MCAT Vocabulary - The Complete Vocabulary List

abate: reduce in amount, degree, or intensity; lessen

abbreviate: make (a word, phrase, or text) shorter

abbreviation: 1. a shortened form of a name, phrase or word 2. the act of shortening something

abdicate: 1. leave or give up a throne, right, power, claim, responsibility, or the like, especially in a formal manner; abandon, lay down, or withdraw from 2. fail to do what is required by (a responsibility or duty)

aberrant: different from the right, normal, usual course, expected course or an accepted standard

aberration: a departure from what is right, true, correct, etc., typically an unwelcome one

abeyance: 1. a temporary stoppage or delay of activity 2. suspension

abhor: regard with extreme dislike and hatred

abjure: 1. to officially renounce 2. to formally and publicly announce that one no longer believes in something

abolition: 1. the act of getting rid of something 2. the act of stopping or cancelling something

abortive: 1. failed 2. unfinished and therefore unsuccessful 3. imperfect

abridge: 1. to make something shorter while keeping the same meaning 2. to condense 3. to reduce

abrogate: 1. to officially put an end to something, especially a law or another type of formal agreement

abscond: leave or escape from a place hurriedly or secretly, typically to avoid detection of, capture, legal prosecution or arrest for an unlawful action

absolution: 1. giving forgiveness; freeing from blame or fault, especially when referring to religious issues

abstain: deliberately choose not to do or have something that is enjoyable but that may not be healthy, safe, or morally right 2. refrain from voting

abstemious: 1. moderation when consuming something one enjoys, such as alcohol or food 2. showing restraint

abstruse: difficult to understand, especially because of being extremely complex

absurdity: 1. the state or quality of being totally ridiculous or absurd 2. nonsense

accede: 1. to formally take on official duties 2. to agree; to give consent 3. to do what someone else says

accolade: 1. an award 2. a declaration of praise, approval, or admiration

accost: approach and speak to (someone) often in an angry, aggressive, or unwanted way, as with a demand or request

accrue: 1. to accumulate over a long period of time 2. to increase 3. to grow in a slow way

accumulate: 1. to collect or gather 2. to amass 3. to increase in quantity or amount

acquiesce: 1. to agree to something reticently but without protesting

acrophobia: 1. a strong or abnormal fear of heights

acuity: 1. acuteness or sharpness, especially of thought, vision or perception

acumen: the ability to think clearly, make good judgments and take quick decision in a particular subject, such as business or politics

adept: highly skilled or proficient at doing something; expert

adroit: very clever or skillful in a physical or mental way

adulation: excessive admiration, praise, or flattery

adumbrate: 1. to give hints or vague information about something that is going to happen in the future 2. to foretell 3. to obscure

affable: 1. kind or friendly 2. warm and open to others

affect: 1. to impact someone emotionally or mentally 2. to produce a change in

aggrandize: 1. increase the scope of 2. make great or greater 3. increase or enhance the power, status, position, reputation or wealth of

aggregate: 1. to collect or bring together 2. to add amounts together

alacrity: a cheerful readiness, promptness, or willingness to do something

alchemy: 1. a type of chemistry from the Medieval age which focused on two major tasks: turning ordinary metals into gold and developing an elixir that allows people to stay young forever 2. magical powers of transformation or creation

allay: 1. to calm or to lessen negative feelings or pain 2. to pacify 3. to alleviate or relieve

allocate: divide and give out (something) for a particular purpose

altruistic: unselfishly concerned for or devoted to the welfare of others

amalgamate: mix, merge, combine or unite to form one thing

amass: 1. to gather or collect goods of any kind over a long period of time 2. to accumulate

ambiguity: 1. the state of being unclear, inexact and open to more than one possible interpretation 2. doubtfulness

ambiguous: 1. not expressed or understood clearly 2. open to or having several possible meanings or interpretations

ambivalence: 1. the state of having simultaneous contradicting feelings towards an someone or something 2. uncertainty 3. fluctuation

ambulatory: 1. able to walk 2. mobile and able to move from one place to another 3. moving and not stationary

ameliorate: 1. to improve 2. to make better 3. to make tolerable

amenable: 1. ready or willing to answer, act, agree, or yield 2. responsible or answerable

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amiable: pleasant and friendly; good-natured and likable

amicable: characterized by or exhibiting friendliness or goodwill, often despite a difficult situation

amity: 1. a positive or friendly relationship 2. a peaceful relationship, especially when referring to two or more nations or specific groups

amorphous: 1. without a defined shape or form 2. unorganized 3. missing a clear structure

anachronistic: 1. something or someone that is not in its correct chronological, proper, or historical order 2. something that is or seems to be no longer suitable for or relevant to modern times

analgesic: 1. a medication that is used to relieve pain without causing the patient to lose consciousness

analogous: 1. similar to 2. alike or related in a way that allows analogies to be drawn

anathema: 1. a malediction or a curse 2. something or someone that is considered to be cursed 3. someone or something that is greatly disliked

anomalous: deviating from or inconsistent with what is standard, normal, or expected

anomaly: 1. something strange or different from what is considered to be normal 2. unusual or unexpected 3. irregularity

antagonism: 1. unfriendliness or opposition 2. a strong feeling of dislike or hatred towards someone

antagonist: a person who opposes to, struggles against, or competes with someone or something, especially in combat; adversary; opponent

antediluvian: 1. of or belonging to the time before the biblical Flood 2. a very old or old-fashioned person or thing

anthology: 1. a book that contains many different selections, often from various authors 2. a collection of music or different works of art

antipathy: a strong feeling of intense aversion, dislike, or hostility

apathetic: feeling or showing little or no interest, enthusiasm, or concern, especially over something important

apathy: 1. uninterested and not energetic behavior 2. lack of interest 3. lack of concern

apocryphal: 1. something that is quite possibly untrue or is of doubtful authenticity, despite the fact that many people believe it to be true

append: 1. to attach something; to affix 2. to add something to a written work such as a letter or a book

apprehensive: 1. worried about something that is going to occur in the future 2. quick to understand

approbation: 1. approval, which is often given warmly or officially 2. accolade

approximate: 1. to come close to something 2. to be similar to something 3. to get near

arable: 1. land which is suitable for growing crops

arcane: known or understood by only a few; secret or mysterious

archaic: 1. antiquated 2. belonging to a time in the past 3. old-fashioned

archetype: 1. a perfect example or model for something 2. a prototype 3. the original pattern or model

archives: 1. a group of documents with some sort of historical or informational value 2. the place where these documents are kept

arrogate: 1. to appropriate or take ownership of something without the power or right to do so 2. to claim something in a way that is illegal or unfair

artifice: 1. clever skills or behavior that are often used to trick others 2. craftiness 3. ingenuity 4. trickery

artisan: 1. a craftsman 2. a worker who has a specific skill and is able to make things by hand 3. a company or person that produces small batches of high quality goods

ascendancy: the advantage, power, or influence that one person or group has over another; supremacy; domination

ascetic: avoiding physical pleasures and living a simple and severe self-disciplined life, typically for religious reasons

assail: physically attack or severely criticize (someone or something) in a violent or angry way

assiduous: showing hard work, great care, and attention to detail; diligent

assuage: 1. make less intense or severe 2. appease or satisfy

assume: 1. to believe that something is true without proof 2. to take on a role or responsibility 3. to adopt an idea

atrophy: 1. (of body tissue or a part of the body) a wasting or decrease in size because of disease, injury, or lack of use 2. gradual degeneration, decline, or decrease in effectiveness or vigor due to underuse or neglect

attenuate: reduce the strength, effect, density, amount, or size of something

attribute: 1. a trait or quality 2. a characteristic

audacious: extremely bold or daring, despite difficulties, risks, or the negative attitudes of other people

augment: 1. to increase something in size, quantity or value 2. to enlarge 3. to enhance

August: impressive; majestic; inspiring awe or admiration

auspicious: 1. showing signs or suggesting that a positive and successful future is likely 2. favored by fortune; prosperous; fortunate

austere: 1. strict or cold in one's behavior or appearance 2. serious 3. plain and lacking adornment, decoration or luxury

autocrat: 1. a ruler with absolute power; dictator; despot 2. someone who demands that people completely obey them

automaton: a self-operating machine or mechanism, especially a robot

avarice: extreme greed to get or keep money or possessions; cupidity

aver: 1. say (something) in a very strong and determined way 2. declare in a positive or confident manner

balk: 1. to stop suddenly and refuse to continue 2. to hinder or obstruct 3. to hesitate 4. to stubbornly refuse or to be unwilling to continue or let something happen

banal: boring, ordinary, or not interesting because it contains nothing new, original, or unusual

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barrage: 1. a concentrated artillery bombardment to protect one's own advancing or retreating or to stop the advance of enemy troops 2. an artificial barrier across a river or estuary to increase the depth of the water, prevent flooding, facilitate irrigation, etc

befuddle: 1. to completely confuse someone 2. to perplex

beguile: 1. to trick someone, convincing them to do something 2. to charm someone 3. to mislead

beleaguer: 1. to harass or create trouble for 2. to besiege or surround a place, person or group with troops

belie: 1. give a false representation to; disguise or misrepresent 2. show to be false; contradict; prove false

bellicose: 1. hostile 2. aggressive and willing to fight 3. fond of arguing or fighting 4. quarrelsome

belligerent: inclined or eager to fight or argue; hostile and aggressive

bemoan: 1. to complain about something 2. to show or express disapproval of 3. to show or express grief over; to lament

benign: 1. not harmful 2. displaying kindness or gentleness 3. beneficial

bequeath: 1. leave or give (personal property) by will 2. pass (something) on to another; hand down

berate: scold or criticize (someone) angrily

bestial: 1. similar to or related to animals or beasts 2. brutal; showing traits that are not human 3. cruel

bigot: 1. a person who is intolerant of views other than his or her own 2. a person with a closed-mind

billowing: 1. moving in a way that looks like a wave 2. surging, swelling, or rolling

blandishment: a flattering or pleasing statement, speech, or action intended to flatter, coax, entice someone gently into doing something

blighted: 1. suffering from a disease 2. anything that destroys, prevents growth, or causes devaluation

blithe: 1. happy or joyous 2. carefree 3. casual and not worried about the possible negative consequences of one's actions

boisterous: 1. noisy, energetic, and lacking in restraint or discipline 2. (of waves, weather, wind, etc.) wild or stormy

bolster: 1. a long, narrow cushion or pillow 2. support or reinforce; strengthen

bombastic: (of speech, writing, etc.) high-sounding but with little meaning, usually intended to impress people; inflated; pretentious

boorish: rude and bad-mannered; of or like a boor; insensitive; awkward

broach: 1. to start to discuss a difficult or otherwise uncomfortable subject 2. to talk about a difficult subject for the first time

brusque: a very direct, brief, and unfriendly way in speech or manner

bulwark: 1. something or someone which protects one from negative, dangerous or unpleasant things or gives support and encouragement in bad situations 2. a wall built for defense

buoyant: 1. able to float 2. cheerful and optimistic

burgeon: 1. grow, increase, expand or develop quickly 2. begin to grow or blossom (as buds or branches)

burnish: 1. to make something brilliant or shiny by rubbing it 2. to polish

buttress: 1. a structure, usually made of brick or stone, built against a wall for support or strengthen it 2. a source of defense or support 3. something that resembles a buttress

cacophonous: involving or producing a harsh, discordant, and unpleasant mixture of loud sounds

cajole: persuade by flattery or promises; wheedle; coax

caldron: 1. a large kettle or pot that is made of metal and is often hung over a fire in order to heat its contents

callow: 1. inexperienced, immature or young 2. lacking experience or judgment; not experienced in life 3. lacking feathers

calumny: 1. slander 2. a statement that is false, which is often made with malicious intent, looking to damage someone's reputation

canny: careful, shrewd, and having good judgment, especially in money or business matters

cantankerous: bad-tempered, quarrelsome, and often angry and annoyed

capable: 1. able to do something 2. quite good at a certain task; skilled

capacious: capable of containing a large quantity easily; spacious; roomy

capitulate: 1. surrender unconditionally or on stipulated terms 2. give up all resistance, usually because they are stronger than you

capricious: suddenly and unexpectedly changing mood or behavior without any good reason; impulsive and unpredictable

carping: 1. marked by excessive complaining or fault finding 2. critical or fault-finding 3. difficult to please

cartographer: 1. a person who designs, draws or otherwise makes charts and maps

castigate: criticize someone or something severely

catalyst: 1. (Chemistry) a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction 2. somebody, something or an event that quickly causes change or action

catharsis: 1. a purging or cleansing of any part of the human body 2. a release of strong feelings or emotional tensions, especially through art

caustic: 1. capable of burning, corroding, destroying, or eating away by chemical action 2. severely critical or sarcastic, often in a funny or clever way

cavalcade: 1. a ceremonial procession of people, horses or vehicles 2. a series of related things or events

celerity: 1. speed or rapidity 2. swiftness or quickness

censorious: often criticizing other people or ideas, and wanting to find faults in them; highly critical

censure: strong criticism or disapproval of (someone or something), especially in a formal statement

certitude: 1. certainty or freedom from doubt 2. a feeling of confidence 3. a fact that someone is absolutely certain is true

