abate:

/ə'beɪt/ v. Syn. subside; decrease; lessen

subside; decrease; become less in amount or intensity

aberrant:
/æ'bɛrənt/ n. Syn. abnormal; deviant
abnormal; markedly different from an accepted norm

abscond:
/æb'skɒnd/ v.
leave quickly and secretly and hide oneself, often to avoid arrest or prosecution

accolade:
/'ækəleɪd/ n. Syn. praise
award of merit; expression of approval; praise

acumen:
/'ækjʊmɛn, ə'kju:mɛn/ n. Syn. acuteness; insight
mental keenness; quickness of perception

adulation:
/ædjʊ'leɪʃ(ə)n/ n. Syn. flattery; admiration
excessive flattery or admiration; unmerited praise

adulterate:
/ə'dʌltəreɪt/ v.
make impure by adding inferior or tainted substances

aesthetic:
/i:s'θɛtɪk/ a. Syn. artistic; elegant
elegant or tasteful; of or concerning appreciation of beauty or good taste

aggrandize:
/ə'grændaɪz/ v. Syn. increase; intensify
increase scope of; extend; intensify; make greater in power, influence, stature, or
reputation

alacrity:
/ə'lækrɪtɪ/ n.
cheerful promptness or willingness; eagerness; speed or quickness

alchemy:
/'ælkəmɪ/ n.
medieval chemistry; magical or mysterious power or process of transforming

amalgamate:
/ə'mælgəmeɪt/ v. Syn. combine; mix
combine; unite in one body; mix or alloy a metal with mercury

ameliorate:
/ə'mi:lɪəreɪt/ v. Syn. improve
make or become better; improve; grow better

amenable:
/ə'mi:nəb(ə)l/ a. Syn. responsible; accountable
responsive to advice or suggestion; responsible to higher authority; willing to comply with;
agreeable

anomaly:
/ə'nɒməlɪ/ n. Syn. irregularity
irregularity; person or something that is unusual; departure from normal or common order

approbation:
/æprə'beɪʃ(ə)n/ n. Syn. approval
expression of warm approval; praise

archaic:
/ɑr'keiɪk/ a. Syn. antiquated
no longer current or applicable; antiquated

arduous:
/'ɑrdjʊəs/;/'ɑrdʒʊəs/ a. Syn. hard; strenuous
demanding great effort or labor; difficult

ascetic:
/ə'sɛtɪk/ a. Syn. austere; severe
leading a life of self-discipline and self-denial; austere

assuage:
/ə'sweɪdʒ/ v. Syn. relieve
ease or lessen pain; satisfy or appease

astringent:
/ə'strɪndʒənt/ a. Syn. austere
causing contraction; having the effect of drawing tissue together; stern or austere

audacious:
/ɔ:'deɪʃəs/ a. Syn. brave; bold
fearlessly, often recklessly daring; bold

austere:
/ɒ'stɪə(r)/ a.
strict or severe in discipline; severely simple and unornamented

avarice:
/'ævərɪs/ n.
greediness for wealth; insatiable desire of gain

aver:
/ə'vɜr(r)/ v. Syn. affirm
declare to be true; affirm

axiom:
/'æksɪəm/ n.
self-evident truth requiring no proof

bolster:
/'boʊlstə(r)/ v. Syn. support; reinforce
support or prop up with or as if with a long narrow pillow or cushion

bombastic:
/bɒm'bæstɪk/ a. Syn. pompous
pompous; using inflated language; high-sounding but with little meaning

bucolic:
/bju:'kɒlɪk/ a. Syn. rustic; pastoral
rustic; pastoral; agricultural; relating to country affairs, or to shepherd's life and occupation

burgeon:
/'bɜrdʒ(ə)n/ v. Syn. thrive; mushroom
grow forth; send out buds; grow or develop rapidly

canon:
/'kænən/ n.
law or rule; decision, regulation, code, or constitution made by ecclesiastical authority;
books of the Bible officially accepted; a group of literary works

capricious:
/kə'prɪʃəs/ a. Syn. unpredictable; fickle; arbitrary
fickle; impulsive and unpredictable; apt to change opinions suddenly

