Vocabulary Contributed by: Graduate who scored A for General Paper in 2015

A
Abdicate (v.) to give up a position, usually one of leadership

Abject (adj.) 1. (of something bad) experienced or present to the maximum degree. "His
letter plunged her into abject misery"

2. (Of a person or their behaviour) completely without pride or dignity; self-abasing. "An
abject apology" synonyms: obsequious, grovelling, crawling, creeping, fawning, toadyish,
servile, cringing, snivelling, ingratiating

Abjure (v.) to reject, renounce (To prove his honesty, the president abjured the evil policies
of his wicked predecessor.)

Abridge (v.) 1. Shorten (a book, film, speech, etc.) without losing the sense. "An abridged
text of his speech" synonyms: shorten, cut, cut short/down, curtail, truncate,

2. LAW curtail (a right or privilege). "Even the right to free speech can be abridged"

Abrogate: (v.) to abolish, usually by authority (The Bill of Rights assures that the government
cannot abrogate our right to a free press.)

Abstemious (adj.) indulging only very moderately in something, especially food and drink.
"‘We only had a bottle.’ ‘Very abstemious of you.’" synonyms: temperate, abstinent, ascetic

Abstruse (adj.) difficult to understand; obscure. "an abstruse philosophical inquiry"

synonyms: obscure, arcane, esoteric, little known, recherché

Abysmal (adj.) having immense or fathomless extension downward, backward, or inward.

They were living in abysmal ignorance.

Acerbic (adj.) biting, bitter in tone or taste (Jill became extremely acerbic and began to
cruelly make fun of all her friends.)

Acrimony (n.) bitterness, discord (Though they vowed that no girl would ever come between
them, Biff and Trevor could not keep acrimony from overwhelming their friendship after
they both fell in love with the lovely Teresa.)

Acrid (adj.) unpleasantly bitter or pungent. "acrid smoke" synonyms: pungent, bitter, sharp

Acumen (n.) keen insight (Because of his mathematical acumen, Larry was able to figure out
in minutes problems that took other students hours.)

Acquiesce (v.) to agree without protesting

Adroitness (n.) cleverness or skill. "He lacks political adroitness" synonyms: skill, prowess,
expertise, adeptness, handiness, nimbleness, dexterity, dexterousness, deftness
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Adduce (v.) to mention or provide (something, such as a fact or example) as evidence or
Contributed
proof to support an argument “inby: Graduate
support of awho scored Aschool
12-month for General
year, Paper in 2015
the committee
adduced data from other school districts” Synonyms quote, cite, instance, mention

Adumbrate (v.) to sketch out in a vague way (The coach adumbrated a game plan, but none
of the players knew precisely what to do.)

Adulation (n) high praise ("he found it difficult to cope with the adulation of the fans")

Agrarian (adj.) relating to cultivated land or the cultivation of land. "Brazil is rapidly
diversifying its agrarian economy"

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

Altruistic (adj.) showing a disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others;
unselfish. "It was an entirely altruistic act" synonyms: unselfish, selfless, self-sacrificing

Amenable (adj.) 1. Open and responsive to suggestion; easily persuaded or controlled;

compliant, acquiescent. ("Parents who have amenable children") 2. Capable of being acted
upon in a particular way; susceptible, receptive, responsive ("cardiac failure not amenable
to medical treatment")

Anachronistic (adj.) out-of-date, not attributed to the correct historical period

Analogous (adj.) comparable in certain respects, typically in a way which makes clearer the
nature of the things compared. "they saw the relationship between a ruler and his subjects
as analogous to that of father and children" synonyms: comparable, parallel, similar

Anathema (n.) a cursed, detested person (I never want to see that murderer. He is an
anathema to me.)

Anodyne (adj.) 1. not likely to cause offence or disagreement and somewhat dull. "anodyne
music". synonyms: bland, inoffensive, innocuous, neutral, unobjectionable,
unexceptionable, unremarkable, commonplace, dull, tedious, run-of-the-mill "she tried to
keep the conversation as anodyne as possible" (n.)2. a painkilling drug or medicine. "she had
even refused anodynes". synonyms: painkiller, painkilling drug, analgesic, pain reliever,
palliative

Antidiluvian (adj.) 1. of or belonging to the time before the biblical Flood. "gigantic bones of
antediluvian animals" synonyms: before the flood, prehistoric, primeval, primordial, primal,
earliest, ancient, early; rareprimigenial "gigantic bones of antediluvian animals"

2. humorous: ridiculously old-fashioned. "they maintain antediluvian sex-role stereotypes"

synonyms: out of date, outdated, outmoded, antiquated, ancient

Antipathy (n.) a strong dislike, repugnance (I know you love me, but because you are a liar
and a thief, I feel nothing but antipathy for you.)

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Apathy (n.) lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern. "widespread apathy among students"
Contributed
synonyms: indifference, by: Graduate who scored A for General Paper in 2015
lack of interest

Ape (v) imitate (someone or something), especially in an absurd or unthinking way. "New
architecture can respect the old without aping its style"

Apocryphal (adj.) of a story or statement) of doubtful authenticity, although widely

circulated as being true. "an apocryphal story about a former president" synonyms:
fictitious, made-up, untrue

Apprise (v.) inform or tell (someone). "I thought it right to apprise Chris of what had
happened" synonyms: inform, notify, tell, let know

Approbation: (n.) praise (The crowd welcomed the heroes with approbation.)

Ardent (adj.) very enthusiastic or passionate. "an ardent supporter of the conservative
cause" synonyms: passionate, avid, impassioned, fervent, fervid

Armamentarium (n.) the medicines, equipment, and techniques available to a medical

practitioner. "The leeches of the medieval armamentarium are making a comeback in
modern medicine"

Arrogate (v.) to take without justification (The king arrogated the right to order executions
to himself exclusively.)

Artifice (n.) clever or cunning devices or expedients, especially as used to trick or deceive
others. "An industry dominated by artifice" synonyms: trickery, deviousness, deceit

Ascendancy (n.) occupation of a position of dominant power or influence. "The ascendancy

of good over evil" synonyms: dominance, domination, supremacy,

Ascetic (adj.) practicing restraint as a means of self-discipline, usually religious (The priest
lives an ascetic life devoid of television, savoury foods, and other pleasures.)

Aspersion (n.) a curse, expression of ill-will (The rival politicians repeatedly cast aspersions
on each others’ integrity.)

Assiduous (adj.) hard-working, diligent (The construction workers erected the skyscraper
during two years of assiduous labour.)

Astringent (adj.) very critical in a sharp and often clever way (an astringent critic of modern
movies)

Atrophy (n) gradually decline in effectiveness or vigour due to underuse or neglect.

"the imagination can atrophy from lack of use" synonyms: peter out, taper off, tail off,
dwindle, deteriorate,
Attest (v.) provide or serve as clear evidence of; certify ("his status is attested by his
becoming an alderman")

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Astute (n.) having or showing an ability to accurately assess situations or people and turn
Contributed
this to one's advantage. by:businessman"
"an astute Graduate who scored A forshrewd,
synonyms: General Paper
sharp,insharp-witted,
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razor-sharp, acute

Auspice (n) a divine or prophetic token.

Austere (adj.) 1. Severe or strict in manner or attitude. "He was an austere man, with a
rigidly puritanical outlook" synonyms: severe, stern, strict, harsh
(Of living conditions or a way of life)
2. Having no comforts or luxuries. "Conditions in the prison could hardly be more austere"
synonyms: strict, self-denying, self-abnegating, frugal, Spartan, restrained, ascetic,
puritanical, hair-shirt, abstemious, abstinent, celibate, chaste, continent; More
3. Having a plain and unadorned appearance. "The cathedral is impressive in its austere
simplicity"
Synonyms: plain, simple, basic

Aversion (n.) a strong dislike or disinclination. "they made plain their aversion to the use of
force" synonyms: dislike of, distaste for, disinclination

B
Bedfellows (n.) a person or thing allied or closely connected with another. "big business and
politics were inseparable bedfellows"

Beguile (v.) 1. harm or enchant (someone), often in a deceptive way. "he beguiled the voters
with his good looks" synonyms: charm, attract, enchant, entrance

2. help (time) pass pleasantly. "to beguile some of the time they went to the cinema"
synonyms: entertain, amuse, delight,

Belie (v.) 1. (Of an appearance) fail to give a true impression of (something). "His lively, alert
manner belied his years" synonyms: contradict, be at odds with

2. Fail to fulfil or justify (a claim or expectation). "The quality of the music seems to belie the
criticism"

Bellwether (n.) the leading sheep of a flock, with a bell on its neck. something that leads or
indicates a trend. "Basildon is now the bellwether of Britain's voting behaviour"

Bigotry (n.) intolerance towards those who hold different opinions from oneself. "The report
reveals racism and right-wing bigotry"

Blandish (v.) to coax by using flattery (Rachel’s assistant tried to blandish her into accepting
the deal.)

