ABET ~ to help someone do a bad thing. "The shopkeeper accused the customer of abetting the thief who broke into the store."
ABSCOND ~ to depart secretly. "I hope that she doesn't abscond with the cash."
ABSOLVE ~ to forgive, free from blame
ACQUIESCE ~ to give in; surrender. "Because I was very polite but persistent, my parents acquiesced and agreed to let me go to the prom."
ABSTRUSE ~ extremely difficult to understand. "The professor's theory of economics was abstruse, and most of her students failed the course."
ADAMANT ~ insistent; unyielding. "The thief was adamant that she was not guilty and that someone else had put the diamond ring in her purse."
AFFECTED ~ fake; pretentious. "That actor is as straightforward in public as he is on the screen; he is not affected."
AFFINITY ~ attraction toward or liking of something. "The child showed an early affinity for playing the saxophone, and by the time she was six she was playing in a professional rock group."
ALOOF ~ emotionally distant; cold. "The actress is aloof in public and refuses to sign autographs."
ALTERCATION ~ a dispute or fight. "The siblings' public altercation was an embarrassment to their parents."
AMBIVALENT ~ feeling two ways at the same time; unsure. "She was ambivalent about whether to attend college or to travel."
AMIABLE ~ friendly; easygoing. "The politician tried his best to appear amiable."
ANONYMOUS ~ without name. "The group is anonymous so members can seek help without fear."
ANTAGONISTIC ~ hostile; bellicose. "The crowd was antagonistic toward the politician."
APOCRYPHAL ~ of doubtful authenticity. "Some stories that are passed from one generation to the next as being true are actually apocryphal."
AQUATIC ~ belonging or living in water. "Going scuba diving is a good way to get to know aquatic plants and animals."
ARABLE ~ suitable for farming. "Silicon Valley used to have some of the most arable land in the country."
ARBOREAL ~ relating to trees; living in trees. "Apes are arboreal."
ARCHAIC ~ outdated; no longer in use. "The expression 'groovy' is already archaic."
ASSENT ~ to agree to. "A treaty signed by the President is not valid until the Senate assents to its prescribed terms."
ASSUAGE ~ to soothe or relieve. "Nothing could assuage the little boy's grief after his pet iguana ran away."
AUSPICIOUS ~ favorable; propitious. "The merger of the two companies was an auspicious occasion."
AUTHENTIC ~ genuine, real. "An authentic Mark McGwire rookie card is probably worth a lot of money."
BANAL ~ dull and unoriginal. "Most television shows, including the most popular ones, are banal."
BANE ~ a destructive or harmful thing. "Her allergies were a bane to her health."
BEHEMOTH ~ huge creature
BELEAGUER ~ to harass. "The celebrity was beleaguered by her adoring fans."
BENEVOLENT ~ good-willed; kind. "Doctors traditionally swear to the Hippocratic Oath ~ 'Do no harm' ~ to reinforce the concept that the medical profession is entirely benevolent."
BIPED ~ two-footed animal. "We are bipeds."
BOMBASTIC ~ using high-sounding but meaningless language. "The speaker's bombastic lecture left the audience bored and unimpressed."
BOVINE ~ cow-like; relating to cows (slow and stupid)
CARNIVOROUS ~ meat-eating. "The carnivorous lion happily munched on the felled zebra."
CASTIGATE ~ to scold. "My mother frequently castigates me because I watch too much television."
CENSURE ~ to find fault with and condemn as wrong; blame. "The corporation was censured for its careless disposal of toxic waste."
CHARLATAN ~ a deceiver; a fraud; a quack. "The man who operated on her was not a real surgeon; he was a charlatan."
CHIMERICAL ~ fanciful, imaginary, visionary, impossible
CLAMOR ~ noisy outcry. "The clamor of children playing outside made it impossible for me to study."
COGNIZANT ~ aware. "Some seniors do not seem cognizant of the fact that they are supposed to sleep through the day."
COMMODIOUS ~ roomy; spacious. "Melanie Griffin's 20,000 square foot new home is commodious."
COMPELLING ~ strongly convincing. "The purpose of a political campaign is to present compelling reasons to vote for a candidate rather than for her opponent."
COMPLACENT ~ overly self-satisfied. "Some seniors become complacent and catch senioritis."
CONCISE ~ brief and to the point. "Bill Clinton's speeches are not always concise."
CONCUR ~ to agree. "I would not accept my doctor's diagnosis of scurvy until her colleagues were all willing to concur."