catalyst:
/'kætəlɪst/ n. Syn. enzyme; stimulus
agent which brings about chemical change while it remains unaffected and unchanged

caustic:
/'kɔ:stɪk/ a.
capable of burning, corroding, dissolving, or eating away by chemical action
censure:
/'sɛnʃə(r)/ v. Syn. blame; criticize
expression of strong disapproval or harsh criticism; blame

chary:
/'tʃɛərɪ/ a. Syn. cautious
cautious; sparing or restrained about giving

chicanery:
/ʃɪ'keɪnərɪ/ n. Syn. trickery; deception
mean or unfair artifice to obscure truth; deception by trickery or sophistry

cogent:
/'koʊdʒənt/ a. Syn. convincing
reasonable and convincing; based on evidence; forcefully persuasive

connoisseur:
/kɒnə'sɜr(r)/ n. Syn. specialist; expert
specialist; person with expert knowledge or training, especially in the fine arts

contentious:
/kən'tɛnʃəs/ a. Syn. quarrelsome; disagreeable
quarrelsome; disagreeable; marked by heated arguments or controversy

convention:
/kən'vɛnʃ(ə)n/ n. Syn. conference; norm; custom
social or moral custom; formal meeting of members, representatives, or delegates;
agreement between states

convoluted:
/'kɒnvəlutɪd/ a. Syn. intricate
coiled around; highly involved; intricate

credulous:
/'krɛdjʊləs/;/'krɛdʒələs/ a.
apt to believe on slight evidence; easily imposed upon; unsuspecting; believed too readily

cynicism:
/'sɪnəsɪz(ə)m/ n.
a scornfully or jadedly negative comment or act

dearth:
/dɜrθ/ n. Syn. scarcity
scarcity; shortage of food; famine from failure or loss of crops
decorum:
/dɪ'kɔ:rəm/ n.
propriety in manners and conduct; good taste in manners; conventions or requirements of
polite behavior

demur:
/dɪ'mɜr(r)/ v. Syn. hesitate
object because of doubts; hesitate

desiccate:
/'dɛsɪkeɪt/ v.
dry up thoroughly; make dry, dull, or lifeless; preserve foods by removing the moisture

discordant:
/dɪ'skɔ:d(ə)nt/ a. Syn. conflicting
not harmonious; conflicting; disagreeable in sound; harsh or dissonant

discretion:
/dɪ'skrɛʃ(ə)n/ n. Syn. prudence
knowing how to avoid embarrassment or distress; trait of judging wisely and objectively

disinterested:
/dɪs'ɪntrɪstɪd/ a. Syn. indifferent
not interested; indifferent; free of self-interest; impartial

disparage:
/dɪ'spærɪdʒ/ v. Syn. belittle
belittle; speak of in a slighting or disrespectful way; reduce in esteem or rank

disparate:
/'dɪspərət/ a. Syn. unrelated
fundamentally distinct or different in kind; entirely dissimilar

dissemble:
/dɪ'sɛmb(ə)l/ v. Syn. disguise; pretend
disguise or conceal behind a false appearance; make a false show of

divulge:
/daɪ'vʌldʒ/ v. Syn. reveal
reveal; make known to public

dogmatic:
/dɒg'mætɪk/;/dɔ:gmætɪk/ a. Syn. opinionated; doctrinal
stubbornly adhering to insufficiently proven beliefs; inflexible, rigid

eccentric:
/ɪk'sɛntrɪk/ a. Syn. irregular; odd; whimsical; bizarre
departing from a recognized, conventional, or established norm or pattern

eclectic:
/ɪ'klɛktɪk/ a.
composed of elements from a variety of sources

effrontery:
/ɛ'frʌntərɪ/ n.
shameless or brazen boldness; insolent and shameless audacity

elegy:
/'ɛlɪdʒɪ/ n.
poem or song expressing lamentation; mournful poem

eloquent:
/'ɛləkwənt/ a. Syn. expressive; persuasive
vividly or movingly expressive; persuasive

