Vocab

skullduggery

underhanded or unscrupulous behavior

also : a devious device or trick

probity

adherence to the highest principles and ideals : UPRIGHTNESS

mordant

biting and caustic in thought, manner, or style : INCISIVE

mawkish

exaggeratedly or childishly emotional

spartan

marked by simplicity, frugality, or avoidance of luxury and comfort

truculent

aggressively self-assertive : BELLIGERENT

scathingly harsh : VITRIOLIC

feeling or displaying ferocity : CRUEL, SAVAGE

magisterial

having the characteristics of a master or teacher : AUTHORITATIVE

having an overbearingly dignified or assured manner or aspect

onerous

involving, imposing, or constituting a burden : TROUBLESOME

opprobrium

public disgrace or ill fame that follows from conduct considered grossly wrong or vicious

tempestuous

resembling a violent storm : TURBULENT, STORMY

vitiate

to make faulty or defective : IMPAIR

aplomb

complete and confident composure or self-assurance : POISE

recapitulate

to retell or restate briefly : SUMMARIZE

admonish

to indicate duties or obligations to

bridle

to put a harness with which a horse is governed on the head of

feckless

WEAK, INEFFECTIVE, WORTHLESS, IRRESPONSIBLE

vociferous

marked by or given to vehementinsistent outcry

foolhardy

foolishly adventurous and bold : RASH

impugn

to assail by words or arguments

oppose or attack as false or lacking integrity

inveterate

confirmed in a habit : HABITUAL

firmly established by long persistence

tepid

moderately warm : LUKEWARM

dawdle

to spend fruitlessly or lackadaisically

stalwart

marked by outstanding strength and vigor of body, mind, or spirit

foment

to promote the growth or development of : ROUSE, INCITE

prodigious

causing amazement or wonder

extraordinary in bulk, quantity, or degree : ENORMOUS

stint

to be sparing or frugal

bereft

suffering the death of a loved one : BEREAVED

bereft of

lacking something needed, wanted, or expected

adept

thoroughly proficient : EXPERT

captious

marked by an ill-natured inclination to stress faults and raise objections

exhort

to incite by argument or advice

urge strongly

pontifical

pretentiously dogmatic : POMPOUS

exigent

requiring immediate aid or action

requiring or calling for much : DEMANDING

indolent

averse to activity, effort, or movement

habitually lazy

dirge

a song or hymn of grief or lamentation

especially : one intended to accompany funeral or memorial rites

insolent

insultingly contemptuous in speech or conduct : OVERBEARING

exhibiting boldness or effrontery : IMPUDENT

excoriate

to wear off the skin of : ABRADE

to censure scathingly

haughty

having or showing an attitude of superiority and contempt for people or things perceived to be inferior

heady

tending to intoxicate or make giddy or elated

miscreant

one who behaves criminally or viciously : INFIDEL, HERETIC

peccadillo

a small mistake or fault that is not regarded as very bad or serious

relegate

to assign to a place of insignificance or of oblivion

turpitude

inherent baseness : DEPRAVITY

wheedle

to influence or entice by soft wordsor flattery : INVEIGLE

unalloyed

free from added matter: UNMIXED, UNQUALIFIED, PURE

philistine

a person who is guided by materialism and is usually disdainful of intellectual or artistic values

abeyance

a state of temporary inactivity : suspension

affront

to insult especially to the face by behavior or language

august

marked by majestic dignity or grandeur

burnish

to make shiny or lustrous especially by rubbing : POLISH

to bring to a highly developed, finished, or refined state : PERFECT

distend

to enlarge, expand, or stretch out (as from internal pressure) : SWELL

gauche

lacking social experience or grace

also : not tactful : CRUDE

impudent

marked by contemptuous or cocky boldness or disregard of others : INSOLENT

inchoate

being only partly in existence or operation : INCIPIENT

especially : imperfectly formed or formulated : FORMLESS, INCOHERENT

quash

to suppress or extinguish summarily and completely

quibble

to evade the point of an argument by caviling about words : CAVIL, CARP

cavil

to raise trivial and frivolous objection

retiring

not comfortable around people : RESERVED, SHY

shrill

to cry out loudly and emotionally : vociferate

sophistry

reasoning or arguments that sound correct but are actually false : speciousness

wily

clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means : CRAFTY

falter

to hesitate in purpose or action : WAVER

to speak brokenly or weakly : STAMMER

to walk unsteadily : STUMBLE

inviolate

not violated or profaned

especially : PURE

supplicate

to make a humble entreaty

especially : to pray to God

glib

showing little forethought or preparation : OFFHAND

marked by ease and informality : NONCHALANT

lacking depth and substance : SUPERFICIAL

languid

drooping or flagging from or as if from exhaustion : WEAK

mollify

to soothe in temper or disposition : APPEASE

to reduce the rigidity of : SOFTEN

precipitous

very steep, or overhanging in rise or fall

especially : having a steep descent, or a quick demise

despotic

exercising power or authority without interference by others : OPPRESSIVE

mercurial

characterized by rapid and unpredictable changeableness of mood : CAPRICIOUS

plaintive

expressive of suffering or woe : MELANCHOLY

quiescent

marked by inactivity or repose : tranquilly at rest

renege

to go back on a promise or commitment