Aberrant

"I feel homosexuality is an aberrant, unnatural, and sinful lifestyle, and we now know it can pose a dangerous public health risk." 

1. Departing from an accepted standard

2. Diverging from the normal type 

Abet

"By doing so, they aid and abet dangerous criminals, and they are exactly the kind of dealers that need to be held accountable," Bloomberg said. 

1. Encourage or assist (someone) to do something wrong, in particular, to commit a crime or other offense

2. Encourage or assist someone to commit (a crime) 

Abscond

"We don't condone players who don't attend training sessions, and we don't have room for players who abscond from their clubs in Bafana." 

1. Leave hurriedly and secretly, typically to avoid detection of or arrest for an unlawful action such as theft

2. (of someone on bail) Fail to surrender oneself for custody at the appointed time

3. (of a person kept in detention or under supervision) Escape

4. (of a colony of honeybees, esp. Africanized ones) Entirely abandon a hive or nest 

Accolade

"It's a great accolade to have, a great title to have next to your name," Hamilton said of his F1 drivers' championship. 

1. An award or privilege granted as a special honor or as an acknowledgment of merit

2. An expression of praise or admiration

3. A touch on a person's shoulders with a sword at the bestowing of a knighthood 

Acquiescent

The unions were acquiescent and there was no overt conflict. 

Adroit

"As Facebook becomes more powerful and more adroit in the future it is going to become a pivot point," Culberson, who has nearly 4,000 friends on Facebook, told AFP. 

Adulation

"I hope one day that adulation might be there in Australia because it's my home country," Watson said, "and I love playing in Australia, for Australia. 

Aesthetic (adjective)

1. Concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty

2. Giving or designed to give pleasure through beauty; of pleasing appearance 

Alacrity

"That's due in large measure to the investigative muscle and alacrity of NYPD detectives and FBI agents." 

1. Brisk and cheerful readiness

2. Eager and enthusiastic willingness 

Ameliorate

1. Make (something bad or unsatisfactory) better

2. To make better or more tolerable 

Amenable

"Life is the most precious thing, we must be amenable to the people and to history." 

1. (of a person) Open and responsive to suggestion; easily persuaded or controlled

2. (of a thing) Capable of being acted upon in a particular way; susceptible to 

Antediluvian

"This is a gross manifestation of the antediluvian mentality that all developing states are beggars to be ignored at whim," Santiago said. 

1. Of or belonging to the time before the biblical Flood

2. Ridiculously old-fashioned 

Apocryphal

So many people have thought that the stories of his early temper were apocryphal. 

1. (of a story or statement) Of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true

2. Of or belonging to the Apocrypha 

Approbation

Meeting with top members of President Barack Obama's Cabinet, Biden warned that he plans to use "the moral approbation of this office" to make sure the huge fund of stimulus money is put to use creating jobs and rebuilding American infrastructure. 

Arduous

"I gave birth to him naturally; without drugs or painkillers and it was a long, arduous and difficult labor, but Orlando was with me the whole time supporting and guiding me through it," Miranda wrote on her blog after his birth.  

Arid

"Potentially it has tremendous merit, because feral camels are a dreadful menace across the whole of arid Australia," Dreyfus told The Associated Press on Thursday. 

1. (of land or a climate) Having little or no rain; too dry or barren to support vegetation

2. Lacking in interest, excitement, or meaning 

Ascetic

1. One who practices rigid self-denial, esp. as an act of religious devotion

Aural

"Our species learns primarily from the aural, visual and olfactory clues given off by our fellow humans." 

Austere

"They will say, 'We do not want the Taliban but then we would rather have that austere and unpleasant life that that might involve than another five years of fighting,"' Richards said. 

1. Severe or strict in manner, attitude, or appearance

2. (of living conditions or a way of life) Having no comforts or luxuries; harsh or ascetic

3. Having an extremely plain and simple style or appearance; unadorned

4. (of an economic policy or measure) Designed to reduce a budget deficit, esp. by cutting public expenditure 

Axiom

Yet I declared as an axiom that video games can never be Art. 

1. A statement or proposition that is regarded as being established, accepted, or self-evidently true

2. A statement or proposition on which an abstractly defined structure is based 

Balk

"You never know, if I flinch you might get a balk." 

1. Hesitate or be unwilling to accept an idea or undertaking

2. Thwart or hinder (a plan or person)

3. Prevent a person or animal from having (something)

4. (of a horse) Refuse to go on

5. Miss or refuse (a chance or invitation)

6. (of a pitcher) Make an illegal motion, penalized by an advance of the base runners 

Banal

I found his work very interesting and never banal," he added. 

Begrudge

We don't begrudge anybody for achieving success. 

 1. Envy (someone) the possession or enjoyment of (something

2. Give reluctantly or resentfully 

Belie

"His NFL nickname, Mad Dog, belied the fact that he was a true gentleman and an accomplished business leader," Gov. Ed Rendell said in a statement. 

