v. to humble, to disgrace

After his immature behavior, John abased himself in my eyes

syn. - demean; humilate

v. to give up a position, right, or power

With the angry mob clamoring outside the palace, the king abdicated his throne and fled.

Syn. Cede; quit; relinquish; resign; yield

n. Something different from the usual

Due to the bizarre aberrations in the author's behavior, her publicist decided that the less the public saw of her, the better.

Syn. - abnormality; anomaly; deviation; irregularity

Abeyance

n. Temporary suppression or suspension

Michelle held her excitement in abeyance while the college review board considered her application.

Syn. - deferral; delay; dormancy; postponement; remission

adj. miserable, pitiful

When we found the abject creature lying on the ground, we took it inside and tended to its broken leg.

Syn. - lamentable; pathetic; sorry

adj. difficult to comprehend.

The philosopher's elucidation was so clear that he turned an abstruse subject into one his audience could grasp.

Syn. - complex; esosteric; profound

adj. bitter, sharp in taste or temper

Gina's acerbic wit and sarcasm were feared around the office.

Syn. - biting; caustic; cutting; tart

v. to agree; to comply quietly

The princess acquiesced to demands taht she marry a nobleman, but she was not happy about it.

Syn. - accede; consent; submit

n. bitterness, animosity

The acrimony the newly divorced couple showed towards each other made everyone feel uncomfortable.

Syn - anipathy; asperity; choler; rancor; spleen

v. to corrupt or make impure

The restaurateur made his ketchup last longer by adulterating it with water.

Syn. - contaminate; dilute

adj. pertaining to beauty or art

The museum curator, with her fine aesthetic sense, created an exhibit that was a joy to hehold.

Syn - tasteful

v. to make larger or greater in power

All the millionaire really wanted was to aggrandize his personal wealth as much as possible.

Syn. - advance; elevate; exalt; glority; magnify

n. cheerful willingness, eagerness; speed

The eager dog fetched with alacrity the stick that had been tossed for him.

Syn - briskness; celerity; dispatch

n. symbolic representation

The novelist used the stormy ocean as an allegory for her life's struggles.

Syn - metaphor; symbolism

v. to mix, combine

Giant Indestries amalgamated with Mega Products to form Giant-Mega Products Incorporated.

Syn. - assimilate; incorporate; integrate; league; merge

v. to make better; to improve

Conditions in the hospital were ameliorated by the hiring of dozens of expertly trained nurses.

Syn - amend; better; reform

v. to diminish by installment payments

She was able to amortize her debts by paying a small amount each month.

Syn - extinguish

n. something chronologically inappropriate

The aged hippie used anachronisms like "groovy" and "far out" that had not been popular for years.

Syn - anomalous; inappropriate; inconsistent

n. ban, curse; something shunned or disliked

Sweaty, soiled clothing was anathema to the elegant Madeleine

Syn - abomination; aversion; execrations; horror

adj. accessory; subordinate; helping

Reforms were instituted at the main factory, but not at its ancillary plants, so defects continued to occur.

Syn - additional; adjunct; auxiliary; supplemental

adj. prehistoric, ancient beyond measure

The antediluvian fossils were displayed in the museum.

Syn. - antique; archaic; old

adj. preceding, previous, before, prior (to)

Following custom, dinner was anterior to the dessert.

Syn. - foregoing; previous

n. dislike, hostility; extreme opposition or aversion

The antipathy between the French and the English regularly erupted into open warfare.

Syn. - antagonism; enmity; malice

adj. not genuine, fictional

Sharon suspected that the stories she was hearing about alligators in the sewer were apocryphal.

erroneous; false; fictitious; fraudulent

n. glorification, glorified ideal

In her heyday, many people considered Jackie Kennedy to be the apotheosis of stylishness.

Syn - epitome; ultimate

n. praise, official approval

Billy was sure he had gained the approbation of his teacher when he received a glowing report card.

Syn. - acclaim; accolade; applause; encomium; homage

adj. passionate, enthusiastic, fervent

After a 25-game losing streak, even the Mets' most ardent fans realized the team wouldn't finish first.

Syn. - fervid; intense; vehement

n. great emotion or passion

Bishop's ardor for landscape was evident when he passionately described the beauty of the Hudson Valley.

Syn. - enthusiasm; zeal

adj. extremely difficult, laborious

Amy thought she would pass out after completing the arduous climb up the mountain.

Syn. - burdensome; hard; onerous; toilsome

adj. self-denying, abstinent, austere

The monk lived an ascetic life deep in the wilderness, denying himself all forms of luxury.

Syn. - abstemious; continent; temperate

n. false rumor, damaging report, slander

It is unfair to cast aspersions on someone behind his or her back.

Syn. - allegation; insinuation; reproach

adj. diligent, persistent, hard-working

The assiduous chauffeur scrubbed the limousine endlessly, hoping to make a good impression on his employer.

Syn. - industrious; steadfast; thorough

v. to make less severe; to ease; to relieve

Like many people, Philip used warm milk to assuage his sense of sleeplessness.

