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GMAT Vocab List


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WORDS FREQUENTLY APPEARING ON THE GMAT

 

In your preparation for the GMAT, it is important that you become familiar with the meanings of as many words as possible. This is especially true for success on the Verbal Ability section of the test, but it is also necessary for better comprehension of Reading Comprehension, Reading recall, and Practical Judgment passage, where a few key words may hold the meaning of an entire paragraph.

 

The vocabulary list presented here contains words that frequently appear on the GMAT and many terms that you may encounter in the course of the exam. Study it carefully to familiarize yourself with these words. Refer to it to check the meaning of any difficult words you may encounter in other parts of this Guide.

 

Abase – to humiliate, degrade

Abash – to bewilder, confound

Abate – to remove, lessen

Abdicate - to forsake, give up

Aberration – deviation

Abeyance – inactivity

Abhor – to detest, hate

Abject – degraded, miserable

Abjure – to recant, revoke

Abnegate – to deny, denounce

Abominate – to dislike

Abort – to be unsuccessful, fail to develop

Abrade – to scrape out

Abrogate – to abolish

Abscond – to bolt, decamp, flee

Absolve – to pardon

Abstemious – eating or drinking sparingly

Abstract – summary

Abstruse – profound, hidden, hard to under-stand

Accede - to consent

Accessory – accomplice

Acclivity – incline rising slope

Accolade – honor, award

Accord – to grant, allow

Accost – to greet aggressively

Accretion – adhesion, concretion

Accrue – to accumulate

Acerbity – sharpness, bitterness

Acme – summit, peak

Acolyte – attendant, helper

Acrimonious – sharp, acrid

Actuate – to put into action

Adamant – immovable

Adduce – to give as proof

Adjudicate – to decide (a case)

Adjunct – auxiliary, appendage

Adjure – to state on oath

Admonish – to caution, warn

Adroit – skillful, clever

Adulation – flattery

Adulterate – to corrupt, contaminate

Advent – coming

Adventitious – accidental

Advocate – counsel, defender

Aegis – protection

Aesthetic – pertaining to beauty

Affability – politeness, courtesy

Affinity – relation, alliance

Affluence – wealth

Aggrandize – to increase in power

Agnostic – one who doubts the existence of God

Agrarian – relating to farming

Alacrity – willingness, agility

Albeit – although

Alchemy – chemistry of the middle ages

Alimentary – supplying food

Allay – to soothe, calm

Allegory – parable, fable

Allocate – to distribute

Allude – to insinuate, refer

Altercation – quarrel

Alternation - recurrence, succession

Altruism – unselfish devotion

Amalgamate – to combine, unite

Ambidextrous – using both hands equally well

Ameliorate - to amend, improve

Amenable – responsible, liable

Amenity – pleasantness

Amiable – pleasing, loving

Amorphous – shapeless

Anachronism – something misplaced in time

Analogy – similarity, affinity

Anarchy – absence of government

Anathema – ban, curse

Anchorite – hermit

Ancillary – subordinate

Anecdote – tale, story

Animate – to inspire, encourage

Animosity – enmity, hatred

Annals – historical accounts

Anneal – to heat glass, metal, etc.

Annotator – commentator

Anomaly – abnormality, deviation

Antagonist – opponent

Antecede – to come before (in time or place)

Antedate – to assign a date earlier than the actual one

Anterior - front

Antimacassar – cover used to protect furniture

Antipathy – aversion, dislike

Antithesis – contrast, direct opposite

Aperture – opening

Apex – highest point

Aphorism – saying, adage

Apiary – place where bees are kept

Aplomb – self-confidence

Apochryphal – of questionable authenticity

Apogee – farthest orbit point from the earth

Apoplexy – sudden loss of consciousness

Apostasy – abandoning of faith

Apothecary – druggist

Apothegm – short, pithy statement

Appall – to terrify, shock

Appellation – name, title

Apposite – suitable, appropriate

Apprise – to inform

Approbation – approval, consent

Arbiter – arbitrator, judge

Archaic – no longer used

Archipelago – chain of island

Archives – place where records are kept

Arduous – difficult

Argot – slang

Array – rank, order, finery

Arrears – in debt

Articulate – to speak or write clearly

Artifice – mastery, trickery

Asperity – acrimony, harshness

Aspersion – slander, false accusation

Assay – to analyze chemically

Asseverate- to state positively

Assiduity – care, diligence

Assimilate - to absorb

Assuage – to pacify, calm

Astral – starry

Astringent – contracting (tissues), severe

Astute – shrewd

Atheist – one who denies the existence of God

Atrophy – to waste away, deteriorate

Attenuate – to weaken

Attrition – a wearing away, weakening

Audacious – bold

Augment – to increase

Augur – to predict

August – majestic, noble

Auspice – protection

Auspicious – fortunate, favorable

Austere – rigid, severe

Authoritative – powerful, commanding

Autocratic – arrogant, dictatorial

Autonomy – self-government

Auxiliary – assistant, helping

Avarice – greed, cupidity

Aver – assert

Averse – unwilling

Aviary – place where birds are kept

Avidity – eagerness

Avoirdupois – weight

Avow – declare

Awry – crooked, bent

Axiomatic – principle accepted as self-evident

 

Badger – to harass, nag

Badinage – banter

Baleful – harmful, evil

Balm – something that soothes

Banal – meaningless, commonplace

Bandy – to exchange (word)