1. (of an appearance) Fail to give a true notion or impression of (something); disguise or contradict

2. Fail to fulfill or justify (a claim or expectation); betray 

Beseech

And in Romans 12:1-2, Paul writes, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 

Candid

"I will be totally candid: I've had a life which, on occasion, has had problems." 

1. Truthful and straightforward; frank

2. (of a photograph of a person) Taken informally, esp. without the subject's knowledge 

Candor

"In a moment of candor, her advisers actually admitted that it wouldn't have much of an effect on gas prices." 

Canonical

Storero, who died in 2000, wrote, without elaborating, that mandatory reporting of child-abuse claims to police "gives rise to serious reservations of both a moral and a canonical nature." 

1. According to or ordered by canon law

2. Included in the list of sacred books officially accepted as genuine

3. Accepted as being accurate and authoritative

4. (of an artist or work) Belonging to the literary or artistic canon

5. According to recognized rules or scientific laws

6. Of or relating to a general rule or standard formula

7. Of or relating to a cathedral chapter or a member of it

8. Following or in agreement with accepted, traditional standards 

Castigate

Rush told reporters "not to hang or lynch the appointee as you try to castigate the appointer." 

Catholic (adjective)

catholic in one's tastes 

1. (esp. of a person's tastes) Including a wide variety of things; all-embracing

Caustic

Censure (Verb)

"This is obviously a difficult decision to make but the question is whether his conduct has brought, or is likely to bring himself, the sport of swimming, the team and the AOC into disrepute and censure," Coates said Friday. 

1.  Express severe disapproval of (someone or something), typically in a formal statement

2. To criticize severely; to officially rebuke

Chicanery

"There is no place for chicanery at a time of war," said Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. 

1. The use of trickery to achieve a political, financial, or legal purpose

2. trickery or subterfuge 

Cogent

 "I think it (is] extremely important there is a robust and cogent argument presented for Scotland to the defence review."

Concerto

This is my first sarod concerto with classical European musicians. 

Conscientious

 He's just a conscientious good two-way player. 

1. (of a person) Wishing to do what is right, esp. to do one's work or duty well and thoroughly

2. (of work or a person's manner) Showing such an attitude

3. Relating to a person's conscience 

Consolidate

"There are clearly some countries, particularly some European countries, that need to fiscally consolidate on an urgent basis," he said. 

1. Make (something) physically stronger or more solid

2. Reinforce or strengthen (one's position or power)

3. Combine (a number of things) into a single more effective or coherent whole

4. Combine (a number of financial accounts or funds) into a single overall account or set of accounts

5. Combine (two or more legal actions involving similar questions) into one for action by a court

6. Become stronger or more solid 

Consonant (Adjective)

 "People in the CIA felt these things were not consonant with the sort of intelligence work they normally do," Marty said. 

1. Denoting or relating to such a sound or letter

2. In agreement or harmony with

3. Making a harmonious interval or chord 

Constrain

"Although conventional interest rate policy is constrained by the fact that nominal interest rates cannot fall below zero, the second arrow in the Federal Reserve's quiver - the provision of liquidity - remains effective," Mr Bernanke said. 

1. Severely restrict the scope, extent, or activity of

2. Compel or force (someone) toward a particular course of action

3. Cause to appear unnaturally forced, typically because of embarrassment

4. Confine forcibly; imprison

5. Bring about (something) by compulsion 

Contentious

"I am no stranger to contentious confirmations, and I do not shrink from them," Gates said. 

1. Causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial

2. Involving heated argument

3. (of a person) Given to arguing or provoking argument

4. Relating to or involving differences between contending parties 

Coquette

Countenance (verb)

Any interference - or even hint of interference - would break the trust that exists between the paper and its readers, something I am unwilling to countenance." 

Cybernetics

Dearth

"While American democracy is imperfect, few outside the majority of this court would have thought its flaws included a dearth of corporate money in politics," Justice John Paul Stevens wrote in a 90-page dissent. 

Delineate

"I think there will be efforts to look at further ways to delineate areas available for drilling," said Hoyer. 

1. Describe or portray (something) precisely

2. Indicate the exact position of (a border or boundary) 

Demarcate

"The priority and the urgent issue is to demarcate the area near Preah Vihear temple and the scale down of troops," Cambodia's Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said. 

1. Set the boundaries or limits of

2. Separate or distinguish from 

Denouement

"Their refusal to extradite Roman Polanski to the United States on a 33-year-old sex charge is the proper denouement for this mess of a case." 

1. The final part of a play, movie, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved

2. The climax of a chain of events, usually when something is decided or made clear 

Denounce

"I categorically denounce any statement that disparages our great country or serves to divide us from our allies." 

1. Publicly declare to be wrong or evil

2. Inform against 

Dexterous

He's very dexterous with his words, and has the capacity to remember terminology I can't even pronounce." 

1. Demonstrating neat skill, esp. with the hands

2. Mentally adroit; clever 

Dichotomy

"the dichotomy between eastern and western culture" 

1. A division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different

2. Repeated branching into two equal parts 

Diffident

"Whether you're an enthusiastic embracer of an apology or you're a bit diffident about it." 

