Key term 2

abate (verb)

to lessen in intensity or degree

accolade (noun)

an expression of praise

adulation (noun)

excessive praise; intense adoration

aesthetic (adj.)

dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful

ameliorate (verb)

to make better or more tolerable

ascetic (noun)

one who practices rigid self-denial, especially as an act of religious devotion

avarice (noun) (adj. form: avaricious)

greed, especially for wealth

burgeon (verb)

to grow rapidly or flourish

bucolic (adj.)

rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants

cacophony (noun) (adj. form: cacophonous)

harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance

canon (noun) (adj. form: canonical)

an established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature

castigation (noun) (verb form: castigate)

severe criticism or punishment

catalyst (noun)

a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing; a person or thing that causes change

caustic (adj.)

burning or stinging; causing corrosion

chary (adj.)

wary; cautious; sparing

cogent (adj.)

appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing

complaisance (noun) (adj. form: complaisant)

the willingness to comply with the wishes of others

contentious (adj.)

argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement

contrite (adj.) (noun form: contrition)

regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness

culpable (adj.) (noun form: culpability)

deserving blame

dearth (noun)

smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack

demur (verb)

to question or oppose

didactic (adj.)

intended to teach or instruct

discretion (noun) (adj. form: discreet)

cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions

disinterested (adj.)

free of bias or self-interest; impartial

dogmatic (adj.) (noun form: dogma)

expressing a rigid opinion based on unproved or improvable principles

ebullience (noun) (adj. form: ebullient)

the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings

eclectic (adj.)

composed of elements drawn from various sources

elegy (noun) (adj. form: elegiac)

a mournful poem, especially one lamenting the dead

emollient (adj.)/(noun)

soothing, especially to the skin; making less harsh; mollifying; an agent that softens or smoothes the skin

empirical (adj.)

based on observation or experiment

enigmatic (adj.) (noun form: enigma)

mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand

ephemeral (adj.)

brief; fleeting

esoteric (adj.)

intended for or understood by a small, specific group

eulogy (noun) (verb form: eulogize)

a speech honoring the dead

exonerate (verb)

to remove blame

facetious (adj.)

playful; humorous

fallacy (noun) (adj. form: fallacious)

an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief

furtive (adj.)

marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious

gregarious (adj.)

sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people

harangue (verb)/(noun)

to deliver a forceful or angry speech; ranting speech or writing.

heretical (adj.) (noun form: heresy)

violating accepted dogma or convention

hyperbole (noun) (adj. form: hyperbolic)

an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech

impecunious (adj.)

lacking funds; without money

incipient (adj.)

beginning to come into being or to become apparent

inert (adj.)

unmoving; lethargic; sluggish

innocuous (adj.)

harmless; causing no damage

intransigent (adj.) (noun form: intransigence)

refusing to compromise

inveigle (verb)

to obtain by deception or flattery

morose (adj.)

sad; sullen; melancholy

odious (adj.)

evoking intense aversion or dislike

opaque (adj.)

impenetrable by light; not reflecting light

oscillation (noun) (verb form: oscillate)

the act or state of swinging back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm

penurious (adj.)

penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous

pernicious (adj.)

extremely harmful in a way that is not easily seen or noticed

peruse (verb) (noun form: perusal)

to examine with great care

pious (adj.) (noun form: piety)

extremely reverent or devout; showing strong religious devotion

precursor (noun)

one that precedes and indicates or announces another

preen (verb)

to dress up; to primp; to groom oneself with elaborate care

prodigious (adj.)

abundant in size, force, or extent; extraordinary

prolific (adj.)

producing large volumes or amounts; productive

putrefy (verb) (adj. form: putrid)

to rot; to decay and give off a foul odor

quaff (verb)

to drink deeply

quiescence (noun) (adj. form: quiescent)

stillness; motionlessness; quality of being at rest

redoubtable (adj.)

awe-inspiring; worthy of honor

sanction (noun)/(verb)

authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance; to give permission or authority

satire (noun) (adj. form: satirical)

a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision

squalid (adj.) (noun form: squalor)

sordid; wretched and dirty as from neglect

stoic (adj.) (noun form: stoicism)

indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain; steadfast

supplant (verb)

to take the place of; to supersede

orpid (adj.) (noun form: torpor)

lethargic; sluggish; dormant

ubiquitous (adj.)

existing everywhere at the same time; constantly encountered; widespread

urbane (adj.) (noun form: urbanity)

sophisticated; refined; elegant

vilify (verb)

to defame; to characterize harshly

viscous (adj.) (noun form: viscosity)

thick; sticky