CONDESCENDING ~ looking down upon another. "Her friend's condescending remarks embarrassed and angered her." Similar: patronizing.
CONDONE ~ to excuse bad behavior. "I don't condone talking on cell phones during concerts."
CONSENSUS ~ a state of agreement. "While there were still a few minor disagreements among the bank directors, there was a general consensus that they should raise fees and cut back service."
CONTENTIOUS ~ argumentative. "The meeting was a disaster because of the contentious people who wouldn't let anyone else talk."
CONTRITE ~ regretful; penitent. "The group was contrite because it had forced one member out of the organization."
COPIOUS ~ plentiful. "The copious rainfall was welcomed by the farmers."
CRAVEN ~ cowardly
CRYPTIC ~ difficult to understand; coded. "The lecturer's cryptic references to obscure ancient manuscripts made her talk very difficult to understand."
CULPABLE ~ guilty; blameworthy. "In looking around the room to determine who had stolen the roast beef, we decided that the dog looked the most culpable."
CURSORY ~ hasty; showing little attention to detail. "The professor gave a cursory glance at the research paper, then awarded it an A."
CYGNET ~ young swan. "Cygnets spend a full year with their swan parents after they hatch."
DEARTH ~ lack of something. "Students who do not wear socks on cold days suffer from a dearth of common sense."
DEFAME ~ to say something that ruins someone's reputation. "The tabloid's article about the actor's drug use was an attempt to defame his character."
DEMEAN ~ to degrade, humiliate. "The editor felt it would demean the newspaper to publish letters containing obscenities."
DENIGRATE ~ to slur or blacken someone's reputation. "The people still love their late leader, despite many attempts to denigrate his character."
DENOUNCE ~ to accuse, blame
DEPLETE ~ to use up; exhaust. "Her energy was completely depleted by filling out so many college applications."
DERIDE ~ to speak ill of. "It is undignified to deride people who don't agree with you."
DEROGATE ~ to speak ill of. "No one speaks to that couple, because they derogate everyone they meet."
DIABOLICAL ~ fiendish; wicked. "She's a criminal with a diabolical mind."
DIATRIBE ~ bitter verbal attack
DIFFIDENT ~ shy, lacking confidence
DIGRESSION ~ straying away froma main idea. "The biology professor's lectures were filled with digressions on the origins of the English language."
DISCORDANT ~ harsh-sounding, inharmonious, conflicting. "The newly elected president tried to unite the discordant factions within the union."
DISCREDIT ~ to harm someone's reputation. "The politician used dirty tricks to discredit his opponents."
DISCREPANCY ~ disagreement; inconsistency. "There was a discrepancy between the amount of money I gave her and the amount that she said she had received."
DISGRUNTLED ~ dissatisfied due to a feeling of injustice. "The City Council meeting was filled with disgruntled homeowners."
DISPARAGE ~ to belittle, speak disrespectfully about. "Despite the disparaging attitudes of our detractors, our grassroots organization is having an impact on public policy."
DOGMATIC ~ overly forceful in asserting one's opinions. "The only way to convince her roommate to clean up was to be totally dogmatic."
DORMANT ~ at rest, inactive, in suspended animation. "If your brain stays dormant for too long, it just may atrophy."
DUPE ~ to deceive, trick. "He was duped into taking the blame for our offenses."
ECCENTRIC ~ behaving in an odd or unusual manner. "The professor's eccentric way of dressing in historical attire drew huge crowds to his class."
ECSTATIC ~ extremely happy; elated. "I was ecstatic when I heard that the SAT had been dropped as a college requirement, but then I woke up and realized that I had been dreaming."
EGREGIOUS ~ conspicuously bad. "The politician made an egregious error."
ELICIT ~ to bring forth. "Varsity games sometimes elicit rowdy behavior from the spectators."
ELUCIDATE ~ to clarify or explain. "The professor did a confusing job of elucidating his theory about the validity of the flat tax."
EMACIATED ~ extremely thin. "The prisoners all appeared emaciated."
EMBELLISH ~ to decorate or add untrue but interesting details. "I embellished my story of why I was absent with >details about an encounter with Elvis and a UFO."
EMINENT ~ celebrated, distinguished; outstanding, towering. "She is an eminent professor at the university."
EMPIRICAL ~ based on observation rather than theory. "My belief that the students were suffering from the cold was based on empirical observations of their goosebumps."
ENTAIL ~ to imply as a necessary result or consequence. "Most politicians don't want to run for President because of the difficulties it entails: harsh media scrutiny, endless fundraising, and 20-hour workdays."