Boon (n.) a gift or blessing (The good weather has been a boon for many businesses located
near the beach.)
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Brusque (adj.) short, abrupt, dismissive (The captain’s brusque manner offended the
passengers.) Contributed by: Graduate who scored A for General Paper in 2015

Buffet 1. (v.) to strike with force (The strong winds buffeted the ships, threatening to capsize
them.)

2. (n.) an arrangement of food set out on a table (Rather than sitting around a table, the
guests took food from our buffet and ate standing up.)

Burnish (v.) to polish, shine (His mother asked him to burnish the silverware before setting
the table.)

Buttress 1. (v.) to support, hold up (The column buttresses the roof above the statue.)

2. (n.) something that offers support (The buttress supports the roof above the statues.)

C
Cacophony (n.) tremendous noise, disharmonious sound (The elementary school orchestra
created a cacophony at the recital.)

Cadre (n.) a small group of people specially trained for a particular purpose or profession.
("A cadre of professional managers")

Cajole (v.) to urge, coax (Fred’s buddies cajoled him into attending the bachelor party.)

Callow (adj.) of a young person) inexperienced and immature. "earnest and callow
undergraduates" synonyms: immature, inexperienced, naive

Calumny (n.) an attempt to spoil someone else’s reputation by spreading lies (The local
official’s calumny ended up ruining his opponent’s prospect of winning the election.)

Candour (n.) the quality of being open and honest; frankness. "a man of refreshing candour"
synonyms: frankness, openness, honesty

Capitulate (v.) cease to resist an opponent or an unwelcome demand; yield. "The patriots
had to capitulate to the enemy forces"

Capricious (adj.) subject to whim, fickle. given to sudden and unaccountable changes of
mood or behaviour. (The young girl’s capricious tendencies made it difficult for her to focus
on achieving her goals.)

Carping (adj.) difficult to please; critical. "she has silenced the carping critics with a
successful debut tour"

Castigate (v.) reprimand (someone) severely. "He was castigated for not setting a good
example" synonyms: reprimand, rebuke, admonish, chastise, chide,

Censorious (adj.) severely critical of others. "Censorious champions of morality" synonyms:

hypercritical, overcritical

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Censure (v.) express severe disapproval of (someone or something), especially in a formal
Contributed
statement. "The company by: Graduate
was heavily whobyscored
censured A for General
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Department
Trade"

(n.) 1. The formal expression of severe disapproval. "Two MPs were singled out for censure”
synonyms: condemnation, criticism, attack, abuse, revilement

Chagrin (n.) annoyance or distress at having failed or been humiliated. ("To my chagrin, he
was nowhere to be seen") synonyms: annoyance, irritation, vexation

Charlatan (n.) A charlatan (also called swindler or mountebank) is a person practising

quackery or some similar confidence trick in order to obtain money, fame or other
advantages via some form of pretense or deception

Chastise (v.) To criticize, inflict punishment. After her parents chastised her for an hour, the
young girl was too abashed to join them for dinner.

Chicanery (n.) the use of deception or subterfuge to achieve one's purpose. "Storylines
packed with political chicanery" synonyms: trickery, deception, deceit

Circuitous (adj.) indirect, taking the longest route

Circumlocution (n.) indirect and wordy language. His admission came after years of
circumlocution

Censure (v) to criticize harshly

Clemency (n.) mercy, lenience (After he forgot their anniversary, Martin could only beg
Maria for clemency.)

Cloying (adj.) sickeningly sweet or sentimental. Her love was neither romantic nor
endearing, but cloying and annoying.

Cogent (adj.) intellectually convincing (Irene’s arguments in favour of abstinence were so

cogent that I could not resist them.)

Collude (v.) come to a secret understanding for a harmful purpose; conspire

Commensurate (v.) corresponding in size or degree; in proportion. "Salary will

be commensurate with age and experience"

Concomitant (adj.) accompanying in a subordinate fashion (His dislike of hard work carried
with it a concomitant lack of funds.)

Conflagration (n.) great fire (The conflagration consumed the entire building.)

Congenial (adj.) (of a person) pleasing or liked on account of having qualities or interests
that are similar to one's own; like-minded, compatible, kindred (his need for some congenial
company)

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Conjugal (adj.) relating to marriage or the relationship between husband and wife.
Contributedmarital,
("Conjugal loyalty") synonyms: by: Graduate who scored
matrimonial, A for General Paper in 2015
nuptial

Consternation (n.) a feeling of anxiety or dismay, typically at something unexpected. "to her
consternation her car wouldn't start" synonyms: dismay, perturbation, anxiety

Contrite (adj.) penitent, eager to be forgiven (Blake’s contrite behaviour made it impossible
to stay angry at him.)

Contrive (v.) create or bring about (an object or a situation) by deliberate use of skill and
artifice. "his opponents contrived a cabinet crisis" synonyms: bring about, engineer

Contrivance (n.) the use of skill to create or bring about something, especially with a
consequent effect of artificiality. "the requirements of the system, by happy chance and
some contrivance, can be summed up in an acronym" synonyms: scheme, stratagem, tactic,
manoeuvre

Conundrum (n.) puzzle, problem (Interpreting Jane’s behaviour was a constant conundrum.)

Copacetic (adj.) in excellent order. "he said to tell you everything is copacetic"

Corollary (n.) 1. an immediate consequence or easily drawn conclusion. 2. a natural

consequence or result. “one corollary of the rise of television was a massive makeover of
radio's programming” ”increased taxes—or expanding deficits—are the inevitable corollary
to any new government spending program” synonyms: aftereffect, aftermath, backwash

Craven (adj.) lacking the least bit of courage: contemptibly fainthearted, cowardly,
pusillanimous. (A craven refusal to deliver the unwelcome news personally)

Credulity (n.) readiness to believe (His credulity made him an easy target for con men.)

Credence (n.) belief in or acceptance of something as true. "psychoanalysis finds little

credence among laymen" synonyms: acceptance, belief, faith, trust

Cryptic (adj.) having a meaning that is mysterious or obscure. "He found his boss's
utterances too cryptic" synonyms: enigmatic, mysterious

Cupidity (n.) greed, strong desire (His cupidity made him enter the abandoned gold mine
despite the obvious dangers.)

Cursory (adj.) brief to the point of being superficial (Late for the meeting, she cast a cursory
glance at the agenda.)

D
Dearth (n.) a scarcity or lack of something. "there is a dearth of evidence" synonyms: lack,
scarcity, scarceness, shortage, shortfall, want, deficiency, insufficiency, inadequacy. 2.
(archaic) a situation where food is in short supply.
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Debauchery (n.) excessive indulgence in sex, alcohol, or drugs. synonyms: dissipation,
Contributed
dissoluteness, degeneracy, by: Graduate
corruption, who scored A for General Paper in 2015
vice, turpitude,

Decorum (n.) behaviour in keeping with good taste and propriety. "He had acted with the
utmost decorum" synonyms: propriety

Decry (v.) to criticize openly (The kind video rental clerk decried the policy of charging
customers late fees.)

De facto (adj.) Actual

Defile (v.) to make unclean, impure (She defiled the calm of the religious building by playing
her banjo.)

Deft (adj.) skilful, capable a deft piece of footwork

Deleterious (adj.) harmful (She experienced the deleterious effects of running a marathon
without stretching her muscles enough beforehand.)

Delineate (v.) 1. Describe or portray (something) precisely. "The law should delineate and
prohibit behaviour which is socially abhorrent" synonyms: describe, set forth, set out,
present, outline, depict, portray, represent, characterize; More

2. Indicate the exact position of (a border or boundary). "His finger found a precisely
outlined section delineated in red marker" synonyms: outline, trace,

Demagogue (n) leader, rabble-rouser, usually appealing to emotion or prejudice (“His

opponent called him a bigoted demagogue”)

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

Demur (v.) raise objections or show reluctance. "normally she would have accepted the
challenge, but she demurred" synonyms: raise objections, object,

Denounce (v.) 1. Publicly declare to be wrong or evil. "The Assembly denounced the use of
violence" synonyms: condemn, criticize, attack, censure, castigate, decry, revile, vilify,
besmirch, discredit, damn, reject, proscribe; antonyms: praise

2. Inform against. "Priests denounced him to the King for heresy" synonyms: expose, betray,
inform against, inform on; More

Depravity (n.) moral corruption; wickedness. "A tale of depravity hard to credit" synonyms:
corruption, corruptness, vice, perversion,

Deprecate (v.) to belittle, depreciate (Always over-modest, he deprecated his contribution

to the local charity.)

Deride (v.) to laugh at mockingly, scorn (The bullies derided the foreign student’s accent.)

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Desecrate (v.) to violate the sacredness of a thing or place (They feared that the
construction of a golfContributed by: Graduate
course would desecratewho
the scored A forwilderness.)
preserved General Paper in 2015

Desiccated (adj.) dried up, dehydrated (The skin of the desiccated mummy looked like old
paper.)

