Lisa's GRE Word List

Lisa G. (United States of America)
748 words 3 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. abase
    cause to feel shame
  2. abash
    cause to be embarrassed
  3. abate
    become less in amount or intensity
  4. abdicate
    give up power, duties, or obligations
  5. aberrant
    markedly different from an accepted norm
  6. aberration
    a state or condition markedly different from the norm
  7. abeyance
    temporary cessation or suspension
  8. abhor
    feel hatred or disgust toward
  9. abject
    of the most contemptible kind
  10. abjure
    formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief
  11. ablution
    the act of washing oneself, as for ritual purposes
  12. abnegation
    the denial and rejection of a doctrine or belief
  13. abrogate
    revoke formally
  14. abscission
    the act of cutting something off
  15. abscond
    run away, often taking something or somebody along
  16. absquatulate
    run away, taking something or somebody along
  17. abstain
    refrain from doing, consuming, or partaking in something
  18. abstemious
    marked by temperance in indulgence
  19. abstruse
    difficult to understand
  20. abysmal
    exceptionally bad or displeasing
  21. accede
    yield to another's wish or opinion
  22. acclivity
    an upward slope or grade, as in a road
  23. accolade
    a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction
  24. accretion
    an increase by natural growth or addition
  25. acerbic
    sour or bitter in taste
  26. acidulous
    being sour to the taste
  27. acumen
    shrewdness shown by keen insight
  28. admonition
    a firm rebuke
  29. adulation
    exaggerated flattery or praise
  30. adumbrate
    describe roughly or give the main points or summary of
  31. aesthetic
    characterized by an appreciation of beauty or good taste
  32. affected
    influenced
  33. aggrandize
    embellish; increase the scope, power, or importance of
  34. alacrity
    liveliness and eagerness
  35. alloy
    a mixture containing two or more metallic elements
  36. ambit
    an area in which something operates or has power or control
  37. amortize
    pay off a debt by making periodic payments
  38. analgesia
    absence of the sense of pain without loss of consciousness
  39. analgesic
    capable of relieving pain
  40. anathema
    a formal ecclesiastical curse accompanied by excommunication
  41. anatomize
    dissect in order to analyze
  42. anfractuous
    full of twists and turns
  43. anodyne
    capable of relieving pain
  44. antediluvian
    of or relating to the period before the biblical flood
  45. aphorism
    a short pithy instructive saying
  46. aplomb
    great coolness and composure under strain
  47. apocryphal
    being of questionable authenticity
  48. apoplectic
    marked by extreme anger
  49. apostate
    not faithful to religion or party or cause
  50. apothegm
    a short pithy instructive saying
  51. apotheosis
    model of excellence or perfection of a kind
  52. apotheosize
    glorify or elevate to god-like status
  53. appanage
    a grant (by a sovereign or a legislative body) of resources to maintain a dependent member of a ruling family
  54. apposite
    being of striking appropriateness and pertinence
  55. approbation
    official acceptance or agreement
  56. arcane
    requiring secret or mysterious knowledge
  57. archly
    with playful slyness or roguishness
  58. arrogate
    seize and take control without authority
  59. artifice
    the use of deception or trickery
  60. ascetic
    someone who practices self denial as a spiritual discipline
  61. asperity
    harshness of manner
  62. asseverate
    state categorically
  63. assiduous
    marked by care and persistent effort
  64. assuage
    provide physical relief, as from pain
  65. astringent
    tending to draw together or constrict soft organic tissue
  66. atrabilious
    irritable as if suffering from indigestion
  67. attenuate
    become weaker, in strength, value, or magnitude
  68. audacious
    disposed to venture or take risks
  69. augury
    an event indicating important things to come
  70. austere
    of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor
  71. autochthonic
    originating where it is found
  72. aver
    declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true
  73. axiom
    a proposition that is not susceptible of proof or disproof
  74. axiomatic
    evident without proof or argument
  75. backbite
    say mean things
  76. banal
    repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
  77. bathetic
    very sentimental or emotional
  78. bathos
    a change from a serious subject to a disappointing one
  79. becloud
    make less visible or unclear
  80. beguile
    attract; cause to be enamored
  81. belfry
    a tower in which bells are hung
  82. bellicose
    having or showing a ready disposition to fight
  83. benighted
    overtaken by darkness
  84. besmirch
    smear so as to make dirty or stained
  85. bete noire
    a detested person or thing
  86. bevy
    a flock of birds
  87. bifurcate
    split or divide into two
  88. bilk
    cheat somebody out of what is due, especially money
  89. blandish
    praise somewhat dishonestly
  90. blase
    nonchalantly unconcerned
  91. blight
    any plant disease resulting in withering without rotting
  92. blithe
    carefree and happy and lighthearted
  93. bloviate
    speak verbosely and windily
  94. blowsy
    characteristic of or befitting a slut or slattern
  95. bombastic