emollient:
/ɪ'mɒlɪənt/ n.
having softening or soothing effect, especially to skin

empirical:
/ɛm'pɪrɪk(ə)l/ a.
derived from experiment and observation rather than theory

endemic:
/ɛn'dɛmɪk/ a.
prevailing among a specific group of people or in a specific area or country

enervate:
/'ɛnəveɪt/ v. Syn. weaken
weaken or destroy strength or vitality of; remove a nerve or part of a nerve

enigmatic:
/ɛnɪg'mætɪk/ a. Syn. obscure; puzzling
obscure; puzzling; not easily explained or accounted for

ennui:
/ɒn'wi:/ n.
feeling of being bored by something tedious

ephemeral:
/ɪ'fɛmərəl/ a.
short-lived; enduring a very short time
equivocate:
/ɪ'kwɪvəkeɪt/ v. Syn. lie; mislead
lie; mislead; attempt to conceal the truth

erudite:
/'ɛru:daɪt/ a. Syn. learned; scholarly
learned; scholarly, with emphasis on knowledge gained from books

esoteric:
/i:soʊ'tɛrɪk/ a. Syn. mysterious
hard to understand; known only in a particular group

eulogy:
/'ju:lədʒɪ/ n.
expression of praise, often on the occasion of someone's death

evanescent:
/i:və'nɛs(ə)nt/;/ɛv-/ a. Syn. fleeting; vanishing
fleeting; vanishing or likely to vanish like vapor

exacerbate:
/ɛk'sæsəbeɪt/ v. Syn. worsen; embitter
increase severity, violence, or bitterness of; aggravate

exculpate:
/'ɛkskʌlpeɪt/ v.
pronounce not guilty of criminal charges

exonerate:
/ɪg'zɒnəreɪt/ v. Syn. acquit; exculpate
acquit; free from blame; discharge from duty

facetious:
/fə'si:ʃəs/ a. Syn. humorous
joking ,often inappropriately; humorous

fallacy:
/'fæləsɪ/ n.
deceptive or false appearance; false notion; deception

fawn:
/fɔ:n/ n.
young deer; buck or doe of the first year; young of an animal

fervent:
/'fɜrvənt/ a.
extremely hot; sincerely or intensely felt

filibuster:
/'fɪlɪbʌstə(r)/ v.
block legislation by making long speeches

flout:
/flaʊt/ v. Syn. reject; mock
reject; mock; express contempt for rules by word or action; behave with contempt

fortuitous:
/fɔ:'tju:ɪtəs/;/-'tu:-/ a. Syn. accidental; random
accidental; by chance; coming or occurring without any cause

furtive:
/'fɜrtɪv/ a.
marked by quiet and caution and secrecy

garrulous:
/'gærʊləs/ a. Syn. wordy; talkative
talking much and repetition of unimportant or trivial details

germane:
/dʒɜr'meɪn/ a. Syn. pertinent; relevant
related to the topic being discussed or considered; appropriate or fitting; relevant

glib:
/glɪb/ a. Syn. fluent
performed with a natural or offhand ease

gregarious:
/grɪ'gɛərɪəs/ a. Syn. sociable
sociable; seeking and enjoying the company of others

hackneyed:
/'hæknɪd/ a. Syn. commonplace
repeated too often; over familiar through overuse

halcyon:
/'hælsɪən/ a.
idyllically calm and peaceful; marked by peace and prosperity

harangue:
/hə'ræŋ/ n.
noisy speech; speech or piece of writing with strong feeling or expression
hegemony:
/hɪ'gɛmənɪ/;/'hɛdʒɛmoʊnɪ/ n.
domination, influence, or authority over another, especially by political group or nation over
others

heretical:
/hə'rɛtɪkəl/ a. Syn. oppositional
departing from accepted beliefs or standards; oppositional

hubris:
/'hju:brɪs/ n.
excessive pride or self-confidence

hyperbole:
/haɪ'pɜrbəlɪ/ n. Syn. exaggeration; overstatement
figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis; overstatement

imminent:
/'ɪmɪnənt/ a. Syn. impending
near at hand; close in time; about to occur

