UMAT definitions

Aberrant

deviating from normal or correct.

Abscond

to leave secretly and hide, often to avoid the law.

Absolve

to free one from guilt, blame or their consequences: The

court absolved her of guilt in his death

Accusatory

containing or expressing accusation

Advocate

to speak, plead, or argue for a cause, or in another's behalf.

Affronted

treated with insolent and rude language especially openly

and intentionally

Aggrieved

feeling or expressing a sense of injustice, injury, or offense

Aggrandize

to make greater/increase/exaggeration

Ailment

a physical disorder or illness, particularly of a minor or

chronic nature.

Allay

lessen the intensity of; calm (e.g. watching TeleTubbies

____ed his fear of unknown fluffy creatures with televisions
in their stomach)

Amalgamate

to unite or mix.

Ambiguous

vague; subject to more than one interpretation

Ambitious

having a strong desire for success or achievement

Ambivalence

uncertainty or fluctuation, especially when caused by

inability to make a choice or by a simultaneous desire to say
or do two opposite or conflicting things.

Ambivalent

having opposing attitudes or feelings toward a person,

thing, or idea; unable to decide

Ambivalent

having or showing both good and bad feelings about sb

Ambrosial

extremely pleasing to the senses, divine, delicious

Amiable

pleasant, friendly and easy to like

Amused

pleasurably entertained, occupied, or diverted

Anguish

extreme mental distress

Animosity

a feeling of strong dislike, ill will, or enmity that tends to

display itself in action: a deep-seated animosity between
two sisters; animosity against one's neighbour.

Anomalous

peculiar; unique, contrary to the norm

Antagonise

provoke the hostility of

Antipathy

hostility toward, objection, or aversion to

Apathetic

feeling or showing little emotion

Apathy

the trait of lacking enthusiasm for or interest in things

generally

Apologetic

sorry; showing regret

Appease

make peace through yielding to another's demand

Appreciative

feeling or expressive of gratitude

Apprehensive

fearful expectation or anticipation

Approbation

the expression of approval or favorable opinion, praise;

official approval

Arbitrary

choices and actions made out of selfishness

Arbitrate

to settle a dispute by impulse

Ardent

characterized by intense emotion

Arrogant

having or showing feelings of unwarranted importance out

of overbearing pride

Assertive

acting with confidence and force; sure of one's self

Assuage

to make an unpleasant feeling less severe

Assuagement

the feeling that comes when something burdensome is

removed or reduced

Attenuate

weaken

Audacious

extremely bold; fearless, especially said of human behavior

Authentic

conforming to fact and therefore worthy of belief

Authoritive

a person behaves in an tyrannical manner, reliable;

commanding

Avid

marked by active interest and enthusiasm, desirous of

something to the point of greed; intensely eager

Awe

an overwhelming feeling of wonder or admiration

Baleful

threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments

Banal

boring, ordinary, not original

Barefaced

unconcealed, shameless, or brazen

Bedevil

be confusing or perplexing to

Beguiling

tricking; charming

Belligerent

given to fighting, warlike; combative, aggressive; one at

war, one engaged in war

Bereaved

having a close relative or friend who has recently died

Bewilderment

the state of being confused or puzzled

Bitter

exhibiting strong hatred as a result of pain/grief

Blandishment

speech or action intended to coax someone into doing

something

Blather

to talk or utter foolishly; blither; babble: The poor thing

blathered for hours about the intricacies of his psyche.

Bodacious

unrestrained by convention or propriety

Bombast

pompous speech

Brazen

face with defiance or impudence

Breach

to break/break through. e.g. a ___ of etiquette, a ___ of

confidentiality

Bristling

to become rigid with anger or irritation; visibly roused or

stirred

Burgeon

to grow or flourish; a bud or new growth (adj: burgeoning )

Buttress

to support

Cadge

to get something by taking advantage of someone

Callous

emotionally hardened; unfeeling;

insensitive; indifferent; unsympathetic: They have a callous
attitude toward the sufferings of others.

