Good English 3

Coltish [colt·ish] adj. Energetic but awkward in one’s movements or behavior. Playful, not trained or disciplined. "Coltish horseplay to celebrate their graduation."

Apocryphal [a·poc·ry·phal] adj. Of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true. "Apocryphal stories dating from Hollywood’s golden age."

Circumspect [cir·cum·spect] adj Wary and unwilling to take risks. "His circumspect approach to investing."

Sartorial [sar·to·ri·al] adj. Of or relating to tailoring, clothes, or style of dress. "Sartorial taste; "Sartorial elegance."

Truculent [truc·u·lent] adj. Eager or quick to argue or fight; aggressively defiant. "Truculent children."

Maniacal [ma·ni·a·cal] adj. Characterized by excessive enthusiasm or excitement. "A maniacal grin on his face."

Amorous [am·o·rous] adj. Showing, feeling, or relating to sexual desire. "She did not appreciate his amorous advances."

Protagonist [pro·tag·o·nist] n. The main figure or one of the most prominent figures in a real situation. The leading character or a major character in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text. "The unnamed protagonist was the hit of the film."

Contemporaneous (con·tem·po·ra·ne·ous) adj.　 Originating, existing, or happening during the same period of time: "The contemporaneous court cases for the two defendants."

Verbose (ver·bose) adj.　 Using or containing a great and usually an excessive number of words; wordy. "She was too verbose in her narrative."

Tumult [tu·mult] n. Confusion or disorder. A loud, confused noise, esp. one caused by a large mass of people. "He quickly became aware of the violent tumult behind the trees."

Enigmatic (en·ig·mat·ic) adj.　 Of or resembling an enigma; puzzling: "An enigmatic tax form."

Perpetuity (per·pe·tu·i·ty) n.pl.　 1. Time without end; eternity.　 2. The quality or condition of being perpetual: "The terms of the agreement remain in effect in perpetuity."

Ravenous (rav·en·ous) adj.　 1. Extremely hungry; voracious.　 2. Rapacious; predatory.　 3. Greedy for gratification: "Ravenous for power."

Plagiarize (pla·gia·rize) v.　 1. To use and pass off (the ideas or writings of another) as one’s own.　 2.To appropriate for use as one’s own passages or ideas from another.

Placid (plac·id) adj.　 1. Satisfied; complacent.　 2. Undisturbed by tumult or disorder; calm or quiet.

Lucid (lu·cid) adj.　 1. Easily understood; intelligible. 2. Mentally sound; sane or rational. "A lucid conversation." 3. Translucent or transparent.

Demonstrable (de·mon·stra·ble) adj.　 1. Capable of being demonstrated or proved: "demonstrable truths."　 2. Obvious or apparent: "demonstrable lies."

Nexus (nex·us) n.　 A means of connection; a link or tie: "The nexus between the mob and gambling."　 2. A connected series or group.　 3. The core or center.

Expeditious (ex·pe·di·tious) adj.　 Acting or done with speed and efficiency

Ostentatious (os·ten·ta·tious) adj.　 Characterized by or given to pretentiousness. "The chandelier was the most ostentatious I have ever seen."

Formative (for·ma·tive) adj.　 Of or relating to formation, growth, or development: the formative stages of a child

Epicurean (ep·i·cu·re·an) adj.　 Devoted to the pursuit of sensual pleasure, particularly the enjoyment of gourmet food.

Cerebral (cer·e·bral) adj.　 Appealing to or requiring the use of the intellect; intellectual rather than emotional: "Her methods were cerebral, analytical, and cautious."

Genteel (gen·teel) adj.　 1. Refined in manner; well-bred and polite.　 2.Free from vulgarity or rudeness.　 3.Elegantly stylish: genteel manners and appearance

Halcyon (hal·cy·on) Adj 1. Calm; peaceful; tranquil: "Halcyon seas." 2. Rich; wealthy; prosperous: "Halcyon times before the recession."

Pernicious (per·ni·cious) adj Having a harmful effect, particularly in a gradual or subtle way. "The hostile takeover will have a pernicious effect on the business."

Bifurcate; bifurcation (bi·fur·cate) v Divide into two branches or forks: "The river bifurcates at the base of the mountain."

Mendacious (men·da·cious) adj Not telling the truth; lying: "A mendacious politician;" "A mendacious defendant."

Frenetic (fre·net·ic) adj Fast and energetic in a rather wild and uncontrolled way: "A frenetic ride on the snowboard."

Vociferous (vo·cif·er·ous) adj Characterized by vehemence, clamour, or noisiness: "A vociferous crowd."

Perspicacious (per·spi·ca·cious) adj Having strong insight into and understanding of things. "She showed perspicacious judgment."

Rapacious (ra·pa·cious) Adj Aggressively greedy or ravenous; plundering: "A rapacious salesman."

Myopic; Myopia [my·o·pia] n.　 Distant objects appear blurred – Lack of discernment or long-range perspective in thinking or planning: "Myopic thinking."

Penurious (pe·nu·ri·ous) adj Extremely poor; poverty-stricken; miserly. "The penurious family were forced from their home."

Loquacious (lo·qua·cious) adj Very talkative; garrulous. "Her loquacious sales pitch lasted the entire afternoon."

Nefarious [ne·far·i·ous] adj.　 Infamous by way of being extremely wicked. Wicked in the extreme; abominable; iniquitous; atrociously villainous; execrable; detestably vile. "His nefarious scheme cost investors millions of dollars."

Reciprocity (rec·i·proc·i·ty) n A reciprocal condition or relationship. "The president’s proposal calls for full reciprocity."

Chagrin [cha·grin] n.　 A keen feeling of mental unease, as of annoyance or embarrassment, caused by failure, disappointment, or a disconcerting event. "He decided to take the day off, much to the chagrin of his boss."

Voluminous [vo·lu·mi·nous] adj.　 Having great volume, fullness, size, or number; ample or lengthy in speech or writing. "Voluminous paperwork."

Insipid [in·sip·id] adj.　 Lacking flavor or zest; not tasty. Lacking qualities that excite, stimulate, or interest; dull. "The insipid play caused many to walk out of the theater."

Fortuitous [for·tu·i·tous] adj.　 Happening by accident or chance. Happening by a fortunate accident or chance. Lucky or fortunate. "The check could not have arrived at a more fortuitous time."

Ubiquitous [u·biq·ui·tous] adj.　 Being or seeming to be everywhere, or in all places, at the same time; omnipresent. "Ubiquitous cell phones."

Placate (pla·cate) verb To appease or pacify; make (someone) less angry or hostile. "The customer service representative tried to placate the dissatisfied customer."

Bucolic (bu·col·ic) adj. Of or relating to the pleasant aspects of country life. "He retired to a more bucolic life on his farm."

Antiquated [an·ti·quat·ed] adj.　 Very old; aged. Too old to be fashionable, suitable, or useful; outmoded, obsolete. "The committee thought the marketing strategy was too antiquated to approve."

Atypical [a·typ·i·cal] adj.　 Not conforming to type; unusual or irregular. Deviating from what is usual or common or to be expected; often somewhat odd or strange. "The strong sales were atypical of the normally weak market."

Odious (o·di·ous) adj. Extremely unpleasant; repulsive. Deserving of hatred or repugnance. "The detective said it was the most odious crime she had ever seen."

Anomalous (a·nom·a·lous) adj. Deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected. "The marketing department could not explain the anomalous sales performance."

Recalcitrant (re·cal·ci·trant) adj. Stubborn, often defiant of authority; difficult to manage or control. "After months of recalcitrant behavior, the employee was terminated."

Duplicitous [du·plic·i·tous] adj.　 Given to or marked by deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech. "They warned him not to trust the duplicitous telemarketer."

Derisive (de·ri·sive) adj. Expressing contempt or ridicule; mocking or scornful. "A derisive laugh."

Prodigious (pro·di·gious) adj. Remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree. "Her prodigious sales performance resulted in a promotion."

Disingenuous [dis·in·gen·u·ous] adj. Not straightforward or candid; insincere or calculating.　 "It was disingenuous of her to claim she had no financial interest in the company."

Ostensible [os·ten·si·ble] adj.　 Stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so. Being such in appearance, plausible rather than demonstrably true or real. "The ostensible purpose of the trip was for business."

Euphemism [eu·phe·mism] n. A mild, inoffensive expression that is substituted for one that is often considered harsh or offensive. "To pass away" is a euphemism for "to die."

Austere [aus·tere] adj. 1. Markedly simple without adornment or ornamentation. "An austere office;" "An austere writing style." 2. Strict or stern in appearance or manner. "He was an austere movie critic."

alfresco : out-of-doors; in the open air

Altruism [al·tru·ism] n.　 Unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness.　 (also ‘Altruistic’). "Despite his miserly demeanor, his life is driven by Altruism." "Altruistic motives."

Copious [co·pi·ous] adj.　 Large in quantity; abundant. Abounding in matter, thoughts, or words; wordy.　 "He took copious notes during the business meeting."

Ambiguous [am·big·u·ous] adj.　 Open to more than one interpretation: "An ambiguous response." Doubtful or uncertain. "The survey results were ambiguous."

Laborious [la·bo·ri·ous] adj.　 Hard-working; industrious. Marked by or requiring long, hard work. "It was a laborious project, but they still kept it under budget."

Diminutive [di·min·u·tive] adj. Extremely small in size; tiny. A very small person or thing. "Although diminutive in stature, they were a formidable opponent;" "A diminutive report."

Pragmatic [prag·mat·ic] adj.　 More concerned with practical results than with theories and principles. "The CEO used a pragmatic approach to making his business a success."

Temporal [tem·po·ral] adj.　 Relating to, or limited by time. Lasting only for a time; not eternal.　 Also: fleeting, passing, momentary, temporary, transient, short-lived. "The beneficial effects of the loan were temporal."

Incongruous [in·con·gru·ous] adj. 1. Lacking in harmony; incompatible. 2. Not in agreement, as with principles; inconsistent. "A plan incongruous with reason." 3. Not in keeping with what is correct, proper, or logical; inappropriate. "She showed incongruous behavior."

Ominous [om·i·nous] adj. Menacing; threatening. "Ominous black clouds;" "An ominous scream prior to the shooting."

Anachronism [a·nach·ro·nism] n. One that is out of its proper, chronological, or historical order, especially a person or practice that belongs to an earlier time. "A sword is an anachronism in modern warfare."