immutable:
/ɪ'mju:təb(ə)l/ a. Syn. unchangeable
unable to be changed without exception; not mutable

impassive:
/ɪm'pæsɪv/ a.
without feeling; revealing little emotion or sensibility; not easily aroused or excited

impecunious:
/ɪmpɪ'kju:nɪəs/ a. Syn. poor
without money; poor; penniless

imperturbable:
/ɪmpə'tɜrbəb(ə)l/ a. Syn. calm; placid
unshakably calm; placid; incapable of being disturbed or disconcerted

impetuous:
/ɪm'pɛtjʊəs/ a. Syn. violent; hasty; rash.
marked by sudden and violent force; hasty; impulsive and passionate

implacable:
/ɪm'plækəb(ə)l/ a.
incapable of being pacified; not to be relieved;
impunity:
/ɪm'pju:nɪtɪ/ n.
freedom from punishment or harm

inchoate:
/'ɪnkoʊət/ a. Syn. rudimentary; elementary
recently begun; imperfectly formed or developed; elementary

incipient:
/ɪn'sɪpɪənt/ a. Syn. beginning
beginning to exist or appear; in an early stage

indifferent:
/ɪn'dɪfrənt/ a. Syn. apathetic; average
having no particular interest or concern; being neither good nor bad

inert:
/ɪ'nɜrt/ a. Syn. inactive
inactive; lacking power to move; unable to move or act

ingenuous:
/ɪn'dʒɛnjʊəs/ a. Syn. young; unsophisticated
naive and trusting; young; unsophisticated

inimical:
/ɪ'nɪmɪk(ə)l/ a. Syn. unfriendly; hostile; harmful; detrimental
unfriendly; hostile; harmful; detrimental

innocuous:
/ɪ'nɒkjʊəs/ a. Syn. harmless
having no adverse effect; harmless

insipid:
/ɪn'sɪpɪd/ a. Syn. dull
lacking flavor or zest; not tasty; dull

intractable:
/ɪn'træktəb(ə)l/ a. Syn. unruly; stubborn; unyielding
difficult to manage or govern; stubborn; unyielding

intrepid:
/ɪn'trɛpɪd/ a. Syn. fearless; brave
fearless; indicating or springing from courage

inured:
/ɪ'njʊə(r)d/ a. Syn. accustomed
accustomed; made tough by habitual exposure

irascible:
/ɪ'ræsɪb(ə)l/ a. Syn. irritable
irritable; easily angered; excited by or arising from anger

laconic:
/lə'kɒnɪk/ a. Syn. concise
brief; effectively cut short; marked by use of few words

laud:
/lɔ:d/ v. Syn. praise
give praise to; glorify; celebrate or honor

loquacious:
/lɒ'kweɪʃəs/ a. Syn. talkative
talkative; given to continual talking; chattering

lucid:
/'lu:sɪd/ a. Syn. clear; intelligible
easily understood; clear; intelligible

luminous:
/'lu:mɪnəs/ a. Syn. shining
shining; emitting light, especially emitting self-generated light

malevolent:
/mə'lɛvələnt/ a. Syn. malicious
having or exhibiting ill will; wishing harm to others; malicious

malleable:
/'mælɪəb(ə)l/ a. Syn. impressionable
capable of being shaped by pounding; impressionable

martial:
/'mɑrʃ(ə)l/ a. Syn. warlike
relating to, or suggestive of war; connected with the armed forces

maverick:
/'mævərɪk/ n. Syn. nonconformist
one that refuses to abide or be independent; an unbranded range animal

mercurial:
/mɜrkjʊərɪəl/ a. Syn. capricious
capricious; liable to sudden unpredictable change; quick and changeable in temperament
meticulous:
/mɪ'tɪkjʊləs/ a. Syn. scrupulous; cautious
excessively careful; marked by extreme care in treatment of details

misanthrope:
/'mɪsənθroʊp/ n.
one who hates or mistrusts mankind

mitigate:
/'mɪtɪgeɪt/ v. Syn. moderate
make less severe or harsh; moderate

mollify:
/'mɒlɪfaɪ/ v.
make less rigid or softer; calm in temper or feeling

morose:
/mə'roʊs/ a. Syn. sullen; gloomy
ill humored; sullen; depressingly dark; gloomy; persistent

