| No. | Item | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | abstruse | Difficult to understand |
| 2. | acerbic | Sharp and biting in tone |
| 3. | acquiesce | Accept something without protest |
| 4. | alacrity | Cheerful readiness |
| 5. | ameliorate | Make something better |
| 6. | anachronism | Something misplaced in historical time |
| 7. | apocryphal | Probably untrue but widely believed |
| 8. | arcane | Understood by very few |
| 9. | assiduous | Showing persistent careful effort |
| 10. | audacious | Boldly daring |
| 11. | austere | Severely plain or strict |
| 12. | avarice | Extreme greed for wealth |
| 13. | bellicose | Aggressive and eager to fight |
| 14. | bombastic | Pompous and overblown |
| 15. | cacophony | A harsh mixture of sounds |
| 16. | capricious | Changing unpredictably |
| 17. | castigate | Criticize or punish severely |
| 18. | cogent | Clear and convincing |
| 19. | complacent | Smugly satisfied despite possible danger |
| 20. | conciliatory | Intended to restore goodwill |
| 21. | dearth | A severe shortage |
| 22. | deleterious | Causing harm or damage |
| 23. | demagogue | Leader exploiting popular fears |
| 24. | denigrate | Unfairly criticize or belittle |
| 25. | diffident | Shy and lacking confidence |
| 26. | disparate | Essentially different |
| 27. | ebullient | Cheerful and energetic |
| 28. | eclectic | Drawn from varied sources |
| 29. | eloquent | Fluent and persuasive |
| 30. | enigmatic | Difficult to interpret |
| 31. | ephemeral | Lasting a very short time |
| 32. | equanimity | Calmness under pressure |
| 33. | facetious | Joking about serious matters |
| 34. | fastidious | Very attentive to detail |
| 35. | fortuitous | Happening by fortunate chance |
| 36. | garrulous | Excessively talkative |
| 37. | germane | Directly relevant |
| 38. | gratuitous | Unnecessary or unjustified |
| 39. | hackneyed | Overused and unoriginal |
| 40. | hegemony | Dominance over others |
| 41. | idiosyncratic | Distinctively peculiar to someone |
| 42. | immutable | Unable to be changed |
| 43. | impassive | Showing no emotion |
| 44. | imperious | Arrogantly commanding |
| 45. | implacable | Impossible to appease |
| 46. | implicit | Suggested without being directly stated |
| 47. | incongruous | Not fitting the surroundings |
| 48. | laconic | Using very few words |
| 49. | laudable | Deserving praise |
| 50. | lucid | Clear and easy to understand |
| 51. | magnanimous | Generous toward a rival |
| 52. | malleable | Easily shaped or influenced |
| 53. | mendacious | Dishonest or untruthful |
| 54. | meticulous | Extremely careful and precise |
| 55. | mitigate | Make less severe |
| 56. | mollify | Calm someone’s anger |
| 57. | nebulous | Vague or poorly defined |
| 58. | nefarious | Wicked or criminal |
| 59. | nonplussed | Surprised and confused |
| 60. | obdurate | Stubbornly refusing to change |
| 61. | obfuscate | Make something deliberately unclear |
| 62. | obsequious | Excessively eager to please |
| 63. | onerous | Burdensome or difficult |
| 64. | opaque | Difficult to understand |
| 65. | ostentatious | Designed to attract admiration |
| 66. | paradigm | A typical model or pattern |
| 67. | parsimonious | Extremely unwilling to spend |
| 68. | pedantic | Overly concerned with minor rules |
| 69. | pernicious | Having a harmful gradual effect |
| 70. | perspicacious | Having keen judgment |
| 71. | platitude | An overused unoriginal remark |
| 72. | pragmatic | Focused on practical results |
| 73. | precocious | Developing abilities unusually early |
| 74. | proclivity | A natural tendency |
| 75. | prodigal | Wastefully extravagant |
| 76. | propitious | Favorable or promising |
| 77. | quixotic | Idealistic but impractical |
| 78. | rancorous | Filled with lasting bitterness |
| 79. | recalcitrant | Stubbornly resistant to authority |
| 80. | reticent | Reluctant to speak openly |
| 81. | sagacious | Having excellent judgment |
| 82. | sanguine | Optimistic despite difficulties |
| 83. | sardonic | Mocking and cynical |
| 84. | scrupulous | Careful, thorough, and principled |
| 85. | solicitous | Showing attentive concern |
| 86. | spurious | False but seemingly genuine |
| 87. | taciturn | Habitually quiet |
| 88. | temerity | Excessive confidence or boldness |
| 89. | tenuous | Weak or insubstantial |
| 90. | tirade | A long angry speech |
| 91. | trenchant | Sharp and effective |
| 92. | ubiquitous | Present or found everywhere |
| 93. | unequivocal | Clear and unambiguous |
| 94. | vacillate | Waver between choices |
| 95. | venal | Open to bribery |
| 96. | venerate | Regard with deep respect |
| 97. | verbose | Using more words than necessary |
| 98. | vilify | Speak about with contempt |
| 99. | vindicate | Clear from blame or suspicion |
| 100. | zealous | Showing intense enthusiasm |