Nebulous [neb·u·lous] adj. 1. Lacking definition or definite content. 2. Lacking definite form or limits; vague. "The test results were nebulous and determined to be unusable."

Exacerbate [ex·ac·er·bate] transitive verb.　 To make more violent, bitter, or severe; to irritate or make worse. "The continued delays were greatly exacerbated by the lack of workers on the project."

Acerbic [a·cer·bic] adj. Sharp or biting, as in character or expression. "The director occasionally allowed an acerbic tone to an otherwise subtle dialogue."

Pugnacious [pug·na·cious] adj. 1. Quarrelsome or combative in nature; belligerent. 2. Expressing an argument or opinion very forcefully. "Rather than maintaining a calm demeanor, his boss was quite pugnacious."

Incredulous [in·cred·u·lous] adj. 1. Skeptical; disbelieving. "Most people are incredulous of stories about flying saucers." 2. Expressive of disbelief. "An incredulous stare."

Quixotic [quix·ot·ic] adj. 1. Idealistic without regard to practicality; impractical. 2. Impulsive: tending to act on whims or impulses. "It was clearly a quixotic case against the defendant."

Specious [spe·cious] adj.　 1. Having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually fallacious. "A specious argument." 2. Deceptively attractive.

Cognitive [cog·ni·tive] adj. 1. Relating to the process of acquiring knowledge by the use of reasoning, intuition, or perception. 2. Having a basis in or reducible to empirical factual knowledge. "A Cognitive model for success."

Pensive [pen·sive] adj. Deeply, often wistfully or dreamily thoughtful. Expressive of melancholy thoughtfulness. "She was feeling pensive after seeing an old boyfriend."

Visceral [vis·cer·al] adj. 1. Instinctual: proceeding from instinct rather than from reasoned thinking or intellect. "A visceral business decision." 2. Emotional: characterized by or showing crude or elemental emotions.

Gregarious [gre·gar·i·ous] adj. 1. Seeking and enjoying the company of others; sociable. "She is a gregarious, outgoing person."

Capricious [ca·pri·cious] adj.　 Characterized by or subject to whim; impulsive and unpredictable. "He’s such a capricious boss I never know how he’ll react."

Dogmatic [dog·mat·ic] adj. 1. Expressing rigid opinions; Prone to expressing strongly held beliefs and opinions. "A dogmatic speech." 2. Asserting opinions in a doctrinaire or arrogant manner; opinionated.

Myriad [myr·i·ad] adj.　 Constituting a very large, indefinite number; innumerable: "The myriad snowflakes in the winter.

Plethora [pleth·o·ra] n. A superabundance; an excessive amount or number: "Upon returning from the trip, she had a plethora of calls to make."

Petulant; Petulance [pet·u·lant] adj. 1. Contemptuous in speech or behavior. 2. Unreasonably irritable or ill-tempered; rude. "She was fired over her petulant attitude to our customers."

Ephemeral [e·phem·er·al] adj. 1. Lasting for a markedly brief time: "The ephemeral nature of fashion trends." 2. Living or lasting only for a day, as with certain plants or insects.

Innocuous [in·noc·u·ous] adj. 1. Having no adverse effect; harmless. 2. Not likely to offend or provoke to strong emotion; insipid. "The innocuous looking e-mail actually contained a virus."

Feckless [feck·less] adj. 1. Careless and irresponsible. "The kids were feckless during spring break." 2. Lacking purpose or vitality; feeble or ineffective – unlikely to be successful. "It was a feckless attempt to make the company a success."

Anecdotal [an·ec·dot·al] adj. Based on casual observations or indications rather than rigorous or scientific analysis: "There is anecdotal evidence that the stock will soon double in price."

Sanguine [san·guine] adj. Cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident: "A sanguine disposition;" "Sanguine expectations."

Haughty [haugh·ty] adj. Condescending: behaving in a superior, condescending, or arrogant way. "He always seemed haughty in company meetings."

Synergism [syn·er·gism] n. Interaction of discrete agencies or conditions where the total effect is greater than the sum of the individual parts. "The directors saw considerable synergism in the business merger." (also Synergy).

Extemporaneous [ex·tem·po·ra·ne·ous] adj. 1. Unrehearsed. Done or said without advance preparation or thought; impromptu. 2. Prepared in advance but delivered without notes or text: "An extemporaneous speech."

Furtive [fur·tive] adj. 1. Marked by quiet, caution or secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed. "A furtive kiss." 2. Characterized by stealth; surreptitious. "A furtive attempt to take control of the business."

Esoteric [es·o·ter·ic] adj. 1. Difficult to understand; abstruse. 2. Not publicly disclosed; confidential. 3. Of rare, special, or unusual interest. "Her software’s success was based on an esoteric programming language."

Mercurial [mer·cu·ri·al] adj.　 1. Quick and changeable in temperament; volatile: "His mercurial temperament made him difficult to work for."

Prolific [pro·lif·ic] adj. Productive: Producing abundant works or results. "A prolific artist." "A prolific writer."

Extrapolate [ex·trap·o·late] v.tr. To infer or estimate by extending or projecting known information. "He extrapolated the historical data to determine the projected outcome."

Avarice [av·a·rice] n. Immoderate desire, greed for wealth: an unreasonably strong desire to obtain and keep money. "His life was consumed by ambition and avarice."

Specificity [spec·i·fic·i·ty ] n. 1. The condition or state of being specific rather than general. "His input added a desirable note of specificity to the discussion."

Hubris [hu·bris] n. 1. Overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance. 2. A strong belief in a person’s own importance. "He was disciplined for his hubris."

Precipitous [pre·cip·i·tous] adj. Done rashly: acting too quickly and without sufficient thought. "Excessive spending caused the precipitous demise of the company."

Systemic [sys·tem·ic] adj. Relating to or common to a system. A problem, risk, or change that is a basic one, experienced by the whole of a system or organization and not just particular parts of it. "The systemic risks of the investment."

Supercilious [su·per·cil·i·ous] adj. 1. Full of contempt and arrogance. 2. Behaving as if or showing that a person thinks they are better than other people, and that their opinions, beliefs or ideas are not important, condescending. "He spoke in a haughty, supercilious voice."

Garish [gar·ish] adj. 1. Marked by strident color or excessive ornamentation; gaudy. 2. Loud and flashy. "Garish makeup."

Exponential [ex·po·nen·tial] adj. Characterized by an extremely rapid increase (as in size or extent). "The company enjoyed an exponential growth rate."

Divisive [di·vi·sive] adj. Creating dissension or discord; Causing disagreement or hostility within a group so that it is likely to split. "Divisive politics."

Pervasive [per·va·sive] adj. Having the quality or tendency to pervade or permeate. "The pervasive odor of garlic."

Benevolent [be·nev·o·lent] adj. 1. Charitable: performing good or charitable acts and not seeking to make a profit. 2. Characterized by or suggestive of doing good; showing kindness or goodwill.

Demure [de·mure] adj. 1. Modest and reserved in manner or behavior. "Despite her demure appearance, she is an accomplished mountain climber."

Acrimonious [ac·ri·mo·ni·ous] adj. 1. Bitter and sharp in language or tone; rancorous: "An acrimonious debate between the two candidates."

Intrepid [in·trep·id] adj. 1. Resolutely courageous; fearless. Persistent in the pursuit of something. "A team of intrepid explorers."

Obtuse [ob·tuse] adj. 1. Lacking quickness of perception or intellect. 2. Characterized by a lack of intelligence or sensitivity. "An obtuse remark." 3. Not distinctly felt. "An obtuse pain."

Assiduous [as·sid·u·ous] adj. 1. Constant in application or attention; diligent: "An assiduous worker who strove for perfection." 2. Unceasing; persistent: "Assiduous cancer research."

Precarious [pre·car·i·ous] adj. 1. Dangerously lacking in security or stability: "The precarious life of an undercover cop." 2. Subject to chance or unknown conditions. 3. Based on uncertain, unwarranted, or unproved premises. "A precarious solution to a difficult problem."

Guile [guile] n. Treacherous cunning; skillful deceit. Particular skill and cleverness in tricking or deceiving people. "Considerable guile was involved in the transaction."

Pedantic [pe·dan·tic] adj. 1. Characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning and formal rules. "A pedantic attention to details."

Deciduous [de·cid·u·ous] adj. Not permanent or lasting; ephemeral. "The fire created a deciduous outlook for the company."

Paradigm [par·a·digm] n. A typical example or pattern of something; a model. "The economic paradigm was flawed."

Vernacular [ver·nac·u·lar] n. The language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region. An idiomatic word, phrase, or expression. The idiom of a particular trade or profession: "In the legal vernacular."

Accoutrement [ac·cou·tre·ment] n. Additional items of dress or equipment, carried or worn by a person or used for a particular activity. The General dressed for battle in shining accoutrements."

Pervicacious [per·vi·ca·cious] adj. Stubborn, extremely willful, obstinate. "He became quite pervicacious in his old age.

Oxymoron [ox·y·mo·ron] n.pl. A phrase in which two words of contradictory meaning are used together for special effect, for example, "wise fool" or "to make haste slowly."

Antithesis [an·tith·e·sis] n.pl. 1. Direct contrast; opposition. 2. The direct or exact opposite. "Hope is the antithesis of despair."

Arduous [ar·du·ous] adj. 1. Demanding great effort or labor; difficult. "An arduous undertaking." 2. Testing severely the powers of endurance; strenuous. "A long and arduous process."

Litigious [li·ti·gious] adj. Of, relating to, or characterized by litigation.Tending to engage in lawsuits. A litigious celebrity.

Aplomb [a·plomb] n.　 Self-confident assurance, skill, and poise – especially in difficult or challenging circumstances

Gratuitous [gra·tu·i·tous] adj. 1. Given or granted without return or recompense; unearned. 2. Unnecessary or unwarranted; unjustified: A gratuitous remark.

Ambivalence [am·biv·a·lence] n. 1. Uncertainty or indecisiveness as to which course to follow. 2. The coexistence of opposing attitudes or feelings, such as love and hate, toward a person, object, or idea.

Progeny [prog·e·ny] n.pl. 1. Something that originates or results from something else; outcome; issue. 2. A result of creative effort; a product

Causative [caus·a·tive] adj. 1. Indicative that the subject causes an act to be performed or a condition to come into being. "A causative factor of war."

