Word Definition Example Sentence
aberration a deviation from what is normal, expected, or His outburst was an aberration from his usual
usual calm demeanor.
abhor to regard with disgust and hatred She abhors the idea of wasting food when so
many are hungry.
abrogate to repeal or do away with a law, right, or The new government decided to abrogate the
formal agreement old, outdated policies.
acumen the ability to make good judgments and quick Her business acumen helped her turn the
decisions company into a successful enterprise.
adroit skillful and clever in handling situations or He was adroit at solving complex
tasks mathematical problems quickly.
alacrity cheerful readiness, promptness, or She accepted the invitation with alacrity, eager
willingness to attend the event.
ameliorate to make something better or more tolerable The new law was introduced to ameliorate the
living conditions of the poor.
anachronistic belonging to a period other than that being The movie's anachronistic costumes made it
portrayed difficult to believe it was set in the 18th
century.
apathy lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern The student's apathy toward his grades was
evident in his lack of effort.
ardent enthusiastic or passionate She is an ardent supporter of animal rights and
regularly volunteers at shelters.
assiduous showing great care and perseverance The assiduous student worked late into the
night to finish her project.
avarice extreme greed for wealth or material gain His avarice led him to exploit others for
personal profit.
belligerent hostile and aggressive The belligerent tone in his voice made it clear
that he was upset.
benevolent showing kindness and goodwill The benevolent woman donated a large sum
of money to the charity.
boisterous noisy, energetic, and cheerful The boisterous crowd cheered as the team
scored the winning goal.
cacophony a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds The cacophony of car horns and shouting
vendors filled the street.
capricious given to sudden and unaccountable changes His capricious nature made him hard to
of mood or behavior predict in business meetings.
castigate to reprimand someone severely The teacher castigate the students for their
poor behavior during the trip.
clandestine kept secret or done secretively Their clandestine meetings were held in
hidden locations to avoid detection.
cogent clear, logical, and convincing Her cogent argument swayed the jury and won
the case.
complacent showing smug or uncritical satisfaction with The team became complacent after their early
oneself or one's achievements success and stopped improving.
condescending having or showing a feeling of patronizing He gave a condescending smile when the
superiority junior employee made a mistake.
convoluted extremely complex and difficult to follow The professor's convoluted explanation left
the students confused.
copious abundant in supply or quantity The copious notes she took during the lecture
were helpful for studying.
cryptic having a meaning that is mysterious or His cryptic message left us wondering about
obscure his true intentions.
cursory hasty and therefore not thorough or detailed She gave a cursory glance at the report before
deciding it was fine.
deference humble submission and respect for the He showed deference to his elders by listening
opinions or wishes of others attentively to their advice.
demure reserved, modest, or shy The demure girl blushed when asked to speak
in front of the class.
denigrate to criticize unfairly or belittle It’s wrong to denigrate others in order to make
yourself feel superior.
diatribe a forceful and bitter verbal attack against The politician’s diatribe against his opponent
someone or something was harsh and unrelenting.
dichotomy a division or contrast between two things The dichotomy between rich and poor is
that are or are represented as being opposed widening in many societies.
or entirely different
dissonance lack of harmony among musical notes or There was a dissonance in their opinions that
disagreement in ideas made it difficult to reach a consensus.
divulge to make known (something secret) He refused to divulge any information about
the upcoming project.
dogmatic inclined to lay down principles as His dogmatic views on politics made it hard for
incontrovertibly true him to have open discussions.
ebullient cheerful and full of energy The ebullient child jumped up and down with
excitement after hearing the good news.
eclectic deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad Her eclectic taste in music included everything
and diverse range of sources from classical to hip-hop.
egregious outstandingly bad or shocking The egregious error in the report caused the
company to lose clients.
enervate to weaken or drain of energy The hot sun enervated the hikers, making
them feel sluggish and tired.