Candid

characterized by directness in manner or speech

Candour

the quality of saying what you think openly and honestly

Caprice

impulse, on a whim

Castigate

to chastise or criticize severely

Catalyst

an agent of change

Caustic

capable of dissolving by chemical action; highly critical: "His

____ remarks spoiled the mood of the party."

Chafed

to be annoyed

Chagrin

strong feelings of embarrassment

Chasten

to restrain; subdue: Age has chastened his violent temper.

to inflict suffering upon for purposes of moral improvement;

chastise.
Chicanery

deception by trickery

Choleric

quickly aroused to anger

Complacent

contented to a fault

Complaisant

willingly compliant or accepting of the status quo

Concerted

mutually agreed on; done together by agreement

Conciliation

to diplomatically resolve a dispute

Condescending

displaying superiority; patronizing

Conflagration

a great fire

Contempt

lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike

Contemptuous

scornful. disdainful

Content

satisfy in a limited way

Convivial

occupied with or fond of the pleasures of good company: a

convivial atmosphere at the reunion

Corporeal

of or having to do with material, as opposed to spiritual;

tangible. (In older writings,coeporeal could be a synonym
for corporal. This usage is no longer common)

Corporal

of the body: "corporal punishment." a non-commissioned

officer ranked between a sergeant and a private.

Corroborate

to strengthen or support: "The witness corroborted his

story." (n: corroboration)

Courteous

polite and gracious; considerate toward others; wellmannered

Craven

cowardly; a coward

Critical

marked by a tendency to find and call attention to errors

and flaws

Crude

not refined or processed in manner

Culpable

deserving of blame

Cynical

doubting the goodness and sincerity of human motives

Cynical

believing the worst of human nature and motives

Dearth

lack, scarcity

Defeatist

someone who is resigned to defeat

Deference

submission or courteous yielding

Deferential

respectful, respectful and polite in a submissive way to

another's authority

Deferential

respectful and polite in a submissive way

Defiant

boldly resisting authority or an opposing force

Denigrated

cause to seem less serious, play-down, belittle

Depict

to show, create a picture of.

Deranged

driven insane

Derision

ridicule; mockery: The inept performance elicited derision

Deprecation

belittlement.
from the audience. A sharply ironical taunt; sneering or
cutting remark: a review full of sarcasms

Depredation

the act of preying upon or plundering

Deride

treat or speak of with contempt

Derision

Ridicule, rude and disrespectful (>Mockery)

Derisive

expressing contempt or ridicule

Derogatory

belittle, lower the estimation of

Descry

to make clear, to say

Desolate

devastate or ravage, crushed by grief

Despondent

unhappy and discouraged because you feel you are in a

difficult situation

Devastated

damaged, destroyed, shocked ,extremely sad

Didactic

instructive (especially excessively)

Diffident

lacking self-confidence, showing modest reserve

Disabuse

to free a person from falsehood or error

Discombulate

unsettle or confuse someone

Disdainful

contempt/ lack of respect

Diplomatic

able to take a broad view of negotiations between states

Disconcerted

having self-possession upset

Disconsolate

extremely sad and disappointed

Disillusioned

disappointed in someone or something that one discovers to

be less good than one had believed.

Dismissive

tending to dismiss or reject

Disparaging

belittle, lower the estimation of

Dispassionate

calm; objective; unbiased

Dispirited

low in spirits

Disquiet

anxiety

Dissemble

to conceal one's real motive, to feign

Distraught

deeply hurt, saddened, or worried; distressed

Dogged

stubborn or determined: "Her ____ pursuit of the degree

eventually paid off."

Dogmatic

characterized by arrogant assertion of unproved or

unprovable principles

Doleful

very sad, filled with or evoking sadness

Domineering

ruling or controlling arrogantly; overbearing; tyrannical

Ebullient

joyously unrestrained

Eclectic

selecting or employing individual elements from a variety of

sources

Ecstatic

feeling great rapture or delight

Efficacy

effectiveness; capability to produce a desired effect

Effluent

the quality of flowing out

Elated

very happy or proud; jubilant; in high spirits: an elated

winner of a contest.

Empathy

the intellectual identification with or vicarious experiencing

of the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another.

Empower

give or delegate power or authority to

Emulate

to strive to equal or excel

Encomium

a formal eulogy or speech of prais(

Endemic

prevalent in or native to a certain region, locality, or people

9contrary to epidemic)

Enervate

to weaken or destroy the strength or vitality of

Engender

to give rise to, to propagate, to cause:

Enigma

puzzle; mystery: "Math is an _____ to me."

Enmity

a state of deep-seated ill-will

Ephemeral

lasting for only a brief time, fleeting

Enrapture

to delight, to thrill or give pleasure

Equivocal

ambiguous; unclear; subject to more than one

interpretation -- often intentionally so: "Republicans
complained that

Erudite

scholarly; displaying deep intensive learning.

Esoteric

intended for or understood by only a few

Eulogy

a spoken or written tribute to the deceased

Euphoric

exaggerated feeling of well-being or elation

Exacerbate

to increase the severity, bitterness, or violence of a situation

or persons emotions; aggravate.