Savant [sa·vant] n. A person of learning; wise or scholarly

Metaphor [met·a·phor] n. A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate something else. Example: "She was drowning in money."

Analogous [a·nal·o·gous] adj. 1. Similar or alike in such a way as to permit the drawing of an analogy. "The brain and the Acme 1000 supercomputer are analogous to each other."

Auspices [aus·pi·ces] n.pl. 1. With the protection or support of someone or something, especially an organization: "Financial aid is being provided under the auspices of NATO."

Salient [sa·li·ent] adj.　 1. Strikingly conspicuous; prominent.　 "A salient argument."

Embellish [em·bel·lish] tr.v. 1. To make beautiful, as by ornamentation; decorate. 2. To add fictitious details to exaggerate the truth: "A dramatic account that embellished the true story."

Episodic [ep·i·sod·ic] adj. Happening at irregular intervals. "He has episodic migraines."

Egregious [e·gre·gious] adj. Conspicuously bad or offensive. "The judge’s conduct was egregious."

Venality [ve·nal·i·ty] n. 1. The condition of being susceptible to bribery or corruption. 2. The use of a position of trust for dishonest gain: "The venality of a corrupt judge

Voracity; Voracious [vo·ra·cious] adj. Consuming or eager to consume great amounts of food; ravenous. 2. Having or marked by an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit; greedy: "A voracious reader."

Epochal [ep·och·al] adj. 1. Highly significant or important; momentous: "Epochal decisions made by the president." 2. Without parallel: "Epochal stupidity."

Effusive [ef·fu·sive] adj. 1. Unrestrained or excessive in emotional expression; gushy: "An effusive manner." 2. Profuse; overflowing: "effusive praise."

Opine [o·pine] v.tr. To state as an opinion. Latin: opinari – to have an opinion.

Repugnant [re·pug·nant] adj. Arousing disgust or aversion; offensive or repulsive.

Eclectic [e·clec·tic] adj. 1. Composed of elements drawn from various sources 2. Not following any one system, but selecting and using what are considered the best elements of all systems. "An eclectic taste in decorating; an eclectic approach to management."

Circuitous [cir·cu·i·tous] adj. Being or taking a roundabout, lengthy course: "He took a circuitous route to avoid traffic.

Redact(ed) [re·dact] tr.v. Edit something: to edit, revise, or delete content in preparation for publication. "The documents were redacted so personal information wasn’t released to the public."

Cathartic [ca·thar·tic] adj. Producing a feeling of being purified emotionally, spiritually, or psychologically as a result of an intense emotional experience or therapeutic technique. "The strength of the movie had a cathartic effect on her."

Intuitive [in·tu·i·tive] adj. Known automatically: known directly and instinctively, without being discovered or consciously perceived. "He intuitively knew that one day she would become a movie star."

Caveat [ca·ve·at] n. 1. A warning or proviso: something said as a warning, caution, or qualification. "The agreement contains the usual caveats."

Solicitous [so·lic·i·tous] adj. 1. Marked by or given to anxious care and often hovering attentiveness. 2. Extremely careful; meticulous: "solicitous in matters of behavior." 3. Anxious or concerned: "a solicitous parent."

Cornucopia [cor·nu·co·pi·a] n. A large amount of something; a great supply, an abundance: "A cornucopia of employment opportunities."

Attenuate [at·ten·u·ate] v. 1. To reduce in force, value, amount, or degree; weaken: "The layoffs attenuated the company’s sales forecast."

Insidious [in·sid·i·ous] adj. 1. Working or spreading harmfully in a subtle or stealthy manner: insidious rumors; an insidious disease. 2. Beguiling but harmful; alluring: insidious pleasures.

Axiom [ax·i·om] n. 1. An established rule, principle, or law.

Prognosticate [prog·nos·ti·cate] tr.v. To predict according to present indications or signs; foretell

Enervate [en·er·vate] tr.v. 1. To weaken or destroy the strength or vitality. 2. Lacking physical, mental, or moral vigor

Tempestuous [tem·pes·tu·ous] adj. Tumultuous; stormy: "A tempestuous relationship."

Aesthetic(s) [aes·thet·ic] adj. 1. Of or concerning the appreciation of beauty or good taste.

Nocturnal [noc·tur·nal] adj. Occurring or coming out at night: "A nocturnal lifestyle.

Gothic [Goth·ic] adj. 1. Relating to an architectural style reflecting the influence of the medieval Gothic

Erudite [er·u·dite] adj. Deep, extensive learning

Monolithic [mon·o·lith·ic] adj. 1. Massive, solid, and uniform: "The monolithic cathedral." 2. Large and unchanging: massive, uniform in character, and slow to change.

Eccentric [ec·cen·tric] adj. 1. Departing from a recognized, conventional, or established norm or pattern. 2. n. One that deviates markedly from an established norm, especially a person of odd or unconventional behavior. "His eccentricities now extend to never leaving his home."

Dexterous [dex·ter·ous] adj. Skillful in the use of the hands. Having mental skill or adroitness; clever. Done with dexterity. "A dexterous wood craftsman."

Impugn [im·pugn] tr.v. To attack as false or questionable; challenge in argument: "To impugn a political opponent’s record."

Eponym [ep·o·nym ] n. A person whose name is or is thought to be the source of the name of something, such as a city or country. "George Washington is the eponym of Washington DC."

Clandestine [clan·des·tine] adj. 1. Kept or done in secret, often in order to conceal an illicit or improper purpose. "The CIA maintains clandestine operations in many countries."

Diatribe [di·a·tribe] n. 1. A bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism: "Repeated diatribes against the candidates."

Ignominious [ig·no·min·i·ous] adj. Deserving or causing public disgrace or shame; humiliating: "An ignominious defeat."

Temerity [te·mer·i·ty] n. Excessive confidence or boldness; audacity: "No one had the temerity to question her decision."

Cavernous [cav·ern·ous] adj. Resembling a cavern, as in depth, vastness, or effect: a cavernous hole; cavernous echoes

Colloquialism [col·lo·qui·al·ism] n. 1. An informal word or phrase that is more common in conversation than in formal speech or writing. Colloquialisms can include words such as "gonna" and phrases such as "ain’t nothin’" and "dead as a doornail."

Egalitarian [e·gal·i·tar·i·an] adj. Affirming, promoting, or characterized by belief in equal political, economic, social, and civil rights for all people.

Bloviate [blo·vi·ate] i.v. To speak or write at length in a pompous or boastful manner.

Rhetorical [rhe·tor·i·cal] adj. Of or relating to rhetoric. Characterized by language that is elaborate, pretentious, insincere, or intellectually vacuous.

Transitory [tran·si·to·ry] adj. 1. Not lasting, enduring, permanent, or eternal. 2.Lasting only a short time; brief; short-lived; temporary. "It was a transitory stage in the actor’s career."

Vicarious [vi·car·i·ous] adj. 1. Experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person: "A vicarious thrill." 2. Acting or done for another: "A vicarious atonement.

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Assuage [uh·sweyj] v. 1. To make milder or less severe; relieve; ease; mitigate: "to assuage one’s pain." 2. to appease, satisfy, or relieve: "To assuage one’s hunger." 3. to soothe or calm: "To assuage his fears;" "To assuage her anger."

Fastidious [fas·tid·i·ous] adj. 1. Very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail. 2. excessively particular, critical, or demanding; hard to please: "A fastidious eater." 3. Very concerned about matters of cleanliness.

Vacillate [vac·il·late] v. Alternate or waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive. "Her tendency to vacillate made her a poor director."

Tenacious [te·na·cious] adj. 1. Not readily letting go of, giving up, or separated from an object that one holds, a position, or a principle: "A tenacious hold." 2. Not easily dispelled or discouraged; persisting in existence or in a course of action: "A tenacious legend."

Agnostic [ag·nos·tic] n. A person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God or of anything beyond material phenomena.

Juxtapose [jux·ta·pose] tr.v. 1. To place side by side, especially for comparison or contrast. "The exhibition juxtaposes Picasso’s early drawings with some of his later works."

Vacuous [vac·u·ous] adj. Having or showing a lack of thought or intelligence; mindless: "a vacuous smile."

Garrulous [gar·ru·lous] adj. Excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters. "A garrulous reprimand."

Innervate [in·ner·vate] v. To stimulate or supply nervous energy.

Fractious [frac·tious] adj. (1) Easily irritated; bad-tempered

Abysmal [a·bys·mal] adj. Extremely bad; appalling

Atrocious [a·tro·cious] adj. Horrifyingly wicked: Of a very poor quality; extremely bad or unpleasant: "Atrocious weather."

Endemic [en·dem·ic] adj. Native to a specific region or environment and not occurring naturally anywhere else

Paradox [par·a·dox] n. A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth

Superfluous [su·per·flu·ous] adj. Unnecessary, being beyond what is required or sufficient

Lascivious [las·civ·i·ous] adj. Feeling or revealing an overt and often offensive sexual desire

Masticate [mas·ti·cate] v. To chew (as in food). To reduce to pulp by crushing, grinding or kneading

Decadent [dec·a·dent] n. A person who is luxuriously self-indulgent. (adj.) Characterized by or reflecting a state of decay or cultural decline, as in being self-indulgent or morally corrupt.

Insolent [in·so·lent] adj. Showing a rude or arrogant lack of respect

Mitigate [mit·i·gate] v. (1) Make less severe, serious, or painful: "he wanted to mitigate the damages in court." (2) Lessen the gravity of (an offense or mistake).

Divergence [di·ver·gence] n. (1) A difference or conflict in opinions, interests, wishes, etc.

Propitious [pro·pi·tious] adj. (1) Indicating a good chance of success; favourable

Tactile [tac·tile] adj. (1) Of or connected with the sense of touch. (2) Perceptible by touch or apparently so; tangible

Facetious [fa·ce·tious] adj. Treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant.

Existential [ex·is·ten·tial] adj. (1) Of or relating to existence. (2) Concerned with existence, esp. human existence as viewed in the theories of existentialism.

Caprice [ca·price] n. A sudden and unaccountable change of mood or behavior.

Indolent; Indolence [in·do·lent] n. Having or showing a disposition to avoid exertion; slothful, lazy: "an indolent person."

Capacious [ca·pa·cious] adj. Having a lot of space inside; roomy. "A capacious closet.