Despondent (adj.) feeling or showing extreme discouragement, dejection, or depression

“despondent about his health” Synonyms despairing, desperate, forlorn, hopeless

Diaphanous (adj.) light, airy, transparent (Sunlight poured in through the diaphanous
curtains, brightening the room.)

Diatribe (n.) a forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something. "a diatribe
against consumerism" synonyms: tirade, harangue, verbal onslaught

Diffident (adj.) shy, quiet, modest (While eating dinner with the adults, the diffident youth
did not speak for fear of seeming presumptuous.)

Discordant (adj.) disagreeing or incongruous. "The operative principle of democracy is a

balance of discordant qualities" synonyms: in disagreement, at variance, at odds,
disagreeing,

2. Characterized by conflict. "A study of children in discordant homes"

3. (Of sounds) harsh and jarring because of a lack of harmony. "The singers continued their
discordant chanting" synonyms: inharmonious

Discursive (adj.) rambling, lacking order (The professor’s discursive lectures seemed to be
about every subject except the one initially described.)

Disenfranchisement (n.) to prevent (a person or group of people) from having the right to
vote

Disparage (v.) regard or represent as being of little worth. "He never missed an opportunity
to disparage his competitors" synonyms: belittle, denigrate, deprecate

Dissemble (v.) to conceal, fake (Not wanting to appear heartlessly greedy, she dissembled
and hid her intention to sell her ailing father’s stamp collection.)

Dissent (n.) the holding or expression of opinions at variance with those commonly or
officially held. "There was no dissent from this view"

Dither (v.) to be indecisive (Not wanting to offend either friend, he dithered about which of
the two birthday parties he should attend.)

Dogmatic (adj.) characterized by or given to the expression of opinions very strongly or

positively as if they were facts <a dogmatic critic> inclined to lay down principles as
undeniably true; opinionated, peremptory, assertive, imperative ("she was not tempted to
be dogmatic about what she believed”)

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Doyen (n.) the most respected or prominent person in a particular field. "He became the
Contributed by: Graduate who scored A for General Paper in 2015
doyen of British physicists"

Duplicity (n.) dishonest behaviour that is meant to trick someone e exposed the spy's
duplicity. “We were lucky not to be taken in by his duplicity” synonyms: artifice, cheating,
cozenage, craft

Dyspeptic (adj.) having indigestion or a consequent air of irritable bad temper. synonyms:
bad-tempered, short-tempered, irritable

E
Ebullient (adj.) extremely lively, enthusiastic (She became ebullient upon receiving an
acceptance letter from her first-choice college.)

Eclectic (adj.) including things taken from many different sources. “The museum's eclectic
collection has everything from a giraffe skeleton to medieval musical instruments”
synonyms: assorted, miscellaneous, heterogeneous, and indiscriminate

Effrontery (n.) impudence, nerve, insolence (When I told my aunt that she was boring, my
mother scolded me for my effrontery.)

Effulgent (adj.) radiant, splendorous (The golden palace was effulgent.)

Effusive (adj.) showing or expressing gratitude, pleasure, or approval in an unrestrained or

heartfelt manner. ("An effusive welcome")

Egregious (adj.) extremely bad (The student who threw sloppy joes across the cafeteria was
punished for his egregious behaviour.)

Elusive (adj.): hard to find or capture “the giant squid is one of the ocean's most elusive
inhabitants”

2. Hard to understand, define, or remember “The truth may prove elusive.”

Emasculate (v.) make (someone or something) weaker or less effective. "The refusal to allow
them to testify effectively emasculated the committee". Synonyms: weaken, make
feeble/feebler, debilitate, enfeeble, enervate, undermine

Emollient (adj.): making less intense or harsh: mollifying, soothing (soothe us in our agonies
with emollient word)

Endemic (adj.) common in a particular region or area

Enervate (v.) to weaken, exhaust (Writing these sentences enervates me so much that I will
have to take a nap after I finish.)

Engender (v.) cause or give rise to (a feeling, situation, or condition). "the issue engendered
continuing controversy" synonyms: cause, be the cause of, give rise to, bring about, lead to

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Enmity (n.) a state or feeling of active opposition or hostility. ("Decades of enmity between
Contributedhostility,
the two countries") synonyms: by: Graduate who scored
animosity, A for General Paper in 2015
antagonism

Ensconced (v.) establish or settle (someone) in a comfortable, safe place. "Agnes ensconced
herself in their bedroom" synonyms: settle, install, establish

Ephemeral (adj.) short-lived, fleeting (She promised she’d love me forever, but her “forever”
was only ephemeral: she left me after one week.)

Epithet (n.) an adjective or phrase expressing a quality or attribute regarded as

characteristic of the person or thing mentioned. "old men are often unfairly awarded the
epithet ‘dirty’" synonyms: sobriquet, nickname

Erudite (n.) having or showing knowledge that is learned by studying “the most erudite
people in medical research attended the conference” synonyms: educated, knowledgeable

Eschew (v.) to shun, avoid (George hates the colour green so much that he eschews all
green food.)

Esoteric (adj.) intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with
a specialized knowledge or interest. “Esoteric philosophical debates"; abstruse, obscure,
arcane,

Espoused (v.) adopt or support (a cause, belief, or way of life). "The left has espoused the
causes of sexual and racial equality"

Etiolate (v.) 1. to bleach and alter the natural development of (a green plant) by excluding
sunlight

2. a : to make pale. b : to deprive of natural vigor : make feeble “the long, stressful days
and sleepless nights gradually etiolated him” Synonyms debilitate, devitalize, enervate

Euphemism (n.) a mild or pleasant word or phrase that is used instead of one that is
unpleasant or offensive “

Evanescent (adj.) fleeting, momentary (My joy at getting promoted was evanescent because
I discovered that I would have to work much longer hours in a less friendly office.)

Evince (v.) to show, reveal (Christopher’s hand-wringing and nail-biting evince how nervous
he is about the upcoming English test.)

Excoriate (v.) criticize (someone) severely. (formal) "he excoriated the government for
censorship"

Exculpate (v.) to free from guilt or blame, exonerate (My discovery of the ring behind the
dresser exculpated me from the charge of having stolen it.)

Execrable (adj.) loathsome, detestable (Her pudding is so execrable that it makes me sick.)

Exigent (adj.) urgent, critical (The patient has an exigent need for medication, or else he will
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lose his sight.)
Contributed by: Graduate who scored A for General Paper in 2015
Expedient (adj.) providing an easy and quick way to solve a problem or do something “Do
the right thing, not the expedient thing.” Synonyms: convenient, advantageous, in one's
own interests, to one's own advantage,

Expiate (v.) to make amends for, atone (To expiate my selfishness, I gave all my profits to
charity.)

Expropriate (v.) (of the state or an authority) take (property) from its owner for public use or
benefit. "their assets were expropriated by the government" synonyms: seize, take away,
take over, take

Expunge (v.) to obliterate, eradicate (Fearful of an IRS investigation, Paul tried to expunge all
incriminating evidence from his tax files.)

Extant (adj.) existing, not destroyed or lost (My mother’s extant love letters to my father are
in the attic trunk.)

Extenuating (adj.) excusing, lessening the seriousness of guilt or crime, e.g., of mitigating
factors (“hunger and poverty are not treated by the courts as extenuating circumstances")

Extol (v.) to praise, revere (Violet extolled the virtues of a vegetarian diet to her meat-loving
brother.)

Extraneous (adj.) irrelevant or unrelated to the subject being dealt with. "One is obliged to
wade through many pages of extraneous material" synonyms: irrelevant, immaterial, beside
the point

Extricate (v.) free (someone or something) from a constraint or difficulty. "He was trying to
extricate himself from official duties" synonyms: extract, free, release

Exuberance (n.) the quality of being full of energy, excitement, and cheerfulness; ebullience.
"A sense of youthful exuberance" synonyms: ebullience, buoyancy,

F
Fallacious (adj.) based on a mistaken belief. Incorrect, misleading (Emily offered me
cigarettes on the fallacious assumption that I smoked.)

Fanaticism (n.) fanatic outlook or behaviour especially as exhibited by excessive enthusiasm,

unreasoning zeal, or wild and extravagant notions on some subject

Fastidious (adj.) meticulous, demanding, having high and often unattainable standards
(Mark is so fastidious that he is never able to finish a project because it always seems
imperfect to him.)

Fatuous (adj.) silly, foolish (He considers himself a serious poet, but in truth, he only writes
fatuous limericks.)

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Febrile (adj.) having or showing the symptoms of a fever. "a febrile illness"; 2. characterized
Contributed
by a great deal of nervous by: Graduate
excitement who"the
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city"

Fecund (adj.) fruitful, fertile (The fecund tree bore enough apples to last us through the
entire season.)

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

Fetid (adj.) having a foul odour (I can tell from the fetid smell in your refrigerator that your
milk has spoiled.)

