Advanced word list.

Group 1

Abhor hate

Bigot narrow-minded, prejudiced person

Counterfeit fake; false

Enfranchise give voting rights

Hamper hinder; obstruct

Kindle to start a fire

Noxious harmful; poisonous; lethal

Placid calm; peaceful

Remuneration payment for work done

Talisman lucky charm

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Group 2

Abrasive rough; coarse; harsh

Bilk cheat; defraud

Covert hidden; undercover

Engender cause

Hangar storage area (like garage) for a plane

Knotty complex; difficult to solve

Nuance something subtle; a fine shade of meaning

Plagiarism taking credit for someone else's writing or ideas

Renown fame

Tangent going off the main subject

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Group 3

Abasement humiliation; degradation

Billowing swelling; fluttering; waving

Cower recoil in fear or servility; shrink away from

Enhance improve; make better or clearer

Harangue noisy, attacking speech

Labyrinth a maze

Nullify to counter; make unimportant

Plaintiff petitioner (in court of law)

Replete full

Tangible can be touched

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Group 4

Abrogate cancel; deny; repeal

Blasphemy speech which offends religious sentiments

Credible believable

Enigma puzzle; mystery

Harbingers indicators; bringers of warnings

Labyrinthine complicated; highly convoluted

Nuzzle cuddle; snuggle

Plaudit statement giving strong praise

Reprehensible shameful; very bad

Tardy slow; late; overdue; delayed

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Group 5

Absolution forgiveness; pardon; release

Blatant obvious

Creditable praiseworthy

Ensconce establish firmly in a position

Hasten hurry; accelerate; rush

Laceration a cut

Obdurate stubborn

Plausible can be believed; reasonable

Reprieve a respite; postponement of a sentence

Tawdry of little value; gaudy

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Group 6

Abstain desist; go without; withdraw

Blighted damaged; destroyed; ruined

Credulous gullible; ready to believe anything

Enshroud cover
Haughtiness arrogance; pride

Lachrymose tearful; sad

Obfuscate deliberately make something difficult to understand

Plethora an excess

Repudiate shun; eschew

Tedium boredom

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Group 7

Abstemious self denying; refraining from indulging

Blithe free-spirited; carefree

Crepuscular active at dawn and dusk

Enunciation clear pronunciation; accent; articulation

Headstrong stubborn; willful

Lackluster dull; monotonous; bland

Objective unbiased; not subjective

Pliable flexible; not stubborn

Rescind retract; repeal

Temper to moderate; soften

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Group 8

Abstruse difficult to understand; obscure

Blunderbuss 1. ancient weapon (type of gun); 2. a clumsy person

Cringe recoil; flinch; shy away

Envenom to cause bitterness and bad feeling

Hedonism self indulgence; pleasure-seeking

Laconic using few words; brief; to the point

Oblique indirect; slanting

Plumage feathers of a bird

Resignation acceptance of fate

Tenacious stubborn; resolute; holding firm to a purpose

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Group 9

Accolade tribute; honor; praise

Bolster support; prop up

Cryptic puzzling; enigmatic

Ephemeral short-lived

Hedonist a pleasure seeker

Lamentation expression of regret or sorrow

Obliterate destroy; demolish; eradicate

Plummet fall suddenly and steeply

Resolution determination

Tentative not certain

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Group 10

Acquiesce to agree to; give in to

Bombast arrogant, pompous language

Curtail cut short

Epicure someone who appreciates good food and drink

Heed listen to

Lampoon ridicule; spoof

Oblivious totally unaware

Podium raised platform

Resonant echoing

Tenuous flimsy; not solid

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Group 1

Abate reduce in intensity

Abjure renounce; swear to refrain from something

Blandishment words used to coax or flatter [blandish (v)]

Boor ill-mannered person [boorish (a)]

Cardinal 1. high ranking church official; 2. major, important

Deliberate 1. slow (a); 2. to think over (v); 3. on purpose (a)

Equivocation speaking ambiguously [equivocate (v), equivocal (a)]

Feckless feeble; helpless; lacking in initiative

Imperturbability quality of being calm and not easily disturbed [imperturbable (a)]