    ostentatiously lofty in style
  96. bonhomie
    a disposition to be friendly and approachable
  97. boor
    a crude uncouth ill-bred person lacking refinement
  98. bounteous
    given or giving freely
  99. bromidic
    given to uttering bromides
  100. brook
    a natural stream of water smaller than a river
  101. bucolic
    devoted to raising sheep or cattle
  102. bumptious
    offensively self-assertive
  103. burgeon
    grow and flourish
  104. calumniate
    charge falsely or with malicious intent
  105. calumny
    a false accusation of an offense
  106. canonical
    conforming to orthodox or recognized rules
  107. cant
    a slope in the turn of a road or track
  108. cantankerous
    stubbornly obstructive and unwilling to cooperate
  109. capricious
    determined by chance or impulse rather than by necessity
  110. captious
    tending to find and call attention to faults
  111. cardinal
    a vivid red color
  112. castigation
    verbal punishment
  113. catechism
    an elementary book summarizing the principles of a religion
  114. catechist
    one who instructs catechumens in preparation for baptism
  115. catechumen
    a new convert being taught the principles of Christianity by a catechist
  116. catholic
    comprehensive or broad-minded in tastes and interests
  117. caustic
    capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action
  118. cavil
    raise trivial objections
  119. celerity
    a rate that is rapid
  120. censure
    harsh criticism or disapproval
  121. cerebrate
    exercise the mind in order to reason or make inferences
  122. certitude
    complete assurance or confidence
  123. chagrin
    strong feelings of embarrassment
  124. chary
    characterized by great caution
  125. chauvinist
    a person with a prejudiced belief in his own superiority
  126. chicanery
    the use of tricks to deceive someone
  127. chimera
    a grotesque product of the imagination
  128. churl
    a crude or uncouth person lacking culture or refinement
  129. cipher
    a secret method of writing
  130. circumlocution
    an indirect way of expressing something
  131. circumspect
    careful to consider potential consequences and avoid risk
  132. clamant
    conspicuously and offensively loud; given to vehement outcry
  133. claver
    talk socially without exchanging too much information
  134. cloying
    overly sweet
  135. coalesce
    fuse or cause to come together
  136. codex
    a written manuscript, typically from ancient times
  137. coetaneous
    of the same period
  138. coeval
    of the same period
  139. cogent
    powerfully persuasive
  140. cogitate
    consider carefully and deeply
  141. colonize
    establish political control over a place by sending settlers
  142. comeuppance
    a usually negative outcome or fate that is well deserved
  143. comity
    a state or atmosphere of harmony or mutual civility
  144. comme il faut
    according with custom or propriety
  145. comminate
    curse or declare to be evil or anathema or threaten with divine punishment
  146. complaisance
    a tendency to try to please or yield to the will of others
  147. comport
    behave in a certain manner
  148. compunction
    a feeling of deep regret, usually for some misdeed
  149. conciliate
    gain the good will of or cause to be more favorably inclined
  150. concupiscence
    a desire for sexual intimacy
  151. confabulate
    talk socially without exchanging too much information
  152. congenial
    suitable to your needs
  153. connivance
    agreement on a secret plot
  154. consecrate
    give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause
  155. consequential
    having important effects or results
  156. consonant
    a speech sound that is not a vowel
  157. consternation
    sudden shock or dismay that causes confusion
  158. construe
    make sense of; assign a meaning to
  159. contrite
    feeling or expressing pain or sorrow
  160. contumacious
    willfully obstinate; stubbornly disobedient
  161. copse
    a dense growth of trees, shrubs, or bushes
  162. corporeal
    having material or physical form or substance
  163. cosset
    treat with excessive indulgence
  164. countenance
    the appearance conveyed by a person's face
  165. cozen
    be dishonest with
  166. craven
    lacking even the rudiments of courage; abjectly fearful
  167. credulous
    showing a lack of judgment or experience
  168. crepuscular
    like or relating to twilight; dim
  169. culpable
    deserving blame or censure as being wrong or injurious
  170. cupidity
    extreme greed for material wealth
  171. damp
    slightly wet
  172. dearth
    an insufficient quantity or number
  173. declivity
    a downward slope or bend
  174. decorous
    characterized by propriety and dignity and good taste
  175. degage
    showing lack of emotional involvement
  176. delectation
    a feeling of extreme pleasure or satisfaction
  177. deleterious
    harmful to living things
  178. demur
    politely refuse or take exception to
  179. denude
    make bare or strip of a covering
  180. deprecate
    express strong disapproval of; deplore
  181. deprecatory
    tending to diminish or disparage
  182. deracinate
    pull up by or as if by the roots
  183. derring-do
    brave and heroic action
  184. descry
    catch sight of
  185. desiccate
    lacking vitality or spirit; lifeless
  186. desuetude
    a state of inactivity or disuse
  187. desultory
    marked by lack of definite plan, purpose, or enthusiasm
  188. deus ex machina