Band – cause of harm

Barrister – court lawyer

Bedizen – to dress in a gaudy, vulgar manner

Beguile – to deceive

Belabor – to attack verbally, drag out

Bellicose – warlike

Beneficient – liberal, kind

Benign – gentle, mild

Berate – to scold

Bereft – bereaved, deprived of

Bestial – savage

Bestride – to mount

Bicameral – having two legislative chambers

Biennial - every two years

Bilious – bad-tempered

Biped – two-footed animal

Bivouac – encampment

Bland – mild

Blasé – indifferent

Blasphemy – profane abuse of anything sacred

Blatant – noisy, vociferous

Blazon – to adorn, proclaim

Bluster – to swagger, boast

Bogus – counterfeit

Boisterous – violent, furious

Bombast – pompous speech

Botch – to ruin

Bounty – generosity

Bourgeois – middle class

Bovine – ox or cow

Brandish – to wave menacingly

Bravado – pretense of bravery

Breech – lower part of the body

Brigand – robber, bandit

Broach – to start a discussion

Browbeat – to intimidate

Brusque – abrupt in manner

Bucolic – rustic

Buffoon – clown

Buoyancy – lightness, animation

Bureaucracy – government of specialized functions and hierarchy of officials

Burgeon – bud, sprout

Burnish – to polish

Butte – hill

Buttress – prop, protuberance

 

Cabal – intrigue, faction

Cache – hiding place

Cacophony – harsh sound

Cadence – measured movement

Cajole – to coax, flatter

Caldron – kettle

Calligraphy – penmanship

Callous – hard, obdurate

Callow – unfledged

Calumny – slander, defamation

Canard – hoax

Canker – ulcer

Cant – tilt, whining speech

Cantilever – supporting bracket

Canvass – to make a survey, solicit

Capacious – roomy, ample

Caper – frolic, mischievous act

Capitulate – to surrender

Caprice – whim, fancy

Captious – touchy, cross

Captivate – to charm, fascinate

Carnage – slaughter, massacre

Carnivorous – flesh-eating

Carom – rebound

Carp – to complain constantly

Carrion – decaying flesh

Castigate – to punish

Casuistry – false reasoning

Cataclysm – violent change or upheaval

Catalyst – agent of change

Cathartic – purifying

Catholic – universal

Caustic – sarcastic, corrosive

Cavil – to quibble

Celerity – rapidity, velocity

Censorious – fault-finding

Censure – to criticize sharply

Centrifugal – moving away from center

Cephalic – of the head

Cerebration – thought process

Chafe – fret, irritate

Chaff – worthless material

Chagrin – embarrassment

Charlatan – faker

Charnel – place where corpses are deposited

Chary – discreetly cautious

Chastise – to castigate, correct

Chattel – slave

Chauvinism – fanatical patriotism

Chicanery – deception

Chimerical – imaginary

Choleric – irascible, easily angered

Chronic – always present

Churlish – ill-bred

Circuitous – roundabout, tortuous

Circumlocution – evasion in speech

Circumspect – watchful, cautious

Circumvent – to avoid

Citadel – fortress

Civility – politeness, affability

Clairvoyant – able to perceive something not readily apparent

Clandestine – secret, hidden

Cloy – to overindulge with an initially pleasing thing

Coagulate – to thicken, clot

Coalesce – to unite, join forces

Coda – ending section distinct from the main body of a work

Coerce – to force

Cogent – forcible, convincing

Cogitate – to think seriously

Cognate – related

Cognizant – aware

Cohesion – a sticking together

Collate to put together in proper order

Colligate – to group together

Collocate – to arrange in position

Colloquy – conversation, dialogue

Collusion – secret agreement to defraud

Colophon – inscription in a book

Colorable – plausible, ostensible

Comestible – edible

Commensurate - proportionate

Commodious – spacious

Commute – alter, exchange

Compatible – consistent

Compendious – spacious

Compendium – abridgment, abstract

Compunction – uneasiness, remorse

Conclave – secret meeting

Concomitant – accompanying

Concupiscence – strong desire

Condign – appropriate

Condone – to overlook as unimportant

Conduce – to lead toward a desired end

Configuration – shape, arrangement

Confiscatory – seized by authority

Conflagration – destructive fire

Confute – to disprove, refute

Congeal – to change to a solid state

Congenital – existing from birth

Congruous – appropriate, in agreement

Coniferous – cone-bearing

Conjecture – guess, conclusion

Conjure – to summon solemnly

Connive – cooperate secretly

Connoisseur – expert, critic

Connote –suggest, imply

Conscript – to force into service, draft

Consecrate – to sanctify, dedicate

Consonance – harmony

Consort – associate, companion

Constellation – group of stars

Consternation – sudden confusion, panic

Constituency – voters in a district

Constrain – to restrict movement, limit

Constrict – to shrink

Consummate – to complete

Contemn – to despise, scorn

Contemptuous – scornful, insolent

Contentious – argumentative

Contiguous – adjacent, touching

Contingency – casualty, occurrence

Contravene – to contradict

Contrition – remorse, repentance

Contrivance – plan, scheme

Controvert – to debate, dispute

Contumely – rudeness

Contusion - bruise

Conundrum – riddle

Conversant – familiar with

Convivial – joyous, festal

Convoke – to assemble

Convulse – to shake violently, agitate

Copious – abundant

Corollary – inference, result

Corona – crown, luminous circle

Corporeal – pertaining to the body

Corpulent – fat, stout

Correlate – to be in mutual relation

Corrigible – amenable, tractable

Corroborate – to strengthen, confirm

Coterie – group

Countenance – facial expression, composure

Countermand – to cancel with a contrary order

Covenant – contract

Covert – clandestine, secret

Covet – to desire, aspire to

Cower – to cringe in feat

Cozen – to trick

Crag – steep projecting rock

Crass – grossly stupid

Credence – belief, faith

Credible – believable

Credulity – simplicity, gullibility

Crimp – to bend into shape, pinch together

Cruciate – cross-shaped

Crux – vital point

Cryptic – mysterious

Cudgel – club

Culmination – highest point, climax

Culpable – deserving blame

Cumbrous – unwieldy

Cupidity – avarice, greed

Curry – to seek favor by flattery

Cursory – hasty, superficial

Cynical – sarcastic, sneering

Cynosure – center of attraction

 

