Abrasions
Scrapes
Abstemious
Discipline, self-denying, moderate
Accolade
honor, privilege, award, tribute
Adamant
Inflexible, stubborn, insistent, Obstinate
Adversaries
Opponents
Affinity
empathy for, harmony
Agrarian
Farm production
Allay
reduce, diminish, decrease, lessen, alleviate, calm
Aloof
distant, detached, unfriendly
Altruist
Humanitarian, benevolent, unselfish
Ambiguous
open to more than one interpretation, double meaning, vague
Amiable
friendly, affable, amicable, cordial
Anachronism
belonging to another period other the present
Animosity
great ill – hostility, hatred
Antediluvian
Out of date, outmoded, antiquated, passé
Antithesis
opposite, contrary, reverse
Apathy
indifference, lack of interest
Apex
Highest point
Ascetic
self-discipline, self-denying
Bauble
Trinket, Ornament, Frippery
Bedlam
Uproar, confusion, commotion, disorder
Biennial
once every two years
Bigot
Extremist, partisan, racist, sexist, chauvinist
Bogus
not genuine, not true, fake, false
Brazen
Bold, Shameless, defiant, impudent
Cacophonous
discordant
Calamity
Disaster
Callous
Heartless, cruel
Callow
Immature, juvenile, raw, untried, naive
Candid
truthful, outspoken, honest, sincere
Canter
a three-beat gait of a horse or other quadruped between a trot and a gallop
Castes
Social class
Caterwauling
Howling, Cry, Bark, howl, scream, wail
Caustic
Corrosive, Sarcastic, Bitter
Celestial
Heavenly
Chaste
Virginal
Commonplace
ordinary, not unusual
Contiguous
adjacent, neighboring, adjoining, abutting, connecting
Convalescence
Recuperation
Conversant
Familiar with, knowledgeable about
Convivial
Pleasant
Cowardly
Pusillanimous, Lack of courage
Cryptic
enigmatic
Damper
mold, wet
Deference
respect, obedience, surrender
Demure
modest, reserved, bashful, proper, chaste
Derisive
mocking, insulting, sarcastic
Disdainful
Scornful – Disrespectful
Dissident
objector, protester, rebel, agitator, protesting, Rebellious
Dogged
tenacious, determined, purposeful
Dogmatic
insistent, adamant, authoritarian
Domicile
Residence
Edible
safe to eat, consumable, good to eat
Edicts
order, command, decree
Elicit
obtain, draw out, evoke, induce, provoke
Empirically
based on, concerned with,
Enticements
temptations, lure, allure, attraction
Epilogue
afterword, postscript, addendum
Eroded
dissolve, corrode, decay, destroy, deteriorate
Essence
nature
Expiate
make amends for, pay for it, redeem
Explicit
Clearly stated
Fallow
uncultivated, unplowed, inactive
Falter
hesitate, delay, stammer, and struggle, Unsteadily
Fastidious
Scrupulous, meticulous, critical, hard to please
Flaccid
soft
Flippant
Frivolous, disrespectful
Florid
red-faced, rosy, pink, blushing
Flux
continuous change, variability, instability, oscillation
Furtive
sneaky
Gamut
Range
Garrulous
very talkative
Gauntlet
glove, (accept or issue a challenge)
Gibe
an insulting or mocking remark
Guile
cunning, artfulness, slyness, Sly, clever
Gullible
Naïve
Haughty
proud, arrogant, vain, snobbish, superior, scornful
Heresy
unorthodoxy, atheism, dissension, disagreement
Hoodwinked
deceive, trick, fool, cheat
Illicit
Forbidding by law, illegal, criminal
Impassionate
emotional, heartfelt, sincere, fervent
Impediment
Hindrance, obstacle, barrier
Impertinent
rude, insolent, impolite
Impervious
Unaffected by, immune to, resistant to, impermeable
Impetuous
impulsive, rash, reckless, careless, without care
Inalienable
absolute, untransferable, nonnegotiable
Incongruous
not in harmony, inappropriate, unsuitable, odd
Incredulous
Disbelieving
Increment
larger amount
Incumbent
current, present, in office, in power
Indelible
permanent, lasting
Indigent
impoverished
Indolent
Lazy
Indomitable
invincible, unbeatable
Infer
deduction
Intemperate
Uncontrolled
Interloper
intruder, trespasser, invader
Irrepressible
Uncontrollable
Itinerant
migrant
Knoll
mound, rise, hill
Laudable
Deserves praise
Limbo
unfinished, postponed, deferred, unresolved
Ludicrous
foolish, unreasonable, ridiculous
Lurid
bright, brilliant, vivid, sensational
Malingering
pretends
Menial
Unskilled, lowly, humble
Mercenary
Avaricious
Mirthful
merry, amusing, jocund
Momentum
impetus, energy, force, power
Necromancy
sorcery, black magic, witchcraft, voodoo
Nomenclature
set of words and phrases
Notorious
infamous, scandalous, well known, famous
Obdurate
stubborn, obstinate, inflexible
Obfuscate
obscure, confuse, blur
Oblivious
Unaware
Obnoxious
Horrible, nasty , unpleasant, distasteful, offensive