Exacerbate

to increase the bitterness or violence of; to aggravate

Exasperate

to irritate or provoke to a high degree; annoy extremely: He

was exasperated by the senseless delays.

Exasperated

annoyed

Exculpate

to demonstrate or prove to be blameless

Exorbitant

exceeding customary or normal limits, esp. in quantity or

price

Explicit

fully and clearly expressed

Exploit

use or manipulate to one's advantage

Extant

in existence, still existing

Extravagant

excessive, unrestrained

Exuberant

full of unrestrained enthusiasm or joy

Facetious

cleverly amusing in tone

Fathom

come to understand

Fawn

to seek favor or attention; to act subserviantly

Feign

to give false appearance or impression

Fervid/fervent

highly emotional; hot

Floundering

struggling

Forlorn

sad and alone or abandoned

Forlorn

pitiable in circumstances especially through abandonment

Foster

to promote the growth or development of; to further; to

encourage: to foster new ideas.

Frank

direct and unreserved in speech; straightforward; sincere:

Her criticism of my work was frank but absolutely fair.

Frivolous

characterized by lack of seriousness or sense: frivolous

conduct.
self-indulgently carefree; unconcerned about or lacking any
serious purpose.

Frugal

economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or

sparing; not wasteful: a frugal manager.

Galled

painful from having the skin abraded, irritated; angered

Garrulous

verbose; talkative; rambling

Geniality

friendly and cheerful

Genuine

actually being what it is claimed or seems to be; true; real;

authentic

Goad

to make a person or an animal react or do something by

continuously annoying or upsetting them

Guile

skillful deceit

Guileless

honest; straightforward

Hapless

unfortunate

Hasty

done with very great speed and without due deliberation

Headlong

headfirst; impulsive; hasty. impulsively; hastily; without

forethought:

Homogenous

similar in nature or kind; uniform

Hostile

characterized by enmity or ill will

Iconoclast

one who attacks traditional ideas or institutions or one who

destroys sacred images (adj: iconoclastic)

Impassioned

characterized by intense emotion

Impecunious

penniless; poor

Imperious

commanding

Impertinent

improperly forward or bold

Implication

insinuation or connotation

Implicit

implied though not directly expressed; inherent in the

nature of something

Imply

to suggest indirectly; to entail

Improvidence

an absence of foresight; a failure to provide for future needs

or events

Impudence

the trait of being rude and impertinent

Inchoate

in an initial or early stage; incomplete; disorganized

Incoherent

without logical or meaningful connection; disjointed;

rambling: an incoherent sentence

Incongruous

lacking in harmony or compatibility or appropriateness

Incorrigible

not capable of being corrected: "The school board finally

decided the James was incorrigible and expelled him from
school."

Incredulity

doubt about the truth of something

Incredulous

indicating or showing unbelief; unbelieving; sceptical:

an incredulous smile.

Indefatigable

showing sustained enthusiastic action with unflagging

vitality

Indelible

permanent; unerasable; strong: "The Queen made an

indelible impression on her subjects."

Indifference

the trait of lacking enthusiasm for or interest in things

generally

Indignant

a feeling characterized by, or expressing strong displeasure

at something considered unjust, offensive, insulting, or
base: indignant remarks; an indignant expression on his
face.

Indignant

feeling or showing anger or annoyance at what is percieved

as unfair treatment. Resentful

Indignant

angered at something unjust or wrong

Indolent

disinclined to work or exertion

Ineffable

undescribable; inexpressible in words; unspeakable

Inequitable

unjust, not equitable or fair

Infer

to deduce

Ingenious

clever

Ingenuous

unsophisticated; artless; straightforward; candid

Inhibit

to hold back, prohibit, forbid, or restrain

Innocuous

harmless; having no adverse affect; not likely to provoke

strong emotion

Insensible

numb; unconscious

Insipid

lacking zest or excitement; dull

Insular

of or pertaining to an island, thus, excessively exclusive

Intransigent

stubborn; immovable; unwilling to change

Irascible

quickly aroused to anger

Irascible

prone to outbursts of temper, easily angered

Irate

extreme anger

Irksome

irritating, annoying

Impassivity

emotionlessness

Indignant

angered at something unjust or wrong

Jovial

full of or showing high-spirited merriment

Jubilant

joyful and proud especially because of triumph or success

Labile

liable to change

Lackadaisical

idle or indolent especially in a dreamy way

Laconic

using few words; terse: "a laconic reply."