ephemeral lasting for a very short time The beauty of the sunset was ephemeral,
disappearing as quickly as it appeared.
esoteric intended for or likely to be understood by The esoteric nature of quantum physics makes
only a small number of people with it difficult for most people to grasp.
specialized knowledge
exacerbate to make a situation worse The lack of communication only served to
exacerbate the tension in the room.
exculpate to show or declare that someone is not guilty The evidence presented in court exculpated
of wrongdoing the defendant, proving his innocence.
exigent requiring immediate action or attention The exigent circumstances of the medical
emergency required swift intervention.
facetious treating serious issues with deliberately His facetious comments during the meeting
inappropriate humor were met with disapproval.
flabbergasted extremely surprised or shocked She was flabbergasted when she won the
grand prize at the lottery.
furtive attempting to avoid notice or attention, He gave a furtive glance at the clock, hoping
typically because of guilt or a belief that no one would notice he was late.
discovery would lead to trouble
garrulous excessively talkative, especially on trivial The garrulous man never stopped talking
matters about his childhood adventures.
grandiose extravagant and imposing, especially in an His grandiose plans for the new office building
exaggerated way seemed unrealistic.
gratuitous given or done without charge or reason, The movie included gratuitous violence that
often unnecessary seemed unnecessary to the plot.
hackneyed overused and unoriginal His hackneyed speech included all the usual
clichés about hard work and success.
hapless unfortunate or unlucky The hapless traveler lost his luggage and
missed his flight.
hegemony leadership or dominance, especially by one The country’s hegemony in the region made it
country or social group a dominant power.
heretical contrary to accepted beliefs or doctrines, His heretical ideas were condemned by the
especially in religion church, leading to his excommunication.
iconoclast a person who attacks or criticizes cherished The artist was known as an iconoclast,
beliefs or institutions challenging traditional views of art and beauty.
idiosyncratic peculiar or individualistic in nature His idiosyncratic taste in fashion often
attracted attention for its originality.
ignominious deserving or causing public disgrace or The ignominious defeat left the team
shame humiliated and embarrassed.
impassive not showing or feeling any emotion The diplomat remained impassive despite the
heated debate in the room.
impeccable in accordance with the highest standards; Her impeccable performance at the recital
flawless earned her a standing ovation.
implacable unable to be appeased or pacified The implacable judge refused to reduce the
sentence, regardless of the defendant's plea.
impugn to dispute the truth, validity, or honesty of The lawyer impugned the witness’s testimony,
something suggesting it was unreliable.
inane silly or lacking sense His inane comments during the meeting were
completely irrelevant.
incisive intelligently analytical and clear-thinking Her incisive analysis of the issue revealed the
root causes of the problem.
incongruous not in harmony or keeping with the The modern sculpture seemed incongruous in
surroundings or other aspects of something the old, classical museum.
indefatigable persisting tirelessly The indefatigable volunteer worked for hours
to help organize the event.
indolent habitually lazy or avoiding work His indolent attitude towards studying led to
poor grades.
inept having or showing no skill; clumsy The inept manager caused chaos by making
poor decisions.
ingenuous innocent and unsuspecting The ingenuous child was easily tricked by the
magician's sleight of hand.
inimical harmful or hostile His inimical attitude toward the new policy
caused tension among colleagues.
insidious proceeding in a subtle way but with harmful The insidious spread of misinformation
effects affected public opinion.
intrepid fearless, adventurous The intrepid explorers trekked across the
jungle despite the dangers.
invective insulting, abusive, or highly critical language The debate turned ugly as both sides began
using invective against each other.
irascible easily angered or irritable His irascible temper made it difficult to work
with him.
laconic using few words; concise His laconic response made it clear that he was
not interested in the conversation.
latent existing but not yet developed or manifest The artist's latent talent was discovered after
years of practicing.
lethargic sluggish and lacking in energy After the long flight, she felt lethargic and
needed a few hours to rest.
