hot words

aberration

unusual course of action

abstinence

staying away from alcohol

abstract

not concrete

acclaim

approval

acquiesce

accede (to give in)

admonish

warn

advocate

be in favor of

aesthetic

artistic

affinity

attraction

aggrandizement

growth in power

alienate

estrange

alleviate

relieve

aloof

reserved; indifferent

altruistic

concerned about others

ambiguous

unclear

ambivalence

with conflicting attitudes

ameliorate

to improve

analogous

comparable

animosity

active dislike

anonymity

remaining unknown

antagonism

hostility

antithesis

direct opposite

apocryphal

fictitious

arduous

difficult

articulate

able to speak well

assuage

to calm

atrophy

waste away

augment

add to

austere

stern

authoritarian

one who favors blind submission to authority

autonomy

self-government

aversion

strong dislike

belittle

speak as if unimportant

bequeath

pass along

bizarre

strikingly odd appearance

blithe

happy; light-hearted

bombastic

high-flown (language)

buffoon

clown

cache

hiding place

cacophony

clashing sounds

cajole

coax; persuade by pleasant words or false promises

callous

unfeeling

capitulate

surrender

capricious

fickle; changeable

carping

complaining

catalyst

agent of change

catharsis

an emotional purification

caustic

biting; corrosive

celestial

heavenly

censure

express disapproval of

chastise

criticize

chimerical

wildly fanciful

chronic

constant

circumspect

cautious

clairvoyant

having insight; predict future

clandestine

concealed; secret

clemency

mercy

coalesce

combine

colloquial

conversational; inform speech

commiserate

sympathize

compatible

agreeing, in harmony

composure

calmness

conciliatory

tending to soothe or reconcile

concise

brief but complete

condone

overlook

conspicuous

easily seen

copious

abundant

corroborate

to confirm

crass

coarse; stupid

criterion

a test

cryptic

having a hidden meaning

cursory

without attention to details

dearth

shortage

debilitate

to weaken

decadence

decay; decline

deference

great respect

deflate

let the air out of

delineate

describe in words

demeanor

behavior

denunciation

express strong disapproval of (8)

deprecate

express strong disapproval of (9)

derogatory

degrading

desecrate

disrespect

despot

monarch w/ unlimited power

deter

to discourage

devious

roundabout; lying

devoid

lacking

diatribe

bitter verbal attack

didactic

intended to instruct

diffuse

spread-out; wordy

diminution

a lessening; decrease

discerning

keenly perceptive; shrewd

disdain

scorn

dismantle

take apart

disparage

to discredit, belittle

disparity

difference

disperse

scatter

disposition

nature; tendency

dissipated

spent wastefully; indulgent

distraught

extremely upset