Languid

lacking spirit or liveliness

Languish

lose vigor, health, or flesh, as through grief

Lassitude

weakness characterized by a lack of vitality or energy

Latent

present or potential but not evident or active

Laudable

praiseworthy; commendable

Leery

cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something

Lethargic

deficient in alertness or activity

Leviathan

giant whale, therefore, something very large

Libellous

harmful and often untrue; tending to discredit or malign

Livid

furiously angry

Loquacious

talkative

Lucid

capable of thinking and expressing yourself in a clear and

consistent manner

Lugubrious

looking or sounding sad

Magnanimity

generosity and nobility. (adj: magnanimous)

Malevolent

malicious; evil; having or showing ill will: "Some early

American colonists saw the wilderness as malevolent and
sought to control it."

Malice

feeling a need to see others suffer

Manipulative

skilful in influencing or controlling others to your own

advantage

Maternal

from the mother

Meek

quiet and obedient; spiritless

Melodramatic

exaggeratedly emotional or sentimental

Meretricious

based on pretense

Misanthrope

one who hates people: "He was a true misanthrope and

hated even himself."

Misgiving

doubt about someone's honesty / painful expectation

Misnomer

incorrect name or word for something

Misogynist

one who hates women

Mitigate

to make less forceful; to become more moderate; to make

less harsh or undesirable: "He was trying to mitigate the
damage he had done."

Mollycoddling

to treat someone very indulgently or protectively.

Morose

gloomily or sullenly ill-humored, as a person or mood.

Morose

unhappy,bad-tempered.

Nefarious

wicked, evil: "a nefarious plot."

Noisome

harmful, offensive, destructive: e.g. "The noisome odor of

the dump carried for miles."

Obstinate

dogged, persistent

Obsequious

trying too hard to please someone

Obdurate

hardened against influence or feeling; intractable.

Obviate

to prevent by anticipatory measures; to make unnecessary:

Occlude

to close or shut off; to obstruct

Officious

intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner

Opaque

not transparent or transluscent; dense; difficult to

comprehend, as inopaque reasoning

Oppressive

burdensome, unjustly harsh, or tyrannical: an oppressive

king; oppressive laws.
causing discomfort by being excessive, intense, elaborate,
etc.: oppressive heat.

Ostentatious

intended to attract notice and impress others

Ostracised

exclude someone from an activity or group

Overbearing

(adj.) domineering, haughty, bullying; overpowering,

predominant

Paternal

from the father

Pedantic

showing a narrow concern for rules or formal book learning;

making an excessive display of one's own learning

Peevish

easily irritated or annoyed

Peremptorily

in an imperative and commanding manner

Peremptory

putting an end to all debate or action

Perfidious

deliberately treacherous; dishonest

Perplex

to cause to be puzzled or bewildered over what is not

understood or certain; confuse mentally: Her strange
response perplexed me.

Perplexed

full of difficulty or confusion or bewilderment

Persecution

the hostile or ill-treatment of someone (especially on the

grounds of religion or race)

Pertinacious

holding firmly to an opinion, stubborn.

Perturbed

agitated (upset, disturbed)

Pessimistic

expecting the worst in this worst of all possible worlds

Petulant

easily or frequently annoyed, especially over trivial matters;

childishly irritable

Philanthropy

tendency or action for the benefit of others, as in donating

money or property to a charitible organization

Phlegmatic

not easily excited; cool; sluggish

Pious

having or showing or expressing reverence for a deity

Placate

to calm or reduce anger by making concessions

Plague

an annoyance

Platitudinous

dull and tiresome

Plethora

excessively large quantity; overabundance

Pompous

overly self-important in speech and manner; excessively

stately or ceremonious

Ponderous

heavy; massive; awkward; dull

Pontifical

ornate; stiff; having the pomp and dignity of a high priest or

Pope

Pragmatic

concerned with facts; practical, as opposed to highly

principled or traditional

Precipice

cliff with a vertical or nearly vertical face; a dangerous place

from which one is likely to fall; metaphorically, a very
risky circumstance

Precipitate

to fall; to fall downward suddenly and dramatically; to bring

about or hasten the occurrence of something

Precursor

something (or someone) that precedes another

Predilection

a tendency to think favourably of something in particular;

partiality; preference: a predilection for Bach

Presentiment

a feeling of evil to come

Pretentious

intended to attract notice and impress others

Prevaricate

to stray away from or evade the truth

Prodigal

rashly wasteful

Prognosis

literally fore-knowing, foreseeing) is a medical term for

predicting the likely outcome of an illness, often involving a
detailed description.

