Vocabulary List with Definitions and Examples

Accost

To approach and address someone boldly or aggressively.

Adroit

Skillful and clever in using the hands or mind.

Laconic

Using few words; concise to the point of seeming rude or mysterious.

Pretext

A reason given in justification of a course of action that is not the real reason.

Reticent

Not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily; reserved or restrained.

Acrimonious

Bitter and sharp in language or tone, usually in a heated argument.

Construe

To interpret or understand the intended meaning of something.

Inexorable

Impossible to stop or prevent; unyielding.

Consternation

A feeling of anxiety or dismay, typically at something unexpected.

Disparage

To regard or represent as being of little worth; belittle.

Eschew

To deliberately avoid using or abstain from something.

Sally

A sudden charge or burst of activity, often in the context of a witty remark or a sortie from a defensive position.

Quell

To suppress or put an end to something, especially a feeling or disorder.

Cognizant

Being aware of or having knowledge about something.

Effigy

A sculpture or model of a person, often used for ridicule or protest.

Exacerbate

To make a problem, situation, or feeling worse or more intense.

Implacable

Unable to be placated or calmed; relentless in pursuit or hostility.

Indigent

Lacking basic necessities due to extreme poverty.

Monolithic

Large, powerful, and intractably indivisible; characterized by massiveness.

Paroxysm

A sudden, violent outburst or attack of a particular emotion or activity.

Besiege

To surround a place with armed forces to capture it or to overwhelm someone with questions or requests.

Ubiquitous

Present or existing everywhere at the same time; widespread.

Amicable

Characterized by friendliness and absence of discord.

Doleful

Expressing sorrow or mournfulness; very sad.

Histrionics

Exaggerated or theatrical behavior designed to attract attention.

Inclement

Unpleasantly cold or wet; severe in terms of weather.

Promontory

A high point of land extending into a body of water; a headland.

Salient

Most noticeable or important; prominent in significance.

Corroborate

To confirm or give support to a statement, theory, or finding.

Inundate

To overwhelm someone with things or people to be dealt with; to flood.

Phlegmatic

Having an unemotional and stolidly calm disposition; slow to react.

Quip

A witty remark or a clever, often sarcastic comment.

Anathema

Something or someone that is detested or loathed; a formal curse.

Diatribe

A forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something.

Flamboyant

Attracting attention due to exuberance, confidence, and stylishness; showy.

Fractious

Irritable and quarrelsome; difficult to control.

Incoherent

Expressed in an unclear or confusing way; lacking logical connection.

Inhibition

A feeling that makes one self-conscious and unable to act naturally; restraint.

Placard

A sign or notice posted in a public place, often for advertising or information.

Timorous

Showing or suffering from nervousness, fear, or a lack of confidence.

Truncated

Shortened by cutting off a part; reduced in length or extent.

Conclusive

Serving to prove a case; decisive or definitive.

plausible

believable or reasonable; seeming likely to be true or valid.

curtail

To reduce in extent or quantity; to impose a restriction on.

e

eventuate

To occur as a result; to happen eventually.

importune

To request or demand something urgently; to beg persistently.

inchoate

Just begun; not fully formed or developed.

incotrovertible

Not able to be denied or disputed; certain.

propitious

favorable or advantageous; likely to result in success.

surreptitious

kept secret, especially because it would not be approved of.

surmise

To suppose that something is true without having evidence to confirm it.

nettle

to irritate or annoy someone, often in a persistent way.

stentorian

describing a loud and powerful voice.

abrogate

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

asperity

a harshness or severity of manner or tone.

epithet

a descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned.

extrinsic

not belonging to or essential to a thing; external.

paragon

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

preclude

to prevent from happening; make impossible.

altruistic

showing selfless concern for the well-being of others; unselfish.

amorous

showing, expressing, or relating to love.

bulwark

a defensive wall or barrier; something that protects or defends.

coterie

a small group of people with shared interests or tastes, often exclusive of others.

cursory

hasty and therefore not thorough or detailed.

progeny

the descendants or offspring of a person, plant, or animal.

sedentary

characterized by much sitting and little physical exercise.

temerity

excessive confidence or boldness; audacity.

assiduous

showing great care and perseverance in tasks or endeavors.

consummate

showing a high degree of skill and flair; complete or perfect.

exult

to show or feel lively or triumphant joy; to rejoice greatly.

fallacious

based on a mistaken belief; misleading or deceptive in reasoning.

subterfuge

a deceptive strategy used to achieve one's goals or evade rules.

Conjugal

Relating to marriage or the relationship between married partners

Itinerant

Traveling from place to place, often for work

Peregrination

A journey, especially a long or meandering one

Myriad

An extremely large number of things

Mendacious

Lying or dishonest

Profligate

Recklessly wasteful or extravagant

Sumptuous

Splendid, luxurious, and expensive-looking

Abstemious

Moderate in eating and drinking; self-restraint

Extant

Still in existence; surviving

Lugubrious

Looking or sounding sad and mournful

Maudlin

Excessively sentimental, often in a tearful way

Puissant

Powerful or mighty

Repose

Rest or tranquility; also, to lie down

Vicissitudes

Changes or variations, especially unwelcome or difficult ones

Ascetic

Practicing severe self-discipline and abstention from worldly pleasures

Desultory

Lacking a plan, purpose, or consistency; disconnected

Fulsome

Excessively flattering or insincere; also, abundant or generous

Obsequious

Excessively eager to please or obey; fawning

Scion

A descendant or heir, especially of a wealthy or influential family

Penance

A punishment or act of devotional penance to show remorse for sins

Chimerical

Imaginary, dreamed-up, or wildly fanciful

Demur

To raise doubts or objections; to hesitate

Palliate

To reduce the severity of, or make less intense; to alleviate