The Vocabulary Builder Workbook - 100 Words (P4)

It has been quite a time

exhilarated

very excited and happy

blithe

showing a casual and cheerful indifference considered to be improper; carefree

ambivalent

having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone

elated

extremely happy and excited

melancholic

feeling or expressing sadness, often in a thoughtful way

dour

serious, unfriendly, and severe in manner or appearance

glum

sad, quiet, and miserable

morose

unhappy, bad-tempered, and not wanting to talk to people

sullen

bad-tempered and not speaking; sulky

saturnine

serious, unfriendly, and gloomy in appearance or manner

antediluvian

extremely old-fashioned; belonging to a very ancient time

fin-de-siècle

relating to the end of the 19th century, often implying decadence or world-weariness

crepuscular

relating to twilight; dim or indistinct

insipid

having little taste or interest; dull

vapid

showing no intelligence or imagination; boring

succulent

juicy and tasty (especially food or plants)

arid

extremely dry; lacking interest or life

briny

full of salt; salty (Seawater)

toothsome

delicious and attractive as food

ennui

a feeling of being bored and dissatisfied from lack of excitement

stultifying

making you feel bored, ineffective, or unable to think

effervescent

enthusiastic, lively, and full of energy

diversion

an activity that amuses or entertains; something that takes attention away

buoyant

able to float; cheerful and optimistic

avocation

a hobby or minor occupation done for enjoyment

insufferable

Conceited, stuck-up

unconscionable

so bad, immoral, or excessive that it should make you feel ashamed

immaterial

not important in a particular situation; irrelevant

garish

unpleasantly bright and showy

panache

confidence, style, and elegance in the way someone does things

maroon

to leave someone in a place from which they cannot escape

blackball

to vote against or prevent someone from joining a group

teetotaler

people who never drink alcohol

outlandish

very strange and unusual; unfamiliar

ruddy

having a healthy red color; used for emphasis

purple

a piece of writing that sounds ornate or complicated because the writer tries too hard to make the style interesting

cynosure

a person or thing that is the center of attention or admiration

frugal

careful to use only as much money, food, etc. as necessary; not wasteful

thrifty

using money and other resources carefully; economical

miserly

unwilling to spend money; mean

prodigal

using resources or spending money freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant

sybarite

someone devoted to pleasure and luxury

spendthrift

a person who spends money carelessly and without thinking

profligate

using resources wastefully; recklessly extravagant

epicurean

interested in and enjoying fine food, drink, and luxury

hamstring

to damage or limit the effectiveness of something; to cripple

aquiline

(curved) like an eagle’s beak, especially of the nose

heartthrob

a famous man admired by many women for his good looks

choleric

easily becoming angry; bad-tempered

bilious

bad-tempered; associated with nausea or bile

phlegmatic

showing little emotion; calm and not easily excited

sartorial

relating to clothing, tailoring, or style of dress

narcissist

a person with excessive self-love or admiration of themselves

herculean

requiring great strength or effort; very powerful

chimera

something hoped for but impossible to achieve; an illusion

elysian

relating to paradise; blissful and delightful

apollonian

relating to order, reason, and harmony

dionysian

relating to sensual, emotional, and uninhibited qualities

cherub

a beautiful and well-behaved child

sublime

of very great excellence, beauty, or grandeur

exalted

held in very high regard; elevated in rank or feeling

cosmogony

theory about the origin of the universe

ethereal

extremely delicate, light, and seeming not of this world

seraphic

extremely beautiful, pure, or angelic

theodicy

an explanation of why a good God permits evil

empyrean

relating to the highest heaven; heavenly

numinous

having a strong religious or spiritual quality; awe-inspiring

cleave

to split or cut apart; or to cling closely to something

sanction

official permission or approval; a threatened penalty for disobedience

buckle

to collapse or give way under pressure

ingenuous

innocent and unsuspecting; sincere

subterfuge

dishonest behavior used to achieve a goal; a trick

conniving

behaving dishonestly or secretly to achieve something

disingenuous

pretending to know less than you really do; insincere

legerdemain

skillful use of hands when performing tricks; deception

savant

a learned person with deep knowledge in a field

polymath

someone with wide knowledge in many areas

opsimath

someone who begins learning late in life

maven

an expert or connoisseur

greenhorn

a person who is new and inexperienced

sagacious

wise and having good judgment

tyro

a beginner or novice

destitute

without money, food, or possessions

impecunious

having little or no money

muckraker

a journalist who exposes corruption and scandal

incumbent

someone currently holding an official position; necessary as a duty

gerrymander

to manipulate the amount of votes by changing districts’ borders

canvass

to ask people to support a candidate or buy something; campaign

barnstorm

to travel giving performances or speeches in many places

mudslinging

insults and unfair accusations, especially in politics

interregnum

a period when a country has no ruler or government

partisan

strong supporter of a person, group, or cause; biased

ineffectual

not producing the intended effect; weak

politico

a politician (often used disapprovingly)

apparatchik

a loyal member of a political party or bureaucracy

plenary

unlimited; attended by all members (esp. a meeting)

lame duck

an unsuccessful person or thing

insurrection

a violent uprising against authority or government

quell

to stop disorder or opposition, often using force

quash

to officially reject something; to put an end to something