Dirge

Noguchi called it "a dirge forfutile heroes who killed themselves-for what?" 

1. A lament for the dead, esp. one forming part of a funeral rite

2. A mournful song, piece of music, or poem 

Disabuse

I have no particular desire today to either encourage or or disabuse them," Mr Stevens said. 

1. Persuade (someone) that an idea or belief is mistaken

2. To undeceive; to set right 

Discordant

"We cannot speak in discordant and disparate voices," said Augustine, a former federal Liberal government minister who was elected Canada's first black female MP in 1993. 

1. Disagreeing or incongruous

2. Characterized by quarreling and conflict

3. (of sounds) Harsh and jarring because of a lack of harmony 

4. Conflicting; disonant or harsh in sound 

Disdain (verb)

Gamblers disdain four-horse races. 

1. Consider to be unworthy of one's consideration

2. Refuse or reject (something) out of feelings of pride or superiority 

Disingenuous

Well, let's not be so disingenuous," Tenet said. 

Disparate (Adjective)

There are a number of different opposition groups to Colonel Gaddafi in Libya who do seem relatively disparate. 

1. Essentially different in kind; not allowing comparison

2. Containing elements very different from one another

3. Fundamentally distinct or dissimilar 

Drawl (verb)

“Suits me fine,” he drawled. 

Duplicitous

"The time for negotiating from the condescending position of inequality has come to an end," Mottaki wrote, citing "our lack of trust (due to) the duplicitous behaviour of certain big powers" rooted in a post-World War Two colonial mindset. 

1. Deceitful

2. (of a charge or plea) Containing more than one allegation 

Eccentric

Effrontery

"I'm at a loss to explain the blizzard of negative advance buzz fired at (Tom Cruise) for the effrontery of playing a half-blind, one-armed Nazi hero," says Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times. 

1. Insolent or impertinent behavior

2. Extreme boldness; presumptuousness 

Elegy

"Sooner or later all the people of the world will have to discover a way to live together in peace, and thereby transform this pending cosmic elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood," the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. said. 

1. A poem of serious reflection, typically a lament for the dead

2. A piece of music in a mournful style

3. (in Greek and Roman poetry) A poem written in elegiac couplets, as notably by Catullus and Propertius 

Emeritus

"As chancellor emeritus of FSU, Vic Hackley has a deep understanding of that campus, the larger Fayetteville community and the needs of the surrounding region," University of North Carolina President Erskine Bowles said in a statement. 

Enervate

1. Cause (someone) to feel drained of energy or vitality; weaken

2. To weaken; to reduce in vitality 

Ennui

Mild ennui, check," Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy wrote on his Twitter. 

1. A feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement

2. Dissatisfaction and restlessness resulting from boredom or apathy 

Equivocate

There is no point trying to soften or equivocate what is in the report. 

1. Use ambiguous language so as to conceal the truth or avoid committing oneself

Evince

Louise Wise Services Inc.'s "conduct in connection with the adoption did not evince the high degree of moral turpitude required for punitive damages," Chief Judge Judith Kaye wrote in the 7-0 decision. 

1. Reveal the presence of (a quality or feeling)

2. Be evidence of; indicate 

Excoriate

"That's why the solution to substandard performance is always to excoriate, punish and shame the child," Chua says. 

1. Censure or criticize severely

2. Damage or remove part of the surface of (the skin) 

Exculpate

"This is a film whose essential metaphorical thrust is to exculpate Nazi-era Germans from knowing complicity in the Final Solution," Rosenbaum commented in an essay on Slate.com.  

1. Show or declare that (someone) is not guilty of wrongdoing

2. Exonerate; to clear of blame 

Exigent

But Alito concluded, "Occupants who choose not to stand on their constitutional rights but instead elect to attempt to destroy evidence have only themselves to blame for the warrantless exigent-circumstances search that may ensue." 

1. Pressing; demanding

2. Urgent, pressing; requiring immediate action or attention 

Extemporaneous

"The fiasco started when Thomas made an extemporaneous burst of passion at a White House briefing in late May." 

1. Spoken or done without preparation

2. Improvised; done without permission 

Extol

Tancredo says, "it is utterly hypocritical for Congress to extol the virtues of a colorblind society while officially sanctioning caucuses that are based solely on race." 

Exuberant

"I was driving in an over-exuberant manner and as a result was stopped by the police," Hamilton said.  

1. Filled with or characterized by a lively energy and excitement

2. Growing luxuriantly or profusely 

Filibuster (Noun)

"The United States Senate knocked down a filibuster aimed at blocking a final vote on healthcare reform and scored a big victory for the American people," Obama said. 

1. An action such as a prolonged speech that obstructs progress in a legislative assembly while not technically contravening the required procedures

2. A person engaging in unauthorized warfare against a foreign country 

Filigree

"The opulence will be in the costumes," Murphy says. "The set is very sculptural, not a painted drop cloth and gold filigree." 

