JJ's Common Misses

Missed/Hard vocab words

Insipid

without flavor; lacking energy

Quixotic

excessively visionary; unfeasible

Aggrandize

enhance one's power or standing

banal

lacking originality; commonplace

abjure

formally reject or renounce a belief

anomalous

deviating from what is standard or expected

chicanery

the use of trickery to achieve a goal

cogent

making clear and convincing argument

desultory

lacking a plan or enthusiasm

diffident

shy or lacking in self-confidence

inimical

hostile or harmful

recondite

obscure and difficult to understand

frivolous

lacking in seriousness or importance, silly

imperious

arrogant and domineering

impertinent

disrespectful OR not relevant

dissemble

to conceal one's true motives or feelings

probity

the quality of having strong moral principles; integrity.

specious

plausible, but actually wrong or misleading.

spurious

false or fake

subvert

undermine or weaken

venal

open to bribery or corruption

intransigent

refusing to compromise, stubborn

sedulous

paying attention to details, diligent

tendentious

promoting a particular point of view, biased

decadent

marked by or indicative of a decline in moral values or cultural standards

gainsay

to deny or refute something

innocuous

not harmful or offensive; harmless

perfidy

act of betrayal

pugnacious

eager or quick to argue or fight; combative.

sanguine

optimistic or positive, especially in a difficult situation

vapid

lacking flavor, vigor, or interest; dull.

polemical

giving a strong, controversial opinion

sagacious

demonstrating wisdom or sound judgment

forestall

prevent something by taking strategic action in advance