    an agent who appears unexpectedly to solve a difficulty
  189. diaphanous
    so thin as to transmit light
  190. diatribe
    thunderous verbal attack
  191. die
    lose all bodily functions necessary to sustain life
  192. diffident
    showing modest reserve
  193. dilate
    become wider
  194. dilatory
    wasting time
  195. dilettante
    an amateur engaging in an activity without serious intention
  196. dirge
    a song or hymn of mourning as a memorial to a dead person
  197. disabuse
    free somebody from an erroneous belief
  198. discomfiture
    anxious embarrassment
  199. disconcert
    cause to lose one's composure
  200. discrepant
    not in agreement
  201. disinterested
    unaffected by concern for one's own welfare
  202. disquisition
    an elaborate analytical or explanatory essay or discussion
  203. dissemble
    behave unnaturally or affectedly
  204. dissolute
    unrestrained by convention or morality
  205. distaff
    a stick on which wool or flax is wound before spinning
  206. dither
    be undecided or uncertain
  207. doleful
    filled with or evoking sadness
  208. dolorous
    showing sorrow
  209. droll
    comical in an odd or whimsical manner
  210. dudgeon
    a feeling of intense righteous anger
  211. dyspeptic
    suffering from indigestion
  212. ebullience
    eager enjoyment or approval
  213. eclectic
    selecting what seems best of various styles or ideas
  214. educe
    construe a meaning or elicit a principle
  215. effete
    excessively self-indulgent, affected, or decadent
  216. effloresce
    come into or as if into flower
  217. effrontery
    audacious behavior that you have no right to
  218. effulgence
    the quality of being bright and sending out rays of light
  219. effusive
    uttered with unrestrained enthusiasm
  220. egregious
    conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible
  221. elegy
    a mournful poem; a lament for the dead
  222. emollient
    a substance with a soothing effect when applied to the skin
  223. emolument
    compensation received by virtue of holding an office
  224. encomium
    a formal expression of praise
  225. endemic
    native to or confined to a certain region
  226. enervate
    weaken physically, mentally, or morally
  227. ennui
    the feeling of being bored by something tedious
  228. enormity
    the quality of extreme wickedness
  229. epicure
    a person who takes great pleasure in fine food and drink
  230. equanimity
    steadiness of mind under stress
  231. equanimous
    calm in mind or temper; in full control of one's faculties
  232. equipoise
    equality of distribution
  233. equivocate
    be deliberately ambiguous or unclear
  234. ersatz
    an artificial or inferior substitute or imitation
  235. erudite
    having or showing profound knowledge
  236. eschew
    avoid and stay away from deliberately
  237. esoteric
    understandable only by an enlightened inner circle
  238. essay
    an analytic or interpretive literary composition
  239. estimable
    deserving of respect or high regard
  240. evanescent
    short-lived; tending to vanish or disappear
  241. evince
    give expression to
  242. exchequer
    the funds of a government or institution or individual
  243. excoriate
    express strong disapproval of
  244. excrescence
    something that bulges out or projects from its surroundings
  245. exculpate
    pronounce not guilty of criminal charges
  246. execrate
    curse or declare to be evil or anathema
  247. exigent
    demanding immediate attention
  248. exiguous
    extremely scanty
  249. expatiate
    add details to clarify an idea
  250. expiate
    make amends for
  251. exponent
    notation of how many times to multiply a quantity by itself
  252. exposit
    state
  253. expostulate
    reason with for the purpose of dissuasion
  254. expurgate
    edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate
  255. extemporaneous
    with little or no preparation or forethought
  256. extenuate
    lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or degree of
  257. extirpate
    destroy completely, as if down to the roots
  258. extraneous
    not belonging to that in which it is contained
  259. exuberant
    joyously unrestrained
  260. exuviate
    cast off hair, skin, horn, or feathers
  261. facetious
    cleverly amusing in tone
  262. facile
    arrived at without due care or effort; lacking depth
  263. faineant
    disinclined to work or exertion
  264. fait accompli
    an irreversible accomplishment
  265. fallow
    left unplowed and unseeded during a growing season
  266. fatuous
    devoid of intelligence
  267. fawn
    a young deer
  268. febrile
    of or relating to or characterized by fever
  269. feckless
    generally incompetent and ineffectual
  270. fecund
    capable of producing offspring or vegetation
  271. felicitous
    exhibiting an agreeably appropriate manner or style
  272. fell
    cause to go down by or as if by delivering a blow
  273. fetid
    offensively malodorous
  274. fictive
    capable of or relating to imaginative creation
  275. filibuster
    a tactic for delaying legislation by making long speeches
  276. filigree
    delicate and intricate ornamentation
  277. fin de siecle
    relating to or characteristic of the end of a century
  278. flag
    a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design
  279. flagrant
    conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible
  280. flip
    turn upside down, or throw so as to reverse
  281. flout
