Word Warriors

Tez M. (United Kingdom)
A list of "neglected but eminently useful" words, largely courtesy of Wayne State University's 'Word Warriors'.
337 words 7 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. abominable
    unequivocally detestable
  2. antediluvian
    of or relating to the period before the biblical flood
  3. antepenultimate
    third from last
  4. antithetical
    sharply contrasted in character or purpose
  5. apoplectic
    marked by extreme anger
  6. approbation
    official acceptance or agreement
  7. armamentarium
    the collection of equipment and methods used in the practice of medicine
  8. assuage
    provide physical relief, as from pain
  9. avuncular
    being or relating to an uncle
  10. bacchanalian
    used of riotously drunken merrymaking
  11. balderdash
    trivial nonsense
  12. bamboozle
    conceal one's true motives from
  13. beam
    a long thick piece of material used in construction
  14. befuddle
    be confusing or perplexing to
  15. bellicose
    having or showing a ready disposition to fight
  16. bereft
    lacking or deprived of something
  17. bibulous
    given to or marked by the consumption of alcohol
  18. bifurcate
    split or divide into two
  19. bloviate
    speak verbosely and windily
  20. brouhaha
    a confused disturbance far greater than its cause merits
  21. bugbear
    an imaginary monster used to frighten children
  22. buncombe
    unacceptable behavior
  23. cadge
    obtain or seek to obtain by wheedling
  24. cahoot
    collusion
  25. calumny
    a false accusation of an offense
  26. camarilla
    a clique that seeks power usually through intrigue
  27. cantankerous
    stubbornly obstructive and unwilling to cooperate
  28. cerulean
    bright blue in color, like a clear sky
  29. charlatan
    a flamboyant deceiver
  30. chelonian
    of, relating to, or resembling a turtle or tortoise
  31. chicanery
    the use of tricks to deceive someone
  32. churlish
    having a bad disposition; surly
  33. circumspect
    careful to consider potential consequences and avoid risk
  34. cleave
    separate or cut with a tool, such as a sharp instrument
  35. cloying
    overly sweet
  36. cogent
    powerfully persuasive
  37. cognoscente
    an expert able to appreciate a field
  38. comport
    behave in a certain manner
  39. concatenation
    the act of linking together as in a series or chain
  40. concupiscent
    vigorously passionate
  41. conniption
    a display of bad temper
  42. consternation
    sudden shock or dismay that causes confusion
  43. conundrum
    a difficult problem
  44. copacetic
    completely satisfactory
  45. crapulent
    suffering from excessive eating or drinking
  46. crepuscular
    like or relating to twilight; dim
  47. crestfallen
    brought low in spirit
  48. crucible
    a vessel used for high temperature chemical reactions
  49. crux
    the most important point
  50. dastardly
    extremely wicked
  51. debacle
    a sudden and complete disaster
  52. declivity
    a downward slope or bend
  53. defenestrate
    throw through or out of a window
  54. denigrate
    attack the good name and reputation of someone
  55. desuetude
    a state of inactivity or disuse
  56. didactic
    instructive, especially excessively
  57. disabuse
    free somebody from an erroneous belief
  58. disambiguation
    clarification that follows from the removal of confusion
  59. discombobulate
    cause to be confused emotionally
  60. disingenuous
    not straightforward or candid
  61. doppelganger
    a person who is almost identical to another
  62. Draconian
    imposing a harsh code of laws
  63. dragoon
    compel by coercion, threats, or crude means
  64. dulcet
    pleasing to the ear
  65. ebullient
    joyously unrestrained
  66. edification
    uplifting enlightenment
  67. efficacious
    giving the power to produce an intended result
  68. effluvium
    a foul-smelling outflow or vapor
  69. effrontery
    audacious behavior that you have no right to
  70. egregious
    conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible
  71. eleemosynary
    generous in assistance to the poor
  72. enervate
    weaken physically, mentally, or morally
  73. ennui
    the feeling of being bored by something tedious
  74. enormity
    the quality of extreme wickedness
  75. equivocate
    be deliberately ambiguous or unclear
  76. erratum
    a mistake in printed matter resulting from mechanical failures of some kind
  77. ersatz
    an artificial or inferior substitute or imitation
  78. eschew
    avoid and stay away from deliberately
  79. esoteric
    understandable only by an enlightened inner circle
  80. evanescent
    short-lived; tending to vanish or disappear
  81. eviscerate
    remove the entrails of
  82. excoriate
    express strong disapproval of
  83. execrable
    unequivocally detestable