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chagrin: a feeling of being very annoyed, disappointed, or embarrassed because of failure, disappointment, or humiliation

chary: 1. cautious about taking risks or acting 2. choosy or sparing

chastise: 1. punish, especially by beating 2. scold or criticize someone severely for doing something wrong

chicanery: the use of clever, unfair, or dishonest methods to achieve a political, financial, or legal purpose

chide: 1. express mild disapproval of (someone) 2. scold mildly so as to correct or improve; reprimand

chimerical: 1. imagined or totally unrealistic 2. something conceived by a wild imagination

choleric: 1. hot-tempered and easily angered 2. prone to become angry quickly and/or easily

churlish: 1. rude, unfriendly, and unpleasant 2. difficult to work with or deal with

circuitous: 1. (of a route or journey) longer than it needs to be because it is not direct 2. not straight, short, and direct

circumlocution: 1. an indirect or roundabout way of expressing an idea 2. language that is wordier than it needs to be 3. using many words to express an idea that could easily be explained using less words

circumscribe: 1. draw a line around; encircle 2. restrict something such as power, rights, or opportunities within limits

circumspect: 1. prudent or careful about taking risks 2. cautious and wary about the outcome of an action

circumvent: 1. surround or circle around (an enemy, for example); enclose or entrap 2. avoid (defeat, failure, unpleasantness, etc.), especially cleverly or illegally 3. go around or bypass

clandestine: kept or done secretly and often illegal

classic: 1. typical; traditional; famous 2. extraordinarily good 3. timeless; considered to be good or exceptional over a long period of time

classical: 1. relating to ancient cultures 2. respecting tradition or the original way of doing things 3. traditional

coalesce: 1. grow together or into one body 2. unite or merge into a single body, group, or mass

coerce: 1. to convince someone to do something by threatening them or using force 2. to use force to get something

cogent: 1. an argument that is structured in such a way that makes it easily believable 2. something convincing 3. a logical argument

cogitate: 1. to meditate 2. to think deeply or carefully about something 3. to ponder 4. to ruminate

coherence: 1. a logical ordering of things 2. consistency 3. the state of being logical

coincide: 1. to happen at the same time 2. to be present at the same time and place 3. to agree with or be in agreement

collage: 1. a work of art made from scraps or pieces of other objects that are put onto a flat surface

collate: 1. to put pages into a logical or correct order 2. to examine and compare two or more written works

colloquial: 1. not formal 2. familiar and conversational 3. informal

collusion: 1. a conspiracy 2. secret cooperation or activities for illegal or fraudulent purposes

commandeer: 1. to seize control of something via force 2. to take control of something for military purposes 3. to confiscate

compatible: 1. able to exist in harmony 2. well-suited 3. capable of being mixed

compile: 1. to gather things together 2. to put things together in a logical or orderly form

complacency: a feeling of contentment or self-satisfaction with your own abilities or situation that prevents you from trying harder, often while unaware of some potential danger, defect, or the like

complaisant: 1. willing or eager to please other people 2. cheerfully obliging 3. agreeable

compliant: 1. complying, obliging, or yielding, especially to an excessive degree 2. meeting or in accordance with a set of rules, standards, or requirements

concise: 1. expressed in few words 2. clear and succinct 3. brief yet clear

concomitant: 1. something that is connected to something else, often occurring at the same time 2. something associated with another thing

concurrent: 1. contemporary 2. happening or existing at the same time 3. simultaneous

condescend: 1. to submit or to do something that one considers to be below oneself 2. to be patronizing

conflagration: a large destructive fire that causes a lot of land or property damage; large-scale military conflict

confluence: 1. a place where two rivers or streams join to become one 2. a coming together of people or things

conformity: 1. agreement or compliance with a particular subject or issue 2. behavior that displays compliance with socially accepted rules or norms

confound: 1. to surprise or confuse someone 2. to mix something up 3. to refute 4. to bewilder

congenial: 1. (of a person) agreeable, suitable, or pleasing in nature or character 2. (of a thing) pleasant or agreeable because suited to or adapted in one's spirit, feeling, temper, etc.; compatible

congenital: 1. present since birth 2. inherent 3. inborn

connoisseur: 1. an expert or a specialist in a certain matter 2. a discerning judge 3. an expert about a certain subject like food or art

consternation: a feeling of worry, shock, or confusion, often caused when something unexpected happens

constrain: 1. to keep back; to confine 2. to restrain; to limit 3. to force; to oblige

contemporary: 1. from or existing in the same time period 2. modern

contemptible: very bad and deserving no respect

contentious: 1. tending to argue or quarrel; quarrelsome 2. causing, involving, or characterized by argument or controversy

contusion: 1. a bruise 2. an injury that doesn't cut one's skin

convivial: 1. (of an atmosphere or event) friendly, lively, and making you feel happy and welcome; festive 2. (of a person) cheerful and friendly; jovial 3. fond of eating, drinking, and good company; sociable; jovial

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copious: large in quantity or number; affording ample supply; abundant; plentiful

corpulent: 1. overweight 2. fat 3. physically large

corrugated: 1. wrinkled; creased 2. possessing parallel ridges or folds 3. furrowed

covert: 1. secretive or not openly shown 2. hidden; concealed 3. veiled

craven: 1. contemptibly lacking in courage; cowardly 2. a cowardly person

credulity: a tendency to be too ready to believe that something is real or true, especially without proper or adequate evidence; lack of doubt

credulous: 1. gullible or easily deceived 2. overly willing to believe what one sees or hears 3. easily tricked or convinced

cringe: 1. to move away from something or someone suddenly because you are surprised, afraid or embarrassed

cupidity: 1. avarice 2. a strong or excessive desire for possessions or wealth

cursory: quick and probably not detailed

curtail: 1. to reduce or shorten something 2. to establish a limit on something 3. to abridge

cynical: 1. displaying a belief that people only act in self-interested ways 2. pessimistic or skeptical 3. distrustful of humans or human nature 4. contemptuous or condescending

dauntless: showing fearlessness and determination

debase: 1. to degrade 2. to adulterate 3. to reduce in quality or value 4. to humiliate

debilitate: 1. make (someone or something) weak 2. reduce the strength of (someone or something)

debunk: expose or ridicule (an idea, belief, claim, etc.) as being pretentious, false, or exaggerated

decimate: 1. destroy, kill, or remove a large number or proportion of (a group) 2. reduce, damage, or destroy the strength or effectiveness of something severely 3. select by lot and kill every tenth one of

decorum: 1. appropriateness and good taste in behavior, speech, dress, etc. 2. etiquette 3. (often used in plural) decorums: the conventions or requirements of polite behavior

decry: 1. to openly express displeasure or disagreement with 2. to condemn

deference: respectful submission to someone or something

deferential: 1. considerate 2. respectful towards one's elders or superiors 3. polite

defile: 1. to spoil something by making it less pure; to corrupt 2. to pollute or make something dirty

defoliate: 1. to promote leaf loss on a plant, often by using chemicals 2. to make a plant or tree lose its leaves, often for agricultural or military reasons

defunct: 1. no longer in existence 2. dead 3. extinct

deleterious: 1. damaging or harmful 2. injurious to health

delineate: 1. describe or portray (something) clearly and precisely 2. draw or trace the outline of; sketch or trace in outline

demagogue: a person, especially an orator or political leader, who gains power and popularity by appealing to emotion, passions, prejudice, etc. rather than by using rational argument in order to win them over quickly and so gain power

demur: 1. to hesitate because you have doubts or object to something 2. to refuse to do something 3. to voice opposition

demure: (especially of a woman or her behavior) reserved, modest, shy, and well behaved

demystify: make (a difficult subject, mystery, or mystique from) clearer and easier to understand, especially by explaining it clearly

denigrate: 1. criticize in a derogatory and often unfair manner; defame 2. make (something) seem less important or valuable; belittle

denounce: 1. to condemn or accuse something or someone, often in a formal manner 2. to strongly and publicly criticize someone or something

deplete: 1. to cause a great reduction in the fullness or size of 2. to use up 3. to decrease the number of something

depose: 1. remove someone important from office or a position of power suddenly and forcefully 2. testify or affirm under oath, especially in a written statement

depravity: behavior that is immoral or evil; wickedness

deprecate: 1. criticize or express disapproval of (someone or something) 2. depreciate; belittle

depredation: 1. a predatory attack 2. an act of attacking, plundering, or preying upon

deride: speak of or write about (someone or something) in a way that shows you think they are stupid, unimportant, or useless; make fun of; ridicule

derivative: 1. developed from, based on, influenced by, or copied something else; derived 2. copied or adapted from others; not original; secondary

descry: 1. see (something unclear or distant) by looking carefully 2. discover by looking carefully

desecrate: 1. to pollute something with violence or spoil something, especially in reference to holy places

desiccate: dry (something, especially food) out thoroughly, typically in order to preserve it

desist: 1. to cease or to stop 2. to abstain from doing something

despondent: very sad and with no enthusiasm from loss of hope or courage; dejected

despot: 1. a ruler or other person with absolute, unlimited power, typically one who uses that power in cruel and unfair ways; autocrat 2. any tyrant or oppressor

destitute: 1. extremely poor and lacking money, food, a home, or possessions 2. (often followed by of) destitute of: deprived of, devoid of, or lacking

deter: 1. to discourage or keep someone from doing something 2. to make someone decide not to do something by making them fear the consequences or repercussions

deterrent: something that discourages; tending to deter

detrimental: 1. causing damage or injury 2. harmful

deviate: 1. to stray from the established course or standards 2. to digress

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dexterous: 1. skillful in the use of one's hands 2. possessing great mental skill; clever

differentiate: 1. to determine or recognize the difference between two or more things; to distinguish 2. to make one thing unlike another

diffident: modest or shy because of a lack of self-confidence in one's own ability, worth, or fitness

diffuse: 1. pour out and cause to spread freely, as a fluid 2. spread or scatter over a wide area widely or thinly; disseminate; dispersed; not concentrated in one area 3. spread among a large group of people 4. cause (light) to spread evenly to reduce glare

digress: leave or move away from the main subject being discussed temporarily in talking or writing

digression: a temporary departure from the main subject, especially in speech or writing

diligent: steady, hard-working, and careful in one's work or duties; industrious; painstaking

diminutive: extremely or unusually short or small in size; much smaller than ordinary or average; very small; little; tiny

dirge: 1. a funeral song or march 2. a slow and sad song that expresses grief and/or mourning

discern: 1. see, recognize, find out, or understand something that is far away or not very clear 2. perceive or recognize (someone or something) with difficulty by the sight or some other sense 3. come to know, recognize, or distinguish mentally

discomfit: make (someone) feel uneasy, embarrassed, uncomfortable, or confused, especially mentally

discrepancy: 1. a difference or variation between things that should be identical 2. inconsistency 3. disagreement

discrete: 1. distinct 2. separate 3. not continuous

discretion: 1. the ability to judge people or situations wisely and make the right choices 2. the ability to behave in a way that does not cause offense

discursive: 1. prone to straying from the main subject of a conversation or a lesson 2. rambling or superficially covering a wide range of topics

disdain: the feeling of not liking someone or something and thinking that they are not important and do not deserve any interest, respect, notice, response, etc.