Salacious [sa·la·cious] adj. Treating sexual matters in an indecent way. Lustful; lecherous: "A salacious grin."

Alchemy [al·che·my] n. 1. A power or process of transforming something common into something special. 2. An inexplicable or mysterious process by which paradoxical results are achieved with no obvious rational explanation.

Vitriol; Vitriolic [vit·ri·ol] n. Cruel, bitter, scathing criticism; Abusive feeling or expression. "A vitriolic tone of voice."

Predacious [pre·da·cious] adj. Predatory; Given to victimizing, plundering, or destroying for one’s own gain. "A victim of predacious behavior."

Vitiate [vi·ti·ate] v. Spoil or impair the quality or efficiency of. "The government programs were vitiated by excessive red tape." Destroy or impair the legal validity of.

Spurious [spu·ri·ous] adj. Not genuine, authentic, or true; not from the claimed, pretended, or proper source

Veracity [ve·rac·i·ty] n. Conformity to facts; accuracy. "What is the veracity of these allegations

Sardonic [sar·don·ic] adj. Grimly mocking or cynical.

Pejorative [pe·jo·ra·tive] adj. Expressing contempt or disapproval. Disparaging; belittling. "He used pejorative overtones in his speech."

Abstruse [ab·struse] adj. Difficult to understand; obscure. "An abstruse argument presented by the lawyers.

Labyrinth [lab·y·rinth] n. A complicated irregular network of passages or paths in which it is difficult to find one’s way; a maze. "Exploring the labyrinth of waterways." An intricate and confusing arrangement.

Bromide [bro·mide] n. A commonplace remark or notion; a platitude. "Her speech contained the usual bromides about teamwork." A tiresome or dull person; a bore.

Doleful [dole·ful] adj Expressing sorrow; mournful. "A doleful look."

Malicious [ma·li·cious] adj. Characterized by malice; intending or intended to do harm.

Incorrigible [in·cor·ri·gi·ble] adj. Not able to be corrected, improved, or reformed. "His bad habits were incorrigible."

Efficacious [ef·fi·ca·cious] adj. Successful in producing a desired or intended result; effective. "Efficacious treatment for the disease."

Tepid [tep·id] adj. Showing little enthusiasm: "The president had a tepid response to the proposal."

Provenance [prov·e·nance] n. The beginning of something’s existence; something’s origin. The place of origin or earliest known history of something. "An exquisite vase of Chinese provenance."

Onerous [on·er·ous] adj. Involving heavy obligations

Dismal [dis·mal] adj Gloomy. Depressing; dreary. "The business was a dismal failure

Incendiary [in·cen·di·ar·y] adj. Designed to cause fires. "An incendiary device."

Gravitas [grav·i·tas] n. Dignity, seriousness, or solemnity in manner. "He has the necessary gravitas to lead the company."

Docile [doc·ile] adj. Submissive. Ready to accept control or instruction. "The dog was very docile around children."

Frugal; Frugality [fru·gal] adj. Economical with regard to money or food. Simple and plain that costs very little: "A frugal meal."

Slavish [slav·ish] adj. Showing no originality; blindly imitative:

Pontificate [pon·tif·i·cate] v. To speak or behave in a pompous or dogmatic manner. "He pontificates at great length in political matters."

Corpulent [cor·pu·lent] adj. Physically bulky; fat. "The once corpulent woman is now trim and fit.

Dubious [du·bi·ous] adj. Hesitating or doubting. Not to be relied upon; suspect. "He seemed dubious about the idea."

Contentious [con·ten·tious] adj. Causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial. Involving a heated argument. "The terms of the agreement remain contentious between the parties."

Taciturn [tac·i·turn] adj. Reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little. "Today the normally taciturn man would not stop talking."

Voracious [vo·ra·cious] adj. An eager approach to an activity; Wanting or devouring great quantities of something or somebody: "She has a voracious appetite for life."

Insular [in·su·lar] adj. Ignorant of or uninterested in cultures, ideas, or people outside a person’s own experience. "An insular taste in music." Lacking contact with other people. "She seemed too insular to leave her house."

Evocative; Evocate [e·voc·a·tive] adj. Bringing strong memories, images, or feelings to mind.

Perfidious [per·fid·i·ous] adj. Deceitful and untrustworthy. "A perfidious relationship."

Sycophant [syc·o·phant] n. A person who acts attentively toward someone in order to gain advantage; a servile flatterer.

Ignoble [ig·no·ble] adj. Not honorable in character or purpose; shameful. "An ignoble act."

Tenuous [ten·u·ous] adj. Very weak or slight; insubstantial. "A tenuous argument."

Ostracize [os·tra·cize] v. Exclude (someone) from a society or group. "She felt ostracized by society."

Contrite [con·trite] adj. 1. Arising from sense of guilt: done or said out of a sense of guilt or remorse. 2. Very sorry: genuinely and deeply sorry about something. "He was suitably contrite."

Assertive [as·ser·tive] adj. 1.Inclined to bold or confident assertion; aggressively self-assured. "She is an assertive businesswoman."

Ethereal [e·the·re·al] adj. Characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; intangible. "Her fragrance lingered in the room, an ethereal reminder of her presence." 2. Highly refined; delicate. "Ethereal beauty."

Licentious [li·cen·tious] adj. Promiscuous and unprincipled. Lacking moral discipline. "The judge treated her in a most licentious manner."

Eviscerate [e·vis·cer·ate] v. Deprive or take away (something) of its essential content. "The compromise eviscerated the proposed agreement."

Abate [a·bate] v. To reduce in amount, degree, or intensity; lessen. "The wind finally abated.

Futile [fu·tile] adj. Incapable of producing any useful result; pointless. "All of his attempts to rectify the situation proved futile."

Ingratiate [in·gra·ti·ate] tr.v. Bring oneself into favor or good graces of another, especially by deliberate effort. "She soon ingratiated herself with her new boss."

Titular [tit·u·lar] adj. Relating to or constituting a title. "The titular head of the business."

Histrionic [his·tri·on·ic] adj. Overly theatrical or dramatic. n. Exaggerated dramatic behavior designed to attract attention. "His histrionic reaction disrupted the meeting."

Sagacious [sa·ga·cious] adj. Shrewd; showing keen mental discernment and good judgment. "A sagacious remark."

Apoplectic [ap·o·plec·tic] adj. Overcome with anger; extremely indignant. "He showed apoplectic rage."

Serendipity; Serendipitous [ser·en·dip·i·ty] n. The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident. "A fortunate stroke of serendipity."

Overt [o·vert] adj. Done or shown openly; plainly or readily apparent, not secret or hidden. "Overt hostility

Intrinsic [in·trin·sic] adj. Belonging naturally; essential. "Intrinsic stock value.

Confluence [con·flu·ence] n. The act or process of merging. A flowing together of two or more streams. "A fortunate confluence of factors led to his success."

Formidable [for·mi·da·ble] adj. Inspiring fear or respect through being impressively powerful, large, or capable. "A formidable Opponent

Obfuscate [ob·fus·cate] v. Render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible. Bewilder (someone). "The eclipse will obfuscate the sun’s light."

Trepidation [trep·i·da·tion] n. A feeling of fear or agitation about something that may or may not actually happen. "He entered the cave with considerable trepidation."

Abrogate [ab·ro·gate] v. Repeal or do away with a law, right, or agreement. "To abrogate a law."

Opprobrious [op·pro·bri·ous] adj. Disgraceful; shameful. "His actions were opprobrious."

Sentient [sen·tient] adj. Characterized by sensation and consciousness. Able to perceive or feel things: "Sentient life forms."

Officious [of·fi·cious] adj. Assertive of authority in an annoyingly domineering way, esp. with regard to petty or trivial matters. Intrusively enthusiastic in offering help or advice; interfering.

Propensity [pro·pen·si·ty] n. An inclination or natural tendency to behave in a particular way. "He has a propensity for clear thinking."

Antipathy [an·tip·a·thy] n. A deep-seated feeling of dislike; aversion. "His antipathy for first wife dates back to his divorce."

Magnanimous [mag·nan·i·mous] adj. Very generous or forgiving, particularly toward a rival or someone less powerful than oneself.

Surreal [sur·re·al] adj. Having the disorienting quality of a dream; unreal; fantastic. "There was something surreal about the diving accident."

Incisive [in·ci·sive] adj. (of a person or mental process) Intelligently analytical and clear-thinking. Accurate and sharply focused. "The incisive detective soon solved the crime."

Missive [mis·sive ] n. A written message; a letter. "He received a missive from his company manager.

Peckish [peck·ish] adj. Ill-tempered; irritable; Chiefly British feeling slightly hungry. "He felt rather peckish close to bedtime."

Lucid (lu·cid) adj.　 1. Easily understood; intelligible. 2. Mentally sound; sane or rational. "A lucid conversation." 3. Translucent or transparent.

Demonstrable (de·mon·stra·ble) adj.　 1. Capable of being demonstrated or proved: "demonstrable truths."　 2. Obvious or apparent: "demonstrable lies."

Atypical [a·typ·i·cal] adj.　 Not conforming to type; unusual or irregular. Deviating from what is usual or common or to be expected; often somewhat odd or strange. "The strong sales were atypical of the normally weak market."

Antiquated [an·ti·quat·ed] adj.　 Very old; aged. Too old to be fashionable, suitable, or useful; outmoded, obsolete. "The committee thought the marketing strategy was too antiquated to approve."

Ubiquitous [u·biq·ui·tous] adj.　 Being or seeming to be everywhere, or in all places, at the same time; omnipresent. "Ubiquitous cell phones."

Fortuitous [for·tu·i·tous] adj.　 Happening by accident or chance. Happening by a fortunate accident or chance. Lucky or fortunate. "The check could not have arrived at a more fortuitous time."

Insipid [in·sip·id] adj.　 Lacking flavor or zest; not tasty. Lacking qualities that excite, stimulate, or interest; dull. "The insipid play caused many to walk out of the theater."

Voluminous [vo·lu·mi·nous] adj.　 Having great volume, fullness, size, or number; ample or lengthy in speech or writing. "Voluminous paperwork."

Nefarious [ne·far·i·ous] adj.　 Infamous by way of being extremely wicked. Wicked in the extreme; abominable; iniquitous; atrociously villainous; execrable; detestably vile. "His nefarious scheme cost investors millions of dollars."