1. Ornamental work of fine (typically gold or silver) wire formed into delicate tracery

2. A thing resembling such fine ornamental work 

Flag (Verb)

she should make another similar film to revive her flagging career 

1. (of a person) Become tired, weaker, or less enthusiastic

2. (esp. of an activity or quality) Become weaker or less dynamic 

Fulminate

all fulminated against the new curriculum 

1. Express vehement protest

2. Explode violently or flash like lightning

3. (of a disease or symptom) Develop suddenly and severely

4. To loudly attack or denounce 

Gainsay

"It's nothing but trouble for the courts when they gainsay big acts of the legislative branch." 

1. Deny or contradict (a fact or statement)

2. Speak against or oppose (someone) 

Gambit

"It's been a whole gambit of things and emotions you go through." 

Garrulous

"He was a great big garrulous guy who was very serious about his politics and very serious about Ronald Reagan," Michael Deaver, Reagan's deputy chief of staff, said Monday.  

Hackneyed

hackneyed old sayings 

1. To deliver a pompous speech or tirade

2. A long, pompous speech 

1. Devotion to pleasurable pursuits, esp. to the pleasures of the senses

(A hedonist is someone who pursues pleasure) 

Heretofore

"The press can hold its magnifying glass up to our problems, bringing them into focus, illuminating issues heretofore unseen," Stewart said. 

Herpetologist

1. a zoologist who studies reptiles and amphibians

2. one who studies reptiles, a reptile specialist 

Ichthyologist

Ignominious

Bush "banished himself to the ignominious position of worst United States president ever," Byrd says. 

Impromptu (adverb)

"Due to the live nature of the show, we did not expect the impromptu moment in question." 

Incriminate

"This report makes a mockery of the so-called impartial police investigation, and clearly shows the dubious and persistent attempts to incriminate me by whatever means employable," Anwar told reporters. 

Indolence

"It's also about indolence and greed," adds Hawke. 

Ineluctable

the ineluctable facts of history 

Ingenuous

"EverFi has an ingenuous model to educate students on the core fundamental lessons of life, which school curriculum currently misses, all at zero cost to states," said Nick Ayers. 

1. (of a person or action) Innocent and unsuspecting

2. Artless; frank and candid; lacking in sophistication 

Inherent

But he also warned there could be similar accidents in the future, saying "we have to acknowledge that there are inherent risks to drilling four miles beneath the surface of the earth." 

1. Existing in something as a permanent, essential, or characteristic attribute

2. Vested in (someone) as a right or privilege 

Innocuous

"The whole idea was, our hands were so tied on all previous entries we'd given them that this ad was meant to be the innocuous one that would get approved everywhere," Smith said. 

Insipid

"Religion declined not because it was refuted, but because it became irrelevant, dull, oppressive, insipid." 

1. Lacking flavor

2. Lacking vigor or interest 

Instigation

"One of the most dangerous things is the devilish state of sectarian instigation by some political symbols...... which is making the political dispute open to sectarian sensitivities," Fadlallah said on Monday. 

1. The action or process of instigating an action or event

(instigate - incite: provoke or stir up; "incite a riot"; "set off great unrest among the people") 

Insurgency

"The 30,000 additional troops that I am announcing tonight will deploy in the first part of 2010 -- the fastest pace possible -- so that they can target the insurgency and secure key population centres," Mr. Obama said in speech excerpts. 

1. an organized rebellion aimed at overthrowing a constituted government through the use of subversion and armed conflict

2. rebellion; revolt; the state of being insurgent

3.  

Inured

I didn't understand all of the failings of a physical book, because I'm inured to them. 

1. Accustom (someone) to something, esp. something unpleasant

2. Come into operation; take effect

3. Accustomed to accepting something undesirable 

Invidious

"I believe that we should not put European companies in an invidious position where their choice appears to be to break the law or leave the market to more unscrupulous operators," Reding said. 

1. (of an action or situation) Likely to arouse or incur resentment or anger in others

2. (of a comparison or distinction) Unfairly discriminating; unjust 

Irascible

"It's been 20 years but Morag is still the same irascible person she always was and there is a lot of confrontation between her and Roo," said Frances. 

1. (of a person) Easily made angry

2. Characterized by or arising from anger

3. Easily angered; prone to temperamental outbursts

Irreverent

"Young Americans are going to love these irreverent, comedic, educational and entertaining versions of the great books," said Burnett. 

Jejune

"By the 1990s people were saying this is a very jejune, basic English." 

1. Naive, simplistic, and superficial

2. (of ideas or writings) Dry and uninteresting 

Judicious

The fiscal stimulus will be worth around 1.5% of the EU countries' GDP, including "judicious reductions in tax" and increases in public spending, Mr Brown told a press conference. 

Lackadaisical

"When you get ahead by so much, you kind of get lackadaisical," Hawks guard Mike Bibby said. 

Lampoon (verb)

The senator made himself famous as a pinch-penny watchdog of public spending, lampooning dubious federal projects.

