List 2 - Jan 21 -Jan 27

acumen

acumen

the ability to make good judgments and quick decisions, typically in a particular domain.

adamant

refusing to be persuaded or to change one's mind.

adept

very skilled or proficient at something.

adulation

obsequious flattery; excessive admiration or praise.

amalgamate

combine or unite to form one organization or structure.

antagonize

cause (someone) to become hostile or angry.

apprentice

n. a person who is learning a trade from a skilled employer, having agreed to work for a fixed period at low wages; v. employ (someone) as an apprentice.

arcane

: known or knowable only to a few people : secret. arcane rites. an arcane ritual. broadly : mysterious, obscure. arcane explanations.

autonomy

the right or condition of self-government.

belie

(of an appearance) fail to give a true notion or impression of (something); disguise or contradict.

biased

unfairly prejudiced for or against someone or something.

circumspect

wary and unwilling to take risks.

concur

to agree

courteous

polite, especially in a way that shows respect

cryptic

having a meaning that is mysterious or obscure.

culpable

deserving blame.

cultivate

prepare and use (land) for crops or gardening; try to acquire or develop (a quality, sentiment, or skill).

cynical

believing that people are motivated purely by self-interest; distrustful of human sincerity or integrity; concerned only with one's own interests and typically disregarding accepted or appropriate standards in order to achieve them.

debacle

a sudden and ignominious failure; a fiasco.

deficit

the amount by which something, especially a sum of money, is too small.

delude

impose a misleading belief upon (someone); deceive; fool.

demanding

(of a task) requiring much skill or effort; (of a person) making others work hard or meet high standards.

deride

express contempt for; ridicule.

digression

a temporary departure from the main subject in speech or writing.

dilemma

a usually undesirable or unpleasant choice; a problem involving a difficult choice

disparate

essentially different in kind; not allowing comparison.

dogmatic

inclined to lay down principles as incontrovertibly true.

elude

1. : to avoid or escape by being quick, skillful, or tricky. 2. : to escape the understanding or grasp of.

equanimity

mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation.

erratic

: having no fixed course : wandering. an erratic comet. 2. a. : characterized by lack of consistency, regularity, or uniformity.

eschew

deliberately avoid using; abstain from.

exemplify

be a typical example of. give an example of; illustrate by giving an example.

exorbitant

(of a price or amount charged) unreasonably high.

facetious

treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant.

forbearance

patient self-control; restraint and tolerance.

forestall

prevent or obstruct (an anticipated event or action) by taking action ahead of time.

fortify

: to give physical strength, courage, or endurance to. fortified by a hearty meal. c. : to add mental or moral strength to : encourage.

fortuitous

happening by accident or chance rather than design.

hardy

bold, brave; accustomed to dealing with fatigue or hardships : robust

hinder

create difficulties for (someone or something), resulting in delay or obstruction.

holistic

characterized by the belief that the parts of something are interconnected and can be explained only by reference to the whole.

indictment

a formal charge or accusation of a serious crime.

indoctrinate

teach (a person or group) to accept a set of beliefs uncritically.

ineffable

too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words.

ingenuous

(of a person or action) innocent and unsuspecting.

inimical

tending to obstruct or harm. unfriendly; hostile.

inquiry

an act of asking for information.

lucid

translucent; clear to the understanding

maturity

the state, fact, or period of being mature.

merriment

gaiety and fun.

methodical

done according to a systematic or established form of procedure.

mischievous

(of a person, animal, or their behavior) causing or showing a fondness for causing trouble in a playful way.

myriad

ten thousand; a great number

obsequious

obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.

obstinacy

the quality or condition of being obstinate; stubbornness.

obtrusive

noticeable or prominent in an unwelcome or intrusive way.

paradox

a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true.

penchant

a strong or habitual liking for something or tendency to do something.

permeate

spread throughout (something); pervade.

placid

(of a person or animal) not easily upset or excited.

precursor

a person or thing that comes before another of the same kind; a forerunner.

predetermine

establish or decide in advance.

procrastinator

a person who habitually puts off doing things.

rambunctious

uncontrollably exuberant; boisterous.

recessive

relating to or denoting heritable characteristics controlled by genes that are expressed in offspring only when inherited from both parents; undergoing an economic recession.

redundant

not or no longer needed or useful; superfluous.

renunciation

the formal rejection of something, typically a belief, claim, or course of action.

robust

strong and healthy; vigorous.

sanguine

optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation.

scarce

(especially of food, money, or some other resource) insufficient for the demand.

scrutinize

examine or inspect closely and thoroughly.

serendipity

the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.

spawn

1. : to deposit or fertilize spawn. 2. : to produce young especially in large numbers.

sporadic

occurring at irregular intervals or only in a few places; scattered or isolated.

surreptitious

kept secret, especially because it would not be approved of.

tenuous

very weak or slight.

thwart

prevent (someone) from accomplishing something.

tribulation

distress or suffering resulting from oppression or persecution

truce

an agreement between enemies or opponents to stop fighting or arguing for a certain time.

unequivocal

leaving no doubt; unambiguous.

vapid

offering nothing that is stimulating or challenging.

verisimilitude

the appearance of being true or real.

vitriolic

full of violent hate and anger

volatile

(of a substance) easily evaporated at normal temperatures; liable to change rapidly and unpredictably, especially for the worse.

zealot

a person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals.

frivolous

not having any serious purpose or value; (of a person) carefree and not serious.

generosity

the quality of being kind and generous.

grapple

engage in a close fight or struggle without weapons; wrestle.

harangue

a lengthy and aggressive speech; lecture (someone) at length in an aggressive and critical manner.

illicit

forbidden by law, rules, or custom.

imminent

about to happen; overhanging.

incongruous

not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something.

indiscernible

impossible to see or clearly distinguish.

inexplicable

unable to be explained or accounted for.

insolent

showing a rude and arrogant lack of respect.

lugubrious

looking or sounding sad and dismal.

luxurious

extremely comfortable, elegant, or enjoyable, especially in a way that involves great expense.

marginal

relating to or situated at the edge or margin of something.

mercenary

primarily concerned with making money at the expense of ethics; a professional soldier hired to serve in a foreign army.

moderate

average in amount, intensity, quality, or degree.