Vocabulary

Abject

(of something bad) experienced or present to the maximum degree.

Accost

Approach and address (someone) boldly or aggressively.

Acquiesce

Accept something reluctantly but without protest.

Alliteration

The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.

Altruism

The belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others.

Anomalous

Deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected.

Anthropomorphic

Human like, non-human possessing human traits, emotions, or intentions.

Apoplexy

Unconsciousness or incapacity resulting from a cerebral hemorrhage or stroke.

• informal incapacity or speechlessness caused by extreme anger.

Arduous

Involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring.

Assiduous

Showing great care and perseverance.

Avant-garde

New and unusual or experimental ideas, especially in the arts.

Bemoan

Express discontent or sorrow over (something).

Bespoke

Made for a particular customer or user.

Blasé

Unimpressed or indifferent to something because one has experienced or seen it so often before.

Brazen

Bold and without shame.

Bungling, Bungle

Clumsily awkward or inept.

Callous

Showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for others.

Capitulate

Cease to resist an opponent or an unwelcome demand; surrender.

Catalyst

An agent that provokes or speeds significant change or action.

Chagrin, Chargined

Distress or embarrassment at having failed or been humiliated.

Clandestine

Kept secret or done secretively, especially because illicit.

Congruous

In agreement or harmony.

Contemptible

Deserving contempt; despicable.

Cornucopia

An abundant supply of good things of a specified kind.

Crass

Lacking sensitivity, refinement, or intelligence.

Curt

Rudely brief

Decadent

Characterized by or reflecting a state of moral or cultural decline.

• luxuriously self-indulgent

Derisive

Expressing contempt or ridicule.

Deus Ex Machina

A person or thing (as in fiction or drama) that appears or is introduced suddenly and unexpectedly and provides a contrived solution to an apparently insoluble difficulty.

Didactic

Intended to teach, instructive. Often used negatively for excessive or patronizing teaching.

Disillusioned

Disappointed in someone or something that one discovers to be less good than one had believed.

Disingenuous

Not candid or sincere, typically by pretending that one knows less about something than one really does.

Distill

Extract the essential meaning or most important aspects of.

Dogma

A principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true.

Duplicity

Deceitfulness, double-dealing.

Egregious

Outstandingly bad; shocking.

Emasculate

1. Deprive (a man) of his male role or identity.
2. Make (a person, idea, or piece of legislation) weaker or less effective.

Emphatic

Expressing something forcibly and clearly.

Engender

Cause or give rise to (a feeling, situation, or condition).

Ennui ("an-wee")

A feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement.

Ephemeral

Lasting for a very short time.

Eschew

Deliberately avoid using; abstain from.

Estranged

(of a person) no longer close or affectionate to someone; alienated. (of a wife or husband) no longer living with their spouse.

Ethereal

Extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world.

Euphemism

A mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing. e.g. downsizing for cuts.

Euphoria

A feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness.

Exhortation

An address or communication emphatically urging someone to do something.

Extenuating

Partially excusing or justifying.

Feckless

Lacking initiative or strength of character; irresponsible.

Genial

Friendly and cheerful.

Germane

Relevant to the subject under consideration.

Gesticulate

Use gestures, especially dramatic ones, instead of speaking or to emphasize one's words.

Glib

(of words or the person speaking them) fluent and voluble but insincere and shallow.

Hegemony

Leadership or dominance, especially by one country or social group over others.

Heterogeneous

Diverse in character or content.

Heuristic

A practical method, not guaranteed to be optimal, that's sufficient for an immediate goal; a shortcut.

Homogeneous

Of the same kind; alike.

Hypoallergenic

Relatively unlikely to cause an allergic reaction.

Idiosyncrasy, Idiosyncratic

Peculiar or individual.

Incongruous

Not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something.

Incorrigible

(of a person or their tendencies) not able to be corrected, improved, or reformed.

Indelible

(of ink or a pen) making marks that cannot be removed.

• not able to be forgotten or removed

Indignant

Feeling or showing anger or annoyance at what is perceived as unfair treatment.

Ineffable

Too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words.

Inexorably

In a way that is impossible to stop or prevent.

Inextricably

In a way that is impossible to disentangle or separate.