Lascivious

Kelly describes his character as "a flirt who likes the ladies, but not in a lascivious way", and insists he's worlds away from the layabout priest Father Ted fans know and love. 

Lassitude

"The Corps' lassitude and failure to fulfill its duties resulted in a catastrophic loss of human life and property in unprecedented proportions," Duval wrote. 

Laudable

"Good intentions and laudable goals are small compensation to the families, farmers and ranchers who are being hurt by the federal government's effort to trade food for fuel," Perry said. 

Licentious

The degeneration of Barlow, wrote Webster, offered "striking proof of the effect of atheism and licentious examples on the civility and good manners of a well-bred man" 

1. Promiscuous and unprincipled in sexual matters

2. Disregarding accepted rules or conventions, esp. in grammar or literary style 

Listless

 Someone listless is difficult to excite.

Ludology

Magnanimity

Judges overturned decisions by bureaucrats or other judges "seemingly on a whim or perhaps in a fit of misguided magnanimity," Kenney said. 

1. The fact or condition of being magnanimous; generosity

2. The quality of being generously noble in mind and heart, esp. in forgiving 

Maladroit

A maladroit movement of his hand caused the car to swerve. 

Malinger

"He's like most of our guys; they are not trying to malinger or anything like that," Childress said.  

Malleable

Neurobiological research now confirms that the brain remains malleable throughout human development. 

1. (of a metal or other material) Able to be hammered or pressed permanently out of shape without breaking or cracking

2. Easily influenced; pliable 

Mendacious

Mr Bradshaw added he was not surprised the BMA's petition had attracted so many signatures given the "misleading and mendacious" nature of its campaign. 

Minister (verb)

Her doctor was busy ministering to the injured. 

1. Attend to the needs of (someone)

2. Provide (something necessary or helpful)

3.  Act as a minister of religion

4. Administer (a sacrament) 

Modulate

"One theme of several of the representatives from the alliance during the meeting was the need to modulate rhetoric and for us to deal on a businesslike basis with one another," Gates said. 

1. Exert a modifying or controlling influence on

2. Vary the strength, tone, or pitch of (one's voice)

3. Alter the amplitude or frequency of (an electromagnetic wave or other oscillation) in accordance with the variations of a second signal, typically one of a lower frequency

4. Change from one key to another

5. Change from one form or condition into (another) 

Morose

"Nixon was in many ways a morose and very solitary figure, and I'm not." 

Mysticism

"Special purpose payments (SPP) are part of the deep structure, folklore and mysticism of Commonwealth-State relations," Mr Rudd said. 

1. Belief that union with or absorption into the Deity or the absolute, or the spiritual apprehension of knowledge inaccessible to the intellect, may be attained through contemplation and self-surrender

2. Belief characterized by self-delusion or dreamy confusion of thought, esp. when based on the assumption of occult qualities or mysterious agencies 

Nascent

"The settlement ensures the transaction will not chill the nascent competition posed by online competitors," said Christine Varney, head of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division, on a conference call with reporters. 

1. (esp. of a process or organization) Just coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential

2. (chiefly of hydrogen) Freshly generated in a reactive form

3. Coming into being; in early developmental stages 

Nebulous

Democratic Rep. William Delahunt of Massachusetts, who has led House hearings on the planned agreement with Iraq, said the "time horizon" cited by the White House was "very vague and nebulous." 

1. In the form of a cloud or haze; hazy

2. (of a concept or idea) Unclear, vague, or ill-defined 

Neologism

1. A newly coined word or expression

2. The coining or use of new words

3. A new word, expression, or usage; the creation or use of new words or senses 

Noisome

In a 1955 article for Harper's magazine, Bernard DeVoto described the Charles as "foul and noisome, polluted by offal and industrious wastes, scummy with oil, unlikely to be mistaken for water." 

1. Having an extremely offensive smell

2. Disagreeable; unpleasant

3. Harmful, noxious 

Nugatory

a nugatory and pointless observation 

1. Of no value or importance

2. Useless; futile 

Objectivism

1. The tendency to lay stress on what is external to or independent of the mind

2. The belief that certain things, esp. moral truths, exist independently of human knowledge or perception of them 

Obsequious

"Of those men who have overturned the liberties of republics, the greatest number have begun their career by paying an obsequious court to the people, commencing demagogues and ending tyrants." 

Obstinate

"If they (Iranian leaders) continue to be completely obstinate, there will be additional sanctions." 

1. Stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or chosen course of action, despite attempts to persuade one to do so

2. (of an unwelcome phenomenon or situation) Very difficult to change or overcome 

Obstreperous

Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., said that as a House member he was put off years ago by Stevens' "obstreperous, if not outrageous" behavior during a Republican retreat. 

Obtuse

 Mr Lewis described the government as "obtuse, dilatory and negligent about rolling out treatment".

1. Annoyingly insensitive or slow to understand

2. Difficult to understand

3. (of an angle) More than 90° and less than 180°

4. Not sharp-pointed or sharp-edged; blunt

5. Lacking sharpness of intellect; not clear or precise in thought or expression 

Obviate

"If the president were to voluntarily institute the review and delay the contract that would obviate the need for our legislation, but a simple cooling-off period will not allay our concerns," said Sen. Charles Schumer. 

