Advanced Vocabulary: Definitions and Usage for English Learners

Supercilious

Behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others.

Marred

Impaired the appearance of; disfigured or spoiled.

Nefarious

(Typically of an action or activity) wicked, impious, or criminal.

Scrupulous

Diligent, thorough, and extremely attentive to details; very concerned to avoid doing wrong.

Catharsis

The process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.

Vapid

Offering nothing that is stimulating or challenging; dull.

Devoid

Entirely lacking or free from (usually followed by 'of').

Meretricious

Apparently attractive but having in reality no value or integrity.

Platitude

A remark or statement, especially one with a moral content, that has been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful.

Penurious

Extremely poor; poverty-stricken; or, characterized by stinginess.

Truculent

Eager or quick to argue or fight; aggressively defiant.

Ambivalence

The state of having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.

Jauntiness

A characteristic of being easy and sprightly in manner or bearing.

Vociferous

(Especially of a person or speech) vehement or clamorous; crying out noisily.

Elicit

To evoke or draw out a response, answer, or fact from someone.

Pariah

An outcast; someone who is generally despised or avoided.

Disconcerting

Causing one to feel unsettled, confused, or concerned.

Sycophant

A person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to gain advantage; a 'yes-man.'

Surfeit

An excessive amount of something.

Incisive

Intelligently analytical and clear-thinking; cutting to the heart of a matter.

Pastoral

Associated with country life; portraying the idealized life of shepherds or farmers.

Insipid

Lacking flavor; lacking vigor or interest.

Odious

Extremely unpleasant; repulsive.

Mitigate

To make less severe, serious, or painful.

Acrid

Having an irritatingly strong and unpleasant taste or smell; angry and bitter.

Sedentary

(Of a person) tending to spend much time seated; somewhat inactive.

Prattle

To talk at length in a foolish or inconsequential way.

Prosaic

Lacking poetic beauty; commonplace or unromantic.

Erudite

Having or showing great knowledge or learning.

Jocular

Fond of or characterized by joking; humorous or playful.

Antiquated

Old-fashioned or outdated; no longer used or relevant.

Abortive

Failing to produce the intended result; unsuccessful.

Variegated

Exhibiting different colors, especially as irregular patches or streaks.

Denizen

An inhabitant or occupant of a particular place.

Obsequious

Obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.

Outmoded

Old-fashioned; no longer needed or unfashionable.

Raconteur

A person who tells anecdotes in a skillful and amusing way.

Proliferation

A rapid increase in numbers.

Misanthrope

A person who dislikes humankind and avoids human society.

Farce

An absurd event; a comic dramatic work using buffoonery and horseplay.

Quell

To put an end to (a rebellion or disorder); to subdue or silence.

Ingratiate

To bring oneself into favor with someone by flattering or trying to please them.

Hackneyed

(Of a phrase or idea) lacking significance through having been overused; trite.

Vignette

A brief evocative description, account, or episode.

Exacting

Making great demands on one's skill, attention, or other resources; rigid.

Deleterious

Causing harm or damage.

Circumlocution

The use of many words where fewer would do, especially to be vague or evasive.

Abridge

To shorten a book, movie, or speech without losing the sense of the original.

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