Barron's Focused List

Abound

To exist in large numbers or quantities.

Adroit

Skillful or clever in using the hands or mind.

Amicable

Characterized by friendliness and goodwill.

Anathema

Something or someone intensely disliked or cursed.

Ascend

To go up or climb.

Aspirant

A person with ambitious hopes for success.

Asset

A useful or valuable thing, person, or quality.

Badger

To pester or annoy persistently.

Belittle

To make someone or something seem less impressive.

Bigot

A person intolerant or prejudiced, especially on race or religion.

Cajole

To persuade by coaxing or flattery.

Caustic

Sarcastic in a scathing and bitter way.

Cessation

A stopping or discontinuance of something.

Chagrin

Distress or embarrassment from failure.

Clandestine

Done secretively, especially to deceive.

Coerce

To persuade using force or threats.

Conjecture

An opinion formed on incomplete information.

Culprit

A person responsible for a crime or misdeed.

Deride

To mock or ridicule.

Disdain

Feeling that someone or something is unworthy.

Disparage

To belittle or speak disrespectfully.

Distraught

Deeply agitated or upset.

Doleful

Expressing sorrow or sadness.

Domicile

A place of residence; a home.

Dregs

The most worthless part of something.

Dupe

To deceive or trick.

Elapse

To pass, especially of time.

Elusive

Difficult to find, catch, or achieve.

Enhance

To improve in quality, value, or attractiveness.

Eschew

To deliberately avoid or abstain from.

Ethics

Moral principles governing behavior or activities.

Exacerbate

To make a problem or feeling worse.

Excruciating

Intensely painful or distressing.

Expunge

To erase or remove completely.

Fabricate

To invent or concoct, typically deceitfully.

Feint

A deceptive or pretended movement, especially in combat.

Felon

A person convicted of a serious crime.

Frenzy

A state of uncontrolled excitement or behavior.

Fruitless

Failing to achieve the desired result.

Frustrate

To prevent from accomplishing a purpose.

Furtive

Attempting to avoid notice, typically due to guilt.

Garbled

Confused or distorted, especially in communication.

Harass

To subject to aggressive pressure or intimidation.

Harbinger

A person or thing signaling the approach of another.

Histrionics

Exaggerated dramatic behavior for attention.

Implacable

Unable to be appeased or satisfied.

Implore

To beg earnestly for.

Impresario

Person organizing concerts, plays, or operas.

Impunity

Exemption from punishment or consequences.

Inadvertent

Not resulting from deliberate planning.

Inane

Silly, stupid, or meaningless.

Incongruous

Not in harmony with surroundings.

Ineffectual

Not producing the desired effect.

Inert

Lacking ability or strength to move.

Inexorable

Impossible to stop or prevent.

Integral

Necessary to make a whole complete.

Intrepid

Fearless and adventurous.

Irate

Characterized by great anger.

Jurisdiction

Official power to make legal decisions.

Laconic

Using very few words; concise.

Loath

Reluctant or unwilling.

Loathe

To intensely dislike or disgust.

Lurid

Presented in vividly shocking terms.

Malady

A disease or ailment.

Malnutrition

Lack of proper nutrition due to various reasons.

Mastiff

A large, powerful dog breed.

Monolithic

Massive, solid, and uniform in appearance.

Mundane

Lacking interest or excitement; dull.

Nominal

Existing in name only; minimal.

Nuance

A subtle difference in meaning or expression.

Octogenarian

A person between 80 and 89 years old.

Ominous

Giving the impression of something bad happening.

Ostentatious

Characterized by vulgar display to impress.

Oust

To remove or expel from a position.

Paradox

A seemingly contradictory statement that may be true.

Paroxysm

A sudden attack or outburst of emotion.

Pernicious

Having a harmful effect, especially subtly.

Pertinent

Relevant or applicable to a particular matter.

Placard

A poster or sign for public display.

Plethora

A large or excessive amount of something.

Precocious

Developing abilities at an earlier age than usual.

Premonition

A strong feeling something is about to happen.

Privation

State of lacking things essential for well-being.

Prognosticate

To predict a future event or trend.

Promulgate

To promote or make widely known.

Quip

A clever or witty remark.

Rampant

Flourishing or spreading unchecked.

Rash

Acting hastily without due consideration.

Remote

Distant or far away in space or time.

Replete

Filled or well-supplied with something.

Reverberating

Resounding or echoing.

Rudimentary

Involving basic principles.

Salient

Most noticeable or important.

Sally

A sudden charge out against the enemy.

Sanctuary

A place of refuge or safety.

Sanguine

Optimistic, especially in difficult situations.

Schism

A split between strongly opposed sections.

Sinister

Impression of something harmful happening.

Skirmish

A brief fight between small combat groups.

Sordid

Involving ignoble actions, arousing contempt.