a-z all difficult - 800 word list

krishna S. (India)
267 words 4 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. abject
    of the most contemptible kind
  2. abjure
    formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief
  3. accrue
    grow by addition
  4. accretion
    an increase by natural growth or addition
  5. affected
    influenced
  6. amenable
    disposed or willing to comply
  7. amulet
    a trinket thought to be a magical protection against evil
  8. antecedent
    a preceding occurrence or cause or event
  9. antediluvian
    of or relating to the period before the biblical flood
  10. apogee
    the farthest point in an orbit around the Earth
  11. apothegm
    a short pithy instructive saying
  12. appellation
    identifying words by which someone or something is called
  13. apropos
    of a suitable, fitting, or pertinent nature
  14. ardor
    feelings of great warmth and intensity
  15. asperity
    harshness of manner
  16. aspersion
    a disparaging remark
  17. banter
    light teasing repartee
  18. beatify
    make blessedly happy
  19. bedizen
    decorate tastelessly
  20. belie
    be in contradiction with
  21. blase
    nonchalantly unconcerned
  22. brazen
    not held back by conventional ideas of behavior
  23. broach
    bring up a topic for discussion
  24. cadge
    obtain or seek to obtain by wheedling
  25. callous
    emotionally hardened
  26. calumny
    a false accusation of an offense
  27. canard
    a deliberately misleading fabrication
  28. cant
    a slope in the turn of a road or track
  29. cantankerous
    stubbornly obstructive and unwilling to cooperate
  30. captious
    tending to find and call attention to faults
  31. carping
    persistent petty and unjustified criticism
  32. cataclysm
    a sudden violent change in the earth's surface
  33. caucus
    meet to select a candidate or promote a policy
  34. chasten
    censure severely
  35. churlish
    having a bad disposition; surly
  36. clairvoyant
    someone who can perceive things not present to the senses
  37. clique
    an exclusive circle of people with a common purpose
  38. cloister
    residence that is a place of religious seclusion
  39. coalesce
    fuse or cause to come together
  40. complacent
    contented to a fault with oneself or one's actions
  41. complaisant
    showing a cheerful willingness to do favors for others
  42. concoct
    make something by mixing
  43. concomitant
    following or accompanying as a consequence
  44. consecrate
    give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause
  45. continence
    voluntary control over urinary and fecal discharge
  46. contumacious
    willfully obstinate; stubbornly disobedient
  47. coquette
    talk or behave amorously, without serious intentions
  48. cornucopia
    a horn filled with fruit and grain symbolizing prosperity
  49. cozen
    be dishonest with
  50. covetous
    immoderately desirous of acquiring something
  51. credo
    any system of principles or beliefs
  52. defame
    charge falsely or with malicious intent
  53. default
    an option that is selected automatically
  54. defunct
    no longer in force or use; inactive
  55. demur
    politely refuse or take exception to
  56. denigrate
    attack the good name and reputation of someone
  57. deride
    treat or speak of with contempt
  58. detraction
    a petty disparagement
  59. diaphanous
    so thin as to transmit light
  60. desuetude
    a state of inactivity or disuse
  61. dissident
    a person who objects to some established policy
  62. dissident
    a person who objects to some established policy
  63. debauchery
    a wild gathering
  64. distend
    cause to expand as if by internal pressure
  65. distrait
    having the attention diverted especially because of anxiety
  66. divest
    take away possessions from someone
  67. divulge
    make known to the public information previously kept secret
  68. dross
    worthless or dangerous material that should be removed
  69. effete
    excessively self-indulgent, affected, or decadent
  70. elixir
    a substance believed to cure all ills
  71. elysian
    relating to the abode of the blessed after death
  72. emaciated
    very thin, especially from disease or hunger or cold
  73. emollient
    a substance with a soothing effect when applied to the skin
  74. encomium
    a formal expression of praise
  75. enunciate
    express or state clearly
  76. epistemology
    the philosophical theory of knowledge
  77. errant
    straying from the right course or from accepted standards
  78. essay
    an analytic or interpretive literary composition
  79. ethnocentric
    centered on a specific ethnic group, usually one's own
  80. etiology
    the cause of a disease
  81. etymology
    a history of a word
  82. evince
    give expression to
  83. evocative
    serving to bring to mind
  84. execrable
    unequivocally detestable
  85. exhort
    spur on or encourage especially by cheers and shouts
  86. exorcise
    expel through adjuration or prayers
  87. expatiate
    add details to clarify an idea
  88. expiate
    make amends for
  89. expository