disingenuous: 1. not straightforward; not candid or frank; insincere 2. slyly deceptive or misleading, typically by pretending that one knows less about something than one really does

disinterested: 1. impartial; not influenced by opinion, prejudice, etc.; free from bias 2. uninterested; indifferent

disparage: 1. speak of in a slighting or disrespectful way; belittle 2. lower in rank or reputation

disparity: 1. a large difference between two or more things 2. inequality 3. incongruity

dispassionate: not influenced or affected by passion, emotion, or bias

dispel: 1. make (a doubt, fear, belief, feeling, or idea) go away or end, usually by proving them wrong or unnecessary 2. drive away or off in various directions; disperse; dissipate

disputatious: inclined to dispute; fond of arguing; argumentative; contentious

disquiet: 1. a feeling of worry, unease, or nervous; impatient; restless; uneasy 2. make anxious, uneasy, or restless; disturb

dissemble: 1. hide your true feelings, opinions, motives, beliefs, etc. 2. hide under a false appearance; feign

disseminate: 1. spread (something, especially news, information, ideas, etc.) widely 2. scatter widely, as in sowing seed

diurnal: 1. daily; happening every day 2. done during the daytime or related to daytime

divulge: make (something private, secret, or previously unknown) known to public; disclose; reveal

dogmatic: an authoritative, arrogant assertion of unproved or unprovable principles as if they are certainly correct and cannot be doubted

dolt: 1. an idiot or stupid person 2. a dunce

drawl: 1. slow or lazy speech that is marked by the prolongation of vowel sounds

droll: 1. strange yet amusing 2. curious in a funny way

dupe: 1. deceive (an unwary person) by trickery; fool or cheat 2. an easily deceived person

ebullient: cheerful, lively, and showing excitement; overflowing with enthusiasm or excitement

eclectic: 1. selecting or choosing from various sources, systems, or styles 2. made up of or combining elements from a variety of sources

edifice: 1. a building or structure that is large and impressive 2. any sort of well-established system

efface: 1. cause to disappear by rubbing out or wiping out; erase 2. cause (something) to fade or disappear

efficacy: the ability or power to produce desired result or effect

effigy: 1. a sculpture or monument of a person 2. a poorly made dummy that looks like or represents a person and is most often used in protest or ridicule

effrontery: 1. presumptuousness without the ability to see that one's behavior is unacceptable 2. shamelessly bold behavior

effusive: 1. expressing pleasure or gratitude in an unrestrained manner; gushy 2. overflowing 3. exuberant

egress: 1. the act of leaving a place 2. an exit or way of leaving a location 3. permission or the right to leave

elated: 1. very happy and excited; exultantly proud and joyful; overjoyed 2. make very proud, happy, or joyful

elicit: 1. evoke or draw out (a response, information, etc.) from someone 2. draw out or entice forth; bring to light

elucidate: make clear, plain, or easy to understand, especially by explanation or giving more information; clarify; explain

elude: 1. avoid or escape from (a danger, enemy, or pursuer) by quickness, cunning, etc.; evade 2. fail to be understood or remembered by (someone) 3. fail to be achieved by (someone)

elusive: 1. difficult to describe, find, catch, achieve, understand, or remember 2. cleverly or skillfully evasive

emaciated: 1. extremely thin due to great hunger or illness

emancipate: 1. to liberate someone or something 2. to free someone or something from bondage or control 3. to grant freedom and rights to someone

embezzle: 1. to secretly take money for your own use from someone who trusts you 2. to defraud

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emollient: having the quality of softening, soothing, relaxing, or less painful, especially to the skin

empathy: the ability to understand and share the feelings, thoughts, attitudes, experiences, and emotions of another

empirical: relying on or derived from observation or experiment rather than theory or pure logic

emulate: try to equal or excel (someone or something you admire), typically by imitation

encomium: a speech or piece of writing that expresses glowing and warmly enthusiastic praise

encompass: 1. form a circle or ring around; encircle; surround 2. include different types of people or things; include comprehensively; contain 3. enclose; envelop

endemic: 1. very common, prevalent in, or peculiar to a particular locality, region, or people 2. native

enervate: 1. deprive (someone) of physical, mental, or moral energy or vitality 2. weaken

enfranchise: 1. to give a group of people or a person specific rights, especially the right to vote 2. to free from bondage

engender: produce, cause, or give rise to (a feeling, situation, or condition)

enhance: intensify, increase, or improve the quality, amount, extent, or strength of something, as in cost, value, attractiveness, effectiveness, etc.

enmity: 1. animosity 2. hatred 3. ill-will towards others 4. a deep-seated dislike of another person

ensconce: 1. to make oneself comfortable or safe; to settle 2. to conceal something

enumerate: 1. name (a number of things in a series or list) separately, one by one 2. determine the number of; count

ephemeral: lasting for only a very short time

epicure: 1. a gourmet 2. someone who enjoys good food and wine and has refined tastes

epistle: 1. a missive; a long and formal letter 2. a literary work, such as a novel or a poem, that takes the form of a series of many letters

epistolary: 1. conducted by letters; written in letter form 2. associated with letters or the writing of letters

epitome: 1. a person or thing that is a representative or perfect example of a whole class or type 2. a summary of a written work; an abstract

equanimity: the state of being calm, stable, and composed, especially after a shock or disappointment or in a difficult situation

equitable: dealing fairly and equally with everyone; just and impartial

equivocal: 1. not clear and seeming to have two or more possible opposing meanings 2. ambiguous

equivocate: 1. to deliberately speak in a way that confuses people in an attempt to conceal the truth 2. to lie 3. to mislead a person or people

erode: 1. to eat away or wear away something 2. to slowly deteriorate 3. to reduce something

erosion: 1. the gradual corroding or eating away of a subject 2. deterioration

erudite: having, containing, or showing a lot of knowledge or learning gained from reading

eschew: 1. to escape or avoid 2. to stop doing something or give something up 3. to intentionally keep away from something

esoteric: intended for or understood by only a small number of people, especially those with special knowledge

espouse: 1. to marry someone or take them as your spouse 2. to give your support to a belief or an idea 3. to embrace a cause

ethic: 1. a belief or set of beliefs which affects one's behavior 2. a person's moral principles or standards

etymology: 1. the study of the history and origins of words 2. the study of the evolution of words

evanescent: soon passing away or fading from sight, memory, or existence like vapor or smoke; quickly fading or disappearing; lasting for only a short time

evince: 1. to show or demonstrate something in a clear way 2. to reveal something, such as an emotion

evoke: 1. bring (a memory, feeling, image, etc.) into the mind 2. bring out; arouse; call forth

exacerbate: increase the severity, violence, or bitterness of (disease, pain, annoyance, etc.)

exacting: 1. rigid or severe in demands or requirements; not easily satisfied; rigorous 2. requiring great effort, time, care, patience, or attention

excavate: 1. dig a large hole or channel in the ground, especially with a machine 2. uncover or expose by digging; unearth 3. dig out and remove (earth, soil, etc.) 4. form (a hole, tunnel, etc.) by digging

exceptionable: 1. debatable; open to or causing objection 2. upsetting 3. causing people to be offended

exculpate: show, declare, or prove that someone is not guilty of a crime or other bad action

execrable: 1. abominable or excessively terrible 2. detestable or easy to hate

exegesis: 1. critical analysis or explanation of a text, especially one from the Bible

exemplify: 1. to serve as a typical example of 2. to use an example to illustrate or clarify 2. to embody

exhaustive: 1. complete; comprehensive 2. dealing with or studying all aspects 3. all-inclusive

exhort: strongly encourage or urge (someone) to do something by strong, often stirring argument, admonition, advice, or appeal; admonish strongly

exorbitant: going far beyond what is reasonable, fair, expected, just, proper, or usual, especially of a price or amount charged

expatriate: 1. someone who no longer lives in the country they were born in or the country considered to be their homeland

expiate: 1. to accept punishment or pay the price for one's actions 2. to make amends

exploitation: 1. selfish utilization of someone's work 2. abuse of someone in order to gain advantage

expunge: 1. to get rid of or cancel 2. to get rid of something written by erasing it or striking it out

extant: (especially of a document) not destroyed or lost; still in existence, usually despite being very old

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extenuate: (of a factor or situation) lessen or try to lessen the seriousness or extent of (an offense, guilt, etc.) by giving excuses or serving as an excuse

extol: praise (someone or something) highly, especially in a very enthusiastic way

extraneous: 1. not essential 2. not required to do something 3. unrelated; irrelevant

extricate: free or remove (someone or something) from a difficult or unpleasant situation (such as a trap, net, debt, peril, etc.); set free

extrinsic: 1. external; not originating inside something or someone 2. extraneous

fabricate: 1. to create 2. to manufacture 3. to build

facile: 1. ignoring the true complexities or difficulties of a real situation; superficial 2. (of a person) having a superficial or simplistic knowledge or approach 3. working, acting, or speaking with effortless ease and fluency 4. (of success) easily achieved

facilitate: 1. to help make something happen 2. to assist 3. to make something easier

fallacious: 1. based on false information or ideas; erroneous; illogical 2. deceptive; misleading

fallacy: 1. a mistaken belief that a lot of people think is true but is in fact false 2. (logic) a mistake or failure in reasoning that makes an argument or idea invalid 3. a misleading or unsound argument 4. deceptive, misleading, or false nature

fanaticism: wildly excessive or irrational (especially religious, political, or ideological) beliefs, devotion, dedication, or enthusiasm that make someone behave in an unreasonable way

fastidious: 1. very attentive to small details and wanting everything to be correct and perfect 2. difficult to please; exacting 3. wanting (clothes, possessions, and property) to always be clean, neat, etc.

fatuous: 1. something or someone that is silly, foolish or pointless

fawn: seek favor or attention by a cringing or flattering manner

feasible: 1. achievable 2. capable of being done or accomplished 3. possible 4. likely

feign: pretend to feel or be affected by (a feeling, state, or injury)

felicitous: 1. suitable or carefully chosen for some purpose or situation; aptly chosen; appropriate; apt 2. marked by happiness or good fortune; pleasing and fortunate

feral: 1. a wild or undomesticated animal 2. a person who behaves in a wild manner

fervent: 1. having or showing great warmth or intensity of spirit, feeling, enthusiasm, etc. 2. hot; boiling; burning; glowing

fervid: 1. having or showing feelings, spirit, or enthusiasm, especially to an excessive degree 2. very hot; burning; glowing

fervor: 1. intensity of emotion 2. zeal 3. enthusiasm 4. great heat

fetid: 1. something that has a terrible smell, often as if it were decaying

fitful: 1. restless or sporadic 2. marked by frequent stops or pauses 3. prone to change

flabbergasted: 1. shocked 2. surprised 3. dumbfounded

flagrant: 1. (of a bad action, situation, person, etc.) shockingly noticeable or evident; obviously offensive; glaringly bad; notorious; outrageous 2. notorious; scandalous

flamboyant: 1. excessively decorated 2. ornate 3. brightly colored and showy, often to draw attention to someone or something

flaunt: 1. to show something, like a personal quality, wanting to get admiration from others 2. to flaunt something

fledgling: 1. a young bird just fledged 2. a young, inexperienced, or underdeveloped person or organization

flippant: showing a lack of proper respect or seriousness about a serious subject or situation, in an attempt to be funny or to appear clever, especially when this annoys other people

florid: 1. flushed with red or pink 2. highly decorated

flounder: stagger or struggle helplessly or clumsily to move or regain one's balance, as in deep mud or snow

flout: 1. to scorn something 2. to reject 3. to consciously refuse to comply with a rule or law

fluctuate: 1. to constantly undergo changes 2. to undulate 3. to shift back and forth; to rise and fall

foolhardy: bold or daring in a foolish way; foolishly ignoring obvious dangers; rash; reckless

forbearance: the quality of being polite, calm, and patient in difficult situations or in the face of provocation; self-control; patient restraint and tolerance

forlorn: 1. pitifully sad and lonely; unhappy and neglected; abandoned or left behind 2. nearly hopeless; desperate

forsake: 1. to desert or abandon someone who needs you 2. to give up something special or important

fortitude: mental and emotional strength in facing or enduring pain, difficulty, adversity, misfortune, danger, or temptation with courage

fortuitous: 1. happening by accident or chance rather than intention, especially in a way that is lucky or convenient 2. lucky; fortunate

fractious: 1. irritable and quarrelsome 2. difficult to control; unruly

fraudulent: 1. dishonest and illegal; based on fraud or deception; using fraud; tricky; deceitful; dishonest 2. done or obtained by deception, especially criminal deception

fraught: filled, charged, or loaded (with), especially unpleasant or undesirable things such as problems, difficulties, or things that are confusing

furor: 1. a great, widespread outburst of enthusiasm, excitement, controversy, or the like; craze; fury; rage; madness 2. a sudden outburst (as of protest); public disorder or uproar 3. violent anger; frenzy

furrow: 1. a deep wrinkle in one's skin 2. a line in the ground that was dug by a plow 3. a long line or channel in any surface

furtive: done quietly, quickly and secretly to avoid being noticed

gait: 1. a particular way or manner of walking, stepping, or running; manner of moving on foot; way of walking or running 2. the particular way a horse or dog walks or runs

galleon: 1. a three-masted ship used, primarily by the Spanish, between the 15th and 17th century as a warship or a merchant ship

gambol: 1. to frolic or jump about playfully 2. to skip about

gargantuan: very large in size or amount; of a tremendous size, volume, or degree; huge; enormous; gigantic

garish: too bright or colorful (clothes or decoration) in an ugly way; tastelessly colorful, showy, or elaborate