EPHEMERAL ~ momentary, transient, fleeting
EQUINE ~ relating to horses. "Many donkeys have equine characteristics, although they are not horses."
ETHEREAL ~ airy; insubstantial; not concrete. "Tinker Bell is an ethereal creature."
EUPHONY ~ pleasant, harmonious sound. "Vacation is a euphonious word."
EXONERATE ~ to free from blame; exculpate. "The prisoner was finally exonerated and set free."
EXORBITANT ~ extravagant, greater than reasonable. "The prices at this store are absolutely exorbitant!"
EXPLOIT ~ to take advantage of. "The protesters argued that the company exploited its workers overseas."
EXTRICATE ~ to remove from difficulty. "The exhausted mother was tired of extricating her child from the messes he created for himself."
FACILITATE ~ to help make something easier. "E-mail has facilitated their staying in touch with one another."
FALLACIOUS ~ false; spurious. "The statement that seniors only need to go to school between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. is fallacious."
FAWN ~ to flatter excessively, seek the favor of. "After being surrounded by fawning admirers, the actress was glad to meet an honest friend."
FEIGN ~ to pretend, give a false impression; to invent falsely "You shouldn't feign illness in order to get out of your test next period!"
FETID ~ foul-smelling. "The Saint Bernard's breath was fetid, and I regretted letting him drag me off the ski slope."
FETTER ~ to bind or restrain. "Staying up all night fettered her ability to do well on her final."
FLEDGLING ~ young bird just learning to fly;
beginner, novice. "The fledgling driver hit the telephone pole during his driving test."
FLORID ~ ruddy, flushed; gaudy, extremely ornate. "His florid expression indicated his anger."
FLOUNDER ~ to falter, waver; to muddle, struggle. "The previously glib defendant began to flounder when the prosecutor found a hole in his story."
FLOUT ~ to disregard or disobey. "The man takes great pride in flouting authority."
FORTUITOUS ~ favorably accidental; lucky. "It was fortuitous that she found her $100 bill under the couch before she began vacuuming."
FRUGAL ~ conservative in spending; thrifty. "The frugal woman retired from her job with millions in the bank."
GARRULOUS ~ very talkative. "Everyone in the building dreaded running into the garrulous man, because he could chatter on about trivial matters for hours."
GERMANE ~ relevant. "The student's question was germane to the lecture, but the professor refused to answer."
GLUTTON ~ one who eats too much. "The man who won the pie-eating contest is a real glutton."
GREGARIOUS ~ sociable; group-oriented. "Politicians need to be gregarious; there's no substitute for getting out in a crowd to shake hands and chat with voters."
GUILE ~ trickiness; deception. "Through guile, the con artist persuaded the man to give her all his money."
GULLIBLE ~ easily deceived. "The gullible child believed that the person in costume was a real witch."
HIDEBOUND ~ excessively rigid; dry and stiff. "That inflexible individual is hidebound."
HYPERBOLE ~ exaggeration. "The melodramatic student speaks in hyperbole."
IGNOMINIOUS ~ disgraceful and dishonorable
IMMUTABLE ~ unchangeable. "Once he forms an opinion about someone, it is immutable."
IMPERIOUS ~ overly bossy or authoritarian; haughty.
"In a democratic society such as ours, it is considered inappropriate for leaders, even the President, to behave in an imperious way."
IMPETUOUS ~ impulsive, hasty. "The impetuous young woman jumped onto the ladder and began singing."
IMPARTIAL ~ unbiased; fair. "It is essential that judges be impartial."
IMPECUNIOUS ~ having no money. "They just paid their taxes and are now impecunious."
IMPUDENT ~ sassy; rude.
INCESSANT ~ continuous, never ceasing
INCISIVE ~ perceptive, penetrating. "Their arguments were always incisive."
INDEFATIGABLE ~ tireless; full of energy. "Our cheerleaders are absolutely indefatigable!"
INDELIBLE ~ permanent, not erasable. "Be careful with your clothing, because that ink is indelible."
INDIGENT ~ poor; destitute; impecunious. "Indigent people have a difficult time affording housing in the Bay Area."
INDIGENOUS ~ native, occurring naturally in an area; originated in and being produced, growing, living, or occurring naturally in a particular region or environment. "Yesterday the City of Berkeley celebrated Indigenous People's Day."
INDOLENT ~ habitually lazy idle. "Her indolence got her fired from many jobs."
INEPT ~ clumsy, awkward; foolish, nonsensical. "He was so inept in the garden that he dug up all the roses."