Meretricious falsely attractive; tawdry

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Group 2

Augury prediction, looking for omens [auger (v)]

Boycott refuse to have dealings with

Glib slick; superficial esp. in speech

Incise cut into [incision (n); incisive (a)]

Moralistic concerned with morals [moralize (v)]

Ostracism shunning; social isolation [ostracize (v)]

Penchant inclination; leaning; tendency; predilection

Rarefy make less dense [rarefaction (n)]

Repine fret; be discontented

Stipulate specify [stipulation (n)]

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Group 3

Diaphanous transparent; thin and delicate

Feint pretended attack; a move intended to deceive

Inured hardened; habituated

Mettlesome spirited [mettle (n)]

Puissance power

Recondite obscure

Stygian very dark

Touting advertising; supporting [tout (v)]

Virtuosity skill, expertise [virtuoso (n); virtuosi (n.pl)]

Volubility excessive talkativeness [voluble (a)]

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Group 4

Caret punctuation mark signifying omission

Contiguous adjacent; touching; abutting [contiguity (n)]

Damp (used of vibration) reduce in extent

Ellipsis omission of essential words

Extirpation wiping out; complete destruction [extirpate (v)]

Foppish behaving or dressing like a dandy; excessively concerned with fashion

Gaffe blunder; social mistake

Hortatory encouraging; exhorting

Opprobrious expressing great scorn [opprobrium (n)]

Recumbent reclining; lying down

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Group 5

Ambidextrous able to use both left and right hands equally well

Culpability guilt [culpable = blameworthy]

Discernment judgment; perceptiveness

Encomium praise

Inveigle coax; cajole; wheedle; entice

Minatory threatening

Ossified turned to bone; become rigid [ossification (n)]

Plumb measure depth of (v); exact (a. slang)

Quintessential most typical; the perfect example of [quintessence (n)]

Runic mysterious; magical

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Group 6

Accretion accumulation of matter; growth produced by adding from the outside

Anachronistic occurring in the wrong time period [anachronism (n)]

Chronic long lasting (often used for diseases in which case the opposite is acute)

Churlishness rudeness; ill-mannered behavior

Demagogue mob leader (who appeals to base instincts) [demagogy/demagoguery (n)]

Effrontery daring; audacity (has a negative connotation)

Idyll story or incident in peaceful or ideal setting [idyllic (a)]

Interregnum interval between reigns or governments

Nugatory of minor significance; futile

Sinecure job which pays salary but requiring little effort

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Group 7

Anodized electroplated; coated with thin layer of metal

Aphoristic expressed tersely [aphorism (n) = short statement; maxim]

Canonical orthodox [canon (n) = set of accepted works]

Commensurate equal in significance

Dexterity skill, esp. with hands [dexterous (a)]

Extant still in existence (opposite of extinct)

Impugned challenged; called into question

Probity uprightness; honesty

Raconteur person who relates a story

Solicitous kindly; expressing care and concern

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Group 8

Amalgamate join; consolidate [amalgamation (n)]

Baleful evil

Coerce force [coercion (n); coercing (a)]

Inchoate undeveloped; nascent

Iniquitous evil; unjust [iniquity (n)]

Libertine dissolute person; prodigal

Millinery hats and hat-making

Natty neat; dapper; smart

Occluded obscured; blocked

Sidereal of or related to stars

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Group 9

Avaricious greedy for money

Extirpate wipe out totally

Halcyon peaceful and happy; calm (esp. of summer weather)

List (v) 1. to lean to one side; 2. to write in order

Maudlin sad; sentimental; inclined to weep

Refulgent glowing; radiant

Subliminal below the threshold of consciousness

Testiness irritability; irascibility [testy (a)]

Vituperate attack bitterly

Whittle 1. carve with knife; 2. reduce step by step

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Group 10

Colander bowl with holes used to drain vegetables etc.