mundane:
/'mʌndeɪn/ a. Syn. worldly; earthly; secular
belonging to this earth or world; not ideal or heavenly; concerned with commonplaces;
ordinary

nebulous:
/'nɛbjʊləs/ a. Syn. vague; hazy; cloudy
lacking definite form or limits; hazy; cloudy

neologism:
/ni:'ɒlədʒɪz(ə)m/ n.
new or newly invented word or phrase

neophyte:
/'ni:oʊfaɪt/ n. Syn. beginner
recent convert to a belief; one newly initiated

noxious:
/'nɒkʃəs/ a. Syn. harmful
harmful to living things; injurious to health

obdurate:
/'ɒbdjʊrɪt/;/'ɑbdərɪt/ a. Syn. stubborn; inflexible
hardened in wrongdoing or wickedness; not giving in to persuasion

obfuscate:
/'ɒbfʌskeɪt/ v. Syn. confuse; muddle
confuse; muddle; cause confusion; make needlessly complex

obsequious:
/əb'si:kwɪəs/ a.
slavishly attentive; attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery

obstinate:
/'ɒbstɪnət/ a. Syn. stubborn
stubbornly adhering to an attitude or opinion; hard to control or treat

obtuse:
/əb'tju:s/;/əb'tu:s/ a. Syn. stupid
lacking in insight or discernment; stupid

obviate:
/'ɒbvɪeɪt/ v.
bypass requirement or make it unnecessary; get rid of

odious:
/'oʊdɪəs/ a. Syn. hateful; vile
hateful; arousing strong dislike, aversion, or intense displeasure

onerous:
/'ɒnərəs, 'oʊnərəs/ a. Syn. burdensome; wearing
burdensome or oppressive; not easily borne; wearing

opaque:
/oʊ'peɪk/ a. Syn. nontransparent; obscure
impenetrable by light; not transparent; not reflecting light; having no luster

ostentatious:
/ɒstɛn'teɪʃəs/ a. Syn. showy; pretentious
showy; pretentious; trying to attract attention

paean:
/'pi:ən/ n.
song of praise or joy; loud and joyous song; song of triumph

parody:
/'pærədɪ/ n.
work or performance that imitates another work or performance with ridicule or irony; make
fun of

pedagogy:
/'pɛdəgɒdʒɪ/ n. Syn. teaching
teaching; art of education; science of teaching

pedantic:
/pɪ'dəntɪk/ a. Syn. bookish
marked by narrow focus on or display of learning, especially formal rules and trivial points;
bookish

penury:
/'pɛnjʊrɪ/ n. Syn. poverty; insufficiency
extreme poverty; lack of something; barrenness; insufficiency

perennial:
/pə'rɛnɪəl/ n.
lasting indefinitely long time; suggesting self-renewal; remaining active throughout all the
time

perfidy:
/'pɜrfɪdɪ/ n.
act of violating faith or allegiance; violation of a promise or vow, or of trust reposed;
faithlessness; treachery

perfunctory:
/pə'fʌŋktərɪ/ a. Syn. superficial
done routinely and with little interest or care; acting with indifference

pernicious:
/pə'nɪʃəs/ a. Syn. deadly
very destructive; tending to cause death or serious injury; deadly

perspicacious:
/pɜrspɪ'keɪʃəs/ a. Syn. penetrating; astute; shrewd
having keen insight; mentally perceptive; astute

peruse:
/pə'ru:z/ v.
read or examine, typically with great care

pervade:
/pə'veɪd/ v.
pass or flow through, as an aperture; permeate; pass or spread through the whole extent of

pervasive:
/pə'veɪsɪv/ a. Syn. pervading
pervading; spread throughout every part

phlegmatic:
/flɛg'mætɪk/ a. Syn. calm
calm; not easily disturbed; not easily excited to action or passion

pine:
/paɪn/ v. Syn. yearn
have desire for something or someone; yearn; grieve or mourn for