    treat with contemptuous disregard
  282. flyspeck
    a tiny dark speck made by the excrement of a fly
  283. fortuitous
    lucky; occurring by happy chance
  284. founder
    a person who establishes some institution
  285. fractious
    easily irritated or annoyed
  286. fulminate
    cause to explode violently and with loud noise
  287. fulmination
    the act of exploding with noise and violence
  288. fulsome
    unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating
  289. furtive
    secret and sly
  290. fustian
    a strong cotton and linen fabric with a slight nap
  291. gainsay
    take exception to
  292. gambit
    a chess move in which the player sacrifices minor pieces
  293. gambol
    play or run boisterously
  294. garrulous
    full of trivial conversation
  295. gasconade
    an instance of boastful talk
  296. germane
    relevant and appropriate
  297. glib
    artfully persuasive in speech
  298. glower
    look angry or sullen as if to signal disapproval
  299. glowering
    showing a brooding ill humor
  300. gnosis
    intuitive knowledge of spiritual truths
  301. grandiloquence
    high-flown style; excessive use of verbal ornamentation
  302. grandiloquent
    lofty in style
  303. graven
    cut into a desired shape
  304. gravidity
    technical terms for pregnancy
  305. gregarious
    temperamentally seeking and enjoying the company of others
  306. grouse
    popular game bird having a plump body and feathered legs
  307. guy
    an informal term for a youth or man
  308. hackneyed
    repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
  309. halcyon
    a mythical bird said to breed at the winter solstice
  310. harangue
    a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion
  311. hauteur
    overbearing pride with a superior manner toward inferiors
  312. hedonism
    an ethical system that values the pursuit of pleasure
  313. hegemony
    the dominance or leadership of one social group over others
  314. hermetic
    completely sealed or airtight
  315. heterodox
    characterized by departure from accepted standards
  316. hoary
    having gray or white hair as with age
  317. hortatory
    giving strong encouragement
  318. husband
    a male partner in a marriage
  319. iconoclast
    someone who attacks cherished ideas or institutions
  320. idolatrous
    relating to or practicing idolatry
  321. ignominious
    deserving or bringing disgrace or shame
  322. ignominy
    a state of dishonor
  323. imbroglio
    an intricate and confusing interpersonal situation
  324. immolate
    kill as a sacrifice, especially by fire
  325. immure
    lock up or confine, in or as in a jail
  326. impassive
    having or revealing little emotion or sensibility
  327. impecunious
    not having enough money to pay for necessities
  328. imperious
    having or showing arrogant superiority
  329. imperturbable
    marked by extreme calm and composure
  330. impetuous
    characterized by undue haste and lack of thought
  331. impolitic
    lacking tact, shrewdness, or prudence
  332. imprecation
    the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil
  333. improvident
    not supplying something useful for the future
  334. impudence
    the trait of being rude and impertinent
  335. impugn
    attack as false or wrong
  336. impunity
    exemption from punishment or loss
  337. incarnadine
    redden or make pinkish
  338. inchoate
    only partly in existence; imperfectly formed
  339. incipient
    only partly in existence; imperfectly formed
  340. incongruous
    lacking in harmony or compatibility or appropriateness
  341. inculcate
    teach and impress by frequent repetitions or admonitions
  342. indelible
    not able to be forgotten, removed, or erased
  343. indemnity
    protection against future loss
  344. indifferent
    marked by a lack of interest
  345. indolence
    inactivity resulting from a dislike of work
  346. indolent
    disinclined to work or exertion
  347. ineffable
    defying expression or description
  348. ineluctable
    impossible to avoid or evade
  349. inert
    unable to move or resist motion
  350. infelicitous
    not appropriate in application; defective
  351. ingenuous
    lacking in sophistication or worldliness
  352. ingurgitate
    overeat or eat immodestly; make a pig of oneself
  353. inhume
    place in a grave or tomb
  354. inimical
    tending to obstruct or cause harm
  355. inimitable
    matchless
  356. iniquity
    absence of moral or spiritual values
  357. innocuous
    not injurious to physical or mental health
  358. insatiate
    impossible to satisfy
  359. inscrutable
    difficult or impossible to understand
  360. insensate
    devoid of feeling and consciousness and animation
  361. insidious
    working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way
  362. insipid
    lacking interest or significance or impact
  363. insouciance
    a casual or lighthearted feeling of unconcern
  364. insouciant
    marked by unconcern
  365. intern
    someone who works for an expert to learn about a job
  366. interregnum
    the time between two reigns or governments
  367. interstice
    small opening between things
  368. intractable
    difficult to manage or mold
  369. intransigent
    impervious to pleas, persuasion, requests, or reason
  370. intrepid
    invulnerable to fear or intimidation
  371. intuit
    know or grasp by instinct or feeling alone
  372. inure
    cause to accept or become hardened to
  373. inured
    made tough by habitual exposure
