divergent
    tending to move apart in different directions
  34. empathy
    understanding and entering into another's feelings
  35. emulate
    strive to equal or match, especially by imitating
  36. enigma
    something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
  37. enhance
    increase
  38. ephemeral
    anything short-lived, as an insect that lives only for a day
  39. evanescent
    short-lived; tending to vanish or disappear
  40. exasperation
    actions that cause great irritation
  41. exemplary
    worthy of imitation
  42. extemporaneous
    with little or no preparation or forethought
  43. florid
    elaborately or excessively ornamented
  44. fortuitous
    lucky; occurring by happy chance
  45. frugal
    avoiding waste
  46. hackneyed
    repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
  47. haughty
    having or showing arrogant superiority
  48. hedonist
    someone motivated by desires for sensual pleasures
  49. hypothesis
    a tentative insight that is not yet verified or tested
  50. impetuous
    characterized by undue haste and lack of thought
  51. impute
    attribute or credit to
  52. incompatible
    not in harmonious or agreeable combination
  53. inconsequential
    lacking worth or importance
  54. inevitable
    incapable of being avoided or prevented
  55. integrity
    an undivided or unbroken completeness with nothing wanting
  56. intrepid
    invulnerable to fear or intimidation
  57. intuitive
    spontaneously derived from or prompted by a natural tendency
  58. jubilation
    a feeling of extreme joy
  59. loquacious
    full of trivial conversation
  60. facetious
    cleverly amusing in tone
  61. longevity
    the property of having lived for a considerable time
  62. mundane
    found in the ordinary course of events
  63. nonchalant
    marked by casual unconcern or indifference
  64. novice
    someone new to a field or activity
  65. opulent
    rich and superior in quality
  66. orator
    a person who delivers a speech
  67. ostentatious
    intended to attract notice and impress others
  68. parched
    extremely thirsty
  69. precocious
    characterized by exceptionally early development
  70. pretentious
    creating an appearance of importance or distinction
  71. procrastinate
    waste time or postpone doing what one should be doing
  72. prosaic
    lacking wit or imagination
  73. prosperity
    the condition of having good fortune
  74. provocative
    serving or tending to excite or stimulate
  75. prudent
    marked by sound judgment
  76. omit
    leave undone or leave out
  77. rancor
    a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will
  78. reclusive
    withdrawn from society; seeking solitude
  79. reconciliation
    the reestablishment of cordial relations
  80. renovate
    restore to a previous or better condition
  81. resilient
    recovering readily from adversity, depression, or the like
  82. restrained
    under control
  83. reverence
    a feeling of profound respect for someone or something
  84. sagacious
    acutely insightful and wise
  85. scrutinize
    examine carefully for accuracy
  86. spontaneity
    the quality of coming from feelings without constraint
  87. submissive
    inclined or willing to give in to orders or wishes of others
  88. substantiate
    establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts
  89. subtle
    difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
  90. superficial
    of, affecting, or being on or near the surface
  91. superfluous
    more than is needed, desired, or required
  92. tactful
    having a sense of what is considerate in dealing with others
  93. tenacious
    stubbornly unyielding
  94. transient
    lasting a very short time
  95. venerable
    profoundly honored
  96. vindictive
    disposed to seek revenge or intended for revenge
  97. wary
    marked by keen caution and watchful prudence
  98. unanimous
    in complete agreement
  99. protagonist
    the principal character in a work of fiction
  100. utopia
    ideally perfect state
Created on Thu Apr 12 21:16:45 EDT 2012 (updated Tue Apr 17 13:36:28 EDT 2012)

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