1. Remove (a need or difficulty)

2. Avoid; prevent 

Onerous

"As the entertainment industry and media companies struggle to find new financial models, the arrangements struck with artists have become more and more restrictive and onerous," Blackwell said in the release. 

1. (of a task, duty, or responsibility) Involving an amount of effort and difficulty that is oppressively burdensome

2. Involving heavy obligations

3. Troubling; burdensome 

Ornateness

Paean

It was then that Diderot and d'Alembert published their 27-volume Encyclopédie, which was, de Botton writes, "in truth, a paean to the nobility of labour." 

1. A song of praise or triumph

2. A thing that expresses enthusiastic praise

3. A song or hymn of praise and thanksgiving 

Pandemonium

"It is going to be complete pandemonium around the stadium with two teams of this caliber and tradition. 

Pare

"So I think we'll see the coalition forces being able to pare down," Mr Rumsfeld said. 

1. Trim (something) by cutting away its outer edges

2. Cut off the outer skin of (something)

3. Reduce (something) in size, extent, quantity, or number, usually in a number of small successive stages 

1. Overly concerned with the trivial details of learning or education; show-offish about one's knowledge

Penury

"We are mobilizing people to express their discontent with the current state of misery and penury that has gripped the people this nation."

Peregrination

1. traveling or wandering around

2. A travel or journey, especially by foot, notably by a pilgrim

Perennial

"I am really elated about this opportunity and I'm looking forward to the challenge of building the Warriors into a perennial contender," Jackson said.

1. Lasting or existing for a long or apparently infinite time; enduring

2. (of a plant) Living for several years

3. (esp. of a problem or difficult situation) Continually occurring

4. (of a person) Apparently permanently engaged in a specified role or way of life

5. (of a stream or spring) Flowing throughout the year 

Perfidy

"We stand here today because of the perfidy of one man: Rod Blagojevich," said Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, a Democrat who chaired a special impeachment committee. 

1. Deceitfulness; untrustworthiness

2. Intentional breach of faith; treachery 

Perfunctory

Cabranes said the panel's opinion "contains no reference whatsoever to the constitutional claims at the core of this case" and added that "this perfunctory disposition rests uneasily with the weighty issues presented by this appeal." 

1. (of an action or gesture) Carried out with a minimum of effort or reflection

2. Cursory; done without care or interest 

Peroration

"The Fire Next Time" turned into a "long peroration, a sermon about race," Kenan says. 

Perspicacious

1. Having a ready insight into and understanding of things

2. Acutely perceptive; having keen discernment 

Plangent

the plangent minority 

Pliability

He was valued for his reliability and pliability. 

1. Assume as a fact; put forward as a basis of argument

2. Base something on the truth of (a particular assumption)

3. Put in position; place 

Prattle (verb)

She began to prattle on about her visit to the dentist.

1. Talk at length in a foolish or inconsequential way

2. To babble meaninglessly; to talk in an empty and idle manner 

Precipitous

"A precipitous withdrawal runs some very severe risks," Crocker said in Baghdad. 

1. Dangerously high or steep

2. (of a change to a worse situation or condition) Sudden and dramatic

3. (of an action) Done suddenly and without careful consideration 

Prescient

"The Nobel Peace Prize rewards three decades of Vice President Gore's prescient and compelling - and often lonely - advocacy for the future of the Earth." 

Prestidigitation

Prevaricate

Ms Bagshawe said: "They can't prevaricate in a debate in front of the world TV audience and I think they owe it to football fans to have that at the very least." 

1. Speak or act in an evasive way

2. To deliberately avoid the truth; to mislead 

Prim (adjective)

"Designing Women" co-star Annie Potts told eonline.com that the tragic star was a "goddess," further describing Carter as "Beautiful and brainy, smart and funny, prim and sexy, wickedly talented and divinely sweet." 

Profligate

In short, don't be profligate with our scratch paper. 

1. Recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources

2. Licentious; dissolute 

Prolific

He was a prolific composer of operas. 

1. (of a plant, animal, or person) Producing much fruit or foliage or many offspring

2. (of an artist, author, or composer) Producing many works

3. (of a sports player) High-scoring

4. Present in large numbers or quantities; plentiful

5. (of a river, area, or season of the year) Characterized by plentiful wildlife or produce 

Promulgate

"We want the EPA to take their head out of the sand and actively promulgate rules to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," California Attorney General Jerry Brown told The Associated Press.  

1. Promote or make widely known (an idea or cause)

2. Put (a law or decree) into effect by official proclamation 

1. The state or quality of conforming to conventionally accepted standards of behavior or morals

2. The details or rules of behavior conventionally considered to be correct

3. The condition of being right, appropriate, or fitting 

Prosaic

 "Connelly is a skilled urban geographer. Like Raymond Chandler, he gives us Los Angeles in a prosaic, very realistic manner," says Kevin Starr, professor of history at USC. 

