aberration

(n.) something that differs from the norm (In 1974, Poland
won the World Cup, but the success turned out to be
an aberration, and Poland have not won a World Cup since).

abhor

(v.) to hate, detest (Because he always wound up getting hit

in the head when he tried to play cricket, Marcin began
to abhor the sport).

acquiesce

(v.) to agree without protesting (Though Mr. Pospieszny

wanted to stay outside and work in his garage, when his wife
told him that he had better come in to dinner,
he acquiesced to her demands.)

alacrity

(n.) eagerness, speed (For some reason, Simon loved to

help his girlfriend whenever he could, so when his girlfriend
asked him to set the table he did so with alacrity.)

amiable

(adj.) friendly (An amiable fellow, Neil got along with just
about everyone.)

appease

(v.) to calm, satisfy (When Jerry cries, his mother gives him
chocolate to appease him.)

arcane

(adj.) obscure, secret, known only by a few (The professor is

an expert in arcane Kashubian literature.)

avarice

(n.) excessive greed (The banker’s avarice led him to amass

an enormous personal fortune.)
brazen

(adj.) excessively bold, brash, clear and obvious (Critics

condemned the writer’s brazen attempt to plagiarise
Frankow-Czerwonko’s work.)

brusque

(adj.) short, abrupt, dismissive (Simon’s brusque manner

sometimes offends his colleagues.)

cajole

(v.) to urge, coax (Magda's friends cajoled her into drinking

too much.)

callous

(adj.) harsh, cold, unfeeling (The murderer’s callous lack of

remorse shocked the jury.)

candor

(n.) honesty, frankness (We were surprised by the candor of

the politician’s speech because she is usually rather
evasive.)

chide

(v.) to voice disapproval (Hania chided Gregory for his vulgar habits
and sloppy appearance.)

circumspect

(adj.) cautious (Though I promised Marta’s father I would bring her

home promptly by midnight, it would have been
more circumspect not to have specified a time.)

clandestine

(adj.) secret (Announcing to her boyfriend that she was going to the
library, Maria actually went to meet George for
a clandestine liaison.)

coerce
 (v.) to make somebody do something by force or threat (The court
decided that David Beckham did not have to honor the contract
because he had been coercedinto signing it.)

coherent

(adj.) logically consistent, intelligible (William could not figure out

what Harold had seen because he was too distraught to deliver
a coherent statement.)

complacency

(n.) self-satisfied ignorance of danger (Simon tried to shock his

friends out of their complacency by painting a frightening picture of
what might happen to them.)

confidant

(n.) a person entrusted with secrets (Shortly after we met, he

became my chief confidant.)

connive

(v.) to plot, scheme (She connived to get me to give up my plans to

start up a new business.)

cumulative

(adj.) increasing, building upon itself (The cumulative effect

of hours spent using the World English website was a vast
improvement in his vocabulary and general level of English.)

debase

(v.) to lower the quality or esteem of something (The large

raise that he gave himself debased his motives for running
the charity.)

decry

(v.) to criticize openly (Andrzej Lepper, the leader of the

Polish Self Defence party decried the appaling state of Polish
roads.)

deferential
 (adj.) showing respect for another’s authority (Donata is
always excessively deferential to any kind of authority
figure.)

demure

(adj.) quiet, modest, reserved (Though everyone else at the

party was dancing and going crazy, she remained demure.)

deride

(v.) to laugh at mockingly, scorn (The native speaker

often derided the other teacher’s accent.)

despot

(n.) one who has total power and rules brutally

(The despot issued a death sentence for anyone who
disobeyed his laws.)

diligent

(adj.) showing care in doing one’s work

(The diligent researcher made sure to double check her
measurements.)

elated

(adj.) overjoyed, thrilled (When he found out he had won

the lottery, the postman was elated.)

eloquent

(adj.) expressive, articulate, moving (The best man gave

such an eloquentspeech that most guests were crying.)

embezzle

(v.) to steal money by falsifying records (The accountant

was fired for embezzling €10,000 of the company’s funds.)