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garrulous: talking much or too much, especially about things that are not important

gaunt: 1. extremely thin due to illness or hunger 2. empty or barren 3. dreary

genial: 1. cheerful, friendly, and sympathetic; amiable 2. (of air or climate) pleasantly mild and warm; favorable for life, growth, or comfort

germane: 1. relevant to the argument or subject being discussed 2. fitting 3. related to a subject

germinal: 1. in the earliest stages of development 2. embryonic 3. creative

germinate: 1. sprout or cause to sprout, as from a seed, spore, bulb, or bud 2. start developing or growing 3. come into existence; begin

glacial: 1. icy or unfriendly 2. related to a glacier 3. slow moving 4. extraordinarily cold

gluttony: 1. the act of eating and drinking more than one needs 2. excess in eating or drinking

grandiose: 1. (in a good sense) large and impressive, in size, effect, grandeur, or extent 2. (in a bad sense) seeming or trying to seem very important, but really looking artificial or silly; pompous and showy 3. more complicated or elaborate than necessary

gratis: 1. free 2. without charge or price

gregarious: 1. an extremely sociable person 2. an animal that tends to live in flocks or herds

guffaw: 1. a hearty, unrestrained, and loud burst of laughter

guile: clever and usually dishonest methods to achieve something or to make others do what you want

guileless: innocent; honest; straightforward

gustatory: 1. pertaining to the sense of taste

hackneyed: 1. (of a phrase, idea, fashion, etc.) have been said or used so often that they no longer seem interesting or original and have become boring and not interesting 2. not fresh or original

hapless: unlucky and usually unhappy

harangue: 1. a long, angry and vociferous speech, often made with the intention of persuading someone 2. an aggressive and highly opinionated piece of writing

hasten: 1. make something happen sooner or more quickly; speed up; accelerate 2. move or act quickly; hurry 3. cause to hurry

haughtiness: 1. arrogance 2. believing that one is better or more important than others 3. shameful pride

haughty: having or showing irrational pride in oneself and irrational disdain for others

hedonist: a person who believes that pleasure or happiness is the most important goal in life; a pleasure-seeker

hegemony: 1. dominance, influence or control over others, especially in reference to political power

heresy: 1. a belief or opinion that is against the orthodox doctrines of a particular (especially Christian) religion and is considered wrong 2. any belief or theory (in politics, philosophy, science, etc.) that is opposed to established beliefs, customs, etc.

hiatus: 1. a pause in a specific event or activity 2. an interruption or space where something is missing 3. a gap or a break

hierarchy: 1. the order of people based on their rank or status 2. a system where people or things are ranked based on their status

hinder: 1. to limit someone's possibilities or the ability to do something 2. to hamper or impede 3. to slow something down

histrionic: 1. of or relating to actors, acting, or the theater 2. excessively theatrical, dramatic, or emotional in character or style; affected

hoary: 1. white, gray, or grayish-white in color 2. ancient 3. extremely old

homogeneous: of the same or similar nature or kind

hone: 1. to sharpen something or make it sharper than it already is 2. to improve a skill 3. to perfect

hubris: excessive pride or self-confidence that offends people; arrogance resulting from excessive pride or from passion

hyperbole: 1. a figure of speech in which the speaker or writer exaggerates for emphasis 2. an exaggerated statement that is not intended to be taken literally

hypochondriac: 1. a person who speculates a great deal about his or her own health and believes that they are sick when they are, in fact, not sick at all 2. someone who is constantly anxious about his or her own health

ideology: 1. a set of ideas which influence or govern a person or a society

idiosyncrasy: 1. a strange or unusual habit, way of behaving, or feature that is characteristic of a person, especially that is different from most people 2. an unusual feature or characteristic of something 3. an unusual individual reaction to food or a drug

ignominy: public shame or embarrassment where you lose other people's respect; shame and dishonor; infamy

illicit: 1. not allowed by law, custom, rule, etc.; prohibited; unlawful 2. disapproved of or not permitted for moral or ethical reasons; illegal or disapproved of by society

illusory: 1. not real despite appearing as if it's real 2. deceptive

immutable: 1. not able to be changed 2. always the same

impassive: 1. calm and not showing emotion 2. unaffected 3. expressionless and without feeling

impecunious: having little or no money

imperious: proud and unplesant attitude of assuming power or authority without justification and expecting other people to obey

impertinent: 1. rude and not demonstrating the amount of respect that is customary for the situation at hand

impervious: 1. (scientific) impenetrable 2. incapable of being affected or harmed

impetuous: 1. acting or done quickly, without considering the results of your actions; controlled by emotion rather than thought 2. moving with great force or violence; rushing; furious

impinge: 1. to have a negative effect on something, often limiting it 2. to collide with or hit something 3. to encroach upon something

impious: 1. disrespectful or not showing the proper respect, especially when related to religion 2. lacking the expected level of respect for authority

implacable: 1. someone with strong ideas which are impossible to change 2. unable to appease

implicit: 1. not explicitly said or explained; implied 2. suggested

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impoverished: 1. very poor; poverty stricken 2. something that has become worse than it previously was

impute: say or suggest that someone or something has a specific quality, especially a bad one, or is guilty of (something, especially something undesirable)

inadvertent: 1. accidental or not on purpose 2. not intentional 3. heedless

incentive: 1. something that motivates people to do something or take action 2. a reward or the threat of punishment that inspires people to act

inchoate: not completely formed or developed yet; disorganized; incomplete

incipient: 1. just starting 2. in the beginning stages 3. beginning to appear

incisive: 1. sharp 2. penetrating 3. clearly expressed 4. direct

incline: 1. to be in favor of something or have a preference 2. to bend or slant 3. to slope

incoherent: 1. unclear; difficult to understand 2. rambling or disjointed 3. lacking unity

incompatible: 1. unable to exist together in harmony or agreement because of basic differences 2. not consistent or able to coexist with (another)

incongruity: 1. the condition, quality, or fact of being unusual or different to other things which happen or exist in the same situation; incompatibility; unsuitableness; dissimilarity; inconsistency 2. disagreement of parts; lack of symmetry or of harmony

incongruous: 1. inappropriate or not considered to be normal 2. incompatible or inconsistent with the rest of things in its group or time

inconsequential: 1. of little or no importance; insignificant; trivial 2. inconsequent; illogical 3. irrelevant

incredulous: 1. unwilling or unable to believe something, and usually showing this; doubting; skeptical 2. showing doubt or disbelief 3. incredible; not easy to be believed

incubate: 1. hatch 2. develop or cause to develop under favorable conditions

indefatigable: 1. untiring and inexhaustible 2. not yielding to fatigue despite persisting in labor or effort for a long time

indelible: 1. impossible to remove or forget 2. producing marks that cannot be erased or removed 3. permanent

index: 1. an alphabetical list showing all that is included in a book or a larger document 2. an alphabetical list of the documents in a collection 3. an indication

indignant: feeling or showing anger or annoyance at unfair, mean, or ungrateful action or treatment

indiscriminate: 1. affecting or harming many people or things without considering who or what you harm or damage 2. done without choosing or judging carefully; not discriminating 3. random; haphazard

indolent: 1. disliking or avoiding work; idle; lazy 2. causing little or no pain 3. slow to heal, grow, or develop; inactive

indomitable: very determined and impossible to defeat, discourage, or subdue; unyielding; unconquerable

ineffable: too great, powerful, impressive, beautiful, etc., to be described or expressed in words

inert: 1. unable to move or act 2. moving or acting very slowly 3. not energetic or interesting

inertia: 1. lack of activity 2. the fact that matter moves in the same direction unless acted upon by another force

inexorable: 1. incapable of being altered, swayed or stopped 2. not capable of being persuaded

infallible: 1. never failing 2. unable to make a mistake 3. trustworthy or totally sure 4. incapable of being wrong

ingenuous: innocent and unsuspecting, artless, innocent, naive, candid or openly straightforward, especially because they have not had much experience of life

inherent: existing in someone or something as a natural and inseparable element, quality, right, or attribute

inhibit: 1. prevent someone from doing what he or she wants to do 2. prevent or slow down the activity, growth or occurrence of (something) 3. restrain, hinder, arrest, or check (an action, impulse, etc.)

inimical: 1. harmful or injurious 2. unkind or hostile towards others

iniquity: 1. complete immorality 2. wickedness or sin 3. something completely unfair 4. something unjust

innocuous: 1. that does not injure or harm 2. not likely to bother or offend anyone 3. not likely to arouse strong feelings or hostility

innovate: 1. to begin to use or to invent new ideas, concepts, products, equipment, etc. 2. to make changes

inscrutable: (especially of a person or their expression) difficult or impossible to understand or interpret; enigmatic; mysterious

insensible: 1. not able to feel pain, emotions, etc. 2. unaware; unconscious 3. not caring about or sympathetic to someone or something; not be unwilling to react to it 4. not realizing or noticing something

insipid: 1. without flavor; tasteless 2. not interesting or exciting; dull; boring

instigate: 1. cause something to happen or begin, especially an official process 2. urge, provoke, or incite to some action, especially something bad

insular: 1. ignorant of or no interested in cultures, ideas, or peoples outside your own group or country 2. not interested in learning new ideas or ways of doing things 3. of, relating to, or from an island

insurgent: 1. rebellious 2. fighting against leadership, authority, government or political rule

integrate: 1. to add something to a unit to make it whole 2. to combine two or more things 3. to join; to unify

interminable: 1. continual 2. without end 3. tedious

intermittent: 1. happening at irregular intervals 2. not steady 3. stopping and starting

intransigence: 1. stubbornness 2. unwillingness to compromise or yield 3. inflexibility

intransigent: unwilling or refusing to change your opinions or behavior with no good reason

intrepid: very bold or brave and showing no fear of dangerous situations; fearless

intrinsic: 1. inherent 2. relating to the basic nature of something 3. fundamental

inundate: overwhelm (someone or something) by sending or providing with a large amount of things at the same time

inure: 1. to make someone or something used to something unpleasant 2. to harden 3. to take effect

invective: 1. severe or abusive language used to blame, criticize or insult

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inveterate: 1. established or habitual 2. deep-rooted 3. settled in a habit and unlikely to change

invidious: 1. arousing anger or envy in others 2. causing animosity due to unfairness 2. offensive

inviolable: 1. incorruptible 2. indestructible 3. unable to be violated or attacked due to its sacred status

irascible: becoming angry very easily

ire: 1. intense anger 2. wrath 3. rage

irksome: 1. annoying and tedious 2. irritating

irreproachable: 1. impeccable 2. perfect 3. without fault 4. blameless

irreverent: having or showing a lack of seriousness or respect for official, important, or holy things that are generally taken seriously

irrevocable: 1. unable to be taken away 2. unable to be changed 3. final

itinerant: 1. moving from place to place, especially for work reasons 2. traveling

jaded: 1. feeling or showing a lack of interest and excitement because something has been experienced too many times 2. worn out or wearied, as by overwork or overuse; tired

jargon: 1. special vocabulary or expressions that are difficult to understand and are exclusively used by a certain group of professionals 2. gibberish

jaundiced: 1. unnaturally yellow in color 2. envious or jealous 3. prejudiced or judgmental

jaunt: 1. a short trip or journey taken for fun or pleasure

jocular: humorous, amusing, or joking; funny or intended to make someone laugh

jollity: 1. happiness or cheerfulness 2. a festive or celebratory gathering

jubilant: 1. thrilled 2. feeling and expressing great joy 3. expressing extreme happiness, often due to a victory or success

jubilation: great happiness or joy because something good has happened

judicious: having, applying, or showing reason and good judgment or sense in making decisions

jurisprudence: 1. the theory or science of law 2. a system, body or department of law

justify: 1. to explain or defend one's position or reasoning 2. to adjust one's text so that the right and left edges of a document are equal 3. to prove something to be correct

juxtaposition: 1. the act of placing items side-by-side 2. the act of placing items close together, often to incite comparison

kindle: 1. to build or light a fire 2. to make something burn; to ignite 3. to arouse an emotion or cause a feeling 4. to stir up

knotty: 1. full of knots and tangles 2. confusing or puzzling

labyrinth: 1. something that is perplexing or confusing 2. a network of paths or passages that is considered to be confusing or difficult to navigate

lachrymose: 1. depressed; sad 2. tending to cry easily or frequently 3. causing tears

lackadaisical: feeling or showing a lack of interest, enthusiasm, or determination; carelessly lazy

laconic: using very few words in speech, writing, or expression; terse; concise

laggard: someone or something that is very slow or late in doing things and always falling behind others

lampoon: 1. to criticize a person or a group through a humorous piece of writing or art

languid: 1. lacking enthusiasm, energy, or strength; without interest or spirit 2. (of a period of time) relaxed and pleasant 3. weak or faint from illness or fatigue 4. slow in progress; tardy

