100 Precise Verbs Every Educated Adult Should Know

No.	Item	Definition
1.	adjudicate	Make a formal judgment about a dispute.
2.	advocate	Publicly support a cause or course of action.
3.	allocate	Assign resources for a particular purpose.
4.	ameliorate	Improve a bad situation or condition.
5.	appease	Calm someone by meeting their demands.
6.	arbitrate	Settle a dispute as an independent decision-maker.
7.	articulate	Express an idea clearly in words.
8.	assert	State something confidently as true.
9.	assess	Judge the quality, value, or extent of something.
10.	assuage	Soothe an unpleasant feeling or satisfy a need.
11.	attribute	Identify something as caused by someone or something.
12.	audit	Formally inspect records, accounts, or procedures.
13.	bequeath	Leave property to someone through a will.
14.	calibrate	Adjust an instrument against a known standard.
15.	circumvent	Find a way around a restriction.
16.	coerce	Force someone to act through threats.
17.	concede	Admit something is true, often reluctantly.
18.	consolidate	Combine separate parts into a stronger whole.
19.	contend	Argue that something is true.
20.	contextualize	Explain something using its surrounding circumstances.
21.	contravene	Violate a law, rule, or agreement.
22.	corroborate	Confirm a statement with additional evidence.
23.	curtail	Reduce the extent or duration of something.
24.	deduce	Reach a specific conclusion through logical reasoning.
25.	defer	Postpone something until a later time.
26.	delegate	Entrust a task or authority to another.
27.	delineate	Describe or mark something’s boundaries precisely.
28.	diagnose	Identify a problem or illness through examination.
29.	disavow	Deny responsibility for or support of something.
30.	disburse	Pay out money from a fund.
31.	discern	Notice or recognize something not immediately obvious.
32.	dissuade	Persuade someone not to do something.
33.	distinguish	Recognize or show differences between things.
34.	elicit	Draw out a response or information.
35.	elucidate	Make something clear through explanation.
36.	encroach	Gradually intrude on another’s space or rights.
37.	endorse	Publicly express support or approval.
38.	enumerate	List things individually.
39.	evoke	Bring a feeling or memory to mind.
40.	exacerbate	Make a problem or condition worse.
41.	exonerate	Officially free someone from blame.
42.	expedite	Make a process happen more quickly.
43.	extrapolate	Estimate beyond known information using existing patterns.
44.	fluctuate	Rise and fall irregularly in level or amount.
45.	galvanize	Shock or excite someone into taking action.
46.	impede	Slow or obstruct progress.
47.	imply	Suggest something without stating it directly.
48.	incite	Urge people toward violent or unlawful action.
49.	infer	Reach a conclusion from evidence.
50.	instigate	Initiate an action, often something troublesome.
51.	juxtapose	Place things together to highlight their differences.
52.	mandate	Require something through an official order.
53.	mediate	Help opposing sides reach an agreement.
54.	mitigate	Make something less severe or harmful.
55.	neutralize	Make something ineffective by counteracting it.
56.	nullify	Make something legally invalid or ineffective.
57.	obfuscate	Make something deliberately difficult to understand.
58.	offset	Counterbalance the effect of something.
59.	optimize	Make something as effective as possible.
60.	oscillate	Move repeatedly between two positions or states.
61.	paraphrase	Restate meaning using different words.
62.	perpetuate	Cause something to continue indefinitely.
63.	postulate	Assume something as a basis for reasoning.
64.	precipitate	Cause something to happen suddenly or prematurely.
65.	preclude	Prevent something from happening or being possible.
66.	prioritize	Arrange tasks or needs by importance.
67.	procure	Obtain something through effort or special arrangements.
68.	proliferate	Increase rapidly in number.
69.	proscribe	Officially forbid a practice or activity.
70.	qualify	Limit a statement by adding conditions.
71.	quantify	Express or measure something as a quantity.
72.	ratify	Give formal approval to an agreement.
73.	rebut	Counter an argument with opposing reasons or evidence.
74.	reconcile	Make conflicting ideas or interests compatible.
75.	rectify	Correct an error or put something right.
76.	redress	Remedy an injustice or wrong.
77.	refute	Prove a claim or argument wrong.
78.	repudiate	Reject something firmly or refuse association.
79.	requisition	Demand something for official use.
80.	rescind	Officially cancel a decision or agreement.
81.	retract	Withdraw a statement previously made.
82.	revoke	Officially withdraw permission, rights, or privileges.
83.	scrutinize	Examine something closely and critically.
84.	stabilize	Make something steady or resistant to change.
85.	stipulate	Specify a condition as part of an agreement.
86.	streamline	Make a process simpler and more efficient.
87.	substantiate	Support a claim with evidence.
88.	subvert	Undermine an established system or authority.
89.	supersede	Replace something that is no longer suitable.
90.	suppress	Forcibly prevent expression, activity, or development.
91.	suspend	Temporarily stop an activity or process.
92.	synthesize	Combine separate elements into a coherent whole.
93.	tabulate	Arrange information in rows and columns.
94.	thwart	Prevent someone from achieving a purpose.
95.	transcend	Go beyond ordinary limits or boundaries.
96.	transcribe	Put spoken or recorded material into writing.
97.	undermine	Weaken something, often gradually or indirectly.
98.	usurp	Seize a position or power without right.
99.	verify	Check that something is true or accurate.
100.	waive	Voluntarily give up a right or requirement.