Word Knowledge 80 terms

Daunt

To make someone feel intimidated or apprehensive

Pacify

To calm or bring peace to a situation or person

Indolence

Avoidance of activity or exertion; laziness

Ardent

Having intense enthusiasm or passion

Countenance

A person’s facial expression or approval/support

Charisma

A compelling attractiveness or charm that inspires others

Credulous

Having a tendency to believe things too easily; gullible

Labyrinth

A complex and confusing series of passages or paths

Sacrosanct

Regarded as too important or valuable to be interfered with

Rudimentary

Involving basic principles or the simplest form of something

Impartial

Treating all sides equally; not biased

Reiterate

To say something again for emphasis or clarity

Precedent

An earlier event or action that serves as an example or guide

Prudent

Acting with care and thought for the future

Figurative

Expressing something in a non-literal or symbolic way

Innocuous

Not harmful or offensive

Negligence

Failure to take proper care in doing something

Lax

Not strict, careful, or severe

Equivocate

To use ambiguous language to avoid telling the truth

Ponderous

Slow and clumsy due to great weight or size

Circumspect

Cautious and unwilling to take risks

Assiduous

Showing great care and perseverance in work

Solicitous

Showing concern or care for someone’s well-being

Aptitude

A natural ability to do something well

Jeopardy

Exposure to danger or risk

Obsequious

Overly submissive and eager to please

Noxious

Harmful, poisonous, or very unpleasant

Misanthrope

A person who dislikes and avoids human society

Felicity

Intense happiness or the ability to express things clearly

Chivalrous

Courteous and gallant, especially toward women

Pragmatic

Dealing with things in a sensible and practical way

Cacophony

A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds

Cajole

To persuade someone by flattery or coaxing

Expropriate

To take property from its owner, often for public use

Ebb

To gradually lessen or reduce

Iconoclast

A person who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions

Lampoon

To publicly criticize someone using sarcasm or ridicule

Taciturn

Reserved or uncommunicative in speech

Elusive

Difficult to find, catch, or achieve

Monolithic

Large, powerful, and uniform in structure

Abdicate

To give up a position of power or responsibility

Abridge

To shorten a text while retaining the essential meaning

Acumen

The ability to make good judgments and quick decisions

Adept

Highly skilled or proficient in something

Adversary

An opponent or enemy

Aesthetic

Concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty

Alleviate

To reduce or relieve pain, suffering, or difficulty

Amicable

Having a spirit of friendliness; without serious disagreement

Austere

Strict, severe, or plain in manner or appearance

Benevolent

Well-meaning and kindly

Bolster

To support or strengthen

Brevity

Concise and exact use of words in writing or speech

Candid

Truthful and straightforward

Capricious

Given to sudden and unaccountable changes in mood or behavior

Convoluted

Complicated and difficult to follow

Deference

Respect and submission to the judgment of another

Delineate

To describe or outline something precisely

Deride

To ridicule or mock someone or something

Diffident

Modest or shy due to a lack of self-confidence

Disparage

To speak of someone or something in a belittling way

Disseminate

To spread information or ideas widely

Efficacious

Effective in producing a desired result

Ephemeral

Lasting for a very short time

Erudite

Having or showing great knowledge or learning

Euphemism

A mild or indirect word used in place of a harsher one

Fallacious

Based on false reasoning or mistaken belief

Garrulous

Excessively talkative

Gregarious

Fond of company; sociable

Hackneyed

Overused and lacking originality

Intransigent

Unwilling to change one’s views or agree to something

Lethargic

Sluggish, lacking energy or enthusiasm

Loquacious

Very talkative

Mitigate

To make less severe, serious, or painful

Obfuscate

To deliberately make something unclear or difficult to understand

Ostentatious

Designed to impress or attract notice; flashy

Penchant

A strong liking or inclination for something

Perfunctory

Done without real interest or effort

Prosaic

Lacking poetic beauty; dull and unimaginative

Recalcitrant

Stubbornly resistant to authority or control

Superfluous

More than what is needed; excessive