languish: 1. to become weaker 2. to suffer through a difficult, unwanted situation over an extended period of time 3. to long for something or someone 4. to be ignored or neglected

largess: 1. money or gifts given liberally or openly, often to many people 2. generous giving of gifts

latent: exists but is not active, obvious, completely developed, or cannot be seen

laud: praise someone or something highly

laudable: deserving or worthy of praise

legerdemain: 1. trickery or skillful deceit 2. a sleight of hand or cleverly executed trick

legislate: 1. to create and pass laws

lethargic: 1. sluggish or drowsy; tired or slightly tired 2. apathetic

leviathan: 1. something or someone that is very large and powerful, especially a ship 2. a very large animal, especially a whale

levity: 1. lack of seriousness, especially when strictness is required or appropriate 2. frivolity 3. fickleness

libertarian: 1. a person who believes that individuals should be able to make their own decisions and that the government shouldn't limit them

licentious: 1. amoral or lascivious 2. showing little to no respect for laws or social norms 3. not restrained

limpid: 1. transparent; clear 2. easily intelligible 3. serene and without worry

liniment: 1. a fluid that is rubbed on a specific part of the body in order to relieve muscle pain

listless: having or showing little or no energy, enthusiasm, or liveliness and unwilling to do anything needing effort

lithe: young, healthy, attractive, and able to move and bend in an easy and graceful way

lofty: 1. elevated; high 2. arrogant; thinking that one is better or more important than others 3. tall

longevity: 1. long life 2. the length or duration of life 3. long existence or service

loquacious: tending to talk a lot or too much

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lugubrious: very sad, mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially in a way that seems exaggerated, ridiculous, or insincere way

lummox: 1. a large and clumsy person who is often considered to be quite stupid

luxuriant: 1. (of vegetation) abundant or lush in growth; having heavy and thick growth 2. fertile; fruitful; productive 3. richly abundant, profuse, or superabundant 4. marked by or displaying luxury; luxurious

maelstrom: 1. extremely turbulent and violent water that rapidly moves in a circular direction 2. a violent or tumultuous situation

magnanimous: 1. kind, generous, or forgiving in overlooking injury or insult, especially towards a rival or less powerful person; free from petty resentfulness or vindictiveness 2. high-minded; generous and noble

magnate: 1. a very successful or very important person in a specific industry

maladroit: 1. awkward 2. clumsy 3. inept 4. unskilled

malady: 1. an illness, disease or ailment 2. a major problem

malediction: 1. a curse or the act of saying a curse 2. speaking in a defamatory or evil way

malefactor: 1. a person that does things that are illegal; a criminal 2. a person that does evil

malevolent: causing or wanting to cause harm or evil to another or others; malicious; evil

malingerer: 1. a person who fakes being ill in order to avoid work or a duty they are supposed to perform

malleable: 1. (of a metal or other material) able to be hammered, pounded, or pressed into various shapes without breaking or cracking 2. easily influenced, trained, or controlled; adaptable

mallet: 1. a hammer or a hammer-like tool 2. a stick with a spherical padded head that is used to play specific percussion instruments 3. a long-handled wooden hammer used to play croquet

manifold: 1. multiple or many in number 2. varied or consisting of multiple parts or elements 3. plentiful, numerous

marginal: 1. not important 2. quite small 3. on the margin or border

marred: damaged or disfigured by injury or rough wear; spoiled; impaired

marsupial: 1. any animal that has a pouch in which its young stay until they are fully developed and able to survive outside of the pouch

martinet: 1. a person who demands that others follow the laws or rules exactly 2. an extremely strict person

maverick: a person who refuses to follow the customs or rules of or resists adherence to a group

mawkish: 1. sickening or nauseating 2. overly emotional or excessively sentimental, often in a false way

meager: 1. meek or feeble 2. inadequate 3. deficient in quantity; less than is needed or necessary

meander: 1. to walk slowly and without purpose or without direction 2. to follow a winding path 3. to randomly wander

mediate: 1. to settle disputes through negotiation 2. to be an intermediary 3. to work with opposing sides to reach an agreement

menagerie: 1. a collection of animals that are kept in cages and exhibited for the public 2. a place where a collection of animals is kept 3. a diverse group

mendacious: 1. deceptive and untruthful 2. false 3. lying

mercurial: 1. changing mood or opinion unexpectedly, suddenly, and often 2. volatile; erratic; unstable 3. lively and continuously active

mettle: 1. resilience; stamina 2. fortitude and courage 3. the ability to deal with situations that are considered difficult 4. temperament

milieu: 1. setting 2. environment 3. the conditions and people that create a person's environment

mire: 1. to entangle or trap 2. to cause to stick or get stuck 3. to soil or stain with mud

misanthrope: a person who hates or distrusts all people and avoids involvement with human society

miserly: 1. a person who is reluctant or unhappy to spend money 2. a person who is not charitable or thoughtful with others

mitigate: make something less severe, serious, painful, harmful, unpleasant, or bad

modicum: 1. a limited amount of something 2. a small object 3. a reduced quantity

modify: 1. to make changes to something 2. to adjust or alter

monotonous: 1. repetitive and boring 2. lacking variety 3. dull 4. wearisome

moratorium: 1. a temporary or permanent stoppage 2. a legally authorized or ordered stoppage of payments by a debtor due to an emergency or unforeseen circumstances 3. a pause

moribund: 1. near death 2. near extinction or obsoleteness 3. stagnant or not active

motley: 1. a heterogeneous group 2. polychromatic 3. characterized by variety

multifarious: 1. characterized by variety 2. largely diverse 3. composed of a wide variety of parts or elements

munificent: 1. very generous 2. liberal with one's giving of money 3. lavish

mutinous: 1. rebellious and uncontrollable 2. refusing to accept authority 3. unruly; disobedient

myriad: 1. a large number, often one that is too large to count 2. a great deal of people or things

nadir: 1. the point opposite the zenith on a sphere, directly below the observer 2. the lowest, worst point in a situation

nascent: 1. emerging or beginning to exist 2. recently formed or started 3. developing

nebulous: 1. vague; ambiguous; missing a definitive shape or definition 2. cloud-like 3. misty; foggy

negate: 1. to deny something or say something isn't true 2. to cancel something out; to nullify

neologism: 1. a word or phrase which has only recently been invented or coined 2. a new meaning for a word that already exists

neophyte: 1. a newcomer to a specific belief; a proselyte 2. a person who has only recently started to participate in a subject or an activity

nettle: 1. to bother or annoy 2. to provoke 3. to irritate or sting as if with nettles

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noisome: 1. very unpleasant, offensive or disgusting, as an odor 2. harmful, dangerous, or injurious, especially to health

nomadic: 1. constantly moving from place to place without a fixed pattern 2. itinerant 3. pertaining to a wandering tribe

nominal: 1. insignificant 2. in name, but not in practice 3. very small

nonchalance: 1. indifference 2. a lack of concern 3. composure; casualness

nondescript: 1. lacking any characteristic or quality which marks something as different or individual 2. very ordinary 3. dull; drab; plain

nonentity: 1. something that doesn't exist 2. something imaginary 3. someone or something that is not important

notoriety: 1. infamy; disrepute 2. fame that is received for negative reasons or actions

noxious: 1. detrimental to living beings 2. something that is dangerous for one's physical health

nuance: a small variation in meaning, tone or feeling

nuclear: 1. related to or employing nuclear weapons or energy 2. related to the nucleus of an atom

nullify: 1. to void something, especially a legal agreement or decision 2. to make something useless or null

obdurate: 1. stubbornly refusing to do what other people want 2. stubbornly refusing to change your opinions, plans, or the way you do something despite what anyone else says, in a way that does not seem reasonable

obfuscate: 1. to make something more difficult to understand, often intentionally 2. to darken or make opaque 3. to make something obscure or confusing

oblique: 1. possessing a slanting or sloping angle or direction; inclined 2. not expressing something in a clear or direct manner

obliterate: 1. to totally destroy 2. to make something disappear completely 3. to get rid of, erase or cover completely

obsequious: 1. overly attentive or eager to flatter others 2. excessive obedience or flattery, often in order to gain favors from people of influence

obstinate: 1. unreasonably stubborn and unwilling to change one's opinion or attitude 2. troublesome to deal with, change or remove

obstreperous: 1. noisy and unruly, often in an aggressive way 2. resistant to authority; defiant

obtuse: annoyingly insensitive or slow to understand explanations or situations quickly

obviate: anticipate and prevent or remove (a need, problem, difficulty, disadvantage, etc.) by effective measures so that action to deal with it becomes unnecessary

odious: 1. something that causes strong dislike or hatred 2. repulsive or vile

officious: someone who is overly eager to offer their unsolicited opinion, advice or services; overbearing

offset: 1. to balance or counteract something 2. to compensate

ogle: 1. to look at someone fondly or amorously 2. to stare at something in a way that shows desire

olfactory: 1. related to one's sense of smell

omnipotent: 1. possessing infinite power 2. having an enormous influence 3. all-powerful

omniscient: 1. possessing unlimited knowledge 2. knowing, or seemingly knowing, everything

onerous: 1. something difficult to deal with, oppressive or burdensome 2. something difficult to endure 3. something draining

onus: 1. a burden or a difficult task 2. an obligation 3. responsibility

opaque: 1. not letting light pass through; not transparent or translucent 2. difficult to understand or explain

ordain: 1. to formally make or declare someone a preacher, priest or other religious leader 2. to formally declare or order 3. to establish by law or other rules

ornate: 1. elaborate or heavily adorned 2. marked by complex language and unusual vocabulary

orthodox: 1. conventional or acceptable by the general public 2. traditional or old-fashioned in one's beliefs 3. a strict observer of a certain faith

ossify: 1. convert or be converted into bone 2. become rigid or inflexible in habits, attitudes, opinions, etc.

ostensible: 1. something apparent or professed to be true 2. something conspicuous and open to view

overlap: 1. a shared area of responsibility or interest 2. the amount in which two things cover a shared area 3. the period of time when two different things are occurring

overt: 1. transparent; done or displayed in public 2. not hidden 3. clear and apparent

overwrought: 1. tired; fatigued 2. upset 3. nervous or worried 4. overly emotional 5. too ornate or complex

palatable: 1. tasty 2. fit to be consumed by humans 3. acceptable

palliate: 1. to lessen the symptoms of an illness 2. to make something less severe 3. to make something serious seem less important or negative

pallid: 1. lacking vitality, liveliness or intensity; dull 2. extremely pale, to the point that one appears to be unhealthy

palpable: 1. so strong or so obvious that it can be felt 2. easily noticed 3. tangible

panacea: 1. a cure for any malady 2. something that people think will cure any difficulty or problem

panegyric: a speech or piece of writing in praise of someone or something

paradigm: 1. something that serves as an example or a model 2. accepted ideas or practices that are used in order to explain or view a shared reality

paradox: 1. something that sounds untrue or impossible but might be possible or true 2. something that contradicts itself or has opposite qualities

paragon: 1. someone or something that is perfect and is considered a model to be copied or imitated 2. the model of perfection or excellence

parameter: 1. a boundary that limits a specific action or process 2. a rule that controls something

parch: 1. to scorch the surface of something through exposure to light or heat 2. to cause something to become extremely dry 3. to expose certain food products (grains, corn, etc.) to extreme heat in order to roast them

parochial: 1. showing interest only in matters that directly affect you; narrow in scope 2. related to a parish

