100 smart words
Terms
undefined, object
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- peevish
- a. irritable, bad-tempered, or tending to complain
- brusque
- a. abrupt, blunt, or curt in manner or speech
- untenable
- a. not defendable (lacking sound reasoning to make defense possible)
- fastidious
- a. demanding, delicate
- brogue
- n. regional accent
- ostracize
- v. exclude from society or a group in/formal, banish by a popular vote
- finagle
- v. get something by trickery, to trick, cheat, or manipulate somebody
- ogle
- v. stare at somebody desirously for sexual enjoyment or showing sex interest
- Svengali
- n. evil manipulator controls and manipulates somebody else for evil purposes
- cloying
- v. weary with excess
- red herring
- n. misleading clue, smoked herring, preliminary business prospectus
- vicarious
- a. experienced thru another by imagining, delegated, endured for somebody else
- élan
- n. vigor and enthusiasm, flamboyance, flair, style, confidence, elegance
- zealous
- a. full of zeal (actively and unreservedly enthusiastic)
- insidious
- a. gradual and harmful, slowly and subtly harmful or destructive
- disheveled
- a. with messed-up hair or clothes, untidy
- charisma
- n. personal magnetism, divine gift, charm, personality, appeal, allure
- lurid
- a. horrifying or shocking, unattractively bright, glowing unnaturally, pallid
- quid pro quo
- n. something done in exchange, returning a favor
- catch-22
- n. absurd situation or its cause
- quintessential
- n. embodiment, extract, fifth element (after earth, air, fire, water)
- equanimity
- n. calm temperament
- vile
- a. disgusting, abhorrence, wicked, very unpleasant, worthless
- capricious
- a. given to sudden change
- propriety
- n. quality of being socially appropriate, socially correct or appropriate behavior
- tête-à-tête
- n. intimate conversation for two, type of sofa
- acrimony
- n. bitterness
- sycophant
- n. a servile or obsequious person flatters somebody powerful for personal gain
- narcissist
- n. self-admiration, personality disorder
- gregarious
- a. friendly, living communally, growing together
- non sequitur
- n. incongruous(unrelated to next) statement, unwarranted conclusion
- spartan
- n. marked by stern discipline, austerity, frugality, simplicity, or courage
- equivocate
- v. be deliberately unclear, to speak vaguely or ambiguously in order to mislead
- byzantine
- a. of Byzantium, of eastern Roman Empire, of Byzantine art of architecture
- harbinger
- n. somebody or something that foreshadows or anticipates a future event
- ennui
- n. boredom from lack of interest, languor, tedium, world-weariness
- caustic
- a. sarcastic, corrosive n. substance that corrodes, curve formed by reflections
- fait accompli
- n. something already cone
- teetotaler
- a. resolved to abstain from alcoholic beverages, total (complete and absolute)
- boondoggle
- n. wasteful pursuit, politically motivated government project
- philistine
- n. somebody from ancient Philistia, indifferent to intellectual matters
- waft
- v. float gently, something carried through air, waving motion, light breeze
- bravado
- n. boldness or courage, audacity, daring, bluster, boasting
- accolade
- n. sound of praise, public recognition, knighting, curved molding
- scintillating
- a. possessing/displaying a dazzling impressive liveliness, cleverness, or wit
- mercenary
- n. fighting for money, somebody interested only in profit, motivated on by money
- white elephant
- n. something costly to maintain, possession of questionable value
- fiasco
- n. humiliating failure, straw-covered wine bottle
- anomaly
- n. irregularity, peculiarity, angle in planet's orbit
- baroque
- n. flamboyant style of architecture and art, highly ornamented 17C music
- infinitesimal
- a. tiny, close to zero
- perfunctory
- a. done routinely/hastily/superficially without thought, attention or genuine feeling
- malinger
- v. feign illness (pretend to be ill in order to avoid work), shirt, truant, play hooky
- tryst
- n. arrangement to meet, secret meeting between lovers
- malaise
- n. feeling of illness, general feeling of discontent
- euphemism
- n. less offensive synonym, use of inoffensive words
- Machiavellian
- a. cunning and unscrupulous, relating to Machi..
- suave
- a. charming, pleasingly dressed, well groomed, polite
- glib
- a. slick, superficial, casual and relaxed
- junket
- n. expense-paid trip, entertainment, set milk dessert
- epitome
- n. typical example, summary of a written work
- antidote
- n. substance that counteracts poison
- indelicate
- a. tactless or offensive, physically unrefined
- panacea
- n. supposed cure-all for all diseases or problems
- carte blanche
- n. freedom to act, free rein, complete freedom/discretion, full authority
- rhetoric
- n. persuasive speech or writing, pretentious words, empty talk, skill w/ language
- precocious
- a. mentally advanced for age, blossoming or ripening early
- nouveau riche
- n. somebody with newly acquired wealth who likes to display it
- revel
- v. take pleasure, enjoy party for good time in company of others
- nirvana
- n. spiritual enlightenment, completely enjoyable experience
- heresy
- n. unorthodox religious opinion, holding of unorthodox religious belief/opinion
- oblivion
- n. state of being forgotten, overlooking of past offenses
- dichotomy
- n. separation of different or contradictory things, branching of plants
- camaraderie
- n. friendship, amity, companionship, solidarity, company, comradeship
- ostentatious
- a. rich and showy, marked by vulgar display of wealth and success to impress
- bona fide
- a. authentic, sincere and honest
- faux pas
- n. social blunder -> an embarrassing mistake that breaks a social convention
- ubiquitous
- a. existing everywhere at once, or seeming to be
- idiosyncratic
- n. quirk, unusual response to something
- dilettante
- n. dabbler in art or knowledge, art lover
- stigma
- n. sign of social unacceptability, spot on butterflies
- maudlin
- a. sentimental, overly or tearfully sentimental esp. because of affected by alcohol
- litany
- n. long repetitious list, prayers during worship
- unrequited
- a. not reciprocated, or not returned in the same way/degree, unavenged
- cacophony
- n. unpleasant noise, use of jarring sounds
- minimalist
- n. advocate of smaller role for government, practitioner of artistic minimalism
- avant-garde
- n. artists with new ideas and methods
- stoic
- n. impassive who is unemotional, showing patience & endurance during adversity
- esoteric
- a. restricted to initiates, abstruse, secret
- Freudian slip
- n. psychologically significant slip of tongue
- kitsch
- n. artistic vulgarity(sentimentality, tastelessness, or ostentation in any of the art
- mantra
- n. holy word in meditation, often repeated expression or idea
- hedonist
- n. seeking of pleasure, philosophy of pleasure
- tirade
- n. long angry speech of criticism or denunciation, outburst, rant, harangue
- angst
- n. existentialist dread, anxiety
- bourgeois
- a. conventional, capitalist, affluent middle-class people
- déjà vu
- n. feeling of reliving something, boredom
- idyllic
- a. serenely beautiful and happy
- misnomer
- n. unsuitable name, calling something by wrong name
- paradox
- n. something absurd or contradictory, self-contradictory statement