empathy
 (n.) sensitivity to another’s feelings as if they were one’s
own (I feel such empathy for my dog when she’s upset so
am I!)

enmity

(n.) ill will, hatred, hostility (John and Scott have clearly not
forgiven each other, because the enmity between them is
obvious to anyone in their presence.)

erudite

(adj.) learned (My English teacher is such an erudite scholar

that he has translated some of the most difficult and
abstruse Old English poetry.)

extol

(v.) to praise, revere (Kamila extolled the virtues of a

vegetarian diet to her meat-loving boyfriend.)

fabricate

(v.) to make up, invent (When I arrived an hour late to

class, I fabricated some excuse about my car breaking down
on the way to work.)

feral

(adj.) wild, savage (That beast looks so feral that I would

fear being alone with it.)

flabbergasted

(adj.) astounded (Whenever I read an Agatha Christie

mystery novel, I am always flabbergasted when I learn the
identity of the murderer.)

forsake

(v.) to give up, renounce (I won't forsake my conservative

principles.)

fractious
 (adj.) troublesome or irritable (Although the child insisted he
wasn’t tired, his fractious behaviour - especially his decision
to crush his jam sandwiches all over the floor - convinced
everyone present that it was time to put him to bed.)

furtive

(adj.) secretive, sly (Claudia’s placement of her drugs in her

sock drawer was not as furtive as she thought, as the sock
drawer is the first place most parents look.)

gluttony

(n.) overindulgence in food or drink (Helen’s fried chicken

tastes so divine, I don’t know how anyone can call gluttony a
sin.)

gratuitous

(adj.) uncalled for, unwarranted (Every evening the guy at

the fish and chip shop gives me a gratuitous helping of
vinegar.)

haughty

(adj.) disdainfully proud (The superstar’s haughty dismissal

of her co-stars will backfire on her someday.)

hypocrisy

(n.) pretending to believe what one does not (Once the

politician began passing legislation that contradicted his
campaign promises, his hypocrisy became apparent.)

impeccable

(adj.) exemplary, flawless (If your grades were

as impeccable as your brother’s, then you too would receive
a car for a graduation present.)

impertinent
 (adj.) rude, insolent (Most of your comments are
so impertinent that I don’t wish to dignify them with an
answer.)

implacable

(adj.) incapable of being appeased or mitigated (Watch out:

once you shun Grandmother’s cooking, she is
totally implacable.)

impudent

(adj.) casually rude, insolent, impertinent

(The impudent young woman looked her teacher up and
down and told him he was hot.)

incisive

(adj.) clear, sharp, direct (The discussion wasn’t going

anywhere until her incisive comment allowed everyone to
see what the true issues were.)

indolent

(adj.) lazy (Why should my indolent children, who can’t even

pick themselves up off the sofa to pour their own juice, be
rewarded with a trip to Burger King?)

inept

(adj.) not suitable or capable, unqualified (She proved

how inept she was when she forgot two orders and spilled a
pint of cider in a customer’s lap.)

infamy

(n.) notoriety, extreme ill repute (The infamy of his crime

will not lessen as time passes.)

inhibit

(v.) to prevent, restrain, stop (When I told you I needed the

car last night, I certainly never meant to inhibit you from
going out.)
innate

(adj.) inborn, native, inherent (His incredible athletic talent

is innate, he never trains, lifts weights, or practices.)

insatiable

(adj.) incapable of being satisfied (My insatiable appetite for

blondes was a real problem on my recent holiday in Japan!)

insular

(adj.) separated and narrow-minded; tight-knit, closed off

(Because of the sensitive nature of their jobs, those who
work for MI5 must remain insular and generally only spend
time with each other.)

intrepid

(adj.) brave in the face of danger (After scaling a live

volcano prior to its eruption, the explorer was praised for
his intrepid attitude.)

inveterate

(adj.) stubbornly established by habit (I’m the first to admit

that I’m an inveterate cider drinker—I drink four pints a
day.)

jubilant

(adj.) extremely joyful, happy (The crowd was jubilant when

the firefighter carried the woman from the flaming building.)

knell

(n.) the solemn sound of a bell, often indicating a death

(Echoing throughout our village, the funeral knell made the
grey day even more grim.)

lithe
 (adj.) graceful, flexible, supple (Although the dancers were
all outstanding, Joanna’s control of her lithe body was
particularly impressive.)

lurid

(adj.) ghastly, sensational (Barry’s story, in which he

described a character torturing his neighbour's tortoise, was
judged too lurid to be published on the English Library's
website.)

maverick

(n.) an independent, nonconformist person (John is a

real maverick and always does things his own way.)

maxim

(n.) a common saying expressing a principle of conduct (Ms.