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parody: 1. a work of art such as a text or a play which is created to poke fun at or ridicule another work 2. to poke fun at someone or something

parry: 1. to skillfully avoid dealing with criticism or answering a tough question 2. to deflect or ward off an attack

parsimonious: 1. cheap; frugal with one's money 2. unwilling to spend or give money

partisan: 1. strongly prejudiced in favor of something 2. one-sided or partial 3. someone who is devoted to a political party

pathos: 1. sadness or pity 2. the quality of something, such as a work of art, which arouses emotions such as pity or sadness

paucity: 1. a lack of something 2. scantiness 3. insufficiency in number; shortage

peccadillo: a small mistake, fault, sin, or offense that is not very serious or harmful

pedant: a person who is obsessed with the rules and minor details

pedantic: 1. giving too much importance to formal rules or small details 2. making an excessive display of one's own learning

pedestrian: 1. ordinary; dull 2. commonplace 3. undistinguished

peerless: 1. unequaled or unrivaled 2. incomparable to anything else 3. better than anything else of its type

pejorative: 1. derogatory or disapproving 2. causing something to become worse

pellucid: 1. simple to understand 2. clear, transparent or translucent; allowing the passage of light

pensive: 1. contemplative 2. appearing as if lost in thought, especially about something serious or sad 3. thoughtful

penury: 1. extreme poverty; the state of being extraordinarily poor 2. insufficiency or scarcity

perdition: 1. total destruction; utter ruin 2. eternal damnation 3. a state of eternal punishment

peremptory: 1. someone who is overly assertive, to the point that they do not allow contradiction 2. someone domineering and totalitarian 3. someone who is offensively arrogant

perfidious: deliberately faithless; treacherous; deceitful

perfidy: 1. treachery or unfaithfulness 2. betrayal of trust 3. behavior or an event that shows that someone cannot be trusted 4. deceitfulness

perfunctory: 1. an action performed in a routine and careless manner 2. acting in a way which shows a lack of interest

peripheral: 1. something that is found on the outer edge or boundary 2. trivial or unimportant 3. something that is secondary or supplementary

pernicious: 1. deadly 2. causing extreme harm, destruction or injury

perquisite: 1. any money or other benefit received in addition to one's fixed salary 2. a bonus payment or a tip

personable: 1. attractive both in one's physical appearance and in one's personality 2. friendly or sociable

perspicacious: 1. astute 2. shrewd and clear-sighted 3. quick to notice things and judge them correctly

pertinacious: 1. stubborn or unyielding; resolute in one's belief or opinion 2. determined and persistent 3. obstinate

peruse: 1. to read something thoroughly 2. to examine something in detail 3. to skim something; to read something in a relaxed manner

pervasive: 1. spread all over or spreading to all parts 2. present everywhere 3. permeating; penetrating

petrify: 1. to make something become hard or stone like 2. to freeze with horror or fear 3. to make hard or inflexible

philanthropist: 1. a person who loves mankind and works to promote its wellbeing 2. a person or organization that is generous with its resources, especially with its money

philistine: 1. an uncultured person who does not like or understand art 2. a vulgar person

phlegmatic: not easily upset, excited, or angered to action or display of emotion; apathetic; sluggish

piety: 1. devoutness, love or reverence to God 2. devoutness shown through actions or one's daily life

pillage: 1. to rob using force, especially during wartime 2. to loot

pinnacle: 1. the peak 2. the highest point 3. a tall and pointed formation 4. the most important or successful part of a person's life

pithy: 1. precise and full of meaning 2. succinct; concise, yet meaningful

placate: make (someone) less angry or hostile, especially by making concessions or by being nice to them

placebo: 1. a harmless substance that has no real affect on the person who takes it 2. something designed or done to placate the person who takes or receives it

placid: 1. peaceful and undisturbed 2. serene, with a lack of movement or activity 3. showing calm

plasticity: 1. flexibility or the ability to be shaped or formed into different shapes 2. the capacity to be molded

platitude: 1. a trite, dull or unoriginal saying that is considered common information, despite the remark being said as if it were original information 2. absence of originality

plaudit: 1. applause 2. any sort of expression of praise or approval

plethora: a large or excessive amount of (something), especially a larger amount than you need, want, or can deal with; overabundance; excess

pliable: 1. malleable 2. flexible 3. easy to manipulate into other shapes

plumage: 1. the feathers of a bird (collectively) 2. elaborate costume or dress

plummet: 1. to fall suddenly or drastically 2. to plunge

polemical: 1. controversial and often hostile 2. strongly critical

ponderous: 1. slow and clumsy because of great weight or size 2. very boring or dull 3. that seems heavy; bulky; massive

portend: 1. to foreshadow something negative that is going to occur in the future 2. to be a sign of something

portent: 1. a warning about something that is going to occur in the future 2. an indication or sign that something is going to happen, especially referring to negative events

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poseur: 1. a person who pretends to be something that they are not in order to impress others

posthumous: 1. taking place after death 2. published after death

postulate: 1. a prerequisite 2. something which is accepted as true before developing or discussing another idea 3. a basic principle

potable: 1. fit to drink 2. suitable for drinking by humans or animals

prattle: 1. to speak at length about subjects that are unimportant, often without making any sense 2. to speak without sense and in a juvenile manner

preamble: 1. the introduction to a written document or a speech 2. an introductory statement

precede: 1. to exist before something 2. to come before 3. to have a higher rank than someone

precept: 1. a command or rule which indicates what proper behavior is 2. a standard of conduct 3. a warrant

precipice: 1. a very steep side of a mountain or cliff, typically a tall one 2. a dangerous situation that could lead to harm or failure 3. a very dangerous situation

precipitate: 1. cause (something) to happen quickly, suddenly, unexpectedly, or prematurely before expected, warranted, needed, or desired 2. throw headlong; hurl downward 3. fall; fall downward suddenly and dramatically

precipitous: 1. quite steep 2. occurring suddenly or dramatically

preclude: 1. to make something impossible or prevent 2. to deter or impede something from happening

precocious: 1. (especially of children) unusually advanced or mature in development, especially mental development 2. appearing or developing early

precursor: a person or thing that goes before another person or something else and that often leads to or influences its development; forerunner; harbinger

predilection: 1. a personal preference towards something 2. a special liking of something

predominant: 1. the most powerful 2. the most common 3. superior or supreme

preeminent: 1. superior 2. excelling or more important than others 3. outstanding

presentiment: 1. a feeling that a negative or unfortunate event is about to occur or is going to occur in the near future 2. a premonition

presumption: 1. the act of assuming 2. something assumed 3. the act of believing something without seeing proof

pretext: a false reason or motive that you pretend to have in order to hide your real reason or motive for doing something; excuse

prevaricate: 1. stray away from or avoid telling the truth by not directly answering a question 2. speak or act falsely or misleadingly

primeval: 1. primordial 2. related to or from the earliest time, especially when referring to the origin of Earth 3. original

proclivity: 1. an inclination towards something 2. a natural propensity or tendency 3. a predisposition to want to do something, especially when referring to something bad

procrastinate: 1. delay or postpone doing (something unpleasant or burdensome) until a future time, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness 2. postpone or delay needlessly

procure: 1. obtain something, especially with care, effort, or difficulty 2. obtain (a sexual partner, especially woman) for another, for the purpose of prostitution

prodigious: 1. very great or impressive in size, force, or extent; enormous 2. extraordinary; marvelous; wonderful; amazing

profane: 1. to defile 2. to show a lack of respect for objects considered to be sacred or holy 3. to violate

profuse: 1. created or given in large amounts; generous 2. plentiful 3. given abundantly or magnanimously

prohibitive: 1. something that discourages one from doing something 2. restricting people from doing something

proletarian: 1. a member of the working class

proliferate: 1. to increase or grow at a rapid pace 2. to multiply or reproduce quickly

prolific: 1. producing a large amount of something, especially fruit, offspring or works 2. bountiful, fruitful or productive

promulgate: 1. to put an official decree or law into effect via official announcement 2. to make something publicly known by officially announcing it

propensity: 1. a tendency or natural inclination to behave in a certain way 2. a preference

propitiate: 1. make (a god, spirit, or person) pleased, less angry, or regain their favor by giving or doing something that pleases them 2. appease; conciliate

propitious: 1. likely to result in or show success 2. something advantageous 3. benevolent; favorable

proponent: 1. a person who is actively in favor of something 2. a supporter 3. an advocate

prosaic: lacking in interest, imagination, originality, or excitement; commonplace or dull; matter-of-fact or unimaginative

proscribe: 1. to make something no longer be lawful; to prohibit (legally) 2. to banish 3. to forbid 4. to denounce

protagonist: 1. one of the main characters of a story 2. a leader of a cause or movement

protean: 1. ever changing 2. versatile and able to change form, shape or meaning quickly 3. able to play many roles

provident: 1. making arrangements for the future and showing foresight 2. preparing for the future, especially by saving money for possible emergencies

provocative: 1. provoking or tending to provoke, as to action, thought, feeling, etc.; inciting, stimulating, irritating, or vexing 2. causing people to become sexually excited

prurient: 1. expressing lustful behaviors or ideas 2. overly interested in sex

puerile: 1. childish, juvenile or immature 2. silly; foolish 3. related to or belonging to childhood

pulchritude: 1. physical beauty or attractiveness, especially related to women 2. moral beauty

punctilious: 1. exact in one's attention to detail; extremely correct with one's behavior

pundit: 1. an expert or educated person on a specific subject 2. an authority on a specific subject who often makes public declarations on the subject

purchase: 1. an object that has been bought 2. the act of buying something

purloin: 1. to take something from someone in violation of their trust 2. to pilfer or steal

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pusillanimous: lacking courage or determination; cowardly; faint-hearted; timid

pyromania: 1. a compulsive and irresistible want to set things on fire

quaff: 1. to drink or swallow hurriedly and heartily

quagmire: 1. a soft and wet piece of land which yields if stepped on 2. a complicated, dangerous or awkward situation

quandary: 1. a dilemma or a problem 2. a state of uncertainty 3. a state of doubt or confusion

quell: 1. to suppress or stop something, especially through the use of force 2. to pacify or soothe a previously problematic situation

querulous: often complaining, especially in a way that annoys other people

quirk: 1. a peculiarity in one's personal behavior 2. an idiosyncrasy 3. a sharp twist or turn

quixotic: having or showing ideas, plans, hope, etc. that are not practical or likely to succeed; unrealistic and impractical

ramshackle: (especially of buildings or vehicles) in a very bad condition and likely to fall down; out of repair; likely to fall to pieces; shaky

rancor: a bitter and long-lasting angry feeling of hatred or dislike about something in the past

rapport: a friendly relationship, especially of mutual trust, respect, or emotional affinity

raucous: loud, harsh, and disturbing noise

ravenous: 1. extremely or wildly hungry; voracious 2. very eager for prey or gratification

raze: 1. completely destroy a city, building, etc. 2. scrape or shave off; erase

rebuke: 1. to punish or scold someone severely 2. to express disapproval, often in a sharp way 3. to harshly criticize

recalcitrant: 1. (of a person ) stubbornly refusing to obey authority, discipline, rules, orders, etc. 2. (of an animal ) refusing to be controlled

recapitulate: 1. to summarize something or repeat it in a more concise way 2. to briefly restate

receptacle: 1. any container or device for holding substances or objects 2. a vessel used to hold things

reclusive: living alone and avoiding the company of other people, often for religious meditation; solitary

rectify: 1. correct (something that is wrong) or make something right or better 2. correct by calculation or adjustment

rectitude: 1. moral correctness 2. honest behavior 3. righteousness

redolent: 1. sweet-smelling; fragrant; aromatic 2. strongly smelling of 3. (redolent of/with) strongly reminding you of something

redress: 1. compensation or remedy for some wrong that was done against someone; retribution 2. rectification

refurbish: 1. to restore something to its original quality 2. to renovate 3. to make something look like new again

refute: 1. to prove that something is not correct or true 2. to deny something

regale: 1. to entertain someone with food or drink; to feast 2. to entertain someone with a story or something amusing

regime: 1. a government that is currently in power 2. a system of rules 3. a political system 4. a management system

regulate: 1. to create and impose rules for something 2. to adjust to ensure accuracy 3. to control; to manage

reinforce: 1. to make something stronger 2. to enhance something 3. to support an idea by giving evidence or reasons

relegate: 1. put (someone or something) into a lower or less important rank or position 2. refer, commit, or hand over for decision, action, etc. 3. (UK) moved down to a lower division

reliance: 1. a dependence on a specific person or object 2. the act of depending on someone or something

renown: 1. celebrity or great fame 2. the state of being famous or honored

replete: 1. completely stuffed; full, especially referring to food 2. well supplied

reprimand: a severe, formal, or official rebuke, disapproval, or censure

reprobate: 1. someone who has bad habits or lacks scruples 2. a person without principles

reproof: the act of reproving, censuring, blaming, or rebuking

reprove: 1. to find fault with 2. to condemn, criticize or express disapproval of bad behavior 3. to rebuke

repudiate: 1. refuse to accept or reject with denial 2. disown

repugnant: extremely unpleasant, distasteful, objectionable, or offensive; arousing disgust or aversion

resonant: 1. prompting thoughts of a similar experience 2. loud, clear, or deep 3. enduring 4. echoing

respite: 1. a short break or delay from work or an unpleasant experience 2. a postponement of punishment

resplendent: 1. brilliant; dazzling; bright; shiny 2. beautiful 3. impressive

restive: 1. impatient and restless 2. not willing to be controlled 3. difficult to control, usually due to dissatisfaction or boredom

reticent: 1. not willing to tell people about one's thoughts, feelings, and personal affairs 2. uncommunicative, restrained, or reserved in style 3. reluctant; unwilling

reverence: a feeling or attitude of deep respect, admiration, love, and awe for someone or something

reverent: feeling, showing, or characterized by great respect and admiration; deeply respectful

ribald: 1. vulgar or indecent 2. rude or lewd, but in a humorous way

rife: 1. prevalent or abundant 2. widespread; common 3. full of (something)

rigor: 1. strictness, harshness, or severity 2. exactitude 3. inflexibility

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robust: 1. healthy 2. hardy or strong 3. sturdy and able to withstand detrimental conditions 4. successful

ruminate: 1. to think about something carefully over a long period of time 2. to meditate on 3. to chew on cud

sacrosanct: 1. something that is considered to be sacred 2. something considered far too important to be subjected to changes

sagacious: having or showing acute mental discernment and keen practical sense and the ability to make good practical decisions

sagacity: the quality of being discerning, sound in judgment, and farsighted based on practical knowledge and experience

salacious: 1. lustful or obscene 2. containing sexual content

salient: 1. of utmost importance; prominent; notable 2. protruding beyond a line or surface 3. jumping

salubrious: 1. healthy 2. wholesome 3. beneficial to one's health

salutary: 1. beneficial 2. favorable to one's health 3. bringing about good effects or improvement

sanction: 1. official permission or approval, as for an action 2. a threat to punish someone for breaking a law or rule 3. an official order, such as the limiting or stopping of trade, that is taken against a country in order to force it to obey international laws

sanctity: 1. the state or quality of being holy, sacred, or saintly 2. the quality of being very important, valuable, and deserving respect

sanguine: cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident, especially in a difficult situation

sardonic: 1. demonstrating a lack of respect for another person or what they have said or done 2. mocking 3. sneering 4. cynical

sate: satisfy (an appetite, desire, etc.) fully

satiate: 1. satisfy (an appetite or desire) fully so that you could not have any more 2. having had enough or more than enough

satire: the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize someone or something and make them seem foolish, weak, bad, etc.

