VOCAB - MEDIUM
Abate – to reduce
Aberration – something unusual
Abhor – hate
Abstruse – hard to understand
Accolade – praise
Acumen – sharpness of mind
Adulterate – make impure
Aesthetic – relating to beauty
Alacrity – eagerness
Ambiguous – unclear
Ambivalent – mixed feelings
Ameliorate – improve
Anachronistic – out of time
Analogous – similar
Anomaly – irregularity
Antipathy – strong dislike
Apathy – lack of interest
Apprehensive – anxious
Arduous – difficult
Articulate – clearly express
Ascertain – find out
Astute – clever
Atone – make amends
Audacious – bold
Austere – simple, severe
Autonomous – independent
Avarice – greed
Aversion – strong dislike
Banal – boring, common
Beguile – trick or charm
Belie – contradict
Benevolent – kind
Benign – harmless
Bequeath – to pass on
Blatant – obvious
Blithe – carefree, happy
Bombastic – showy, inflated language
Brazen – bold without shame
Brevity – shortness
Bucolic – relating to countryside
Burgeon – grow rapidly
Burden – heavy load
Buttress – support
Byzantine – complex, intricate
Cacophony – harsh sound
Cajole – persuade with flattery
Callous – insensitive
Candor – honesty
Capitulate – surrender
Castigate – criticize severely
Catalyst – something causing change
Caustic – sarcastic, biting
Censure – strong disapproval
Chicanery – trickery
Circumspect – cautious
Clairvoyant – able to foresee
Coerce – force
Cogent – convincing
Complacent – self-satisfied
Concise – brief, clear
Concur – agree
Condone – forgive
Conspicuous – obvious
Contentious – argumentative
Contrite – regretful
Copious – abundant
Corroborate – support
Credible – believable
Cursory – quick, hasty
Daunt – intimidate
Debacle – disaster
Debilitate – weaken
Decorum – proper behavior
Deference – respect
Defunct – no longer exists
Deliberate – intentional
Delineate – describe clearly
Demure – shy, modest
Denounce – criticize publicly
Deplete – use up
Deride – mock
Despondent – depressed
Despot – ruler with total power
Destitute – very poor
Detrimental – harmful
Didactic – intended to teach
Diffident – shy, lacking confidence
Diligent – hardworking
Discerning – perceptive
Disclose – reveal
Disdain – contempt
Disparage – belittle
Disparate – different
Disseminate – spread
Ebullient – cheerful, energetic
Eccentric – unusual, odd
Eclectic – from many sources
Egregious – very bad
Elucidate – explain
Emulate – imitate
Enervate – weaken
Engender – cause
Enigma – mystery
Ennui – boredom
Enumerate – list
Ephemeral – short-lived
Equanimity – calmness
Equivocate – avoid direct answer
Erudite – learned, scholarly
Esoteric – known by few
Ethical – moral
Eulogy – praise for someone dead
Exacerbate – worsen
Exemplary – ideal
Exonerate – free from blame
Explicit – clearly stated
Exuberant – lively, energetic
Facetious – joking inappropriately
Fallacious – false, misleading
Fastidious – picky, careful
Fatuous – silly, foolish
Fervent – passionate
Flagrant – obvious, scandalous
Fluctuate – vary
Fortuitous – lucky
Fractious – irritable
Frivolous – not serious
Frugal – economical
Fulminate – loudly attack
Furtive – secretive
Futile – useless
Formidable – inspiring fear or respect
Flounder – struggle
Fervid – intense, passionate
Flamboyant – showy
Garrulous – talkative
Gluttonous – greedy
Gregarious – sociable
Guile – deceit
Gullible – easily fooled
Grandiose – overblown
Gratuitous – unnecessary
Grievous – serious, severe
Grimace – facial expression of pain
Grovel – humble oneself
Guerrilla – irregular soldier
Gallant – brave, polite
Gamut – range, scope
Hackneyed – overused
Haughty – arrogant
Hedonist – pleasure-seeker
Hiatus – pause
Homogeneous – similar
Hyperbole – exaggeration
Hypocrisy – pretending to be virtuous
Hinder – obstruct
Hostile – unfriendly
Humane – kind
Harangue – long, scolding speech
Hapless – unlucky
Histrionic – overly dramatic
Iconoclast – one who challenges tradition
Idiosyncrasy – peculiar trait
Ignominious – shameful
Imminent – about to happen
Immutable – unchangeable
Impartial – unbiased
Impeccable – flawless
Impede – obstruct
Impertinent – rude
Impetuous – acting without thinking
Implicit – implied
Impunge – attack
Inane – silly
Incessant – unending
Incisive – sharp, clear
Indolent – lazy
Ineffable – too great for words
Inexorable – unstoppable
Ingenuous – innocent
Inimical – harmful
Insidious – sneaky, harmful
Insipid – bland
Instigate – provoke
Intrepid – fearless