Stone’s etiquette maxims are both entertaining and
instructional.)

meticulous

(adj.) extremely careful with details (The ornate needlework

in the bride’s gown was a product of meticulous handiwork.)

modicum

(n.) a small amount of something (Refusing to display even

a modicum of sensitivity, Magda announced her boss’s affair
to the entire office.)

morose

(adj.) gloomy or sullen (David’s morose nature made him

very unpleasant to talk to.)

myriad

(adj.) consisting of a very great number (It was difficult to

decide what to do on Saturday night because the city
presented us with myriad possibilities for fun.)
nadir

(n.) the lowest point of something (My day was boring, but
the nadir came when my new car was stolen.)

nominal

(adj.) trifling, insignificant (Because he was moving the

following week and needed to get rid of his furniture more
than he needed money, Kim sold everything for
a nominal price.)

novice

(n.) a beginner, someone without training or experience

(Because we were all novices at archery, our instructor
decided to begin with the basics

nuance

(n.) a slight variation in meaning, tone, expression

(The nuances of the poem were not obvious to the casual
reader, but the teacher was able to point them out.)

oblivious

(adj.) lacking consciousness or awareness of something

(Oblivious to the burning smell emanating from the kitchen,
my father did not notice that the rolls in the oven were
burned until much too late.)

obsequious

(adj.) excessively compliant or submissive (Donald acted like

Susan’s servant, obeying her every request in
an obsequious manner.)

obtuse

(adj.) lacking quickness of sensibility or intellect (Political

opponents warned that the prime minister’s obtuse approach
to foreign policy would embroil the nation in mindless war.)

panacea
 (n.) a remedy for all ills or difficulties (Doctors wish there
was a single panaceafor every disease, but sadly there is
not.)

parody

(n.) a satirical imitation (A hush fell over the classroom

when the teacher returned to find Magdalena acting out
a parody of his teaching style.)

penchant

(n.) a tendency, partiality, preference (Fiona’s dinner parties

quickly became monotonous on account of her penchant for
Indian dishes.)

perusal

(n.) a careful examination, review (The actor agreed to

accept the role after a three-month perusal of the movie
script.)

plethora

(n.) an abundance, excess (The wedding banquet included

a plethora of oysters piled almost three feet high.)

predilection

(n.) a preference or inclination for something (James has

a predilection for eating toad in the whole with tomato
ketchup.)

quaint

(adj.) charmingly old-fashioned (Mary was delighted by

the quaint bonnets she saw in Romania.)

rash

(adj.) hasty, incautious (It’s best to think things over calmly

and thoroughly, rather than make rash decisions.)

refurbish
 (v.) to restore, clean up (After being refurbished the old
Triumph motorcycle commanded the handsome price of
$6000.)

repudiate

(v.) to reject, refuse to accept (Tom made a strong case for

an extension of his curfew, but his mother repudiated it with
a few biting words.)

rife

(adj.) abundant (Surprisingly, the teacher’s writing

was rife with spelling errors.)

salient

(adj.) significant, conspicuous (One of the salient differences

between Alison and Helen is that Alison is a couple of kilos
heavier.)

serendipity

(n.) luck, finding good things without looking for them (In an
amazing bit of serendipity, penniless Mark found a $50 bill
on the back seat of the bus.)

staid

(adj.) sedate, serious, self-restrained (The staid butler never

changed his expression no matter what happened.)

superfluous

(adj.) exceeding what is necessary (Samantha had already

won the campaign so her constant flattery of others
was superfluous.)

