lang vocab

Ambivalent

Contradictory feelings about something

Avant-Garde

New or unusual experimental ideas—especially in the arts

Belie

Failure to fulfill or justify; fail to give a notion of

Blithe

Showing a casual indifference that is considered improper

Crass

Lacking sensitivity, refinement, or intelligence

Dichotomy

Division of something whole into two contradicting parts

Disavow

Deny responsibility/ refuse acknowledgement

Discerning

Describes someone who has good taste; judges with wisdom

Ephemeral

short-lived

Epigram

brief, clever, memorable statement

Equanitimy

Mental stability during hardships

Fortuitous

By accident or chance, not intended

Magnanimous

Generous, kind, noble

Pacifist

Person who opposes war and violence

Paternalistic

Describes actions where an institution makes decisions for others

Reverent

having deep respect

Saccharine

Overly sweet or sentimental

Staunch

Loyal and dependable

Substantiate

Provide strong proof towards a claim

Validate

Confirm the truth

Acquiesce

Accept something without protest

Belligerent

Hostile and aggressive

Callous

Showing insensitive or having cruel disregard to others

Censure

Express severe disapproval in a formal statement

Conciliatory

Intended to pacify

Despondency

State of low spirits caused by loss of hope

Dubious

Hesitating or doubting

Equivocal

Open to more than one interpretation

Euphony

Pleasing to the ear

Feign

Pretend to be affected by

Inherent

Existing in something as a permanent, essential, or characteristic attribute

Invective

Insulting, abusive, or highly critical

Paucity

Scarcity

Pragmatic

Dealing with things sensibly and practically

Pretentious

Attempting to impress by exaggerating true cultural value

Prosaic

Having the diction of prose; lacking poetic beauty

Protuberant

Protruding

Supercilious

Behaving or looking as though they are superior to others

Vindictive

Having strong desire for revenge

Wrought

Beaten out or shaped through hammering

Abscond (verb)

to depart secretly and hide, often to avoid legal consequences or to steal something

Aesthetic (adj)

relating to beauty, art, or a person's appreciation of beauty

Colloquial (adj)

used in ordinary or familiar conversation; not formal or literary.

Cynical (adj)

believing that people are motivated by selfishness and dishonesty

Deleterious (adj)

causing harm or damage

Didactic (adj)

intended to teach something, particularly in having moral instruction as a motive

Diatribe (adj)

a forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something

Disillusion (noun)

disappointment resulting from the discovery that something is not as good as one believed it to be

Emphatic (adj)

showing or giving emphasis; expressing something forcibly and clearly.

Esoteric (adj)

intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest

Exhort (verb)

strongly encourage or urge (someone) to do something.

Exploit (verb)

make full use of and derive benefit from a resource

Feasible (adj)

possible or practical to do

Mercurial (adj)

a person subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind

Pedantic

of or like a person who is excessively concerned with minor details and rules or with displaying academic learning

Poignant (adj)

evoking a keenly felt sense of emotion, especially of bittersweet sadness or regret.

Premise (noun)

a previous statement or proposition from which another is inferred or follows as a conclusion.

Punctilious (adj)

showing great attention to detail or correct behavior

Reportorial (adj)

of or characteristic of newspaper reporters.

Synonymous (adj)

having the same meaning as another word or phrase in the same language

Attenuate

Reduce the force, effect, or value of

Auspicious

Giving or being a sign of future success

Chauvinism (noun)

blind belief in the superiority of your side

Churlish (adj)

rude in a mean-spirited and unfriendly way.

Contempt (noun)

the feeling that a person or a thing is beneath consideration, worthless, or deserving scorn.

Delirious (adj)

in an acutely disturbed state of mind resulting from illness or intoxication

Delude (verb)

impose a misleading belief upon someone

Disparage (verb)

regard or represent as being of little worth.

Enigmatic (adj)

difficult to interpret or understand; mysterious.

Erudite (adj)

having or showing great knowledge or learning.

Frivolous (adj)

not having any serious purpose or value.

Hedonistic (adj)

engaged in the pursuit of pleasure; sensually self-indulgent.

Indignant (adj)

feeling or showing anger or annoyance at what is perceived as unfair treatment.

Inexorable (adj)

impossible to stop or prevent.

Laud(verb)

praise highly in a public context

Laudatory(adj)

expressing praise and commendation.

Morose (adj)

gloomy, bad-tempered, and uncommunicative.

Obsequious(adj)

obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.

Ornamented (verb)

make (something) look more attractive by adding decorative items.

Strident(adj)

loud and harsh; grating.

Alacrity (noun)

brisk and cheerful readiness.

Amiability (noun)

the quality of having a friendly and pleasant manner

Arbitrary (adj)

based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system

Convolute

make (an argument, story, etc.) complex and difficult to follow

Demure

reserved, modest, and shy (typically used of a woman)

Diffident

modest or shy because of a lack of self-confidence.

Effusive (adj)

expressing feelings of gratitude, pleasure, or approval in an unrestrained or heartfelt manner

Elated (verb)

ecstatically happy

Idiomatic (verb)

1. using, containing, or denoting expressions that are natural to a native speaker.

2. appropriate to the style of art or music associated with a particular period, individual, or group

Inculcated (verb)

Instill (an attitude, idea, or habit) by persistent instruction.

Incredulous (adj)

(of a person or their manner) unwilling or unable to believe something.

Improvident (adj)

not having or showing foresight; spendthrift or thoughtless.

Maudlin (adj)

self-pityingly or tearfully sentimental, often through drunkenness.

Metonymy (noun)

the substitution of the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant, for example suit for business executive, or the track for horse racing

Objective (adj)

not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts.

Ominous (adj)

giving the impression that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen; threatening; inauspicious.

Orthodoxy (noun)

authorized or generally accepted theory, doctrine, or practice.

Precipitous (adj)

1. dangerously high or steep.

2. (of an action) done suddenly and without careful consideration.

Subjective (adj)

based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions.

Antithesis (noun)

a person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone or something else.