Chagrin [cha·grin] n.　 A keen feeling of mental unease, as of annoyance or embarrassment, caused by failure, disappointment, or a disconcerting event. "He decided to take the day off, much to the chagrin of his boss."

Reciprocity (rec·i·proc·i·ty) n A reciprocal condition or relationship. "The president’s proposal calls for full reciprocity."

Loquacious (lo·qua·cious) adj Very talkative; garrulous. "Her loquacious sales pitch lasted the entire afternoon.

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Nexus (nex·us) n.　 A means of connection; a link or tie: "The nexus between the mob and gambling."　 2. A connected series or group.　 3. The core or center.

Expeditious (ex·pe·di·tious) adj.　 Acting or done with speed and efficiency.

Formative (for·ma·tive) adj.　 Of or relating to formation, growth, or development: the formative stages of a child.

Ostentatious (os·ten·ta·tious) adj.　 Characterized by or given to pretentiousness. "The chandelier was the most ostentatious I have ever seen."

Epicurean (ep·i·cu·re·an) adj.　 Devoted to the pursuit of sensual pleasure, particularly the enjoyment of gourmet food.

Genteel (gen·teel) adj.　 1. Refined in manner; well-bred and polite.　 2.
Free from vulgarity or rudeness.　 3.Elegantly stylish: genteel manners and appearance.

Bifurcate; bifurcation (bi·fur·cate) v Divide into two branches or forks: "The river bifurcates at the base of the mountain."

Frenetic (fre·net·ic) adj Fast and energetic in a rather wild and uncontrolled way: "A frenetic ride on the snowboard."

Vociferous (vo·cif·er·ous) adj Characterized by vehemence, clamour, or noisiness: "A vociferous crowd."

Perspicacious (per·spi·ca·cious) adj Having strong insight into and understanding of things. "She showed perspicacious judgment."

Halcyon (hal·cy·on) Adj 1. Calm; peaceful; tranquil: "Halcyon seas." 2. Rich; wealthy; prosperous: "Halcyon times before the recession."

Pernicious (per·ni·cious) adj Having a harmful effect, particularly in a gradual or subtle way. "The hostile takeover will have a pernicious effect on the business."

Mendacious (men·da·cious) adj Not telling the truth; lying: "A mendacious politician;" "A mendacious defendant."

Rapacious (ra·pa·cious) Adj Aggressively greedy or ravenous; plundering: "A rapacious salesman.

Myopic; Myopia [my·o·pia] n.　 Distant objects appear blurred – Lack of discernment or long-range perspective in thinking or planning: "Myopic thinking."

Penurious (pe·nu·ri·ous) adj Extremely poor; poverty-stricken; miserly. "The penurious family was forced from their home."

Feckless [feck·less] adj. 1. Careless and irresponsible. "The kids were feckless during spring break." 2. Lacking purpose or vitality; feeble or ineffective – unlikely to be successful. "It was a feckless attempt to make the company a success."

Innocuous [in·noc·u·ous] adj. 1. Having no adverse effect; harmless. 2. Not likely to offend or provoke to strong emotion; insipid. "The innocuous looking e-mail actually contained a virus."

Pugnacious [pug·na·cious] adj. 1. Quarrelsome or combative in nature; belligerent. 2. Expressing an argument or opinion very forcefully. "Rather than maintaining a calm demeanor, his boss was quite pugnacious."

Bucolic (bu·col·ic) adj. Of or relating to the pleasant aspects of country life. "He retired to a more bucolic life on his farm."

Anomalous (a·nom·a·lous) adj. Deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected. "The marketing department could not explain the anomalous sales performance."

Recalcitrant (re·cal·ci·trant) adj. Stubborn, often defiant of authority; difficult to manage or control. "After months of recalcitrant behavior, the employee was terminated."

Prodigious (pro·di·gious) adj. Remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree. "Her prodigious sales performance resulted in a promotion."

Derisive (de·ri·sive) adj. Expressing contempt or ridicule; mocking or scornful. "A derisive laugh."

Duplicitous [du·plic·i·tous] adj.　 Given to or marked by deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech. "They warned him not to trust the duplicitous telemarketer."

Disingenuous [dis·in·gen·u·ous] adj. Not straightforward or candid; insincere or calculating.　 "It was disingenuous of her to claim she had no financial interest in the company."

Ostensible [os·ten·si·ble] adj.　 Stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so. Being such in appearance, plausible rather than demonstrably true or real. "The ostensible purpose of the trip was for business."

Euphemism [eu·phe·mism] n. A mild, inoffensive expression that is substituted for one that is often considered harsh or offensive. "To pass away" is a euphemism for "to die."

Austere [aus·tere] adj. 1. Markedly simple without adornment or ornamentation. "An austere office;" "An austere writing style." 2. Strict or stern in appearance or manner. "He was an austere movie critic."

Ambiguous [am·big·u·ous] adj.　 Open to more than one interpretation: "An ambiguous response." Doubtful or uncertain. "The survey results were ambiguous."

Copious [co·pi·ous] adj.　 Large in quantity; abundant. Abounding in matter, thoughts, or words; wordy.　 "He took copious notes during the business meeting."

Laborious [la·bo·ri·ous] adj.　 Hard-working; industrious. Marked by or requiring long, hard work. "It was a laborious project, but they still kept it under budget."

Pragmatic [prag·mat·ic] adj.　 More concerned with practical results than with theories and principles. "The CEO used a pragmatic approach to making his business a success."

Temporal [tem·po·ral] adj.　 Relating to, or limited by time. Lasting only for a time; not eternal.　 Also: fleeting, passing, momentary, temporary, transient, short-lived. "The beneficial effects of the loan were temporal."

Exacerbate [ex·ac·er·bate] transitive verb.　 To make more violent, bitter, or severe; to irritate or make worse. "The continued delays were greatly exacerbated by the lack of workers on the project."

Nebulous [neb·u·lous] adj. 1. Lacking definition or definite content. 2. Lacking definite form or limits; vague. "The test results were nebulous and determined to be unusable."

Anachronism [a·nach·ro·nism] n. One that is out of its proper, chronological, or historical order, especially a person or practice that belongs to an earlier time. "A sword is an anachronism in modern warfare."

Ominous [om·i·nous] adj. Menacing; threatening. "Ominous black clouds;" "An ominous scream prior to the shooting."

Incongruous [in·con·gru·ous] adj. 1. Lacking in harmony; incompatible. 2. Not in agreement, as with principles; inconsistent. "A plan incongruous with reason." 3. Not in keeping with what is correct, proper, or logical; inappropriate. "She showed incongruous behavior."

Esoteric [es·o·ter·ic] adj. 1. Difficult to understand; abstruse. 2. Not publicly disclosed; confidential. 3. Of rare, special, or unusual interest. "Her software’s success was based on an esoteric programming language."

Acerbic [a·cer·bic] adj. Sharp or biting, as in character or expression. "The director occasionally allowed an acerbic tone to an otherwise subtle dialogue."

Odious (o·di·ous) adj. Extremely unpleasant; repulsive. Deserving of hatred or repugnance. "The detective said it was the most odious crime she had ever seen."

Incredulous [in·cred·u·lous] adj. 1. Skeptical; disbelieving. "Most people are incredulous of stories about flying saucers." 2. Expressive of disbelief. "An incredulous stare."

Quixotic [quix·ot·ic] adj. 1. Idealistic without regard to practicality; impractical. 2. Impulsive: tending to act on whims or impulses. "It was clearly a quixotic case against the defendant."

Specious [spe·cious] adj.　 1. Having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually fallacious. "A specious argument." 2. Deceptively attractive.

Cognitive [cog·ni·tive] adj. 1. Relating to the process of acquiring knowledge by the use of reasoning, intuition, or perception. 2. Having a basis in or reducible to empirical factual knowledge. "A Cognitive model for success."

Pensive [pen·sive] adj. Deeply, often wistfully or dreamily thoughtful. Expressive of melancholy thoughtfulness. "She was feeling pensive after seeing an old boyfriend."

Auspicious [aus·pi·cious] adj. Marked by success; prosperous. Suggesting a positive and successful future. "An auspicious time to purchase the stock."

Visceral [vis·cer·al] adj. 1. Instinctual: proceeding from instinct rather than from reasoned thinking or intellect. "A visceral business decision." 2. Emotional: characterized by or showing crude or elemental emotions.

Gregarious [gre·gar·i·ous] adj. 1. Seeking and enjoying the company of others; sociable. "She is a gregarious, outgoing person."

Capricious [ca·pri·cious] adj.　 Characterized by or subject to whim; impulsive and unpredictable. "He’s such a capricious boss I never know how he’ll react."

Dogmatic [dog·mat·ic] adj. 1. Expressing rigid opinions; Prone to expressing strongly held beliefs and opinions. "A dogmatic speech." 2. Asserting opinions in a doctrinaire or arrogant manner; opinionated

Myriad [myr·i·ad] adj.　 Constituting a very large, indefinite number; innumerable: "The myriad snowflakes in the winter."

Ephemeral [e·phem·er·al] adj. 1. Lasting for a markedly brief time: "The ephemeral nature of fashion trends." 2. Living or lasting only for a day, as with certain plants or insects.

Plethora [pleth·o·ra] n. A superabundance; an excessive amount or number: "Upon returning from the trip, she had a plethora of calls to make."

Petulant; Petulance [pet·u·lant] adj. 1. Contemptuous in speech or behavior. 2. Unreasonably irritable or ill-tempered; rude. "She was fired over her petulant attitude to our customers."

Mercurial [mer·cu·ri·al] adj.　 1. Quick and changeable in temperament; volatile: "His mercurial temperament made him difficult to work for."

Anecdotal [an·ec·dot·al] adj. Based on casual observations or indications rather than rigorous or scientific analysis: "There is anecdotal evidence that the stock will soon double in price."

Sanguine [san·guine] adj. Cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident: "A sanguine disposition;" "Sanguine expectations."

Furtive [fur·tive] adj. 1. Marked by quiet, caution or secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed. "A furtive kiss." 2. Characterized by stealth; surreptitious. "A furtive attempt to take control of the business."

Extemporaneous [ex·tem·po·ra·ne·ous] adj. 1. Unrehearsed. Done or said without advance preparation or thought; impromptu. 2. Prepared in advance but delivered without notes or text: "An extemporaneous speech."

Haughty [haugh·ty] adj. Condescending: behaving in a superior, condescending, or arrogant way. "He always seemed haughty in company meetings."

