Adherent: Someone who believes and helps to spread the doctrine of another |
The vote for educational reform pleased the adherents. |
Adversary: Someone who offers opposition |
His political adversaries were creating problems for him. |
Atypical: Not representative of a group, class, or type |
The economy of the province was atypical because it was so small. |
Compatible: Able to exist and perform in harmonious or agreeable combination |
His deeds were not compatible with his ideology. |
Eradicate: Destroy completely, as if down to the roots |
Their goal was to eradicate poverty. |
Exploit: Use or manipulate to one's advantage |
The landlord exploited the farmers to his own advantage. |
Irrational: Not consistent with or using reason |
They behaved in such a bizarre and irrational manner. |
Obese: Excessively fat |
Obese people tend to have higher blood pressure than lean ones. |
Pathetic: A state of extreme sadness |
The extremely shabby condition of the room struck her as extraordinarily pathetic. |
Serenity: A disposition free from stress or emotion |
She had a wonderful feeling of peace and serenity after reaching her own home. |
Accrue: Grow by addition |
Interest accrues on the loan taken by an individual. |
Apathy: An absence of emotion or enthusiasm |
His apathy towards his work was painful to see. |
Avarice: Reprehensible acquisitiveness; insatiable desire for wealth |
He paid six month’s rent in advance to satisfy his landlord’s avarice. |
Banal: Repeated too often; over familiar through overuse |
The text is banal. |
Bliss: A state of extreme happiness |
It was a beautiful scene of domestic bliss. |
Cacophony: Loud, confusing, disagreeable sounds |
The whole place erupted in a cacophony of sounds as soon as the winner was announced. |
Fracas: Noisy quarrel |
Many people were injured in the ensuing fracas. |
Impede: Be a hindrance or obstacle to |
Fallen rocks are impeding the work of the rescue workers. |
Infallible: Incapable of failure or error |
She had an infallible eye for style. |
Nondescript: Lacking distinct or individual characteristics; dull and uninteresting |
They lived in a nondescript building. |
Sedate: Characterized by dignity and propriety |
We set off again at a more sedate pace. |
Wane: Grow smaller |
The sliver of a waning moon was high in the sky. |
Bedlam: A state of extreme confusion and disorder |
He is causing bedlam at the hotel. |
Dilettante: Showing frivolous or superficial interest; amateurish |
The sailing elite considered him a rank amateur, a dilettante. |
Disgruntled: In a state of sulky dissatisfaction |
The disgruntled priest did not deliver his sermon properly. |
Exhort: Spur on or encourage especially by cheers and shouts |
Mahatma Gandhi exhorted his listeners to turn away from violence. |
Garrulous: Full of trivial conversation |
He gave a garrulous speech. |
Glabrous: Having no hair or similar growth. |
The doctor has a glabrous scalp. |
Gusto: Vigorous and enthusiastic enjoyment |
The aria was sung with great gusto. |
Inebriated: Fill with sublime emotion |
He was inebriated with his phenomenal success. |
Insatiable: Impossible to satisfy |
He had an insatiable desire for adventure. |
Lithe: Moving and bending with ease |
She was a lithe ballet dancer and could bend herself almost 360 degrees on the dance floor. |
Moribund: Not growing or changing; without force or vitality |
They had a moribund way of life, always confined in the 4 walls of their house. |
Nadir: An extreme state of adversity; the lowest point of anything |
That period was the nadir of his presidency. |
Panacea: Hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases; once sought by the alchemists |
Western aid will not be a panacea for all the country’s problems. |
Pique: A sudden outburst of anger |
In a fit of pique he threw down his bag. |
Platitude: A trite or obvious remark |
Politicians normally spout the same old platitudes. |
Propinquity: Closeness, proximity. |
The propinquity of God can be felt by pious souls. |
Rescind: Cancel officially |
The court took one moment to rescind the illegal lease. |
Revere: Love unquestioningly and uncritically or to excess |
People either revere politicians or hate them. |