English Vocab

acumen

noun: keen (highly developed) insight

arduous

adjective: hard, difficult, tiresome

transient

adjective: passing through briefly; passing in and out of existence

eschew

verb: to shun, avoid

haggard

adjective: looking exhausted and unwell; especially from fatigue, worry, or suffering

hackneyed

adjective: unoriginal, trite, overused

ubiquitous

adjective: existing everywhere; widespread

neophyte

noun: someone who is young or inexperienced; new to a skill or subject

sanctimonious

adjective: giving a hypocritical appearance; making a show of being morally superior to others

cacophony

noun: tremendous noise, disharmonious sound

discordant

adjective: not in harmony or agreement

reproach

verb/noun: to express disapproval or disagreement/disapproval

cajole

verb: to urge, to coax

dissemble

verb: to conceal, to fake

evanescent

adjective: fleeting; momentary

flagrant

adjective: blatantly offensive

pious

adjective: devoutly religious; making a hypocritical display of virtue

demure

adjective: quiet, modest, reserved

myriad

noun/adjective: a countless or extremely great number/countless or extremely great in number

conflagration

noun: a great or extensive fire, typically resulting in destruction

impervious

adjective: impenetrable, incapable of being affected

reprove

verb: to scold, rebuke

assiduous

adjective: hard-working, diligent

qualm

noun: an uneasy feeling of doubt, worry, or fear, especially about one’s own conduct; a misgiving

harangue

noun/verb: a ranting speech/to give a ranting speech

deprecate

verb: to belittle or disparage; to make someone feel less than

elusive

adjective: difficult to find or achieve; difficult to remember

surmise

verb: to infer with little evidence

effulgent

adjective: radiant, splendorous

unscrupulous

adjective: having or showing no moral principles

acerbic

adjective: biting, bitter in tone or taste

impassive

adjective: stoic, calm, not susceptible to suffering

alacrity

noun: eagerness, cheerful readiness

inane

adjective: devoid of intelligence

adumbrate

verb: to sketch out/outline in a vague way; foreshadow

buttress

verb/noun: to support, to hold up/something that offers support

Putrid

adjective: a strong, gross smell

proclivity

noun: a strong inclination towards something

stupefy

verb: to astonish, to make insensible

desecrate

verb: to violate the sacredness of a thing or place

incredulous

adjective: skeptical, dubious, hesitating

boisterous

adjective: noisy, unruly, rowdy

rectitude

noun: uprightness, extreme morality

pernicious

adjective: extremely destructive or harmful, especially in a gradual or subtle way

obsequious

adjective: excessively compliant or submissive

abrogate

verb: to abolish, usually by authority

affront

noun/verb: an action or remark that causes outrage or offense/to offend the modesty or values of

harrowing

adjective: distressing

dither

verb: to be indecisive

viscous

adjective: not free-flowing; sticky or adhesive consistency

defer

verb: to postpone

ineffable

adjective: unspeakable, incapable of being expressed through words

fastidious

adjective: meticulous, demanding, having high and often unattainable standards

incontrovertible

adjective: indisputable, can’t be argued against

jubilant

adjective: extremely joyful, happy

vindicated

adjective: freed from any question of guilt

brusque

adjective: short, abrupt, dismissive

malevolent

adjective: wanting harm to befall others

pejorative

adjective: slanderous, uncomplimentary language

exigent

adjective: urgent, critical

acrimony

noun: bitterness, discord, conflict

ignominious

adjective: humiliating, disgracing

egregious

adjective: outstandingly bad; shocking; appalling

platitude

noun: an uninspiring remark, meaningless cliché

haughty

adjective: arrogantly superior or disdainful

parsimony

noun: frugality, stinginess

iniquity

noun: wickedness or sin

punctilious

adjective: showing great attention to detail or correct behavior; meticulous

usurp

verb: to seize by force, take possession without right

petulance

noun: rudeness, irritability