  84. fantods
    an ill-defined state of irritability and distress
  85. farrago
    a motley assortment of things
  86. fatuous
    devoid of intelligence
  87. feckless
    generally incompetent and ineffectual
  88. ferret
    a small domesticated mammal with a flexible, elongated body
  89. festoon
    a decorative representation of a string of flowers
  90. fetching
    very attractive; capturing interest
  91. flibbertigibbet
    a foolish, flighty, and overly talkative person
  92. flummox
    be a mystery or bewildering to
  93. folderol
    nonsense or foolishness
  94. fortnight
    a period of fourteen consecutive days
  95. fractious
    easily irritated or annoyed
  96. frisson
    an almost pleasurable sensation of fright
  97. fulminate
    cause to explode violently and with loud noise
  98. fulsome
    unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating
  99. gallimaufry
    a motley assortment of things
  100. gallivant
    wander aimlessly in search of pleasure
  101. galosh
    a waterproof overshoe that protects shoes from water or snow
  102. Gehenna
    a place where the wicked are punished after death
  103. genteel
    marked by refinement in taste and manners
  104. gibbous
    (used of the moon) more than half full
  105. gobbet
    a lump or chunk of raw meat
  106. gobbledygook
    incomprehensible and wordy jargon
  107. groggy
    stunned or confused and slow to react
  108. grotesque
    distorted and unnatural in shape or size
  109. gumption
    fortitude and determination
  110. harry
    make a pillaging or destructive raid on, as in wartimes
  111. hebetude
    mental lethargy or dullness
  112. higgledy-piggledy
    in a disordered manner
  113. hornswoggle
    deprive of by deceit
  114. hullabaloo
    disturbance usually in protest
  115. humbug
    something intended to deceive
  116. hurly burly
    a disorderly outburst or tumult
  117. hyperbole
    extravagant exaggeration
  118. ignominious
    deserving or bringing disgrace or shame
  119. imbroglio
    an intricate and confusing interpersonal situation
  120. impalpable
    not perceptible to the touch
  121. impecunious
    not having enough money to pay for necessities
  122. imperious
    having or showing arrogant superiority
  123. imperturbable
    marked by extreme calm and composure
  124. incorrigible
    impervious to correction by punishment
  125. indecorous
    lacking propriety and good taste in manners and conduct
  126. indefatigable
    showing sustained enthusiasm with unflagging vitality
  127. indubitable
    too obvious to be doubted
  128. ineffable
    defying expression or description
  129. ineluctable
    impossible to avoid or evade
  130. inimical
    tending to obstruct or cause harm
  131. inimitable
    matchless
  132. innocuous
    not injurious to physical or mental health
  133. insidious
    working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way
  134. insipid
    lacking interest or significance or impact
  135. insouciance
    a casual or lighthearted feeling of unconcern
  136. intelligentsia
    an educated elite
  137. interdict
    command against
  138. interlocutor
    a person who takes part in a conversation
  139. interregnum
    the time between two reigns or governments
  140. intransigent
    impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, or reason
  141. invidious
    containing or implying a slight or showing prejudice
  142. irascible
    quickly aroused to anger
  143. jejune
    lacking interest or significance or impact
  144. jeremiad
    a long and mournful complaint
  145. jiggery-pokery
    dishonest or underhanded behavior
  146. kerfuffle
    a disorderly outburst or tumult
  147. lachrymose
    showing sorrow
  148. lacuna
    a blank gap or missing part
  149. laggard
    someone who takes more time than necessary
  150. lagniappe
    a small gift given by a merchant to a customer
  151. lambaste
    censure severely or angrily
  152. legerdemain
    an illusory feat
  153. lilliputian
    very small
  154. lollygag
    loaf about and waste time; dawdle
  155. loquacious
    full of trivial conversation
  156. lugubrious
    excessively mournful
  157. maladroit
    not quick or skillful in action or thought
  158. malapropism
    misuse of a word by confusion with one that sounds similar
  159. malarkey
    empty rhetoric or insincere or exaggerated talk
  160. malfeasance
    wrongful conduct by a public official
  161. martinet
    someone who demands exact conformity to rules and forms
  162. mawkish
    very sentimental or emotional
  163. mayhap
    by chance
  164. measured
    having notes of fixed rhythmic value
  165. mellifluous
    pleasing to the ear
  166. mendacious
    given to lying
  167. mercurial
    liable to sudden unpredictable change
  168. meretricious
    tastelessly showy
  169. mirth