Cumbersome bulky; difficult to carry [encumber = to burden]

Diaphanous transparent; thin and delicate

Dispatch 1. send (v); 2. speed; celerity (n)

Epistemology theory of knowledge

Froward stubborn; wayward; disobedient

Supine lying flat on one’s back

Throwback exhibiting primitive, or ancestral, traits

Untoward unexpected

Verisimilar true to life; giving the appearance of reality

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Adjectives

Appearance Appearance Condition Condition Feelings (Bad) Feelings (Bad)

Contd. Contd. Contd.

adorable glamorous alive impossible angry grumpy

adventurous gleaming annoying inexpensive annoyed helpless
aggressive gorgeous bad innocent anxious homeless
alert graceful better inquisitive arrogant hungry
attractive grotesque beautiful modern ashamed hurt
average handsome brainy mushy awful ill
beautiful homely breakable odd bad itchy
blue-eyed light busy open bewildered jealous
bloody long careful outstanding black jittery
blushing magnificent cautious poor blue lazy
bright misty clever powerful bored lonely
clean motionless clumsy prickly clumsy mysterious
clear muddy concerned puzzled combative nasty
cloudy old-fashioned crazy real condemned naughty
colorful plain curious rich confused nervous
crowded poised dead shy crazy, flipped-out nutty
cute precious different sleepy creepy obnoxious
dark quaint difficult stupid cruel outrageous
drab shiny doubtful super dangerous panicky
distinct smoggy easy talented defeated repulsive
dull sparkling expensive tame defiant scary
elegant spotless famous tender depressed selfish
excited stormy fragile tough disgusted sore
fancy strange frail uninterested disturbed tense
filthy ugly gifted vast dizzy terrible
ugliest helpful wandering dull testy
unsightly helpless wild embarrassed thoughtless
unusual horrible wrong envious tired
wide-eyed important evil troubled
fierce upset
foolish uptight
frantic weary
frightened wicked
grieving worried
Feelings (Good) Feelings (Good) Shape Size Sound Time
Contd.

agreeable happy broad big cooing ancient

amused healthy chubby colossal deafening brief
brave helpful crooked fat faint Early
calm hilarious curved gigantic harsh fast
charming jolly deep great high-pitched late
cheerful joyous flat huge hissing long
comfortable kind high immense hushed modern
cooperative lively hollow large husky old
courageous lovely low little loud old-fashioned
delightful lucky narrow mammoth melodic quick
determined nice round massive moaning rapid
eager obedient shallow miniature mute short
elated perfect skinny petite noisy slow
enchanting pleasant square puny purring swift
encouraging proud steep scrawny quiet young
energetic relieved straight short raspy
enthusiastic silly wide small resonant
excited smiling tall screeching
exuberant splendid teeny shrill
fair successful teeny-tiny silent
faithful thankful tiny soft
fantastic thoughtful squealing
fine victorious thundering
friendly vivacious voiceless
funny witty whispering
gentle wonderful
glorious zealous
good zany
Taste/Touch Taste/Touch Touch Quantity
Contd.

bitter melted boiling abundant

delicious nutritious breezy empty
fresh plastic broken few
juicy prickly bumpy heavy
ripe rainy chilly light
rotten rough cold many
salty scattered cool numerous
sour shaggy creepy substantial
spicy shaky crooked
stale sharp cuddly
sticky shivering curly
strong silky damaged
sweet slimy damp
tart slippery dirty
tasteless smooth dry
tasty soft dusty
thirsty solid filthy
fluttering steady flaky
fuzzy sticky fluffy
greasy tender freezing
grubby tight hot
hard uneven warm
hot weak wet
icy wet
loose wooden
yummy

aberration

(n.) something that differs from the norm (In 1974, Poland won the World Cup, but the success turned
out to be an aberration, and Poland have not won a World Cup since).

abhor

(v.) to hate, detest (Because he always wound up getting hit in the head when he tried to play cricket,
Marcin began to abhor the sport).
acquiesce

(v.) to agree without protesting (Though Mr. Pospieszny wanted to stay outside and work in his garage,
when his wife told him that he had better come in to dinner, he acquiesced to her demands.)

alacrity

(n.) eagerness, speed (For some reason, Simon loved to help his girlfriend whenever he could, so when
his girlfriend asked him to set the table he did so with alacrity.)

amiable

(adj.) friendly (An amiable fellow, Neil got along with just about everyone.)