    serving to expound or set forth
  90. extant
    still in existence; not extinct or destroyed or lost
  91. extirpate
    destroy completely, as if down to the roots
  92. factotum
    a servant employed to do a variety of jobs
  93. felicitous
    exhibiting an agreeably appropriate manner or style
  94. feral
    wild and menacing
  95. fetid
    offensively malodorous
  96. fetter
    a shackle for the ankles or feet
  97. filibuster
    a tactic for delaying legislation by making long speeches
  98. forbearance
    a delay in enforcing rights or claims or privileges
  99. forswear
    formally reject or disavow
  100. fracas
    a noisy, angry argument or fight between people
  101. frieze
    an ornament consisting of a horizontal sculptured band
  102. froward
    habitually disposed to disobedience and opposition
  103. fulminate
    cause to explode violently and with loud noise
  104. fulsome
    unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating
  105. gambol
    play or run boisterously
  106. goad
    stab or urge on as if with a pointed stick
  107. gouge
    an impression in a surface, as made by a blow
  108. guise
    an artful or simulated semblance
  109. grouse
    popular game bird having a plump body and feathered legs
  110. hallowed
    worthy of religious veneration
  111. harrowing
    causing extreme distress
  112. hermetic
    completely sealed or airtight
  113. hieroglyphic
    a writing system using picture symbols
  114. hirsute
    having or covered with hair
  115. histrionic
    overly dramatic or emotional
  116. homeostasis
    metabolic equilibrium maintained by biological mechanisms
  117. homily
    a sermon on a moral or religious topic
  118. imbroglio
    an intricate and confusing interpersonal situation
  119. impinge
    infringe upon
  120. implausible
    highly imaginative but unlikely
  121. imprecation
    the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil
  122. impute
    attribute or credit to
  123. incursion
    the act of entering some territory or domain
  124. ineluctable
    impossible to avoid or evade
  125. insouciant
    marked by unconcern
  126. insuperable
    incapable of being surpassed or excelled
  127. interdict
    command against
  128. interdict
    command against
  129. internecine
    within a group or organization
  130. interregnum
    the time between two reigns or governments
  131. inured
    made tough by habitual exposure
  132. invective
    abusive language used to express blame or censure
  133. inveigh
    complain bitterly
  134. inveigle
    influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
  135. invidious
    containing or implying a slight or showing prejudice
  136. jibe
    shift from one side of the ship to the other
  137. jocose
    characterized by jokes and good humor
  138. juggernaut
    a massive inexorable force
  139. libertine
    unrestrained by convention or morality
  140. limn
    make a portrait of
  141. litany
    a prayer consisting of a series of invocations by the priest with responses from the congregation
  142. literati
    well-educated people who are interested in books
  143. lustrous
    reflecting light
  144. Machiavellian
    of or relating to amoral or conniving political principles
  145. machination
    a crafty and involved plot to achieve your ends
  146. maelstrom
    a powerful circular current of water
  147. megalomania
    a psychological state characterized by delusions of grandeur
  148. menagerie
    a collection of live animals for study or display
  149. mendicant
    a pauper who lives by begging
  150. meretricious
    tastelessly showy
  151. metaphysics
    the philosophical study of being and knowing
  152. microcosm
    a miniature model of something
  153. militate
    have force or influence; bring about an effect or change
  154. minatory
    threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
  155. miscreant
    a person without moral scruples
  156. modicum
    a small or moderate or token amount
  157. morose
    showing a brooding ill humor
  158. multifarious
    having many aspects
  159. necromancy
    conjuring up the dead, especially for prophesying
  160. nonplussed
    filled with bewilderment
  161. nostrum
    patent medicine whose efficacy is questionable
  162. nugatory
    of no real value
  163. obdurate
    stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing
  164. obsequious
    attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
  165. oligarchy
    a political system governed by a few people
  166. onomatopoeia
    using words that imitate the sound they denote
  167. opprobrium
    a state of extreme dishonor
  168. ornithologist
    a zoologist who studies feathered animals
  169. overweening
    presumptuously arrogant
  170. paean
    a hymn of praise
  171. pallid
    pale, as of a person's complexion
  172. panegyric
    formally expressing praise
  173. patois
    a regional dialect of a language
  174. pellucid
    transmitting light; able to be seen through with clarity
  175. peregrination
    traveling or wandering around
  176. peremptory
    putting an end to all debate or action
  177. perigee
