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words, definitions, sentences
acerbic
adjective
uh - sur - buhk
sharply or bitingly critical, sarcastic, or ironic in temper, mood, or tone.
After John heard Sam's acerbic comments, he ended the friendship immediately.
acuity
noun
əˈkyo͞oədē
sharpness or keenness of thought, vision, or hearing
Nothing is more important to the development of acuity in visual thought than drawing.
aesthete
noun
ˈesˌTHēt
a person who has or affects to have a special appreciation of art and beauty
And this is the condition of the decadent, of the aesthete, of the free-lover.
amorphous
adjective
əˈmôrfəs
without a clearly defined shape or form
They were amorphous blobs of darkness that shifted between three shapes.
assuage
verb
əˈswāj
make (an unpleasant feeling) less intense
Those last few drops of water did little to assuage his thirst.
atrophy
verb
atrəfē
(of body tissue or an organ) waste away, especially as a result of the degeneration of cells, or become vestigial during evolution
There's no telling how much further my language skills will atrophy.
avarice
noun
avərəs
extreme greed for wealth or material gain
He was rich beyond the dreams of avarice.
avow
Verb
Uh-vau
Assert or confess openly
She had something to avow.
broach
Verb
Browch
Raise for discussion
He broached the subject carefully.
charlatan
Noun
shaar-luh-tn
A person falsely claiming to have special knowledge or skill
They were such charlatans; they knew nothing.
churlish
Adjective
Chur-luhsh
Rude in a mean spirited way
The way he said it was so churlish.
contentious
Adjective
Kuhn-ten-shushs
Likely to cause an argument
This debate is going to be very contentious.
copious
Adjective
Kaw-pee-uhs
Abundant in supply or quantity
When she got home, she had a copious amount of homework to do.
corpulence
noun
cor·pu·len·cy
the state of being fat; obesity
Her corpulence is the butt of every joke.
coterie
noun
co·te·rie
a small group of people with shared interests or tastes, especially one that is exclusive of other people.
His films are admired by a small coterie of critics.
curmudgeon
noun
cur·mudg·eon
a bad-tempered person, especially an old one
These aren’t just the mutterings of an old curmudgeon.
demagogue
noun
dem·a·gogue
a leader who makes use of popular prejudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power
Again, his adversaries used to call him a dangerous demagogue.
diffidence
noun
dif·fi·dence
modesty or shyness resulting from a lack of self-confidence
I say this with some diffidence.
divination
noun
div·i·na·tion
the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means
The Celts practiced the art of divination.
duplicity
noun
doo-plis-i-ty
contradictory doubleness of thought, speech, or action
Even though she told her mom she wasn't upset about it, her duplicity was obvious from the tears on her cheeks
elucidate
verb
ee-loo-si-date
to give a clarifying explanation
I will elucidate further to demonstrate the significance of the situation
equivocate
verb
equiv-oh-cate
to subject to two or more interpretations and use to mislead or confuse
I wish he wouldn't equivocate about this issue and instead give me a straight answer.
erudition
noun
eh-roo-dish-uhn
extensive knowledge acquired chiefly from books
She was known for her erudition from all those books she read.
ethereal
adjective
eth-ee-ree-al
of or relating to the regions beyond the earth
Its beauty was ethereal, like something I had never seen before,
flippant
adjective
flip-ant
lacking proper respect or seriousness
She was flippant in the eyes of her co-workers because she was always making jokes when work needed to be done.
foible
noun
foi·ble
a minor flaw or shortcoming in character or behavior
We could tolerate my uncle's foibles because we loved him dearly.
furtive
adjective
fur·tive
taken, done, used, etc., surreptitiously or by stealth
She glanced furtively around the room.
garish
adjective
gar·ish
excessively ornate or elaborate, as buildings or writings
On social media, the foundation became famous for exposing the garish wealth of these elites.
guile
noun
gahyl
insidious cunning in attaining a goal; crafty or artful deception; duplicity
Stewart, generally a marvelous actor, plays Diana as a mannered doe—the performance is packed with calculation and guile.
hiatus
noun
hahy-ey-tuhs
a break or interruption in the continuity of a work, series, action, etc.
