Set 1-7

appease

1. pacify or placate (someone) by acceding to their demands.
2. assuage or satisfy (a demand or a feeling)

arbitrary

1. based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system.
2. (of power or a ruling body) unrestrained and autocratic in the use of authority.

archaic

very old or old-fashioned.

clamorous

1. making a loud and confused noise.
2. expressing or characterized by vehement protests or demands.

dearth

a scarcity or lack of something.

explicable

able to be accounted for or understood.

hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

immutable

unchanging over time or unable to be changed.

indefatigable

(of a person or their efforts) persisting tirelessly.

indolent

1. wanting to avoid activity or exertion; lazy.
2. (of a disease or condition) causing little or no pain.

insular

ignorant of or uninterested in cultures, ideas, or peoples outside one's own experience.

intransigent

unwilling or refusing to change one's views or to agree about something.

intrepid

fearless; adventurous (often used for rhetorical or humorous effect).

irreverent

showing a lack of respect for people or things that are generally taken seriously.

loathe

feel intense dislike or disgust for.

malign

1. evil in nature or effect.
2. speak about (someone) in a spitefully critical manner

malleable

easily influenced; pliable.

neophyte

1. a new convert to a religion
2. .a person who is new to a subject or activity.

plastic

1. not genuine; artificial or unnatural.
2. (of a substance or material) easily shaped or moulded.

platitude

a remark or statement, especially one with a moral content, that has been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful.

prescient

having or showing knowledge of events before they take place.

pristine

in its original condition; unspoilt.

reproach

express to (someone) one's disapproval of or disappointment in their actions.

robust

1. strong and healthy; vigorous.
2. (of wine or food) strong and rich in flavour or smell.

salubrious

1. health-giving; healthy.
2. of a place) pleasant; not run-down.

sanction

1. a threatened penalty for disobeying a law or rule.
2. official permission or approval for an action.

sedulous

(of a person or action) showing dedication and diligence.

soporific

tending to induce drowsiness or sleep.

stern

(of a person or their manner) serious and unrelenting, especially in the assertion of authority and exercise of discipline.

tendentious

expressing or intending to promote a particular cause or point of view, especially a controversial one.

admonish

warn or reprimand someone firmly.

aesthetic

concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty.

affectation

behavior, speech, or writing that is pretentious and designed to impress.

alleviate

make (suffering, deficiency, or a problem) less severe.

analogous

comparable in certain respects, typically in a way which makes clearer the nature of the things compared.

bolster

support or strengthen.

chauvinistic

feeling or displaying aggressive or exaggerated patriotism.

connoisseur

an expert judge in matters of taste.

dissemble

conceal or disguise one's true feelings or beliefs.

dogged

having or showing tenacity and grim persistence.

dupe

deceive; trick.

empirical

based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic.

engender

cause or give rise to (a feeling, situation, or condition).

entitled

believing oneself to be inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment.

pertinacious

holding firmly to an opinion or a course of action.

presumptuous

(of a person or their behaviour) failing to observe the limits of what is permitted or appropriate/overconfident

probity

the quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency.

proliferate

increase rapidly in number; multiply.

specious

superficially plausible, but actually wrong.

spurious

not being what it purports to be; false or fake.

subjective

based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions.

subvert

undermine the power and authority of (an established system or institution).

timorous

showing or suffering from nervousness or a lack of confidence.

tortuous

1. full of twists and turns.
2. excessively lengthy and complex.

tractable

easy to control or influence.

transient

lasting only for a short time; impermanent.

ubiquitous

present, appearing, or found everywhere.

underscore

emphasize.

venal

showing or motivated by susceptibility to bribery; corrupt.

venerate

regard with great respect; revere.

abate

(of something unpleasant or severe) become less intense or widespread.

abjure

solemnly renounce (a belief, cause, or claim).

anomalous

deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected.

antipathy

a deep-seated feeling of aversion.

arcane

understood by few; mysterious or secret.

arduous

involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring.

artless

without effort or pretentiousness; natural and simple.

ascetic

characterized by severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons.

assuage

make (an unpleasant feeling) less intense.

betray

1. unintentionally reveal; be evidence of.
2. expose (one's country, a group, or a person) to danger by treacherously giving information to an enemy.

bucolic

relating to the pleasant aspects of the countryside and country life.

burgeon

begin to grow or increase rapidly; flourish.

cacophonous

involving or producing a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.

canonize

1. place in or regard as belonging to a canon of literary or artistic works.
2. (in the Roman Catholic Church) officially declare (a dead person) to be a saint.

censure

express severe disapproval of (someone or something), especially in a formal statement.

chicanery

the use of deception or subterfuge to achieve one's purpose.

coalesce

come together to form one mass or whole.

cogent

(of an argument or case) clear, logical, and convincing.

compelling

evoking interest, attention, or admiration in a powerfully irresistible way.

contend

1. compete with others in a struggle to achieve (something).
2. assert something as a position in an argument.

copious

abundant in supply or quantity.

cosmopolitan

1. including people from many different countries.
2. (of a plant or animal) found all over the world.

deference

polite submission and respect.

desultory

lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm.

diffident

modest or shy because of a lack of self-confidence.

dilatory

1. slow to act.
2. intended to cause delay.

equivocate

use ambiguous language so as to conceal the truth or avoid committing oneself.

polarize

divide or cause to divide into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinions or beliefs.

prodigal

1. spending money or using resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant.
2. having or giving something on a lavish scale.

verbose

using or expressed in more words than are needed.

adulterate

render (something) poorer in quality by adding another substance.

advocate

a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy.

aggrandize

increase the power, status, or wealth of.

alacrity

brisk and cheerful readiness.

ambivalent

having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.

ameliorate

make (something bad or unsatisfactory) better.

amenable

open and responsive to suggestion; easily persuaded or controlled.

anachronistic

belonging to a period other than that being portrayed.

audacious

1. showing an impudent lack of respect.
2. showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks.

avaricious

having or showing an extreme greed for wealth or material gain.