make greater; exaggerate

I can't stand when my coworker aggrandizes her role in our group projects.

cheerful or speedy willingness

Any boss wants an employee to respond with alacrity to his or her requests

of questionable authenticity; false

I'm sorry, but this putative letter from George Washington that you found is clearly apocryphal.

declare or affirm with confidence

"Despite your insistence that ethics are completely situational," said the philosophy professor, "I aver that the existence of natural rights inevitably leads to certain immutable ethical boundaries."

a system of principles laid down by an authority; established belief

It is part of the dogma of modern education that there are multiple intelligences that are equally valuable; try to suggest that some people just aren't that smart, and you'll find yourself a pariah.

the quality of being able to produce the intended effect

Extensive trials will be necessary to determine whether the drug's efficacy outweighs the side effects.

extraordinarily or conspicuously bad; glaring

Your conduct is an egregious violation of our Honor Code- not only did you steal your roommate's paper off his computer and turn it in as your own, you also sold his work to a plagiarism website so other cheaters could purchase it!

weaken, tire

After taking the SAT in the morning and playing in a soccer game in the afternoon, Trina was truly enervated before the prom even began. "You dance like a grandmother with osteoporosis," said her date.