English Vocab

Askew

crooked; out of line

Composure

calmness and dignity maintained by self-control

Countenance

appearance, especially facial expression

Decrepit

weakened by old age, illness or overwork

Disfigure

to spoil or damage appearance of something

Ethereal

marked by unusual delicacy or refinement; heavenly

Emaciated

having become extremely thin from starvation or illness

Garish

excessively bright or offensively colored

Gaudy

tastelessly ornamented; over decorated

Glossy

having a shiny, lustrous surface

Grimace

a contorted facial expression of pain or disgust

Grotesque

exceptionally severe deformity or distortion that is almost a caricature

Guise

external appearance or costume

Haggard

appearing thin and exhausted

Immaculate

pure; stainless; spotless

Metamorphosis

a dramatic transformation in appearance, structure or character

Placid

showing a calm exterior

Prim

formal; proper or prudish

Unkempt

untidy; messy; in disarray

Wan

unusually pale from fatigue, illness, or emotional distress

Abut

to border on; to touch along a side or on one end

Amphitheater

an arena surrounded by rows of seats sloping upward from the center

Bevel

lines of surface joining at any but a ninety-degree angle

Boudoir

a woman’s private dressing room, sitting room, or bedroom

Caryatid

a supporting column carved into a female figure

cistern

a tank for collecting and storing rainwater

crypt

an underground burial vault, especially one under a church

deterioration

a process of degeneration or decline in quality

edifice

a building, especially an imposing or large structure

foyer

a lobby or entrance

frieze

a plain or decorative band along the top wall

minaret

a tall tower on a mosque ringed by balconies from which a caller summons people to prayer

nave

the central part or hall of church interior, flanked by aisles

ornate

elaborately decorated

parapet

a protective wall or railing along a balcony

pediment

the triangular space formed by the tip of the pitched roof

peristyle

the columns surrounding a temple, court, or other structure

raze

to demolish; to level to the ground

refurbish

to renovate; to brighten or freshen up

rotunda

a round building or room, usually dome-covered

Adamant

inflexible; unshakeable in belief or purpose

Agnostic

one who believes the existence of God cannot be proved but who does not deny that such existence is possible

Ascetic

one who renounces physical comforts for spiritual discipline

Atheist

one who does not believe that God exists

Avid

enthusiastic or extremely eager

Blasphemy

an act of contempt for something sacred, or for God

Concept

a general idea or thought

Delusion

a false belief accepted as true despite evidence to the contrary

Dogmatic

marked by an authoritative stand on principles that cannot be sufficiently proved

Exalt

to praise or glorify

Hallowed

sacred; holy

Heresy

a belief contrary to established, usually religious, doctrine

Mystical

having meaning that is spiritual, not rational

Orthodox

adhering to established, especially religious, beliefs

Pacifist

one who opposes aggression or violence

Resolute

marked by firm determination

Rite

a ritual or ceremonial act

Supernatural

concerning something existing beyond the natural world

Verity

a truth

Zealous

enthusiastically devoted to a cause or goal

Allege

to accuse or assert before proving

Citation

a written summons to appear in court

Compulsory

required

Confiscate

to seize property by an authorized branch of government

Contempt

angry, disregard, haughty distrust

Contraband

illegally imported or exported goods

Extortion

the act of obtaining funds or property through force or intimidation

Filch

to steal

Harass

to irritate and annoy persistently

Impending

upcoming; about occur

Incarcerate

to jail

Indemnify

to protect from harm, especially from financial loss

Larceny

theft

Malefaction

a wrongful or evil deed

Matricide

the killing of one’s mother

Pecuniary

having to do with money

Penal

concerning punishment for crime

Perpetrate

to carry out; to commit

Restitution

payment for damage done

Waive

to give up voluntarily

Abstruse

hard to understand

amphibious

capable of living or operating on land and water

cocentric

sharing the same center

Eminent

standing out or above others in quality or position

inadvertent

unintentional or accidental

Insipid

dull, unexciting, or bland

Marginal

barely adequate

Maritime

having to do with navigation or commerce at sea

Nautical

having to do with sailors, ships, or navigating

Prodigious

awe-inspiring; usually impressive or large

Refractory

unruly; resisting authority

saccharine

overly sweet or agreeable

Sensory

concerning the senses or sensations

Stark

bare; harsh; blunt

subsequent

coming after in time, order, or place

Supercilious

taking a superior attitude; haughty

Tacit

unspoken; implied but not expressed

Thermal

concerning or caused by heat

transcendent

beyond the material world

Vicarious

experiencing indirectly through another