Dalliance – dawdling

Dank – chilly and wet

Dastard – coward

Dauntless – valiant, intrepid

Dearth – scarcity

Debacle – complete failure, fiasco

Debase – to degrade, lower

Debauch – to corrupt

Debility – weakness

Debonair – affable, jaunty

Decamp – to break camp, depart suddenly

Decant – to pour

Deciduous – shedding (leaves) annually

Declaim – speak, debate

Declaration – announcement

Declivity – descent, slop

Decorous – proper in good taste

Decrepit – run-down, worn-out

Decry – to censure

Deference – honor, respect

Definitive – explicit, conclusive

Defunct – no longer existing

Deign – to condescend

Deleterious – harmful

Delineate – to describe

Demean – to behave properly

Denigrate – to describe

Demean – to behave properly

Denigrate – to define, belittle

Denizen – inhabitant

Denote – to standard for, mean

Denude – to strip, divest

Deposition – removal (from office), testimony

Depraved – sinful

Deprecate – to disapprove of

Depreciate – to lessen the value of

Depute – to appoint, entrust

Derogatory – disparaging

Descry – to discover, make known

Desecrate – to profane, abuse

Desiccate – to dry up

Desist – to cease, stop

Despicable – contemptible

Desultory – loose, rambling

Deterrent – constraint, preventative

Detritus – product of disintegration

Devious – rambling, errant, tricky

Diametric – opposite

Diaphanous – extremely delicate, insubstantial

Dichotomy – division into two parts

Dictum – positive statement

Didactic – instructive

Diffident – lacking confidence, reserved

Diffuse – to spread without restraint

Dilate – to stretch, widen

Dilatory – tardy, lagging

Dilettante – one who dabbles superficially

Diligent – industrious, assiduous

Diluvial – pertaining to feeds

Discern – to observe, perceive

Discompose – to upset the order of

Disconcert – to confound, disturb

Disconsolate – sad, forlorn

Discord – disagreement

Discountenance – disapproval

Discursive – rambling

Disdain – to scorn

Disingenuous – without candor

Disparage – to belittle

Disparate – distinct in quality

Disputation – debase

Disseminate – to spread widely

Dissident – disagreeing

Dissimulate – to put on a false appearance

Dissipate – to scatter or use wastefully

Dissolute – morally loose

Dissonant – lacking harmony

Dissuade – to advise against

Distend – to stretch out

Distrait – absentminded, distracted

Distraught – mentally upset

Diverge – to branch off, deviate

Divers – various

Divest – to deprive, strip off

Doctrinate – impractical theorist

Dogmatic – arrogant stating of opinion

Doldrums – low spirits

Dole – something given sparingly

Doleful – dismal

Dolorous – mournful

Dolt – stupid person

Dotage – senility

Dour – stern, gloomy

Dowdy – shabby, styleless

Dreg – undesirable leftovers

Drivel – silly talk

Droll – funny, amusing

Dross – refuse, waste

Dubious – uncertain

Dubitable – open to doubt

Dupe – to deceive

Duplicity – deception

Duress – restraint, force

 

Ebony – hard durable wood, black

Ebullient – enthusiastic

Ecclesiastical – pertaining to the church

Echelon – formation of units or troops

Eclectic – made up of elements from a variety of source

Ecology – study of the relationships in an environment

Ecumenical – general, worldwide

Edict – public announcement, decree

Edifice – large building

Edify – to enlighten

Educe – to bring forth

Effable – capable of being expressed

Efface – to wipe out, erase

Efficacious – effective

Effigy – image, crud likeness

Effluence – flowing out

Effrontery – impudence

Effulgent – illuminated

Effusive – highly emotional

Egocentric – self-centered

Egregious – flagrant

Egression – emergence

Electorate – voting body

Elicit – to cause a response

Elision – omission

Eloquent – pleasingly expressive

Elucidate – to make clear

Elusive – hard to grasp

Emaciate – to make thin

Emanate – to come out from

Embellish – to ornament

Embody – to make perceptible, personify

Embroil – to involve in an argument

Emend – to correct or alter (as in a literary work)

Emissary – messenger

Emollient – soothing substance

Emolument – salary, compensation

Emulate – to rival or try to equal

Enclave – distinct unit surrounded by foreign territory

Encomium – glowing praise

Encroach – trespass

Encyclopedia – compendium of knowledge

Endemic – restricted to a given locality

Endogenous – originating from within

Enervate – to lessen the vitality of

Enfranchise – to give the right to vote

Engender – to bring into being

Engross – to take the entire attention of

Engulf – to swallow up

Enigmatic – hard to understand, puzzling

Enjoin – to impose by order, prohibit

Enmesh – to entangle

Enmity – hostility

Enormity – outrageous act

Ensconce – to conceal, settle snugly

Entity – something that exists independently

Entomology – study of insects

Entreat – to implore

Enunciate – to announce, pronounce clearly

Ephemeral – short-lived

Epic – long, narrative poem

Epicure – one who has discriminating tastes for foods and liquors

Epigram – terse, witty saying

Epilogue – closed section of a literary work

Epistle – letter

Epitaph – inscription

Epithet – word or phrase characterizing a person or thing

Epitome – ideal example, embodiment

Epoch – event or time that marks the start of a new period

Equable – uniform, even

Equanimity – composure

Equivocal – purposely deceive

Era – period of time marked by certain events

Ergo – therefore

Ersatz – artificial, substitute

Erudite – learned

Escapement – notched device regulating movement in a mechanism

Escarpment – steep slope between level areas

Eschew – to shun

Esculent – edible

Escutcheon – shield containing a coat of arms

Esoteric – limited to a chosen few

Esthetic – beautiful

Estival – pertaining to summer

Ethereal – airy

Etude – musical composition used for practice

Eulogy – speech in praise of a dead person

Euphemism – substitution of a less offensive word

Euphony – agreeable sounds

Euphoria – feeling of well-being

Evanescent – fading from sight

Evasion – avoidance

Evince – to show plainly

Evoke – to call force, produce

Evolve – to develop gradually

Exacerbate – to aggravate

Exacting – making severe demands

Exclude – to bar

Excoriate – to strip the skin off

Exculpate – to free from blame

Execrable – detestable

Execrate – to curse

Exemplary – serving as a model

Exempt – to excuse from responsibility others are subject to

Exhort – to entreat, appeal urgently

Exhume – to dig up

Exigency – situation making extremely urgent demands

Exigent – urgent

Exiguous – scanty, meager

Exogenous – originating from outside

Exonerate – to clear from blame

Exorcise – to expel (an evil spirit)

