American year vocabulary

odious

extremely unpleasant; repulsive

sciamachy

Shadow-boxing; the act of fighting a shadow or an imaginary enemy.

irascible

easily angered, irritable

jingoism

extreme patriotism

ennui

boredom

solipsistic

believing that oneself is all that exists

rote

memorization by repetition

balkanize

to break up into small, mutually hostile political units

ineffable

inexpressible

parvenu

a person who has suddenly become wealthy, but not socially accepted as part of a higher class

exegesis

critical interpretation

sapient

wise; full of knowledge

aberration

departure from what is normal

surreptitious

secret, stealthy

pillory

to punish, hold up to public scorn

capricious

impulsive and unpredictable

panacea

a remedy for all ills; cure-all; an answer to all problems

cloy

too much of a good thing

fiat

(n.) an arbitrary order or decree; a command or act of will or consciousness

Yeoman

a dependable worker

compunction

a feeling of uneasiness or anxiety caused by guilt

redoubtable

inspiring fear or awe

candor

honesty, frankness

blithe

cheerful, lighthearted; casual, unconcerned

scintilla

trace amount

ethos

beliefs or character of a group

pander

to cater to expectations

inure

to make accustomed to

abulia

the loss or impairment of the ability to make decisions

cavil

to make random objections

animus

hostile feeling or intent

mettle

courage and fortitude

foist

to pass off as genuine or valuable

wunderkind

child prodigy

sobriquet

nickname

vestige

a trace or evidence of something that once existed

ostensible

pretended; on the surface

comprise

to consist of

unctuous

slippery/oily; insencere

logorrhea

excessive use of words: word salad

fealty

faithfulness; allegiance

riposte

retaliatory action or retort

Iteration

a different form of something

truculent

fierce and cruel; eager to fight

extol

to praise highly

pabulum

insipid intellectual nourishment

garrulous

excessively talkative

acquiesce

to accept without protest; to agree or submit

poselytize

attempt to convert to another faith

bloviate

talk at length, especially in an inflated or empty way.

verbatim

word for word; exactly as written or spoken

alacrity

eagerness

mitigate

to make milder or softer, to moderate in force or intensity

circumlocution

evasive speech; talking around the subject

sylvan

related to the woods or forest

milieu

environment; setting

expatiate

(v.) to expand on, write or talk at length or in detail; to move about freely

hale

free from infirmity or illness; healthy

vim

vitality and energy

Kibosh

Something that serves as a check or stop

reprobate

morally unprincipled person

cadre

a small group of people specially trained for a particular purpose or profession

imbroglio

a confused or difficult situation; a confused heap or tangle

salient

remarkable; relevant

incipient

beginning to exist or appear

panache

flamboyance or dash in style and action; verve

quotidian

occurring daily; commonplace

diametrical

exactly opposite

iniquity

an evil or wicked act

Phalanx

a group of purposeful people with the intent of swarming or overwhelming

quandary

a state of perplexity or doubt

saccharine

excessively sweet or sentimental

zenith

the highest point; peak

scion

descendant; heir

quidnunc

busybody, gossip

itinerant

traveling from place to place

misogyny

hatred of women

prosaic

(adj.) dull, lacking in distinction and originality; matter-of-fact, straightforward; characteristic of prose, not poetic

badinage

playful, banter

spurious

not genuine, not true, not valid

disingenuous

Insincere, not genuine

moxie

aggressive energy; initiative; the ability to face difficulty with courage

inherent

Existing as a natural part

Gestalt

an organized whole that is perceived as more than the sum of its parts.

astringent

harsh; severe

profligate

recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources

cursory

hasty, not thorough

Confabulation

casual talk; a plausible but imagined memory

propinquity

close in proximity

ideolouge

an advocate of a particular ideology

blandishment

flattery intended to persuade

lionize

to treat as a celebrity

presage

to foretell; indicate in advance

Detente

relaxation of tensions

consortium

a cooperative arrangement

recreant

cowardly

prurient

overly interested in sex

apparatchik

an unquestioningly loyal subordinate

nostrum

a favorite but untested method for solving problems; a quack remedy (vicks vapo rub)

paean

a song of praise, joy, or triumph