Hubris [hu·bris] n. 1. Overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance. 2. A strong belief in a person’s own importance. "He was disciplined for his hubris."

Precipitous [pre·cip·i·tous] adj. Done rashly: acting too quickly and without sufficient thought. "Excessive spending caused the precipitous demise of the company."

Specificity [spec·i·fic·i·ty ] n. 1. The condition or state of being specific rather than general. "His input added a desirable note of specificity to the discussion."

Avarice [av·a·rice] n. Immoderate desire, greed for wealth: an unreasonably strong desire to obtain and keep money. "His life was consumed by ambition and avarice."

Prolific [pro·lif·ic] adj. Productive: Producing abundant works or results. "A prolific artist." "A prolific writer."

Synergism [syn·er·gism] n. Interaction of discrete agencies or conditions where the total effect is greater than the sum of the individual parts. "The directors saw considerable synergism in the business merger." (also Synergy).

Systemic [sys·tem·ic] adj. Relating to or common to a system. A problem, risk, or change that is a basic one, experienced by the whole of a system or organization and not just particular parts of it. "The systemic risks of the investment."

Supercilious [su·per·cil·i·ous] adj. 1. Full of contempt and arrogance. 2. Behaving as if or showing that a person thinks they are better than other people, and that their opinions, beliefs or ideas are not important, condescending. "He spoke in a haughty, supercilious voice."

Garish [gar·ish] adj. 1. Marked by strident color or excessive ornamentation; gaudy. 2. Loud and flashy. "Garish makeup."

Pervasive [per·va·sive] adj. Having the quality or tendency to pervade or permeate. "The pervasive odor of garlic

Divisive [di·vi·sive] adj. Creating dissension or discord; Causing disagreement or hostility within a group so that it is likely to split. "Divisive politics."

Benevolent [be·nev·o·lent] adj. 1. Charitable: performing good or charitable acts and not seeking to make a profit. 2. Characterized by or suggestive of doing good; showing kindness or goodwill.

Vernacular [ver·nac·u·lar] n. The language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region. An idiomatic word, phrase, or expression. The idiom of a particular trade or profession: "In the legal vernacular."

Paradigm [par·a·digm] n. A typical example or pattern of something; a model. "The economic paradigm was flawed."

Accoutrement [ac·cou·tre·ment] n. Additional items of dress or equipment, carried or worn by a person or used for a particular activity. The General dressed for battle in shining accoutrements

Deciduous [de·cid·u·ous] adj. Not permanent or lasting; ephemeral. "The fire created a deciduous outlook for the company."

Oxymoron [ox·y·mo·ron] n.pl. A phrase in which two words of contradictory meaning are used together for special effect, for example, "wise fool" or "to make haste slowly."

Pervicacious [per·vi·ca·cious] adj. Stubborn, extremely willful, obstinate. "He became quite pervicacious in his old age."

Progeny [prog·e·ny] n.pl. 1. Something that originates or results from something else; outcome; issue. 2. A result of creative effort; a product

Causative [caus·a·tive] adj. 1. Indicative that the subject causes an act to be performed or a condition to come into being. "A causative factor of war."

Ambivalence [am·biv·a·lence] n. 1. Uncertainty or indecisiveness as to which course to follow. 2. The coexistence of opposing attitudes or feelings, such as love and hate, toward a person, object, or idea.

Litigious [li·ti·gious] adj. Of, relating to, or characterized by litigation.
Tending to engage in lawsuits. A litigious celebrity.

Gratuitous [gra·tu·i·tous] adj. 1. Given or granted without return or recompense; unearned. 2. Unnecessary or unwarranted; unjustified: A gratuitous remark.

Aplomb [a·plomb] n.　 Self-confident assurance, skill, and poise – especially in difficult or challenging circumstances.

Arduous [ar·du·ous] adj. 1. Demanding great effort or labor; difficult. "An arduous undertaking." 2. Testing severely the powers of endurance; strenuous. "A long and arduous process."

Antithesis [an·tith·e·sis] n.pl. 1. Direct contrast; opposition. 2. The direct or exact opposite. "Hope is the antithesis of despair."

Savant [sa·vant] n. A person of learning; wise or scholarly.

Metaphor [met·a·phor] n. A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate something else. Example: "She was drowning in money."

Embellish [em·bel·lish] tr.v. 1. To make beautiful, as by ornamentation; decorate. 2. To add fictitious details to exaggerate the truth: "A dramatic account that embellished the true story."

Salient [sa·li·ent] adj.　 1. Strikingly conspicuous; prominent.　 "A salient argument

Episodic [ep·i·sod·ic] adj. Happening at irregular intervals. "He has episodic migraines

Egregious [e·gre·gious] adj. Conspicuously bad or offensive. "The judge’s conduct was egregious

Venality [ve·nal·i·ty] n. 1. The condition of being susceptible to bribery or corruption. 2. The use of a position of trust for dishonest gain: "The venality of a corrupt judge."

Voracity; Voracious [vo·ra·cious] adj. Consuming or eager to consume great amounts of food; ravenous. 2. Having or marked by an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit; greedy: "A voracious reader."

Epochal [ep·och·al] adj. 1. Highly significant or important; momentous: "Epochal decisions made by the president." 2. Without parallel: "Epochal stupidity

Pedantic [pe·dan·tic] adj. 1. Characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning and formal rules. "A pedantic attention to details."

Demure [de·mure] adj. 1. Modest and reserved in manner or behavior. "Despite her demure appearance, she is an accomplished mountain climber."

Acrimonious [ac·ri·mo·ni·ous] adj. 1. Bitter and sharp in language or tone; rancorous: "An acrimonious debate between the two candidates."

Intrepid [in·trep·id] adj. 1. Resolutely courageous; fearless. Persistent in the pursuit of something. "A team of intrepid explorers."

Obtuse [ob·tuse] adj. 1. Lacking quickness of perception or intellect. 2. Characterized by a lack of intelligence or sensitivity. "An obtuse remark." 3. Not distinctly felt. "An obtuse pain."

Guile [guile] n. Treacherous cunning; skillful deceit. Particular skill and cleverness in tricking or deceiving people. "Considerable guile was involved in the transaction."

Precarious [pre·car·i·ous] adj. 1. Dangerously lacking in security or stability: "The precarious life of an undercover cop." 2. Subject to chance or unknown conditions. 3. Based on uncertain, unwarranted, or unproved premises. "A precarious solution to a difficult problem."

Assiduous [as·sid·u·ous] adj. 1. Constant in application or attention; diligent: "An assiduous worker who strove for perfection." 2. Unceasing; persistent: "Assiduous cancer research."

Vexatious [vex·a·tious] adj. 1. Full of annoyance or distress; harassed. 2. Causing or creating vexation; annoying. "Her ex-husband put her in a vexatious situation."

Auspices [aus·pi·ces] n.pl. 1. With the protection or support of someone or something, especially an organization: "Financial aid is being provided under the auspices of NATO."

Effusive [ef·fu·sive] adj. 1. Unrestrained or excessive in emotional expression; gushy: "An effusive manner." 2. Profuse; overflowing: "effusive praise."

Opine [o·pine] v.tr. To state as an opinion. Latin: opinari – to have an opinion

Repugnant [re·pug·nant] adj. Arousing disgust or aversion; offensive or repulsive.

Eclectic [e·clec·tic] adj. 1. Composed of elements drawn from various sources 2. Not following any one system, but selecting and using what are considered the best elements of all systems. "An eclectic taste in decorating; an eclectic approach to management."

Redact(ed) [re·dact] tr.v. Edit something: to edit, revise, or delete content in preparation for publication. "The documents were redacted so personal information wasn’t released to the public."

Circuitous [cir·cu·i·tous] adj. Being or taking a roundabout, lengthy course: "He took a circuitous route to avoid traffic."

Cathartic [ca·thar·tic] adj. Producing a feeling of being purified emotionally, spiritually, or psychologically as a result of an intense emotional experience or therapeutic technique. "The strength of the movie had a cathartic effect on her."

Intuitive [in·tu·i·tive] adj. Known automatically: known directly and instinctively, without being discovered or consciously perceived. "He intuitively knew that one day she would become a movie star."

Caveat [ca·ve·at] n. 1. A warning or proviso: something said as a warning, caution, or qualification. "The agreement contains the usual caveats."

Attenuate [at·ten·u·ate] v. 1. To reduce in force, value, amount, or degree; weaken: "The layoffs attenuated the company’s sales forecast."

Solicitous [so·lic·i·tous] adj. 1. Marked by or given to anxious care and often hovering attentiveness. 2. Extremely careful; meticulous: "solicitous in matters of behavior." 3. Anxious or concerned: "a solicitous parent."

Cornucopia [cor·nu·co·pi·a] n. A large amount of something; a great supply, an abundance: "A cornucopia of employment opportunities."

Insidious [in·sid·i·ous] adj. 1. Working or spreading harmfully in a subtle or stealthy manner: insidious rumors; an insidious disease. 2. Beguiling but harmful; alluring: insidious pleasures.

Gothic [Goth·ic] adj. 1. Relating to an architectural style reflecting the influence of the medieval Gothic. 2. Relating to a style of fiction characterized by the use of desolate or remote settings and macabre, mysterious, or violent incidents

Erudite [er·u·dite] adj. Deep, extensive learning. "He has a reputation as an erudite intellectual with a deep understanding of the issues."

Impugn [im·pugn] tr.v. To attack as false or questionable; challenge in argument: "To impugn a political opponent’s record."

Dexterous [dex·ter·ous] adj. Skillful in the use of the hands. Having mental skill or adroitness; clever. Done with dexterity. "A dexterous wood craftsman."

Eccentric [ec·cen·tric] adj. 1. Departing from a recognized, conventional, or established norm or pattern. 2. n. One that deviates markedly from an established norm, especially a person of odd or unconventional behavior. "His eccentricities now extend to never leaving his home."

Monolithic [mon·o·lith·ic] adj. 1. Massive, solid, and uniform: "The monolithic cathedral." 2. Large and unchanging: massive, uniform in character, and slow to change.

Prognosticate [prog·nos·ti·cate] tr.v. To predict according to present indications or signs; foretell. "The armchair quarterback tried to prognosticate the play from his recliner."

Axiom [ax·i·om] n. 1. An established rule, principle, or law. 2. A self-evident or universally recognized truth; a maxim. 3. A self-evident principle or one that is accepted as true without proof as the basis for argument.