Fiat (n.) an official order given by someone who has power : an order that must be followed
“the school principal issued a fiat that caps were not to be worn inside the school, and that
was that” synonyms: decree, diktat, directive, edict, rescript, ruling, ukase

Filiopietistic (adj.) of or relating to an often excessive veneration of ancestors or tradition

Flaccid (adj.) Lacking firmness, resilience of muscular tone. Lacking vigour or energy.

Flagrant (adj.) of an action considered wrong or immoral) conspicuously or obviously

offensive. "A flagrant violation of the law" synonyms: blatant, glaring

Florid (adj.) flowery, ornate (The writer’s florid prose belongs on a sentimental Hallmark
card.)

Forlorn (adj.) 1. Pitifully sad and abandoned or lonely. (“Forlorn figures at bus stops")
synonyms: unhappy, sad, miserable, sorrowful, dejected. 2. (Of an aim or endeavour)
unlikely to succeed or be fulfilled. "A forlorn attempt to escape" synonyms: hopeless

Foment (v.) instigate or stir up (an undesirable or violent sentiment or course of action).
("They accused him of fomenting political unrest") synonyms: instigate, incite,

Fractious (adj.) quarrelsome, troublesome or irritable (Although the child insisted he wasn’t
tired, his fractious behaviour—especially his decision to crush his cheese and crackers all
over the floor—convinced everyone present that it was time to put him to bed.)

Frenetic (adj.) filled with excitement, activity, or confusion: wild or frantic

Frigid (adj.) 1. Very cold in temperature; bitterly cold ("frigid water") 2. Stiff or formal in
behaviour or style; stony, impersonal ("the frigid elegance of the new Opera Bastille")

Furtive (adj.) attempting to avoid notice or attention, typically because of guilt or a belief
that discovery would lead to trouble; secretive. "They spent a furtive day together";
secretive, secret, surreptitious;

G
Galvanising (adj.) affected by emotion as if by electricity; thrilling; "gave an electric reading
of the play"; "the new leader had a galvanic effect on morale"

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Gambit (n.) an act or remark that is calculated to gain an advantage, especially at the outset
Contributed
of a situation. "his resignation by:aGraduate
was who scored
tactical gambit" A for General
synonyms: Paper in
stratagem, 2015
machination,
scheme

Garrulous (adj.) talkative, wordy (Some talk-show hosts are so garrulous that their guests
can’t get a word in edgewise.)

Germane (adj.) relevant to a subject under consideration. "That is not germane to our
theme" synonyms: relevant, pertinent, applicable

Goldbrick (n.) a worthless brick that appears to be of gold; something that appears to be
valuable but is actually worthless; a person who shirks assigned work

Graft (n.) bribe payoff to influence illegal or wrong activity Synonyms: allurement, bait,
blackmail

Grandiloquence (n.) lofty, pompous language (The student thought her grandiloquence
would make her sound smart, but neither the class nor the teacher bought it.)

Gravitas (n.) dignity, seriousness, or solemnity of manner. "A post for which he has the
expertise and the gravitas" synonyms: dignity, seriousness, solemnity, gravity, loftiness,
sobriety

Gregarious (adj.) drawn to the company of others, sociable (Well, if you’re not gregarious, I
don’t know why you would want to go to a singles party!)

Guile (n.) the use of clever and usually dishonest methods to achieve something “a person
so full of guile he can't even be trusted to give you the correct time of day” synonyms:
artfulness, artifice

H
Hackneyed (adj.) unoriginal, trite (A girl can only hear “I love you” so many times before it
begins to sound hackneyed and meaningless.)

Hapless (adj.) unlucky (My poor, hapless family never seems to pick a sunny week to go on
vacation.)

Harangue 1. (n.) a ranting speech (Everyone had heard the teacher’s harangue about gum
chewing in class before.)

2. (v.) to give such a speech (But this time the teacher harangued the class about the
importance of brushing your teeth after chewing gum.)

Hedge (n.) a means of protection or defense (as against financial loss; a calculatedly
noncommittal or evasive statement

Hegemony (n.) domination over others (Britain’s hegemony over its colonies was
threatened once nationalist sentiment began to spread around the world.)Hedge: a means

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of protection or defense (as against financial loss; a calculatedly noncommittal or evasive
statement Contributed by: Graduate who scored A for General Paper in 2015

Heresy (n.) opinion profoundly at odds with what is generally accepted. "The heresy of being
uncommitted to the right political dogma" synonyms: dissension, dissent, dissidence,

Histrionic (adj.) too emotional or dramatic

Highfalutin (adj.) (especially of speech, writing, or ideas) pompous or pretentious. "You

don't want any highfalutin jargon" synonyms: pretentious, affected, lofty, grandiose,

I
Iconoclast (n.) one who attacks common beliefs or institutions (Jane goes to one protest
after another, but she seems to be an iconoclast rather than an activist with a progressive
agenda.)

Idiosyncratic (adj.) peculiar to one person; highly individualised. she emerged as one of the
great, idiosyncratic talents of the nineties

Ignoble (n.) 1. not honourable in character or purpose. "ignoble feelings of intense jealousy"
synonyms: dishonourable, unworthy, base, shameful. 2. of humble origin or social status.

Ignominious (adj.) deserving or causing public disgrace or shame. "no other party risked
ignominious defeat" synonyms: humiliating, undignified, embarrassing

Immiserate (v.) To make miserable; impoverish. (Rapid modernization had an impact on the
level of urban immiseration)

Impassive (adj.) stoic, not susceptible to suffering (Stop being so impassive; it’s healthy to
cry every now and then.)

Impecunious (adj.) having little or no money. "a titled but impecunious family" synonyms:
penniless, penurious

Imperious (adj.) commanding, domineering (The imperious nature of your manner led me to
dislike you at once.)

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

Impervious (adj.) impenetrable, incapable of being affected (Because of their thick layer of
fur, many seals are almost impervious to the cold.)

Impetuous (adj.) rash; hastily done (Hilda’s hasty slaying of the king was an impetuous,
thoughtless action.)

Impinge 1. (v.) to impact, affect, make an impression (The hail impinged the roof, leaving
large dents.) 2. (v.) to encroach, infringe (I apologize for impinging upon you like this, but I
really need to use your bathroom. Now.)
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Implacable (adj.) incapable of being appeased or mitigated (Watch out: Once you shun
Contributed
Grandma’s cooking, she is totallyby: Graduate who scored A for General Paper in 2015
implacable.)

Imprecation (n.) a spoken curse."I pushed my way through, screaming imprecations"

synonyms: curse, malediction, anathema

impudent (adj.) casually rude, insolent, impertinent (The impudent young man looked the
princess up and down and told her she was hot even though she hadn’t asked him.)

impugn (n.) dispute the truth, validity, or honesty of (a statement or motive); call into
question. "the father does not impugn her capacity as a good mother" “he had impugned
the Prime Minister's honour" synonyms: call into question, challenge, question, dispute,
query, take issue with, impeach

Impunity (n.) exemption from punishment or freedom from the injurious consequence of an
action “she mistakenly believed that she could insult people with impunity”

Impute (v.) to attribute an action to particular person or group (“the crimes imputed to
Richard”)

Inane (adj.) lacking sense or meaning; silly. "Don’t badger people with inane questions"
synonyms: silly, foolish, stupid, fatuous

Inchoate (adj.) just begun and so not fully formed or developed; rudimentary (The country’s
government is still inchoate and, because it has no great tradition, quite unstable.)

Incongruous (adj.) not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of
something. "The duffel coat looked incongruous with the black dress she wore underneath"
synonyms: out of place,

Incontrovertible (adj.) indisputable (Only stubborn Tina would attempt to disprove the
incontrovertible laws of physics.)

Incursion (n.) a sudden invasion or attack: an act of entering a place or area that is
controlled by an enemy. Synonyms: raid

Indefatigable (adj.) incapable of defeat, failure, decay (Even after traveling 62 miles, the
indefatigable runner kept on moving.)

Indigent (adj.) Poor, lacking food and clothing. “A charity for the relief of indigent artists”

Indict (v.) formally accuse of or charge with a crime. "His former manager was indicted for
fraud" synonyms: charge with,

Indolence (n.) inclination to laziness (a general feeling of indolence usually overtakes them
during summer vacation)

Indubitable (adj.) impossible to doubt; unquestionable. "An indubitable truth" synonyms:

unquestionable, undoubtable, indisputable,

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Ineffable (adj.) unspeakable, incapable of being expressed through words (It is said that the
experience of playingContributed by: Graduate
with a dolphin whoand
is ineffable scored
can Aonly
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General Paper inthrough
understood 2015 direct
encounter.)

Ineluctable (adj.) unable to be resisted or avoided; inescapable. "the ineluctable facts of

history"

Inexorable (adj.) 1. Impossible to stop or prevent. "The seemingly inexorable march of new
technology" synonyms: relentless, unstoppable, unavoidable, inescapable, inevitable,
irrevocable; More

2. (Of a person) impossible to persuade; unrelenting. "The doctors were inexorable, and
there was nothing to be done". Synonyms: intransigent, unyielding,

Ingenuous (adj.) not devious; innocent and candid (He must have writers, but his speeches
seem so ingenuous it’s hard to believe he’s not speaking from his own heart.)