pious:
/'paɪəs/ a. Syn. devout; religious
devout; religious; exhibiting strict, traditional sense of virtue and morality

pirate:
/'paɪərət/ n.
robber on seas; one who by open violence takes the property of another on seas

pithy:
/'pɪθɪ/ a. Syn. concise
precisely meaningful; forceful and brief

placate:
/plə'keɪt/;/'pleɪkeɪt/ v. Syn. pacify; conciliate
appease or pacify; bring peace to

platitude:
/'plætɪtju:d/;/-tu:d/ n.
dullness; insipidity of thought; commonplace statement; lack of originality

plethora:
/'plɛθərə/ n. Syn. excess; overabundance
excess; overfullness in any respect; superabundance

plummet:
/'plʌmɪt/ v.
fall straight down; plunge; decline suddenly and steeply

polemical:
/pə'lɛmɪk(ə)l/ a. Syn. disputatious
aggressive in verbal attack; disputatious

pragmatic:
/præg'mætɪk/ a. Syn. practical
practical as opposed to idealistic; concerned with the practical worth or impact of something

prattle:
/'præt(ə)l/ v.
speak about unimportant matters rapidly and incessantly; talk artlessly and childishly
precipitate:
/prɪ'sɪpɪteɪt/ a. Syn. rash; premature; hasty
rash; moving rapidly and heedlessly; speeding headlong; occurring suddenly

precursor:
/pri:'kɜrsə(r)/ n. Syn. forerunner
forerunner; one who precedes an event and indicates its approach

predilection:
/pri:dɪ'lɛkʃ(ə)n/;/prɛdl'ɛkʃən/ n. Syn. partiality; preference
condition of favoring or liking; tendency towards; preference

preen:
/pri:n/ v.
make oneself tidy in appearance; feel self-satisfaction

prescience:
/'prɛsɪəns/ n.
ability to foretell future; knowledge of actions or events before they occur; foresight

presumptuous:
/prɪ'zʌmptjʊəs/ a. Syn. overconfident
overconfident; going beyond what is right or proper; excessively forward

prevaricate:
/prɪ'værɪkeɪt/ v. Syn. lie
lie; stray from or evade truth; behave in evasive way such as to delay action

pristine:
/'prɪsti:n, 'prɪstaɪn/ a. Syn. primitive; primary
uncorrupted by civilization; primitive; remaining free from dirt or decay

proclivity:
/prə'klɪvɪtɪ/ n. Syn. inclination
inclination; natural tendency; readiness; facility of learning

prodigal:
/'prɒdɪg(ə)l/ a. Syn. wasteful
wasteful; reckless with money

prodigious:
/prə'dɪdʒəs/ a. Syn. marvelous; enormous
impressively great in size, force, or extent; enormous

profligate:
/'prɒflɪgət/ a.
inclined to waste resources or behave extravagantly; wildly immoral

profuse:
/prə'fju:s/ a.
in great quantity or abundance; bountiful; exceedingly liberal

proliferate:
/prə'lɪfəreɪt/;/proʊ-/ v.
grow rapidly; propagate; reproduce

prolific:
/prə'lɪfɪk/ a. Syn. productive; fruitful
producing offspring or fruit in great abundance; fertile

propensity:
/prə'pɛnsɪtɪ/ n. Syn. tendency; predilection
natural inclination; tendency or preference; predilection

prosaic:
/proʊ'zeiɪk/ a. Syn. factual
dull and unimaginative; matter-of-fact; factual

pungent:
/'pʌndʒənt/ a. Syn. stinging; caustic
stinging; sharp in taste or smell; caustic

quaff:
/kwɒf, kwɑrf/;/kwæf/ v.
drink with relish; swallow hurriedly or greedily

qualm:
/kwɑrm/ n.
sudden feeling of sickness or faintness; sudden attack of illness

querulous:
/'kwɛrʊləs/ a. Syn. fretful; whining
habitually complaining; expressing complaint or grievance

query:
/'kwɪərɪ/ n. Syn. inquiry; question
inquiry; doubt in the mind; mental reservation