sycophant

(n.) one who flatters for self-gain (Some see the people in
the cabinet as the Prime Minister’s closest advisors, but
others see them as sycophants.)
taciturn

(adj.) not inclined to talk (Though Magda never seems to

stop talking, her brother is quite taciturn.)

truculent

(adj.) ready to fight, cruel (This club doesn’t really attract

the dangerous types, so why was that bouncer being
so truculent?)

umbrage

(n.) resentment, offence (He called me a lily-livered coward,

and I took umbrage at the insult.)

venerable

(adj.) deserving of respect because of age or achievement

(The venerable High Court judge had made several key
rulings in landmark cases throughout the years.)

vex

(v.) to confuse or annoy (My boyfriend vexes me by pinching

my bottom for hours on end.)

vociferous

(adj.) loud, boisterous (I’m tired of his vociferous whining so

I’m breaking up with him.)

wanton

(adj.) undisciplined, lewd, lustful

(Joanna’s wanton demeanor often made the frat guys next
door very excited.)

zenith

(n.) the highest point, culminating point (I was too nice to

tell Emily that she had reached the absolute zenith of her
career with that one top 10 hit of hers.)

accommodation
 A room to stay in or other place to stay; the act of accommodation

When I go on business trips, the accommodations my company pays for are usually quite bad.

affluent
Wealthy; having a large amount of money

Only the most affluent individuals can afford a Lamborghini.

ajar
Slightly open or almost closed: said of a door.

found the door ajar, and I stood a moment gazing at the hateful man who claimed a right to rule
me, body and soul. - Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

appropriate
Suitable; befitting; proper.

Boardshorts are not appropriate attire for the office.

arouse
To excite into action; stir or put in motion or exertion; awaken: as, to arouse attention; to
arouse one from sleep; to arouse dormant faculties.

They would send agents and emissaries about the kingdom to arouse, and encourage, and
assemble such Saxon forces as were yet to be found. - King Alfred of England
augment
To add to; increase

I teach English in the evenings to augment my family's income.

avarice
Excessive desire for wealth; extreme greed

Corruption is a product of avarice and thirst for power.

barricade
Something that serves as an obstacle; a barrier

The police set up a barricade to keep voters away from the polling stations.

bewilder
To confuse or befuddle

I am absolutely bewildered by the new tax forms. I have no idea how to fill them out.

bitter
Having or being a taste that is sharp, acrid, and unpleasant.

The coffee was too bitter for Max. He had to add a lot of sugar.

anecdote
(noun) a short, interesting story
At the party Charles told some humorous anecdotes about his days in the military.
avert
(verb) turn aside, or away; as, to avert the eyes from an object; to ward off, or prevent, the
occurrence or effects of
We did everything we could to avert the disaster, but it was not enough.

candid
(adjective) straightforward, open and sincere, honest
I had a very candid discussion with Max about his drinking problem.

dialogue
(noun) conversation between 2 or more people.
The action in the movie was very exciting, but the dialogue was incredibly bad.

drastic
(adjective) extreme, severe
The doctor had to take drastic measures to save the patient's life

erratic
(adjective) irregular, unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes
The man's erratic behavior made everybody on the flight nervous.

fortify
(verb)strengthen, reinforce
The government intended to fortify the levees surrounding New Orleans.

isolate
(verb) set apart or cut off from others, separate
The hospital isolated the patients with bird flu to help prevent an outbreak.

illuminate
(verb) shine light on something, light up something
The new street lights were not powerful enough to illuminate the street sufficiently.

urban
(adjective) related to or located in the city
People from urban areas have very different political views from people in rural areas.

arrogant
(adjective) showing too much self-importance or self-worth; overbearing pride
Many political and business leaders are very arrogant.

aspire
(verb) to hope or dream; especially to hope or work towards a profession or occupation
Pinocchio aspired to become a real boy.

compel
(verb) force, constrain or coerce; sway
The soldiers were compelled to fight in the war.

concise
(adjective) short, brief, not verbose; clear and succinct
Please write a concise essay on the meaning of life.