INFAMOUS ~ famous in a bad way. "The actor's bad behavior guaranteed that he would become infamous as a scoundrel before he became famous as a thespian."
INITIATE ~ to begin. "The woman initiated her job search by updating her risumi."
INFAMY ~ reputation for bad deeds. "He lived on in infamy."
INNOCUOUS ~ harmless. "The bully was really an innocuous wimp."
INSATIABLE ~ never satisfied. "She has an insatiable appetite for adventure."
INTREPID ~ fearless. "Martin Luther King, Jr. was an intrepid leader."
INTRICATE ~ complicated; highly detailed. "The spider wove an intricate web."
INVECTIVE ~ harsh words. "We hear far too much invective in these halls."
INVIDIOUS ~ likely to provoke ill-will, offensive
IRONY ~ contradiction between expected and actual
events. "How ironic that the straight-A student failed her English class senior year."
JETTISON ~ to get rid of; discard; eject. "The pilot jettisoned his passengers' heavy gear so that the hot air balloon could rise."
JOCULAR ~ joking; humorous. "She loves her science class because her teacher is so jocular."
LACONIC ~ using few words. "A laconic speaker, she economized her words."
LAP ~ to drink using the tongue; to wash against. "The cat greedily lapped up her milk."
LATENT ~ present but not visible or active. "From what she tells me, her son is a latent genius."
LIONIZE ~ to treat as a celebrity. "He loved being lionized and worshiped by his friends."
LOQUACIOUS ~ talkative. "The students in this class are extremely loquacious."
LURID ~ harshly shocking, sensational; glowing. "Reporters dug up his lurid past and caused him to lose the election."
LUXURIANT ~ lush; full; plentiful. "The man brushed his luxuriant hair while admiring himself in the mirror."
MAGNANIMOUS ~ generous, noble in spirit. "Her magnanimous personality attracted people to her."
MALEFACTOR ~ evildoer; culprit. "Many organizations are still trying to bring Nazi malefactors to justice."
MELANCHOLY ~ sad; morose. "The news of Aaliyah's death left me feeling melancholy."
MALEVOLENT ~ ill-willed; causing evil or harm to others. "Her malevolent acts destroyed many of her friendships."
MAUDLIN ~ overly sentimental; sappy. "The woman only reads maudlin romances by best-selling authors."
Meager ~ small; skimpy. "My sons complained that their allowance was meager."
MEANDER ~ to wander aimlessly
MERCENARY ~ motivated only by greed. "Many celebrated 'explorers' were actually odious mercenary plunderers."
MERCURIAL ~ quick, shrewd and unpredictable
MIRTHFUL ~ jovial, merry, causing or provoking laughter and glee "Mirthfulness is the best medicine."
MISANTHROPE ~ one who hates all people. "Molihre wrote a play about a man who was a misanthrope."
MODEST ~ not extravagant or showy. "Billionaire Warren Buffett*s house in Omaha is surprisingly modest." Opposite: pretentious, ostentatious.
MOLT ~ to shed hair, skin, or an outer layer periodically. "To molt is to remove a layer."
NEFARIOUS ~ vicious, evil. "Nefarious deeds are never far from an evil-doer's mind."
NOISOME ~ stinking, putrid. "A dead mouse trapped in your walls produces a noisome odor."
NOSTALGIA ~ longing for former times. "Her mother talked with nostalgia about her Haight-Ashbury days."
OBDURATE ~ stubborn. "He refuses to change his mind; he is very obdurate."
OBSTREPEROUS ~ noisily and stubbornly defiant; aggressively boisterous. "Her obstreperous proctors refused to shelve the catalogues."
ODIOUS ~ hateful, contemptible. "While many people consider studying vocabulary an odious task, there are some who find it enjoyable."
OMINOUS ~ giving indications that something bad is about to happen. "The weather person gave ominous warnings about a possible flood."
OVERTURE ~ an introduction; prologue. "Part of Rossini's 'William Tell Overture' was used as the theme for the 'Lone Ranger.'"
PARTISAN ~ based on loyalty to a particular group. "The vote on health care reform was split along partisan lines; the Republicans all voted one way, and the Democrats the other way."
PERFIDIOUS ~ faithless, disloyal, untrustworthy. "The man considered humans perfidious, but he loved his faithful dog."
PERSPICACIOUS ~ shrewd, astute, keen-witted. "Robin Williams is a
perspicacious individual."
PHILANTHROPIST ~ a wealthy person who donates money to worthy causes. "Many scholarships are supported by philanthropists."