Syn. - alleviate; appease; ease; mitigate; mollify

adj. harsh, severe, stern

The principal's punishments seemed overly astringent, but the students did not dare to complain.

Syn. - bitter; caustic; sharp

adj. monstrous, shockingly bad, wicked

The young boy committed the atrocious act of vandalizing the new community center.

Syn. - appalling; deplorable; direful; horrible

n. to waste away; to wither from misuse

When Mimi stopped exercising, her muscles began to atrophy.

Syn. - degenerate; deteriorate

v. to weaken; to make thin or slender

The Bill of Rights attenuated the traditional power of government to change laws at will.

Syn. - diminish; rarefy; reduce

n. prophecy, prediction of events

Troy hoped the rainbow was an augury of good things to come.

Syn. - auspice; harbinger; omen; portent; presage

adj. dignified, awe inspiring, venerable

The august view of the summit of the Grand Teton filled the climbers with awe.

Syn. - admirable; awesome; grand; majestic

adj. having favorable prospects, promising

Tamika thought that having lunch with the boss was an auspicious start to her new job.

Syn. - encouraging; hopeful; positive; propitious

n. greed

Rebecca's avarice motivated her to stuff the $100 bill in her pocket instead of returning it to the man who had dropped it.

Syn. - cupidity; rapacity

n. premise, postulate, self-evident truth

Halle lived her life based on the axioms her grandmother had passed on to her.

Syn. - adage; aphorism; apothegm; maxim; rule

adj. harmful, with evil intentions

The sullen teenager gave his nagging mother a baleful look.

Syn. - dark; sinister

adj. trite, overly common

He used banal phrases like "Have a nice day" or "Another day, another dollar."

Syn. - hackneyed; inane; shopworn

n. fortification, stronghold

 The club was well known as a bastion of conservative values in the liberal city.

Syn. - bulwark; defense; haven

v. to insist repeatedly or harp on

I understand completely; you do not need to belabor the point.

Syn. - dwell upon; lambaste

v. to harass, plague

Mickey beleagued his parents until they finally gave in to his request for a new computer.

Syn. - beset; besiege

v. to misrepresent; to expose as false

The first lady's carefree appearance belied rumors that she was on the verge of divorcing her husband.

Syn. - distort; refute

adj. warlike, aggressive

Immediately after defeating one of his enemies, the bellicose chieftain declared war on another.

Syn. - belligerent; combative; hostile; pugnacious

adj. hostile, tending to fight

The angry customer was extremely belligerent despite the manager's offer to return his money.

Syn. - agressive; bellicose; combative; pugnacious

adj. unenlightened

Ben scoffed at the crowd,as he believed it consisted entirely of benighted individuals.

Syn. - ignorant; illiterate; unschooled

v. to give or leave through a will; to hand down

Grandpa bequeathed the house to his daughter tnad the car to his son.

Syn. - bestow; pass on; transmit

v. - to beg, plead, implore

She beseeched him to give her a second chance, but he refused.

Syn. - entreat; petition; supplicate

v. to cheat, defraud

Though the lawyer seemed honest, the woman feared he would try to bilk her out of her money.

Syn. - dupe; fleece; swindle

v. to coax with flattery

We blandished the teacher with compliments until he finally agreed to postpone the exam.

Syn. - cajole; charm; wheedle

v. to afflict; to destroy

The farmers feared that the previous night's frost had blighted the potato crops entirely.

n. good-natured geniality; atmostphere of good cheer

The general bonhomie that characterized the party made it a joy to attend.

Syn. - friendliness

n. blessing, something to be thankful for

Dirk realized that his new coworker's computer skills would be a real boon to the company.

Syn. - benefit; favor; treasure; windfall

adj. middle class

The bourgeois family was horrified when the lower-class family moved in next door.

Syn. - capitalist; conventional

n. act of breaking, violation

The record company sued the singer for breach of contract when he revorded for another company without permission.

Syn. - contravention; dereliction; gap; lapse; rift

n. bandit, outlaw

Brigands held up the bank and made off with the contents of the safe.

Syn. - plunderer

adj. rough and abrupt in manner

The bank teller's brusque treatment of his customers soon evoked several complaints.

Syn. - blunt; curt; gruff; rude; tactless

v. to sprout or flourish

Because the population of the city is burgeoning, we are going to need a major subway expansion.

Syn. - blossom; expand; grow; proliferate; thrive

v. to reinforce or support

The construction workers attempted to buttress the crumbling ceiling with pillars.

Syn. - bolster; brace; prop; strengthen

n. rhythmic flow of poetry; marching beat

Pierre spoke with a lovely cadence, charming all those who heard him.

 Syn. - inflection; rhythm

v. to flatter, coax, persuade

The spoiled girl could cajole her father into buying her anything.

Syn. - blandish; wheedle

adj. immature, lacking sophistication

The young and callow fans hung on every word the talk show host said.