illusion
(noun) a false impression, something that seems to be something that it is not
 The magician seems to saw his assistant in half, but it is just an illusion.

impose
(verb) establish or apply by authority; force something on someone; selfishly bother
The government imposes taxes on the poor to pay for social programs for the rich.

lenient
(adjective)easygoing, lax, tolerant of deviation, permissive, not strict
The teacher accused Bobby's parents of being too lenient with Bobby.

menace
(noun) a possible threat or danger
Leaders with too much power can become a menace to the world.

novice
(noun) a person new to an activity, a beginner
You are pretty good for a novice.

overt
(adjective) open and observable; not secret or concealed
The politician's disregard for the law was quite overt.

abet
To approve, encourage, and support (an action or a plan of action); urge and help on.

Max is in prison for aiding and abetting Mary with her bank robbery.

accumulate
To mount up; increase.

Debts can easily and rapidly accumulate. Be careful with your credit cards.

agitate
To make someone nervous or troubled; to arouse concern.

The peaceful crowd became agitated when the police showed up in full riot gear.

alert
Vigilantly attentive.

The dog was very alert. He guarded his bone collection with great diligence.

alluring
attractive, seductive, inviting.

The salary was very alluring, but Max decided not to take the job.

ample
Plentiful; enough or more than enough.

I just went grocery shopping, so we should have ample food for the rest of the week.

baffle
To perplex or confuse.
 I am baffled by the instructions on the tax forms.

bicker
To argue about unimportant matters.

Max and Mary bicker constantly.

blame
responsibility for something bad

Politicians are quick to assign blame, but they refuse to accept it.

blend
To combine (varieties or grades) to obtain a mixture of a particular character, quality, or
consistency.

Max blends protein powder with apple juice.

audible
(adjective) able to be heard, hearable
The child spoke so softly her voice was barely audible.

coerce
(verb) compel by unethical means, force
Max was coerced into making a donation to the Senator's campaign fund.

morale
(noun) the state of spirit of a person or group
The soldier's morale is extremely low.

prevail
(verb) win; overcome; gain advantage
We may be losing now, but in the end we will prevail.

prudent
(adjective) careful and wise
It would not be very prudent to spend your entire paycheck on lottery tickets.

retort
(noun) a sharp reply, answer
Jack came back with a witty retort to the reporter's question.

scapegoat
(noun) someone to blame; someone to take the blame for others
Every office needs a scapegoat. In our office Max is the scapegoat. He's blamed for everything.

sedate
(adjective) calm; composed
The crowd at the funeral was quiet and sedate.

superstition
(noun) An irrational belief which ignores the laws of nature.
Getting seven years of bad luck for breaking a mirror is a common superstition.
supplement
(verb) add to; provide a supplement to
 Max got a second job to supplement his income.

apathy
Lack of interest or concern.

There is widespread apathy among the school staff.

dismal
Gloomy; drepressing; dreary.

When the weather is gloomy, I have a hard time getting motivated to do anything.

dismay
To cause the sudden loss of courage; to cause the feeling of consternation and distress.

We were dismayed by the president's policy reversal.

emulation
The imitation or copying of someone.

endeavor
To try very hard to achieve something.

We hoped that the president would endeavor to help the people.

frugal
Thrifty; economical.

You don't have to have a lot of money to travel if you are frugal.

impair
To weaken; to affect negatively.

mercenary
A professional soldier hired to serve in a foreign army.

The war was fought mostly by mercenaries.

naive
Lacking experience.

It was naive of me to think that the governor actually cared about the people living in his state.

stringent
Strict; restrictive; rigid; severe.

Mary has been on a stringent diet for months.

adverse
Unfavorable; harmful.

Adverse weather conditions will not stop Max from going fishing.
advocate
A person who publicly supports something or someone.

Max is an advocate for animal rights.

destiny
A predetermined state; fate.

Max considered it his destiny to die poor and alone.

diminish
To make smaller or less or to cause to appear so.

Max laughed at Mary's award and tried to diminish the award's importance.

donor
One who contributes to a cause or fund.