Expatiate – to speak or write at length, wander

Expedite – speed up

Expeditious – prompt

Expiate – to make amends

Expound – to state in detail

Expunge – to erase

Expurgate – to remove passages (from a book)

Exquisite – very beautiful, perfected

Extant – still existing

Extemporary – impromptu

Extemporize – to improvise

Extenuate – to lessen the seriousness of

Extirpate – to destroy completely

Extol – to laud

Extraneous – not pertinent to the whole

Extricate – to set free

Extrinsic – to force out

Exude – to discharge

Exult – to rejoice

 

Fabricate – to manufacture, invent

Fabulous – fictitious

Façade – front or main face of a building

Facetious – lightly joking

Facile – easily done

Facilitate – to make easier

Facsimile – reproduction

Factious – producing dissension

Factitious – artificially produced

Factotum – general worker

Fallacious – tending to mislead

Fallible – capable of erring

Fallow – cultivated land not in use

Fastidious – hard to please, meticulous

Fatuous – foolish

Fawn – to court favor, grovel

Fealty – intense faithfulness

Feasible – possible

Feculent – impure

Fecund – fertile

Fein – to simulate, pretend

Felicitous – appropriate, pleasant

Fell – dangerous, cruel

Ferret – to search out

Fervid – ardent

Fervor – ardor, zeal

Festoon – decorative chain

Fetid – stinking

Fetish – an object believe to have magical powers

Fettle – condition, state of fitness

Fiasco – complete failure

Fickle – capricious

Figment – fine thread

Filch – to pilfer

Finesse – skill

Fissure – cleft or crack

Flaccid – soft and limp

Flagitious – wicked

Flagrant – outrageous

Flail – implement for threshing grain

Flair – aptitude, attractive quality

Flamboyant – showy

Flaunt – to show off

Flex – to bend

Flinch – to draw back

Flippant – lacking proper respect

Florescence – flowering

Floriculture – care of ornamental plants

Flout – to mock or scoff

Fluctuate – to vary

Foible – minor weakness

Foment – to stir up

Foray – to plunder

Forensic – relating to court or public debate

Forerunner – predecessor, sign warning of something to follow

Forlorn – miserable

Formidable – dreadful, awesome

Fortitude – courage

Fortnight – two weeks

Fortuitous – by chance

Fractious – unruly

Fraught – laden

Fray – fight

Frenetic – wildly excited

Frugal – thrifty

Fruition – accomplishment

Fulminate – to explode, denounce

Fulsome – disgusting

Furtive – stealthy

 

Gainsay – to contradict

Gambol – to frolic

Gamut – entire range

Garble – to distort

Garish – showy, gaudy

Garrulous – talkative

Gastronomy – art of good eating

Gauntlet – glove (medieval), ordeal

Gelid – frozen

Genial – cordial

Genre – sort or type, category

Genus – class, group with similar characteristics

Germane – fitting

Germinate – to develop, sprout

Gestation – development, pregnancy

Gibber – to speak rapidly, chatter

Gibe – to scoff, deride

Gird – to encircle

Glib – superficial, unconvincing

Glut – to oversupply

Glutton – one who overindulges

Goad – spur

Gourmet – expert on good food and drink

Gradient – slope

Grandeur – splendor

Gratuitous – free of charge

Gratuity – tip

Gregarious – sociable

Grimace – expression of pain

Grommet – metal ring

Grueling – very tiring

Guild – organization of persons with common interests

Guile – deceitful behavior

Guise – false pretense

Gyrate – to move in a circular fashion

 

Hackneyed – overused, trite

Haphazard – not planned, random

Harangue – long speech

Harass – to torment

Harbinger – forerunner

Haughty – extremely proud

Hauteur – disdainful pride

Havoc – great destruction

Hawser – strong rope

Heady – impetuous

Hearth – fireplace floor

Hegemony – dominance of authority

Heinous – hateful, evil

Heptagon – seven-sided polygon

Heresy – anti-religious thought

Hermetic – airtight

Heterodox – differing from the accepted standard

Heterogeneous – differing in structure, mixed

Hexapod – something with six legs

Hiatus – gap

Hibernal – pertaining to winter

Hierarchy – an ordering by rank of grade

Hinder – to thwart, impede

Histrionic – theatrical

Hoax – practical joke, trick

Holocaust – complete destruction

Homily – sermon

Homogeneous – uniform in structure

Homologous – corresponding in structure

Horology – science of measuring time

Hortative – exhorting, pleading

Horticulture – the art of growing flowers, plants, fruits

Huddle – to crowd together

Humus – fertilizer, organic part of soil

Hurtle – to speed

Husbandry – cultivation and care of plants and animals

Hybrid – of mixed origin

Hydrophobia – fear of water

Hyperbole – exaggeration

Hypothesis – assumption

 