Propensity

a natural inclination or tendency: a propensity to drink too

much.

Propitiate

to conciliate; to appease:

Prostrate

render helpless, defenseless or dismissive

Pusillanimous

cowardly, timid, or irreselute; petty

Querulous

habitually complaining, peevish, complaining, fretful,

irritable

Quiescence

inactivity; stillness; dormancy

Rapture

a state of being carried away by overwhelming emotion

Rapturous

filled with great joy; ecstatic

Raucous

unpleasantly loud and harsh

Reneging

go back, disown, deny, renounce

Reproachful

expressing disapproval or disappointment

Reproof

the act of censuring, scolding, or rebuking. (v. reprove).

Repugnant

distasteful, objectionable, or offensive: a repugnant smell.

opposed or contrary, as in nature or character.

Resent

to feel or show displeasure or indignation at a person, act,

or remark.

Resigned

to become accepting of something: the girl was resigned to

the fact that her bracelet was gone.

Resolute

firm in purpose or belief

Righteous

morally justified

Sagacious

having a sharp or powerful intellect or discernment.

Sanguine

inclined to a healthy reddish color often associated with

outdoor life

Sanguine

cheerful; confident

Sardonic

disdainfully or ironically humorous

Sate

to satisfy fully or to excess

Satirical

Using sarcasm or sharp wit to expose human vice or

weakness

Sedulous

diligent; persevering; persistent

Seething

overflowing with anger or in a state of agitation

Self-assured

having a lot of confidence in yourself and your abilities

Social ineptitude

lack of social skills

Solicit

make a solicitation or petition for something desired, to ask

for; to seek

Solicitous

eager or anxious to do something

Solicitude

care or concern for something or someone

Sombre

lacking brightness or colour

Specious

seemingly true but really false; deceptively convincing or

attractive

Stoic

someone who is seemingly indifferent to emotions

Stolid

having or revealing little emotion or sensibility; not easily

aroused or excited

Strained

affected or produced by effort; not natural or spontaneous;

forced: strained hospitality.

Submissive

inclined or willing to submit to orders or wishes of others or

showing such inclination

Subservient

submissive or obedient

Sullen

angry and unwilling to smile or be pleasant

Superficial

only covering the surface, of little substance or significance

Tacit

adj. unspoken

Taciturn

habitually untalkative or silent

Tactful

showing skill and sensitivity in dealing with people

Tawdry

tastelessly showy

Temperate

exercising moderation and self-denial; calm or mild

Tenacious

holding fast; characterized by keeping a firm hold: a

tenacious grip on my arm; tenacious of old habits.

Tentative

unsure; uncertain; not definite or positive; hesitant: a

tentative smile on his face.

Timid

lacking self-confidence

Tirade

(diatribe) an angry speech

Tortuous

twisted; excessively complicated: "Despite public

complaints, tax laws and forms have become increasingly
tortuous." (Note: Don't confuse this with torturous.)

Tractable

ability to be easily managed or controlled

Trammelled

restricted or limited freedom of movement or activity

Trepidation

fear or anxiety about what is going to happen

Trivial

of very little importance or value; insignificant: Don't bother

me with trivial matters.

Turpitude

depravity; baseness

Uninhibited

not inhibited or restrained

Vacuous

empty; without contents; without ideas or intelligence

Vanity

excessive pride in one's appearance, qualities, abilities,

achievements, etc.; character or quality of being vain;
conceit: Failure to be elected was a great blow to his vanity.

Vehement

marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions;

inclined to react violently; fervid

Venerate

great respect or reverence

Verbose

adj. for wordy

Vex

to annoy; to bother; to perplex; to puzzle;

Vexation

being worried or annoyed

Vindication

to clear one from an accusation, imputation, suspicion, or

the like: to vindicate someone honour.
to uphold or justify by argument or evidence: to vindicate a
claim

Vindicative

disposed to seek revenge; revengeful; spiteful

Vindictive

showing malicious ill will and a desire to hurt

Vivacious

dispirited

Volatile

explosive; fickle

Voracious

craving or devouring large quantities of food, drink, or other

things.

Vulgarity

conspicuously and tastelessly indecent

Waver

to hesitate or to tremble

Wistful

Having or showing a feeling of vague or regretful longing

Woebegone

sad or miserable in appearance

Wretched

very unhappy, characterised by physical misery

Zeal

enthusiastic devotion to a cause, ideal, or goal

Zealous

marked by active interest and enthusiasm

Zest

vigorous and enthusiastic enjoyment