The Red Cross sent a letter of gratitude to all of the donors.

exempt
Free from a duty or obligation.

Most churches are exempt from paying taxes.

query
To ask, inquire.

The police officer queried the drivers involved in the accident.

patron
A customer

Some of the patrons complained to the waiter about the quality of the food.

savor
To enjoy or appreciate the taste or smell of something.

Homer savored every bite of the chocolate donut.

vocation
Employment; occupation; avocation; calling; business; trade

It is important to choose a vocation that you enjoy.

anachronism
(noun) someone or something that belongs in another place in time
Everything seemed normal except for the anachronism of the man riding a horse down the street.
One country colonizing another country is an anachronism in today's global environment.

antecedent
(noun) something that precedes another thing, especially the cause of the second thing
Pronouns usually refer to antecedents.

debacle
 (noun) a terrible failure
By most accounts, the war in Iraq has been a tremendous debacle.

exonerate
(verb) to absolve from blame, to prove innocent
I am confident that I will be fully exonerated if I'm given a fair trial.

lucid
(adjective) clear, clear headed
I am the most lucid right after a cup of coffee. His style of writing was very clear and lucid.

pernicious
(adjective) harmful, deadly
The current concentration of ownership of media has had a pernicious effect on democracy in the
US.

wily
(adjective) sly, clever, cunning (usually deceitfully).
Many politicians employ teams of wily advisors to help them skirt the law.

fickle
(adjective) changing frequently
Kids are sometimes very fickle and may have a new favorite food every week.

lucrative
(adjective) producing a great deal of profit
Max told me that ESL was a very lucrative field, and I believed him.

moot
(adjective) subject to debate, unsettled.
Whether the tooth fairy is male or female is a moot point. No one knows.

opulence
(noun) wealth and luxury
Nina would not marry Charlie, for he had no money, and she was not willing to settle for anything
less than a life of opulence.

spry
(adjective) active; lively
Max was amazingly spry for an old man.

tentative
(adjective) not certain or fixed
Our summer plans are still tentative. I think we are going to go camping in the mountains.

wary
(adjective) cautious; leery
The children were very wary of the stranger and would not let him into the house.

disparity
(noun) a state of inequality, a great difference
Every year economic disparities in the world grow larger and larger.

facilitate
(verb) to make easier
The teachers put some of their course materials on the Internet to facilitate resource sharing.
fraudulent
(adjective) dishonest, deceptive
Richie Rich received his wealth through fraudulent means.

ludicrous
(adjective) laughable.
The politician's attempts to cover up his crimes were ludicrous.

opportunist
(noun) a person who pursues and exploits any kind of opportunity without being guided by
principles, plans or any ethical considerations
Most politicians are opportunists who will jump at any advantage without any ethical
considerations.

shirk
(verb) avoid, ignore or neglect responsibility
Many politicians' sole purpose is to shirk their duties and make as much money as possible.

spite
(noun) a desire to hurt, annoy, vengeance
Shortly after Max and Mary broke up, Mary scratched Max's car out of spite.

apathy
(noun) a lack of interest or enthusiasm.
Voter turnout is quite low because of widespread apathy among the voters.

diligent
(adjective) conscientiously hard-working.
As a result of their diligent research, the scientists were able to find a cure for the disease.

inane
(adjective) empty and pointless.
Mary could not stand Max's inane questions any longer, so she left.

indict
(verb) to charge with a crime.
Many politicians have been indicted recently, and many more will probably be indicted soon.

petty
(adjective) unimportant or trivial.
Max was convicted of petty theft.

sedentary
(adjective) inactive; spending much time seated
Fast-food and sedentary lifestyles are major factors in the obesity problem in the US.

facetious
(adjective) in a joking manner; treating serious matters with deliberately inappropriate
humor
When I said that I agreed with the President's policies, I was just being facetious.

discord
(noun) disagreement or conflict
There was a tremendous amount of discord among the PTA officers.
ostracize
(verb) to exclude from a group
As a child, Max was ostracized by the other kids in his school because he wore different clothes.