PLACATE ~ to do something to calm someone down; pacify. "I could do nothing to placate the student whose calculator I broke."
PLATITUDE ~ a dull or unoriginal statement; a clichi. "The annoying politician filled his speech with platitudes."
PLAUSIBLE ~ believable. "The student's excuse that she had dropped her essay down the garbage disposal while helping her brother do the dishes was not plausible."
PLETHORA ~ an abundance; plenitude; profusion. "The outstanding student has a plethora of A's on her transcript."
POIGNANT ~ emotionally moving. "A poignant play touches your emotions."
PONDEROUS ~ massive; heavy. "Surprisingly, the ponderous elephant was afraid of the tiny mouse."
PRAGMATIC ~ realistically sensible; practical. "The pragmatic customer put a teabag under the table to balance the leg."
PRECURSOR ~ something that leads to a later development or idea. "The automobiles of the 1940's were precursors of the PT Cruiser."
PRETENTIOUS ~ self-important. "The pretentious man put a coat of arms above his front door."
PREVALENT ~ widespread; common. "Asking probing questions is a prevalent habit of Berkeley High students."
PREVARICATE ~ to quibble, evade the truth
PROCLIVITY ~ tendency toward; affinity. "The rock star has a proclivity for punching holes in the walls of his hotel rooms."
PROCRASTINATE ~ to put off doing something until a future time; to postpone or delay needlessly. "She procrastinated and did not register for the SAT until the very last minute."
PRODIGAL ~ wasteful with money. "The company's prodigal spending habits sent it into bankruptcy."
PROFOUND ~ deep; extreme. "There is a profound difference between milk chocolate and dark chocolate."
PROLIFERATE ~ to become widespread. "The infestation of snails has proliferated alarmingly in the horticulturist's garden, and they have devoured all her basil."
PROLIFIC ~ extremely productive. "Isaac Asimov was a prolific writer; during his adult life, his output averaged over ten new books every year."
PROFLIGATE ~ corrupt, degenerate. "Some historians say the ancient Romans' profligate behavior and love of luxury led to the decline of the Roman empire."
PROFOUND ~ deep; extreme. "There is a profound difference between milk chocolate and dark chocolate."
PROTEAN ~ readily assuming different forms or characters
PRUDENT ~ careful, cautious. "Prudence prevents accidents."
QUIESCENCE ~ inactivity; dormancy. "Senior year should NOT be a time of intellectual quiescence."
QUIXOTIC ~ unrealistic; foolishly romantic. "Anyone who tilts at windmills is definitely quixotic."
RAUCOUS ~ harsh-sounding; boisterous. "The grade school cafeteria was a raucous place at lunch time."
RAZE ~ to tear down completely. "Rather than rebuild it, San Francisco razed the earthquake-damaged Embarcadero Freeway."
REBUKE ~ to reprimand, scold. "Sergeants often rebuke newly enlisted soldiers to teach them discipline."
RECALCITRANT ~ stubbornly disobedient. "The recalcitrant senior insisted on dropping a class, despite her counselor's advice."
REFUTE ~ to prove something false. Opposite: verify, substantiate. "The facts refuted his allegations."
REPREHENSIBLE ~ very bad. "The students were suspended because of their reprehensible behavior.
REPROBATE ~ morally unprincipled person. "If you flout your society's accepted moral code, you will be considered a reprobate."
RETICENT ~ not speaking freely, reserved
SAGACIOUS ~ wise, shrewd. "They listened to the woman because she is sagacious."
SANCTUARY ~ a place that offers safety; refuge. "The public library is a sanctuary for many people."
SANGUINE ~ cheerfully optimistic; ruddy
SARDONIC ~ cynical, scornfully mocking "That comedian is far too sardonic for my taste."
SCRUPULOUS ~ ethical, attentive to detail. "The scrupulous accountant never cheats her clients."
SEMINAL ~ relating to the beginning or seeds of something
SHIBBOLETH ~a word or saying used by adherents of a party, sect, or belief and usually regarded by others as empty of real meaning; a widely held belief. "Today this book publishing shibboleth is a myth."
SKEPTICAL ~ having doubts. "Having been fooled by the boy*s cries before, the villagers were skeptical that there really was a wolf." Similar: wary, cynical. Opposite: gullible.
SLOTH ~ sluggishness, laziness. "The latecomer was reprimanded for his sloth."
SLOTHFUL ~ lazy. "Slothful people swear off work."