  374. inveigh
    complain bitterly
  375. inveigle
    influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
  376. investiture
    the ceremonial promotion of a person to an office or rank
  377. inveterate
    habitual
  378. invidious
    containing or implying a slight or showing prejudice
  379. ipso facto
    by the fact itself
  380. irascible
    quickly aroused to anger
  381. irredentist
    an advocate of irredentism
  382. irresolute
    uncertain how to act or proceed
  383. irreverent
    showing lack of due respect or veneration
  384. jejune
    lacking interest or significance or impact
  385. jeremiad
    a long and mournful complaint
  386. judicious
    marked by the exercise of common sense in practical matters
  387. ken
    range of what one can know or understand
  388. kowtow
    bend the knees and bow in a servile manner
  389. lachrymose
    showing sorrow
  390. laconic
    brief and to the point
  391. languor
    inactivity; showing an unusual lack of energy
  392. lapidary
    relating to precious stones or the art of working with them
  393. largess
    liberality in bestowing gifts
  394. lascivious
    driven by lust
  395. lassitude
    a feeling of lack of interest or energy
  396. latitudinarian
    unwilling to accept authority or dogma
  397. legerdemain
    an illusory feat
  398. libertine
    unrestrained by convention or morality
  399. licentious
    lacking moral discipline
  400. limpid
    clear and bright
  401. lissome
    moving and bending with ease
  402. list
    a database containing an ordered array of items
  403. lithe
    moving and bending with ease
  404. locution
    a word or phrase that people use in particular situations
  405. loquacious
    full of trivial conversation
  406. lubricious
    characterized by lust
  407. lucubrate
    discuss in a scholarly way, especially in writing
  408. lugubrious
    excessively mournful
  409. machination
    a crafty and involved plot to achieve your ends
  410. maladroit
    not quick or skillful in action or thought
  411. malediction
    the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil
  412. malinger
    avoid responsibilities and duties, often by faking illness
  413. mannered
    having unnatural behavioral attributes
  414. manque
    unfulfilled or frustrated in realizing an ambition
  415. mantic
    resembling or characteristic of a prophet or prophecy
  416. martinet
    someone who demands exact conformity to rules and forms
  417. maudlin
    very sentimental or emotional
  418. maverick
    someone who exhibits independence in thought and action
  419. maw
    the mouth, jaws, or throat
  420. mawkish
    very sentimental or emotional
  421. meet
    come together
  422. meliorist
    someone who pushes to improve something by changing it
  423. melodrama
    a story with characters behaving in an extreme emotional way
  424. mendacity
    the tendency to be untruthful
  425. mendicant
    a pauper who lives by begging
  426. mercurial
    liable to sudden unpredictable change
  427. meretricious
    tastelessly showy
  428. meridian
    an imaginary great circle on the surface of the earth
  429. metastasize
    spread throughout the body
  430. miasma
    an unwholesome atmosphere
  431. mien
    a person's appearance, manner, or demeanor
  432. militate
    have force or influence; bring about an effect or change
  433. minatory
    threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
  434. mince
    cut into small pieces
  435. mirth
    great merriment
  436. misanthrope
    someone who dislikes people in general
  437. miscreant
    a person without moral scruples
  438. missive
    a written message addressed to a person or organization
  439. mitigate
    lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of
  440. mollify
    cause to be more favorably inclined
  441. mordant
    harshly ironic or sinister
  442. morose
    showing a brooding ill humor
  443. mote
    a tiny piece of anything
  444. moxie
    courage, confidence, and determination
  445. multifarious
    having many aspects
  446. munificent
    given or giving freely, generously, or without restriction
  447. mutatis mutandis
    with the necessary changes having been carried out
  448. nadir
    the lowest point of anything
  449. neologism
    a newly invented word or phrase
  450. neophyte
    a participant with no experience with an activity
  451. Nepenthes
    pitcher plants
  452. nice
    pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance
  453. noisome
    causing or able to cause nausea
  454. nonplussed
    filled with bewilderment
  455. nostrum
    patent medicine whose efficacy is questionable
  456. noxious
    injurious to physical or mental health
  457. nugatory
    of no real value
  458. numinous
    of or relating to or characteristic of a spirit
  459. numismatics
    the collection and study of money
  460. obdurate
    stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing
  461. obeisance
    bending the head or body in reverence or submission
  462. obfuscate
    make obscure or unclear
  463. obloquy
    state of disgrace resulting from public abuse
  464. obnubilate
    make less visible or unclear
  465. obsequious
    attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
  466. obstreperous
    noisily and stubbornly defiant
  467. obtain
    come into possession of
  468. obtuse
    of an angle, between 90 and 180 degrees
  469. obviate
    do away with
  470. occlude
    block passage through