pensive
(adjective) deep in thought or reflection.
Max must be in a very pensive mood today. He hasn't said anything all day.

placid
(adjective) tranquil, peaceful, calm
My dog has a very placid temperament. She does not get upset easily.

salient
(adjective) Most noticeable, important, prominent, or conspicuous
The most salient feature of Mary's appearance is her Purple hair.

tacit
(adjective) understood or implied but not specifically expressed.
When Max and Mary moved in together as roommates, they had a tacit agreement that they
would share expenses.

zeal
(noun) passion, or enthusiasm (usually in pursuit of a cause or objective)
Because of her zeal for chocolate, Mary got a job at the chocolate factory as a chocolate taster.

cryptic
(adjective) mysterious, secret, or obscure in meaning
Mary's comments were so cryptic that I had no idea what she was saying.

dichotomy
(noun) a division into two groups or parts or two opposing viewpoints
There is a sharp dichotomy of opinion on Max's ability to lead the government.

disdain
(noun) contempt
Max has nothing but disdain for people like Mary.

impugn
(verb) criticize; dispute the truth; call into question
The politician was very upset as she felt that her character had been impugned.

malice
(noun) the desire to hurt others
Max has a great amount of malice towards the government.

staunch
(adjective) strong, loyal and committed in attitude
Mary is one of Max's staunchest supporters.

vilify
verb) to write or speak badly or abusively about
Max was vilified in all of the newspapers.
conundrum
(noun) a confusing problem or question
For some hot dog aficionados, why there are many different varieties of mustard but relatively
few varieties of ketchup is a conundrum to ponder.
exploit
(verb) to make use of, take advantage of (unfairly profit from)
The policy of some corporations is to hire employees right out of school in order to exploit their
eagerness and enthusiasm.

gullible
(adjective) easily persuaded to believe something
Max is so gullible. He believed me when I told him that I was running for president of the US.

impeccable
(adjective) perfect, flawless
Max is a person of impeccable character.

penchant
(noun) a strong habitual fondness for something
Max has a penchant for coffee and doughnuts.

plausible
(adjective) believable, possible
It doesn't seem plausible that your dog actually ate your homework.

scrutinize
(verb) to look over or inspect closely
When you sign the mortgage papers, be sure to scrutinize the fine print.

concoct
(verb) to make by combining different ingredients, create or devise
The story that Max concocted as an excuse for not doing his homework was preposterous but
entertaining.

credence
(noun) belief that or acceptance that something is true
I don't give much credence to Max's stories.

devise
(adjective) to plan or invent
John devised a plan for a sure victory.

disengage
(verb) to detach or separate from something
Many people are pushing for the country to disengage its military from foreign lands.

rebuke
(verb) to express sstrong criticism or disapproval of (someone)
Mary rebuked her children for not cleaning their bedrooms.

sentiment
(noun) an opinion
I agree with your sentiment regarding global warming.
unilateral
(adjective) performed by a single person, group or country (an action or decision)
There is little support globally for a particular country taking unilateral action against another
country.

expedite
(verb) to make something happen sooner (usually an action or process)
Max called the cable company to see if they could expedite the installation process.

flagrant
(adjective) outrageous or conspicuously offensive
Many politicians are in flagrant violation of the law. The basketball player committed a flagrant
foul.

frugal
(adjective) thrifty, economical
If I had been more frugal, I could have saved enough money to buy a new car.

gregarious
(adjective) sociable, outgoing
Max is a very gregarious person. He likes to be around people.

misanthrope
(noun) a person who dislikes people and avoids people
Mary is a misanthrope. She hates being around people.

pacifist
(noun) a person who does not believe in war or violence.
Max got out of serving in the military by claiming that he was a pacifist.

repudiate
(verb) to reject as false
Many of the staunchest supporters of neoconservatism have now repudiated neoconservatism as
a complete failure. They claim that neoconservatism is dead.

astute
(adjective) shrewd, or having the ability to accurately assess situations or people for one's
own advantage.
Max is a very astute businessman. He has a very keen mind for making business deals.

