grehighlights

Abate

to lessen in intensity

Aberrant

abnormal

Abreast

informed

Abridge

to shorten

Abscond

to depart secretly

Accolade

award, honor

Acerbic

bitter

Acrimonious

angry

Acumen

accurate insight

Adept

skilled

Admonish

to advise

Adulation

excessive praise

Adulterate

to spoil

Advocate

to support

Aesthetic

pertaining to beauty

Agglomerate

to lump

Aggrandize

to increase influence

Aghast

shocked

Agog

eagerness

Alacrity

eagerness

Amalgamate

to combine

Ambivalence

hesitant

Ameliorate

to make better

Amenable

agreeable

Anachronism

something not belonging to time period

Anodyne

inoffensive

Anomaly

abnormality

Antedate

to predate

Antipathy

hatred

Apace

quickly

Apathy

lack of feeling

Approbation

expression of approval

Archaic

ancient

Arduous

strenuous

Artless

genuine

Ascertain

to investigate

Ascetic

self discipline

Asperity

harshness

Assuage

to pacify

Astringent

sharp, severe

Astringent

substance making skin tight

Audacious

daring

Auspicious

lucky

Austere

simple

Avarice

greed

Aver

to declare

Axiomatic

universally accepted

Banal

boring

Belligerent

eager to fight

Bolster

to support

Bombastic

arrogant

Bucolic

rural

Burgeon

to flourish

Cacophony

harsh sound

Canon

established set of principles

Canonical

agrees with principles

Capricious

changing mind quickly and often

Castigation

severe punishment

Catalyst

thing that speeds up result

Caustic

corrosive

Censure

to criticize

Chary

cautious, wary

Chicanery

deceitfulness

Coalesce

to combine

Cogent

convincing

Complaisance

willing to comply

Connoisseur

judge, critic

Contentious

causing disagreement

Contiguous

side-by-side

Contrite

regretful

Convention

agreement

Convoluted

complicated

Corroborate

to confirm

Credulous

gullible

Culpable

blamable

Cynicism

belief that people are motivated by selfishness

Dearth

scarcity

Decorum

proper behavior

Demur

to question

Deride

to ridicule

Derision

mockery

Desiccate

to dry

Diatribe

denunciation

Didactic

instructive

Diffident

timid

Dilettante

amateur

Disabuse

to undeceive

Discordant

harsh sound

Discretion

cautious reserve in speech

Disinterested

free of bias

Disparage

to belittle

Disparate

distinct

Dissemble

to mislead

Dissonance

lacking harmony

Divulge

to reveal

Dogmatic

stubbornly opinionated

Ebullience

cheerfulness

Eccentric

unconventional

Eclectic

choosing from wide range

Effrontery

boldness