2002

asseverate: to affirm or declare positively or earnestly.

sentient: capable of perceiving by the senses.
malapropos: unseasonable or unseasonably; inappropriate or inappropriately.
agitprop: propaganda.
fiat: an arbitrary or authoritative command or order.
nimiety: excess.
surreptitious: done, made, or gotten by stealth; also, marked by stealth.
pleonasm: the use of more words than are necessary to express an idea.
abominate: to detest intensely.
discursive: digressive; rambling; also, marked by analytical reasoning.
countervail: to counteract; also, to offset.
myrmidon: a loyal follower.
perforce: by necessity.
pusillanimous: cowardly.
claque: a group of fawning admirers.
fugacious: lasting but a short time.
hauteur: haughtiness; arrogance.
somnolent: drowsy; also, tending to cause sleepiness.
susurration: a whispering; a soft murmur.
puerile: juvenile; childish.
gelid: extremely cold; icy.
philomath: a lover of learning; a scholar.
redoubt: a stronghold.
extant: still existing.
incipient: beginning to exist or appear.
extempore: without premeditation or preparation.
potable: drinkable; also, a beverage, especially an alcoholic one.
irascible: easily provoked to anger.
descry: to catch sight of; to detect.
mien: demeanor; also, aspect; appearance.
nefarious: wicked in the extreme.
volte-face: an about-face.
exiguous: extremely scanty.
pecuniary: relating to money.
traduce: to vilify.
postprandial: happening or done after a meal.
sinecure: an office or position that involves little work or responsibility.
apogee: the highest point.
incontrovertible: indisputable; unquestionable.
furbelow: something showy or superfluous.
maudlin: excessively sentimental.
exigent: requiring immediate aid or action; also, demanding.
contravene: to act or be counter to.
temerarious: reckless; rash.
philter: a love potion.
reticent: inclined to keep silent.
pronunciamento: a proclamation; a pronouncement.
voluble: characterized by a ready flow of speech.
erudite: characterized by extensive reading or knowledge.
quotidian: occurring daily; also, ordinary.
roister: to revel; to carouse.
seriatim: in a series; one after another.
detritus: debris.
sybarite: a person devoted to luxury and pleasure.
loquacious: very talkative.
tyro: a novice.
salubrious: healthful.
evanescent: fleeting.
ineluctable: impossible to avoid or evade.
prolix: wordy.
cavalcade: a procession.
celerity: quickness; swiftness.
obloquy: ill repute.
extol: to praise.
frisson: a brief moment of intense excitement.
malediction: a curse.
lenity: the state or quality of being lenient.
unctuous: marked by a false or smug earnestness or agreeableness.
expatiate: to speak or write at length.
nescience: lack of knowledge or awareness.
desideratum: something desired.
indomitable: incapable of being subdued or overcome.
raconteur: one who excels in telling stories and anecdotes.
sunder: to break apart.
peccadillo: a slight offense; a petty fault.
extricate: to free or release from a difficulty or entanglement.
aspersion: a damaging or derogatory remark.
levity: frivolity.
mellifluous: flowing sweetly or smoothly.
logorrhea: excessive talkativeness.
arrogate: to claim or seize without right or justification.
forlorn: sad and lonely because deserted, abandoned, or lost.
comport: to behave (oneself) in a particular manner.
farrago: an assortment; a medley.
ratiocination: the process of reasoning.
varicolored: having a variety of colors.
doula: a woman who assists in childbirth.
nonagenarian: someone whose age is in the nineties.
friable: easily crumbled, pulverized, or reduced to powder.
gravitas: high seriousness.
lachrymose: given to causing tears.
abscond: to depart secretly.
probity: complete and confirmed integrity.
taciturn: not inclined to talk.
proclivity: a natural inclination.
demagogue: a leader who obtains power by means of appeals to the emotions
and prejudices of the populace.
exculpate: to clear from alleged fault or guilt.
recalcitrant: stubbornly resistant to and defiant of authority or restraint.
quondam: former; sometime.
pellucid: transparent, clear; also, easily understandable.
desuetude: disuse.
apposite: of striking appropriateness and relevance.
jocund: light-hearted; mirthful.
firmament: the sky; the heavens.
spoonerism: the transposition of usually initial sounds in a pair of words.
perfunctory: done routinely.
beholden: obliged; indebted.
polyglot: speaking or containing many languages.
abjure: to renounce, reject, or shun.
collude: to act in concert; to conspire.
dissolute: loose in morals and conduct.
mendacious: untruthful; also, untrue.
clemency: disposition to show mercy; also, an act of mercy.
ebullient: high-spirited.
propitious: presenting favorable circumstances.
indolent: lazy; inactive.
adamant: not susceptible to persuasion; unyielding.
bonhomie: pleasant and easy manner.
depredation: an act of plundering or ravaging.
lissom: supple; nimble.
enervate: to weaken.
condign: deserved; adequate.
blandishment: flattering speech or action.
plenary: full; complete.
cosset: to treat with excessive indulgence; to pamper.
sang-froid: coolness in trying circumstances.
brio: vigor; vivacity.
vociferous: clamorous; noisy.
protean: readily assuming different shapes or forms.
eschew: to shun; to avoid.
somniferous: causing or inducing sleep.
gregarious: seeking and enjoying the company of others.
lassitude: lack of vitality or energy.
inchoate: partly but not fully in existence or operation.
esurient: hungry; greedy.
subterfuge: a deceptive device or stratagem.
gastronome: a lover of good food and drink.
affable: easy to speak to; also, gracious.
precipice: a very steep, perpendicular, or overhanging place.
purblind: having greatly reduced vision.
fulminate: to issue or utter verbal attacks or censures.
cogitate: to think; to ponder.
lambent: playing on the surface; flickering.
