candid completely honest, straightforward
conjecture
inference; guesswork
didactic instructive
effusive showing excessive emotion; overflowing
euphemism
a mild, indirect, or vague term substituting for a harsh, blunt, or offensive term
extrapolate
to infer or estimate by extending or projecting known information
incoherent
lacking cohesion or connection
insinuate
to imply or communicate stealthily
loquacious
very talkative
lucid
easily understood; clear
rhetoricthe art of using language effectively and persuasively
acumenquickness, accuracy, and keenness of judgement or insight
adroit dexterous; deft
ascertain
to find out, as through investigation or experimentation
astute shrewd; clever
circumspect
careful; prudent discreet
disseminate
to scatter widely, as in sowing seed
erudition
deep, extensive learning
pedantic
excessively concerned with book learning and formal rules
perspicacious
shrewd; clear-sighted
pragmatic
practical
precocious
exhibiting unusually early intellectual aptitude or maturity
prolific very productive; producing great qualities
prospectus
formal proposal
rudimentary
basic; elementary; in the earliest stages of development
abstruse
difficult to understand
callous emotionally hardened; unfeeling
convoluted
intricate; complex
disaffected
having lost faith or loyalty; discontent
enigma a puzzle, mystery, or riddle
inscrutable
difficult to fathom or understand; impenetrable
reticent inclined to keep silent; reserved
staid
unemotional; serious
arcane known or understood by only a few
assimilate
to absorb or become absorbed; to make or become similar
autonomy
independence; self-determination
cosmopolitan
worldly; widely sophisticated
derivative
something that comes from another source
esotericintended for or understood by only a small group
gaffe
a clumsy social error
idiosyncrasy
characteristic peculiar to an individual or group
insular isolated; narrow or provincial
orthodox
adhering to the traditional and established, especially in religion
potentate
one who has the power and position to rule over others; monarch
castigate
to scold, rebuke, or harshly criticize
censure to issue official blame
denounce
to condemn openly
reclusive
seeking or preferring seclusion or isolation
relinquish
to retire from; give up or abandon
renounce
to give up (a title, for example) by formal announcement
vituperative
marked by harshly abusive condemnation
circumscribe
to draw a circle around; to restrict
contiguous
sharing an edge or boundary; touching
conciliatory
appeasing; soothing; showing willingness to reconcile
credible
capable of being believed; plausible
exonerate
to free from blame
incontrovertible
indict
indisputable; not open to question
to officially charge with wrongdoing or a crime
litigious prone to engage in lawsuits
partisan
devoted to or biased in support of a party, group, or cause
parity equality, as in amount, status, or value
rectitude
moral uprightness; righteousness
remiss lax in attending to duty; negligent
repudiate
to reject the validity or authority of
sanctimonious feigning piety or righteousness
scrupulous
principled, having a strong sense of right and wrong; conscientious and exacting
solicitous
concerned
substantiate
to support with proof or evidence; verify
veracity adherence to the truth; truthfulness
vindicate
to free from blame
cajole to urge with repeated appeals, teasing, or flattery
chicanery
trickery
obsequious
fawning and servile
sycophant
insincere, obsequious flatterer
altruism
unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness
eminent
distinguished; prominent
empathy
identification with and understanding of another's situation, feelings, and motives
extol
to praise highly
laudatory
full of praise
magnanimous courageously or generously noble in mind and heart
philanthropic
humanitarian; benevolent; relating to monetary generosity
reciprocate
to mutually take or give; to respond in kind
defunct no longer existing or functioning
eradicate
to get rid of as if by tearing it up by the roots; abolish
quell
to put down forcibly; suppress
raze
to level to the ground; demolish
squelch to crush as if by trampling; squash
supplant
to usurp the place of, especially through intrigue or underhanded tactics
stymie to thwart or stump
abase to lower in rank, prestige, or esteem
deride to mock contemptuously
derogatory
insulting or intended to insult
disparage
to speak of negatively; to belittle
effrontery
brazen boldness; presumptuousness
ignominy
great personal dishonor or humiliation; disgraceful conduct
impugn to attack as false or questionable
mar
to damage, especially in a disfiguring way
pejorative
vex
disparaging, belittling, insulting
to annoy or bother; to perplex
vindictive
disposed to seek revenge; revengeful; spiteful
bombastic
given to pompous speech or writing
ebullience
intense enthusiasm
exorbitant
exceeding all bounds, as of custom or fairness
exuberant
full or unrestrained enthusiasm or joy
embellish
to ornament or decorate; to exaggerate
flagrant extremely or deliberately shocking or noticeable
gratuitous
given freely; unearned; unnecessary
lavish extravagant
lugubrious
mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree
opulent displaying great wealth
ornate elaborately decorated
penchant
a strong inclination or liking
redundant
needlessly repetitive
ubiquitous
being or seeming to be everywhere at the same time; omnipresent
vicarious
felt or undergone as if one were taking part in the experience or feelings of another
vignette
a short scene or story
amalgam
a combination of diverse elements; a mixture
inundate
to overwhelm as if with a flood; to swamp
multifarious
diverse; various
multiplicity
state of being various or manifold; a great number
alleviate
to ease a pain or burden
beneficial
producing or promoting a favorable result; helpful
cathartic
relaxing after an emotional outburst
curative