Idiosyncrasy – peculiar mannerism

Idyllic – pleasing, simple, pastoral

Ignoble – mean, base

Ignominious – shameful, degrading

Illicit – unlawful

Illimitable – boundless

Illusory – deceptive

Imbibe – to absorb or drink

Imbroglio – confused situation

Imbue – to permeate

Immolate – to offer in sacrifice

Immutable – unchangeable

Impale – to pierce through

Impalpable – not understood, vague

Impasse – deadlock

Impassioned – ardent, fervent

Impeach – to accuse

Impeccable – flawless

Impecunious – having no money, poor

Imperceptible – slight, subtle

Imperious – domineering

Impertinent – rude

Impervious – not influenced

Impetuous –impulsive

Impious – lacking reverence

Implicit – implied, not appearent

Imply – to indicate by indirect statement

Importune – to urge persistently

Impromptu – insolence

Impugn – to challenge as false

Impunity – freedom harm

Impute – to attribute (something bad) to another

Inadvertence – negligence, oversight

Inalienable – unable to be taken away

Inane – lacking sense

Inarticulate – unable to speak clearly

Incendiary – one who excites or agitates

Inception – beginning

Incessant – never ceasing

Inchoative – just begun, initial

Incipient – beginning to appear

Inclement – stormy

Inclusive – taking all factors into account

Incognito – disguised

Incongruous – unconforming, inconsistent

Inconsiderable – trivial, small

Inconspicuous – not readily apparent

Incorrigible – not able to be corrected, delinquent

Incredulous – not readily apparent

Incorrigible – not able to be corrected, delinquent

Incredulous – skeptical

Increment – increase, addition

Inculpate – to incriminate

Incumbent – officeholder, obligatory

Indefatigable – tireless

Indigenous – native to

Indigent – poor

Indolent – lazy

Indurate – hardened

Ineffable – unspeakable, indescribable

Inert – without power to move or resist

Inexorable – unrelenting

Infamy – unrelenting

Infamy – bad reputation

Inference – conclusion

Infernal – hellish, fiendish

Infinitesimal – immeasurable small

Infrastructure – basic framework of an organization

Infringe – to encroach upon

Ingenious – resourceful, inventive

Ingenuous – frank, naïve

Ingratiate – to seek someone’s favor

Inherent – belonging by nature

Inimical – hostile

Iniquitous – unjust

Injunction – court order, command

Innate – natural, existing from birth

Innocuous – harmless

Innuendo – hint, allusion

Inscrutable – enigmatic, mysterious

Insidious – treacherous

Insinuate – to suggest, hint at artfully

Insipid – dull, tasteless

Insolvent – bankrupt

Instigator – one who incites action

Insular – narrow-minded, limited

Insurgent – one who revolts against established authority

Intangible – incorporeal, vague

Intemperance – excessive indulgence

Interdict – to prohibit

Interment – burial

Interminable – endless

Internment – confinement (of enemies)

Interpolate – to change by inserting new material

Interstice – space, interval

Intractable – unruly, stubborn

Intransigent – refusing to compromise

Intrepid – fearless

Intrinsic – inherent

Introvert – to turn inward

Intuition – insight

Inundate – to overflow overwhelm

Inure – habituate

Invective – denunciation

Inveigh – to complain bitterly

Inveigle – to trick, entice

Investiture – installation in office

Inveterate – firmly established

Invidious – offensive

Invincible – unconquerable

Inviolate – sacred

Irascible – contrary to what was expected, sarcastic

Isthmus – narrow strip of land

Iterate – to repeat over and over

Itinerant – traveling from place to place

 

Jaundice – yellow pigmentation of the skin

Jaunty – lively

Jettison – to throw overboard, discard as superfluous

Jocose – humorous

Jocund – cheerful

Jocular – playful, jolly

Jostle - to elbow, agitate

Judicious – showing sound judgment

Juggernaut – massive destructive force

Juridical – pertaining to law

Juxtapose – to put side by side

 

Kaleidoscopic – changing

Kindred – family relationship

Kinetic – active

Kismet – fate

Kith – friends

Knave – credit for an achievement, praise

Labyrinth – maze

Lacerate – to mangle, tear

Laconic – concise

Lambaste – to scold, censure

Lampoon – satirical attack

Languid – weak, dull

Languish – to become weak

Languor – lack of vitality

Larcenous – thievish

Largess – generous giving

Lascivious – lustful

Lassitude – fatigue

Latent – hidden

Laudatory – expressing praise

Lethal – deadly

Lethargic – sluggish

Levity – lightness, frivolity

Lexicon – dictionary

Libation – ceremonial drinking

Licentious – morally unrestrained

Limpid – cleat, transparent

Lineament – a distinctive feature

Lissome – nimble

Litany – prayer, chant

Lithe – flexible

Litigation – lawsuit

Livid – discolored by a bruise, enraged

Location – style of speech

Loquacious – talkative

Lucid – shining, readily understood

Ludicrous – absurd

Lugubrious – affectedly mournful

Luminary – outstanding person

Lurid – sensational

 

Macabre – gruesome

Machination – evil plot

Macrocosm – entity representing on a larger scale, one of its smaller units

Madrigal – song, ballad

Magistrate – official who administers laws

Magnanimous – generous

Maladroit – awkward

Malefactor – evildoer

Malevolent – arising from an evil will

Malfeasance – wrongdoing

Malign – to slander

Malinger – to feign illness

Malleable – flexible, adaptable

Martinet – very strict disciplinarian

Masticate – to chew up

Maudlin – foolishly sentimental

Megalomania – illusions of grandeur

Meliorate – to make or become better

Mellifluous – flowing sweetly, smoothly

Ménage – household

Mendacious – untruthful

Mendicant – beggar

Menial – servile

Mercurial – changeable, fickle

Meretricious – falsely alluring, gaudy

Meritorious – deserving honor

Mesmerize – hypnotize

Metamorphosis – change of form

Metaphor – figure of speech using one idea in place of another to denote a likeness between the two

Mete – to allot

Meticulous – careful with details

Mettle – spirit, courage

Miasma – pervading corruptive atmosphere

Microcosm – a small unit that is the epitome of a larger entity

Mien – manner, appearance

Militate – to work (for or against)

Millennium – 1000 years

Minion – favored person

Miscreant – villain

Misgiving – doubt

Misnomer – name wrongly applied

Missive – letter

Mitigate – to ease

Mnemonic – memory aid

Modicum – small portion

Modulate – to regulate

Mollify – to appease

Moot – debatable

Mordant – sarcastic

Mores – customs

Moribund – dying

Morose – gloomy

Motley – composed of many elements

Multifarious – diverse

Mundane – worldly

Munificent – generous, lavish

Myopia – nearsightedness

Myriad – very large number

 

