Difficult Vocabulary Words
abate
become less in amount or intensity
abhor
find repugnant
abortive
failing to accomplish an intended result
absolve
grant remission of a sin to
abstruse
difficult to understand
accolade
a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction
accost
approach and speak to someone aggressively or insistently
acquiesce
agree or express agreement
acrid
strong and sharp, as a taste or smell
adage
a condensed but memorable saying embodying an important fact
adamant
very hard native crystalline carbon valued as a gem
address
the place where a person or organization can be found
adherent
someone who believes and helps to spread a doctrine
affectation
a deliberate pretense or exaggerated display
affluent
having an abundant supply of money or possessions of value
agrarian
relating to rural matters
agnostic
a person who claims the existence of God is unknowable
allege
report or maintain
allusion
passing reference or indirect mention
aloof
distant, cold, or detached in manner
ambiguous
having more than one possible meaning
amenity
something that provides value, pleasure, or convenience
amnesty
a warrant granting release from punishment for an offense
amorous
inclined toward or displaying love
apartheid
a social policy of racial segregation
aphorism
a short pithy instructive saying
apocryphal
being of questionable authenticity
apprehensive
in fear or dread of possible evil or harm
aptitude
inherent ability
arbiter
someone chosen to judge and decide a disputed issue
arcane
requiring secret or mysterious knowledge
archetype
something that serves as a model
astute
marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
attrition
the act of rubbing together
austere
of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor
avow
declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true
awry
turned or twisted to one side
beget
have children
belabor
beat soundly
beleaguer
annoy persistently
bequest
a gift of personal property by will
bereft
lacking or deprived of something
beset
assail or attack on all sides
blatant
without any attempt at concealment; completely obvious
blight
any plant disease resulting in withering without rotting
blithe
carefree and happy and lighthearted
burlesque
a theatrical entertainment of broad and earthy humor
cadence
the accent in a metrical foot of verse
cajole
influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
callow
young and inexperienced
candor
the quality of being honest and straightforward
catharsis
purging the body to stimulate evacuation of the bowels
celibacy
abstaining from sexual relations
chagrin
strong feelings of embarrassment
charlatan
a flamboyant deceiver
choleric
characterized by anger
circumvent
surround so as to force to give up
clandestine
conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods
clemency
leniency and compassion shown toward offenders
clique
an exclusive circle of people with a common purpose
coalesce
fuse or cause to come together
coerce
cause to do through pressure or necessity
collusion
secret agreement
complicity
guilt as a confederate in a crime or offense
conciliatory
making or willing to make concessions
conjecture
believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds
connoisseur
an expert able to appreciate a field
contentious
showing an inclination to disagree
contiguous
having a common boundary or edge
contingent
determined by conditions or circumstances that follow
contrite
feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses
contrived
showing effects of planning or manipulation
corroborate
give evidence for
coup
a sudden and decisive change of government by force
covenant
an agreement between God and his people
cynic
someone who is critical of the motives of others
decadent
relating to indulgence in something pleasurable
decimate
kill in large numbers
definitive
clearly formulated
deluge
a heavy rain
despondent
without or almost without hope
despot
a cruel and oppressive dictator
dictum
an authoritative declaration
discern
perceive, recognize, or detect
disdain
lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
edify
make understand
efface
remove by or as if by rubbing or erasing
effusion
an unrestrained expression of emotion
egalitarian
favoring social equality
elicit
call forth, as an emotion, feeling, or response
equitable
fair to all parties as dictated by reason and conscience
erudite
having or showing profound knowledge
exacting
severe and unremitting in making demands
exalt
praise, glorify, or honor
exemplify
be characteristic of
extol
praise, glorify, or honor
exult
feel extreme happiness or elation
facile
arrived at without due care or effort; lacking depth
farcical
broadly or extravagantly humorous
fecund
capable of producing offspring or vegetation
flout
treat with contemptuous disregard
foible
a minor weakness or peculiarity in someone's character
foment
try to stir up
fortuitous
