All terms in this list:
zephyr: a gentle breeze; something airy or usubstantial
zenith: the point of culmination; peak
zealot: someone passionately devoted to a cause
zeal: passion; excitement
yoke: to join together
xenophobia: a fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers
wraith: a ghost or specter; a ghost of a living person seen just before his or her death
wizened: shriveled; withered; wrinkled
winsome: charming; happily engaging
wily: clever; deceptive
whimsical: lightly acting in a fanciful or capricious manner; unpredictable
waver: to fluctuate between choices
wanton: undisciplined; unrestrained; reckless
wan: sickly pale
voluble: talkative; speaking easily; glib
volatile: easily aroused or changeable; lively or explosive
vituperate: to abuse verbally; berate
viscous: thick and adhesive, like a slow-flowing fluid
vim: vitality and energy
vicissitude: a change or variation; ups and downs
vex: to annoy; irritate; puzzle; confuse
vestige: a trace; remnant
vernal: related to spring; fresh
verdant: green with vegtation; inexperienced
verbose: wordy
veracity: filled with truth and accuracy
venerate: to respect deeply
venerable: respected because of age
variegated: varied; marked with different colors
vacillate: to physically sway or to be indecisive
usury: the practice of lending money at exorbitant rates
upbraid: to scold sharply
unequivocal: absolute; certain
unconscionable: unscrupulous; shockingly unfair or unjust
umbrage: offense; resentment
tyro: beginner; novice
turgid: swollen as from a fluid; bloated
trenchant: acute, sharp, or incisive; forecful; effective
transitory: temporary; lasting a brief time
torpor: extreme mental and physical sluggishness
tome: book, usually large and academic
toady: one who flatters in the hope of gaining favors
tirade: long, harsh speech or verbal attack
terrestrial: earthly; down to earth; commonplace
tawdry: gaudy, cheap,or showy
tangential: digressing; diverting
talon: claw of an animal, especially a bird of prey
taciturn: silent; not talkative
tacit: done without using words
syncopation: temporary irregularity in musical rhythm
symbiosis: cooperation; mutual helpfulness
sycophant: a self-serving flatterer; yes-man
sybarite: a person devoted to pleasure and luxury
surly: rude and bad-tempered
surfeit: excessive amount
supplant: to replace (another) by force; to take the place of
sully: to tarnish; taint
sublime: lofty or grand
stratagem: trick designed to deceive an enemy
stolid: unemotional; lacking sensitivity
stigma: a mark of shame or discredit
stentorian: extremely loud
stasis: a state of static balance or equilibrium; stagnation
sportive: frolicsome; playful
specious: deceptively attractive; seemingly plausible but fallacious
spartan: highly self-disciplined; frugal; austere
soporific: causing sleep or lethargy
solecism: gtrammatical mistake; blunder in speech
sobriquet: nickname
slake: to calm down or moderate
sinecure: a well-paying job or office that requires little or no work
seraphic: angelic; sweet
sentient: aware; conscious; able to perceive
sedition: behavior that promotes rebellion or civil disorder against the state
scintilla: trace amount
satiate: to satisfy fully or overindulge
sardonic: cynical; scornfully mocking
sanguine: ruddy; cheerfully optimistic
salubrious: healthful
salient: prominent; of notable significance
sagacious: shrewd; wise
sacrosanct: extremely sacred; beyond criticism
rustic: rural
rococo: very highly ornamented; relating to an 18th century artistic style of elaborate ornamentation
ribald: humorous in a vulgar way
rhetoric: effective writing or speaking
reticent: silent; reserved
restive: impatient, uneasy, or restless
requite: to return or repay
repudiate: to reject the validity of
repose: rexlation; leisure
replete: abundantly supplied, complete
repast: meal or mealtime
rejoinder: response
redress: relief from wrong or injury
rarefy: to make thinner or sparser
raconteur: witty, skillful storyteller
quotidian: occurring daily; commonplace
quixotic: overly idealistic; impractical
quiescent: motionless
querulous: inclined to complain; irritable
pusillanimous: cowardly; without courage
pungent: sharp and irritating to the senses
pulchritude: beauty
pugilism: boxing
puerile: childish, immature, or silly
