ABATE

to reduce in amount, degree, or severity

As the hurricanes force abated, the winds dropped and the sea became calm.

ABSCOND

to leave secretly, irish goodbye

The patron absconded from the restaurant without paying his bill.

to choose not to do something

She abstained from choosing a mouthwatering dessert from the tray

an extremely deep hole

The submarine dove into the abyss to chart the previously unseen depths.

to make impure

The kid made his parent's vodka last longer by adulterating it with water

to speak in favor of

The vegetarian advocated a diet containing no meat.

concerning the appreciation of beauty

Followers of the aesthetic movement regarded the pursuit of beauty as the only true purpose of art

to increase in power, influence, and reputation

The supervisor sought to aggrandize herself by claiming that the achievements of her staff were actually her own.

to make more bearable

Taking aspririn helps to alleviate a headache.

to combine, to mix together

Giants Industries amalgamated with Mega Products to form Giant-Mega products.

doubtful or uncertain, able to be interpreted several different ways

The gender of Pat on the classic SNL sketch was ambiguous.

to make better, to improve

The doctor was able to ameliorate the patients suffering with painkillers.

something out of place in time

The aged hippie used anachronistic phrases like groovy and far out, that had not been popular in years.

similar or alike in some way

The facial structure of Justin Bieber is quite analagous to that of Miley Cyrus.

deviation from what is normal

Albino animals may display too great an anomaly in their coloring to attract normally colored mates.

to annoy or provoke in anger

My mother always yelled at me to stop antagonizing my sister.

extreme dislike

I have antipathy towards the new marketer at our work, due to his poor taste in jokes.

lack of interest or emotion

The apathy of voters is so great that less than half the people who are eligible to vote actually bother to do so

to judge and dispute between to open parties

Since the couple could not come to agreement, a judge was forced to arbitrate their divorce proceedings.

ancient, old-fashioned

Her archaic commodore computer could not run the latest software.

intense and passionate feeling

Bishop's ardor for the landscape was evident when he passionately described the scenic beauty of the hudson valley.

able to speak clearly and expressively

She is such an articulate defender of labor, that unions are among her strongest supporters.

to make something unpleasant less severe

Serena used aspirin to assuage her headache

to reduce in force or degree, to weaken

The bill of rights attentuated the traditional power of governments.

fearless and daring

Her audacious nature allowed her to fulfill her dream of skydiving

severe, or stern in appearance, undecorated

Military barracks appear austere to the civilian eye due to their lack of ornament

predicatable, cliche, boring

Pop music today produces the same banal beat over and over again.

to support, to prop up

The presence of giant footprints bolstered the arguement that Sasquath lived in the vicinity.

pompous in speech and manner

The ranting radio talk show host was mostly bombastic

harsh, jarring noise

The junior high orchestra created an almost unbearable cacophony as they tried to tune their instruments.

impartial and honest in speech

The observations of a child can be charming since they are candid and unpretentious.

changing one's mind quickly and often

The accident had caused him to act capriociously, changing his mind often.

to punish or criticize harshly

He was castigated for failure to march properly

something that brings about a change in something else

The DUI was a catalyst for him to stop drinking and driving.

biting in wit

Dorothy Parker gained her reputation for CAUSTIC wit from her cutting, yet clever insults.

great disorder or confusion

The tornado wrought chaos on the small town.

someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he/she belongs

The attitude that men are inherently superior to women and therefore must be obeyed is common among male chauvinists.

deception by means of craft or guile

Used car salesmen often use chicanery to increase sales.

convincing and well reasoned

the man used a cogent narrative to direct the woman to the back of the line

to overlook, pardon, or disregard

He condoned the crime, thereby supporting further criminal action of the same nature.

intricate and complicated

Although many bought A Brief History of Time, few could understand its convoluted ideas and theories.

to provide supporting evidence

Fignerprints corroborated the defendents testimony.

too trusting, gullible

Only the most credulous high schoolers still believe in Santa Claus.

steadily increasing volume or force

The crowd waited in anticipation as the orchestra reached a crescendo .

appropriateness of behavior or conduct, propriety

The General's decorum preceded him, and informed the troops on how to carry themselves.

respect, courtesy

The young law clerk treated the Supreme Court justices with the utmost deference.

to cpeak of or treat with contempt, to mock

The awkward child was derided by his popular peers.

to dry out thoroughly

After farting in bed, the womans vagina lay desiccate

Desultory

jumping from one thing to another, disconnected

His attention span was desultory until he started taking preventative medication.

an abusive, condemnatory speech

The trucker bellowed a diatribe at the car who cut him off.

lacking self confidence

He was diffident after the humiliating loss.

to make larger, expand

With the increase of technoloy digital screens have dilated to unbelievable dimensions.

intended to delay

The congressman used dilatory measures to delay the passing of the bill

someone with an amateurish and superficial interest in a topic

She was a environmental dilettante, selecting a new cause every week

a funeral hymn or mournful speech

The band sang a dirge at their lead singers expense.

to set right, to free from error

Galileo's observations disabused believers ideas that the sun was the center of the universe.

to perceive, to recognize

It is easy to discern the difference between real and fake pop-tarts

fundamentally different, entirely unlike

Although the twins appear to be identical physically, their personalities are disparate.

to present a false appearance, to disguise one's real intentions or character

The villain could dissemble to the police no longer, he admitted the deed and tore up the floor to reveal the old man's body

a harsh and disagreeable combination, often in sounds

Cognitive dissonance is the inner conflict produced when long-standing beliefs are contradicted by new evidence.

a firmly held opinion, often a religous belief

Linus' central dogma was that children who believed in the Great Pumpkin would be rewarded

dictatorial in one's opinions

The dictator was dogmatic, he and only he was right

to decieve, a person who is easily decieved

He was duped into following the religious cult

selecting from or made up from a variety of sources

Budapest's architecture is an eclectic mix of Eastern and Western style.

effectiveness

The efficacy of penicillin was unsurpasses when it was first introduced.

a sorrowful poem or speech

The elegy reminded him of an old dirge sung by bards, encapsulating the battle of Antietam.

persuasive and moving, especially in speech

After therapy his speech was very eloquent.

to copy, to try to equal or excel

The graduate student tried to emulate his professor.

to reduce in strength

The marathon left his legs enervated

to produce, cause, or bring about

The Ted talk helped to engender  good will.

puzzle, mystery

The statue of the Sphyinx is somewhat of an enigma

to count, list, itemize

The ten commandments are enumerated on rocks in many US courthouses

lasting a short time

The lives of mayflies seem ephemeral.

to use expressions of double meaning in order to mislead

The politician equivocated  during his campaign.

wandering and unpredictable

The drunk driver drove erraticly.

learned. scholary, bookish

The convening scholars brought an erudite atmosphere to the campus.

known or understood by only a few

Only a few scientists know about the esoteric world of particle physics.