1. Having the style or diction of prose; lacking poetic beauty

2. Commonplace; unromantic 

Purport (verb)

In her video address on Wednesday, Sarah Palin said that journalists and pundits should not manufacture "a blood libel that serves only to incite the very hatred and violence that they purport to condemn." 

Pusillanimous

Richard Goldstone, Chief UN fact Finding Mission on Gaza Conflict, said, "I would suggest the efforts by Israel to investigate the alleged violations of international law have been pusillanimous. 

Putrid

"It was a sad second half for South Carolina, and I'm responsible for that putrid offense," Spurrier said.  

1. (of organic matter) Decaying or rotting and emitting a fetid smell

2. Of or characteristic of rotting matter

3. Very unpleasant; repulsive 

Quandary

"I just thought it was funny to see this super villain have this existential sort of quandary about what his life is all about," Stiller said about Megamind - the blue-headed bad guy at the center of DreamWorks Animation new 3-D film opening. 

1. A state of perplexity or uncertainty over what to do in a difficult situation

2. A difficult situation; a practical dilemma 

Quotidian

The crash of 1987, Lewis writes, marked "the beginning of the Age of Financial Unreason, when panic became just another quotidian aspect of financial life." 

1. Of or occurring every day; daily

2. Ordinary or everyday, esp. when mundane

3. Denoting the malignant form of malaria 

Raze

"I take it back of course when I said, 'One is going to raze Tehran ,'" Chirac said.  

Recant

"This is another sham statement that doesn't recant any of his earlier remarks about the Holocaust," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director and a Holocaust survivor. 

1. Say that one no longer holds an opinion or belief, esp. one considered heretical

2. To retract, esp. a previously held belief 

Recount (verb)

"The man who once struck fear in the hearts of Iraqis had to listen to free Iraqis recount the acts of torture and murder that he ordered against their families and against them," Bush said in brief remarks. 

1. Tell someone about something; give an account of an event or experience

Redact

"The Justice Department has gone as far as to claim 'privilege' and redact seven pages of a letter that I sent to the attorney general and released publicly on July 31, 2009," Mr. Wolf said. 

1. Edit (text) for publication

2. Censor or obscure (part of a text) for legal or security purposes 

Refute

"We refute these allegations completely and will be working closely with the ECB to explore all legal options open to us," said Strauss. 

1. Prove (a statement or theory) to be wrong or false; disprove

2. Prove that (someone) is wrong

3.  Deny or contradict (a statement or accusation)

Regale

"Sometimes McCain would regale us with stories." 

1. Entertain or amuse (someone) with talk

2. Lavishly supply (someone) with food or drink 

Relegate

"There's one or two that you'd relegate, I suppose," said Tottenham's Harry Redknapp.  

Reticent

"Certainly I would be quite reticent about endorsing that development until we understand it's full implications," Harper said. 

Sagacious

Justice Sarkaria was one of our tallest and most sagacious constitutional lawyers," Singh said in his condolence message. 

Salutary

 "I do hope it will have a salutary impact on inflationary pressure." 

1. (esp. with reference to something unwelcome or unpleasant) Producing good effects; beneficial

2. Health-giving 

Saunter (Verb)

The test isn't too strenuous: Cover a mile on foot in 15 minutes, which is a brisk walk, or as Gregoire complained at one point "barely a saunter." 

Scintillate

We watched contentedly as our campfire scintillated in the darkness. 

1. Emit flashes of light; sparkle

2. Fluoresce momentarily when struck by a photon or charged particle 

Scorn (verb)

I was routinely ridiculed and scorned by conservatives and liberals alike.

1. Feel or express contempt or derision for

2. Reject (something) in a contemptuous way

3. Refuse to do something because one is too proud 

Sedulously

For many reasons, you want to sedulously avoid that temptation. 

Persevering and constant in effort or application; assiduous

Senescence

1. The condition or process of deterioration with age

2. Loss of a cell's power of division and growth 

Socialism

"This massive bailout is not a solution. It is financial socialism and it's un-American," said Senator Jim Bunning, a member of Bush's Republican Party. 

1. A political and economic theory of social organization that advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole

2. (in Marxist theory) A transitional social state between the overthrow of capitalism and the realization of communism 

Solicitous

"The government remains deeply solicitous for the welfare of people of Indian origin living abroad," Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee told parliament. 

1. Characterized by or showing interest or concern

2. Eager or anxious to do something 

Soporific (Adjective)

Worst Great American Band: Bluegrass BBQ-ers Cliff Wagner And The Old #7 complained that Billy Joel isn't really suited to their style of music, and did a twangy cover of "You May Be Right" that Dicko called "soporific, sleepy, kind of dreary." 

1. Tending to induce drowsiness or sleep

2. Sleepy or drowsy

3. Tediously boring or monotonous 

Sordid

The story paints a sordid picture of bribes and scams. 