saturate: 1. make something completely wet with water or other liquid so that no more can be absorbed 2. cause (a substance) to combine with, dissolve, or hold the greatest possible amount of another substance

saturnine: very serious and unhappy; gloomy; taciturn

savant: a person with a high level of knowledge or skill, especially a distinguished scientist

scrupulous: 1. very careful about doing something correctly, giving a lot of attention to details 2. careful about doing what is honest and morally right

scrutinize: examine or inspect (something) closely, thoroughly, and very carefully

scurrilous: 1. fond of using coarse or indecent language 2. foul mouthed or obscene 3. slanderous

scuttle: 1. to move across a surface hurriedly with short steps 2. to scurry

sedulous: showing continued hard work, effort, dedication, and determination

seminary: 1. an institution of higher education where people train to be religious leaders, such as preachers, priests or rabbis 2. an institution of higher education for girls

sequester: 1. to take someone's property until they have paid their debts or complied with an order 2. to seclude or segregate 3. to hide something away

serendipity: 1. the fact of finding interesting or valuable things by chance; unexpected and fortunate discoveries 2. accidental good fortune or luck

serrated: 1. possessing a row of tooth-like sharp points along its edge 2. saw-like

servile: 1. too eager to serve, please, or obey others 2. of a slave or slaves

simile: (the use of) a phrase that describes something by comparing it to something else, always including the words 'as' or 'like'

simulate: 1. to reproduce a situation 2. to feign 3. to do something that looks as if it is real when it truly is not

skeptical: 1. having, showing or marked by doubt 2. doubting 3. questioning

skirmish: 1. a short or small battle 2. a minor fight in a much larger conflict 3. a squabble or a short argument

slipshod: 1. (especially of a piece of work) showing a lack of care, thought, or organization 2. careless in dress, manners, style, etc.; untidy or slovenly; shabby

sluggard: 1. a person who is habitually lazy 2. a slothful person 3. an idler

smelt: 1. to get metal from its ore by heating it

solicit: 1. to ask for something, often through a formal process 2. to petition

solicitous: 1. showing care, attention, or concern about someone's health, feelings, safety, etc. 2. showing anxious desire; eager

somber: 1. very sad and serious; gloomy; depressing or grave 2. dull or dark in color, especially grey or black

somnambulist: 1. a person who walks around while they are asleep 2. a sleepwalker

somnolent: 1. drowsy or sleepy 2. inducing sleep or sleepiness 3. causing sluggishness

sophistry: the clever use of reasoning or arguments that seem true but are really false, especially with the intention of deceiving

sophomoric: 1. immature yet overly confident in one's abilities 2. puerile 3. pretentious and juvenile

soporific: 1. causing sleep 2. drowsy

sparse: 1. not dense or thick 2. small in amount and not dense or crowded 3. scanty

Spartan: avoiding luxury and comfort; rigorously self-disciplined or self-restrained

specious: seeming to be right or true, but in fact wrong or false

sporadic: 1. occurring at irregular intervals; not constant or regular; patternless 2. appearing singly or at widely scattered localities, as a plant or disease

spurious: 1. not genuine, authentic, or true; counterfeit 2. based on false ideas or bad reasoning

spurn: refuse or reject with contempt or disdain, especially because you feel that something or someone does not deserve your respect, attention, affection, etc.

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squander: spend or use (money, time, supplies, or an opportunity) wastefully or extravagantly

stagnant: 1. (of water or air ) not flowing or moving, and often smells bad 2. not active, changing, or progressing

staid: of a settled, unadventurous, sedate, and steady but boring character

stanza: 1. a part of a poem that is presented in paragraph form

static: not moving, acting, or progressing, especially in an undesirable or uninteresting way

statistics: 1. a field of study that collects and analyzes data 2. the data collected and what it means

stoic: 1. not showing emotion or complaining, even when something bad happens 2. unemotional 3. indifferent to pleasure and pain

stoke: 1. to supply something with fuel, especially a furnace 2. to make a feeling stronger 3. to add fuel to a fire

stolid: 1. expressing little to no emotion 2. unexcitable or impassive 3. dull (referring to things)

stratagem: 1. a military plan designed to surprise or trick the enemy 2. a clever and deceptive scheme for achieving a specific goal

strident: 1. (of a sound) loud, unpleasant, and rough 2. presenting a point of view, especially a controversial one, in a way that offends some people

stringent: 1. strict, rigid 2. binding 3. constraining 4. extremely limiting

stupefy: 1. make (someone) confused or unable to think or feel properly 2. shock or surprise (someone) very much; amaze; astonish

submissive: inclined, ready, or willing to obey someone else without arguing, resistance, etc.; docile; yielding

subordinate: 1. from a lower rank or position 2. inferior 3. less important

subservient: 1. very willing or too willing to obey others unquestioningly 2. considered less important than something or someone else; subordinate

subsidiary: 1. secondary 2. used to supplement something or someone 3. auxiliary

subsidy: 1. money that a government gives a group to help it 2. financial assistance

substantiate: 1. support with proof or evidence 2. give concrete form or body to; convert into substance; embody 3. give substance to; make real or actual

subterfuge: 1. a plan or device used to conceal or hide something 2. a trick or dishonest way of doing something

subversive: trying to overthrow, destroy, or damage an established system or institution by persons working secretly from within, especially an established government or political system

succinct: 1. concise and clearly expressed 2. expressed in a short and easy to understand way

succulent: 1. (of food) tender, juicy, and tasty 2. (of a plant) having thick, fleshy, water-storing leaves or stems 3. full of interest, vigor, etc.; not dry or dull

suffragist: 1. a person who fights in favor of granting voting rights to people who do not have them, especially women

supercilious: behaving or looking as though you are better or more important than everyone else, and that their opinions, beliefs, or ideas are not important

superficial: 1. being at, on, or near the surface 2. shallow; not profound or thorough

superfluous: being more than is needed, useful, or wanted; surplus; excessive

supplant: remove or uproot (someone or something that is old or no longer used or accepted) in order to replace with (more powerful) someone or something else

supplement: 1. to add to something, especially in order to make up for a deficiency 2. an addition 3. something added to make something complete

surfeit: 1. an excessive or too large amount or supply of something 2. overeat or feed to excess 3. disgust caused by excess

surly: 1. rude or threatening 2. hostile 3. unfriendly 4. dismal or menacing (related to weather) 5. bad tempered

surmise: 1. to draw a conclusion or guess, usually with little to no proof or evidence 2. to conjecture

surreptitious: 1. obtained, done, or made in a secret, stealthy way, especially because it would not be approved of; clandestine; secret or unauthorized 2. acting in a secret, stealthy way

sybarite: 1. a person who is quite fond of luxury and pleasure

sycophant: a self-seeking person who attempts to win favor by flattering rich or influential people

tacit: 1. expressed or understood without being directly said or expressed; implied 2. unspoken; silent

taciturn: tending not to speak much; not liking to talk; uncommunicative

tactile: 1. tangible 2. related to the sense of touch 3. perceptible or detectable through touch

tangential: 1. slightly or indirectly related to what you are doing, discussing, or thinking about; not closely connected to something 2. merely touching; slightly connected; peripheral

tantamount: 1. of an equal amount of value, force, etc. 2. having an equal effect as something 3. equivalent to

tardy: 1. late 2. slow to perform a task or do something 3. delayed

tedium: 1. boredom 2. tediousness 3. the state of being boring over an extended period of time

teem: 1. be full of things; abound or swarm; move in large numbers 2. be present in large quantity

temerity: 1. recklessness or disregard for danger or consequences 2. foolish boldness 3. audacity

temperate: 1. emotionally calm and controlled 2. not extreme in behavior or language 3. (of weather conditions) neither very hot nor very cold

temporize: act evasively in order to gain time, avoid argument, or postpone a decision

tenacious: 1. holding firmly 2. that clings; adhesive; sticky 3. holding together firmly; cohesive 4. very determined to do something; persistent; stubborn

tenuous: 1. thin, weak, and easily broken; not certain, definite, or strong 2. very thin or slender in form, as a thread; insubstantial

terse: 1. short or curt, often in a way that is interpreted as unfriendly 2. concise and to the point

therapeutic: 1. possessing curative powers 2. used to make someone healthier or happier 3. producing a positive effect on the body or mind

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thwart: 1. to prevent something from happening 2. to hinder, frustrate or foil

timorous: 1. lacking confidence or nervous 2. showing fear 3. demonstrating timidness

titter: 1. to giggle 2. to laugh softly and in a nervous manner

toady: a person who praises and pretends to like a rich or important person, usually in order to get some advantage from them; sycophant; yes man

torpid: 1. dormant or acting in a slow way due to laziness or sleepiness 2. deprived of all power 3. dull

torpor: a state of not being active and having no or very little energy or enthusiasm

tortuous: 1. full of twists, turns, or bends 2. complicated, long, and confusing

totter: 1. to walk or move in an unsteady way, as if one were about to fall 2. to stagger 3. to sway or rock

tractable: 1. (of a person) easily managed, taught, or controlled 2. (of a situation or problem) easy to deal with

tranquil: 1. calm 2. relaxed 3. free from disturbances 4. quiet

transcribe: 1. to write something down 2. to make an exact written copy of 3. to put something into writing

transgress: 1. to surpass the limits of what is considered by society to be acceptable 2. to sin 3. to go beyond

transient: existing, happening, or staying somewhere for only a short time; temporary

transmute: 1. to transform 2. to convert from one form or state into another 3. to cause something to convert into something else

traverse: 1. to move across or through 2. to cross 3. to extend across

treatise: a formal, usually lengthy, book or piece of writing about a particular subject

trenchant: 1. clear-cut 2. forceful, vigorous, or severe especially when referring to one's arguments or ideas

trepidation: a feeling of fear or worry about what is going to happen because you think something bad or unpleasant is going to happen

trinket: 1. a small object or piece of jewelry that is of no great value 2. a small object

truculent: easily annoyed or angered and always ready, eager or quick to argue or fight

truncate: 1. to make something shorter by cutting off one of its ends

turgid: 1. pompous or too serious; grandiloquent 2. swollen or bloated

turpitude: depraved, shameful, dishonest, or immoral behavior or character

tyro: 1. a person who has just started learning or doing something 2. a beginner or novice

ubiquitous: present, or seeming to be present everywhere, especially at the same time; omnipresent

unalloyed: 1. pure 2. perfect 3. not mixed 4. not alloyed

uncanny: strange or mysterious, especially in a way that is difficult or impossible to explain or understand

uncouth: 1. behaving in a rude, unpleasant, or offensive way 2. not polite or socially acceptable

unctuous: 1. oily or greasy 2. overly friendly or interested behavior that is often clearly insincere

underscore: 1. to emphasize or stress something 2. to draw a line under a word or words 3. to stress

unfetter: 1. to release; to liberate 2. to free from restraint of any type

unfrock: 1. to remove someone's religious status; to take someone's status as a religious leader away from them

ungainly: (of a person or movement) awkward; clumsy; not moving in an attractive or graceful way

unruly: difficult or impossible to discipline, control, or rule

unwitting: 1. (of a person) not aware of the full facts; not knowing; unaware; ignorant 2. without knowing or planning; unintentional

upbraid: 1. to harshly criticize or scold 2. to strongly reproach someone for their behavior

uproarious: 1. loud and noisy 2. marked by loud and unstructured noise 3. provoking much laughter; highly funny

urbane: (of a person, especially a man) polite, courteous, and confident in a smooth, polished way

usurp: seize and hold (power, a position, property, rights, etc.) by force or without legal right

utilitarian: 1. useful; practical; not for show 2. capable of being used 3. created with its utility, not its beauty, in mind

utopian: 1. modeled on or related to the idea of a perfect society 2. visionary 3. impractical

vacillate: 1. to change opinions or show indecision 2. to sway or stagger in an unsteady manner 3. to oscillate

vacuous: 1. having or showing a lack of intelligence, interest, purpose, or thought 2. without contents, meaning, importance, or substance; empty

vagrant: 1. a homeless person that does not have a job; a rover 2. a bird that is no longer on its proper migratory route

vanquish: completely defeat in a contest, conflict, or competition

vapid: 1. showing no intelligence or imagination, and therefore very boring 2. lifeless, dull, or boring 3. lacking taste or flavor

variegated: 1. marked with different and varied colors, stripes, spots or other markings 2. diversified or varied

vehement: 1. powerful 2. forceful 3. intense; impassioned 4. expressing strong feelings and great energy

venal: 1. dishonest and ready to do dishonest things in return for money; open to bribery 2. for sale, available for a price, as by a bribe

veneer: 1. a thin coating 2. a decorative coating or facade 3. a polite but insincere way of behaving