    the nearest point in an orbit around the Earth
  178. petulant
    easily irritated or annoyed
  179. phlegmatic
    showing little emotion
  180. physiognomy
    the human face
  181. piquant
    having an agreeably pungent taste
  182. pique
    call forth, as an emotion, feeling, or response
  183. plaintive
    expressing sorrow
  184. platonic
    free from physical desire
  185. poseur
    a person who habitually pretends to be something he is not
  186. prate
    speak about unimportant matters rapidly and incessantly
  187. precarious
    not secure; beset with difficulties
  188. precept
    a rule of personal conduct
  189. preempt
    acquire for oneself before others can do so
  190. prehensile
    adapted for grasping especially by wrapping around an object
  191. premonition
    an early warning about a future event
  192. primordial
    having existed from the beginning
  193. probity
    complete and confirmed integrity
  194. propitiate
    make peace with
  195. propriety
    correct behavior
  196. provident
    giving something useful for the future
  197. punctilious
    marked by precise accordance with details
  198. purport
    have the often misleading appearance of being or intending
  199. quagmire
    a soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfoot
  200. quail
    a small game bird
  201. qualm
    uneasiness about the fitness of an action
  202. raconteur
    a person skilled in telling anecdotes
  203. raiment
    especially fine or decorative clothing
  204. ramification
    a consequence, especially one that causes complications
  205. rebus
    a puzzle consisting of pictures representing words
  206. redoubtable
    inspiring fear
  207. refractory
    stubbornly resistant to authority or control
  208. refulgent
    radiating or as if radiating light
  209. renege
    fail to fulfill a promise or obligation
  210. reparation
    something done or paid in expiation of a wrong
  211. repine
    express discontent
  212. reproach
    express criticism towards
  213. reprobate
    a person without moral scruples
  214. repudiate
    refuse to acknowledge, ratify, or recognize as valid
  215. rescind
    cancel officially
  216. riposte
    a counterattack made immediately after successfully parrying
  217. rubric
    category name
  218. rue
    feel sorry for; be contrite about
  219. ruse
    a deceptive maneuver, especially to avoid capture
  220. sartorial
    of or relating to tailoring or clothing
  221. satyr
    one of a class of woodland deities
  222. sedition
    an illegal action inciting resistance to lawful authority
  223. sedulous
    marked by care and persistent effort
  224. sextant
    an instrument for measuring angular distance
  225. sidereal
    of or relating to the stars or constellations
  226. sinecure
    a job that involves minimal duties
  227. sodden
    wet through and through; thoroughly wet
  228. solicitous
    full of anxiety and concern
  229. solvent
    capable of meeting financial obligations
  230. sordid
    foul and run-down and repulsive
  231. squalor
    sordid dirtiness
  232. staccato
    (music) separating the notes
  233. stentorian
    very loud or booming
  234. stigma
    a symbol of disgrace or infamy
  235. stint
    supply sparingly and with restricted quantities
  236. stipulate
    make an express demand or provision in an agreement
  237. stricture
    a principle that restricts the extent of something
  238. strident
    unpleasantly loud and harsh
  239. strut
    walk in a proud, confident way
  240. stultify
    deprive of strength or efficiency; make useless or worthless
  241. Stygian
    dark and dismal as of the river in Hades
  242. succor
    assistance in time of difficulty
  243. suffrage
    a legal right to vote
  244. supine
    lying face upward
  245. supplant
    take the place or move into the position of
  246. suppliant
    humbly entreating
  247. supplicant
    someone who prays to God
  248. syllogism
    reasoning in which a conclusion is derived from two premises
  249. thespian
    a theatrical performer
  250. tome
    a large and scholarly book
  251. travail
    use of physical or mental energy; hard work
  252. travesty
    a composition that imitates or misrepresents a style
  253. treatise
    a formal text that treats a particular topic systematically
  254. tremulous
    quivering as from weakness or fear
  255. tryst
    a secret rendezvous, especially a romantic one
  256. tumid
    abnormally distended especially by fluids or gas
  257. turgid
    ostentatiously lofty in style
  258. tutelary
    providing protective supervision
  259. usury
    the act of lending money at an exorbitant rate of interest
  260. vacuous
    devoid of matter
  261. vapid
    lacking significance or liveliness or spirit or zest
  262. variegated
    having an assortment of colors
  263. vaunt
    show off
  264. visage
    the human face
  265. vitiate
    make imperfect
  266. welter
    a confused multitude of things
  267. wistful
    showing pensive sadness
Created on Sun Jun 09 00:48:57 EDT 2013 (updated Mon Aug 05 13:39:08 EDT 2013)

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