Barron's Popular GRE List

Lisa G. (United States of America)
753 words 3320 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

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

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.