Dowager- Widow who has right to property Turpitude- Corrupt practice Perspicacity- Keen Modicum- Small amount of something Vindictive- Revengeful Condone- To allow or excuse Subterfuge- A deceiving statement used to get what you want Recalcitrant- Stubborn and uncooperative with the authority Rapacious- Very greedy Venal- Related to bribery Antiquated- Old-fashioned, out-dated Laconic- Using few words[…]
Impish- Annoying or annoyingly playful Gaucho- Cowboy, masculine and adventurous Gist- The basic idea of something Imputation- An accusation of guild Chaste- Pure Errant- Wandering Fallacious- Misleading Phlegmatic- Stoic, showing little emotion Mellifluous- Softly flowing Magnanimity- Generosity Scrupulous- Moral, honest, sticking to rules Tenacious- Persistent, stubborn Bane- Cause of death or ruin Ardor- Intensity Dogged-[…]
Brood- Young of an animal Confer- Discuss/conference with Din- Noisy Disinter- To take out of original place Dole- To distribute out Ensconce- To settle in or to hide Forelock- Front of a horse’s mane Gambol- To play light heartedly Ignominious- Bringing shame Knoll- Hill Machination- Sneaky plot Maxim- A saying that is widely accepted Poultice-[…]
Dilettante- A person who is interested in something like the arts, but does not really know a lot about it. Recidivist- A criminal who repeats the offense Robust- Strong Plight- Suffering/Bad situation Complicity- Participating in a crime Arbor- Related to the earth or trees Eulogy- Tribute (+) for someone who died Felicity- Great happiness Felicitous- Pleasing/lucky[…]
Treacly- Sickeningly sweet or overly sentimental Fiasco- Big disaster Wayward- Disobedient Draught- Animal used for pulling heavy things Innate- Inner characteristic Brevity- Briefness Diurnal- Awake during the day (opposite of nocturnal) Polymorphous- Something that takes many forms Simian- Related to monkeys or apes Perservate- To repeat over and over/obsessively Kudos- Honor/glory Byzantine- Difficult to understand[…]
Constituency- The residents of a district (political) Debacle- A sudden, disastrous collapse, downfall Endorse- Approve, support Incumbent- Current office holder Partisan- One-sided; prejudiced; committed Abdicate- Renounce; give up Antiquated- Obsolete; outdated Bourgeois- Middle class; selfishly materialistic Caste- Hereditary social classes Emancipate- To set free Enterprising- Ready to undertake ambitious projects Expedite- To hasten the process[…]
Amalgam- Mixture of different elements; alloy Corrosion- Destruction by chemical action Dichotomy- Split; divided in two parts (often contradictory) Dispersion- Breaking up or scattering in various directions Dregs- Sediment; worthless residue Ferment- Breaking something down; civil unrest Hermetic- Sealed airtight Impermeable- Impervious; not permitting passage through Innate- Inborn; possessed as an essential characteristic Malleable- Capable[…]
Refractory- Rejecting authority Assiduous- Diligent Dejected- Depressed Indifferent- Apathetic; not caring one way or the other Conservation- Saving; not squandering or wasting a resource Husbandry- Cultivation of agriculture or Careful use of a resource Improvisation- Making it up as you go along Partisanship- Sticking to one side (political) Gruff- Rough in speech or manner[…]
Simian- Relating to monkeys or apes Lintel- Architectural support for a building or window Finial- Decorative element meant for honor Enclave- Isolated/separated group of people Bagatelle- A task or piece that is trivial, light, or non-essential Subordinate- Person under the authority of another Chauvinistic- Feeling superior because of race or gender Oblivious- Unaware, disconnected Hidebound-[…]
Vitriol- Hateful speech Amiable- Friendly Brazen- Too bold Circumspect- Cautious Despot- Ruler with total power Furtive- Secretive Infamy- Notorious (famous for bad reasons) Knell- Solemn sound of a bell Maverick- Independent-minded person Nominal- Insignificant Umbrage- Offense (to take offense at something) Wanton- Immoral, lustful Aver- To declare Corporeal- Tangible, material, not spiritual Disabuse- To correct[…]