quixotic:
/kwɪk'sɒtɪk/ a.
idealistic without regard to practicality
rarefy:
/'rɛərɪfaɪ/ v.
weaken the consistency; purify or refine; lessen the density

recalcitrant:
/rɪ'kælsɪtrənt/ a.
obstinately stubborn; determined to resist authority

recant:
/rɪ'kænt/ v. Syn. renounce
retract a previous statement; sing over again; utter repeatedly in song

redoubtable:
/rɪ'daʊtəb(ə)l/ a. Syn. formidable
formidable; arousing fear or awe; worthy of respect or honor

refute:
/rɪ'fju:t/ v. Syn. disprove
disprove; prove to be false or incorrect

relegate:
/'rɛlɪgeɪt/ v. Syn. delegate; assign
assign to obscure place, position, or condition; delegate; assign

renege:
/rɪ'ni:g/ v. Syn. deny
deny; go back on; fail to fulfill promise or obligation

repudiate:
/rɪ'pju:dɪeɪt/ v. Syn. disown
disown; refuse to acknowledge; reject validity or authority of

rescind:
/rɪ'sɪnd/ v. Syn. cancel; annul; repeal
cancel; make void; repeal or annul

reticent:
/'rɛtɪsənt/ a.
inclined to keep silent; reserved; uncommunicative.

reverent:
/'rɛvərənt/ a. Syn. respectful; worshipful
respectful; worshipful; impressed with veneration or deep respect

rhetoric:
/'rɛtərɪk/ n.
art or study of using language effectively and persuasively; insincere language

salubrious:
/sə'lu:brɪəs/ a. Syn. healthful
healthful; favorable to health; promoting health; wholesome

sanction:
/'sæŋkʃ(ə)n/ v. Syn. approve; ratify
give authorization or approval to something; penalize a state, especially for violating
international law

satire:
/'sætaɪə(r)/ n. Syn. lampoonery; mockery
form of literature in which irony and ridicule are used to attack human vice and folly

sedulous:
/'sɛdjʊləs/;/'sɛdʒʊləs/ a. Syn. diligent; hardworking
diligent; hardworking; persevering and constant in effort or application

shard:
/ʃɑrd/ n.
fragment of brittle substance, as of glass or metal; piece of broken pottery, especially one
found in archaeological dig

solicitous:
/sə'lɪsɪtəs/ a. Syn. worried; concerned
worried or concerned; full of desire; expressing care or concern

solvent:
/'sɒlvənt/ a.
able to pay all debts; capable of meeting financial obligations

soporific:
/sɒpə'rɪfɪk/ a.
sleep-causing; marked by sleepiness

sordid:
/'sɔ:dɪd/ a. Syn. filthy; vile; dirty; foul
filthy; unethical or dishonest; dirty; foul; morally degraded

sparse:
/spɑrs/ a. Syn. scanty
occurring, growing, or settled at widely spaced intervals; not thick or dense

specious:
/'spi:ʃəs/ a.
seemingly reasonable but incorrect; misleading intentionally

spendthrift:
/'spɛndθrɪft/ n.
one who spends money recklessly or wastefully

sporadic:
/spə'rædɪk/ a.
occurring at irregular intervals; having no pattern or order in time

spurious:
/'spjʊərɪəs/ a. Syn. false; counterfeit; forged; illogical
false; counterfeit; forged; illogical

squander:
/'skwɒndə(r)/ v. Syn. waste
spend wastefully; fail to take advantage of; lose a chance for

static:
/'stætɪk/ a. Syn. stationary
having no motion; being at rest; fixed; stationary

stoic:
/'stoʊɪk/ a. Syn. impassive
one who is seemingly indifferent to or unaffected by joy, grief, pleasure, or pain

stupefy:
/'stju:pɪfaɪ/;/'stu:-/ v.
make senseless or dizzy; be mystery or bewildering to

stymie:
/'staɪmɪ/ v. Syn. stump
present obstacle; stump; cause to fail or to leave hopelessly puzzled, confused, or stuck

subpoena:
/səb'pi:nə/ n.
written order to require appearance in court to give testimony