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venerable: deserving respect, especially because of age, wisdom, character, long use, etc.

venerate: regard or treat (someone or something ) with great respect

venial: 1. trivial 2. easily forgiven 3. minor

veracity: 1. honesty, accuracy, truthfulness 2. habitual or constant truthfulness

verbose: using or containing more words than are necessary, and therefore long and boring

verdant: 1. covered in green, often referring to vegetation 2. inexperienced

vertigo: 1. a dizzy sensation 2. a loss of balance or dizziness which is often caused by being up high 3. a dizzy or confused state of mind

vicarious: 1. living an experience through another person's description instead of doing the action oneself 2. suffered by one person in place of another, especially referring to punishment

vicissitude: 1. changes that occur throughout one's life, often making things worse; the ups and downs of life 2. mutability or the natural process of change 3. alternation between opposite things

vignette: 1. a short story 2. a small decorative design found at the start or end of a chapter in a book 3. a small image or drawing which fades into its background

vilify: 1. to slander or spread negative information about 2. to use negative language about someone

vindicate: 1. clear from criticism, blame, guilt, suspicion, etc. with supporting arguments or proof 2. defend or maintain (a cause, claim, etc.) against opposition

virtuoso: a person who has special knowledge or skill in in some fine art, especially playing a musical instrument

virulent: 1. (of a disease or poison) extremely infectious, malignant, or poisonous; deadly 2. (of a pathogen, especially a virus) highly infective 3. bitterly hostile or antagonistic; full of hate and violent opposition

viscous: (of liquids) thick and sticky and does not flow easily

vitriolic: 1. cruel and hateful language 2. marked by notable criticism or sarcasm

vociferous: 1. highly opinionated and loud about one's beliefs 2. clamorous or offensively loud

voluble: 1. talkative; speaking with enthusiasm 2. fluent 3. expressed in many words 4. garrulous

voluminous: 1. large in volume 2. bulky 3. great in extent 4. long and detailed; enough to fill volumes (writing)

voracious: 1. consuming or eager to consume very large amounts of food 2. very eager in some desire, activity or pursuit

wane: 1. to decline in power 2. to lose strength or intensity 3. to approach the end 4. to ebb or dwindle

wanton: 1. a cruel, malicious or violent action done, shown, used deliberately, unprovokedly and unjustifiably 2. careless; reckless

waver: 1. be undecided between two opinions, possibilities, or courses of action or you keep choosing one way and then the other 2. become unsteady because of weakness, emotion, tiredness, etc.

waylay: 1. to wait to ambush 2. to stop someone who is going somewhere in order to talk to them or to harm them 3. to intercept or interrupt someone

whelp: 1. the babies or young of an animal like a wolf, seal, lion, bear, etc. 2. a puppy or cub

whet: 1. to stimulate or increase someone's interest in something 2. to sharpen

whimsical: 1. strange and unusual in a way that is considered to be amusing or interesting 2. capricious 3. unpredictable and erratic

wily: 1. cunning 2. capable of deceiving others in order to get what you want 3. clever; sly

winsome: 1. charming and pleasing, often in an innocent or child-like way 2. attractive

wispy: 1. quite thin or frail 2. not clear or distinct 3. a small quantity of something

zealot: 1. a fanatically committed person who is uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals 2. an excessively zealous person; fanatic

zenith: 1. the point in the sky that's directly over one's head 2. the highest point or peak

 

 

 

The following simple English grammar tips and tricks will help you to learn and memorize English grammar rules and speak correctly. If you are on this site for English grammar practice, these tips will really help you. Let's start.

Invest your time in learning

It surely takes some time to learn English. There is no shortcut way to learn it. Some websites may say that they will teach you English in seven days or one month. These are false offers. Invest some time in learning and practicing. Your English skills will surely improve.

Speak, speak, and speak!

Try to speak English the same way you write it. Do not worry about grammatical mistakes. The more you practice, the less mistakes you will make and the more fluent you will be. So, practice daily and do not be afraid of grammatical errors.

Slow down your speaking speed

Your confidence will go down if you try to speak fluently from the very beginning. Give yourself some time. Start with slow speaking speed and increase your speed over time as you make more progress day by day. Slowing down speaking speed has another benefit — you will get enough time to make sentences in your mind before you speak.

The more you practice speaking, the more confident you will be.

Use Mobile apps

Luckily, there are many English learning apps available. Some are free and some are paid apps. If you are a smartphone user, you should install some of these apps in your mobile phone. You can at least install one app and start practicing. A mobile app is a very handy and useful thing to learn at your convenient time. You can start with free apps.

Install and use a dictionary app in your mobile

There are several free dictionary apps that will help you to learn proper pronunciation and new words. It is highly possible that your smartphone already has a dictionary installed. Use it or install a better one.

Try to get a good bilingual dictionary for better understanding. Besides using a mobile app, you can buy and use a good bilingual dictionary. A good bilingual dictionary is always a good investment for personal improvement.

Learn English idioms and phrasal verbs

Idioms and phrasal verbs are very common in everyday English conversation. If you do not know them, you may fail to understand the correct meaning of what the other person is saying. So, do not ignore them. Try to learn the most common English idioms and phrasal verbs.

Listen to news bulletins

Almost every radio and television channel broadcasts news bulletins. If you have a smartphone, radio or television, you can listen to these English news bulletins. Besides learning the correct pronunciation, you can learn correct English. Listening to these bulletins will also improve your fluency. This is a common technique used by English learners.

Read out loud

How does your English sound? The pronunciation style of some people is very bad. But there is a simple and easy way to fix improve pronunciation. Take a newspaper or any other script written in English and read out loud. This way you can hear and test your own pronunciation. If you are not happy with your own pronunciation, keep practicing and your English pronunciation will surely improve.

Learn new words daily

The more words you learn, the better you can understand English and express yourself. You may be surprised to know that learning only the basic words can help you to speak English that is used in communication everyday.

Learn sentences

Besides learning common words, try learning common sentences used in everyday English communication. This will give you a huge boost in your learning efforts.

Write every day

When you write, do not be shy of your mistakes. Try to write at least a few paragraphs, ideally at least one page. It is a great practice to use your newly learned words and practice grammar. This will also improve your writing skills.

Watch English movies

These movies will help you to learn proper pronunciation and improve your understanding of English. When you see how native English speakers speak English, your mind will automatically start copying the style. You can try to speak like them at home to understand the quality of your pronunciation and fluency.

Language swap

There are several websites where you can find people who are native English speakers and want to help your learn English if you teach them your language. This is free and can be a great way to learn from native speakers. Many learners are using this method and you should give a try.

Go to a mentor

A mentor can help you to guide in the right direction. She can measure your progress and suggest whatever you need to improve. You can regularly discuss about your improvement and weakness with your mentor. Oftentimes, she can help you. Your mentor can be someone who is good at English. She can be your school / college / university teacher, your friend or any person good at English.

Try to correct your mistakes

It is common to make mistakes. Every time you make a mistake, write it in a separate piece of paper. Make a list of mistakes. Check your mistakes from time to time and try not to make these mistakes again when you practice. These mistakes are clear and good indications of your weakness in English.

Give yourself time to think

Whenever you make a mistake, you should think how you can avoid this mistake from next time. Take time and assess your progress and weakness.

Be an advance learner

Try to learn advance English grammatical rules and vocabulary. Never be happy with your progress. The more you learn and practice, the better English skills you achieve.

Start with "Tense"

There are mainly three types of tense - past, present and future. Usually, verbs indicate the correct form of each tense. Besides learning tense, you should memorize some verbs too. Do not worry. It is interesting and easy to learn the necessary verbs.

Learn common pronoun usage

Do you know the difference between the common subject pronouns and object pronouns such as I/me, we/us, he/him, she/her, they/them?

We use subject pronouns such as I, we, he she, they when the subject is doing an action. Usually, we use subject pronouns at the beginning of a sentence. Example: I cannot remember the story.

But we do not start a sentence with object pronouns such as me, us, him, her, them. Example: Call him.

Active voice and passive voice

Many English learning students get confused here. In active voice, the subject performs an action. In passive voice, the subject and the object of a sentence swap to form the correct sentence.

Incorrect: The cinema was gone to by me.

Correct: The cinema was enjoyed by me.

Prepositions

A preposition defines the relationship between an object and its surroundings. Without the proper use of prepositions, your English will sound weird. Luckily, there are only a handful of prepositions and these are easy to learn.

Learning new words can be a matter of fun but you need to follow some effective methods to learn new words faster. Read them all in the list below.

Read, read, and read

You will find many new words that you need to learn in novels and literary works. You will be most benefited if you read classic literary books. You should also read magazines and newspapers because these are also good sources of new words that you need to learn. These sources often use high quality English that often contain both common and advance words.

Vocabulary wordbooks

In the bookshops, you will find vocabulary wordbooks that range from beginner to advance levels. You can buy one or more depending on your requirements. These books make it a lot easier to learn because these books come with a complete list of words that is suitable for your level.

Use a journal

During your learning time, you will surely find new words. Add them in your journal. This list will slowly grow. But this journal will help you to measure your progress and show where you need to improve. The journal can inspire you to learn more and faster if you find that you are going slow.

Learn some new words everyday

It is easier and more realistic to digest some new words everyday. If you are determined to learn some new words everyday, you will be surprised and happy to see your progress after a month. The progress will surely motivate you to keep using this learning method.

Use flashcards

Using flashcards is a common way to learn new words. You maybe know that you can buy flashcards from bookshops. Some learners find it easier to learn new words with flashcards. You should give a try too.

Set a target

Set a target that is achievable and realistic. Whatever happens, try to achieve your target at any cost.

Look up new words

Have you found a new word? Get in the habit of looking up words you do not know and immediately do this. If you leave it for later, you may completely forget about it and miss the chance to learn it. A quick way is to look the words in the dictionary installed or available in your smartphone. Another alternative is — look up the word on a search engine like Google.com and you will find the meaning of your desired word in several high quality websites.

Play some word games

If you search online, you can find several word learning games. Some of these games are developed in such a fun and entertaining way that you will not get bored even if you use them hours after hours. These games are not hard to find out. Vocabulary learners usually learn using crossword puzzles, anagrams, word jumble, Scrabble, and Boggle. You can try one of them or all of them.

Use your newly learned words

Take a piece of paper and make one or more sentences for every word you just learned. This way every word will be more memorable. It can take some time but it definitely has its benefits.

Engage in conversations

When you engage in conversation, use your newly learned vocabulary. It can be interesting because the other person will be surprised to see your improved vocabulary power / skills. Besides, you will be able to express / communicate in a better way.

Take vocabulary tests

There are several websites that give you free access to their website so that you can test your vocabulary. This website also helps you to test your SAT vocabulary, GRE vocabulary, IELTS vocabulary, TOEFL vocabulary, ACT vocabulary, TOEIC vocabulary, GMAT vocabulary, PTE vocabulary, ECPE vocabulary, MELAB vocabulary, MCAT vocabulary, and PCAT vocabulary.