Common Words 5

accolade

tribute; honor; praise

admonish

warn or reprimand someone firmly

antithetical

sharply contrasted in character or purpose

arbitrary

random ; based on a random, groundless decision

arcane

understood by few; mysterious or secret

audacity

aggressive boldness in social situations

austere

1. Strict in manner

2. Lack of comforts or luxuries ; practicing self denail

brazen

bold and without shame

circumscribe

limit; confine ; restrict

constituent

1. A person represented by an elected official

2. Constituent means a part or component that combines with other parts to make a whole.

dilettante

someone who takes an interest in a subject or activity but does not study or practice it seriously.

He's a dilettante in photography—he enjoys it but has never learned it seriously.

foment

To provoke or fuel something, especially something negative.

garrulous

excessively talkative

haphazard

done without planning, order, or organization; random and careless.

hegemony

dominance over a certain area

inimical

hostile, unfriendly

inscrutable

impossible to understand or interpret ; unfathomable

insolent

rude and arrogant

intrepid

fearless

inveterate

habitual

gauche

(adj.) awkward, lacking in social graces, tactless, clumsy

irrevocable

irreversible; incapable of being canceled or undone

lionize

to assign great social importance to; to treat as a celebrity

munificent

very generous

myriad

a very large indefinite number

The scientist faced a myriad of challenges during the experiment.

obsequious

attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner; attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery

ostracise

exclude from a society or group

pedestrian

1. a person who is walking

2. ordinary or dull ; lacking imagination

pernicious

(adj.) extremely harmful; deadly, fatal

poignant

emotionally touching

precipitous

1. very steep

2. acting or done with excessive or careless speed

prodigious

enormous

prolific

Abundantly productive

propitious

presenting favorable circumstances

ravenous

extremely hungry

repudiate

to reject the validity of

rescind

cancel officially

resurgent

rise after defeat

reverent

deeply respectful

sanction

official permission or approval

scrupulous

1. having sense of right and wrong ; principled

2. Extremely careful and precise

sporadic

occurring irregularly

subversive

being against something with the aim of undermining, or overthrowing it

sycophant

A person who flatters; a yes-man ; a flatterer who wants something in return.

taciturn

(adj.) habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little

tempered

moderated in effect ; reduced in intensity; balanced; restrained.

tractable

easily managed or controlled ; malleable

trite

overfamiliar through overuse

vacillate

to waver; to sway indecisively

winsome

charming in a childlike or naive way