1. Involving ignoble actions and motives; arousing moral distaste and contempt

2. Dirty or squalid 

Sporadic

There is certainly plenty happening, but it's sporadic," Burke says. 

1. Occurring at irregular intervals or only in a few places; scattered or isolated

2. Occurring only occasionally, or in scattered instances 

Static (adjective)

"We have over the years, not us personally but successive governments, created one of the most static workforces in the western world," Mr Duncan Smith said.  

1. Lacking in movement, action, or change, esp. in a way viewed as undesirable or uninteresting

2. (of a process or variable) Not able to be changed during a set period, for example, while a program is running

3. Concerned with bodies at rest or forces in equilibrium

4. (of an electric charge) Having gathered on or in an object that cannot conduct a current

5. Acting as weight but not moving

6. Not moving, active, or in motion; at rest 

Strident

Clinton called Republican Gov. Rick Perry one of the nation's "most strident, divisive political figures." 

1. Loud and harsh; grating

2. Presenting a point of view, esp. a controversial one, in an excessively and unpleasantly forceful way 

Stymie

"We will fight every effort that the Democrats attempt to put handcuffs on the president to stymie his ability to wage this war in Iraq and to win it," Boehner said. 

1. Prevent or hinder the progress of

2. To block; thwart 

Subterfuge

"No more posturing. No more subterfuge. No more deceit."

1. Deceit used in order to achieve one's goal

2. A statement or action resorted to in order to deceive 

Sullen (Adjective)

"The British public is not just sullen, they are mad, angry, at the banks. 

1. Bad-tempered and sulky; gloomy

2. (esp. of water) Slow-moving 

Superannuation

"Paid maternity leave ensures women maintain their workplace attachment, including superannuation and taxation, and business doesn't lose productive employees," Ms Stott Despoja said. 

1. Regular payment made into a fund by an employee toward a future pension

2. A pension of this type paid to a retired person

3. The process of superannuating an employee 

Supplicant

"The outdated categorizations of First and Third Worlds, donor and supplicant, leader and led, no longer fit." 

1. one who comes to humbly ask or petition; begging, pleading, supplicating

2. one who asks humbly and earnestly of 

Tacit

"We would like to remind the industrialized world that there is a tacit agreement that the top positions in international financial institutions must not go to specific countries as a matter of right," Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said. 

Taciturn

"He was a quiet, taciturn, recessive hero who avoided parties and went back to his hotel room and wrote his newspaper column, every night, and a daily letter to his wife Jessie," Rann said Wednesday. 

Talisman

"I see this medal as a talisman, an amulet with magical powers that makes it a shield against punishment, punishment for the committing of the crime of art," said Cronenberg, who served as president of the Cannes jury in 1999. 

Tenuous

"Attorney General Gonzales' hold on the department gets more tenuous each day," Schumer said in a statement. 

1. Very weak or slight

2. Very slender or fine; insubstantial 

Tepid

"It's is really very tepid, very weak," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. 

1. (esp. of a liquid) Only slightly warm; lukewarm

2. Showing little enthusiasm 

Torque (noun)

"In terms of torque, our new M-Class is a sumo wrestler," Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche said at the SUV's presentation last week in Stuttgart, Germany. 

Tortuous

"This has been a long, slow tortuous process for me." 

1. Full of twists and turns

2. Excessively lengthy and complex 

Truculent

"It's a misconception that we want all our defenceman to be truculent," Burke said. 

Undermine

"The United States strongly condemns this cowardly act by murderous extremists who are trying to undermine Pakistan's democracy," Bush told reporters on the outskirts of his Texas ranch. 

1. Erode the base or foundation of (a rock formation)

2. Dig or excavate beneath (a building or fortification) so as to make it collapse

3. Damage or weaken (someone or something), esp. gradually or insidiously 

Veracity

"The Agency will treat this information with the seriousness it deserves and will investigate the veracity of the information," ElBaradei said. 

1. Conformity to facts; accuracy

2. Habitual truthfulness 

3. Truthfulness, honesty 

Vindicate

Mukasey responded: "The only thing I can tell you is if you ultimately do repose trust in me, I'm going to spend the next how many months it is trying to vindicate that trust." 

1. Clear (someone) of blame or suspicion

2. Show or prove to be right, reasonable, or justified 

Virulent

This very virulent form of spam is the online equivalent of breaking into a home, stealing address books, and sending phony mail to all of an individual's personal contacts. 

1. (of a disease or poison) Extremely severe or harmful in its effects

2. (of a pathogen, esp. a virus) Highly infective

3. Bitterly hostile 

Voracious

 "He became a voracious reader." 

1. Wanting or devouring great quantities of food

2. Having a very eager approach to an activity 

Wallow (verb)

"Let us not wallow in the valley of despair," King said here. 

1. (chiefly of large mammals) Roll about or lie relaxed in mud or water, esp. to keep cool, avoid biting insects, or spread scent

2.  (of a boat or aircraft) Roll from side to side

3. (of a person) Indulge in an unrestrained way in (something that creates a pleasurable sensation)