English Vocab

Abstinence

The act of refraining from pleasurable activity, e.g., eating or drinking

Adversity

Misfortune, an unfavorable turn of events

Aesthetic

Pertaining to beauty or the arts

Anachronistic

Out-of-date, not attributed to the correct historical period

Anecdote

Short, usually funny account of an event

Arid

Extremely dry or deathly boring

Assiduous

Persistent, hard-working

Benevolent

Friendly and helpful

Camaraderie

Trust, sociability amongst friends

Censure

To criticize harshly

Condescending

Possessing an attitude of superiority, patronizing

Conditional

Depending on a condition, e.g., in a contract

Conformist

Person who complies with accepted rules and customs

Congregation

A crowd of people, an assembly

Convergence

The state of separate elements joining or coming together

Deleterious

Harmful, destructive, detrimental

Disdain

To regard with scorn or contempt

Discredit

To harm the reputation of, dishonor or disgrace

Empathy

Identification with the feelings of others

Enervating

Weakening, tiring

Emulate

To imitate, follow an example

Exasperation

Irritation, frustration

Ephemeral

Momentary, transient, fleeting

Fortuitous

Happening by luck, fortunate

Frugal

Thrifty, cheap

Haughty

Arrogant and condescending

Hedonist

Person who pursues pleasure as a goal

Impetuous

Rash, impulsive, acting without thinking

Incompatible

Opposed in nature, not able to live or work together

Inevitable

Certain, unavoidable

Integrity

Decency, honesty, wholeness

Intuitive

Instinctive, untaught

Jubilation

Joy, celebration, exultation

Novice

Apprentice, beginner

Nonchalant

Calm, casual, seeming unexcited

Orator

Lecturer, speaker

Ostentatious

Showy, displaying wealth

Precocious

Unusually advanced or talented at an early age

Parched

Dried up, shriveled

Pretentious

Pretending to be important, intelligent or cultured