  471. occult
    supernatural forces and events and beings collectively
  472. odalisque
    a woman slave in a harem
  473. officious
    intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner
  474. oleaginous
    containing an unusual amount of grease or oil
  475. onerous
    burdensome or difficult to endure
  476. opprobrious
    expressing offensive reproach
  477. opprobrium
    a state of extreme dishonor
  478. oracular
    of or relating to prophecy or someone who tells the future
  479. orotund
    overly formal and pompous in style
  480. ossified
    set in a rigid pattern of behavior, habits, or beliefs
  481. otiose
    serving no useful purpose; having no excuse for being
  482. outre
    conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual
  483. paean
    a hymn of praise
  484. palaver
    loud and confused and empty talk
  485. palliate
    lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of
  486. pallid
    pale, as of a person's complexion
  487. panache
    distinctive and stylish elegance
  488. panegyric
    formally expressing praise
  489. panoply
    a complete and impressive array
  490. paradigm
    a standard or typical example
  491. pariah
    a person who is rejected from society or home
  492. parley
    a negotiation between enemies
  493. paroxysm
    a sudden uncontrollable attack
  494. parse
    analyze the sentence structure of
  495. parsimonious
    excessively unwilling to spend
  496. parsimony
    extreme stinginess
  497. pasquinade
    a composition that humorously imitates somebody's style
  498. pastiche
    a work of art that imitates the style of some previous work
  499. pathogenic
    able to cause disease
  500. patois
    a regional dialect of a language
  501. Pavlovian
    of or relating to Ivan Pavlov or his experiments
  502. peal
    a deep prolonged sound
  503. peccadillo
    a petty misdeed
  504. pedagogy
    the profession of a teacher
  505. pedant
    a person who is preoccupied with rules and learning
  506. pedantic
    marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning
  507. pedantry
    an ostentatious and inappropriate display of learning
  508. pedestrian
    a person who travels by foot
  509. pellucid
    transmitting light; able to be seen through with clarity
  510. pensive
    deeply or seriously thoughtful
  511. penumbral
    of or pertaining to the region of partial shadow around an umbra
  512. penurious
    excessively unwilling to spend
  513. penury
    a state of extreme poverty or destitution
  514. peregrinate
    travel around, through, or over, especially on foot
  515. peremptory
    putting an end to all debate or action
  516. perennial
    lasting an indefinitely long time
  517. perfidious
    tending to betray
  518. perfidy
    an act of deliberate betrayal
  519. perfunctory
    hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
  520. peripatetic
    traveling especially on foot
  521. periphrasis
    an act of expressing things in an indirect or roundabout way
  522. pernicious
    exceedingly harmful
  523. peroration
    the concluding section of a rhetorical address
  524. perquisite
    an incidental benefit for certain types of employment
  525. perspicacious
    mentally acute or penetratingly discerning
  526. pertinacious
    stubbornly unyielding
  527. peruse
    examine or consider with attention and in detail
  528. pettifoggery
    a quarrel about petty points
  529. petulant
    easily irritated or annoyed
  530. Philistine
    of or relating to ancient Philistia or its culture or its people
  531. phlegmatic
    showing little emotion
  532. picayune
    small and of little importance
  533. pied
    having sections or patches colored differently and brightly
  534. piquant
    having an agreeably pungent taste
  535. pith
    spongelike central cylinder of the stems of flowering plants
  536. pithy
    concise and full of meaning
  537. plaintive
    expressing sorrow
  538. plangent
    loud and resounding, often in a mournful way
  539. plastic
    synthetic material that can be molded into objects
  540. platitude
    a trite or obvious remark
  541. platitudinous
    dull and tiresome but with pretensions of significance or originality
  542. plebiscite
    a vote determining public opinion on a question
  543. plenary
    full in all respects
  544. pluck
    pull lightly but sharply
  545. polemical
    of or involving dispute or controversy
  546. pompous
    puffed up with vanity
  547. pontificate
    administer a pontifical office
  548. portentous
    of momentous or ominous significance
  549. potentate
    a powerful ruler, especially one who is unconstrained by law
  550. prandial
    of or relating to a meal
  551. precipitate
    bring about abruptly
  552. precis
    a sketchy summary of the main points of an argument
  553. precursory
    warning of future misfortune
  554. predicative
    of adjectives
  555. predilection
    a predisposition in favor of something
  556. prestidigitation
    manual dexterity in the execution of tricks
  557. preternatural
    existing outside of or not in accordance with nature
  558. prevaricate
    be deliberately ambiguous or unclear
  559. prim
    affectedly dainty or refined
  560. prize
    something given for victory or superiority in a contest or competition or for winning a lottery
  561. probity
    complete and confirmed integrity
  562. prodigal
    recklessly wasteful
  563. prodigious
    great in size, force, extent, or degree
  564. profligate