appease

(v.) to calm, satisfy (When Jerry cries, his mother gives him chocolate to appeasehim.)

arcane

(adj.) obscure, secret, known only by a few (The professor is an expert in arcaneKashubian literature.)

avarice

(n.) excessive greed (The banker’s avarice led him to amass an enormous personal fortune.)

brazen

(adj.) excessively bold, brash, clear and obvious (Critics condemned the writer’sbrazen attempt to
plagiarise Frankow-Czerwonko’s work.)

brusque

(adj.) short, abrupt, dismissive (Simon’s brusque manner sometimes offends his colleagues.)

cajole

(v.) to urge, coax (Magda's friends cajoled her into drinking too much.)

callous

(adj.) harsh, cold, unfeeling (The murderer’s callous lack of remorse shocked the jury.)

candor

(n.) honesty, frankness (We were surprised by the candor of the politician’s speech because she is usually
rather evasive.)

chide

(v.) to voice disapproval (Hania chided Gregory for his vulgar habits and sloppy appearance.)

circumspect
 (adj.) cautious (Though I promised Marta’s father I would bring her home promptly by midnight, it would
have been more circumspect not to have specified a time.)

clandestine

(adj.) secret (Announcing to her boyfriend that she was going to the library, Maria actually went to meet
George for a clandestine liaison.)

coerce

(v.) to make somebody do something by force or threat (The court decided that David Beckham did not
have to honor the contract because he had been coercedinto signing it.)

coherent

(adj.) logically consistent, intelligible (William could not figure out what Harold had seen because he was
too distraught to deliver a coherent statement.)

complacency

(n.) self-satisfied ignorance of danger (Simon tried to shock his friends out of theircomplacency by
painting a frightening picture of what might happen to them.)

confidant

(n.) a person entrusted with secrets (Shortly after we met, he became my chiefconfidant.)

connive

(v.) to plot, scheme (She connived to get me to give up my plans to start up a new business.)

cumulative

(adj.) increasing, building upon itself (The cumulative effect of hours spent using the World English
website was a vast improvement in his vocabulary and general level of English.)

debase

(v.) to lower the quality or esteem of something (The large raise that he gave himself debased his motives
for running the charity.)

decry

(v.) to criticize openly (Andrzej Lepper, the leader of the Polish Self Defence partydecried the appaling
state of Polish roads.)

deferential

(adj.) showing respect for another’s authority (Donata is always excessivelydeferential to any kind of
authority figure.)

demure

(adj.) quiet, modest, reserved (Though everyone else at the party was dancing and going crazy, she
remained demure.)
deride

(v.) to laugh at mockingly, scorn (The native speaker often derided the other teacher’s accent.)

despot

(n.) one who has total power and rules brutally (The despot issued a death sentence for anyone who
disobeyed his laws.)

diligent

(adj.) showing care in doing one’s work (The diligent researcher made sure to double check her
measurements.)

elated

(adj.) overjoyed, thrilled (When he found out he had won the lottery, the postman was elated.)

eloquent

(adj.) expressive, articulate, moving (The best man gave such an eloquent speech that most guests were
crying.)

embezzle

(v.) to steal money by falsifying records (The accountant was fired for embezzling€10,000 of the
company’s funds.)

empathy

(n.) sensitivity to another’s feelings as if they were one’s own (I feel suchempathy for my dog when she’s
upset so am I!)

enmity

(n.) ill will, hatred, hostility (John and Scott have clearly not forgiven each other, because
the enmity between them is obvious to anyone in their presence.)

erudite

(adj.) learned (My English teacher is such an erudite scholar that he has translated some of the most
difficult and abstruse Old English poetry.)

extol

(v.) to praise, revere (Kamila extolled the virtues of a vegetarian diet to her meat-loving boyfriend.)

fabricate

(v.) to make up, invent (When I arrived an hour late to class, I fabricated some excuse about my car
breaking down on the way to work.)

feral

(adj.) wild, savage (That beast looks so feral that I would fear being alone with it.)
flabbergasted

(adj.) astounded (Whenever I read an Agatha Christie mystery novel, I am alwaysflabbergasted when I
learn the identity of the murderer.)

