Hard Words

Acclaim

Public praise or approval for achievements.

Accolade

An award or privilege granted as a special honor.

Acrimonious

Angry and bitter in speech or debate.

Affirm

To state positively; confirm the truth.

Allegiance

Loyalty or commitment to a group or cause.

Alliance

A union formed for mutual benefit.

Ambulatory

Related to walking or capable of walking.

Amnesty

A pardon for offenses, often political.

Annull

To declare invalid or void.

Arraignment

a hearing in which a suspect is charged and pleads guilty or not guilty.

Attest

To provide evidence or proof of something.

Banish

To send someone away from a place.

Bashful

Shy or reluctant to draw attention.

Beguiling

Charming or enchanting, often in a deceptive way.

Beget

To produce or bring about; to father.

Belligerent

Hostile and aggressive; eager to fight.

Bigot

A person intolerant of differing opinions.

Bone Fide

Genuine; sincere.

Callous

Emotionally insensitive or unfeeling.

Canny

Having shrewdness and good judgment.

Capitulate

To surrender or give in to demands.

Carnal

Relating to physical, especially sexual, needs.

Circumstantial

Dependent on circumstances; not essential.

Cognizant

Aware.

Cohesive

Forming a united whole; well-integrated.

Commotion

A state of confused and noisy disturbance.

Compendium

A concise collection of information.

Comprise

To consist of; to be made up of.

Concede

To admit something is true after denial.

Conceive

To form or devise a plan or idea.

Conducive

Making a certain situation likely or possible.

Conduction

The process of heat transfer through materials.

Conniver

Person who schemes.

Consolation

Comfort received by a person after a loss or disappointment.

Consort

To associate or keep company with.

Conspicuous

Easily seen or noticed; attracting attention.

Contentious

Causing or likely to cause an argument.

Convection

The transfer of heat through fluid movement.

Copious

Abundant; plentiful.

Coveted

Greatly desired or wished for.

Credence

Belief in or acceptance of something as true.

Cryptic

Having a meaning that is mysterious or obscure.

Culminate

To reach a climax or point of highest development.

Culpability

Responsibility for a fault or wrong.

Cupidity

Greed for money or possessions.

Curtail

To cut short or reduce.

Dandy

A man who is excessively concerned with his appearance.

Decadent

Characterized by excessive indulgence or luxury.

Deluge

A severe flood or overwhelming amount.

Depraved

Immoral or evil.

Deranged

Mad; insane.

Derogatory

Showing a critical or disrespectful attitude.

Desiccated

Dried out; lacking moisture.

Despair

The complete loss or absence of hope.

Destitude

Extremely poor; lacking necessities like food and shelter.

Devious

Dishonest or deceptive; tricky.

Discernible

Able to be perceived or recognized.

Discerning

Having or showing good judgment.

Disparage

To regard or represent as being of little worth.

Dissident

A person who opposes official policy.

Dissipation

The squandering of resources or energy.

Distention

The state of being stretched or swollen.

Diversion

An activity that diverts attention.

Dogmatic

Asserting opinions in an arrogant manner.

Dubious

Hesitating or doubting; not to be relied on.

Eclectic

Deriving ideas from a diverse range of sources.

Ensconce

To settle securely or snugly.

Engulf

To sweep over something so as to surround it.

Entice

To attract or tempt by offering pleasure.

Esteem

Respect and admiration.

Expletive

An interjection to lend emphasis; sometimes, a profanity.

Extrapolate

To extend the application of a method or conclusion.

Fable

A short story with a moral lesson.

Facilitate

To make an action or process easier.

Fallacy

A mistaken belief based on unsound reasoning.

Famine

Extreme scarcity of food.

Finagle

To obtain something by clever or deceitful means.

Foil

To prevent something from succeeding.

Fortitude

Courage in facing difficulties.

Galvanize

To shock or excite someone into taking action.

Goofy

Silly or foolish in a playful way.

Immense

Very large or great; beyond ordinary means of measurement.

Impede

To obstruct or interfere with; to delay.

Imperceptible

Impossible to perceive; very slight.

Impervious

Not allowing fluid to pass through.

Implore

To beg someone earnestly or desperately.

Improbable

Not likely to be true or to happen.

Imprudent

Not showing care for the consequences.

Incredulous

Unwilling or unable to believe something.

Ingenuity

The quality of being clever or inventive.

Incessant

Continuing without pause or interruption.

Incisive

Clear and sharp in thought or expression.

Incoherent

Expressed in an incomprehensible or confusing way.

Incorrigible

Not able to be corrected or reformed.

Indomitable

Impossible to subdue or defeat.

Induce

To bring about or give rise to.

Infer

To deduce or conclude information from evidence.

Inquisitive

Curious or inquiring; eager for knowledge.

Insatiable

Impossible to satisfy; constantly wanting more.

Insolence

Rude and disrespectful behavior.