    unrestrained by convention or morality
  565. profuse
    produced or growing in extreme abundance
  566. prolix
    tediously prolonged or tending to speak or write at length
  567. propitiate
    make peace with
  568. propitiation
    the act of placating and overcoming distrust and animosity
  569. prosaic
    lacking wit or imagination
  570. provident
    giving something useful for the future
  571. puerile
    displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity
  572. puissance
    power to influence or coerce
  573. pulchritude
    physical beauty, especially of a woman
  574. punctilious
    marked by precise accordance with details
  575. pusillanimous
    lacking in courage, strength, and resolution
  576. putrefy
    decay with an offensive smell
  577. quaff
    swallow hurriedly or greedily or in one draught
  578. quail
    a small game bird
  579. qualify
    prove capable or fit; meet requirements
  580. querulous
    habitually complaining
  581. quiescence
    a state of quiet (but possibly temporary) inaction
  582. quittance
    a document or receipt certifying release from an obligation or debt
  583. quixotic
    not sensible about practical matters
  584. rancorous
    showing deep-seated resentment
  585. rankle
    make resentful or angry
  586. rapacity
    reprehensible acquisitiveness; insatiable desire for wealth
  587. rapport
    a relationship of mutual understanding between people
  588. rarefy
    lessen the density or solidity of
  589. recalcitrant
    stubbornly resistant to authority or control
  590. recondite
    difficult to understand
  591. recriminate
    return an accusation against someone or engage in mutual accusations; charge in return
  592. recrudescence
    a return of something after a period of abatement
  593. rectilinear
    characterized by a straight line or lines
  594. redolent
    having a strong pleasant odor
  595. redoubtable
    inspiring fear
  596. reductive
    characterizing something in an overly simplistic way
  597. refractory
    stubbornly resistant to authority or control
  598. refulgence
    the quality of being bright and sending out rays of light
  599. refulgent
    radiating or as if radiating light
  600. refutation
    the act of determining that something is false
  601. regale
    occupy in an agreeable, entertaining or pleasant fashion
  602. remit
    send in payment
  603. remonstrate
    argue in protest or opposition
  604. renascent
    rising again as to new life and vigor
  605. rent
    a payment or series of payments made by a lessee to an owner
  606. repartee
    adroitness and cleverness in reply
  607. repose
    freedom from activity
  608. repudiate
    refuse to acknowledge, ratify, or recognize as valid
  609. requiem
    a song or hymn of mourning as a memorial to a dead person
  610. requite
    make repayment for or return something
  611. restive
    in a very tense state
  612. reticent
    reluctant to draw attention to yourself
  613. rhetoric
    study of the technique for using language effectively
  614. riposte
    a counterattack made immediately after successfully parrying
  615. risible
    arousing or provoking laughter
  616. robust
    sturdy and strong in form, constitution, or construction
  617. rodomontade
    vain and empty boasting
  618. rubicund
    having a healthy reddish color
  619. sagacious
    acutely insightful and wise
  620. salacious
    suggestive of or tending to moral looseness
  621. salient
    conspicuous, prominent, or important
  622. salubrious
    promoting health
  623. salutary
    tending to promote physical well-being; beneficial to health
  624. sanguine
    confidently optimistic and cheerful
  625. sap
    a watery fluid that circulates in a plant
  626. sapient
    acutely insightful and wise
  627. sardonic
    disdainfully or ironically humorous
  628. satiate
    fill to satisfaction
  629. saturnine
    bitter or scornful
  630. scat
    flee; take to one's heels; cut and run
  631. Schadenfreude
    delight in another person's misfortune
  632. scintilla
    a tiny or scarcely detectable amount
  633. scrofulous
    afflicted with scrofula
  634. scurrilous
    expressing offensive, insulting, or scandalous criticism
  635. scurvy
    a condition caused by deficiency of ascorbic acid
  636. seamy
    morally degraded
  637. seditious
    inciting action or rebellion
  638. sedulous
    marked by care and persistent effort
  639. self-abnegating
    used especially of behavior
  640. sempiternal
    having no known beginning and presumably no end
  641. sententious
    concise and full of meaning
  642. sepsis
    the presence of pus-forming bacteria or their toxins in the blood or tissues
  643. sepulcher
    a chamber that is used as a grave
  644. sepulture
    the ritual placing of a corpse in a grave
  645. seraphic
    having a sweet nature befitting an angel
  646. serendipity
    good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries
  647. sesquipedalian
    a very long word (a foot and a half long)
  648. singular
    being a single and separate person or thing
  649. slake
    satisfy, as thirst
  650. sobriquet
    a familiar name for a person
  651. sojourn
    a temporary stay
  652. solecism
    a socially awkward or tactless act
  653. solicitous
    full of anxiety and concern
  654. solipsism
    the philosophical theory that the self is all that exists
  655. Solomonic
    exhibiting or requiring the wisdom of Solomon in making difficult decisions
  656. somatic
    characteristic of the body as opposed to the mind or spirit