forsake

(v.) to give up, renounce (I won't forsake my conservative principles.)

fractious

(adj.) troublesome or irritable (Although the child insisted he wasn’t tired, hisfractious behaviour -
especially his decision to crush his jam sandwiches all over the floor - convinced everyone present that it
was time to put him to bed.)

furtive

(adj.) secretive, sly (Claudia’s placement of her drugs in her sock drawer was not as furtive as she
thought, as the sock drawer is the first place most parents look.)

gluttony

(n.) overindulgence in food or drink (Helen’s fried chicken tastes so divine, I don’t know how anyone can
call gluttony a sin.)

gratuitous

(adj.) uncalled for, unwarranted (Every evening the guy at the fish and chip shop gives me
a gratuitous helping of vinegar.)

haughty

(adj.) disdainfully proud (The superstar’s haughty dismissal of her co-stars will backfire on her someday.)

hypocrisy

(n.) pretending to believe what one does not (Once the politician began passing legislation that
contradicted his campaign promises, his hypocrisy became apparent.)

impeccable

(adj.) exemplary, flawless (If your grades were as impeccable as your brother’s, then you too would
receive a car for a graduation present.)

impertinent

(adj.) rude, insolent (Most of your comments are so impertinent that I don’t wish to dignify them with an
answer.)

implacable

(adj.) incapable of being appeased or mitigated (Watch out: once you shun Grandmother’s cooking, she is
totally implacable.)

impudent
 (adj.) casually rude, insolent, impertinent (The impudent young woman looked her teacher up and down
and told him he was hot.)

incisive

(adj.) clear, sharp, direct (The discussion wasn’t going anywhere until her incisivecomment allowed
everyone to see what the true issues were.)

indolent

(adj.) lazy (Why should my indolent children, who can’t even pick themselves up off the sofa to pour their
own juice, be rewarded with a trip to Burger King?)

inept

(adj.) not suitable or capable, unqualified (She proved how inept she was when she forgot two orders and
spilled a pint of cider in a customer’s lap.)

infamy

(n.) notoriety, extreme ill repute (The infamy of his crime will not lessen as time passes.)

inhibit

(v.) to prevent, restrain, stop (When I told you I needed the car last night, I certainly never meant
to inhibit you from going out.)

innate

(adj.) inborn, native, inherent (His incredible athletic talent is innate, he never trains, lifts weights, or
practices.)

insatiable

(adj.) incapable of being satisfied (My insatiable appetite for blondes was a real problem on my recent
holiday in Japan!)

insular

(adj.) separated and narrow-minded; tight-knit, closed off (Because of the sensitive nature of their jobs,
those who work for MI5 must remain insular and generally only spend time with each other.)

intrepid

(adj.) brave in the face of danger (After scaling a live volcano prior to its eruption, the explorer was
praised for his intrepid attitude.)

inveterate

(adj.) stubbornly established by habit (I’m the first to admit that I’m an inveteratecider drinker—I drink
four pints a day.)

jubilant
 (adj.) extremely joyful, happy (The crowd was jubilant when the firefighter carried the woman from the
flaming building.)

knell

(n.) the solemn sound of a bell, often indicating a death (Echoing throughout our village, the
funeral knell made the grey day even more grim.)

lithe

(adj.) graceful, flexible, supple (Although the dancers were all outstanding, Joanna’s control of
her lithe body was particularly impressive.)

lurid

(adj.) ghastly, sensational (Barry’s story, in which he described a character torturing his neighbour's
tortoise, was judged too lurid to be published on the English Library's website.)

maverick

(n.) an independent, nonconformist person (John is a real maverick and always does things his own way.)

maxim

(n.) a common saying expressing a principle of conduct (Ms. Stone’s etiquettemaxims are both
entertaining and instructional.)

meticulous

(adj.) extremely careful with details (The ornate needlework in the bride’s gown was a product
of meticulous handiwork.)

modicum

(n.) a small amount of something (Refusing to display even a modicum of sensitivity, Magda announced
her boss’s affair to the entire office.)

morose

(adj.) gloomy or sullen (David’s morose nature made him very unpleasant to talk to.)