prudence: wisdom, caution, or restraint
propriety: the quality of behaving in a proper manner; obeying rules and customs
propitiate: to conciliate; to appease
proliferate: to increase in number quickly
profligate: corrupt; degenerate
prodigal: lavish; wasteful
proclivity: a natural inclination or predisposition
probity: complete honesty and integrity
pristine: fresh and clean; uncorrupted
prevaricate: to lie or deviate from the truth
prescient: having foresight
precis: short summary of facts
precipitate: to throw violently or bring about abruplty; lacking deliberation
prattle: meaningless, foolish talk
pragmatic: practical, as opposed to idealistic
potentate: a monarch or ruler with great power
posit: to assume as real or conceded; propose as an explanation
polyglot: a speaker of many languages
politic: shrewd and practical in managing or dealing with things; diplomatic
polemic: controversy; argument; verbal attack
plucky: courageous; spunky
plethora: excess
plebeian: crude or coarse; characteristic of commoners
plastic: able to be molded, altered, or bent
placate: to soothe or pacify
pithy: profound or substantial yet concise, succinct and to the point
phlegmatic: calm and unemotional in temperament
philistine: a person who is guided by materialism and is disdainful of intellectual or artistic values
philanthropy: charity; a desire or effort to promote goodness
phalanx: a compact or close-knit body of people, animals, or things
pervade: to be present throughout; to permeate
perspicacious: shrewd, astute, or keen-witted
permeate: to penetrate
peripatetic: wandering from place to place, especially on foot
perfunctory: done in a routine way; indifferent
perfidious: willing to betray one's trust
peregrinate: to wander fro place to place; to travel; especially on foot
penury: an oppressive lack of resources (as money); severe poverty
pejorative: having bad connotations; disparaging
pedant: someone who shows off learning
peccadillo: minor sin or offense
pathogenic: causing disease
pastiche: piece of literature or music imitating other works
parry: to ward off or deflect, especially by a quickwitted answer
parley: discussion, usually between enemies
pariah: an outcast
pare: to trim off excess; reduce
paragon: model of excellence or perfection
paradox: a contradiction or dilemma
panoply: impressive array
panegyric: elaborate praise; formal hymn of praise
panache: flamboyance or dash in style and action; verve
pallid: lacking color or liveliness
palliate: to make less serious; ease
palatial: relating to a palace; magnificent
overwrought: agitated; overdone
ostentation: excessive showiness
ostensible: apparent
ossify: to change in to bone; to become hardened or set in a rigidly conventional pattern
orotund: pompous
opprobrium: public disgrace
opine: to express an opinion
opaque: impossible to see through; preventing the passage of light
onerous: troublesome and oppresive; burdensome
officious: too helpful; meddlesome
occlude: to stop up; prevent the passage of
obviate: to prevent; to make unnecessary
obstinate: stubborn; unyielding
obsequious: overly submissive and eager to please
oblique: indirect or evasive; misleading or devious
obdurate: hardening in feeling; resistant to persuasion
numismatics: coin collecting
nuance: a subltle expression of meaning or quality
nominal: existing in name only; negligble
noisome: stinking; putrid
nettle: to irritate
neophyte: novice; beginner
neologism: new word or expression
nascent: starting to develop; coming into existence
naive: lacking sophistication or experience
nadir: lowest point
myopic: lacking foresight; having a narrow view or long-range perspective
multifarious: diverse
mores: fixed customs or manners; moral attitudes
monotony: no variaion; tedioulsly the same
monastic: extremly plain or secluded, as in a monastery
molt: to shed hair, skin, or an outer layer periodically
mollify: to calm or make less severe
mitigate: to soften; to lessen
missive: a written note or letter
misanthrope: a person who dislikes others
mirth: frivolity; gaiety; laughter
militate: to operate against; work against
meticulous: extremely careful; fastidious; painstaking
metaphor: figure of speech comparing two different things
meretricious: gaudy; falsely attractive
mercurial: quick, shrewd, and unpredictable
