Abstract – theoretical; not concrete.

Accolade – award of merit.

Acquiesce – assent; agree without protesting.

Acrimonious – bitter in words or manner.

Acute – quickly perceptive; keen; brief and severe.

Adulation – flattery; admiration.

Adversary – opponent.

Advocate – urge; plead for.

Affable – easily approachable; warmly friendly.

Ameliorate – improve; make more satisfactory.

Amorphous – formless; lacking shape pr definition.

Antagonistic – hostile; opposed.

Antithesis – contrast; direct opposite of or to.

Apprehension – fear; disconcernment.

Archaic – antiquated.

Ascetic – practicing self-denial; austere.

Assuage – ease or lesson (pain); satisfy (hunger); soothe (pain).

Astute – wise; shrewd.

Audacious – daring; bold.

Banal – commonplace; trite.

Belligerent – quarrelsome.

Benevolent – generous; charitable.

Capricious – fickle; incalculable.

Concur – agree in opinion.

Contentious – quarrelsome.

Cryptic – mysterious; secret; hidden.

Debilitate – weaken; enfeeble.

Deference – courteous regard for another’s wish.

Deplore – regret strongly; express grief over.

Depravity – corruption; wickedness.

Deprecate – express disapproval of; protest against; belittle.

Didactic – teaching; instructional.

Diffuse – wordy; rambling; spread out.

Diligence – steadiness of effort; persistent hard work.

Disdain – view with scorn or contempt.

Dispassionate – calm; impartial.

Dissipate – squander; waste; scatter.

Dissonance - Lack of agreement, consistency, or harmony.

Eclectic – selective from choosing from a variety of sources.

Effervescent – exuberant; bubbly and excited.

Enervate – weaken.

Ephemeral – short-lived; fleeting.

Erudite – learned; scholarly.

Exacerbate – worsen; embitter.

Expedite – hasten.

Expository – explanatory; intended to explain.

Exuberance – overflowing abundance; joyful enthusiasm; flamboyance; lavishness.

Fallacious – false; misleading.

Fastidious – difficult to please; squeamish.

Florid – ruddy; reddish; flowery.

Fortuitous – accidental; by chance.

Frugality – thrift; economy.

Garrulous – loquacious; wordy; talkative.

Gratuitous – given freely; unwarranted; unprovoked.

Gregarious – sociable.

Hedonist – one who believes that pleasure is the sole aim in life.

Hiatus – gap; interruption in duration or continuity; pause.

Homogeneous – of the same kind.

Hyperbole – exaggeration; overstatement.

Ignominy – deep disgrace; shame or dishonor.

Immutable – unchangeable.

Impecunious – without money.

Imperious – domineering; haughty.

Inadvertently – by oversight; carelessly or unintentionally.

Incisive – cutting; sharp.

Incorrigible – uncorrectable.

Indigenous – native.

Indubitable – unable to be doubted; unquestionable.

Inept – unsuited; absurd; incompetent.

Inimical – unfriendly; hostile; harmful; detrimental.

Innate – inborn.

Innocuous – harmless.

Insipid – lacking in favor; dull.

Insurgent – rebellious.

Intermittent – periodic; on and off.

Irascible – irritable; easily angered.

Jocular – said or done in jest; joking.

Laconic – brief and to the point.

Lassitude – languor; weariness.

Levity – lack of seriousness; lightness.

Loquacious – talkative.

Magnanimous – generous.

Maladroit – clumsy; bungling.

Meticulous – excessively careful; painstaking; scrupulous.

Misanthrope – one who hates mankind.

Morbid – given to unwholesome thought; moody.

Mutability – ability to change in form; fickleness.

Nefarious – very wicked.

Obdurate – stubborn.

Obsequious – slavishly attentive; servile; fawning; attempting to win favor by flattery.

Officious – meddlesome; excessively pushy in offering one’s services.

Ostentatious – showy; pretentious; trying to attract attention.

Paltry – insignificant; petty; trifling.

Parochial – narrow in outlook.

Pedantic – showing off learning; bookish.

Penchant – strong inclination; liking.

Perfunctory – superficial; not thorough; lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm.

Pernicious – very destructive.

Petulant – touchy; peevish.

Pithy – concise; meaningful;     substantial; meaty.

Pomposity – self-important behavior; acting like a stuffed shirt.

Pragmatic – practical (as opposed to idealistic); concerned with the practical worth or impact of something.

Precipitous – steep; overhasty.

Predilection – partiality; preference.

Prevalent – widespread; generally accepted.

Profane – violate; desecrate; treat unworthy.

Provincial – limited in outlook; unsophisticated.

Pugnacity – combativeness; disposition to fight.

Querulous – fretful; whining.

Recalcitrant – obstinately stubborn; determined to resist authority; unruly.

Relish – savor; enjoy.

Renegade – deserter; traitor.

Reprehensible – deserving blame.

Resplendent – dazzling; glorious; brilliant.

Reticent – reserved; uncommunicative; inclined to be silent.

Rhetorical – pertaining to effective communication; insincere in language; used for persuasive effect.

Scrupulous – conscientious; extremely thorough.

Spurious – false; counterfeit.

Squander – waste.

Strident – loud and harsh; insistent.

Supercilious – arrogant; condescending.

Superfluous – excessive; unnecessary.

Sycophant – servile flatterer; bootlicker; yes man.

Tenacity – firmness; persistence.

Tractable – docile; easily managed.

Transcendent – surpassing; exceeding ordinary limits; superior.

Vacillate – waver; fluctuate.

Vindicate – clear from blame; exonerate; justify or support.

Zealot – fanatic; person who shows excessive zeal (enthusiastic devotion).