Advanced Vocabulary: Definitions and Synonyms for Independent Learners

Askance

With suspicion or disapproval

Attenuate

To weaken or reduce in force

Benign

Harmless; gentle

Cavil

To make pretty objections

Charlatan

A fake or fraud who pretends to have skills

Decimate

To destroy a large part of

Foible

A minor weakness or flaw

Forgo

To go without giving up

Fraught

Filling with tension or anxiety

Inure

To become used to something difficult

Luminous

Giving off light; bright

Obsequious

Over obedient or flattering

Obtuse

Slow to understand; not sharp

Oscillate

To move back and forth

Penitent

Feeling sorry for wrongdoing

Peremptory

Demanding immediate attention

Rebuff

To reject sharply

Reconnoiter

To survey or inspect an area

Shambles

A state of disorder or ruin

Sporadic

Happening irregularly

Abrogate

To repeal, cancel, or declare null and void

Ambient

Surrounding or encompassing

Asperity

Roughness, severity, or bitterness of manner

Burnish

To make smooth/glossy; a shine

Cabal

Small group working in secret

Delectable

Delightful; an appealing food dish

Deprecate

To express mild disapproval; belittle

Detritus

Debris; material from destruction

Ebullient

Enthusiastic; bubbling with excitement

Eclectic

Drawn from various sources

Flaccid

Limp, not firm; lacking vigor

Impecunious

Having little or no money

Inexorable

Relentless, unyielding, or unstoppable

Moribund

Dying, declining, or on the way out

Necromancer

One who claims to communicate with the dead

Onerous

Burdensome or involving hardship

Rife

Common, prevalent, or widespread

Rudiments

The fundamental parts of a subject

Sequester

To set apart or seclude

Winnow

To sift through to remove the unwanted

Acclamation

Loud and enthusiastic approval or praise

Bucolic

Relating to the countryside, rural and peaceful

Calumniate

To make false and damaging statements about someone

Chary

Cautious or wary; reluctant to take risks

Collusion

Secret agreement for an illegal or deceitful purpose

Dilettante

A person with a superficial interest in a subject

Imperturbable

Unable to be upset or disturbed; calm

Increment

An increase or addition, especially gradual

Mandate

Official order or authority to act

Paltry

Insignificant or worthless

Paroxysm

Sudden outburst of emotion or activity

Pedantry

Excessive concern with minor details or rules

Peregrination

A long journey or travel

Redolent

Strongly reminiscent of or smelling of something

Refulgent

Shining brightly; radiant

Shibboleth

A custom brightly distinguishing a group

Tyro

A beginner or novice

Unremitting

Never relaxing or stopping; constant

Vacillate

To be indecisive or waver between choices

Vituperative

Harsh and abusive in language