loquacious very talkative The loquacious guest monopolized the
conversation throughout dinner.
lugubrious looking or sounding sad and dismal The lugubrious atmosphere at the funeral
made everyone somber.
machinations plots or schemes, especially those that are The political machinations behind the scandal
devious were uncovered by the press.
magnanimous generous or forgiving, especially toward a His magnanimous nature made him popular
rival or less powerful person with everyone around him.
malcontent a person who is dissatisfied or rebellious The malcontent employee often complained
about the company’s policies.
mendacious not telling the truth; lying The politician’s mendacious statements were
exposed in the media.
meticulous showing great attention to detail; very careful The meticulous artist spent hours perfecting
and precise every small detail of the painting.
nefarious wicked or criminal The nefarious activities of the gang were
finally exposed by the police.
obfuscate to deliberately make something unclear or The lawyer tried to obfuscate the truth by
confusing using complex legal jargon.
obsequious excessively eager to please or obey His obsequious behavior made him appear
insincere to his colleagues.
officious assertive of authority in an annoyingly The officious manager constantly interrupted
domineering way meetings, trying to take control.
onerous involving a great deal of effort or difficulty The onerous task of sorting through thousands
of documents took weeks.
ostentatious characterized by vulgar or pretentious The ostentatious mansion was filled with
display; designed to impress expensive and unnecessary decorations.
palliate to make less severe or intense; to alleviate The doctor prescribed medication to palliate
the patient's pain.
panacea a universal remedy or solution to all While the new policy seems beneficial, it is not
problems a panacea for all economic issues.
paradigm a model or pattern of something The company’s success served as a paradigm
for new startups in the industry.
parsimonious very unwilling to spend money or resources The parsimonious businessman refused to
invest in any new projects.
pedantic excessively concerned with minor details and His pedantic explanations about grammar
rules made the lesson tedious.
perfidious deceitful and untrustworthy The perfidious actions of the traitor caused
great harm to the kingdom.
peruse to read or examine carefully She perused the contract before signing it to
make sure there were no hidden clauses.
pervasive spreading widely throughout an area or a The pervasive influence of social media has
group of people changed the way we communicate.
phlegmatic having an unemotional and stolidly calm The phlegmatic man remained calm even
disposition during the most stressful situations.
placid calm and peaceful The placid lake reflected the clear blue sky
without a ripple.
plaintive expressing sorrow or melancholy The plaintive sound of the violin resonated
through the concert hall.
plethora a large or excessive amount of something The store offered a plethora of choices for
every customer.
precocious showing unusually early development or The precocious child could read before she
maturity was three years old.
predilection a preference or liking for something His predilection for classical music was evident
in his vast collection of records.
prosaic lacking poetic beauty; dull and unimaginative The report was filled with prosaic details and
lacked any exciting analysis.
protean able to change or adapt easily to different The protean actor took on many diverse roles
situations throughout his career.
prudent acting with or showing care and thought for It’s prudent to save money for unexpected
the future emergencies.
pusillanimous showing a lack of courage or determination His pusillanimous behavior made him
reluctant to confront the issue head-on.
quixotic exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and His quixotic plans to solve global poverty were
impractical full of optimism but lacked practicality.
rancor bitterness or resentfulness, especially when The long-running feud between the two
long-standing families was filled with rancor.
recalcitrant stubbornly disobedient or resistant to The recalcitrant student refused to follow the
authority teacher's instructions.
recondite little known or understood; obscure The recondite theories presented in the book
were difficult to grasp without further study.
redolent strongly reminiscent or suggestive of The redolent aroma of fresh bread filled the
something kitchen.
refute to disprove or show to be false The defense lawyer was able to refute the
witness's testimony with solid evidence.
relegate to assign to a lower or less important The new employee was relegated to menial
position tasks until he gained more experience.
remonstrate to protest or object to something The workers remonstrated against the new
policy, demanding better conditions.