Zeitgeist: the spirit of the time.
pugnacious: combative; quarrelsome.
acumen: quickness or keenness of perception or discernment.
rapine: the act of plundering.
autodidact: one who is self-taught.
dilatory: given to, or marked by, procrastination or delay.
bete noire: something or someone particularly detested or avoided.
chary: wary; cautious.
kvetch: to complain habitually.
platitude: a banal, trite, or stale thought or remark.
ablution: the washing of the body or some part of it.
ameliorate: to make or grow better.
chagrin: acute vexation or embarrassment.
tortuous: marked by repeated turns and bends.
kismet: destiny; fate.
exacerbate: to aggravate; to make worse.
penchant: a strong liking.
ennui: a feeling of weariness and dissatisfaction arising from lack of interest.
garrulous: talkative; also, wordy.
acrid: sharp and harsh; bitter.
rubicund: inclining to redness; ruddy.
sojourn: to dwell for a time; also, a temporary stay.
laudable: praiseworthy; commendable.
aesthete: one who cultivates great sensitivity to beauty.
perspicacity: clearness of understanding.
rara avis: a rare or unique person or thing.
turpitude: baseness; depravity.
diffident: bashful or unassertive.
persiflage: frivolous or bantering talk.
moribund: dying.
sobriquet: a nickname.
polymath: a person of great or varied learning.
appurtenance: an adjunct or accessory.
hirsute: covered with hair or bristles.
nadir: the lowest point.
wastrel: a person who wastes; a loafer.
facetious: playfully jocular; humorous.
afflatus: a divine inspiration.
cupidity: eager or excessive desire, especially for wealth.
intransigent: uncompromising.
cynosure: a center of attention.
refulgent: brilliant; resplendent.
concomitant: accompanying; attending.
ribald: characterized by, or given to, vulgar humor.
sesquipedalian: (of words) long; having many syllables.
deleterious: harmful.
temerity: unreasonable or foolhardy contempt of danger.
extirpate: to eradicate; to destroy.
lineament: a distinguishing or characteristic feature.
monomania: obsession with a single subject.
pari passu: at an equal pace or rate.
prelapsarian: pertaining to the time or state before the Fall.
coeval: existing during the same period of time; also, a contemporary.
immure: to enclose within or as if within walls.
bumptious: crudely, presumptuously, or noisily self-assertive.
apostasy: desertion or departure from one's faith, principles, or party.
importunate: troublesomely urgent.
busker: a street musician or performer.
disconcert: to disturb the composure of.
malfeasance: wrongdoing, misconduct, or misbehavior.
intractable: not easily governed, managed, or directed.
equivocate: to be deliberately ambiguous or unclear.
factotum: a person employed to do all kinds of work.
peregrination: a traveling from place to place.
diaphanous: allowing light to pass through.
quorum: such a number of the officers or members of any body as is legally
competent to transact business.
relegate: to assign or remove, usually to an inferior position.
fanfaronade: empty boasting; bluster.
roseate: cheerful; bright; also, rose-colored.
camarilla: a group of secret and often scheming advisers.
torpid: dull; sluggish; apathetic.
concomitant: accompanying; attending.
stasis: a state of balance, equilibrium, or stagnation.
prepotency: predominance.
bagatelle: a trifle; also, a short, light literary or musical piece.
insensate: lacking sensation or awareness.
confute: to refute conclusively.
revenant: one who returns after death or a long absence.
corroborate: to strengthen or make more certain with other evidence.
exegete: one who explains or interprets difficult parts of written works.
dubiety: the condition or quality of being doubtful; also, a matter of doubt.
carapace: a shell; a protective covering.
tocsin: a warning.
puissant: powerful.
aplomb: confidence; coolness.
procrastination: To put off doing something.
opportune: suitable for a given purpose or occasion.
renascent: rising again into being; showing renewed vigor.
fettle: a state or condition of fitness, order, or mind.
proponent: an advocate.
cursory: hastily or superficially performed.
numinous: spiritual; holy.
evince: to show in a clear manner.
recondite: difficult to understand.
pelf: money; riches.
flagitious: grossly wicked; scandalous.
auspicious: favorable; also, prosperous; fortunate.
deliquesce: to melt away or become liquid.
prescient: knowing or anticipating the outcome of events before they happen.
indigent: extremely poor.
palpable: plain; distinct; obvious.
billingsgate: foul language.
anodyne: serving to relieve pain.