    great merriment
  170. misogyny
    hatred of women
  171. mollify
    cause to be more favorably inclined
  172. mollycoddle
    treat with excessive indulgence
  173. moot
    of no legal significance, as having been previously decided
  174. mountebank
    a flamboyant deceiver
  175. munificent
    given or giving freely, generously, or without restriction
  176. myriad
    a large indefinite number
  177. myrmidon
    a follower who carries out orders without question
  178. nadir
    the lowest point of anything
  179. natter
    talk socially without exchanging too much information
  180. ne'er-do-well
    an idle worthless person
  181. noisome
    causing or able to cause nausea
  182. nonplus
    be a mystery or bewildering to
  183. numinous
    of or relating to or characteristic of a spirit
  184. obfuscate
    make obscure or unclear
  185. oblique
    slanting or inclined in direction or course or position
  186. obloquy
    state of disgrace resulting from public abuse
  187. obsequious
    attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
  188. obstreperous
    noisily and stubbornly defiant
  189. obtuse
    of an angle, between 90 and 180 degrees
  190. odium
    hate coupled with disgust
  191. oleaginous
    containing an unusual amount of grease or oil
  192. opprobrium
    a state of extreme dishonor
  193. orotund
    overly formal and pompous in style
  194. ossify
    become bony
  195. overweening
    presumptuously arrogant
  196. palaver
    loud and confused and empty talk
  197. palimpsest
    a manuscript on which more than one text has been written
  198. panache
    distinctive and stylish elegance
  199. panegyric
    formally expressing praise
  200. panjandrum
    an important or influential (and often overbearing) person
  201. panoply
    a complete and impressive array
  202. paramount
    more important than anything else; supreme
  203. paraphernalia
    equipment consisting of miscellaneous articles
  204. pariah
    a person who is rejected from society or home
  205. parlous
    fraught with danger
  206. paroxysm
    a sudden uncontrollable attack
  207. parsimonious
    excessively unwilling to spend
  208. peachy
    very good
  209. peccadillo
    a petty misdeed
  210. peckish
    somewhat hungry
  211. penultimate
    next to the last
  212. penurious
    excessively unwilling to spend
  213. peripatetic
    traveling especially on foot
  214. pernicious
    exceedingly harmful
  215. pernickety
    characterized by excessive precision and attention to trivial details
  216. persiflage
    light teasing
  217. persnickety
    characterized by excessive attention to trivial details
  218. perspicacity
    the ability to assess situations or circumstances shrewdly
  219. perturbed
    thrown into a state of agitated confusion
  220. petulant
    easily irritated or annoyed
  221. phantasmagoria
    a constantly changing medley of real or imagined images
  222. pharisaic
    excessively or hypocritically pious
  223. phlegmatic
    showing little emotion
  224. picayune
    small and of little importance
  225. pip-squeak
    someone who is small and insignificant
  226. pithy
    concise and full of meaning
  227. poltroon
    an abject coward
  228. pontificate
    administer a pontifical office
  229. popinjay
    a vain and talkative person
  230. poppycock
    senseless talk
  231. portent
    a sign of something about to happen
  232. portentous
    of momentous or ominous significance
  233. preposterous
    inviting ridicule
  234. probity
    complete and confirmed integrity
  235. proclivity
    a natural inclination
  236. Procrustean
    enforcing conformity by violent or ruthless means
  237. profligate
    unrestrained by convention or morality
  238. prolix
    tediously prolonged or tending to speak or write at length
  239. promulgate
    state or announce
  240. propinquity
    the property of being close together
  241. punctilious
    marked by precise accordance with details
  242. pusillanimous
    lacking in courage, strength, and resolution
  243. putative
    purported
  244. quaff
    swallow hurriedly or greedily or in one draught
  245. quash
    declare invalid
  246. querulous
    habitually complaining
  247. quietus
    euphemism for death
  248. quisling
    someone who collaborates with an enemy occupying force
  249. quixotic
    not sensible about practical matters
  250. quotidian
    found in the ordinary course of events
  251. raconteur
    a person skilled in telling anecdotes
  252. ratiocination
    the proposition arrived at by logical reasoning
  253. ratiocinative
    based on exact thinking
  254. recalcitrant
    stubbornly resistant to authority or control
  255. recidivist
    someone who lapses into undesirable patterns of behavior
  256. recreant
    having deserted a cause or principle
