Cursory: (adj) (A) Hasty (B) Not thorough
Incursion: (noun) An attack on or an invasion of enemy territory; a raid
Precursor: (noun) Someone or something that precedes something else; a forerunner
Succor: (noun) Help in time of distress (verb) to give aid and comfort in time of distress
Chastise: (verb) To punish for misbehaving or wrongdoing
Disparage: (verb) To speak of as unimportant or inferior; belittle
Innuendo: (noun) A roundabout, often spiteful reference to someone or something not named; an insinuation
Vilify: (verb) To utter slanderous and abusive statements against; defame; speak evil of
Amends: (noun) compensation giving as satisfaction for insult, loss, or injury
Extricate: (verb) to free or release from an entanglement or difficulty; disengage
Mitigate: (verb) to make less severe or intense; moderate
Rectify: (verb) to set right; remedy
Egress: (noun) A path or means of going out; an exit
Gradient: (noun) The degree to which something inclines; slope
Secession: (noun) The act of withdrawing formally from membership in an organization, association, or union
Unprecedented: (adj) Not having occurred before; without precedent; novel
Analogous: (adj) Similar in certain qualities, circumstances, or uses
Antithesis: (noun) Direct contrast; opposition
Deviate: (verb) To differ or move away from a specified course or prescribed mode of behavior; diverge
Nuance: (noun) A subtle or slight degree of difference, meaning, color, or tone; gradation
Autonomy: (noun) Independence; the quality or condition of being self-governing
Hierarchy: (noun) An order of persons or entities classified according to authority, rank, or importance
Regime: (noun) A system or planned way of doing things, especially one imposed from above
Totalitarian: (adj) Referring to a government that exercises control over all aspects of life
Usurp: (verb) To seize and retain the rights, power, property, or position of another without legal authority
Apathy: (noun) Lack of feeling or emotion; impassiveness
Empathy: (noun) Understanding, concerned identification with another’s situations or feelings
Sensational: (adj) (A) arousing great interest or excitement (B) designed to shock or thrill spectators or readers
Sensibility: (noun) The ability to feel, sense and perceive; mental or emotional responsiveness toward something
Sentiment: (noun) A thought, view, or attitude based more on feeling than reason
Culpable: (adj) Responsible for wrong or error; blameworthy; deserving censure
Extort: (verb) To obtain by threats or other coercive means
Illicit: (adj) Not permitted by custom or law; illegal
Ruffian: (noun) A tough or rowdy person (adj) tough or rowdy
Vile: (adj) (A) unpleasant; disgusting (B) Morally low or base
Banter: (noun) Good-humored, playful conversation
Facetious: (adj) (A) Playfully humorous (B) Jesting, often in an inappropriate or offensive way
Flippant: (adj) Marked by disrespectful frivolity or indifference; rudely witty
Ludicrous: (adj) Laughable because of an obvious absurdity or ridiculousness
Whimsical: (adj) Playful or fanciful; imaginatively humorous
Emigrate: (verb) To leave one country or region in order to settle another
Figuratively: (adverb) In a manner marked by metaphorical language or figures of speech
Literally: (adverb) (A) According to actual meaning of the word or phrase (B) According to facts; without exaggeration or metaphor
Persecute: (verb) To ill-treat persistently and grievously
Prosecute: (verb) To bring a legal action against in order to convict of a violation of a law
Depreciate: (verb) To decrease in value
Frugal: (adj) Avoiding the unnecessary expenditure of money; thrifty
Indigent: (adj) Lacking money or resources to provide adequately the necessities of life; needy; impoverished
Munificent: (adj) Very generous in giving
Recession: (noun) A moderate and brief decline in economic activity
Blasé: (adj) Uninterested, unexcited, or bored as a result of overindulgence or enjoyment
Cliché: (noun) A trite or overused expression or idea, such as “time flies”
Forte: (noun) Something in which a person excels; strong point
Gauche: (adj) Lacking social experience or grace; awkward; rude; tactless
Naive: (adj) Showing a lack of experience or judgement
Dilatory: (adj) (A) Characterized by procrastination (B) Tending or intended to cause delay
Languid: (adj) (A) Lazily slow or relaxed (B) Lacking spirit or energy
Sloth: (noun) Laziness; indolence
Somnambulate: (verb) To walk while asleep
Stupor: (noun) A condition of reduced sensibility or consciousness; daze