Obsequious
Submissive
Obsolescent
dying out, on the decline, aging, Antiquated
Obstreperous
undisciplined, disorderly, difficult, hostile
Omniscient
all- knowing, all-wise
Omnivore
Plants and herbs
Parley
negotiation, conference, summit, discussion
Partisan
One side
Pathos
sadness, pitifulness poignancy, tragedy, evokes pity
Penchant
liking, fondness, partiality, whim, desire
Pensive
thoughtful
Pernicious
Harmful, destructive
Perverse
contrary, awkward, difficult, uncooperative
Petty
unimportant, minor, trivial
Placate
pacify, calm, appease, soothe
Pliable
easily shaped, flexible, elastic
Powerless
impotent
Praiseworthy
admirable, laudable, exemplary
Presumptuous
falling to observe the limits of what is permitted or appropriate
Prolific
Plentiful, abundant, profuse, fecund, rich
Prologue
introduction, foreword, preface, prelude
Purport
claims to be, pretend to be, rumored
Quiescent
inactive, inert, idle, dormant
Quixotic
idealistic and impractical
Raconteur
Storyteller
Rapacious
Grasping, greedy avaricious, covetous, mercenary, insatiable
Ravenous
Very hungry, voracious
Recalcitrant
uncooperative, rebellious, contrary
Recondite
obscure, abstruse, profound, difficult, complex
Remission
respite, rest, break, recess, symptoms disappeared
Reprimand
rebuke, admonish, reprove
Reproved
Reprimand – Warning
Reticulated
Constructed, arranged
Saunter
stroll, wander, walk, Relaxed
Scornful
superior, contemptuous, disrespectful
Scurrilous
defamatory, slanderous, scandalous, insulting, offensive
Secession
the act of withdrawing formally from membership of a federation or body
Sedulous
diligent, meticulous, careful, Attentive
Solicitous
Considered
Somber
solemn, serious, unsmiling, humorless
Sorcerer
practices necromancy
Sparingly
moderate, economical, abstemious
Squalid
dirty, filthy, neglected
Stagnant
smelly
Sudorific
Sweating
Supercilious
Aloof – Arrogant – being superior
Suppurated
discharge pus
Surly
moody, sour, bad-tempered, grumpy
Symposium
conference, meeting
Tacit
implicit, implied, hinted, suggested, understood or implied without being stated
Taciturn
uncommunicative
Taunt
provocation, insult, make fun of, ridicule, mock
Terse
to the point, concise
Tyranny
Despotism, absolute power, autocracy
Ubiquitous
omnipresent, universal, all over the place
Vacillated
wavered, be undecided
Veracity
Truthfulness
Vicissitudes
change, alteration, twist, turn, uncertainty
Vitriolic
caustic, Sarcastic
Vivacious
lively, buoyant, merry, jaunty
Voluble
talkative
Wavered
Hesitated
Zealots
Extremists – fanatics
Zenith
highest point, crowing point, peak
callous
made hard
explicit
fully and clearly expressed
partisan
biased, emotional allegiance
limbo
an intermediate, transitional
succumbing
to give way to superior force; yield
malingering
to pretend illness, to avoid work, etc
avarice
insatiable greed for riches
admonition
counsel, advice, or caution
veneration
the act of treating with profound respect
animosity
strong dislike
menial
lowly / degrading
nominal
not real; too small to be considered or taken seriously
cynical
distrusting the motives of others
candid
completely honest, straightforward
eloquent
fluent, forceful, and appropriate speech
continuum
a continuous extent, series, or whole
symposium
a meeting or conference for the discussion of some subject
presumptuous
bold of forward; going beyond that which is proper
vacillated
indecisive or irresolute
transgressed
go beyond (a limit, boundary, etc.)
ascetic
self-denying
agitated
to move or force into violent, irregular action; shake
incongruous
out of place; inappropriate; unbecoming;
dissident
disagreeing
adamant
unyielding; persistent
nondescript
of no particular type or kind;uninteresting; dull
lope
to move or run with bounding steps
canter
an easy gallop
saunter
to walk with a leisurely gait; stroll
falter
to hesitate; to move unsteadily
pretentious
done for show, striving to make a big impression; ambitious
taciturn
reserved in speech; reluctant to join in conversation
garrulous
excessively talkative in a rambling, especially about trivial matters
voluble
glib; talkative
culpable
deserving blame
mundane
common; ordinary,
melancholy
a gloomy state of mind
scrupulous
a moral or ethical standard that inhibits certain actions
mercenary
working or acting merely for money or other reward
disdainful
treat with contempt; despise; scornful
laudable
deserving praise (Oh, lawd!)