able to heal or curve
palliative
relieving or soothing the symptoms of a disease or disorder without effecting a cure
theapeutic
having or exhibiting healing powers
complement
something that completes, goes with, or brings to perfectin
epitome
a representative of a type
felicitous
admirably suited
belie
to misrepresent or disguise
debunk to expose untruths, shams, or exaggerated claims
dubiousdoubtful; of unlikely authenticity
duplicitous
deliberately deceptive
fabricate
to make up in order to deceive
fallacy a false motion
mendacious
lying, untruthful
specious
having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually false
ambiguous
open to more than one interpretation
ambivalent
simultaneously feeling opposing feelings; uncertain
apathetic
feeling or showing little emotion
capricious
impulsive and unpredictable
equivocal
open to two or more interpretations and often intended to mislead; ambiguous
erratic markedly inconsistent
impetuous
suddenly and forcefully energetic or emotional; impulsive and passionate
impetus
an impelling force or stimulus
sporadic
occurring at irregular intervals; having no pattern or order in time
vacillate
to sway from one side to the other; oscillate
whimsical
characterized by whim; unpredictable
flag
to decline in vigor or strength; to tire; to droop
jaded worn out; wearied
clandestine
done secretively, especially to deceive; surreptituous
subterfuge
a deceptive stratagem or device
surreptitious
secretive; sneaky
dearth scare supply; lack
modicum
a small, moderate, or token amount
paucity smallness in number; scarcity
squander
to spend wastefully
temperate
moderate; restrained
tenuous
having little substance or strength; shaky
diligent marked by painstaking effort; hardworking
maverick
one who is independent and resists adherence to a group
mercenary
motivated solely by a desire for money or material gain
obstinate
stubbornly attached to an opinion or a course of action
proliferate
to grow or increase rapidly
tenacity
persistence
vigilant on the alert; watchful
extraneous
irrelevant; inessential
juxtapose
to place side by side, especially for comparison or contrast
novel
fresh; original; new
superfluous
extra; unnecessary
synergy combined action or operation
tangential
merely touching or slightly connected; only superficially relevant
aesthetic
having to do with the appreciation of beauty
aural
of or related to the ear or the sense of hearing
cacophony
dirge
discordant; unpleasant noise
a funeral hymn or lament
eclectic made up of a variety of sources or styles
incongruous
lacking in harmony; incompatible
sonorous
producing a deep or full sound
strident loud, harsh, grating, or shrill
debacle disastrous or ludicrous defeat or failure; fiasco
debilitate
impair the strength of; weaken
tumultuous
noisy and disorderly
anachronistic
the representation of something as existing or happening in the wrong time period
archaic characteristic of an earlier time; antiquated; old
dilatory habitually late
ephemeral
lasting for only a brief time
redolent
fragrant; aromatic; suggestive
temporal
of, relating to, or limited by time
onerous
troublesome or oppressive; burdensome
portent indication of something important or calamitous about to occur; omen
prescience
knowledge of actions or events before they occur; foreknowledge; foresight
austere without decoration; strict
banal
drearily commonplace; predictable; trite
hackneyed
worn out through overuse; trite
insipid uninteresting; lacking taste or savor
prosaic unimaginative; dull
soporific
vapid
inducing or tending to induce sleep
lacking liveliness, animation, or interest; dull
brevity the quality or state of being brief in duration
expedient
appropriate to a purpose; convenient; speedy
transient
passing quickly in time or space
augment
to make greater, as in size, extent, or quality; to supplement
bolster to hearten, support or prop up
burgeon
to grow and flourish
copious plentiful; having a large quantity
distend to swell out or expand from internal pressure, as when overly full
grandiose
great in scope or intent; grand
prodigious
enormous
profundity
great depth of intellect, feeling, or meaning
redouble
to make twice as great; to double
scintillating
brilliant
averse strongly disinclined
conspicuous
easy to notice; obvious
demure modest and reserved
diffidence
timidity or shyness
docile submissive to instruction; willing to be taught
innocuous
having no adverse effect; harmless
placid calm or quiet; undisturbed
quiescent
quiet, still, or at rest; inactive
concord
agreement
concur to agree
dogmatic
stubbornly attached to insufficiently proven beliefs
fastidious
carefully attentive to detail; difficult to please
intransigence
refusal to moderate a position or to compromise
jocular characterized by or given to joking
meticulous
extremely careful and precise
affable easy-going; friendly
alacrity promptness in response; cheerful readiness; eagerness
amiablefriendly; agreeable; good-natured
benign kind and gentle
sanguine
cheerfully confident; optimistic
belligerent
eager to fight; hostile or aggressive
cantankerous
ill-tempered and quarrelsome; disagreeable
contentious
quarrelsome
deleterious
having a harmful effect
exacerbate
to increase the severity; violence, or bitterness of; aggravate
flippant disrespectfully humorous or casual
insolentinsulting in manner or speech
nefarious
flagrantly wicked; vicious
pernicious
extremely or irrevocably harmful; deadly
rancorous
marked by bitter, deep-seated ill-will
repugnant
arousing disgust or aversion; offensive or repulsive
supercilious
disdainful; haughty; arrogant
arboreal
relating to or resembling a tree or trees
invocation
a call (usually upon a higher power) for assistance, support, or inspiration
stratify to layer or separate into layers
variegated
having streaks, marks, or patches of a different color or colors; varicolored
verdant green with vegetation