Nadir – lowest point

Nape – back of the neck

Narcissism – self-love

Narrative – story, account

Nascent – coming into being

Nebulous – vague

Nefarious – very wicked

Nemesis – formidable rival, one who inflicts just punishment

Neology – use of an established word in a new way

Neophyte – beginner, convert

Nepotism – favoritism shown relatives

Nettle – irritate

Nexus – link, connection

Niggardly – stingy

Nocturnal – pertaining to night

Noisome – offensive, harmful to health

Nomenclature – system of names

Nonpareil – unequaled

Nonplussed – perplexed

Nostalgia – sentimental yearning for the past

Notorious – widely known

Noxious – harmful

Numismatic – monetary

Nuptial – pertaining to marriage

Nurture – train, rear

 

Obdurate – stubborn

Obeisance gesture of respect

Obesity – stoutness, fatness

Obfuscate – to obscure

Objurgate – to denounce

Oblation – solemn offering

Oblique – evasive

Obloquy – widespread censure

Obsequious – servile

Obsolescent – falling into disuse

Obstreperous – noisy, unruly

Obstruct – to stop, close

Obtrude – to push out

Obtuse – stupid, blunt

Obviate – to prevent

Occidental – Western

Odious – disgusting

Odoriferous – giving off a smell

Officious – meddlesome

Olfactory – pertaining to smell

Oligarchy – government by a small group often for corrupt purposes

Ominous – threatening

Omnipotent – having unlimited power

Omnivorous – eating all sorts of food

Onerous – burdensome

Onus – burden

Opaque – not translucent

Opprobrious – disgraceful, infamous

Opulent – wealthy

Opus – work, composition

Orbit – revolving path

Ordinance – statute

Ordnance – artillery

Ordure – excrement

Ornate – showy

Ornery – obstinate

Ornithology – study of birds

Oscillate – to fluctuate between two points

Ossify – to change to bone

Ostensible – apparent

Ostentatious – showy

Ostracize – to banish

Overt – done openly

Overweening – arrogant

 

Palatable – agreeable to the senses

Pall – to lose effectiveness

Palliate – to reduce the intensity of

Pallid – pale

Palpable – obvious, easily perceived

Paltry – pretty

Panacea – remedy for all maladies

Pandemic – widely spread

Parable – short story showing a moral

Paradigm – model, example

Paradox – statement that seems contradictory but may be true in fact

Paragon – model of excellence

Paramount – highest in rank

Paraphernalia – personal belongings

Pariah – outcast

Parity – equality in value

Parody – farcical imitation

Paroxysm – sudden outburst

Parsimony – stinginess, thrift

Parsonage – pastor’s dwelling

Pastoral – of shepherds, rural

Patent – evident

Pathos – something which arouses pity

Patrimony – property inherited from ancestors

Paucity – scarcity

Peculate – to embezzle

Pecuniary – involving money

Pedant – one who emphasizes trivial points of learning

Pejorative – worsening

Penchant – strong liking

Pendant – ganging object

Penitence – sorrow for sins

Penology – study of prisons and prison reform

Pensile – hanging

Penurious – stingy

Perambulate – to walk

Perdition – damnation

Perennial – enduring

Perfidy – treachery

Perforce – of necessity

Perfunctory – routine, superficial

Perigee – point of an orbit nearest the earth

Peripatetic – itinerant

Periphery – outside boundary

Periphrasis – using long phrasing instead of shorter expressions

Permeable – passable, penetrable

Permutation – change, alteration

Pernicious – destructive, fatal

Peroration – end of a speech

Perpetrate – carry out, commit

Perpetuate – cause to continue

Perquisite – something in addition to regular pay, tip, bonus

Personage – important person

Perspective – sense of proportion

Perspicacity – keen judgment

Perspicuous – easily understood

Pert – bold, cocky

Pertinent – relevant

Perturb – to upset, agitate

Peruse – to read carefully

Pervade – to spread throughout

Perverse – deviating from what is considered normal

Petulance – impatience

Phalanx – massed group of individuals

Philander – to court with no intention of marriage

Philistine –one governed by material rather than intellectual values

Philology – study of linguistics

Phlegmatic – sluggish

Phobia – persistent irrational fear

Picayune – of little value, petty

Piebald – marked with splotches of color, heterogeneous

Pillory – to scorn publicly

Piquant – agreeably stimulating, pungent

Pique – to offend, provoke

Piscatorial – pertaining to fish

Pithy – terse

Pixilated – amusingly eccentric

Placate – to appease

Placid – calm

Plaintive – melancholy

Plait – to braid, pleat

Platitude – trite remark

Plaudit – expression of approval

Plausible – seemingly reasonable

Plebiscite – poplar vote

Plenary – full, complete

Plethora – overabundance

Plicate – folded lengthwise

Plumb – straight down, vertically

Ply – to use or practice diligently

Poach – to trespass

Poignant – pungent, touching the emotions

Polemic – involving dispute

Politic – prudent, expedient

Polity – political organization

Ponderous – unwisely, dull

Pontificate – to orate, make dogmatic statements

Portend – to warn, foreshadow

Portentous – ominous

Posit – to postulate

Posterity – future generations

Postulate – hypothesis, axiom

Potable – suitable for drinking

Potpourri – mixture

Poultice – soft heated dressing applied to wounds

Pragmatic – practical, relating to fact

Prate – to chatter

Precarious – uncertain, risky

Precipitous – steep

Precipitate – hasty

Preclude – to shut out, prevent

Precursor – forerunner

Predacious – predatory

Predatory – tending to exploit others for one’s own gain

Predicate – to affirm

Predilection – preconceived liking

Predispose – to make susceptible

Preeminent – outstanding, high-ranking

Preen – to dress up or adorn (oneself)