stagnant
stale from standing
depraved
corrupt, wicked, or perverted
squalid
foul and repulsive, as from lack of care or cleanliness; neglected and filthy; miserable
dogged
persistent in effort; stubbornly tenacious
aloof
reserved; disinterested
solicitous
anxious or concerned
supercilious
arrogant, scornful
unscrupulous
lacking moral restraint; conscienceless
vociferous
loud and noisy
obfuscate
obscure; confuse
lurid
causing shock, horror, or revulsion; sensational
lucrative
bringing in money; profitable
pusillanimous
cowardly
quiescent
inactive; at rest; motionless
melodrama
A literary form in which events are exaggerated in order to create an extreme emotional response.
pathos
evoking a feeling of pity or compassion; pity
illicit
illegal; not permitted
elicit
bring out from some source (such as another person)
tacit
quiet, inclined to talk very little
calamity
an event that causes great misfortune; a disaster
conversion
being converted; turning us away from sin and toward God.
impassioned
filled with intense feeling / passion
impertinent
rude; disrespectful
impetuous
acting suddenly without thought
martyr
a person who willingly suffers death rather than renounce his or her religion
interloper
one who moves in where he or she is not wanted/intruder
indomitable
unconquerable
reproved
to criticize or correct; disapprove of strongly
conversant
familiar by use or study
gamut
an entire range or series
guile
sly/cunning, deceit
naiveté/callow
lack of sophistication; simplicity
apex
the highest point, tip
pseudonym
a pen name, name assumed by a writer
acronym
a word formed from the first letter of each word in a series
synonym
a word that means the same as another word
antonym
a word that means the opposite of another word
stupefied
stunned; astonished
incredulous
disbelieving, skeptical
furtive
done slyly, sneaky ; stolen
impotent
powerless; lacking strength
inconsolable
sad beyond comforting
stoical
self-controlled, not showing feeling in response to pleasure or pain
bedlam
a state or scene of uproar and confusion
scurrilous
coarsely abusive
convivial
festive, sociable
sedulous
persistent, determination
florid
highly colored, reddish
irrepressible
incapable of being controlled
indelible
not able to be erased; memorable
inalienable
not able to be taken or given away.
vicissitudes
the unexpected changes and shifts often encountered in one’s life
enticements
to lead on by exciting hope or desire; especially to evil
infractions
breaking of a law or rule
pensive
dreamily or wistfully thoughtful
veracity
truthfulness; honesty
indolent
habitually lazy or idle
biennial
occurring every two years
increment
an enlargement, increase, addition
surly
angry and bad-tempered; rude
nomenclature
set of words or phrases
suppurated
to produce or discharge pus
perspicacious
perceptive; having keen discernment
ubiquitous
existing or being everywhere, especially at the same time
abrasions
scrapes
celestial
sky or heavens
essence
nature of something
altruist
unselfish, concerned with the welfare of others
bigot
an intolerant, prejudiced, or biased person
charlatan
one who feigns knowledge or ability; impostor
adversaries
opponent; enemy; foe
agrarian
concerning farms, farmers, or the use of land
utilitarian
an ethical system stating that the greatest good for the greatest number of people should be the overriding concern of decision makers
familial
of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a family
cooperative
abusiness that is owned by the members it serves and is managed in their interest
convalescence
the gradual return to health after illness
castes
social groups
aristocracies
a class of persons holding exceptional rank and privileges
incumbent
obligatory, required; one who holds a specific office at the time spoken of
dissipated
dissolve or disappear
digressed
wandered off the subject
fallow
dormant; unused
indigent
lacking food, clothing, and other necessities of life because of poverty; needy; poor
domicile
a residence
inexplicable
hard to explain or impossible to understand
unsurpassed
better or greater than anything else of its kind
cryptic
puzzling, mystifying, or enigmatic
flippant
lacking in seriousness; disrespectful
placate
to appease, soothe, pacify
cacophonous
harsh-sounding, raucous, discordant, dissonant
discordant
disagreeing; disagreeable to the ear
vitriolic
highly caustic; acid; bitter
chaste
pure; unspoiled; virginal
caustic
capable of burning, corroding, or destroying living tissue/ sarcastic
zealots
fanatic
itinerant
wandering from place to place; unsettled
empirically
derived from or guided by experience or experiment
rhetorically
asked only for effect, no answer being expected
deciduously
shedding the leaves annually, as certain trees and shrubs
flaccid
soft and limp; not firm; flabby
pernicious
extremely harmful; deadly, fatal
intemperate
immoderate, lacking in self-control; inclement
obdurate
stubborn, unyielding
neurotic
anxious, irritable, aggressive, temperamental, and moody.
