Vocab Video Contest (2016) - List 6

Vocabulary.com and the New York Times Learning Network have teamed up to launch a Vocabulary Video contest. Just create a short (15 seconds or less) video that defines or teaches any of the words in the Times' Word of the Day collection, post it online, and submit a link to your video in the comments section of the announcement. Click on these links to learn more about the eligible words: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5, and List 6.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. stoke
    (of a fire) stir up or tend
  2. stolid
    having or revealing little emotion or sensibility
  3. strut
    walk in a proud, confident way
  4. stupefy
    make someone dazed or foolish
  5. stupor
    marginal consciousness
  6. Stygian
    dark and dismal as of the river in Hades
  7. suavity
    the quality of being charming and gracious in manner
  8. subaltern
    British commissioned army officer below the rank of captain
  9. subdue
    put down by force or intimidation
  10. subjective
    taking place within the mind and modified by individual bias
  11. subliminal
    below the threshold of conscious perception
  12. submissive
    inclined or willing to give in to orders or wishes of others
  13. suborn
    incite to commit a crime or an evil deed
  14. subpoena
    a writ issued to compel the attendance of a witness
  15. subsidiary
    functioning in a supporting capacity
  16. substantive
    having a firm basis in reality and therefore important
  17. suffragist
    an advocate of the extension of voting rights
  18. suffuse
    cause to spread or flush or flood through, over, or across
  19. sundry
    consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds
  20. superficial
    of, affecting, or being on or near the surface
  21. supine
    lying face upward
  22. supplant
    take the place or move into the position of
  23. supposition
    the cognitive process of conjecturing
  24. suppress
    put down by force or authority
  25. surly
    unfriendly and inclined toward anger or irritation
  26. surreptitious
    marked by quiet and caution and secrecy
  27. surrogate
    someone or something that takes the place of another
  28. suture
    a seam used in surgery
  29. swarthy
    naturally having skin of a dark color
  30. swathe
    wrap in or as if in strips of cloth
  31. swerve
    turn sharply; change direction abruptly
  32. swindler
    a person who steals by means of deception or fraud
  33. syllogism
    reasoning in which a conclusion is derived from two premises
  34. symbiosis
    the relation between two interdependent species of organisms
  35. synoptic
    presenting a summary or general view of a whole
  36. synthesis
    the combination of ideas into a complex whole
  37. tangential
    of superficial relevance if any
  38. tarry
    leave slowly and hesitantly
  39. taut
    pulled or drawn tight
  40. tautological
    characterized by unnecessary repetition
  41. tawdry
    tastelessly showy
  42. tedium
    the feeling of being bored by something
  43. teetotalism
    abstaining from alcohol
  44. tempestuous
    characterized by violent emotions or behavior
  45. tempo
    the speed at which a composition is to be played
  46. tenacity
    persistent determination
  47. tendentious
    having a strong bias, especially a controversial one
  48. termination
    the act of ending something
  49. terminology
    a system of words used to name things in a discipline
  50. tessellated
    decorated with small pieces of colored glass or stone
  51. testy
    easily irritated or annoyed
  52. tether
    restraint consisting of a rope or chain
  53. thematic
    relating to or constituting a topic of discourse
  54. theocracy
    a political unit governed by a deity
  55. theoretical
    concerned with hypotheses and not practical considerations
  56. thermal
    relating to or associated with heat
  57. thrifty
    mindful of the future in spending money
  58. throttle
    a valve that regulates the supply of fuel to the engine
  59. tightwad
    a miserly person
  60. timbre
    the distinctive property of a complex sound
  61. timidity
    fear of the unknown or fear of making decisions
  62. timorous
    shy and fearful by nature
  63. tipple
    drink moderately but regularly
  64. toga
    a one-piece cloak worn by men in ancient Rome
  65. tonsure
    shaving the crown of the head by priests or monks
  66. torque
    a twisting force
  67. torrent
    an overwhelming number or amount
  68. tortuous
    marked by repeated turns and bends
  69. touchstone
    a basis for comparison
  70. touchy
    difficult to handle; requiring great tact
  71. tout
    advertise in strongly positive terms
  72. traduce
    speak unfavorably about
  73. trajectory
    the path followed by an object moving through space
  74. tranquility
    an untroubled state that is free from disturbances
  75. transcendent
    exceeding or surpassing usual limits
  76. transcribe
    write out, as from speech or notes
  77. transgression
    the violation of a law or a duty or moral principle
  78. transient
    lasting a very short time
  79. transition
    the act of passing from one state or place to the next
  80. transitory
    lasting a very short time
  81. translucent
    allowing light to pass through diffusely
  82. traumatic
    psychologically painful
  83. tribute
    something given or done as an expression of esteem
  84. trigger
    lever that activates the firing mechanism of a gun
  85. truncate
    make shorter as if by cutting off
  86. turbid
    clouded as with sediment
  87. turgid
    ostentatiously lofty in style
  88. turncoat
    a disloyal person who betrays or deserts a cause
  89. turpitude
    a corrupt or depraved or degenerate act or practice
  90. typhoon
    a tropical cyclone in the western Pacific or Indian oceans