Premeditation – preplanning

Premise – statement forming the basis of an argument

Preponderate – to surpass in weight or power

Preposterous – absurd, ridiculous

Prerequisite – something needed for performing a function

Prescience - foreboding

Prescribe – to establish as a means of action

Presumptuous – too bold or forward

Pretentious – showy, making unjustified claims

Prevaricate – to evade the truth

Pristine – uncorrupted by society

Probity – integrity, honesty

Proclaim – to declare proudly

Proclivity – inclination

Prodigal – spendthrift

Prodigious – wonderous, enormous

Profane –irreligious

Proffer – to present for approval

Profligate – recklessly wasteful

Progeny – offspring

Prognosticate – to predict

Proliferate to increase in number

Prolific – producing abundantly

Prolix – prolonged unduly

Prominent – noticeable, well-known

Promontory – high peak that overlooks lower land or water

Promulgate – to announce openly

Propensity – natural tendency

Propinquity – neatness

Propitiate – to appease

Propitious – favorable

Proponent – one in favor of

Propound – to present foe discussion

Prorate – to divided proportionately

Prosaic – commonplace, dull

Proscribe – to outlaw, prohibit

Proselytize – to convert from one belief to another

Protagonist – main character in novel

Prototype – standard example

Provincial – having a limited outlook

Prurient – lustful, lewd

Puerile – childish, silly

Pulchritude – beauty

Punctilious – very exact

Pundit – learned person

Pungent – sharp sensation of taste and smell

Pugnacious – belligerent

Purloin – to steal

Purport – to give an appearance of, intend

Pusillanimous – lacking courage and resolve

Putative – assumed to exit

Putrefy – to rot

Pythonic – monstrous

 

Quadrant – one-quarter of a plane

Quaint – unusual, old-fashioned

Qualm – misgiving

Quandary – perplexed state

Querulous – complaining

Query – inquiry

Quiescent – quite, still

Quintessence – perfect form

Quivering – shaking, trembling slightly

Quixotic – having high romantic or chivalrous ideals

 

Raillery – playful teasing

Raiment – clothing

Rambunctious – boisterous

Ramification – offshoot, consequence

Rampant – widespread, without restraint

Ramshackle – loosely made, dilapidated

Rancor – ill will

Rankle – to cause resentment

Rapacious – greedy

Rapine – plunder

Ratification – formal approval

Raucous – rough sounding, boisterous

Ravenous – extremely eager foe gratification

Recalcitrant – disobedient

Recant – to renounce

Recidivist – confirmed criminal

Reciprocal – complementary, mutually responsive

Recluse – hermit

Recondite – beyond ordinary understanding, concealed

Reconnoiter – to survey

Recreant – cowardly

Recrimination – countercharge

Rectitude – integrity

Recumbent – lying down

Redact – to edit

Redolent – fragrant

Redoubt – temporary fortification

Redress – to remedy, compensate

Redundant – superfluous, wordy

Refectory – dining hall

Referendum – popular vote on a measure submitted by a legislative body

Refractory – obstinate, unresponsive

Refute – to prove wrong

Refurbish – to renovate

Regale – to entertain

Regent – one who rules

Regicide – killing of a king

Regimen – system of diet, ruling system

Regressive – going backward

Relegate – to exile, to assign to a lower position

Reliquary – container for sacred objects

Remission – pardon, forgiveness, abatement

Remonstrate – to protest

Remunerate – to pay for work done, compensate

Renascent – reborn

Renegade – deserter, outcast

Renege – to go back on a promise

Renunciation – repudiation

Repast – meal

Repine – to long for

Replete – well field

Reprehend – to criticize

Repression – stopping by force

Reprisal – act if retaliation

Reproach – disgrace, cause of blame

Reprobate – depraved, unprincipled

Reproof – rebuke, criticism

Repudiate – to refuse, reject, disown

Repugnant – distasteful, disliked

Requisite – requirement

Requital – suitable repayment

Rescind – to repeal, take back

Resilient – able to spring back into shape

Resplendent – dazzling

Restitution – restoration, refund

Restive – impatient

Resurgent – rising again

Resuscitate – to revive

Retaliate – to get even

Reticence – silence, reserve

Retort – to get even

Retribution – just reward

Retroactive – extending to previous conditions

Retrograde – to go backward

Reverberate – to throw back, echo

Revile – to abuse verbally

Ribald – offensive, vulgar

Rife – widespread, abounding

Rift – opening, breach

Rigor – strictness

Risibility – laughter

Robust – healthly, strong

Rote – mechanical repetition or action

Rotund – rounded

Ruckus – noisy confusion

Rudiment – first principle, beginning of something

Ruminant – meditative

Ruminate – to meditate, ponder

 