lucky; occurring by happy chance
genteel
marked by refinement in taste and manners
glut
supply with an excess of
hiatus
an interruption in the intensity or amount of something
histrionic
overly dramatic or emotional
idiosyncrasy
a behavioral attribute peculiar to an individual
idyllic
charmingly simple and serene
ignominy
a state of dishonor
incense
make furious
incessant
uninterrupted in time and indefinitely long continuing
incisive
demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
ineffable
defying expression or description
inept
generally incompetent and ineffectual
inexorable
impossible to prevent, resist, or stop
injunction
a judicial remedy to prohibit a party from doing something
inordinate
beyond normal limits
insidious
working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way
insipid
lacking interest or significance or impact
insolent
marked by casual disrespect
insurgent
in opposition to a civil authority or government
invective
abusive language used to express blame or censure
lampoon
ridicule with satire
largess
liberality in bestowing gifts
lugubrious
excessively mournful
malaise
a general feeling of discomfort, uneasiness, or depression
malfeasance
wrongful conduct by a public official
manifest
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
matriculate
enroll as a student
maudlin
effusively or insincerely emotional
mellifluous
pleasing to the ear
mercenary
a person hired to fight for another country than their own
maxim
a saying that is widely accepted on its own merits
milieu
the environmental condition
mortify
cause to feel shame
munificent
very generous
nebulous
lacking definite form or limits
nefarious
extremely wicked
obfuscate
make obscure or unclear
oblivion
the state of being disregarded or forgotten
ostensible
appearing as such but not necessarily so
ostentatious
intended to attract notice and impress others
paltry
contemptibly small in amount or size
panacea
hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases
peremptory
putting an end to all debate or action
perfidy
an act of deliberate betrayal
peripatetic
traveling especially on foot
perjury
criminal offense of making false statements under oath
pernicious
exceedingly harmful
perquisite
an incidental benefit for certain types of employment
pertinent
being of striking appropriateness
pervade
spread or diffuse through
philistine
a person who is uninterested in intellectual pursuits
poignant
keenly distressing to the mind or feelings
portent
a sign of something about to happen
precept
a rule of personal conduct
precipitous
extremely steep
predilection
a predisposition in favor of something
prerogative
a right reserved exclusively by a person or group
proletariat
a social class comprising those who do manual labor
promulgate
state or announce
proponent
a person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea
proselytize
convert or try to convert someone to another religion
purport
have the often misleading appearance of being or intending
putative
purported
rapacious
living by preying on other animals
recalcitrant
stubbornly resistant to authority or control
redolent
having a strong pleasant odor
renounce
turn away from; give up
reprehension
an act or expression of criticism and censure
respite
a pause from doing something
rudimentary
being in the earliest stages of development
ruminate
reflect deeply on a subject
saccharine
overly sweet
sacrilege
blasphemous behavior
sanctimonious
excessively or hypocritically pious
sanguine
confidently optimistic and cheerful
scrupulous
characterized by extreme care and great effort
sequester
keep away from others
sloth
a disinclination to work or exert yourself
strife
bitter conflict; heated or violent dissension
subversive
in opposition to an established system or government
succinct
briefly giving the gist of something
supercilious
having or showing arrogant disdain or haughtiness
tantamount
being essentially equal to something
temerity
fearless daring
tenable
based on sound reasoning or evidence
tenacious
stubbornly unyielding
tenuous
lacking substance or significance
transgress
act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises
transient
lasting a very short time
transcend
go beyond the scope or limits of
trepidation
a feeling of alarm or dread
turpitude
a corrupt or depraved or degenerate act or practice
unctuous
unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating
unremitting
uninterrupted in time and indefinitely long continuing
unwitting
not aware or knowing
venal
capable of being corrupted
verisimilitude
the appearance of truth; the quality of seeming to be true
vicarious
experienced at secondhand
vicissitude
a variation in circumstances or fortune
vilify
spread negative information about
vitiate
make imperfect
volition
the act of making a choice
willful
done by design
wistful
showing pensive sadness
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