mendicant: beggar
mendacious: dishonest
maudlin: overly sentimental
martinet: strict discipliarian; one who rigidly follows rules
mar: to damage or deface; spoil
mannered: artifical or stilted in character
malleable: capable of being shaped
malinger: to evade responibilty by pretending to be ill
malediction: a curse; a wish of evil upon another
magnate: powerful or influential person
maelstrom: whirlpool; turmoil; agitated state of mind
machination: plot or scheme
luminous: btight; brilliant; glowing
lumber: to move slowly and awkwardly
lugubrious: sorrowful; mournful; dismal
lucid: clear and esily understood
loquacious: talkative
livid: discolored from a bruise; pale; reddened with anger
listless: lacking energy and enthusiasm
lissome: easily flexed; limber; agile
lionize: to treat as a celebrity
limpid: clear; transparent
licentious: immoral; unrestrained by society
lampoon: to ridicule with satire
lament: to express sorrow; to grieve
laconic: using few words
lachrymose: tearful
kudos: fame, glory, or honor
knell: sound of a funeral bell; omen of death or failure
kinetic: relating to motion; characterized by movement
kindle: to set fire to or ignite; excite or inspire
keen: having a sharp edge; intellectually sharp; perceptive
juncture: point of time, especially where two things are joined
judicious: sensible; showing good judgement
jocular: playful; humorous
jingoism: belligerent support of one's country
jettison: to discard; to get rid of as unnecessary or encumbering
jargon: nonsensical talk; specialized language
itinerant: wandering from place to place; unsettled
irascible: easily made angry
invidious: envious, obnoxious, or offensive, likely to promote ill-will
investiture: ceremony conferring authority
invective: abusive language
inure: to harden; accustom; become used to
inundate: to overwhelm; to cover with water
intrepid: fearless; resolutely courageous
libertine: a free thinker, usually used disparagingly; one without moral restraint
liberal: tolerant or broad-minded; generous or lavish
levity: an inappropriate lack of seriousness; overly casual
lethargic: acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner
legerdemain: trickery
lassitude: a state of diminished energy
largess: generous giving (as of money) to others who may seem inferior
larceny: theft of property
lapidary: relating to precious stones or the art of cutting them
languid: lacking energy; indifferent
leery: suspicious
lavish: extremely generous or extravagant; giving unsparingly
laud: to giv praise; to glorify
latent: potential that is not readily apparent
intransigent: uncompromising; refusing to be reconciled
intractable: not easily managed or manipulated
interregnum: period between reigns
inter: to bury
insurrection: rebellion
insipid: lacking interest or flavor
inquest: an investigatin; an inquiry
innocuous: harmless
iniquity: sin; evil act
inimical: hostile; unfriendly
ingratiate: to gain favor with another by deliberate effort; to seek to please somebody so as to gain an advantage
ingrate: ungrateful person
ingenuous: showing innocence or childlike simplicity
inexorable: inflexible; unyielding
indolent: habitually lazy or idle
inculcate: to teach; impress in the mind
inchoate: no fully formed; disorganized
incarnadine: blood-red in color
impugn: to call into question; to attack verbally
imprecation: a curse
implacable: unable to be calmed down or made peaceful
impious: not devout in religion
impetuous: quick to act without thinking
impervious: impossible to penetrate; incapable of being affected
imperturbable: not capable of being disturbed
impecunious: poor; having no money
impasse: blocked path; dilemma with no solution
imbue: to infuse, dye, wet, or moisten
ignoble: having low moral standards; not noble in character; mean
idiosyncrasy: peculiarity of temperament; eccentricity
iconoclast: one who opposes established beliefs, customs, and institutions
hyperbole: purposeful exaggeration for effect
husband: to manage economically; to use sparingly
homogeneous: of a similar kind
hoary: very old; whitish or gray from age
heterogeneous: composed of unlike parts; different; diverse
hermetic: tightly sealed
hegemony: the domination of one state or group over its allies
hapless: unfortunate; having bad luck