Saccharine – overly sweet, affectedly agreeable

Sacrilege – desecration

Sagacious – shrewdly discerning

Salacious – lustful

Salient – conspicuous

Saline – salty

Sallow – dull greenish-yellow

Salubrious – wholesome

Salutary – curative

Salutatory – welcoming address

Sanctimony – pretended piety

Sanguine – confident, optimistic

Sapient – wise

Sardonic – scornful

Sartorial – pertaining to tailoring

Satiate – to satisfy, glut

Saturate – to soak, fill completely

Saturnine – sullen, sluggish

Savor – to relish, enjoy

Scabbard – sword sheath

Scathing – searing, blasting

Schematic – diagrammatic

Schism – split, difference of opinion

Scintilla – particle, trace

Scion – descendent

Scoff – derision

Scourge – whip, devastation

Scruple – small quantity, principle

Scrutinize – to examine closely

Scurrilous – coarse, vulgar

Secular – worldly, not religious

Sedition – rebellion

Sedulous – diligent

Semblance – appearance

Senescent – growing old

Sententious – given to moralistic expression

Sequester – to isolate

Serrate – having sawlike notches

Shallop – small, open boat

Shamble – to walk clumsily

Shunt – to turn to one side

Sibling – brother or sister

Sidle – to move sidewise

Smile – figure of speech comparing two unlike things

Similitude – likeness

Simony – buying or selling of church pardons

Sinecure – easy job

Sinuous – bending, winding

Slothful – lazy

Sluice – artificial water channel

Sojourn – to remain somewhere temporarily

Solace – to comfort, console

Solicitous – showing care or concern

Soluble – able to be dissolved

Somatic – physical, of the body

Somnolent – sleepy, drowsy

Sonorous – full of sound, resonant

Sophistry – misleading but clever reasoning

Soporific – causing sleep

Sordid – dirty, ignoble

Spasmodic – intermittent

Spawn – to deposit egg, bring forth

Specious – deceptively appealing

Specter – ghost

Sporadic – occasional

Spurious – false, not genuine

Staid – sedate

Stigma – mark of disgrace

Stilted – pompous

Stint – restriction

Stoicism – impassiveness, indifference

Stolid – showing little emotion

Stratagem – trick, device

Strategy – careful plan

Stricture – adverse criticism

Strident – harsh-sounding

Stultify – to appear foolish, impair

Stupor – loss of sensibility

Suave – polite, urbane

Subjoin – to append

Subjugate – to force to submit

Sublimate – to direct actions into more socially acceptable forms

Subservient – inferior, submissive

Subterfuge – deception used to evade something difficult or unpleasant

Subversive – destructive

Succor – to help

Succulent – juicy

Suffuse – to overspread

Sully – to soil, stain

Sumptuous – lavish

Supercilious – haughty, contemptuous

Supernal – exalted celestial

Supersede – to replace

Supervene – to happen additionally or unexpectedly

Supine – indolent, prone

Supple – flexible

Supplicate – to ask for humbly

Suppress – to keep from public knowledge

Surfeit – overindulgence

Surreptitious – acting in a secret and stealthy way

Surrogate – deputy, substitute

Sustenance – nourishment

Sycophant – self-serving flatterer

Syllogism – conclusion based on two premises

Synchronous – occurring simultaneously

Synopsis – summary

Synthesis – combining of elements to make a whole

Synthetic – man-made

 

Tacit – silent

Taciturn – tending toward silence

Tactic – means of accomplishing a purpose

Tactile – perceived by the sense of touch

Tantamount – equal in value

Tautology – needless repetition of an idea

Tawdry – gaudy, cheap

Taxonomy – classification (of plants and animals)

Temerity – foolish boldness

Temperate – moderate

Temporize – to compromise

Tenacious – persistent, tough

Tenet – doctrine

Tenuous – unsubstantial, flimsy

Termagant – nagging woman

Terminus – end point

Terse – brief, to the point

Tertiary – third in order

Thespian – actor

Thrall – slave

Timorous – timid

Tirade – long, vehement speech or denunciation

Tithe – tenth part of something paid as a tax to a church

Titular – having a title without performing the functions involved

Tome – large book

Torpid – inactive, sluggish

Torrid – very hot

Toxic – pertaining to poison

Tractable – easily managed

Traduce – to slander

Tranquility – calmness, serenity

Transfuse – to transmit, imbue

Transgression – violation

Transitory – temporary

Translucent – permitting the passage of light

Transpire – to become known, happen

Transverse – placed crosswise

Travail – hard work

Travesty – ridiculous representation

Treble – to increase threefold

Tremulous – trembling

Trenchant – sharp, clear-cut

Trepidation – fear

Tribulation - misery, distress

Truculent – cruel, belligerent

Truncated – shortened, curtailed

Truncheon – club

Tumid – swollen, inflated

Tumultuous – violently turbulent

Turbid – muddy

Turgid – swollen

Turpitude – vileness

Tutelage – guardianship

Twit – to taunt

 

Ubiquitous – present everywhere simultaneously

Ulterior – lying beyond what is openly expressed

Umbrage – offense

Unctuous – oily, suave

Undaunted – determined in spite of adverse conditions

Undulate – to move in waves

Unerring – without fault

Ungainly – awkward, clumsy

Unmitigated – not lessened, absolute

Unobtrusive – not aggressive

Untenable – Unable to be occupied or defended

Untoward – unfavorable

Upbraid – to scold, reproach

Uproarious – boisterous

Urbane – refined

Usurp – to take by force

Uxorial – pertaining to a wife

 

Vacillate – to show indecision

Vacuous – empty, stupid

Vagary – eccentric idea or action

Valorous – courageous

Vanguard – front part of a movement

Vapid – tasteless, flat

Variegated – marked with different colors

Vaunt – display boastfully

Vegetate – to lead an inactive life

Vehement – impassioned

Venal – open to corruption

Vendetta – extended bitter feud

Venerate – to show deep respect

Venial – excusable

Veracious – honest

Verbosity – wordiness

Verdant – green in color

Verisimilitude – truth

Verity – truth

Vermillion – bright red pigment

Vernacular – native language of a region

Versatile – able to change easily

Versification – metrical structure

Vertex – highest point

Vestige – trace

Viable – capable of living or functioning

Vicarious – experienced through the activity of another person

Vicissitude – changeability

Vilify – to defame

Vindicate – to clear from blame

Vindictive – wanting revenge

Virago – domineering woman

Viridity – greenness, naiveness

Virility – masculinity

Virulent – deadly, hateful

Viscous – sticky, lacking easy movement

Vitiate – to debase

Vitreous – pertaining to glass

Vituperate – to berate

Vivacious – spirited, lively

Vivid – vigorous, clear

Vixen – female fox

Vociferous – noisy

Volatile – quickly evaporating, explosive

Volition – act of determining

Voluble – talkative

Voracious – greedy

Votary – zealous follower

Votive – expressing a wish or vow

Vouchsafe – to grant

 

Waft – odor or sound carried through the air

Wan – pale

Wanton – reckless, immoral

Weal – well-being

Welter – confusion, turmoil

Wheedle – to coax

Whet – to arouse, stimulate

Windfall – unexpected gain

Wizened – dried up, withered

Wraith – ghost, apparition

Wragle – to quarrel

Wroth – angry

Wry – twisted

 

Zany – fool, clown

Zealot – fanatic

Zephyr – mild breeze

 

 

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