Vocal 1-16

  1. Anachronism: Something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time; a chronological mistake

  2. Antipathy: A deep-seated feeling of dislike; a natural incompatibility 

  3. Circumambulate: To walk about or around, esp. ceremoniously

  4. Confluence: A coming or flowing together; a convergence of people, forces, or things

  5. Consummate: Complete in every detail; perfect; absolute

  6. Grandiloquent: Speaking or expressed in a lofty style, often to an excessive or showy degree

  7. Incontrovertible: Not capable of being denied, challenged or disputed

  8. Malediction: A bad word or a curse

  9. Misogyny: Hatred of women

  10. Multifarious: Made up of many different parts; having great variety or diversity

  11. Omnipresent: Being everywhere simultaneously

  12. Perspicacious: Having keen insight; mentally perceptive

  13. Punctilious: Strictly attentive to detail; precise; meticulous

  14. Verdant: Green in tint or hue

  15. Verisimilitude: The appearance of truth; resembling reality


  1. Cacophony: A harsh or discordant sound

  2. Dolorous: Full of, expressing, or causing pain or sorrow

  3. Equanimity: Mental or emotional stability, esp. under stress; composure

  4. Pandemonium: A wild uproar; a chaotic scene

  5. Sacrosanct: Extremely holy 
















  1. Aesthetic: Concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beautiful things

  2. Affable: Friendly, good-natured, and easy to talk to

  3. Alacrity: Cheerful readiness

  4. Auspicious: Favorable in the future

  5. Beatific: Blissfully happy; a feeling of blessedness 

  6. Blithe: Without thought or regard; happy to the point of recklessness

  7. Coiffure: A person’s hairstyle, especially an elaborate one

  8. Comely: Pleasant to look at; attractive

  9. Ebullient: Overflowing with enthusiasm; high-spirited

  10. Elan: Style; flair

  11. Lithe: (especially of a person's body) thin, supple, and graceful

  12. Pulchritude: Extraordinary physical beauty

  13. Quiescent: Quiet or still; tranquil and at rest

  14. Venerable: Profoundly honored; respected

  15. Winsome: Charming; sweet and engaging


  1. Couture: Fashionable, made-to-measure clothes (haute couture means “high fashion”)

  2. Jaunty: Spiffy and self-confident

  3. Salubrious: Health-giving

  4. Sanguine: Optimistic or positive, esp. in an apparently bad or difficult situation

  5. Unflappable: Not easily upset or rattled; exhibiting self-control


















  1. Abase: To humiliate or degrade

  2. Deleterious: Harmful or hazardous

  3. Enmity: Feeling openly hostile towards someone

  4. Ignominious: Deserving or causing public disgrace; shameful

  5. Flummoxed: Bewildered; extremely confused

  6. Gaunt: Extremely thin of body; emaciated from great hunger or torture

  7. Lachrymose: Suggestive of or tending to cause tears; mournful

  8. Languid: Lacking in spirit or interest; slack or slow

  9. Opprobrium: Public reproach; infamy

  10. Perturb: To annoy greatly; to agitate

  11. Pugnacious: Prone to fighting

  12. Turpitude: A vile or depraved character; depravity

  13. Vexed: Very irritated

  14. Wan: Of an unnatural or sickly color

  15. Wizened: Shriveled or wrinkled with age


  1. Chapfallen: Cast down in spirit; dejected

  2. Ennui: A feeling of utter weariness resulting from a lack of interest; extreme boredom

  3. Maudlin: Tearfully weak; foolishly sentimental

  4. Pusillanimous: Lacking courage or resolution; having a cowardly spirit

  5. Umbrage: A feeling of resentment at what is often a minor or imagined slight or offense


















  1. Anarchy: A state of lawlessness or chaos due to the absence of governmental authority

  2. Annex: To attach as a quality or condition; to add to something large (esp. geographically)

  3. Balkanize: To break up into smaller, often hostile units

  4. Bellicose: Inclined to start quarrels or wars

  5. Cabal: A secret faction

  6. Clout: Influence or power, esp. in politics or business

  7. Crony: A close friend or companion, esp. one who may be willing to behave dishonestly

  8. Demagogue: A political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires and prejudices rather than by using rational argument

