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- Sample Vocabulary List
- absurd
- ridiculous;unreasonable
- access
- ability to enter; approach; make use of
- acclaim
- to approve; to praise
- acquiesce
- to agree; to accept passively
- advocate
- to support; to be in favor of
- aloof
- distant or removed in interest or feeling; disinterested
- ambiguous
- having two or more possible meanings; unclear; vague
- analogy
- similarity in some respects between things otherwise unlike
- analysis
- examination of something by studying its smaller parts
- anarchy
- absence of government; lawlessness; disorder
- apathy
- lack of feeling, emotion, interest, or concern
- arbitrary
- based on one's preference; whimsical
- arrogant
- overly proud
- articulate
- to speak distinctly; expressing oneself clearly
- augment
- to add to; to make greater in size, quality, or strength
- authentic
- genuine; not fake, false, or an imitation
- baffle
- to confuse; to perplex
- benevolent
- intending to do good for others
- bias
- prejudice; preference
- censor
- to delete material that is forbidden
- censure
- an official reprimand or criticism
- circumlocution
- using more words than neccessary; to evade with words; to talk around
- coherent
- sticking together; logical; connected
- competent
- fit; suitable; able
- contempt
- disdain; intense dislike
- deference
- courteous; respectful
- denounce
- condemn; inform against
- deter
- discourage; restrain
- deviate
- to turn aside from established ways
- discern
- to see or understand clearly; distinguish
- discriminate
- to make a distinction; to distinguish accurately
- disdain
- to look upon with scorn; despise
- disparage
- to lower in esteem; discredit; to show disrespect for
- dispute
- to engage in an argument; to call into question
- distort
- to twist out of the true meaning or proportion
- diverse
- differing from one another; having various forms or qualities
- dogma
- an established opinion or belief; doctrine
- eccentric
- peculiar; odd; unusual
- effect
- to produce; to make happen
- emulate
- to imitate; to try to equal or surpass
- endorse
- approve, support, or sustain; write or sign the back of a document
- enhance
- to raise th value of; to make more desirable
- enigma
- mystery; something puzzling
- ephemeral
- lasting a short time; fleeting
- erratic
- wandering; not predicatable or following a pattern
- exaggerate
- to magnify beyond the truth
- expedite
- to speed up the process; to complete quickly
- extol
- to praise highly; glorify
- fallacy
- false or misleading notion or character
- fanatic
- one who is excessively and unreasonably enthusiastic
- finite
- having a definite limit
- flatter
- to praise excessively; to portray too favorably
- fluctuate
- to shift back and forth uncertainly
- futile
- serving no purpose that is useful; frivolous
- hostile
- unfriendly; antagonistic
- hypocrite
- one who fakes virtue or pretends to have qualitites that he does not really have
- hypothesis
- a tentative assumption made in order to draw out and test its consequences
- immense
- great in size or degree; enormous
- impose
- to force something on others
- indifferent
- not mattering one way or the other; wothout interest or concern
- indulge
- pamper; to give in to another's wishes
- inevitable
- incapable of being avoided or evaded
- infer
- to derive as a conclusion from facts or premises; imply; hint
- innocuous
- not causing harm; inoffensive
- innovate
- to introduce something new
- intense
- extreme; deeply felt
- manipulate
- to manage or utilize skillfully
- miser
- one who lives meiserably to save or hoard money
- novel
- new; unusual; strange
- obscure
- remote; not distinct; vague
- optimism
- looking at things in a positive way
- paradox
- a statement that is opposed to common sense yet perhaps is true
- partial
- biased; favoring one over the other
- permanent
- stable; long-lasting
- persist
- to proceed stubbornly, despite opposition
- pretentious
- making claims; ostentatious
- prosaic
- commonplace; dull
- provincial
- not sophisticated; narrow-minded; confined to a region
- punctual
- prompt; pointed
- rational
- sensible; having reason or understaning
- rend
- separate into parts by force
- revere
- to honor or worship
- revive
- to come back to life; to return to health and vigor
- sentiment
- opinion, emotion, feeling
- servile
- lacking independence; servant-like
- skeptic
- one who has or shows doubt; one who questions validity
- static
- showing little or no change; stationary
- subtle
- hardly noticable; clever or sly
- superficial
- near or on the surface; outward; not thorough
- tact
- poise; diplomacy; to say or do the right thing without offending others
- tolerant
- showing the ability to endure; forbearing
- tyranny
- the government of an absolute ruler; oppressive and unjust government
- vague
- not clear; not well defined, outlined, or expressed
- valid
- founded in truth or fact; leagally sound or binding
- verify
- to confirm; to establish the accuracy of something
- virulent
- extremely infectious; marked by rapid progression
- vital
- neccessary or essential
- vulnerable
- that which can be easily wounded or criticized
- initial
- first; beginning
- maudlin
- very emotional or sentimental
- pyrotechnics
- fireworks; spectacular display
- compulsory
- mandatory; required
- prominent
- famous or well known
- assuage
- to make less severe; to satisfy or appease
- brevity
- concise expression; to the point
- censure
- an official reprimand or criticism
- deter
- to discourage or restrain
- ephemeral
- lasting a short time
- redundant
- unneccessary repitition
- reprove
- to call attention to a misbehavior in a mild manner
- photogenic
- suitable for being photographed
- stigmatize
- to label something as unfavorable
- cavalier
- casual or indifferent
- demeanor
- manner; behavior
- tangible
- real or able to touch
- reciprocate
- to give and get in return
- slovenly
- untidy or careless in appearance or work
- intricate
- very complicated and detailed
- equine
- realating to horses
- enlighten
- to inform or instruct
- overt
- obvious; not hidden
- pandemonium
- chaos; confusion
- benevolence
- kindness
- kleptomaniac
- someone who has the compulsion or urge to steal
- etiquette
- manners; proper behaviour
- affirmation
- a positive statement that raises self-image
- vigilante
- person who takes matters into their own hands
- repository
- a place where things may be kept for safe keeping
- manifesto
- a public declaration
- treachery
- violation of faith; evil; underhandedness
- barter
- to trade by exchanging things without money
- culture
- the way of life of a group of people
- polythesim
- belief in many gods
- republic
- a government run by elected officials
- democracy
- a government in which the citizens have the power
- dictator
- a ruler who has absolute power
- liable
- likely to happen
- epidermis
- the top layer of skin
- hypothesis
- an educated guess that can be tested for truth
- whimsical
- odd or fanciful
- architecture
- the science of building