Syn. - artless; ingenuous; naive

adj. large, roomy; extensive

We wondered how many hundreds of stores occupied the capacious mall.

Syn. - ample; commodious

v. to submit completely, surrender

After the army was reduced to only five soldiers, there was little choice but to capitulate.

Syn. - acquiesce; succumb; yield

adj. impulsive, whimsical, without much thought

Queen Elizabeth I was quite capricious; her courtiers could never be sure who would catch her fancy.

Syn. - erratic; fickle; flighty; inconstant; wayward

v. to punish; to chastise, to criticize severly

Authorities in Singapore harshly castigate perpetrators of what would be considered minor crimes in teh United States.

Syn. - discipline; lambaste

n. purification, cleansing

Plays can be more satisfying if they end in some sort of emotional catharsis for the characters involved.

Syn. - purgation; release

adj. universal; broad and comprehensive

Hot tea with honey is a catholic remedy for a sore throat.

Syn. - extensive; general

adj. carefree, happy; with lordly disdain

The nobleman's cavalier attitude towards the suffering of the peasants made them hate him.

Syn. - apathetic

adj. directed or moving towards the center

Weight is the centripetal force that keeps a satellite in orbit.

Syn. - centralizing

n. shame, embarrassment, humiliation

No doubt, the president felt a good deal of chagrin after forgetting the name of the prime minister at the state banquet.

Syn. - discomfiture; mortification

n. quack, fake

"That charlatan of a doctor prescribed the wrong medicine for me!" complained the patient.

Syn. - fraud; humbug; imposter

n. trickery, fraud, deception

Dishonest used car salesmen often use chicanery to sell their beat-up old cars.

Syn. - deceit; dishonesty; duplicity

adj. easily angered, short-tempered

The choleric principal raged at the students who had come late to school.

Syn. - irate; irritable; surly; wrathful

n. - roundabout, lengthy way of saying something

He avoided discussing the real issues with endless circumlocution.

Syn. - evasion; wordiness

v. to encircle; to set limits on, confine

Diego Buenaventura's country estate is circumscribed by roling hills.

Syn. - limit; surround

adj. Cautious, wary

His failures made Jack far more circumspect in his exploits than he used to be.

Syn. - careful; chary; prudent

adj. secretive, concealed for a darker purpose

The double agent paid many clandestine visits to the president's office in the dead of night.

Syn. - covert; underground

n. merciful leniency

Kyle begged for clemency, explaining that he robbed the bank to pay for the medical bills.

Syn. - indulgence; pardon

v. to grow together or cuase to unite as one

The different factions of the organization coalesced to form one united front against their opponents.

Syn. - combine; merge

adj. accompanying

"Let's try to stick to the main issue here and not get into all the collateral questions," urged the committee leader.

Syn. - ancillary

n. dialouge or conversation; conference

The congressmen held a colloquy to determine how to proceed with the environmental legislation.

Syn. - discussion

n. Collaboration, complicity, conspiracy

The teacher realized taht the students were in collusion when everyone reveived the same grade on the test.

Syn. - connivance; intrigue; machination

n. physical grace and beauty

Ann's comliness made her perfect for the role of Sleeping Beauty

Syn. - attractiveness; seemliness

adj. proportional

Steve was given a salary commensurate with his experience.

Syn. - comparable; corresponding

adj. roomy, spacious

Raqiyah was able to stretch out fully in the commodious bathtub.

Syn. - ample; capacious; extensive

n. knowing partnership in wrongdoing

The two boys exchanged a look of sly complicity when their father shouted "Who broke the window?"

Syn. - cahoots; collaboration; involvement

n. feeling of uneasiness caused by guilt or regret

Her compunction was intense when she realized that she forgot to send her best friend a birthday card.

Syn. - dubiety; qualm; scruple

adj. overcoming distrust or hostility

Fred made the conciliartory gesture of buying Abby flowers after their big fight.

Syn. - pleasing

adj. existing since birth

The infant's congenital health problem was corrected through surgery.

Syn. - innate

n. correspondence, harmony, agreement

There was an obvious congruity between Marco's pleasant personality and his kind actions toward others.

Syn. - accord

n. speculation, prediction

The actor refused to comment, forcing gossip columnists to make conjectures on his love life.

Syn. - hypothesis; postulation; supposition

v. to evoke; to cast a spell

The cotton candy conjured up the image of the fairgrounds he used to visit as a child in Arthur's mind.

Syn. - summon

adj. consistent with, in agreement with

The pitiful raise Ingrid reveived was consonant with the low opinion her manager had of her performance.

Syn. - accordant; compatible; congruous

v. to interpret or explain

"I wasn't sure how to construe that last remark re made," said Delia, " but I suspect it was an insult."

Syn. - analyze; translate

adj. accomplished, complete, perfect

The skater delivered a consummate performance, perfect in every aspect.

Syn. - exhaustive; flawless; ideal; thorough

n. self-control, self-restraint

Lucy exhibited impressive continence in steering clear of fattening foods; as a result, she lost 50 pounds.

Syn. - discipline; moderation