english vocab murphy

acumen (noun)

keen (highly developed) insight

arduous (adjective)

Hard, difficult, tiresome

transient (adjective)

Passing through briefly; passing in and out of existence 

eschew (verb)

to shun, avoid

haggard (adjective)

Looking exhausted and unwell; especially from fatigue, worry, or suffering

hackneyed (adjective)

Unoriginal, trite, overused

ubiquitous (adjective)

existing everywhere, widespread

neophyte (noun)

Someone who is young or inexperienced; new to a skill or subject 

sanctimonious (adjective)

Giving a hypocritical appearance, making a show of being morally superior to others 

cacophony (noun)

Tremendous noise, disharmonious sound 

discordant (adjective)

not in harmony or agreement

reproach (noun or verb)

Verb: To express disapproval or disagreement

Noun: disapproval

cajole (verb)

to urge or to coax 

dissemble (verb)

to conceal or fake

evanescent (adjective)

fleeting or momentary

pious adjective

devoutly religious or making a hypocritical display of virtue

flagrant (adjective)

being blatantly offensive

demure (adjective)

quiet, modest, reserved

myriad noun or adjective

A countless or extremely great number

Countless or extremely great in number 

conflagration (noun)

great or extensive fire, typically resulting in destruction. 

impervious (adjective)

Impenetrable, incapable of being affected

reprove (verb)

to scold or rebuke 

assiduous (adjective)

Hard-working, diligent

Qualm (noun)

An uneasy feeling of doubt, worry or fear, especially about one’s own conduct; a misgiving

Harangue (noun or verb)

Ranting speech or to give a ranting speech 

deprecate (verb)

To belittle or disparage; to make someone feel less than

elusive (adjective)

Difficult to find or achieve; difficult to remember

surmise (verb)

To infer with little evidence

effulgent (adjective)

radiant; splendorous

unscrupulous (adjective)

Having or showing no moral principles

Buttress (verb or noun)

verb: to support, hold up

noun: something that offers support

putrid (adjective)

a strong, gross smell

proclivity (noun)

Small inclination towards something

stupefy (verb)

to astonish, make insensible

desecrate (verb)

to violate the sacredness of a thing or place

incredulous (adjective)

skeptical, dubious, hesitating

boisterous (adjective)

noisy, unruly, rowdy

rectitude (noun)

uprightness, extreme morality

pernicious (adjective)

extremely destructive or harmful, especially in a gradual or a subtle way

obsequious (adjective)

excessively compliant or submissive

abrogate (verb)

abolish, by authority

affront (noun/verb)

noun: an action or remark that causes outrage or offense

verb: to offend the modesty or values of something

harrowing (adjective)

distressing

dither (verb)

to be indecisive

viscous (adjective)

not free-flowing, sticky or adhesive consistency

adumbrate (verb)

to sketch out/outline in a vague way, foreshadow

inane (adjective)

devoid of intelligence

alacrity (noun)

eagerness, cheerfulness, readiness

impassive (adjective)

stoic, calm, not susceptible to suffering

acerbic (adjective)

biting, bitter in tone or taste

defer (verb)

to postpone

ineffable (adjective)

Incapable of being expressed through words

fastidious (adjective)

Having high and often unattainable standards.

incontrovertible (adjective)

indisputable, can’t be argued against

jubilant (adjective)

extremely joyful, or happy

vindicated (adjective)

Freed from any question of guilt

brusque (adjective)

Short, abrupt, dismissive

malevolent (adjective)

Wanting harm to befall others

pejorative (adjective)

Slanderous, uncomplimentary language

exigent (adjective)

Urgent, critical

acrimony (noun)

bitterness, discord, conflict

ignominious (adjective)

Humiliating, disgracing

egregious (adjective)

Outstandingly bad; shocking, appalling

platitude (noun)

Uninspiring remark, meaningless cliche

haughty (adjective)

Arrogantly superior or disdainful

Parsimony (noun)

Frugality, stinginess (not wanting to spend money)

iniquity (noun)

Wickedness or sin

Punctilious (adjective)

Showing great attention to detail or correct behavior, meticulous

usurp (verb)

To seize by force, take possession without right

Petulance (noun)

Rudeness, irritability

fallacious (adjective)

incorrect or misleading

credulity (noun)

readiness to believe

aspersion (noun)

a curse, expression of ill-will

hapless (adjective)

unlucky

corroborate (verb)

To give or represent evidence of the truth of something, to confirm or substantiate

precarious (adjective)

Uncertain, not secure

plaintively (adverb)

In a sorrowful or melancholy way, mournfully

vapid (adjective)

Lacking liveliness; dull, uninteresting

boon (noun)

A gift or blessing

latent (adjective)

Hidden, but capable of being exposed