Vocabulary Flashcards: Advanced English Words and Definitions

allude

to hint at

pervade

to spread throughout

diminution

lessening

proxy

substitute

candid

honest

delineate

To describe accurately

idiosyncratic

peculiar to the individual

attrition

a gradual reduction or weakening; a rubbing away

inure

to harden; accustom; become used to

inimical

hostile, unfriendly

conjecture

to guess

equivocal

ambiguous

decried

publicly denounce

infinetesimal

extremely small

conducive

supportive; encouraging; helping to bring about

vehement

showing strong feeling; forceful, passionate, or intense

disparage

belittle

vindicate

to clear from blame

analagous

comparable

anecdote

short account of event

arbitrary

random

brevity

shortness

buttress

to support

corroborate

to confirm

deference

humble submission and respect

denounce

publicly declare to be wrong or evil

condemn

to express strong disapproval of

eloquent

well spoken

impose

to take advantage of

indifference

lack of concern

invoke

cite or appeal to (someone or something) as an authority for an action or in support of an argument.

obsolete

out of date

pervasive

widespread

reconcile

restore friendly relations between

renounce

to give up

substantiate

to verify, confirm

tenuous

very weak or slight

underscore

to emphasize

unobtrusive

not noticeable

versimilitude

the appearance of truth

viable

capable of working successfully; feasible

truncated

cut short

elude

to escape

raucous

unpleasantly loud and harsh

apprised

informed

appraised

evaluated

surmised

guessed; concluded

contrived

deliberately created rather than arising naturally or spontaneously

premeditated

considered beforehand

aggravate

to worsen

innocuous

harmless

paucity

scarcity

profusion

abundance

supplant

to replace

trite

overused

concede

to admit

render

make

trenchant

sharply effective or insightful

lamented

mourned

quixotic

idealistic but impractical

iconoclast

one who attacks common beliefs or institutions

ostentatious

vulgar or pretentious display

pretentious

pompous, self-important

pompous

arrogant

sagacious

wise

immutable

unchangeable

overtly

openly

cordially

warm and friendly

saguine

cheerful

inadvertently

unintentionally

prudently

wisely

perpetual

everlasting

antecedent

before

anterior

front

inconspicuousness

the quality of being not easily seen

warranted

justified

tentative

uncertain

ephermal

short-lived

ameliorate

to make better

sanction

authorize

succinct

concise

elucidate

to make clear

nuance

a slight or subtle degree of difference

pragmatic

practical

altruistic

unselfish

affluent

wealthy

eccentric

odd

stark

empty

ubiquitous

present or existing everywhere

ambivalent

Having mixed feelings

dogmatic

stubbornly opinionated

opinionated

stubborn and often unreasonable

unpretentious

modest

subsumed

brought together, united

repudiates

rejects; discards; declines

recant

retract

disparate

different

prefiguring

foreshadowing

entrenching

solidifying

supposition

an uncertain belief