gullible: easily deceived
guile: deceit; trickery
grovel: to humble oneself in a demeaning way
grievous: causing grief or sorrow; serious and distressing
gregarious: outgoing; sociable
gradation: process occurring by regular degrees or stages; variation in color
glower: to glare or stare angrily and intensely
glib: fluent in an insincere manner; offhand; casual
gestation: growth process from conception to birth
garrulous: tending to talk a lot
garner: to gather and store
gambol: to dance or skip around playfully
furtive: secret; stealthy
frugality: tending to be thrifty or cheap
frenetic: frantic; frenzied
fractious: unruly; rebellious
fortuitous: happening by chance; fortunate
forestall: to prevent or delay; anticipate
ford: to cross a body of water by wading
foment: to arouse or incite
florid: excessively decorated or embellished
flag: to decline in vigor; strength; or interest
fetid: foul-smelling; putrid
fervid: intensely emotional; feverish
fecund: fertile; fruitful; productive
fawn: to grovel
fatuous: stupid; foolishly self-satisfied
fanatical: acting excessively enthusiastic; filled with extreme, unquestioned devotion
fallow: dormant; unused
exprugate: to censor
exponent: one who champions or advocates
explicit: clearly stated or shown; forthright in expression
exonerate: to clear of blame
exigent: urgent; requiring immediate action
exculpate: to clear from blame; prove innocent
exacerbate: to make worse
euphony: pleasant, harmonious sound
euphemism: use of an inoffensive word or phrase in place of a more distasteful one
eulogy: speech in praise of someone
ethos: beliefs or character of a group
estimable: admirable
esoteric: known or understood only by a few
eschew: to shun; to avoid (as something wrong or distasteful)
erudite: learned; scholarly; bookish
ersatz: fake
erratic: wandering and unpredictable
equivocate: to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead
epicure: person with refined taste in food and wine
ephemeral: lasting a short time
enumerate: to count, list, or itemize
enigma: a puzzle; a mystery
engender: to produce, cause, or bring about
enervate: to reduce in strength
endemic: belinging to a particular area; inherent
encomium: warm praise
emulate: to copy; to try to equal or excel
embellish: to add ornamental or fictitious details
eloquent: persuassive and moving, espcially in speech
elegy: a sorrowful poem or speech
effrontery: impudent boldness; audacity
effigy: stuffed doll; likeness of a person
efficacy: effectiveness
edify: to instruct morally and spiritually
eclectic: selecting from or made up from a variety of soures
ebullient: exhilarated; full of enthusiam and high spirits
dyspeptic: suffering from indigestion; gloomy and irritable
dupe: to deceive; a person who is easily deceived
droll: amusing in a wry, subtle way
dogmatic: dictatorial in one's opinions
dogma: a firmly held opinion, especially a religious belief
doctrinaire: rigidly devoted to theories without regard for practicality; dogmatic
divine: to foretell or know by inspiration
diurnal: existing during the day
dither: to act confusedly or without clear purpose
distend: to swell, inflate, or bloat
distaff: the female branch of a family
dissonance: a harsh and disagreeable combination, especially of sounds
dissemble: to present a false appearance; to disguise one's real intentions or character
disparate: fundamentally different; entirely unlike
discern: to perceive or recognize
disabuse: to set right; free from error
dirge: a funeral hymn or mournful speech
dilettante: someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic
dilatory: intended to delay
dilate: to make larger; expand
diffident: lacking self-confidence
dictum: authoritative statement
diatribe: an abusive, condemnatory speech
diaphanous: allowing light to show through; delicate
desultory: jumping from one thing to another; disconnected
desiccate: to dry out thoroughly
deride: to speak of or treat with contempt; to mock
demur: to express doubts or objections
demagogue: a leader or rabble-rouser, usually appealing to emotion or prejudice
deleterious: subtly or unexpectedly harmful
deference: respect; courtesy
deface: to mar the appearance of; vandalize
decorum: appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety
decorous: proper; tasteful; socially correct
declivity: downward slope
debutante: young woman making debut in high society
curmudgeon: cranky person, usually old
cupidity: greed; strong desire
crescendo: steadily increasing in volume or force
credulous: too trusting; gullible
craven: lacking courage
coterie: an intimate group of persons with a similar purpose
cosset: to pamper; treat with great care
corroborate: to support with evidence
convoluted: intricate and complicated
contumacious: rebellious
contrite: deeply sorrowful and repentatnt for a wrong
connoisseur: a person with expert knowledge or discriminating tastes
condone: to overlook, pardon, or disregard
collusion: collaboration; complicity; conspiracy
cogent: convincing and well-reasoned
coffer: strongbox; large chest for money
coalesce: to grow together to form a single whole
cloying: sickly sweet; excessive
circumspect: cautious; aware of potential consequences
chicanery: deception by means of craft or guile
chauvinist: someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs
chaos: great disorder or confused situation
caustic: biting in wit
catholic: universal broad and comprehensive
catalyst: something that brings about a change in something else
castigate: to punish or criticize harshly
cartography: science or art of making maps
capricious: changing one's mind quickly and often
candid: impartial and honest in speech
canard: a lie
calumny: a false and malicious accusation; misrepresentation
cacophony: harsh, jarring noise
cabal: a secret group seeking to overturn something
burnish: to polish
burgeon: to grow and flourish
boor: crude person, one lacking manners or taste
bonhomie: good-natured geniality; atmosphere of good cheer
bombastic: pompous in speech and manner
bolster: to support; prop up
blithe: joyful; cheerful; or without appropriate thought
blight: to afflict; destroy
bilk: to cheat; defraud
bifurcate: to divide into two parts
bevy: group
belfry: bell tower; room in which a bell in hung
banal: predictable; cliched; boring
axiom: premise; postulate; self-evident truth
austere: severe or stern in appearance; undecorated
august: dignified; grandiose
augury: prophecy; prediction of events
audacious: fearless and daring
attenuate: to reduce in force or degree; weaken
assuage: to make something unpleasant less severe
assail: to attack; assault
articulate: able to speak clearly and expressively
arrogate: to claim without justification; to claim for oneself without right
ardor: intense and passionate feeling
archaic: ancient; old-fashioned
arbitrate: to judge a dispute between two opposing parties
arbitrary: determined by chance or impulse
approbation: approval and praise
apostate: one who renounces a religious faith
apocryphal: of questionable authority or authenticity
apathy: lack of interest or emotion
antipathy: extreme dislike
antagonize: to annoy or provoke to anger
anomaly: deviation from what is normal
anodyne: something that calms or soothes pain
analogous: similar or alike insome way; equivalent to
analgesia: a lessening of pain without loss of consciousness
anachronism: something out of place in time
amulet: ornament worn as a charm against evil spirits
amortize: to diminish by installment payments
ameliorate: to make better; to improve
ambiguous: doubtful or uncertain; can be interpreted several ways
amalgamate: to combine; to mix together
alleviate: to make more bearable
alacrity: speed or quickness
aggrandize: to increase in power, influence, and reputation
affected: phony; artificial
aesthetic: concerning the appreciation of beauty
aerie: a nest built high in the air; an elevated, often secluded, dwelling
advocate: to speak in favor of
adulterate: to make impure
acme: highest point; summit; the highest level or degree attainable
acidulous: sour in taste or manner
accretion: a growth in size; increase in amount
abyss: an extreely deep hole
abstemious: moderate in appetite
abstain: to chose not to do something
abscond: to leave secretly
abjure: to reject; abandon formally
abeyance: temporary suppression or supension
aberrant: deviating from what is normal or expected
abdicate: to give up a position, right, or power
abate: to reduce in amount, degree, or severity
abase: to humble; disgrace
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