  9. Despot: A ruler with absolute power, esp. one who wields power tyrannically 

  10. Emeritus: Retired, but retaining the title of the office held 

  11. Hegemony: Political or cultural dominance or authority over others

  12. Nepotism: The practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives or friends, esp. by giving them jobs

  13. Phalanx: A body of troops or police officers moving in close formation

  14. Putsch: A violent attempt to overthrow the government

  15. Venal: Open to corrupt influence; susceptible to bribery


  1. Defenestrate: To throw out of a window

  2. Draconian: Unusually severe or cruel, esp. as relates to laws

  3. Interregnum: A period when normal government is suspended, esp. between successive reigns or regimes

  4. Lionize: To treat as a celebrity

  5. Plenipotentiary: A person invested with the full power to act on behalf of the government or other authority













  1. Abscond: To leave hurriedly and secretly, typically to avoid detection of or arrest for an unlawful action

  2. Charlatan: One who pretends to possess knowledge that he or she lacks; a fraud

  3. Clandestine: Sneaky (like a spy)

  4. Cryptic: Possessing a secret or hidden meaning; mysterious

  5. Enshroud: To cover completely and hide from view

  6. Furtive: Sneaky (like a thief)

  7. Hoodwink: To deceive or trick someone

  8. Machinations: Schemes or crafty plans intended to accomplish some sinister end

  9. Mendacious: Given to lying

  10. Nefarious: Wicked or criminal in an underhanded manner

  11. Perfidious: Treacherous; deceitful

  12. Prevaricate: To speak or act in an evasive way; to lie by omission

  13. Sordid: Dirty or squalid in appearance or behavior

  14. Stygian: Extremely dark, gloomy, or foreboding  

  15. Surreptitious: Kept secret, esp. because it would not be approved of; taking pains to avoid being observed


  1. Prestidigitation: Sleight of hand (esp. in regards to magic)

  2. Scofflaw: A contemptuous law violator; a scoundrel 

  3. Schadenfreude: Laughing at others misfortunes

  4. Skullduggery: Dishonest proceedings; trickery

  5. Somnambulism: Sleep walking
















  1. Chatelaine: The mistress of an elegant or fashionable household

  2. Chimera: A horrible or unreal creature

  3. Dilettante: One who takes up multiple activities merely for the purpose of amusement

  4. Dirge: A funeral song

  5. Esoteric: Intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest

  6. Fete: A large, often outdoor party

  7. Hermetic: Unaffected by outside influence; sealed or airtight

  8. Luddite: One who opposes technological change

  9. Megalomania: Obsession with the exercise of power, especially in the domination of others

  10. Neophyte: A beginner; a new convert

  11. Palpable: Capable of being perceived, esp. of being touched or held

  12. Placebo: A substance that has no therapeutic effect, used as a control in testing new drugs; a measure designed merely to calm or please someone

  13. Pliable: Capable of being shaped or bent; susceptible to influence

  14. Plutocracy: Government controlled by the wealthy

  15. Recluse: One who lives in solitude, withdrawn from society


  1. Divest: To deprive of power or possessions; to cease to hold as an investment

  2. Envelop: To enclose or enfold completely; to surround

  3. Feckless: (of a person) without purpose; ineffectual and incompetent

  4. Liminal: Related to a transitional stage; occupying a position as a boundary or threshold

  5. Slapdash: Done in a hurried and careless manner















  1. Alchemy: The medieval forerunner of chemistry, based on the supposed transformation of matter, esp. in attempts to convert base metals into gold; any seemingly magical process of transformation or creation

  2. Appurtenance: An accessory or other item associated with a particular activity

  3. Avatar: A new personification of a familiar idea

  4. Boondoggle: Work of little or no value; a waste of time or money

  5. Bespoke: Custom-made or tailored

  6. Bellwether: An indicator of future trends; one who takes the lead in a movement and serves as a predictor of progress

  7. Diaphanous: Thin enough to allow light to pass through

  8. Fiasco: A complete disaster, esp. a humiliating or ludicrous one

  9. Flecked: Having a pattern of dots; spotted

  10. Menace: To act in a threatening manner, esp. through utterance or gesture

  11. Mendicant: One who lives by begging

  12. Minx: A bold, sassy, and shameless young woman

  13. Oblivion: A state of complete unconsciousness; the state of being completely forgotten, esp. by being reduced to a state of non-existence or nothingness

