english terms
1. Austere (adj.) severe or stern in manner; without adornment or luxury, simple, plain; harsh or sour in flavor
The austere clothing and conduct of the Puritans expressed their humility.
2. Beneficent (adj.) performing acts of kindness or charity; conferring benefits, doing good
From them I learned that purely beneficent acts can require as much hard work as a nine-to-five job.
3. Cadaverous (adj.) pale, gaunt, resembling a corpse
The rescued captives were weak from hunger and cadaverous in appearance.
4. Concoct (v.) to prepare by combining ingredients, make up (as a dish) to devise, invent, fabricate
He concocts a savory stew with fresh herbs and vegetables from the garden.
5. Crass (adj.) coarse, unfeeling; stupid
We feel that the positions of our representative show a crassindifference to our problems.
6. Debase (v.) to lower in character, quality, or value; to degrade, adulterate; to cause to deteriorate
Every time a new rule is introduced in a popular sport, there are fans who say it will debase the game.
7. Desecrate (v.) to commit sacrilege upon, treat irreverently; to contaminate, pollute
The search continues for the vandals who desecrated the cemetery.
8. Disconcert (v.) to confuse; to disturb the composure of
They had hoped to disconcert him with an unexpected question, but he was well prepared.
9. Grandiose (adj.) grand in an impressive or stately way; marked by pompous affectation or grandeur, absurdly exaggerated
In how many stories, I wonder, does an ambitious villain become the victim of grandiose plans?
10. Inconsequential (adj.) trifling, unimportant
Feel free to ignore the inconsequential details, provided that you know exactly which ones they are.
11. Infraction (n.) a breaking of a law or obligation
His uncle paid a fine for his infraction of the local recycling regulations.
12. Mitigate (v.) to make milder or softer, to moderate in force or intensity
I had hoped to mitigate her anger by offering an apology.
13. Pillage (v.) to rob of goods by open force (as in war), plunder; (n.) the act of looting; booty
The commanding officer warned his troops not to pillage the conquered city. In Europe during the Dark Ages, pillage and murder became facts of life.
14. Prate (v.) to talk in great detail in a foolish or aimless fashion
He would prate endlessly about the past but say nothing useful about our present dilemma.
15. Punctilious (adj.) very careful and exact, attentive to fine points of etiquette
The clerk was so punctilious in obeying court rules that I had to remind him why I was there.
16. Redoubtable (adj.) inspiring fear or awe; illustrious, eminent
As a ruler he was redoubtable, but, like all such rulers, he was not much loved.
17. Reprove (v.) to find fault with, scold, rebuke
She reproved her staff for having followed orders blindly.
18. Restitution (n.) the act of restoring someone or something to the rightful owner or to a former state or position; making good on a loss or damage
They made restitution for the damage to the car but never fully regained the friendship of its owner.
19. Stalwart (adj.) strong and sturdy; brave; resolute; (n.) a brave, strong person; a strong supporter; one who takes an uncompromising position
She became as stalwart on the basketball court as she was quick at mathematical puzzles.
The enemy had broken through our first line but was repulsed by the stalwarts defending the gates.
20. Vulnerable (adj.) open to attack; capable of being wounded or damaged; unprotected
Those brave enough to have opposed the dictator’s rise now found themselves in a vulnerable position.