Inimical (adj.) hostile (I don’t see how I could ever work for a company that was so cold and
inimical to me during my interviews.)

Iniquity (n.) wickedness or sin (“Your iniquity,” said the priest to the practical jokester, “will
be forgiven.”)

Innocuous (adj.) not harmful or offensive. "It was an innocuous question" synonyms:
harmless, safe

Insatiable (adj.) impossible to satisfy

Insidious (adj.) appealing but imperceptibly harmful, seductive (Lisa’s insidious chocolate
cake tastes so good but makes you feel so sick later on!)

Insipid (adj.) lacking vigour or interest. "Many artists continued to churn out insipid, shallow
works" synonyms: uninteresting, boring

Instantiate (v.) to represent (an abstraction) by a concrete instance <heroes instantiate

ideals — W. J. Bennett> synonyms: body, epitomize, express

Instigate (v.) bring about or initiate (an action or event) especially something negative.
"They instigated a reign of terror" synonyms: set in motion

Insurrection (n.) a violent uprising against an authority or government. "The insurrection

was savagely put down" synonyms: rebellion, revolt, uprising, mutiny

Intransigent (adj.) refusing to compromise, often on an extreme opinion (The intransigent

child said he would have 12 scoops of ice cream or he would bang his head against the wall
until his mother fainted from fear.)

Intrepid (n.) Brave, fearless, adventurous. The intrepid astronaut boldly went where no man
had gone

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Inundate (v.) overwhelm (someone) with things or people to be dealt with. "We’ve been
Contributed
inundated with complaints from by: Graduate
listeners" who scored
synonyms: A for General Paper in 2015
overwhelm

Inure (v.) to cause someone or something to become accustomed to a situation (Twenty

years in the salt mines inured the man to the discomforts of dirt and grime.)

Invective (n.) an angry verbal attack (My mother’s irrational invective against the way I dress
only made me decide to dye my hair green.)

Inveight (v.) speak or write about (something) with great hostility. "he liked to inveigh
against all forms of academic training" synonyms: fulminate, declaim, protest

Inveterate (adj.) stubbornly established by habit (I’m the first to admit that I’m an inveterate
coffee drinker—I drink four cups a day.)

Ire (n.) intense anger; wrath. Fury, rage, choler, spleen.

Irredentism (n.) advocates the recovery of territory culturally or historically related to one's
nation but now subject to a foreign government.

J
Jingoism (n.) extreme patriotism, especially in the form of aggressive or warlike foreign
policy. "the popular jingoism that swept the lower–middle classes" synonyms: extreme
patriotism, blind patriotism, chauvinism, extreme nationalism

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

Juxtaposition (n.) the act of placing two things next to each other for implicit comparison
(The interior designer admired my juxtaposition of the yellow couch and green table.)

L
Lachrymose (adj.) tearful, mournful or causing tears. The Lachrymose clown shed lugubrious
tears

Laconic (adj.) terse in speech or writing (The author’s laconic style has won him many
followers who dislike wordiness.)

Languid (adj.) sluggish from fatigue or weakness (In the summer months, the great heat
makes people languid and lazy.)

Largess (n.) the generous giving of lavish gifts (My boss demonstrated great largess by giving
me a new car.)

Lassitude (n.) a state of physical or mental weariness; lack of energy. "she was overcome by
lassitude and retired to bed" synonyms: lethargy, listlessness, weariness, languor
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Latchkey kid (n.) a young child who is alone at home after school because the child's parents
are working Contributed by: Graduate who scored A for General Paper in 2015

Latent (adj.) hidden, but capable of being exposed (Sigmund’s dream represented his latent
paranoid obsession with other people’s shoes.)

Legerdemain (n.) deception, slight-of-hand (Smuggling the French plants through customs
by claiming that they were fake was a remarkable bit of legerdemain.)

Levity (n.) he treatment of a serious matter with humour or lack of due respect. "As an
attempt to introduce a note of levity, the words were a disastrous flop" synonyms: light-
heartedness

Libel a published false statement that is damaging to a person's reputation; a written

defamation. "he was found guilty of a libel on a Liverpool inspector of taxes" synonyms:
defamation

Licentious (adj.) displaying a lack of moral or legal restraints (Marilee has always been
fascinated by the licentious private lives of politicians.)

Limpid (adj.) clear, transparent (Mr. Johnson’s limpid writing style greatly pleased readers
who disliked complicated novels.)

Lodestar (n.) a star that is used to guide the course of a ship, especially the pole star. "she
dominated his existence as chief muse and intellectual lodestar" synonyms: guide, guiding
star, guiding light, role model, model, luminary, exemp

Loth (v.) Unwilling, reluctant

Lugubrious (adj.) looking or sounding sad and dismal. His face looked even more lugubrious
than usual synonyms: mournful,

M
Maelstrom (n.) a destructive whirlpool which rapidly sucks in objects (Little did the explorers
know that as they turned the next bend of the calm river a vicious maelstrom would catch
their boat.)

Magnanimous (adj.) noble, generous (Although I had already broken most of her dishes,
Jacqueline was magnanimous enough to continue letting me use them.)

Malediction (n.) a curse (When I was arrested for speeding, I screamed maledictions against
the policeman and the entire police department.)

Malevolent (adj.) wanting harm to befall others (The malevolent old man sat in the park all
day, tripping unsuspecting passers-by with his cane.)

Manifold (adj.) diverse, varied (The popularity of Dante’s Inferno is partly due to the fact
that the work allows for manifold interpretations.)

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Maudlin (adj.) weakly sentimental (Although many people enjoy romantic comedies, I
Contributed
usually find them maudlin by: Graduate who scored A for General Paper in 2015
and shallow.)

Maverick (adj.) an unorthodox or independent-minded person. “he's the maverick of the

senate" synonyms:individualist, nonconformist, free spirit, unorthodox person,

Mawkish (adj.) characterized by sick sentimentality (Although some nineteenth- century

critics viewed Dickens’s writing as mawkish, contemporary readers have found great
emotional depth in his works.)

Mellifluous (adj.) (of a sound) pleasingly smooth and musical to hear. "Her low mellifluous
voice"; sweet-sounding, sweet-toned, dulcet,

Mendacious (adj.) having a lying, false character (The mendacious content of the tabloid
magazines is at least entertaining.)

Mendocracy (n.) Ruled by liars

Mercurial (adj.) characterized by rapid change or temperamentality (Though he was widely

respected for his mathematical proofs, the mercurial genius was impossible to live with.)

Meritorious (adj.) deserving reward or praise. "a medal for meritorious conduct" synonyms:
praiseworthy, laudable, commendable "the captain was awarded a medal for meritorious
conduct"

Microcosm (n.) a community, place, or situation regarded as encapsulating in miniature the

characteristics of something much larger. "the city is a microcosm of modern Malaysia"

Mien (n.) a person's appearance or manner, especially as an indication of their character or

mood. "He has a cautious, academic mien" synonyms: appearance, look, expression,
countenance

Misapprehension (n.) a mistaken belief about or interpretation of something. "people tried

to exchange the vouchers under the misapprehension that they were book tokens"
synonyms: misunderstanding, mistake, error, misinterpretation, misconstruction,

Modicum (n.) a small amount of something (Refusing to display even a modicum of

sensitivity, Henrietta announced her boss’s affair in front of the entire office.)

Moot point (n.) An issue that is subject to, or open for discussion or debate; originally, one
to be definitively determined by an assembly of the people.

Morass (n.) a wet swampy bog; figuratively, something that traps and confuses (When
Theresa lost her job, she could not get out of her financial morass.)

Multifarious (adj.) having great diversity or variety (This Swiss Army knife has multifarious
functions and capabilities. Among other things, it can act as a knife, a saw, a toothpick, and
a slingshot.)

Multiplicity (n.) a : the quality or state of being multiple or various 2: a great number “a
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multiplicity of suggestions for turning the company around”
Contributed by: Graduate who scored A for General Paper in 2015
Munificence (n.) generosity in giving (The royal family’s munificence made everyone else in
their country rich.)

Mutable (adj.) able to change

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

N
Nadir (n.) the lowest point of something (My day was boring, but the nadir came when I
accidentally spilled a bowl of spaghetti on my head.)

Nascent (adj.) in the process of being born or coming into existence (Unfortunately, my
brilliant paper was only in its nascent form on the morning that it was due.)

Nebulous: 1. in the form of a cloud or haze; hazy. "A giant nebulous glow" synonyms:
indistinct, indefinite, unclear, vague, hazy, amorphous. 2. (Of a concept) vague or ill-
defined. "Nebulous concepts like quality of life" synonyms: vague, ill-defined, ambiguous,
inchoate

Nefarious (adj.) heinously villainous (Although Dr. Meanman’s nefarious plot to melt the
polar icecaps was terrifying, it was so impractical that nobody really worried about it.)

