c2 words

advanced vocab

Aberration

a departure from what is normal or expected.

Alacrity

brisk and cheerful readiness.

Aberration

a departure from what is normal, usual, or expected, typically one that is unwelcome.

Accolade

an award or privilege granted as a special honor or as an acknowledgment of merit.

Abrogate

repeal or do away with (a law, right, or formal agreement).

Ameliorate

make (something bad or unsatisfactory) better.

Antithesis

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

Bellicose

demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight.

Bombastic

high

Capitulate

cease to resist an opponent or an unwelcome demand; surrender.

Cacophony

a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.

Conundrum

a confusing and difficult problem or question.

Deleterious

causing harm or damage.

Disparate

essentially different in kind; not allowing comparison.

Emulate

match or surpass (a person or achievement), typically by imitation.

Ebullient

cheerful and full of energy.

Ephemeral

lasting for a very short time.

Equanimity

mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation.

Esoteric

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

Exacerbate

make (a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling) worse.

Fervent

having or displaying a passionate intensity.

Facetious

treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant.

Garrulous

excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters.

Gregarious

fond of company; sociable.

Gratuitous

uncalled for; lacking good reason; unwarranted.

Harangue

a lengthy and aggressive speech.

Iconoclast

a person who attacks or criticizes cherished beliefs or institutions.

Ineffable

too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words.

Juxtapose

to place or deal with close together for contrasting effect.

Kowtow

to act in an excessively subservient manner.

Lethargy

a lack of energy and enthusiasm.

Meticulous

showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise.

Nefarious

(typically of an action or activity) wicked, villainous, or criminal.

Obfuscate

render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible.

Paragon

a person or thing regarded as a perfect example of a particular quality.

Quixotic

exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical.

Recalcitrant

having an obstinately uncooperative attitude towards authority or discipline.

Sycophant

a person who acts obsequiously towards someone important in order to gain advantage.

Taciturn

reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little.

Ubiquitous

present, appearing, or found everywhere.

Venerate

regard with great respect; revere.

Wily

skilled at gaining an advantage, especially deceitfully.

Xenophobia

dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries.

Yuxtaposición

the act or placement of two things (usually abstract concepts, though it can refer to physical objects) near each other.

Zealous

showing great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective.

Acquiesce

accept something reluctantly but without protest.

Baleful

threatening harm; menacing.

Cacophony

a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.

Decrepit

elderly and infirm.

Emulate

match or surpass (a person or achievement), typically by imitation.

Fervent

having or displaying a passionate intensity.

Gregarious

fond of company; sociable.

Halcyon

denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful.

Iconoclast

a person who attacks or criticizes cherished beliefs or institutions.

Juxtaposition

the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect.

Kindle

arouse or inspire (an emotion or feeling).

Languid

displaying or having a disinclination for physical exertion or effort; slow and relaxed.

Maladroit

ineffective or bungling; clumsy.

Nebulous

in the form of a cloud or haze; hazy.

Obstreperous

noisy and difficult to control.

Paradigm

a typical example or pattern of something; a model.

Quagmire

a soft, boggy area of land that gives way underfoot.

Recondite

(of a subject or knowledge) little known; abstruse.

Salient

most noticeable or important.

Trepidation

a feeling of fear or agitation about something that may happen.

Unctuous

excessively or ingratiatingly flattering; oily.

Vicarious

experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person.

Wane

(of the moon) have a progressively smaller part of its visible surface illuminated, so that it appears to decrease in size.

Xenophobe

a person who dislikes or is prejudiced against people from other countries.

Yearn

have an intense feeling of longing for something.

Zenith

the time at which something is most powerful or successful.

Bellicose

demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight.

Catharsis

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

Debacle

a sudden and ignominious failure; a fiasco.

Enigmatic

difficult to interpret or understand; mysterious.

Facetious

treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant.

Grandiose

impressive or magnificent in appearance or style, especially pretentiously so.

Hubris

excessive pride or self

Ineffable

too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words.

Juxtapose

to place or deal with close together for contrasting effect.

Kowtow

act in an excessively subservient manner.

Lethargy

a lack of energy and enthusiasm.

Meticulous

showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise.

Nefarious

(typically of an action or activity) wicked, villainous, or criminal.

Obfuscate

render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible.

Paragon

a person or thing regarded as a perfect example of a particular quality.

Quixotic

exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical.

Recalcitrant

having an obstinately uncooperative attitude towards authority or discipline.

Sycophant

a person who acts obsequiously towards someone important in order to gain advantage.

Taciturn

reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little.

Ubiquitous

present, appearing, or found everywhere.

Venerate

regard with great respect; revere.

Wily

skilled at gaining an advantage, especially deceitfully.

Xenophobia

dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries.

Zealous

showing great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective.

Abrogate

repeal or do away with (a law, right, or formal agreement).

Acquiesce

accept something reluctantly but without protest.

Baleful

threatening harm; menacing.

Cacophony

a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.

Decrepit

elderly and infirm.