  657. somnific
    sleep inducing
  658. sonorous
    full and loud and deep
  659. sophist
    someone whose reasoning is subtle and often specious
  660. soporific
    inducing sleep
  661. soviet
    an elected governmental council in a communist country
  662. spartan
    unsparing and uncompromising in discipline or judgment
  663. specious
    plausible but false
  664. spendthrift
    someone who spends money freely or wastefully
  665. splenetic
    of or relating to the spleen
  666. spurious
    plausible but false
  667. stand
    be standing; be upright
  668. steep
    having a sharp inclination
  669. stentorian
    very loud or booming
  670. stilted
    artificially formal or stiff
  671. stoic
    seeming unaffected by pleasure or pain; impassive
  672. stolid
    having or revealing little emotion or sensibility
  673. stolidity
    apathy demonstrated by an absence of emotional reactions
  674. strident
    unpleasantly loud and harsh
  675. strut
    walk in a proud, confident way
  676. Sturm und Drang
    a state of violent disturbance and disorder
  677. Stygian
    dark and dismal as of the river in Hades
  678. sub-rosa
    designed and carried out secretly or confidentially
  679. sublimate
    change directly from a solid into a vapor without melting
  680. sublunary
    situated between the earth and the moon
  681. superannuated
    too old to be useful
  682. supercilious
    having or showing arrogant superiority
  683. surcease
    a stopping
  684. surfeit
    indulge (one's appetite) to satiety
  685. susurration
    an indistinct sound, as of whispering or rustling
  686. sybarite
    a person addicted to luxury and pleasures of the senses
  687. sycophant
    a person who tries to please someone to gain an advantage
  688. sylvan
    relating to or characteristic of wooded regions
  689. syncopation
    a musical rhythm accenting a normally weak beat
  690. table
    furniture having a smooth flat top supported by legs
  691. taciturn
    habitually reserved and uncommunicative
  692. tautology
    useless repetition
  693. tellurian
    of or relating to or inhabiting the land as opposed to the sea or air
  694. temerarious
    presumptuously daring
  695. temerity
    fearless daring
  696. tenacity
    persistent determination
  697. tendentious
    having a strong bias, especially a controversial one
  698. tender
    easy to cut or chew
  699. termagant
    a scolding, nagging, bad-tempered woman
  700. terrene
    of or relating to or inhabiting the land as opposed to the sea or air
  701. terse
    brief and to the point
  702. timorous
    shy and fearful by nature
  703. tocsin
    the sound of an alarm (usually a bell)
  704. torpid
    in a condition of biological rest or suspended animation
  705. torpor
    a state of motor and mental inactivity
  706. tortuous
    marked by repeated turns and bends
  707. tout
    advertise in strongly positive terms
  708. transitory
    lasting a very short time
  709. transmundane
    existing or extending beyond the physical world
  710. tremulous
    quivering as from weakness or fear
  711. trenchant
    having keenness and forcefulness and penetration in thought
  712. tropism
    an involuntary orienting response
  713. truculent
    defiantly aggressive
  714. tumescent
    swollen or distended
  715. tumid
    abnormally distended especially by fluids or gas
  716. turpitude
    a corrupt or depraved or degenerate act or practice
  717. tyro
    someone new to a field or activity
  718. ubiquitous
    being present everywhere at once
  719. umbrage
    a feeling of anger caused by being offended
  720. unaffected
    undergoing no change when acted upon
  721. unconscionable
    greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation
  722. unctuous
    unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating
  723. unequivocal
    admitting of no doubt or misunderstanding
  724. unprepossessing
    creating an unfavorable or neutral first impression
  725. untenable
    incapable of being defended or justified
  726. urbane
    showing a high degree of refinement
  727. usufruct
    a legal right to use and profit from someone else's property
  728. variegated
    having an assortment of colors
  729. verdure
    green foliage
  730. vichyssoise
    a creamy potato soup flavored with leeks and onions
  731. vilify
    spread negative information about
  732. vim
    a healthy capacity for vigorous activity
  733. virago
    a noisy or scolding or domineering woman
  734. virulent
    extremely poisonous or injurious; producing venom
  735. visage
    the human face
  736. vitiate
    make imperfect
  737. vituperate
    spread negative information about
  738. vituperation
    abusive or venomous language to express blame or censure
  739. vociferous
    conspicuously and offensively loud
  740. voluble
    marked by a ready flow of speech
  741. vouchsafe
    grant in a condescending manner
  742. wag
    a movement from side to side
  743. wax
    substance solid at normal temperature and insoluble in water
  744. whimsy
    an odd or fanciful or capricious idea
  745. winsome
    charming in a childlike or naive way
  746. wizened
    lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness
  747. wry
    humorously sarcastic or mocking
  748. yoke
    a wooden frame across the shoulders for carrying buckets
Created on Wed Feb 09 12:16:36 EST 2011 (updated Sun Mar 20 21:47:24 EDT 2011)

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