VOCAB: Maroon Bluebook

acrimonious

(adj.) stinging, bitter in temper or tone

adroit

skillful

affable

friendly

alimentary

relating to nourishment or nutrition

amalgam

a mixture of different elements

beatitude

state of bliss

beleaguer

to cause problems for

belie

to give a false impression

belligerent

hostile

benediction

blessing

cacophony

A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds

capacious

spacious

castigate

(v.) to punish severely; to criticize severely

caustic

(adj.) able to burn or eat away by chemical action; biting, sarcastic

cerebral

intellectual

dearth

(n.) a lack, scarcity, inadequate supply; a famine

decant

to pour out

decrepit

old and feeble

deference

to respect

deleterious

harmful in a subtle way

eclectic

choosing from various sources; extensive

edify

to instruct

effigy

a crude dummy or image representing a hated person or group

effusive

expressing feelings of gratitude, pleasure, or approval in an unrestrained or heartfelt manner

elucidate

to clarify, explain

fastidious

Difficult to please

fecund

producing many new ideas

fickle

(adj.) liable to change very rapidly, erratic; marked by a lack of constancy or steadiness, inconsistent

flippant

(adj.) lacking in seriousness; disrespectful, saucy

florid

(adj.) highly colored, reddish; excessively ornate, showy

galvanize

to charge with electricity

garrulous

excessively talkative

genial

friendly and cheerful

geriatric

pertaining to old age

gerrymander

to divide an area into voting districts in a way that favors a political party

halcyon

calm; pleasant

harbinger

herald, sign, omen

haughty

arrogant, conceited

hackneyed

lacking in freshness or originality

iconoclast

a person who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions; critic

idiosyncrasy

a peculiar personality trait

idyllic

simple and pleasant

ignominious

shameful; deserving or causing public disgrace or shame

jibe

taunt; mock; to agree

jocular

joking; habitually jolly

juggernaut

overwhelming force

laconic

concise; using few words

lambaste

to criticize harshly

lampoon

to ridicule with satire; publicly criticize or mock

laud

praise

licentious

promiscuous and unprincipled in sexual matters

magnanimous

generous

malfeasance

misconduct or wrongdoing, especially by a public official

manifesto

a public statement explaining the intentions, motives, or views of an individual or group

martinet

a strict disciplinarian

maudlin

drunk enough to be emotionally silly; excessively sentimental

nadir

lowest point

neophyte

novice, beginner

obdurate

stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing

obfuscate

deliberately make something difficult to understand

obsolescence

situation in which older products and processes become out-of-date

obstreperous

noisy; unruly, disorderly

occult

(adj.) secret, hidden from view; not detectable by ordinary means; mysterious, magical, uncanny; (v.) to hide, cover up; eclipse; (n.) matters involving the supernatural

panacea

a remedy for all ills; cure-all; an answer to all problems

quiescent

quiet; still; inactive

quixotic

exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical

raconteur

witty, skillful storyteller

rancorous

bitter, hateful

recalcitrant

stubbornly disobedient, resisting authority

redolent

(adj.) fragrant, smelling strongly; tending to arouse memories or create an aura

renegade

one who leaves a group

sagacity

wisdom

sanguine

cheerful; optimistic

sardonic

grimly or scornfully mocking, bitterly sarcastic

partisan

Devoted to or biased in support of a party, group, or cause

parsimony

extreme unwillingness to spend money or use resources

peccadillo

a small sin or fault

scintillating

sparkling, twinkling, exceptionally brilliant (applied to mental or personal qualities)

paucity

(n.) an inadequate quantity, scarcity, dearth

scrupulous

exact, careful, attending thoroughly to details; having high moral standards, principled

temerity

rashness, boldness

tepid

lukewarm, unenthusiastic

terse

concise; to the point

travail

painful or laborious effort

trite

overused and hackneyed

ubiquitous

present or existing everywhere

uncouth

Lacking good manners

underwrite

to support financially

ungainly

(adj.) clumsy, awkward; unwieldy

vacuous

empty

vapid

offering nothing that is stimulating or challenging

venal

corrupt; can be bribed

venerable

respected because of age

vertiginous

causing dizziness, as from spinning or heights

wrest

to pull away, take by violence

zealot

enthusiast

ambivalent

having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone

ambiguous

open to more than one interpretation

ameliorate

to improve, make better, correct a flaw or shortcoming

amicable

peaceable, friendly