schadenfreude: a malicious satisfaction in the misfortunes of others.
euphonious: pleasing or sweet in sound.
quaff: to drink with relish.
ostensible: appearing to be true, but not necessarily so.
xenophobia: fear or hatred of what is strange or foreign.
recrimination: a counter accusation.
malleable: capable of being shaped; also, adaptable.
perdurable: very durable; long lasting.
onus: burden; also, blame; stigma.
triskaidekaphobia: fear of the number 13.
bravado: a real or pretended show of courage or boldness.
littoral: on a coastal or shore region.
redivivus: living again; revived; restored.
paladin: a champion of a cause.
bootless: unavailing; useless.
gimcrack: a showy but useless or worthless object.
munificent: very generous.
hobnob: to associate familiarly.
fiduciary: relating to the holding of something in trust for another.
indelible: incapable of being removed or erased.
fortuitous: happening by chance.
diktat: an authoritative decree or order.
boulevardier: a man-about-town.
convivial: relating to feasting, drinking, and good company; festive.
legerdemain: sleight of hand.
foment: to nurse to life or activity; to incite.
concatenation: a chain; a succession.
parsimonious: frugal to excess.
moiety: a half; a small part.
venial: capable of being forgiven; excusable.
accede: to agree or assent; also, to become a party.
portend: to foreshadow; to bode.
chthonic: dwelling in or under the earth; also, pertaining to the underworld.
mercurial: changeable; temperamental; volatile.
ineffable: incapable of being expressed.
adventitious: added extrinsically; not essentially inherent.
omnipresent: present in all places at the same time.
gourmand: one who enjoys good food in great quantities.
crepuscular: pertaining to twilight.
exalt: to praise, glorify, or honor.
contradistinction: distinction by contrast.
soporific: causing sleep; also, something that causes sleep.
deride: to laugh at with contempt.
laconic: using or marked by the use of a minimum of words.
bellwether: a leader or leading indicator.
effulgence: the state of being bright and radiant.
riparian: of or pertaining to the bank of a river.
mordant: biting; caustic; sarcastic.
woebegone: woeful; also, run-down.
scintilla: a tiny amount; a spark.
halcyon: peaceful; undisturbed; happy.
tendentious: marked by a strong tendency in favor of a particular point of view.
palimpsest: an object or place whose older layers or aspects are apparent.
ostentation: excessive or pretentious display.
captious: disposed to find fault or raise objections.
ersatz: being a substitute or imitation.
paroxysm: an outburst; a fit.
tenebrous: dark; gloomy.
cadre: a core or nucleus of trained or otherwise qualified personnel around which
an organization is formed.
gubernatorial: of or pertaining to a governor.
inscrutable: difficult to fathom or understand.
parley: a conference or discussion; also, to confer.
clarion: a kind of trumpet; also, loud and clear.
circumambient: surrounding; encompassing.
trammel: something that impedes activity, progress, or freedom; also, to hamper.
matutinal: relating to or occurring in the morning.
beneficence: the practice of doing good.
aver: to assert as true.
nugatory: insignificant; also, ineffectual.
multifarious: having great diversity or variety.
impassive: devoid of emotion; also, showing no emotion.
fealty: fidelity; allegiance; faithfulness.
segue: to proceed without interruption.
visage: the face; also, appearance; aspect.
obsequious: servilely attentive; fawning.
pukka: authentic; genuine; also, first-class.
coruscate: to give off or reflect bright beams or flashes of light.
foment: to nurse to life or activity; to incite.
missive: a written message; a letter.
hale: free from disease and weakening conditions; healthy.
edacious: given to eating.
algorithm: a step-by-step procedure for solving a problem.
bouleversement: complete overthrow; a reversal.
practicable: feasible; also, usable.
encumbrance: a burden, impediment, or hindrance.
repast: a meal.
panacea: a cure-all.
circumlocution: the use of many words to express an idea that might be expressed
by few.
meticulous: extremely careful about details.
wayworn: wearied by traveling.
parlous: fraught with danger; hazardous.
vim: energy; vigor.
booboisie: a class of people regarded as stupid or foolish.
orotund: full in sound; also, bombastic.
palindrome: a word, verse, phrase, or sentence that reads the same backward or
forward.
flippant: showing inappropriate levity; pert.
irrefragable: impossible to refute.
cogent: appealing to the mind or to reason; convincing.
ukase: an edict.
fetid: stinking.
badinage: light, playful talk.
atelier: a workshop; a studio.
posit: to postulate; also, to suggest.
callow: immature.
succinct: brief; concise.
lugubrious: mournful; gloomy; dismal.
officious: meddlesome.
castigate: to punish or criticize severely.
propinquity: nearness.
descant: a discourse; also, to discourse.
robustious: boisterous; vigorous.
subfusc: dark or dull in color.
jollification: merrymaking; revelry.
doff: to take off; to remove; also, to rid oneself of.
conurbation: an aggregation or continuous network of urban communities.
pugilist: a boxer.
gewgaw: a trinket; a bauble.
quiddity: the essence or nature of a thing.
complement: something that fills up or completes.