  257. recrudescence
    a return of something after a period of abatement
  258. redact
    formulate in a particular style or language
  259. refulgent
    radiating or as if radiating light
  260. replete
    filled to satisfaction with food or drink
  261. reprehensible
    bringing or deserving severe rebuke or censure
  262. resplendent
    having great beauty
  263. reticent
    reluctant to draw attention to yourself
  264. ribald
    humorously vulgar
  265. rigmarole
    a long and complicated and confusing procedure
  266. rococo
    having excessive asymmetrical ornamentation
  267. sacrosanct
    treated as if holy and kept free from violation or criticism
  268. sagacity
    the trait of having wisdom and good judgment
  269. salient
    conspicuous, prominent, or important
  270. sang-froid
    great coolness and composure under strain
  271. sanguine
    confidently optimistic and cheerful
  272. sardonic
    disdainfully or ironically humorous
  273. sartorial
    of or relating to tailoring or clothing
  274. saturnine
    bitter or scornful
  275. saucy
    improperly forward or bold
  276. Schadenfreude
    delight in another person's misfortune
  277. scintilla
    a tiny or scarcely detectable amount
  278. scrofulous
    afflicted with scrofula
  279. scuttle
    move about or proceed hurriedly
  280. sibilant
    of speech sounds forcing air through a constricted passage
  281. sinecure
    a job that involves minimal duties
  282. skedaddle
    run away, as if in a panic
  283. skullduggery
    verbal misrepresentation intended to take advantage of you in some way
  284. smarmy
    unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating
  285. smashing
    very good
  286. sophistry
    a deliberately invalid argument in the hope of deceiving
  287. spatchcock
    flesh of a chicken split down the back and grilled
  288. specious
    plausible but false
  289. spurious
    plausible but false
  290. Stygian
    dark and dismal as of the river in Hades
  291. supercilious
    having or showing arrogant superiority
  292. superfluous
    more than is needed, desired, or required
  293. surfeit
    indulge (one's appetite) to satiety
  294. susurrus
    the indistinct sound of people whispering
  295. sycophant
    a person who tries to please someone to gain an advantage
  296. taciturn
    habitually reserved and uncommunicative
  297. temerity
    fearless daring
  298. termagant
    a scolding, nagging, bad-tempered woman
  299. thrall
    the state of being under the control of another person
  300. tomfoolery
    silly or senseless behavior
  301. tractable
    easily managed
  302. transmogrify
    change completely the nature or appearance of
  303. troglodyte
    one who lives in solitude
  304. truckle
    a low bed to be slid under a higher bed
  305. truculent
    defiantly aggressive
  306. turgid
    ostentatiously lofty in style
  307. turgidity
    pompously embellished language
  308. twee
    excessively or affectedly dainty, sentimental, or refined
  309. tyro
    someone new to a field or activity
  310. unctuous
    unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating
  311. unexpurgated
    not having material deleted
  312. usuriously
    to an exorbitant degree
  313. usury
    the act of lending money at an exorbitant rate of interest
  314. uxorious
    foolishly fond of or submissive to your wife
  315. vacuous
    devoid of matter
  316. verisimilitude
    the appearance of truth; the quality of seeming to be true
  317. vestigial
    not fully developed in mature animals
  318. vicissitude
    a variation in circumstances or fortune
  319. visceral
    relating to or affecting the internal organs
  320. vociferous
    conspicuously and offensively loud
  321. Weltschmerz
    sadness on thinking about the evils of the world
  322. willowy
    slender and graceful
  323. winkle
    edible marine gastropod
  324. winsome
    charming in a childlike or naive way
  325. wont
    an established custom
  326. woolgathering
    an idle indulgence in fantasy
  327. zaftig
    (of a female body) healthily plump and vigorous
  328. defenestrate
    throw through or out of a window
  329. bootlicker
    someone who humbles himself as a sign of respect
  330. serendipity
    good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries
  331. eldritch
    suggesting the operation of supernatural influences
  332. dupe
    fool or hoax
  333. harridan
    a scolding (even vicious) old woman
  334. decolletage
    a low-cut neckline on a woman's dress
  335. gravid
    in an advanced stage of pregnancy
  336. scabrous
    rough to the touch, as if covered with scales or projections
  337. excrement
    waste matter discharged from the body
Created on Mon Jan 21 04:44:02 EST 2013 (updated Sun Apr 21 18:42:41 EDT 2013)

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