myriad

(adj.) consisting of a very great number (It was difficult to decide what to do on Saturday night because
the city presented us with myriad possibilities for fun.)

nadir

(n.) the lowest point of something (My day was boring, but the nadir came when my new car was stolen.)

nominal

(adj.) trifling, insignificant (Because he was moving the following week and needed to get rid of his
furniture more than he needed money, Kim sold everything for a nominal price.)

novice
 (n.) a beginner, someone without training or experience (Because we were allnovices at archery, our
instructor decided to begin with the basics

nuance

(n.) a slight variation in meaning, tone, expression (The nuances of the poem were not obvious to the
casual reader, but the teacher was able to point them out.)

oblivious

(adj.) lacking consciousness or awareness of something (Oblivious to the burning smell emanating from
the kitchen, my father did not notice that the rolls in the oven were burned until much too late.)

obsequious

(adj.) excessively compliant or submissive (Donald acted like Susan’s servant, obeying her every request
in an obsequious manner.)

obtuse

(adj.) lacking quickness of sensibility or intellect (Political opponents warned that the prime
minister’s obtuse approach to foreign policy would embroil the nation in mindless war.)

panacea

(n.) a remedy for all ills or difficulties (Doctors wish there was a single panaceafor every disease, but
sadly there is not.)

parody

(n.) a satirical imitation (A hush fell over the classroom when the teacher returned to find Magdalena
acting out a parody of his teaching style.)

penchant

(n.) a tendency, partiality, preference (Fiona’s dinner parties quickly became monotonous on account of
her penchant for Indian dishes.)

perusal

(n.) a careful examination, review (The actor agreed to accept the role after a three-month perusal of the
movie script.)

plethora

(n.) an abundance, excess (The wedding banquet included a plethora of oysters piled almost three feet
high.)

predilection

(n.) a preference or inclination for something (James has a predilection for eating toad in the whole with
tomato ketchup.)

quaint

(adj.) charmingly old-fashioned (Mary was delighted by the quaint bonnets she saw in Romania.)
rash

(adj.) hasty, incautious (It’s best to think things over calmly and thoroughly, rather than
make rash decisions.)

refurbish

(v.) to restore, clean up (After being refurbished the old Triumph motorcycle commanded the handsome
price of $6000.)

repudiate

(v.) to reject, refuse to accept (Tom made a strong case for an extension of his curfew, but his
mother repudiated it with a few biting words.)

rife

(adj.) abundant (Surprisingly, the teacher’s writing was rife with spelling errors.)

salient

(adj.) significant, conspicuous (One of the salient differences between Alison and Helen is that Alison is a
couple of kilos heavier.)

serendipity

(n.) luck, finding good things without looking for them (In an amazing bit ofserendipity, penniless Mark
found a $50 bill on the back seat of the bus.)

staid

(adj.) sedate, serious, self-restrained (The staid butler never changed his expression no matter what
happened.)

superfluous

(adj.) exceeding what is necessary (Samantha had already won the campaign so her constant flattery of
others was superfluous.)

sycophant

(n.) one who flatters for self-gain (Some see the people in the cabinet as the Prime Minister’s closest
advisors, but others see them as sycophants.)

taciturn

(adj.) not inclined to talk (Though Magda never seems to stop talking, her brother is quite taciturn.)

truculent

(adj.) ready to fight, cruel (This club doesn’t really attract the dangerous types, so why was that bouncer
being so truculent?)

umbrage

(n.) resentment, offence (He called me a lily-livered coward, and I took umbrageat the insult.)
venerable

(adj.) deserving of respect because of age or achievement (The venerable High Court judge had made
several key rulings in landmark cases throughout the years.)

vex

(v.) to confuse or annoy (My boyfriend vexes me by pinching my bottom for hours on end.)

vociferous

(adj.) loud, boisterous (I’m tired of his vociferous whining so I’m breaking up with him.)

wanton

(adj.) undisciplined, lewd, lustful (Joanna’s wanton demeanor often made the frat guys next door very
excited.)

zenith

(n.) the highest point, culminating point (I was too nice to tell Emily that she had reached the
absolute zenith of her career with that one top 10 hit of hers.)