Tempestuous [tem·pes·tu·ous] adj. Tumultuous; stormy: "A tempestuous relationship."

Enervate [en·er·vate] tr.v. 1. To weaken or destroy the strength or vitality. 2. Lacking physical, mental, or moral vigor. "Prolonged exposure to the sun and dehydration enervated the desert racing team."

Aesthetic(s) [aes·thet·ic] adj. 1. Of or concerning the appreciation of beauty or good taste. 2. Characterized by a heightened sensitivity to beauty. "The aesthetic design of the building is amazing!"

Eponym [ep·o·nym ] n. A person whose name is or is thought to be the source of the name of something, such as a city or country. "George Washington is the eponym of Washington DC."

Clandestine [clan·des·tine] adj. 1. Kept or done in secret, often in order to conceal an illicit or improper purpose. "The CIA maintains clandestine operations in many countries."

Diatribe [di·a·tribe] n. 1. A bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism: "Repeated diatribes against the candidates."

Cavernous [cav·ern·ous] adj. Resembling a cavern, as in depth, vastness, or effect: a cavernous hole; cavernous echoes.

Transitory [tran·si·to·ry] adj. 1. Not lasting, enduring, permanent, or eternal. 2.Lasting only a short time; brief; short-lived; temporary. "It was a transitory stage in the actor’s career."

Rhetorical [rhe·tor·i·cal] adj. Of or relating to rhetoric. Characterized by language that is elaborate, pretentious, insincere, or intellectually vacuous

Bloviate [blo·vi·ate] i.v. To speak or write at length in a pompous or boastful manner.

Egalitarian [e·gal·i·tar·i·an] adj. Affirming, promoting, or characterized by belief in equal political, economic, social, and civil rights for all people.

Colloquialism [col·lo·qui·al·ism] n. 1. An informal word or phrase that is more common in conversation than in formal speech or writing. Colloquialisms can include words such as "gonna" and phrases such as "ain’t nothin’" and "dead as a doornail."

Temerity [te·mer·i·ty] n. Excessive confidence or boldness; audacity: "No one had the temerity to question her decision."

Vicarious [vi·car·i·ous] adj. 1. Experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person: "A vicarious thrill." 2. Acting or done for another: "A vicarious atonement."

Lascivious [las·civ·i·ous] adj. Feeling or revealing an overt and often offensive sexual desire. "He gave her a lascivious wink." Inclined to lustfulness; wanton; lewd. "The lascivious old man."

Paradox [par·a·dox] n. A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth. An opinion or statement contrary to commonly accepted opinion, but may be factual.

Assuage [uh·sweyj] v. 1. To make milder or less severe; relieve; ease; mitigate: "to assuage one’s pain." 2. to appease, satisfy, or relieve: "To assuage one’s hunger." 3. to soothe or calm: "To assuage his fears;" "To assuage her anger."

Fastidious [fas·tid·i·ous] adj. 1. Very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail. 2. excessively particular, critical, or demanding; hard to please: "A fastidious eater." 3. Very concerned about matters of cleanliness.

Vacillate [vac·il·late] v. Alternate or waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive. "Her tendency to vacillate made her a poor director."

Pundit [pun·dit] n. 1. Somebody who expresses an opinion: somebody who acts as a critic or authority on a particular subject, especially in the media. "The election results threw the political pundits into confusion." 2. Somebody wise: somebody with knowledge and wisdom.

Tenacious [te·na·cious] adj. 1. Not readily letting go of, giving up, or separated from an object that one holds, a position, or a principle: "A tenacious hold." 2. Not easily dispelled or discouraged; persisting in existence or in a course of action: "A tenacious legend."

Juxtapose [jux·ta·pose] tr.v. 1. To place side by side, especially for comparison or contrast. "The exhibition juxtaposes Picasso’s early drawings with some of his later works."

Agnostic [ag·nos·tic] n. A person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God or of anything beyond material phenomena.

Vacuous [vac·u·ous] adj. Having or showing a lack of thought or intelligence; mindless: "a vacuous smile."

Garrulous [gar·ru·lous] adj. Excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters. "A garrulous reprimand."

Insolent [in·so·lent] adj. Showing a rude or arrogant lack of respect. "The child’s insolent behavior was unacceptable."

Innervate [in·ner·vate] v. To stimulate or supply nervous energy.

Decadent [dec·a·dent] n. A person who is luxuriously self-indulgent. (adj.) Characterized by or reflecting a state of decay or cultural decline, as in being self-indulgent or morally corrupt.

Didactic [di·dac·tic] adj. (1) Intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive. (2) In the manner of a teacher, particularly so as to treat someone in a patronizing way. "The didactic speech influenced the weaker members of the audience."

Masticate [mas·ti·cate] v. To chew (as in food). To reduce to pulp by crushing, grinding or kneading. "The patient was unwilling to masticate or swallow his food."

Superfluous [su·per·flu·ous] adj. Unnecessary, being beyond what is required or sufficient. "The repeated warnings were superfluous." "Superfluous details."

Endemic [en·dem·ic] adj. Native to a specific region or environment and not occurring naturally anywhere else. "Malaria is endemic in tropical climates." (n.) An endemic plant or animal.

Abysmal [a·bys·mal] adj. Extremely bad; appalling. "The results were pretty abysmal;" "Abysmal failure."

Fractious [frac·tious] adj. (1) Easily irritated; bad-tempered: "they fight and squabble like fractious kids." (2) (of an organization) Difficult to control; unruly.

Propitious [pro·pi·tious] adj. (1) Indicating a good chance of success; favorable. "It was a propitious time to leave the party without offending the host." (2) Favorably disposed toward someone.

Divergence [di·ver·gence] n. (1) A difference or conflict in opinions, interests, wishes, etc. (2) The process or state of diverging.

Facetious [fa·ce·tious] adj. Treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant

Tactile [tac·tile] adj. (1) Of or connected with the sense of touch. (2) Perceptible by touch or apparently so; tangible: "A tactile keyboard."

Tactile [tac·tile] adj. (1) Of or connected with the sense of touch. (2) Perceptible by touch or apparently so; tangible: "A tactile keyboard."

Caprice [ca·price] n. A sudden and unaccountable change of mood or behaviour

Salacious [sa·la·cious] adj. Treating sexual matters in an indecent way. Lustful; lecherous: "A salacious grin."

Alchemy [al·che·my] n. 1. A power or process of transforming something common into something special. 2. An inexplicable or mysterious process by which paradoxical results are achieved with no obvious rational explanation.

Vitriol; Vitriolic [vit·ri·ol] n. Cruel, bitter, scathing criticism; Abusive feeling or expression. "A vitriolic tone of voice."

Capacious [ca·pa·cious] adj. Having a lot of space inside; roomy. "A capacious closet.

Predacious [pre·da·cious] adj. Predatory; Given to victimizing, plundering, or destroying for one’s own gain. "A victim of predacious behavior."

Vitiate [vi·ti·ate] v. Spoil or impair the quality or efficiency of. "The government programs were vitiated by excessive red tape." Destroy or impair the legal validity of.

Spurious [spu·ri·ous] adj. Not genuine, authentic, or true; not from the claimed, pretended, or proper source; counterfeit. Not being what it purports to be; false or fake. "Spurious claims."

Sardonic [sar·don·ic] adj. Grimly mocking or cynical. "His sardonic smile."

Pejorative [pe·jo·ra·tive] adj. Expressing contempt or disapproval. Disparaging; belittling. "He used pejorative overtones in his speech."

Veracity [ve·rac·i·ty] n. Conformity to facts; accuracy. "What is the veracity of these allegations." Habitual truthfulness. "Her veracity and character."

Abstruse [ab·struse] adj. Difficult to understand; obscure. "An abstruse argument presented by the lawyers."

Labyrinth [lab·y·rinth] n. A complicated irregular network of passages or paths in which it is difficult to find one’s way; a maze. "Exploring the labyrinth of waterways." An intricate and confusing arrangement.

Bromide [bro·mide] n. A commonplace remark or notion; a platitude. "Her speech contained the usual bromides about teamwork." A tiresome or dull person; a bore.

Doleful [dole·ful] adj Expressing sorrow; mournful. "A doleful look." Causing misfortune or grief. "Doleful consequences."

Malicious [ma·li·cious] adj. Characterized by malice; intending or intended to do harm. "Malicious rumors

Incorrigible [in·cor·ri·gi·ble] adj. Not able to be corrected, improved, or reformed. "His bad habits were incorrigible."

Efficacious [ef·fi·ca·cious] adj. Successful in producing a desired or intended result; effective. "Efficacious treatment for the disease."

Tepid [tep·id] adj. Showing little enthusiasm: "The president had a tepid response to the proposal

Onerous [on·er·ous] adj. Involving heavy obligations. Involving a burdensome amount of effort and difficulty. "The court’s stipulations were onerous."

Dismal [dis·mal] adj Gloomy. Depressing; dreary. "The business was a dismal failure;" "Dismal weather."

Incendiary [in·cen·di·ar·y] adj. Designed to cause fires. "An incendiary device."

Gravitas [grav·i·tas] n. Dignity, seriousness, or solemnity in manner. "He has the necessary gravitas to lead the company.

Provenance [prov·e·nance] n. The beginning of something’s existence; something’s origin. The place of origin or earliest known history of something. "An exquisite vase of Chinese provenance.

Frugal; Frugality [fru·gal] adj. Economical with regard to money or food. Simple and plain that costs very little: "A frugal meal."

Slavish [slav·ish] adj. Showing no originality; blindly imitative: "A slavish copy of the original work."

Dubious [du·bi·ous] adj. Hesitating or doubting. Not to be relied upon; suspect. "He seemed dubious about the idea."

Corpulent [cor·pu·lent] adj. Physically bulky; fat. "The once corpulent woman is now trim and fit."

Ambivalent; Ambivalence [am·biv·a·lent] adj. Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone. "She has ambivalent feelings about the relationship

Docile [doc·ile] adj. Submissive. Ready to accept control or instruction. "The dog was very docile around children

Pontificate [pon·tif·i·cate] v. To speak or behave in a pompous or dogmatic manner. "He pontificates at great length in political matters."

Lugubrious [lu·gu·bri·ous] adj. Looking or sounding sad and dismal; mournful. "The lugubrious country song reminded her of an ex-boyfriend."