Neophyte (n.) someone who is young or inexperienced (As a neophyte in the literary world,
Malik had trouble finding a publisher for his first novel.)

O
Obdurate (adj.) unyielding to persuasion or moral influences (The obdurate old man refused
to take pity on the kittens.)

Obeisance (n.) 1. deferential respect. "they paid obeisance to the Prince" synonyms:
respect, homage. 2. a gesture expressing deferential respect, such as a bow or
curtsy. "she made a deep obeisance" synonyms: bow, curtsy

Obfuscate (v.) to render incomprehensible (The detective did not want to answer the
newspaperman’s questions, so he obfuscated the truth.)

Oblique (adj.) diverging from a straight line or course, not straightforward (Martin’s oblique
language confused those who listened to him.)

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

Obstreperous (adj.) noisy, unruly (Billy’s obstreperous behaviour prompted the librarian to
ask him to leave the reading room.)

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Obtuse (adj.) lacking quickness of sensibility or intellect (Political opponents warned that the
Contributed
prime minister’s obtuse approachby:toGraduate who scored
foreign policy wouldA embroil
for General
thePaper
nationinin2015
mindless
war.)

Obviate: to anticipate and prevent (as a situation) or make unnecessary (as an action). “The
new medical treatment obviates the need for surgery.”

Odious (adj.) instilling hatred or intense displeasure (Mark was assigned the odious task of
cleaning the cat’s litter box.) synonyms: revolting, repulsive, repellent, repugnant,
disgusting, offensive, objectionable, vile, foul, abhorrent

Officious (adj.) offering one’s services when they are neither wanted nor needed (Brenda
resented Allan’s officious behaviour when he selected colours that might best improve her
artwork.)

On-dit (n.) a piece of gossip; a rumour. "the latest on dit on Karl"

Opprobrium (n.) 1. harsh criticism or censure. "the critical opprobrium generated by his
films" synonyms: vilification, abuse, vituperation, condemnation 2. public disgrace
arising from shameful conduct. "the opprobrium of being closely associated with gangsters"
synonyms: disgrace, shame, dishonour,

Opulent (adj.) characterized by rich abundance verging on ostentation (The opulent

furnishings of the dictator’s private compound contrasted harshly with the meagre
accommodations of her subjects.)

Orgiastic (adj.) of or resembling an orgy. "orgiastic dancing" synonyms:debauched, wild,

riotous, wanton

Ostensible (adj.) appearing as such, seemingly (Jack’s ostensible reason for driving was that
airfare was too expensive, but in reality, he was afraid of flying.)

Outsize (adj.) exceptionally large. "an outsize bed" synonyms: huge, oversized,
enormous, gigantic

P
Pacifism (n.) the belief that war and violence are unjustifiable and that all disputes should be
settled by peaceful means. "There remains a powerful undercurrent of pacifism" synonyms:
peace-making

Palliate (v.) to reduce the severity of (The doctor trusted that the new medication would
palliate her patient’s discomfort.)

Pallid (adj.) lacking colour (Dr. Van Helsing feared that Lucy’s pallid complexion was due to
an unexplained loss of blood.)
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Palpable (adj.) capable of being touched or felt; easily perceptible (I felt a palpable sense of
relief.) Contributed by: Graduate who scored A for General Paper in 2015

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

Panopticon (n.) a building, as a prison or library, so arranged that all parts of the interior are
visible from a single point.

Paragon (n.) a model of excellence or perfection (The mythical Helen of Troy was considered
a paragon of female beauty.)

Pariah (n.) an outcast (Following the discovery of his plagiarism, Professor Hurley was made
a pariah in all academic circles.)

Parsimony (n.) frugality, stinginess (Many relatives believed that my aunt’s wealth resulted
from her parsimony.)

Partisan (adj.): prejudiced in favour of a particular cause “newspapers have become

increasingly partisan" synonyms: biased

Pathos (n.) an emotion of sympathy (Martha filled with pathos upon discovering the
scrawny, shivering kitten at her door.)

Paucity (adj.) small in quantity (Gilbert lamented the paucity of twentieth-century literature
courses available at the college.)

Pejorative (adj.) derogatory, uncomplimentary (The evening’s headline news covered an

international scandal caused by a pejorative statement the famous senator had made in
reference to a foreign leader.)

Pellucid (adj.) easily intelligible, clear (Wishing his book to be pellucid to the common man,
Albert Camus avoided using complicated grammar when composing The Stranger.)

Penchant (n.) a strong or habitual liking for something or tendency to do something. "He has
a penchant for adopting stray dogs"

Penurious (adj.) miserly, stingy (Stella complained that her husband’s penurious ways made
it impossible to live the lifestyle she felt she deserved.)

Peripatetic (adj.) 1. travelling from place to place, in particular working or based in various
places for relatively short periods. "the peripatetic nature of military life". synonyms:
nomadic, itinerant, travelling, "his peripatetic way of life". 2. Aristotelian.

Perfidious (adj.) disloyal, unfaithful (After the official was caught selling government secrets
to enemy agents, he was executed for his perfidious ways.)

Perfunctory (adj.) showing little interest or enthusiasm (The radio broadcaster announced
the news of the massacre in a surprisingly perfunctory manner.)

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Permutations (n.) one of the many different ways or forms in which something exists or can
be arranged Contributed by: Graduate who scored A for General Paper in 2015

Pernicious (adj.) extremely destructive or harmful (The new government feared that the
Communist sympathizers would have a pernicious influence on the nation’s stability.)

Perspicacity (adj.) shrewdness, perceptiveness (The detective was too humble to

acknowledge that his perspicacity was the reason for his professional success.)

Pert (adj.) energetic, enthusiastic and confident. That pert girl is a member of the
cheerleading squad

Pertinacious (adj.) stubbornly persistent (Harry’s parents were frustrated with his
pertinacious insistence that a monster lived in his closet. Then they opened the closet door
and were eaten.)

Pervasive (adj.) (especially of an unwelcome influence or physical effect) spreading widely

throughout an area or a group of people. "Ageism is pervasive and entrenched in our
society" synonyms: prevalent, penetrating

Perverse (adj.) contrary to the accepted or expected standard or practice. "in two general
elections the outcome was quite perverse”; illogical, irrational

Petulance (n.) rudeness, irritability (The nanny resigned after she could no longer tolerate
the child’s petulance.)

Pithy (adj.) concisely meaningful (My father’s long-winded explanation was a stark contrast
to his usually pithy statements.)

Platitude (n.) an uninspired remark, cliché (After reading over her paper, Helene concluded
that what she thought were profound insights were actually just platitudes.)

Plebiscite (n.) the direct vote of all the members of an electorate on an important public
question such as a change in the constitution. "The administration will hold a plebiscite for
the approval of constitutional reforms"; vote, referendum, ballot, poll

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

Polemic (n.) an aggressive argument against a specific opinion (My brother launched into a
polemic against my arguments that capitalism was an unjust economic system.)

Portent (n.) an omen (When a black cat crossed my sister’s path while she was walking to
school, she took it as a portent that she would do badly on her spelling test.)

Posit (n.) put forward as fact or as a basis for argument. "The Confucian view posits a
perfectible human nature" synonyms: postulate, put forward, advance,

Posterity (n.) all future generations of people. "the victims' names are recorded for
posterity" synonyms: future generations, succeeding generations
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Potpourri (n.) a mixture or medley of things. plural noun: potpourris; plural noun "he played
a potpourri of tunes Contributed
from Gilbertby:
andGraduate who
Sullivan" scored A for
synonyms: Generalassortment,
mixture, Paper in 2015
collection,

Precipitous (adj.) 1. Dangerously high or steep. ("The track skirted a precipitous drop")
synonyms: vertiginous; 2. (of a change to a worse situation or condition) sudden and
dramatic. ("A precipitous slide in the government's popularity") synonyms: sudden, rapid,
abrupt, meteoric, headlong; rareprecipitant 3. (Of an action) done suddenly and without
careful consideration. ("Precipitous intervention")

Precocious (adj.) advanced, developing ahead of time (Derek was so academically

precocious that by the time he was 10 years old, he was already in the ninth grade.)

Preponderance (n.) the quality or fact of being greater in number, quantity, or importance.
"The preponderance of women among older people" synonyms: prevalence, predominance,
dominance

Presage (v.) be a sign or warning of (an imminent event, typically an unwelcome one). "the
heavy clouds above the moorland presaged snow" synonyms: portend, augur, foreshadow,
foretell, prophesy

Prescient (adj.) to have foreknowledge of events (Questioning the fortune cookie’s

prediction, Ray went in search of the old hermit who was rumoured to be prescient.)

Prestidigitation (n.) sleight of hand, legerdemain (Houdini's powers of prestidigitation

remain legendary to this very day.)