  14. Petrichor: The pleasing smell that often accompanies rain

  15. Quagmire: A situation from which extrication is difficult esp. an unpleasant or trying one

  16. Talisman: An object that is thought to have magic powers and to bring good luck

  17. Vainglorious: Excessively proud of oneself or one's achievements

  18. Vendetta: A blood feud; a prolonged and bitter battle against someone

  19. Watershed: An event or period that marks a historical turning point

  20. Zephyr: A gentle breeze















  1. Arboreal: Of or pertaining to trees

  2. Asinine: Extremely stupid or foolish (as might be compared to a donkey)

  3. Astral: Of or pertaining to stars

  4. Feral: Wild or fierce; untamed

  5. Florid: Excessively ornamented; related to flowers or flowery

  6. Lupine: Of or pertaining to wolves; wolflike

  7. Meretricious: Superficially attractive but having in reality no value or substance; falsely alluring

  8. Motley: Diverse and poorly organized; incongruous 

  9. Prosaic: Overly plain, simple, or commonplace, to the point of being boring; pertaining to prose

  10. Provincial: Not cosmopolitan or polished; exhibiting the countryfied manners of one from a province

  11. Sacerdotal: Of or pertaining to priests; priestly

  12. Serpentine: Curving in alternate directions; having the shape and form of a snake

  13. Terpsichorean: Of or pertaining to dancing

  14. Unctuous: Unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating in manner or speech; oily or greasy

  15. Ursine: Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of bears


  1. Avuncular: Relating to an uncle; resembling the stereotypical idea of an uncle in indulgence or kindness

  2. Crepuscular: Of or pertaining to twilight; dim

  3. Pedagogy: The profession of teaching; the strategies of instruction

  4. Sartorial: Of or related to the quality of dress

  5. Semantic: Related to meaning in language or logic; petty or trivial (of a statement or argument)












  1. Abstemious: Marked by restraint especially in the eating of food or drinking of alcohol

  2. Acrid: Sharp or harsh to the taste; bitterly angry

  3. Carouse: To drink plentiful amounts of alcohol and enjoy oneself with others in a noisy, lively way

  4. Convivial: Fond of feasting, drinking, and good company

  5. Corpulent: Having a large, bulky body; obese

  6. Gustatory: Related to eating or the sense of taste

  7. Hedonism: A way of life that stresses pleasure and self-indulgence over all else

  8. Masticate: To chew in a grinding fashion

  9. Noisome: Having an offensive smell; generally disagreeable or unpleasant

  10. Quaffable: Easy to drink, esp. in large quantities

  11. Saccharine: Excessively sweet or syrupy; sentimental to the point of ridiculousness

  12. Sundry: More than one or two; various or miscellaneous 

  13. Swill: (v.) To drink greedily in large quantities; (n) Any drink of inferior quality

  14. Trifle: A thing of little value or importance

  15. Voracious: Devouring great quantities of food; having a great appetite for anything


  1. Epicure: One with discriminating tastes in food and/or wine

  2. Nosh: A light meal or snack

  3. Peckish: Mildly hungry

  4. Slake: To satisfy or extinguish a thirst or other sensory desire

  5. Toothsome: Delicious or luscious 

















  1. Acolyte: One who helps with religious services; a devoted follower

  2. Agape: With the mouth open in a state of wonder or astonishment 

  3. Apocryphal: Of doubtful authorship

  4. Apotheosis: The elevation of a person to the rank of a god; one having no equal

  5. Cherubic: Possessed of a sweet nature or childlike innocence (esp. in terms of appearance)

  6. Hubris: Excessive pride or arrogance 

  7. Iconoclast: One who attacks traditional beliefs

  8. Incredulous: Not disposed or willing to believe

  9. Knell: The toll of a bell, esp. one signaling a death; a sign of the demise of something or someone 

  10. Magnanimous: Noble and generous in spirit

  11. Pastoral: Relating to the idyllic, rural life

  12. Penitent: Feeling or expressing remorse for misdeeds; repentant

  13. Pristine: Immaculately clean; uncorrupted

  14. Proselytize: To advertise one’s religious beliefs; to try to convert someone to one’s own faith

  15. Sanctimonious: Making a show of being morally superior to others; hypocritically pious


  1. Altruism: Unselfish concern for the welfare of others

  2. Agnostic: One who claims that humans can have no true knowledge about the existence of God; one who is doubtful or non-committal about something 