candor
(noun) the quality of openness and honesty in attitude and expression
In all candor, I think that Max is a complete nincompoop.

copious
(adjective) plentiful, abundant in supply
We drank copious amounts of coffee in order to stay awake during class.

effeminate
(adjective) feminine, unmanly
Because Max is so effeminate, he was often picked on in school. The other kids called him a sissy.

finagle
 (verb) to get something through manipulation or dishonest means
Max finagled his way into the sold out Britney Spears concert. I don't know how he did it (or
why).

prolific
(adjective) very productive
Noam Chomsky is a very prolific author. He's written many books and articles.

tangible
(adjective) touchable, perceptible by touch
Max will probably escape punishment for his crimes because there is no tangible evidence to
make a case against him.

ad lib
(verb) to speak or perform without preparing previously, improvise
The teacher lost all of his teaching notes on the way to class and was forced to ad lib the lesson.

animosity
(noun) strong hostility, hatred
For some reason, Max feels a lot of animosity toward Mary.

earnest
(adjective) serious and sincere
Max made an earnest attempt to study for the exam, but it was too difficult for him.

epitome
(noun) a perfect example
Some people feel that George Bush is the epitome of arrogance.

genre
(noun) a category or kind (usually of art, literature, or music)
Max's favorite film genres are action and comedy.

permeate
(verb) to spread throughout (usually odor)
The stench of the rotten food permeated the entire building.

taciturn
(adjective) reserved, saying little
Max seems to be unusually taciturn today. Something must be bothering him.

callous
(adjective) insensitive and unfeeling toward others
The teacher was particularly callous in her treatment of the children.

emulate
(verb) to imitate or model yourself after
Children often emulate adults that they look up to.

finite
(adjective) limited
In a world of finite resources, if some people have more, other people must have less.

laud
 (verb) to praise
The school's principal lauded the teacher for her ability to discipline her class.

nocturnal
(adjective) active at night
Mountain lions are primarily nocturnal and do almost all of their hunting at night.

noxious
(adjective) harmful or unpleasant
Be careful applying pesticides. Their fumes are often quite noxious to humans.

recant
(verb) to take back what one has said; to say that one no longer holds a belief or opinion
Max recanted every bad thing he said about Mary.

gony
(noun) intense suffering and pain
Max cried in agony when he broke his leg.

allege
(verb) assert or claim wrongdoing by someone (typically without proof)
The teacher alleged that Max cheated on the exam.

caricature
(noun) a picture or description of a person or thing with comically exaggerated
characteristics
Max drew a caricature of his teacher.

disperse
(verb) cause to go in different directions
The crowd dispersed as soon as the concert was over.

incite
(verb) to stir up or encourage (violent or unlawful behavior)
Max incited the other students to rebel against the teacher.

polarize
(verb) to divide or cause to divide into two sharply contrasting groups
The issue polarized the public.
precipitate
(verb) to cause to happen suddenly or sooner than expected
Extremely high gas prices precipitated the demise of the SUV.

sanction
(noun) official authorization, approval or ratification of a law
Max received the official sanction of the Federal Darts Association to hold a tournament in the
school.

commemorate
(verb) to remember and show respect (in a ceremony)
Veterans' Day is a day to commemorate soldiers who have honorably served their country.

devastate
 (verb) to ruin or destroy
The city was devastated by the bombs.

disarmament
(noun) the reduction of military or weapons
The protestors called for a complete disarmament.

distraught
(adjective) very agitated and upset from mental conflict
Mary became distraught when she found out that her son was being sent into war.

embark
(verb) to start, begin
Max embarked on a career as a plumber.

envision
(verb) to imagine as a future possibility
Max never envisioned being a plumber.
excerpt
(noun) an extract (from film, writing, music, or other type of work)
The excerpts of the story published in the newspaper were very interesting.

forsake
(verb) to abandon
The town was forsaken by its former inhabitants because the nearby volcano threatened to
erupt.

temperance
(noun) abstinence from drinking alcohol
Max has become an advocate of complete temperance.

vow
(verb) to solemnly promise
Max vowed to never drink another drop of alcohol again.