Prevaricate (v.) to avoid telling the truth by not directly answering a question “"he seemed
to prevaricate when journalists asked pointed questions" synonyms: beat around the bush,
fib

Privation (n.) a state in which food and other essentials for well-being are lacking. "years of
rationing and privation" synonyms: deprivation, hardship, poverty, penury, indigence,
destitution, impoverishment, want, need, neediness. 2.(formal) the loss or absence of a
quality or attribute that is normally present. "cold is the privation of heat"

Primeval (adj.) original, ancient (The first primates to walk on two legs, called
Australopithecus, were the primeval descendants of modern man.)

Probity (n.) virtue, integrity (Because he was never viewed as a man of great probity, no one
was surprised by Mr. Samson’s immoral behaviour.)

Proclivity (n.) a strong inclination toward something (In a sick twist of fate, Harold’s
childhood proclivity for torturing small animals grew into a desire to become a surgeon.)

Proffers (v.) hold out or put forward (something) to someone for acceptance. "She proffered
a glass of wine" synonyms: offer, tender, present, propose

Profuse (adj.) plentiful, abundant

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Prolific (adj.) producing a lot of something “The prolific artist created hundreds of statues”
Contributed by: Graduate who scored A for General Paper in 2015
Promulgate (v.) to proclaim, make known (The film professor promulgated that both in
terms of sex appeal and political intrigue, Sean Connery’s James Bond was superior to Roger
Moore’s.)

Propensity (n.) an inclination, preference (Dermit has a propensity for dangerous activities
such as bungee jumping.)

Propitious (adj.) favourable (The dark storm clouds visible on the horizon suggested that the
weather would not be propitious for sailing.)

Prorogue (v.) discontinue a session of (a parliament or other legislative assembly) without

dissolving it." James prorogued this Parliament, never to call another one"

Prosaic (adj.) plain, lacking liveliness (Heather’s prosaic recital of the poem bored the
audience.)

Proscribe (v.) to condemn, outlaw (The town council voted to proscribe the sale of alcohol
on weekends.)

Protean (adj.) able to change shape; displaying great variety (Among Nigel’s protean talents
was his ability to touch the tip of his nose with his tongue.)

Prurient (adj.) eliciting or possessing an extraordinary interest in sex (David’s mother was
shocked by the discovery of prurient reading material hidden beneath her son’s mattress.)

Puerile (adj.) juvenile, immature (The judge demanded order after the lawyer’s puerile
attempt to object by stomping his feet on the courtroom floor.)

Pugnacious (adj.) quarrelsome, combative (Aaron’s pugnacious nature led him to start
several barroom brawls each month.)

Pulchritude (n.) physical beauty (Several of Shakespeare’s sonnets explore the pulchritude
of a lovely young man.)

Punctilious (adj.) eager to follow rules or conventions (Punctilious Bobby, hall monitor
extraordinaire, insisted that his peers follow the rules.)

Punitive (adj.) inflicting or intended as punishment. "He called for punitive measures against
the Eastern bloc”; penal, disciplinary, corrective, correctional, retributive

Purloin (v.) steal (something). "he must have managed to purloin a copy of the key"

Putative (adj.) generally considered or reputed to be. "The putative father of her children"

Q
Quadriplegia (n.) Complete paralysis of the body from the neck down.

Quagmire (n.) a difficult situation (We’d all like to avoid the kind of military quagmire
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characterized by the Vietnam War.)
Contributed by: Graduate who scored A for General Paper in 2015
Quandary (n.) a state of perplexity or uncertainty over what to do in a difficult situation.
"Kate was in a quandary" synonyms: dilemma, plight, predicament

Querulous (adj.) whiny, complaining (If deprived of his pacifier, young Brendan becomes
querulous.)

Quixotic (adj.) idealistic, impractical (Edward entertained a quixotic desire to fall in love at
first sight in a Laundromat.)

Quotidian: 1. of or occurring every day; daily. "The car sped noisily off through the quotidian
traffic"

2. Ordinary or everyday; mundane. "His story is an achingly human one, mired in quotidian
details"

R
Raison d’etre (n.) reason or justification for existence (Art is his raison d'être.)

Rancour (n.) deep, bitter resentment (When Eileen challenged me to a fight, I could see the
rancour in her eyes.)

Rapine (n.) the violent seizure of someone's property. "The fruits of violence and rapine"

Rapport (n.) a friendly relationship (He quickly developed a good rapport with the other
teachers.)

Rebuke (v.) to scold, criticize (When the cops showed up at Sarah’s party, they rebuked her
for disturbing the peace.)

Recalcitrant (adj.) defiant, unapologetic (Even when scolded, the recalcitrant young girl
simply stomped her foot and refused to finish her lima beans.)

Recidivism (n.) The act of a person repeating an undesirable behaviour after they have
either experienced negative consequences of that behaviour

Rectitude (n.) uprightness, extreme morality (The priest’s rectitude gave him the moral
authority to counsel his parishioners.)

Recuse 1. challenge (a judge or juror) as unqualified to perform legal duties because of a

potential conflict of interest or lack of impartiality. "he was recused when he referred to the
corporation as ‘a bunch of villains’" 2. (of a judge) excuse oneself from a case because of a
potential conflict of interest or lack of impartiality. "it was the right of counsel to ask a judge
to recuse himself from continuing to hear a case because of bias"

Reflexive (adj.) happening or done without thinking as a reaction to something. “For many
people, the reflexive response to this kind of demand is to say no.”

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Renege (v.) go back on a promise, undertaking, or contract. "the government had reneged
Contributed
on its election promises" by: Graduate
synonyms: whofail
default on, scored A for General
to honour, go backPaper in 2015back out
on, break,
of

Replete (adj.) filled or well-supplied with something. "Sensational popular fiction, replete
with adultery and sudden death"; teeming, overflowing, brimful, brimming, loaded,
abounding;

Reprehensible (adj.) deserving censure or condemnation. "His complacency and

reprehensible laxity" synonyms: deplorable, disgraceful

Reproach (n.) the expression of disapproval or disappointment. "He gave her a look of
reproach" rebuke, reproof, reproval, admonishment, admonition.

Reprobate (adj.) to condemn strongly as unworthy, unacceptable, or evil; a person who

behaves in a morally wrong way (The reprobate criminal sat sneering in the cell.)

Reprove (v.) to scold, rebuke (Lara reproved her son for sticking each and every one of his
fingers into the strawberry pie.)

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

Rescind (v.) to take back, repeal (The company rescinded its offer of employment after
discovering that Jane’s resume was full of lies.)

Restive (adj.) resistant, stubborn, impatient (The restive audience pelted the band with mud
and yelled nasty comments.)

Reticence (n.) the quality of being reticent; reserve. not revealing one's thoughts or feelings
readily.

"she was extremely reticent about her personal affairs" "The traditional emotional reticence
of the British" synonyms: reserve, introversion, restraint,

Revanche (n.) revenge; especially: a usually political policy designed to recover lost territory
or status

Ribald (adj.) coarsely, crudely humorous (While some giggled at the ribald joke involving a
parson’s daughter, most sighed and rolled their eyes.)

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

Rodomontade (n.) a bragging speech 2: vain boasting or bluster: rant “for all of its jingoistic
rodomontade, the government had no thought-out plan for the war and its aftermath”
synonyms: bluster, brag, braggadocio

Ruse (n.) a trick (Oliver concocted an elaborate ruse for sneaking out of the house to meet
his girlfriend while simultaneously giving his mother the impression that he was asleep in
bed.)
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Ruinous (adj.) disastrous or destructive
Contributed by: Graduate who scored A for General Paper in 2015
Ruminate (v.) Rumination refers to the tendency to repetitively think about the causes,
situational factors, and consequences of one's negative emotional experience

S
Sacrosanct (adj.) holy, something that should not be criticized (In the United States, the
Constitution is often thought of as a sacrosanct document.)

Sagacity (n.) shrewdness, soundness of perspective (With remarkable sagacity, the wise old
man predicted and thwarted his children’s plan to ship him off to a nursing home.)

Salacious (adj.) having or conveying undue or indecent interest in sexual matters. "salacious
stories" synonyms: pornographic, obscene, indecent

Salient (adj.) significant, conspicuous (One of the salient differences between Alison and
Nancy is that Alison is a foot taller.)

Sanctimonious (adj.) giving a hypocritical appearance of piety (The sanctimonious Bertrand

delivered stern lectures on the Ten Commandments to anyone who would listen, but
thought nothing of stealing cars to make some cash on the side.)

Sanguine (adj.) optimistic, cheery (Polly reacted to any bad news with a sanguine smile and
the chirpy cry, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade!”)

Saturnalia (n.) an unrestrained often licentious celebration: orgy, excess, extravagance

Scurrilous (adj.) vulgar, coarse (When Bruno heard the scurrilous accusation being made
about him, he could not believe it because he always tried to be nice to everyone.)

Sedentary (adj.) sitting, settled, somewhat inactive. we all walk a certain amount every day
even if we are sedentary

Serendipity (n.) luck, finding good things without looking for them (In an amazing bit of
serendipity, penniless Paula found a $20 bill in the subway station.)

