Advanced Vocabulary: Definitions and Usage of Key Words

ambidextrous

able to use both hands equally well; very skillful; deceitful, hypocritical.

augment

to make larger, increase.

deploy

to position or arrange; to utilize; to form up.

gibe

to utter taunting words; (n.) an expression of scorn.

intimation

a hint, indirect suggestion.

opulent

wealthy, luxurious; ample; grandiose.

reiterate

to say again, repeat.

stolid

not easily moved mentally or emotionally; dull, unresponsive.

tentative

experimental in nature; uncertain, hesitant.

unkempt

not combed; untidy; not properly maintained; unpolished, rude.

adroit

skillful, expert in the use of the hands or mind.

benevolent

kindly, charitable.

cursory

hasty, not thorough.

duplicity

treachery, deceitfulness.

feasible

possible, able to be done.

grimace

a wry face, facial distortion; (v.) to make a wry face.

holocaust

a large-scale destruction, especially by fire; a vast slaughter; a burnt offering.

meticulous

extremely careful; particular about details.

quintessence

the purest essence or form of something; the most typical example.

scrutinize

to examine closely.

adulterate

to corrupt, make worse by the addition of something of lesser value.

bereft

deprived of; made unhappy through a loss.

dour

stern, unyielding, gloomy, ill-humored.

fortitude

courage in facing difficulties.

gape

to stare with open mouth; to open the mouth wide; to open wide.

guise

an external appearance, cover, mask.

insidious

intended to deceive or entrap; sly, treacherous.

pliable

easily bent, flexible; easily influenced.

verbatim

word for word; exactly as written or spoken.

warily

cautiously, with great care.

amicable

peaceable, friendly.

averse

having a deep-seated distaste; opposed, unwilling.

belligerent

given to fighting, warlike; combative, aggressive; (n.) one at war, one engaged in war.

extol

to praise extravagantly.

impervious

not affected or hurt by; admitting of no passage or entrance.

impetus

a moving force, impulse, stimulus.

jeopardy

danger.

nostalgia

a longing for something past; homesickness.

retrogress

to move backward; to return to an earlier condition.

tepid

lukewarm; unenthusiastic, marked by an absence of interest.