500 Hardest English Words

apprise

(v) to inform

impetuous

(adj) characterized by undue haste and lack of thought or deliberation

pabulum

(n) any substance that can be used as food; (n) insipid intellectual nourishment

engender

(v) to produce, cause, or bring about

intransigent

(adj) uncompromising; refusing to be reconciled

abjure

(v) to reject; abandon formally

aioli

(n) a sauce made of oil and eggs, usually flavored with garlic, from the Provence region of France; olive oil, egg yolk, garlic and saffron

anamnesis

(n) the ability to recall past occurrences; (n) the case history of a medical patient; (n) a memory

novation

(n) (law) the replacement of one obligation by another by mutual agreement of both parties

truss

(v) to tie, bind, or fasten; (v) to make fast with skewers, thread

solecism

(n) a breach of good manners or etiquette; a nonstandard or ungrammatical usage

fetial

(adj) concerned with declarations of war and treaties of peace

gasconade

(n) extravagant boasting; boastful talk; (v) to boast extravagantly; bluster

profligacy

(n) reckless extravagance; shameless dissoluteness

paregmenon

(n) the juxtaposition of words that have a common derivation, as in "sense and sensibility"

outrance

(n) the utmost extremity

depone

(v) to testify under oath; despose

consternation

(n) fear resulting from the awareness of danger; amazement or fear that makes one feel confused

ruck

(n) a large number or quantity; mass

xenophilia

(n) an attraction to foreign peoples, cultures, or customs

ensconce

(v) to settle comfortably and firmly in position; to put or hide in a safe place

aphotic

(adj) lacking light; dark

flummox

(v) to confuse or perplex

raiment

(n) especially fine or decorative clothing

mulct

(v) to deprive (someone) of something, as by fraud, extortion, etc.; swindle.

adulate

(v) flatter in an obsequious manner

buncombe

(n) empty, showy talk

comport

(v) to conduct or bear oneself, behave

aspersion

(n) slander; false rumor

asperity

(n) severity; harshness; irritability

imprimatur

(n) formal and explicit approval

calumniate

(v) to slander; to accuse falsely and maliciously

puissance

(n) power; might; glory

depredation

(n) an act of plundering and pillaging and marauding

PUSILLANIMOUS

(adj) cowardly; without courage; craven

numen

(n) Divine power, especially one who inhabits a particular object

besot

(v) To infatuate; obsess

mensch

(n) A decent, upright, mature, and responsible person

sudorific

(adj) Causing sweat

pother

(n) A heated discussion, debate, or argument; fuss; to-do

cicatrix

(n) New tissue that forms over a wound

obtest

(v) To invoke as witness; to protest

sibilant

(adj) Characterized by a hissing sound

spondulics

(n) money

inveterate

(adj) firmly established, long-standing; habitual

liturgical

(adj) relating to public worship

imbue

(v) to fill completely with a feeling or idea; to inspire; (v) to infuse, dye, wet, or moisten

prorogue

(v) adjourn, as in a legislative session

intromit

(v) to introduce; to send, put, or let in

omphalos

(n) the central point; the navel