Adroit skillful,*clever
Adulterate to*make*impure,*to*contaminate
Adventitious accidental;*nonessential
Aegis a*shield;*protection;*sponsorship
Aesthetic pertaining*to*beauty
Affectation a*phone*attitude;*pose
Affinity an*attraction*to
Affluence wealth;*richness
Agape open-mouthed;*agog;*surprised
Aggrandize to*enlarge,*to*expand
Altruism a*concern*for*others;*generosity
Ambiguous open*to*more*than*one*interpretation
Amoral lacking*a*sense*of*right*and*wrong
Amorphous shapeless,*formless,*vague
Animosity hatred
Antipathy an*intense*dislike
Antithesis an*exact*opposite;*an*opposite*extreme
Badinage playful,*teasing*talk
Banal common,*ordinary
Baroque overly*decorated
Bauble showy*but*useless*thing
Bedlam a*noisy*uproar;*a*scene*of*wild*confusion
Beguile to*deceive;*to*charm;*to*enchant
Besiege to*overwhelm,*to*surround*and*attack
Besmirch to*make*dirty;*to*stain
Bestial savage,*brutal
Bilious bad*tempered;*cross
Blanch to*whiten,*to*make*pale
Bland mild,*tasteless,*dull
Blandishment flattery
Bombast impressive*but*meaningless*language
Bonafide in*good*faith
Boor a*rude*or*impolite*person
Bovine pertaining*to*cows*or*cattle
Bowdlerize To*remove**offensive*passages*of*a*play,*novel,*etc.
Brevity briefness*short*duration
Bucolic pertaining*to*the*coutryside;*rural,*rustic
Cajole to*coax,*to*persuade,*to*wheedle
Callow young*and*inexperienced
Carcinogen causing*cancer
Carnal sensual,*sexual
Carrion decaying*flesh
Cataclysm a*violent*change
Cataract large*waterfall*OR*abnormality*to*the*eye
Caveat a*warning
Celibate unmarried*OR*abstaining*from*sex
Censure to*criticize*sharply
Cessation a*stopping;*discontinuance
Chaff worthless*matter
Chagrin embarrassment;*a*complete*loss*of*courage
Chimerical imaginary;*fantastic
Coalesce to*blend,*to*merge
Debacle a*complete*failure;*a*total*collapse
Debauchery corruption;*self-indulgence
Deference respect;*consideration
Defile to*pollute;*to*corrupt
Deign to*lower*oneself*before*an*inferior
Delineate to*describe,*to*depict
Demeanor behavior;*manner*of*conducting*oneself
Denouement an*outcome,*result
Deride to*ridicule,*to*mock
Desiccated dried*up
Despicable contemptible*hateful
Desultory wandering*from*subject*to*subject
Deviate to*turn*aside
Diadem a*crown
Diaphanous very*sheer*and*light
Dichotomy a*division*into*two*parts
Ebullient enthusiastic
Eclectic choosing*from*various*sources
Edify to*improve*someone*morally
Effete worn*out;*barren
Egregious remarkably*bad;*outrageous
Elegy a*sad*or*mournful*poem
Elicit to*draw*forth;*to*call
Factious causing*disagreement
Fastidious hard*to*please;*fussy
Fatuous foolish,*inane
Fecund fertile,*productive
Ferret a*small*animal*of*the*weasel*family*OR*to*search*or*drive*out
Fervent eager,*earnest
Fetish an*object*that*receives*respect*of*devotion
Finesse diplomacy;*tact;*artful*management
Fiscal pertaining*to*finances
Fissure an*opening;*a*groove;*a*split
Flaccid flabby
Flagellate to*whip;*to*lash
Flaunt to*show*off
Flout to*ridicule;*to*show*contempt*for
Foment to*stir*up;*to*incite
Fop an*excessively*fashion conscious*man
Fortuitous lucky;*by*chance
Gambol to*frolic;*to*romp*around*playfully
Garish tastelessly*gaudy
Garner to*gather,*to*acquire
Garrulous talkative
Germane relevant;*fitting
Gibe to*scoff,*to*ridicule
Gloat to*look*at*or*think*about*with*great*satisfaction
Glower to*stare*angrily
Grandiose impressive,*showy,*magnificent
Gratuitous unnecessary*or*uncalled*for
Grotesque absurd;*distorted
Gumption courage*an*initiative;*common*sense
Hackneyed commonplace;*overused
Halcyon calm,*pleasant
Hallow to*make*holy*OR*holy
Harbinger an*omen*or*sign
Harlequin a*clown
Hector to*bully;*to*pester
Hedonism pursuit*of*pleasure,*especially*of*the*senses
Hegira flight,*escape
Hermetic tightly*sealed
Heterogeneous different;*dissimilar
Hiatus a*pause*of*gap
Hoi_polloi common*place;*the*masses
Hospice a*shelter
Hubris excessive*pride*or*self-confidence
Hybrid anything*of*mixed*origin*OR*mixed,*assorted
Idiosyncrasy a*peculiar*personality*trait
Idolatry excessive*or*blind*adoration;*worship*of*an*object
Ignoble dishonorable,*shameful
Imminent likely*to*happen;*threatening
Immolate to*kill*someone*as*a*sacrificial*victim,*usually*by*fire
Immutable unchangeable,*fixed
Impair to*weaken;*to*cause*to*become*worse
Impale to*pierce*with*a*sharp*stake*through*the*body
Impalpable unable*to*be*felt,*intangible
Impecunious without*money;*penniless
Impediment a*barrier;*obstruction
Imperative extremely*necessary;*vitally*important