subtle:
/'sʌt(ə)l/ a. Syn. slight; delicate
slight; be difficult to detect or grasp by the mind

succinct:
/sək'sɪŋkt/ a. Syn. brief; terse; compact
brief or compact; by clear, precise expression in few words
superfluous:
/su:'pɜrflʊəs, sju:-/ a. Syn. unnecessary; excessive; overabundant
being beyond what is required or sufficient

supplant:
/sə'plɑrnt/ v. Syn. replace; usurp
replace; usurp; displace and substitute for another

surfeit:
/'sɜrfɪt/ v.
eat until excessively full; be more than full; feed someone to excess

synthesis:
/'sɪnθɪsɪs/ n. Syn. formation; integration
combining parts into a coherent whole; putting of two or more things togethe

tacit:
/'tæsɪt/ a.
indicated or understood without expressed directly; not speaking; silent

tenacity:
/tə'næsɪti/ n. Syn. persistence
firmness of hold or of purpose; persistence

terse:
/tɜrs/ a. Syn. concise; brief
effectively concise; appearing as if wiped or rubbed, as smooth

tirade:
/taɪ'reɪd/;/'taɪreɪd/ n.
extended scolding; long angry or violent speech

torpid:
/'tɔ:pɪd/ a.
having lost motion, or the power of exertion and feeling; numb; benumbed

torque:
/tɔ:k/ n.
turning or twisting force

tortuous:
/'tɔ:tjʊəs/ a. Syn. winding; devious
marked by repeated turns or bends; winding or twisting; not straightforward; circuitous

tout:
/taʊt/ v. Syn. publicize
advertize in strongly positive terms; praise excessively; show off

transient:
/'trænsɪənt, 'trɑr-/;/trænʃnt/ a. Syn. momentary; temporary; transitory
momentary; temporary; staying for short time

trenchant:
/'trɛntʃənt/ a. Syn. incisive; keen
forceful, effective, and vigorous; sharp or keen

truculent:
/'trukjələnt, 'trʌkjʊlənt/ a. Syn. belligerent
disposed to fight; belligerent; aggressively hostile

ubiquitous:
/ju:'bɪkwɪtəs/ a. Syn. omnipresent
being or existing everywhere; omnipresent

untenable:
/ʌn'tɛnəb(ə)l/ a. Syn. indefensible
indefensible; not able to be maintained

urbane:
/ɜr'beɪn/ a. Syn. suave; refined; elegant
showing a high degree of refinement

vacillate:
/'væsɪleɪt/ v. Syn. waver; fluctuate
sway unsteadily from one side to the other; oscillate

variegated:
/'vɛərɪgeɪtɪd/ a.
streaked, spotted, or marked with a variety of color; very colorful

veracity:
/və'ræsɪti/ n. Syn. truthfulness
truthfulness; unwillingness to tell lies

vexation:
/vɛk'seɪʃ(ə)n/ n.
act of vexing, or state of being vexed; agitation; disquiet; trouble; irritation

vigilant:
/'vɪdʒɪlənt/ a.
attentive to discover and avoid danger, or to provide for safety; wakeful; watchful;
circumspect; wary

vilify:
/'vɪlɪfaɪ/ v. Syn. slander
debase; degrade; spread negative information about

virulent:
/'vɪrʊlənt/ a. Syn. hostile; bitter
extremely poisonous; hostile; bitter

viscous:
/'vɪskəs/ a. Syn. sticky; gluey
sticky; gluey; having high resistance to flow

volatile:
/'vɒlətaɪl/;/-tl/ a. Syn. changeable; explosive; fickle
tending to vary often or widely, as in price; inconstant or fickle; tending to violence

voracious:
/və'reɪʃəs/ a. Syn. ravenous
ravenous; excessively greedy and grasping; devouring or craving food in great quantities

waver:
/'weɪvə(r)/ v.
play or move to and fro; move one way and the other; swing; be unsettled in opinion

zealous:
/'zɛləs/ a. Syn. enthusiastic; fervent
enthusiastic; filled with or motivated by zeal