Perfidious [per·fid·i·ous] adj. Deceitful and untrustworthy. "A perfidious relationship."

Evocative; Evocate [e·voc·a·tive] adj. Bringing strong memories, images, or feelings to mind

Magnanimous [mag·nan·i·mous] adj. Very generous or forgiving, particularly toward a rival or someone less powerful than oneself.

Officious [of·fi·cious] adj. Assertive of authority in an annoyingly domineering way, esp. with regard to petty or trivial matters. Intrusively enthusiastic in offering help or advice; interfering. "The officious man is widely disliked."

Excoriate [ex·co·ri·ate] v. Censure or criticize severely; Severely berate: "He was excoriated for his mistakes.

Taciturn [tac·i·turn] adj. Reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little. "Today the normally taciturn man would not stop talking."

Insular [in·su·lar] adj. Ignorant of or uninterested in cultures, ideas, or people outside a person’s own experience. "An insular taste in music." Lacking contact with other people. "She seemed too insular to leave her house."

Voracious [vo·ra·cious] adj. An eager approach to an activity; Wanting or devouring great quantities of something or somebody: "She has a voracious appetite for life."

Sycophant [syc·o·phant] n. A person who acts attentively toward someone in order to gain advantage; a servile flatterer.

Antipathy [an·tip·a·thy] n. A deep-seated feeling of dislike; aversion. "His antipathy for first wife dates back to his divorce."

Propensity [pro·pen·si·ty] n. An inclination or natural tendency to behave in a particular way. "He has a propensity for clear thinking."

Opprobrious [op·pro·bri·ous] adj. Disgraceful; shameful. "His actions were opprobrious

Credulous; Credulity [cre·du·li·ty] adj. A tendency to be too ready to believe that something is real or true. "A credulous rumor."

Trepidation [trep·i·da·tion] n. A feeling of fear or agitation about something that may or may not actually happen. "He entered the cave with considerable trepidation."

Egress [e·gress] n. The action of going out of or leaving a place. "The company’s egress procedures."

Abrogate [ab·ro·gate] v. Repeal or do away with a law, right, or agreement. "To abrogate a law."

Obfuscate [ob·fus·cate] v. Render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible. Bewilder (someone). "The eclipse will obfuscate the sun’s light

Formidable [for·mi·da·ble] adj. Inspiring fear or respect through being impressively powerful, large, or capable. "A formidable opponent."

Confluence [con·flu·ence] n. The act or process of merging. A flowing together of two or more streams. "A fortunate confluence of factors led to his success."

Intrinsic [in·trin·sic] adj. Belonging naturally; essential. "Intrinsic stock value

Apoplectic [ap·o·plec·tic] adj. Overcome with anger; extremely indignant. "He showed apoplectic rage."

Overt [o·vert] adj. Done or shown openly; plainly or readily apparent, not secret or hidden. "Overt hostility."

Serendipity; Serendipitous [ser·en·dip·i·ty] n. The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident. "A fortunate stroke of serendipity."

Sagacious [sa·ga·cious] adj. Shrewd; showing keen mental discernment and good judgment. "A sagacious remark."

Titular[tit·u·lar] adj. Relating to or constituting a title. "The titular head of the business

Ingratiate [in·gra·ti·ate] tr.v. Bring oneself into favor or good graces of another, especially by deliberate effort. "She soon ingratiated herself with her new boss."

Histrionic [his·tri·on·ic] adj. Overly theatrical or dramatic. n. Exaggerated dramatic behavior designed to attract attention. "His histrionic reaction disrupted the meeting."

Avuncular [a·vun·cu·lar] adj. Kind and friendly toward a younger or less experienced person. "An avuncular manner." Of or relating to an uncle.

Licentious [li·cen·tious] adj. Promiscuous and unprincipled. Lacking moral discipline. "The judge treated her in a most licentious manner."

Futile [fu·tile] adj. Incapable of producing any useful result; pointless. "All of his attempts to rectify the situation proved futile."

Abate [a·bate] v. To reduce in amount, degree, or intensity; lessen. "The wind finally abated

Eviscerate [e·vis·cer·ate] v. Deprive or take away (something) of its essential content. "The compromise eviscerated the proposed agreement."

Nescient; Nescience [nes·cient] adj. Lacking knowledge; ignorant. "His nescience of the topic was obvious."

Elucidate [e·lu·ci·date] v. Make (something) clear; explain. "The presentation will help to elucidate the project

Contrite [con·trite] adj. 1. Arising from sense of guilt: done or said out of a sense of guilt or remorse. 2. Very sorry: genuinely and deeply sorry about something. "He was suitably contrite."

Precocious [pre·co·cious] adj. Manifesting or characterized by unusually early development or maturity, especially in mental aptitude. "A precocious child."

Assertive [as·ser·tive] adj. 1.Inclined to bold or confident assertion; aggressively self-assured. "She is an assertive businesswoman."

Ethereal [e·the·re·al] adj. Characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; intangible. "Her fragrance lingered in the room, an ethereal reminder of her presence." 2. Highly refined; delicate. "Ethereal beauty."

Acrid [ac·rid] adj. Having an irritatingly strong and unpleasant taste or smell. Angry and bitter. "An acrid odor filled the room."

Irascible [i·ras·ci·ble] adj. Characterized by or arising from anger. (of a person) Easily made angry. "He was always irascible and quick to get into a fight."

Tenuous [ten·u·ous] adj. Very weak or slight; insubstantial. "A tenuous argument."

Ignoble [ig·no·ble] adj. Not honorable in character or purpose; shameful. "An ignoble act."

Ostracize [os·tra·cize] v. Exclude (someone) from a society or group. "She felt ostracized by society."

Elegiac [el·e·gi·ac] adj. Having a mournful quality. "An elegiac poem."

Obsequious [ob·se·qui·ous] adj. Obedient or attentive to an excessive degree. "The obsequious service resulted in an excellent tip."

Recondite [rec·on·dite] adj. (of a subject or knowledge) Little known, obscure, abstruse. "Recondite information."

Surreal [sur·re·al] adj. Having the disorienting quality of a dream; unreal; fantastic. "There was something surreal about the diving accident."

Unctuous [unc·tu·ous] adj. (of a person) Excessively or ingratiatingly flattering. "Anxious to please in an unctuous way."

Timorous [tim·or·ous ] adj. Showing or suffering from nervousness, fear, or a lack of confidence: "A timorous demeanor."

Prescient; Prescience [pre·scient] adj. Having or showing knowledge of events before they take place; foresight. "You should be prescient about choosing your employer."

Incisive [in·ci·sive] adj. (of a person or mental process) Intelligently analytical and clear-thinking. Accurate and sharply focused. "The incisive detective soon solved the crime."

Virulent [vir·u·lent] adj. Extremely severe or harmful in its effects. Bitterly hostile or antagonistic; hateful. "Virulent criticism."

Portent [por·tent] n. A sign or warning that something significant is likely to happen. "an occurrence of crucial portent."

Missive [mis·sive ] n. A written message; a letter. "He received a missive from his company manager."

Sapid [sap·id] adj. Having a strong, pleasant taste; palatable. "The wine tasting was a most sapid event." (of talk or writing) Pleasant or interesting.

Obdurate [ob·du·rate ] adj. Stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion or course of action. "Despite her plea, he remained obdurate."

Audacious; Audacity [au·da·cious] adj. Showing a willingness to take risks. "An audacious attack on the company." Showing an impudent lack of respect. "An audacious move."

Profligate [prof·li·gate] Adj. Recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources. A profligate lifestyle resulted in his bankruptcy."

Malodorous [mal·o·dor·ous] adj. Smelling very unpleasant; an offensive odor. "A malodorous side of town."

Discern; Discerning [dis·cern] v. Perceive or recognize (something). Distinguish (someone or something) with difficulty by sight or with the other senses. "Discern who is telling the truth."

Compendium [com·pen·di·um] n. A collection of concise but detailed information about a particular subject. A collection of things, esp. one systematically gathered. "Compendium of old stories gathered by topic."

Equivocal [e·quiv·o·cal] adj. Open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous. Uncertain or questionable in nature. "Congress was equivocal on its domestic spending package."

Tangential [tan·gen·tial] adj. Superficially relevant; divergent. Diverging from a previous course or line; erratic. "He took credit for anything tangentially related to their work

Phalanx [pha·lanx] n. A group of people or things of a similar type forming a compact body or brought together for a common purpose. "A phalanx of lawyers took charge of the case."

Servile [ser·vile] adj. Having or showing an excessive willingness to serve or please others. "She wrote a servile letter to her upset neighbor."

Vituperative [vi·tu·per·a·tive] adj. Bitter and abusive. "The critic’s vituperative review was needlessly harsh."

Ardent [ar·dent] adj. Enthusiastic or passionate. "He is an ardent sports fan."

Incessant [in·ces·sant] adj. Continuing without pause or interruption. "The incessant noise kept him awake."

Patronize [pa·tron·ize] v. Treat with an apparent kindness that betrays a feeling of superiority. "She detests being patronized." Frequent an establishment as a customer. "He always patronizes the same restaurant."

Benign [be·nign] adj. Mild or favorable (result). Gentle, kind, good. "The results were benign and required no treatment."

Impish [imp·ish] adj. Mischievous. Inclined to do slightly naughty things for fun. "He approached her with an impish grin on his face."

Bellicose [bel·li·cose] adj. Hostile in manner or temperament. Demonstrating aggression or a willingness to fight. "His bellicose behavior concerned authorities."

Atrophy [at·ro·phy] n. A decrease in size or wasting away or progressive decline, as from disuse. "Misleading and infrequent reporting have facilitated the atrophy of self-sufficiency."

Disparate [dis·pa·rate] adj. Essentially different in kind; not allowing comparison. markedly distinct in quality or character. "He is a strong leader capable of managing a disparate team to achieve their goals."

Melancholy [mel·an·chol·y] n. A deep, pensive, and long-lasting sadness. adj. Sad, gloomy, or depressed. "She was in a melancholy mood."

Gourmand [gour·mand] n. A person who enjoys eating and often eats too much; gluttonous. A connoisseur of good food. "The traveling gourmand seldom passed up a restaurant."

Amorphous [a·mor·phous] adj. Without a clearly defined shape or form. Vague; ill-organized; unclassifiable. "The amorphous package caused alarm to many people in the terminal."