Imperious domineering;*haughty
Impinge to*strike;*to*encroach
Impious disrespectful*toward*God
Importune to*persistently*ask;*to*beg
Impotent powerless;*lacking*strength
Imprecation a*curse
Jocular humorous,*lighthearted
Juxtapose to*place*side*by*side*for*comparison
Kinetic pertaining*to*motion
Kismet destiny;*fate;*fortune*(ones*lot*in*life)
Knell a*sound*made*by*a*bell*rung*slowly*for*a*death*or*funeral
Labyrinth a*complicated*network*of*winding*passages;*a*maze
Lachrymose tearful,*weepy
Laconic using*few*words;*short;*concise
Lambent softly*bright*or*radiant;*running*or*moving*lightly*over*a*surface
Languid sluggish;*drooping*from*weakness
Lascivious lustful*or*lewd;*inciting*sexual*desire
Legerdemain sleight*of*hand;*deception
Libertine one*who*leads*an*immoral*life
Machination an*evil*design*or*plan
Macroscopic visible*to*the*naked*eye
Maelstrom whirlpool;*turbulence;*agitated*state*of*mind
Malapropism a*word*humorously*misused
Malleable capable*of*being*changed;*easily*shaped
Martinet a*strict*disciplinarian;*task*maker
Masochist one*who*enjoys*his*or*her*own*pain*and*suffering
Mendacious lying;*false;*deceitful
Meretricious attractive*in*a*cheap,*flashy*way
Milieu environment,*setting
Miscreant a*vicious*person
Nebulous hazy,*vague,*uncertain
Necromancy magic,*especially*that*practiced*by*a*witch
Neologism use*of*a*new*word;*making*up*a*new*word*or*definition
Nihilism a*total*rejection*of*established*laws
Nirvana a*condition*of*great*peace*or*happiness
Nonentity a*person*or*thing*of*little*importance
Non_sequitur something*that*does*not*logically*follow
Nubile a*female*suitable*for*marriage*in*regard*to*age*and*physical*development
Obdurate stubborn,*hardhearted
Obfuscate to*confuse;*to*bewilder
Obloquy strong*disapproval;*a*bad*reputation*resulting*from*public*criticism
Obsequious excessively*submissive*or*overly*attentive
Obviate to*prevent;*to*get*around
Offal garbage;*waste*parts
Olfactory pertaining*to*smell
Onerous burdensome;*heavy;*hard*to*endure
Onus a*burden,*responsibility,*obligation
Optimum the*best,*most*favorable,*the*ideal
Opulent rich,*luxurious;*wealthy
Orifice mouth;*opening
Orthography correct*spelling
Paleontology a*science*dealing*with*prehistoric*life*through*study*of*fossils
Palliate to*ease,*to*lessen,*to*sooth
Panache self-confidence;*a*showy*matter
Pandemic general;*widespread
Panegyric an*expression*of*praise
Paradigm a*model,*an*example
Parochial local;*narrow;*limited
Parody a*work*which*imitates*another*in*a*ridiculous*manner
Paroxysm a*sudden*outburst;*a*fit
Patent evident*or*obvious
Peccadillo a*minor*offense,*a*misdeed
Pecuniary pertaining*to*money;*financial
Pedantic tending*to*show*off*ones*learning
Pedestrian a*person*or*thing*said*to*be*ordinary*or*dull
Pejorative having*a*negative*effect;*insulting
Perdition damnation;*ruin;*hell
Perfunctory done*without*care;*in*a*routine*fashion
Perspicacity keenness*of*judgment
Peruse to*read*carefully;*scrutinize
Quagmire a*swamp;*a*difficult*or*inextricable*situation
Quandary a*puzzling*situation;*a*dilemma
Quasi- resembling;*seeming;*half
Querulous complaining;*grumbling
Quiddity an*essential*quality
Raiment clothing;*garments
Rakish carefree;*dashing;*jaunty
Ratiocinate to*reason;*to*think
Rationalize to*make*an*excuse*forRebuke to*scold;*to*blame
Recant to*withdraw*or*disavow*a*statement*or*opinion
Recapitulate to*summarize;*to*repeat*briefly
Recoil to*retreat;*to*draw*back
Recondite difficult*to*understand
Recreant a*coward,*a*traitor
Rectify to*correct;*to*make*right
Redolent having*a*pleasant*odor;*suggestive*or*evocative
Redundant repetitious;*using*more*words*then*needed
Regale to*delight*with*something*pleasing*or*amusing
Regress to*move*in*a*backward*direction
Sacrosanct extremely*holy
Sadistic deriving*pleasure*from*inflicting*pain*on*others
Sagacious wise;*having*keen*perception*and*sound*judgment
Salacious obscene;*lusty
Salient significant;*conspicuous;*standing*out*from*the*rest
Salutary healthful;*wholesome
Sang-froid calmness;*composure*or*cool*self-possession
Sanguine cheerful;*optimistic
Sapient wise;*full*of*knowledge
Saturnine gloomy;*sluggish
Savant a*person*of*extensive*learning;*an*eminent*scholar
Scintillate to*sparkle;*to*twinkle;*to*sparkle*intellectually
Scurrilous coarsely*abusive;*vulgar
Sedition rebellion*or*resistance*against*the*government
Sedulous hard*working;*diligent
Sentient conscious;*capable*of*feeling*or*perception
Shard a*fragment
Shibboleth a*slogan;*a*password
Sibilant a*hissing*sound