reprehensible deserving condemnation or criticism His reprehensible behavior at the meeting left
everyone uncomfortable.
rescind to revoke, cancel, or repeal The company decided to rescind the offer after
the applicant failed the background check.
reticent not revealing one's thoughts or feelings She was reticent about her personal life,
readily preferring to keep it private.
revere to regard with deep respect or admiration The community reveres its elders and seeks
their advice in times of need.
salacious having or conveying undue interest in sexual The salacious gossip spread quickly through
matters the office, causing discomfort.
sanguine optimistic or positive, especially in a difficult Despite the challenges, he remained sanguine
situation about the future of the project.
sardonic grimly mocking or cynical His sardonic comments about the boss's
leadership style made everyone
uncomfortable.
scintillating sparkling or shining brightly; brilliantly lively The scintillating performance by the pianist
or exciting captivated the audience.
serendipity the occurrence of events by chance in a They met by pure serendipity while traveling
happy or beneficial way in Europe.
somnolent sleepy or drowsy The somnolent atmosphere in the room made
it hard to stay awake during the lecture.
specious superficially plausible but actually wrong or His specious argument appeared convincing at
deceptive first but fell apart under scrutiny.
spurious not being what it purports to be; false or His spurious claims about the company's
counterfeit profits were quickly debunked.
staid sedate, respectable, and unadventurous The staid old man preferred to spend his
evenings reading quietly by the fireplace.
stalwart loyal, reliable, and hardworking As a stalwart supporter of the team, she never
missed a match, rain or shine.
stymie prevent or hinder the progress of The roadblocks stymied the project, causing it
to be delayed for months.
succinct briefly and clearly expressed Her succinct response to the question saved
everyone a lot of time.
Superfluous Unnecessary, especially through being more The report contained a superfluous amount of
than enough. data that was not needed for the analysis.
Surreptitious Kept secret, especially because it would not They exchanged surreptitious glances during
be approved of. the meeting, as if they were hiding something
important.
Terse Sparing in the use of words; abrupt. His terse response left no room for further
discussion, making it clear he was done with
the conversation.
Ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere. Smartphones have become ubiquitous in
modern society, with nearly everyone owning
one.
Unctuous Excessively or ingratiatingly flattering; oily. The unctuous salesman kept complimenting
the customer in an effort to make the sale.
Vacillate Waver between different opinions or actions. She vacillated between accepting the job offer
and staying in her current position.
Vainglorious Excessively proud of oneself or one's His vainglorious attitude made it hard for
achievements. others to take him seriously.
Venerate Regard with great respect or reverence. The community venerates its elders for their
wisdom and contributions.
Veracity Conformity to facts; accuracy. The journalist was praised for the veracity of
her report, as every detail was thoroughly
checked.
Verbose Using more words than are needed. His verbose explanation only confused the
audience more, rather than clarifying the
issue.
Vestige A trace or remnant of something that is The ruins of the ancient castle are a vestige of
disappearing or no longer exists. a bygone era.
Viable Capable of working successfully. The scientist developed a viable solution to
the environmental problem that could be
implemented worldwide.
Vigilant Keeping careful watch for possible danger or The security guard remained vigilant
difficulties. throughout the night, ensuring the building
was safe.
Vindicate Clear (someone) of blame or suspicion. The new evidence served to vindicate the
accused, proving their innocence.
Virtuoso A person highly skilled in music or another The young pianist was a virtuoso, impressing
artistic pursuit. the audience with her flawless performance.
Vociferous Expressing or characterized by strong The vociferous protestors made their demands
opinions or feelings. loud and clear.
Voracious Wanting or devouring great quantities of He had a voracious appetite and could eat an
food. entire pizza on his own.
Winsome Attractive or appealing in appearance or Her winsome smile made everyone feel
character. welcome in her presence.
Zealous Having or showing great energy or The zealous volunteers worked tirelessly to
enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or objective. help build the community center.