Inscrutable

Impossible to understand.

Intrepid

Fearless; adventurous (often used for rhetorical or humorous effect).

Irresolute

Showing or feeling hesitancy; uncertain.

Irreverent

Showing a lack of respect for people or things that are generally taken seriously.

Labile

Liable to change; easily altered.

Luddite

Derogatory: a person opposed to increased industrialization or new technology.

Maelstrom

1. A large and violent whirlpool.
2. (figuratively) Any violent or turbulent situation.

Masochistic

Enjoying, or taking pleasure, in feeling pain.

Mercurial

(of a person) subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind.

Misnomer

A wrong or inaccurate name or designation.

Narcissist

A person who has an excessive interest in or admiration of themselves.

Nascent

(especially of a process or organization) just coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential.

Nebulous

(of a concept or idea) unclear, vague, or ill-defined.

Nefarious

Wicked or criminal.

Neophyte

A person who is new to a subject, skill, or belief.

Nonchalant

(of a person or manner) feeling or appearing casually calm and relaxed; not displaying anxiety, interest, or enthusiasm.

Nondescript

Lacking distinctive or interesting features or characteristics.

Nonplussed, Nonplus

(of a person) surprised and confused so much that they are unsure how to react.

Non sequitur

A conclusion or statement that does not logically follow from the previous argument or statement.

Onerous

(of a task, duty, or responsibility) involving an amount of effort and difficulty that is oppressively (and unwelcomely) burdensome.

Ostensibly

Apparently or purportedly, but perhaps not actually.

Ostentatious

Characterized by vulgar or pretentious display; designed to impress or attract notice.

Obstinate

Stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or chosen course of action, despite attempts to persuade one to do so.

Ostracize

Exclude (someone) from a society or group.

Overtly

Without concealment or secrecy; openly.

Palpable

(of a feeling or atmosphere) so intense as to seem almost tangible.

Pedant, Pedantic

Person who is excessively concerned with minor details and rules or with displaying academic learning.

Pensive

Engaged in, involving, or reflecting deep or serious thought.

Perturbed

Anxious or unsettled; upset.

Placate

Make (someone) less angry or hostile.

Platitude

A remark or statement, especially one with a moral content, that has been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful.

Predisposition

A liability or tendency to suffer from a particular condition, hold a particular attitude, or act in a particular way.

Prerogative

A right or privilege exclusive to a particular individual or class.

Pretext

A reason given in justification of a course of action that is not the real reason.

Prima Facie

At first sight; appears true at first consideration.

Proclivity

A tendency to choose or do something regularly; an inclination or predisposition toward a particular thing.

Prose

Written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical structure.

• Plain or dull writing, discourse, or expression.

Protracted

Lasting for a long time or longer than expected or usual.

Psychedelic

Relating to or denoting drugs (especially LSD) that produce hallucinations and apparent expansion of consciousness.

Raconteur

A person who tells anecdotes in a skillful and amusing way.

Reproach

Address (someone) in such a way as to express disapproval or disappointment.

Reticent

Not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily; reserved.

Sanguine

Optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation.

Serendipitous

Occurring or discovered by chance in a happy or beneficial way.

Socialite

A person who is well known in fashionable society and is fond of social activities and entertainment.

Solicitous

Characterized by or showing interest or concern.

Tacit

Understood or implied without being stated.

Tautology

The saying of the same thing twice in different words, generally considered to be a fault of style.

Ubiquitous

Present, appearing, or found everywhere.

Unbecoming

1. (especially of clothing or a color) not flattering.
2. (of a person's attitude or behavior) not fitting or appropriate.

Vagary, Vagaries

An unexpected and inexplicable change in a situation or in someone's behavior.

Venerable

Accorded a great deal of respect, especially because of age, wisdom, or character.

Vindicate

1. Clear (someone) of blame or suspicion.
2. Show or prove to be right, reasonable, or justified.

Vindictive

Having or showing a strong or unreasoning desire for revenge.

Visceral

Relating to deep inward feelings rather than to the intellect.

Vivacious

(especially of a woman) attractively lively and animated.

Voluble

(of a person) talking fluently, readily, or incessantly.