lang

excoriate (v)

to denounce strongly

nostalgia (n)

remembrance; longing for the past; homesickness

barrage (n/v)

a curtain of artillery fire; any overwhelming attack, as of words or blows

Pollyanna (n)

a person who is able to find happiness in the most disastrous situations

conciliatory (adj)

making peace

manifest (adj)

clearly apparent to the sight or understanding; obvious

peremptory (adj)

irrevocable; decisive; final; dictatorial

histrionic (adj)

overly dramatic; theatrical

replenish (v)

replace; renew; restock; refill

condescend (v)

to patronize, to lower oneself

equivocate (v)

to avoid giving a direct answer; to deceive; to be shifty

disgruntled (adj)

being irritably dissatisfied or discontent

belittle (v)

to put someone down; demean

adamant (adj)

resolute; stubborn; inflexible

belligerent (adj)

quarrelsome; ready to fight

flippant (adj)

showing a rude attitude; shallowly humorous; disrespectful

pragmatic (adj)

practical; matter of fact; down to earth

obsequious (adj)

obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree

admonish (v)

to caution or warn; to criticize or scold mildly, but firmly

lionize (v)

to treat a person as a celebrity; to idolize

bigot (n)

a person who is strongly partial to his or her own group, race, or religion

integrity (n)

moral structure; honesty; trustworthiness; structural soundness

concede (v)

to admit, often unwillingly, that something is true; to yield, as in a game or contest

refute (v)

to rebut; invalidate; challenge; prove to be false

heirloom (n)

a family possession handed down from generation to generation

fulcrum (n)

the support which every lever turns; any prop or support

insinuate (v)

to suggest or hint slyly; convey an idea by indirect, subtle means

affluent (adj)

wealthy; rich

discreet (adj)

careful and circumspect in one's speech or actions, especially in order to avoid using offense of to gain an advantage

inflammatory (adj)

likely to excite strong feelings, especially of anger; tending to arouse and excite the emotions; firey

unwieldy (adj)

difficult to handle or manage

quarry (n)

an animal that is being hunted down, especially dogs

acquiesce (v)

to agree passively; comply; consent

contemptuous (adj)

feeling contempt; disdainful; scornful

inexorable (adj)

inevitable; unavoidable

incapacitate (v)

to make unfit; to deprive of physical and mental qualities; to handicap

cliché (n)

an overused expression or idea; a commonplace saying

tacit (adj)

without words or speech; implicit

induce (v)

to persuade to do something; to cause to happen; to influence; to stimulate

foster (v)

to encourage the development or growth of; to nurture

glib (adj)

showing little forethought or preparation

amass (v)

to gather and accumulate

imperative (adj/n)

extremely important or urgent; unavoidable

succumb (v)

comply with; accede; to yield; die

artifice (n)

cunning, trickery

idiosyncrasy (n)

a behavioral quirk

bombast (n)

high sounding use of language without real meaning

finagle (v)

obtain by trickery; to use devious or dishonest methods

germane (adj)

connected with and important to a particular subject or situation; relevant

lexicon (n)

a dictionary; vocabulary terms used in or of a particular profession, subject, or style

resignation (n)

withdrawal from job or position; passive submission or surrender

incorrigible (adj)

incapable of being reformed

lambaste (v)

to give a thrashing; scold

sublime (adj)

impressive; inspiring

eschew (v)

to avoid or shun

repent (v)

to feel sorrow for having done wrong

fallacy (n)

a false belief; false idea or notion

antiseptic (adj)

free from germs; exceptionally clean

ambivalence (n)

indecision; experiencing contradictory emotions

deliberate (adj/v)

cautious (adj); to think over (v)

jocular (adj)

inclined to joke; jovial; merry' amusing or intended to cause amusement

magnanimous (adj)

generous of forgiving, especially toward a rival or less powerful person

averse (adj)

having a feeling of opposition, repugnance, or disinclination

fluctuate (v)

to shift back and forth uncertainly

innovate (v)

to be creative; to introduce something new

vertigo (n)

the sensation of dizziness

conspicuous (adj)

very noticeable; tending to attract attention; easily seen; prominent

dissipate (v)

to dissolve; to waste away

assimilate (v)

to learn completely; to take in; to absorb

ingratiate (v)

to try to make especially pleasant in order to get approval; to seek or secure another's approval for

lackadaisical (adj)

lacking energy and vitality; languid

malice (n)

a desire or intention to harm others or see them suffer

tantamount (adj)

synonymous; parallel; equivalent

proficient (adj)

skillful; very good at something

mercurial (adj)

following no predictable pattern

nonchalant (adj)

behaving in a calm manner; showing that you are not worried or frightened; not showing excitement or anxiety; coolly confident, unflustered, or unworried; casually indifferent

subsidize (v)

to pay part of the cost; to provide financial assistance

preeminent (adj)

most important; influential; superior

bastion (n)

a projecting part of a fortress; stronghold; fortified place

accentuate (v)

to emphasize; to make more noticeable; to accent

denigrate (v)

belittle; defame; attack one's reputation

emasculate (v)

to castrate, weaken; to deprive of strength and vigor

forsake (v)

to abandon; to give up; to renounce

gainsay (v)

to deny; to contradict; to speak against; oppose

harangue (n/v)

to lecture, berate; a long bombastic speech

impugn (v)

to attack the goodness of something

juxtapose (v)

to place side by side

malinger (v)

to pretend to be ill to avoid doing work

conviction (n)

a determined belief or fixed opinion; the process or act of finding a person guilty of a crime

zealous (adj)

passionately devoted to a purpose

forbear (v)

to refrain from; to abstain; to be patient or tolerant

deplore (v)

to show or have regret or sorrow about; to condemn

provincial (adj)

limited to one’s small outlook on the world; narrow

temerity (n)

boldness; recklessness; audacity

abyss (n)

bottomless pit; a profound depth or void

zeitgeist (n)

the spirit of the age; trend of a particular period

usurped (v)

to seize by force without legal right

vicissitude (n)

upheaval; natural change; change in fortune

writhe (v)

twist or bend; to suffer acutely, as in pain or embarrassment

subterfuge (n)

action taken to hide something from someone; a trick; a ruse