quixotic
foolishly impractical; often unpredictable
masochism
sexual urges, fantasies, or acts are associated with being humiliated, bound, or made to suffer
philology
study of language and literature
obsequious
obedient; dutiful
obstreperous
noisy; unruly, disorderly
obsolescent
going out of use; becoming obsolete
meandering
wandering aimlessly
interloping
intruding, meddling
foraging
searching for food
consecrate
to make or declare sacred; set apart or dedicate to the service of a deity
habituate
to become used to; to cause to become used to
elitism
consciousness of or pride in belonging to a select or favored group; practice of or belief in rule by an elite
quaff
a drink; to drink a beverage, especially an intoxicating one, copiously and with hearty enjoyment
inexorably
unyielding; unalterable
insensate
without feeling or regard
indiscreetly
carelessly
precarious
unstable, insecure, dangerous
unassailable
impossible to dispute or disprove; undeniable
recalcitrant
stubbornly disobedient, resisting authority
postscript
thought written after the letter is finished; p.s.
scullion
a kitchen servant who does menial work
emulate
to imitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model
milieu
the setting, surroundings, environment
neophyte
a new convert, beginner, novice
umbrage
offense; annoyance; displeasure
blatant
noisy in a coarse, offensive way; obvious or conspicuous
pugnacious
quarrelsome, fond of fighting
foreboding
a warning or feeling that something bad will happen; marked by fear, ominous
nomad
a person who has no settled home
abjured
rejected; renounced
ornate
elaborately decorated; showily splendid
ingenious
clever
fastidious
hard to please
admonitory
to reprove firmly but not harshly; to advise to do or against doing something; warn; caution
impoverished
poor, in a state of poverty; depleted
bolstered
a long, narrow pillow; anything used as a support; to prop up, support, or reinforce
exultation
lively or triumphant joy
raconteur
witty, skillful storyteller
bauble
a trinket
allocated
to set aside for a particular purpose
arduous
hard to do, requiring much effort
salutary
beneficial, helpful; healthful, wholesome
tertiary
of the third order, rank, stage, formation, etc.; third
epilogue
a short passage added at the end of a literary work
audacity
boldness; reckless daring; impertinence
despotism
absolute power or control; tyranny
penchant
a strong attraction or inclination
antediluvian
so extremely old as seeming to belong to an earlier period; prehistoric
contiguous
side by side, touching; near; adjacent in time
reticulated
covered with a mesh-like pattern
brusque
abrupt in manner; blunt; rough
paroxysm
a sudden outburst; a spasm, convulsion
montage
the technique of combining in a single composition pictorial elements from various sources; collage
matrix
something that constitutes the place or point from which something else originates, takes form, or develops
stipend
a fixed sum of money paid periodically for services or to defray expenses
vivacious
lively, sprightly, full of energy
demure
characterized by shyness and modesty; reserved
fetish
any object or idea eliciting unquestioning reverence, respect, or devotion
recondite
exceeding ordinary knowledge and understanding
rapacious
given to seizing for plunder or the satisfaction of greed
callow
immature or inexperienced
omniscient
knowing everything
pristine
having its original purity; uncorrupted or unsullied
prolific
producing offspring, young, fruit, etc., abundantly; highly fruitful
impervious
not permitting penetration or passage; impenetrable
exacerbate
to make more violent, severe, bitter, or painful
jocund
merry; cheerful; lighthearted
mirthful
joyous; gay; jolly
cavalcade
an order of events; a procession
fuselage
the body of the aircraft
knoll
a small, round hill or mound
eroded
to wear away gradually, eat away
duress
compulsion by threat; forcible confinement
dissidence
disagreement
trepidation
fear, fright, trembling
fruition
attainment of anything desired; realization; accomplishment; enjoyment
purported
rumored; claimed
perverse
inclined to go against what is expected; stubborn; turned away from what is good and proper
momentary
lasting but a moment; very brief; fleeting
negligible
so small, trifling, or unimportant that it may safely be neglected or disregarded
fragmented
a state that includes several discontinuous pieces of territory.
indiscretion
lack of discretion; imprudence; an indiscreet act, remark
heresy
an opinion different from accepted belief; the denial of an idea that is generally held sacred
flux
a state of constant change or a flow
secession
formal withdrawal of states or regions from a nation
gibes
to utter mocking or scoffing words; jeer; to taunt
chicanery
trickery, deceptive practices or tactics
eructed
to belch forth, as gas from the stomach
titrated
to measure the volume or concentration of (a solution) by titration