Inundate – overwhelm
Irascible – easily angered
Irrefutable – unquestionable
Jaded – tired, bored
Jaunty – lively, cheerful
Jeopardize – put at risk
Jocular – playful, joking
Judicious – wise, careful
Juncture – point in time
Justify – show reason
Jostle – push roughly
Jubilant – very happy
Keen – eager, sharp
Kindred – related, similar
Kudos – praise for achievement
Knotty – complex, difficult
Kindle – ignite, arouse
Kinetic – relating to motion
Kowtow – show submission
Keynote – main point
Kingpin – main person
Laconic – brief, concise
Lament – mourn
Lampoon – ridicule
Latent – hidden
Laud – praise
Lethargic – sluggish
Levity – lightness
Loquacious – talkative
Lucid – clear
Lucrative – profitable
Licentious – immoral
Ludicrous – ridiculous
Lurid – shocking
Lethal – deadly
Magnanimous – generous
Malevolent – evil-minded
Malicious – intending harm
Malleable – adaptable
Manifest – clear, obvious
Martinet – strict disciplinarian
Meticulous – careful
Mitigate – make less severe
Mollify – calm
Mundane – ordinary
Myriad – countless
Malcontent – dissatisfied
Morose – gloomy
Mercurial – changeable
Meander – wander
Magnitude – size, importance
Mutable – changeable
Mediate – intervene
Nefarious – wicked
Negligent – careless
Nominal – small, in name only
Nonchalant – casual, unconcerned
Notorious – famous for something bad
Novel – new, original
Nullify – cancel
Nuance – subtle difference
Nurture – care for
Noxious – harmful
Obdurate – stubborn
Obfuscate – confuse
Obsequious – overly submissive
Ominous – threatening
Omnipotent – all-powerful
Omniscient – all-knowing
Opulent – rich
Ostentatious – showy
Outlandish – strange
Overwrought – over-emotional
Palliate – ease without curing
Panacea – cure-all
Paradigm – model
Paradox – contradiction
Paragon – model of excellence
Paramount – most important
Paucity – scarcity
Pedantic – overly concerned with details
Perfunctory – done without care
Pernicious – harmful
Placid – calm
Plaudit – praise
Poignant – touching, emotional
Pragmatic – practical
Precarious – risky
Precedent – earlier example
Precocious – advanced for age
Predilection – preference
Proclivity – natural tendency
Prolific – productive
Propensity – inclination
Prudent – wise, careful
Pugnacious – eager to fight
Pulchritude – beauty
Punctilious – very careful about details
Quagmire – difficult situation
Quandary – dilemma
Quell – suppress, calm
Querulous – complaining
Quixotic – unrealistic, impractical
Quotidian – ordinary, daily
Quarantine – isolation
Quip – witty remark
Quota – assigned portion
Rancor – bitterness
Rarefy – make thinner
Rebut – refute
Recapitulate – summarize
Reclusive – solitary
Redundant – extra, repetitive
Refute – prove wrong
Relegate – assign lower rank
Remorse – regret
Renounce – give up
Reprehensible – blameworthy
Reprobate – morally unprincipled
Rescind – revoke
Reticent – reserved
Reverent – respectful
Rudimentary – basic, simple
Sagacious – wise
Salient – important, prominent
Sanguine – optimistic
Sardonic – sarcastic
Scrupulous – careful, honest
Serendipity – lucky discovery
Simulate – imitate
Solicitous – attentive
Spurious – false
Stagnant – not moving
Stolid – unemotional
Strident – harsh, loud
Substantiate – support with evidence
Superfluous – unnecessary
Surreptitious – secretive
Taciturn – quiet
Tangential – slightly related
Tenuous – weak
Thwart – prevent
Tirade – long angry speech
Torpid – sluggish
Transient – temporary
Trepidation – fear
Trite – overused
Truncate – shorten
Trepid – fearful
Turpitude – moral corruption
Ubiquitous – everywhere
Uncanny – strange
Unequivocal – clear
Unfettered – free
Unilateral – one-sided
Unprecedented – never before
Usurp – seize
Utilitarian – practical
Utopia – perfect place
Uxorious – excessively devoted to wife
Vacillate – waver, hesitate
Vapid – dull
Vehement – forceful
Veracity – truthfulness
Verbose – wordy
Vestige – remnant
Viable – workable
Vindicate – clear from blame
Virtuoso – highly skilled
Volatile – changeable
Wane – decrease
Wary – cautious
Winsome – charming
Wizened – shriveled
Wrath – anger
Writhe – twist in pain
Wily – cunning
Whimsical – playful
Whet – sharpen
Wan – pale
Xenophobia – fear of foreigners
Xeric – dry
Yield – give way
Yoke – join together
Yearn – desire strongly
Zeal – enthusiasm
Zenith – highest point
Zephyr – gentle breeze
Zany – amusingly odd
Zealot – fanatic