  91. tyranny
    government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator
  92. ulterior
    lying beyond what is openly revealed or avowed
  93. ultimatum
    a final peremptory demand
  94. unaccountable
    not to be explained
  95. unassailable
    impossible to attack
  96. unassuming
    not arrogant
  97. unconscionable
    greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation
  98. uncouth
    lacking refinement or cultivation or taste
  99. underlying
    in the nature of something though not readily apparent
  100. underscore
    give extra weight to
  101. undulate
    move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion
  102. unearth
    recover through digging
  103. unearthly
    suggesting the operation of supernatural influences
  104. unfaltering
    marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable
  105. unfettered
    not bound or restrained, as by shackles and chains
  106. uniformity
    the quality of lacking diversity or variation
  107. unimpeachable
    beyond doubt or reproach
  108. unison
    the state of corresponding exactly
  109. unkempt
    not properly maintained or cared for
  110. unprecedented
    novel; having no earlier occurrence
  111. unravel
    become or cause to become undone by separating the fibers of
  112. unrequited
    not returned in kind
  113. unsullied
    free from blemishes
  114. untenable
    incapable of being defended or justified
  115. uproarious
    uncontrollably noisy
  116. urchin
    a poor and often mischievous city child
  117. usury
    the act of lending money at an exorbitant rate of interest
  118. utopia
    ideally perfect state
  119. vainglorious
    feeling self-importance
  120. valor
    courage when facing danger
  121. vantage
    place or situation affording some benefit
  122. vapid
    lacking significance or liveliness or spirit or zest
  123. vaporize
    turn into gas
  124. vassal
    a person who owes allegiance and service to a feudal lord
  125. veer
    turn sharply; change direction abruptly
  126. venal
    capable of being corrupted
  127. vendor
    someone who exchanges goods or services for money
  128. veneer
    coating consisting of a thin layer of wood
  129. venerable
    profoundly honored
  130. venial
    warranting only temporal punishment
  131. venison
    meat from a deer used as food
  132. venom
    toxin secreted by animals
  133. vent
    a hole for the escape of gas, air, or liquid
  134. ventral
    toward or on or near the belly
  135. ventriloquist
    a performer who projects the voice into a wooden dummy
  136. veracity
    unwillingness to tell lies
  137. verbatim
    using exactly the same words
  138. verbose
    using or containing too many words
  139. verdigris
    a green patina that forms on copper or brass or bronze
  140. verity
    conformity to reality or actuality
  141. vex
    disturb, especially by minor irritations
  142. vicarious
    experienced at secondhand
  143. vicissitude
    a variation in circumstances or fortune
  144. victuals
    a source of materials to nourish the body
  145. vigor
    forceful exertion
  146. vindictive
    disposed to seek revenge or intended for revenge
  147. vintner
    someone who sells wine
  148. virile
    characteristic of a man
  149. visceral
    relating to or affecting the internal organs
  150. viscid
    having the sticky properties of an adhesive
  151. viscous
    having a relatively high resistance to flow
  152. vituperative
    marked by harshly abusive criticism
  153. vivacious
    vigorous and animated
  154. vivisection
    the act of operating on living animals
  155. vortex
    a powerful circular current of water
  156. vouchsafe
    grant in a condescending manner
  157. vulpine
    resembling or characteristic of a fox
  158. waffle
    pancake batter baked in an iron
  159. waggish
    witty or joking
  160. waif
    a homeless child especially one forsaken or orphaned
  161. wallow
    roll around
  162. wan
    pale, as of a person's complexion
  163. wanderlust
    very strong or irresistible impulse to travel
  164. wangle
    accomplishing something by scheming or trickery
  165. wastrel
    someone who squanders resources or time
  166. wax
    substance solid at normal temperature and insoluble in water
  167. welt
    a raised mark on the skin
  168. welter
    a confused multitude of things
  169. whet
    sharpen by rubbing
  170. whimsical
    determined by chance or impulse rather than by necessity
  171. whit
    a tiny or scarcely detectable amount
  172. whittle
    cut small bits or pare shavings from
  173. whorl
    a round shape formed by a series of concentric circles
  174. willful
    done by design
  175. wily
    marked by skill in deception
  176. wince
    draw back, as with fear or pain
  177. windfall
    a sudden happening that brings good fortune
  178. winsome
    charming in a childlike or naive way
  179. wispy
    thin and weak
  180. wistful
    showing pensive sadness
  181. withstand
    resist or confront with resistance
  182. witless
    lacking sense or understanding or judgment
  183. witticism
    a message whose ingenuity has the power to evoke laughter
  184. wizardry
    exceptional creative ability
  185. wizened
    lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness
  186. wont
    an established custom
  187. worldly
    characteristic of secularity rather than spirituality
  188. writhe
    move in a twisting or contorted motion
  189. xenophobia
    a fear of foreigners or strangers
  190. yen
    the basic unit of money in Japan
  191. yoke
    a wooden frame across the shoulders for carrying buckets
  192. yokel
    a person who is not intelligent or interested in culture
  193. yore
    time long past
Created on January 20, 2016 (updated January 25, 2016)

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