  3. Sacrilegious: Grossly disrespectful towards that which is sacred

  4. Serendipity: Unexpected good luck; finding good things without looking for them

  5. Vicissitudes: Changes in fortune; the ups and downs of life














  1. Aggrandize: To enhance the reputation of (someone) beyond what is justified by the facts

  2. Avarice: Extreme greed for wealth or material gain

  3. Capacious: Having a lot of space inside; roomy

  4. Contiguous: Touching, in contact

  5. Dearth: A total lack

  6. Desolate: (of a place) Deserted of people and in a state of bleak and dismal emptiness

  7. Garish: So bright or colorful as to be showy or tasteless

  8. Glut: An excessive amount

  9. Opulent: Extravagantly and lavishly rich 

  10. Paucity: A noticeable scarcity 

  11. Penury: Extreme poverty

  12. Permeated: Soaked through or spread throughout

  13. Prodigious: Extraordinary in size, extent, or degree

  14. Repository: A location for storage, often for safety or protection

  15. Spate: A large number of similar things or events appearing or occurring in quick succession


  1. Acme: The highest point; the summit

  2. Affluence: The state of being wealthy and maintaining a high standard of living

  3. Skinflint: A person who spends as little money as possible

  4. Superfluous: Unnecessary, esp. through being more than enough

  5. Ubiquitous: Widespread; unavoidable

















  1. Calumny: The making of false and defamatory statements in order to damage someone's reputation; slander

  2. Caveat: A warning, qualification, or exemption

  3. Drivel: Senseless talk; nonsense

  4. Garrulous: Excessively or tirelessly talkative; rambling

  5. Gregarious: Describing one who enjoys being in crowds; sociable

  6. Interlocutor: A person who takes part in a dialogue or conversation

  7. Laconic: Using as few words as possible; saying much in few words

  8. Loquacious: Talkative; chatty

  9. Naysayer: One who habitually doubts or disagrees

  10. Parlance: A particular manner of speech, esp. a way common to those with a particular job or interest

  11. Platitude: An often-quoted saying that is supposed to be meaningful, but has become unoriginal through overuse; a cliche

  12. Polemic: An aggressive rhetorical attack on the opinions or principles of another

  13. Prattle: To speak incessantly in a childish manner; to babble

  14. Raconteur: A gifted storyteller

  15. Tome: A large, scholarly book


  1. Badinage: Humorous or witty conversation; banter

  2. Ineffable: Incapable of being expressed; forbidden from being uttered

  3. Innuendo: An indirect (and usually malicious) insinuation or hint

  4. Intimate: To discreetly suggest

  5. Sesquipedalian: Given to using long words















  1. Capricious: Impulsive or unpredictable; determined by chance or whim

  2. Dynamic: Characterized by change, activity, or progress; powerful and energetic

  3. Ephemeral: Something that lasts for a very short period of time

  4. Expatriate: (n.) A person who is voluntarily absent from home or country; (v.) One who moves away from his/her native country and adopts residence abroad