Servile (adj.) subservient (The servile porter crept around the hotel lobby, bowing and
quaking before the guests.)

Solicitous (adj.) concerned, attentive (Jim, laid up in bed with a nasty virus, enjoyed the
solicitous attentions of his mother, who brought him soup and extra blankets.)

Solipsistic (adj.) believing that oneself is all that exists (Colette’s solipsistic attitude
completely ignored the plight of the homeless people on the street.)

Somnolent (adj.) sleepy, drowsy (The somnolent student kept falling asleep and waking up
with a jerk.)

Spurious (adj.) false but designed to seem plausible (Using a spurious argument, John

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convinced the others that he had won the board game on a technicality.)
Contributed by: Graduate who scored A for General Paper in 2015
Staid (adj.) sedate, serious, self-restrained (The staid butler never changed his expression no
matter what happened.)

Stolid (adj.) expressing little sensibility, unemotional (Charles’s stolid reaction to his wife’s
funeral differed from the passion he showed at the time of her death.)

Stultifying (adj.) causing a lack of enthusiasm, interest or activity. The hour long lecture,
instead of enlightening the man, had a stultifying effect

Stupefy (v.) to astonish, make insensible (Veronica’s audacity and ungratefulness stupefied
her best friend, Heather.)

Suffrage (n.) the right of voting: franchise; also: the exercise of such right. (Even as the
world entered the 21st century, some nations still did not permit women's suffrage)

Sunder (v.) to split apart (an organization, two people, etc.) especially in a violent way “a
family sundered by scandal””during the cold war East and West Berlin were sundered by an
impenetrable wall” synonyms: sever, break up

Surfeit (n.) an overabundant supply or indulgence (After partaking of the surfeit of tacos and
tamales at the All-You-Can-Eat Taco Tamale Lunch Special, Beth felt rather sick.)

Surmise (v.) to infer with little evidence (After speaking to only one of the students, the
teacher was able to surmise what had caused the fight.)

Surreptitious (adj.) obtained, made or done by clandestine or stealthy means (The

surreptitious CIA agents were able to get in and out of the house without anyone noticing.)

Supine (adj.) willing to be controlled by others: weak or passive (a supine legislature that is
afraid to take action)

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

Senescence: the state of being old: the process of becoming old (Vera avoids the pitfalls of
senescence by exercising daily and staying active in her community by funnelling an
unprecedented amount of money into.)

T
Tacit (adj.) expressed without words (I interpreted my parents’ refusal to talk as a tacit
acceptance of my request.)

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

Tantamount (adj.) equivalent in value or significance (When it comes to sports, fearing your
opponent is tantamount to losing.)
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Temerity (n.) audacity, recklessness (Tom and Huck entered the scary cave armed with
nothing but their ownContributed
temerity.)by: Graduate who scored A for General Paper in 2015

Tenuous (adj.) having little substance or strength (Your argument is very tenuous, since it
relies so much on speculation and hearsay.)

Timorous (adj.) timid, fearful (When dealing with the unknown, timorous Tallulah almost
always broke into tears.)

Torpid (adj.) lethargic, dormant, lacking motion (The torpid whale floated, wallowing in the
water for hours.)

Tractable (adj.) easily controlled (The horse was so tractable, Myra didn’t even need a
bridle.)

Transient (adj.) passing through briefly; passing into and out of existence (Because virtually
everyone in Palm Beach is a tourist, the population of the town is quite transient.)

Transmute (v.) to change or alter in form (Ancient alchemists believed that it was possible to
transmute lead into gold.)

Trenchant (adj.) effective, articulate, clear-cut (The directions that accompanied my new cell
phone were trenchant and easy to follow.)

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

Turgid (adj.) swollen, excessively embellished in style or language (The haughty writer did
not realize how we all really felt about his turgid prose.)

Turpitude (n.) depravity, moral corruption (Sir Marcus’s chivalry often contrasted with the
turpitude he exhibited with the ladies at the tavern.)

U
Ubiquitous (adj.) existing everywhere, widespread (It seems that everyone in the United
States has a television. The technology is ubiquitous here.)

Ululations (n.) to cry loudly. Synonyms: howl, wail

Umbrage (n.) resentment, offense (He called me a lily-livered coward, and I took umbrage at
the insult.)

Unctuous (adj.) smooth or greasy in texture, appearance, manner (The unctuous

receptionist seemed untrustworthy, as if she was only being helpful because she thought we
might give her a big tip.)

Undulate (v.) to move in waves (As the storm began to brew, the placid ocean began to
undulate to an increasing degree.)

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Untenable (adj.) not able to be maintained or defended against attack or objection. "This
Contributedsynonyms:
argument is clearly untenable" by: Graduate who scoredundefendable,
indefensible, A for General Paper in 2015
unarguable,
insupportable, refutable

Upbraid (v.) to criticize or scold severely (The last thing Lindsay wanted was for Lisa to
upbraid her again about missing the rent payment.)

Usurp (v.) to seize by force, take possession of without right (The rogue army general tried
to usurp control of the government, but he failed because most of the army backed the
legally elected president

Usury (n.) the lending of money with an interest charge for its use; especially : the lending
of money at exorbitant interest rates

V
Vacillate (v.) to fluctuate, hesitate (I prefer a definite answer, but my boss kept vacillating
between the distinct options available to us.)

Vacuous (adj.) lack of content or ideas, stupid (Beyoncé realized that the lyrics she had just
penned were completely vacuous and tried to add more substance.)

Vagabond (adj.) a person without a permanent home who moves from place to place;
itinerant

Vapid (adj.) lacking liveliness, dull (The professor’s comments about the poem were
surprisingly vapid and dull.)

Variegated (adj.) diversified, distinctly marked (Each wire in the engineering exam was
variegated by colour so that the students could figure out which one was which.)

Venerate (v.) to regard with respect or to honour (The tribute to John Lennon sought to
venerate his music, his words, and his legend.)

Veneration (n.) great respect; reverence. "The traditional veneration of saints" synonyms:
reverence, respect

Veracity (n.) truthfulness, accuracy (With several agencies regulating the reports, it was
difficult for Latifah to argue against its veracity.)

Verdant (adj.) green in tint or colour (The verdant leaves on the trees made the world look
emerald.)

Vestige (n.) a trace or remnant of something that is disappearing or no longer exists. "The
last vestiges of colonialism" synonyms: remnant, remainder, fragment, relic,

Vex (v.) to confuse or annoy (My little brother vexes me by poking me in the ribs for hours
on end.)

Vicarious (adj.) experiencing through another (All of my lame friends learned to be social
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through vicarious involvement in my amazing experiences.)
Contributed by: Graduate who scored A for General Paper in 2015
Vicissitude (n.) event that occurs by chance (The vicissitudes of daily life prevent me from
predicting what might happen from one day to the next.)

Vilify (v.) to lower in importance, defame (After the Watergate scandal, almost any story
written about President Nixon sought to vilify him and criticize his behaviour.)

Vindictive (adj.) vengeful. the criticism was both vindictive and personalized

Viscous (adj.) not free flowing, syrupy (The viscous syrup took three minutes to pour out of
the bottle.)

Vitriolic (adj.) having a caustic quality (When angry, the woman would spew vitriolic insults.)

Vituperate (v.) to berate (Jack ran away as soon as his father found out, knowing he would
be vituperated for his unseemly behaviour.)Vagaries: an erratic, unpredictable, or
extravagant manifestation, action, or notion

Vouchsafed (v.) 1. give or grant (something) to (someone) in a gracious or condescending

manner.

"it is a blessing vouchsafed him by heaven" synonyms: grant, give, accord, award, offer,
hand. 2. reveal or disclose (information). "you'd never vouchsafed that interesting titbit
before" synonyms: disclose, reveal, divulge,

W
Wanton (adj.) undisciplined, lewd, lustful (Vicky’s wanton demeanour often made the frat
guys next door very excited.)

Winnow (v.) to remove (people or things that are less important, desirable, etc.) from a
larger group or list : to make (a list of possible choices) smaller by removing the less
desirable choices. “The least qualified applicants were winnowed out of the initial pool.”

Winsome (adj.) charming, pleasing (After such a long, frustrating day, I was grateful for
Chris’s winsome attitude and childish naiveté.)

Wistful (adj.) full of yearning; musingly sad (Since her pet rabbit died, Edda missed it terribly
and was wistful all day long.)

Wizened (adj.) dry, shrunken, wrinkled (Agatha’s grandmother, Stephanie, had the most
wizened countenance, full of leathery wrinkles.)

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Z
Contributed by: Graduate who scored A for General Paper in 2015
Zealot (n.) a person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious,
political, or other ideals. Synonyms: fanatic, enthusiast, extremist

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

Zephyr (n.) gentle breeze. Summer zephyrs relieved the otherwise stultifying heat

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Contributed by: Graduate who scored A for General Paper in 2015

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