Wordly Wise

avid

Having a strong desire for, to the point of greed; eager; enthusiastic.

brusque

Abrupt in manner or speech; gruff.

concise

Short and to the point.

demean

To cause a lowering of self-esteem; to lower in reputation or character.

despicable

Deserving contempt or scorn.

emulate

To try to equal; to imitate.

evoke

To call forth; to produce; to bring to mind, often by suggestion.

excruciating

Very painful.

inaugurate

To install in office with a formal ceremony; to begin officially or mark the opening of.

pervade

To spread throughout.

proprietor

An owner of a store or other business.

pseudonym

A fictitious name used by an author; a pen name.

rebuff

To reject bluntly; a blunt rejection.

resilient

Capable of recovering quickly from misfortune; returning quickly to an original shape or condition.

turbulent

Chaotic; unruly; stormy; tempestuous.

abrasion

A wearing away or rubbing away by friction; a scraped or worn area.

abrasive

Causing wear by rubbing; harsh or rough in manner; irritating.

clad

Clothed or covered.

corroborate

To provide evidence to make more certain; to confirm.

cursory

Done in a hurry and with little attention to detail.

dehydrate

To remove the water from; to cause to lose bodily fluids.

dehydration

The state of being dehydrated.

derive

To take or receive from a source; to obtain through reasoning.

electrify

To wire or equip with electric power; to thrill or shock.

endeavor

To attempt earnestly; a serious, earnest effort toward a goal.

gingerly

Cautious; very careful.

grimace

To make a face expressing feelings of pain, disgust, or contempt; a facial expression that seems to express pain, contempt, or disgust.

gruesome

Causing horror or disgust.

inventory

A list of possessions or goods on hand; the stock of goods on hand.

simulate

To take on the qualities of another; to imitate; to pretend.

simulated

Made to look genuine while being artificial.

simulation

An imitation of a possible situation.

succumb

To give up or give in to; to yield.

surmise

To suppose something without sufficient evidence; a guess.

anonymous

Of an unknown source or unrevealed name.

anthology

A collection of various writings, such as songs, stories, or poems.

conjecture

A conclusion based on guesswork or insufficient evidence; to form an opinion while lacking sufficient evidence.

disposition

A person's usual mood; temperament; a regular tendency or inclination.

encompass

To enclose or encircle; to include.

extricate

To free from a difficult or tangled situation.

generation

One step in the line of descent of a family; all the people born and living about the same time; the average span of time between the birth of parents and their children.

guile

Cunning or deceit in dealing with others; trickery.

imperative

Urgent; pressing; having the power or authority to command.

instill

To introduce gradually in order to establish securely.

modify

To make less extreme or severe; to make changes in; to limit or restrict in meaning.

pivot

A small bar or rod on which something else turns; a person or thing on which others depend.

pivotal

Vitally important; significant.

prevalent

Commonly occurring; widely accepted or practiced.

recur

To come up again or to happen again; to come to mind again.

recurrence

The act of recurring.

spontaneous

Voluntary and unplanned; occurring or produced without human labor.

spontaneity

The quality or condition of occurring in an unplanned way.

abhor

To shrink from in disgust; to detest.

abhorrent

Disgusting; causing loathing.

affable

Pleasant; approachable; gracious.

affability

Friendliness of manner.

amiss

In a wrong or imperfect way; out of order; wrong.

despondent

Depressed from loss of hope or confidence; utterly discouraged.

entreat

To ask earnestly; to beg.

entreaty

A plea or earnest request.

haunt

To stay in one's mind continually; to visit frequently; to appear in the form of a ghost.

impel

To drive or to propel; to urge or drive by force or moral pressure.

interminable

Endless; seeming to be without end.

irascible

Quick-tempered; irritable.

profound

Intense; deeply felt; having understanding or knowledge that goes beneath the surface, beyond the obvious.

recluse

A person who lives apart from society and often alone.

sage

Having wisdom and good judgment; a person known for wisdom and good judgment.

tirade

A long, angry speech.

tremulous

Marked by trembling or shaking; timid or fearful.