  5. Foray: A brief excursion or attempt, esp. outside of one’s usual areas of competence

  6. Gambit: A strategic maneuver; (in chess, a move in which a pawn is sacrificed in order to gain a larger advantage)

  7. Gesticulation: A deliberate, vigorous gesture often to enforce a point

  8. Intrepid: Fearless, esp. in the face of adventure

  9. Malleable: Easily influenced; capable of being bent or shaped

  10. Mercurial: Given to sudden and sometimes volatile changes

  11. Pariah: An outcast

  12. Protean: Able to take different forms and shapes; versatile

  13. Quixotic: Caught up in the romance of noble deeds; idealistic and unrealistic

  14. Riposte: A counterattack; a quick return in speech or action

  15. Sojourn: Short stay or visit


  1. Diaspora: The dispersion of any people from their original homeland

  2. Wanderlust: An irresistible urge to travel

  3. Segue: An uninterrupted transition

  4. Sherpa: A guide or porter (particularly a male of the Sherpa who are famous for their skill as mountaineers)

  5. Unfettered: Unrestrained or uninhibited 















  1. Bloviate: To talk at length, esp. in a bloated or inflated way

  2. Caterwaul: To howl or screech in long wailing cries 

  3. Conflagration: A large, destructive fire

  4. Deliquesce: To dissolve or melt away

  5. Discord: Lack of agreement or harmony

  6. Enervate: To deprive of energy

  7. Galvanize: To excite (someone) into taking action

  8. Indefatigable: Incapable of being tired out

  9. Melee: A confused fight or skirmish

  10. Miasma: An atmosphere that tends to deplete or corrupt

  11. Obstreperous: Noisily and stubbornly defiant

  12. Phlegmatic: Showing little emotion; apathetic

  13. Scurrilous: Course, vulgar, or abusive in regards to language

  14. Torpid: Slow, as if in a condition of suspended animation

  15. Welter: (n.) a confused jumble of things (v.) to toss or roll around, as with waves


  1. Attrition: A wearing down to weaken or destroy

  2. Dulcet: Sweet and pleasing to the ear (often used sarcastically)

  3. Moxie: Nerve; vigor

  4. Pique: (n.) A feeling of wounded pride; (v.) to stimulate (as with interest or curiosity)

  5. Salvo: A rapid, simultaneous discharge of weapons; a collective outburst


















  1. Aphrodisiac: Arousing sexual desire

  2. Coquettish: Lightheartedly flirtatious (esp. of a woman)

  3. Dalliance: Engagement in an activity that only lasts for a brief period of time; an affair

  4. Disclose: To make known, often in terms of a secret 

  5. Lothario: A man who behaves selfishly and disrespectfully in his relationships with women

  6. Panacea: A cure for all ills or difficulties

  7. Peccadillo: A minor sin or offense

  8. Prurient: Having an excessive interest in sexual matters

  9. Resplendent: Shining brightly; full of splendor; dazzling

  10. Scintilla: A spark or trace

  11. Spat: A brief, petty quarrel

  12. Solace: Comfort or consolation in a time of loneliness or distress

  13. Supine: Lying on one’s back

  14. Unalloyed: Pure, complete, and unreserved

  15. Wanton: Deliberate and unprovoked OR sexually promiscuous


  1. Moonstruck: Unable to think or act normally, esp. because of being in love

  2. Paramour: A person one is having a romantic relationship with but is not married to

  3. Prepossessing: Tending to attract favor, esteem, or love

  4. Rakish: Dashingly careless or unconventional

  5. Yearn: To have a longing desire for someone or something


  1. Anathema: Something that one absolutely cannot stand 

  2. Apoplectic: Filled with rage to the point of being unable to communicate

  3. Cantankerous: Stubbornly obstructive and unwilling to cooperate

  4. Chastise: To severely criticize

  5. Churlish: Having a rude disposition; surly

  6. Decry: To publicly denounce

  7. Egregious: Obviously offensive

  8. Facile: (Especially of a theory or argument) appearing neat and comprehensive only by ignoring the true complexities of an issue; superficial

  9. Gauche: Awkward or lacking in social graces; bumbling; tacky

  10. Hackneyed: Overfamiliar through overuse

  11. Insipid: Lacking importance or impact

  12. Obtuse: Slow to learn or understand; unintelligent

  13. Patronizing: Condescending; affecting an arrogantly superior stance

  14. Troglodyte: A caveman; a primitive individual

  15. Vapid: Lacking spirit or zest


  1. Insubordination: Defiance of authority; refusal to obey orders

  2. Myopic: Nearsighted; lacking insight

  3. Sophomoric: Lacking in maturity or judgment

  4. Supercilious: Having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy

  5. Sycophant: A person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage