barrons

Term

Definition

Abate

subside or moderate

Aberrant

abnormal or deviant

Abeyance

suspended action

Abscond

depart secretly and hide

Abstemious

sparing in eating and drinking; temperate

Admonish

warn; reprove

Adulterate

make impure by adding inferior or tainted substances

Aesthetic

artistic; dealing with or capable of appreciating the beautiful

Aggregate

gather; accumulate

Alacrity

cheerful promptness; eagerness

Alleviate

relieve

Amalgamate

combine; unite in one body

Ambiguous

unclear or doubtful in meaning

Ambivalence

the state of having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes

Ameliorate

improve

Anachronism

something or someone misplaced in time

Analogous

comparable

Anarchy

absence of governing body; state of disorder

Anomalous

abnormal; irregular

Antipathy

aversion; dislike

Apathy

lack of caring; indifference

Appease

pacify or soothe; relieve

Apprise

inform

Approbation

approval

Appropriate (v.)

acquire; take possession of for one’s own use

Arduous

hard; strenuous

Artless

without guile; open and honest

Ascetic

practicing self-denial; austere

Assiduous

diligent

Assuage (v.)

ease or lessen (pain); satisfy (hunger); soothe (anger)

Attenuate

make thinner

Audacious

daring; bold

Austere

forbiddingly stern; severely simple and unornamented

Autonomous

self-governing; independent

Aver

assert confidently or declare; as used in law

Banal

hackneyed; commonplace; trite; lacking originality

Belie

contradict; give a false impression

Beneficent

kindly; doing good

Bolster

support; reinforce

Bombastic

pompous; using inflated language

Boorish

rude; insensitive

Burgeon

grow forth; send out buds

Burnish

make shiny by rubbing; polish

Buttress (v.)

support; prop up

Capricious

unpredictable; fickle

Castigation

punishment; severe criticism

Catalyst

agent that increases the pace of a chemical action

Caustic

burning; sarcastically biting

Chicanery

trickery; deception

Coagulate

thicken; congeal; clot

Coda

concluding section of a musical or literary composition; summarizes or concludes

Cogent

convincing

Commensurate (adj.)

corresponding in extent

Compendium

brief

Complaisant

trying to please; overly polite; obliging

Compliant

yielding; conforming to requirements

Conciliatory

reconciling; soothing

Condone

overlook; forgive; give tacit approval; excuse

Confound

confuse; puzzle

Connoisseur

person competent to act as a judge of art; a lover of art

Contention

claim; thesis

Contentious

quarrelsome

Contrite

penitent

Conundrum

riddle; difficult problem

Converge

approach; tend to meet; come together

Convoluted

coiled around; involved; intricate

Craven

cowardly

Daunt

intimidate; frighten

Decorum

propriety; orderliness and good taste in manners

Default

failure to act

Deference

courteous regard for another’s wishes

Delineate

portray; depict; sketch

Denigrate

blacken

Deride

ridicule; make fun of

Derivative

unoriginal; obtained from another source

Desiccate

dry up

Desultory

aimless; haphazard; digressing at random

Deterrent

Something that discourages; hindrance

Diatribe (n.)

bitter scolding; invective

Dichotomy

split; branching into two parts (especially contradictory ones)

Diffidence

Shyness

Diffuse (adj.)

wordy

Digression

Wandering away from the subject

Dirge

Lament with music

Disabuse

correct a false impression; undecerve

Discerning

mentally quick and observant; having insight

Discordant

not harmonious; conflicting

Discredit

defame; destroy confidence in; disbelieve

Discrepancy

lack of consistency; difference

Discrete (adj.)

separate; unconnected; consisting of distinct parts

Disingenuous

lacking genuine candor; insincere

Disinterested

unprejudiced

Disjointed

lacking coherence; separated at the joints

Dismiss

eliminate from consideration; reject

Disparage

belittle

Disparate (adj.)

basically different; unrelated

Dissemble (v.)

disguise; pretend

Disseminate

distribute; spread; scatter (like seeds)

Dissolution

disintegration; looseness in morals