San Antonio ranked 15th in pace before the hiatus, compiling a 27-36 record during that time.
hoary
adjective
hawr-ee
gray or white with age
She loved her old dog with a hoary muzzle.
incorrigible
adjective
in-korr-i-juh-buhl
(of a person or their tendencies) not able to be corrected, improved, or reformed
He has an incorrigible habit of whistling at meal times.
indecorous
adjective
in-dek-uh-ruhs
not in keeping with good taste and propriety; improper
She could not ignore his indecorous behavior though she loved him very much.
inveigh
verb
I-n-v-e
speak or write about (something) with great hostility
He liked to inveigh against all forms of academic training
inveterate
adjective
in-vet-uh-ruht
having a particular habit, activity, or interest that is long-established and unlikely to change
He was a congenital reformer, an inveterate crusader.
irascible
adjective
i-ras-uh-buhl
having or showing a tendency to be easily angered
But she wasn't laughing at Leo; she was amused with her own irascible mood.
juncture
noun
juhngk-chr
a particular point or stage in an activity or a series of events
The investigation was at a critical juncture.
laconic
adjective
luh-kaa-nuhk
using very few words
The poet was laconic with his speech.
maudlin
adjective
maad-luhn
self-pityingly or tearfully sentimental, often through drunkenness
During the non-serving period the scene inside was more maudlin.
meander
verb/noun
mee-an-dr
(of a river or road) follow a winding course
The river meandered between the hills
multifarious
adjective
muhl-tuh-feh-ree-uhs
many and of various types
Spain is a composite of multifarious traditions and people.
obsequious
adjective
aab-see-kwee-uhs
obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree
The waiters came hurrying forward with obsequious smiles on their faces
paragon
noun
**par-**uh-guhn
a model or pattern of excellence or of a particular excellence
Then he thought bitterly upon that paragon of perfection who had caused his banishment.
pariah
noun
p*uh-*rhay-uh
any person or animal that is generally despised or avoided; an outcast
The human order hostile, he quickly loses his self-respect and becomes the pariah class.
paucity
noun
paw-si-tee
smallness of quantity; scarcity; insufficiency of number
Poor health care, a paucity of jobs, and a sense of instability is now taking its toll.
poignant
adjective
poin-yuhnt
keenly distressing to the feelings
You included a poignant anecdote about your son interrupting your reading on a rainy day.
progeny
noun
proj-uh-nee
a descendant or offspring, as a child, plant, or animal
The progeny were pushed with a full supply of nutritious food, and systematically brought to early maturity.
protean
adjective
proh-tee-uhn
readily assuming different forms or characters; extremely variable
Amoebas are protean, as they are very changeable in shape and form.
protract
Verb
Proh trakt
To prolong or extend
We continued to protract our statement since it made us sound like we knew a lot more than we really did.
recalcitrant
adjective
Ri-cal-se-tret
an obstinately uncooperative attitude
The spoiled, recalcitrant teen fled from authorities when caught vandalizing a corner store.
reprobate
noun
Re-pro-bait
an unprincipled or depraved person
The reprobates and drunks were often held in the county jail when caught,
ruminate
Verb
Ru-me-nat
To engage in contemplation
The man sat in his living room, ruminating over the his business venture.
savant
noun
Se-Vont
A very learned or talented person, especially one distinguished in a particular field of science or the arts
He was often hailed as a savant and genius by those around him for the major innovations in science and biology he led.
surly
adjective
sur-lee
churlishly rude or bad-tempered
On a previous visit I found him to be somewhat surly, but last night he was downright rude!
taciturn
adjective
tas-i-turn
inclined to silence; reserved in speech; reluctant to join in conversation
He was without question a reactionary, morose and taciturn, and spent nearly all his time shut up in his palace.
tenuous
adjective
ten-yoo-uhs
lacking a sound basis, as reasoning; unsubstantiated; weak
He felt his grip on reality was becoming increasingly tenuous.
turpitude
noun
tur-pi-tood
vile, shameful, or base character; depravity
Have you ever been arrested or convicted for an offense involving moral turpitude?
virulent
adjective
vir-yuh-luhnt
actively poisonous; intensely noxious:
The worst feature was a virulent outbreak of cholera in Gujarat, especially in the native states.
vociferous
adjective
voh-sif-er-uhs
crying out noisily; clamorous
I think we have a vociferous minority against a silent majority.
intrinsic
adjective
/inˈtrinzik/
belonging naturally; essential
Access to the arts is intrinsic to a high quality of life.
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