SPURIOUS ~ lacking authenticity or validity; false. "Their methods for choosing the best schools seem spurious."
STALWART ~ strong or brave. "The stalwart fans stood in the rain for five hours waiting to buy Super Bowl tickets."
STATUS QUO ~ the standard, commonly-accepted way things are; convention. "Although they say that they are revolutionary thinkers, they really prefer the status quo."
STOIC ~ indifferent to pain or pleasure. "The stoic athlete skated despite a broken ankle."
STRIDENT ~ loud, harsh, unpleasantly noisy. "The child cringed under his parents' strident scolding."
SUBVERT ~ to secretly work to weaken someone's authority or plans. "The students worked to subvert the teacher's authority by throwing spitballs."
SUPERCILIOUS ~ arrogant, haughty, overbearing,condescending. "She was a shallow and scornful woman with a supercilious manner."
SUPERFICIAL ~ shallow, on the surface. "Mercutio*s wound seemed superficial, but the blade punctured a vital organ, and he soon died."
SUPERNUMERARY ~ (n) an actor without a speaking part, as one who appears in a crowd scene; (adj) exceeding a fixed, prescribed, or standard number; extra
SUPPRESS ~ to restrain, stop. "By killing or imprisoning his political rivals, the dictator suppressed all opposition to his regime."
SURLY ~ rude and unfriendly; grouchy. "I did not give the surly waiter a tip."
SYCOPHANT ~ Self-serving flatterer
TACIT ~ silently understood or implied. "They made a tacit agreement to conspire against her."
TACITURN ~ uncommunicative, not inclined to speak
TALON ~ claw of an animal, especially a bird of prey. "The vulture holds its prey in its talons while it dismembers the small animal with its beak."
TANGIBLE ~ concrete; able to be touched. "I had no tangible evidence, such as a Martian newspaper, that I had been kidnapped by the UFO."
TANTAMOUNT ~ equivalent. "Refusing to take your finals is tantamount to giving up."
TAPER ~ to narrow or decrease in size or intensity. "Her enthusiasm for her engineering class tapered off dramatically when she received the results of her first test."
TAUTOLOGY ~ Needless repetition of an idea, statement or word.
(TO)TEMPER ~ to control or limit from extremes. "If you have something unpleasant to say to someone, you should temper your remarks."
TEMPERATE ~ mild; avoiding extremes. "We are lucky in California to have such a temperate climate."
TERSE ~ concise, brief, free of extra words.
"Her terse style of writing was widely praised for coming directly to the point."
TIRADE ~ a harsh, ranting speech directed against someone. "The politician's tirade against members of his own party shocked the audience."
TRANSITORY ~ of short duration. "Their friendships were transitory." Similar: ephemeral, evanescent.
TREMULOUS ~ trembling, quivering; fearful, timid
TREPIDATION ~ fear. "The ebay addict opened her credit card statement with great trepidation."
TRIFLING ~ minor. "A stubbed toe is a trifling medical problem compared to a broken leg."
TRIVIAL ~ unimportant, small. Similar: inconsequential. "Her concerns about which shoes to wear are trivial."
UNDERSTATE ~ to play down the significance of something. "Because the student had understated how badly he was doing in school, his parents were surprised by his terrible report card."
URBANE ~ courteous, refined, suave. "City folks are supposedly more urbane than country folks."
VANQUISH ~ to conquer. "The mountain climber has still not vanquished his fear of heights."
VAPID ~ tasteless, dull. "This CD is a rip-off; it has one good song and nine vapid ones."
VERBOSE ~ wordy. "Verbose talkers are very boring."
VEX ~ to irritate or annoy. "My inability to succeed at multivariable calculus continues to vex me."
VIGILANT ~ watchful; extremely alert. "The man is vigilant about eating foods which will not raise his cholesterol level."
VINDICTIVE ~ obsessed with revenge; spiteful. "The vindictive gossip columnist used her job to get back at people she didn't like."
VIRULENT ~ aggressively harmful. "Senioritis is a virulent disease that has been spreading rapidly throughout the United States."
VIRTUOSO ~ a highly skilled individual. "The late Jacqueline du Pri was a virtuoso on the cello."
VIVACIOUS ~ lively, spirited. "She was vivacious and outgoing, always ready to try something new."
VOCIFEROUS ~ overly vocal. "The Ram fans were vociferous in expressing their disappointment about the results of the Super Bowl."
VOLUBLE ~ speaking much and easily, talkative; glib. "He was a voluble speaker, always ready to talk."
WINSOME ~ charming, happily engaging
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