CSS/PMS Vocabulary List Set 2

Set 1 | Set 2 |Set 3 |Set 4 | Set 5
  • Derogatory — showing a critical or disrespectful attitude
  • Desiccate — to dry out thoroughly; to remove vitality
  • Desist — to cease; to stop doing something
  • Desolate — barren, uninhabited; lonely in feeling
  • Despot — a ruler with absolute power, often cruel or oppressive
  • Despondent — in low spirits from loss of hope or courage
  • Despotism — the exercise of absolute power, especially in a cruel way
  • Deter — to discourage or prevent an action by fear or doubt
  • Determinate — having exact limits; clearly defined
  • Detrimental — causing damage or harm
  • Deviate — to depart from an established course or norm
  • Devious — showing a skillful use of underhanded tactics to achieve goals
  • Dexterity — skill, especially with hands or mind
  • Diatribe — a bitter and abusive verbal attack
  • Dichotomy — division between two contrasting things
  • Dictum — an authoritative statement or opinion
  • Didactic — intended to teach; moralistic
  • Diffident — shy; lacking self-confidence
  • Dilapidated — in ruin or disrepair
  • Dilatory — slow; intended to delay
  • Diligent — hardworking and careful
  • Diminutive — extremely small
  • Disabuse — to correct a false belief
  • Discerning — showing good judgment; perceptive
  • Disclaim — to deny responsibility for
  • Disclose — to reveal information
  • Disconcert — to unsettle or disturb
  • Disconsolate — extremely sad; beyond comfort
  • Discord — disagreement; lack of harmony
  • Discrepancy — inconsistency; difference
  • Discretion — ability to behave prudently and confidentially
  • Disdain — contempt; lack of respect
  • Disgruntled — annoyed or dissatisfied
  • Disheveled — untidy; disordered
  • Disingenuous — insincere; pretending to know less than one does
  • Disparate — essentially different; not comparable
  • Dispel — to drive away or eliminate (doubts, fears)
  • Disseminate — to spread widely (information, ideas)
  • Dissident — one who opposes official policy
  • Dissipate — to scatter or disappear
  • Dissolute — lacking moral restraint
  • Dissuade — to persuade someone not to do something
  • Distill — to extract the essential meaning
  • Distort — to twist out of shape or meaning
  • Distraught — deeply upset or agitated
  • Dither — to hesitate nervously
  • Divergent — moving in different directions
  • Diverse — varied; including many different types
  • Divisive — tending to cause disagreement
  • Divulge — to reveal something secret
  • Docile — easily taught or managed
  • Dogged — stubbornly persistent
  • Dogmatic — asserting opinions as unquestionably true
  • Dolorous — feeling or expressing great sorrow
  • Dossier — a collection of detailed documents
  • Downplay — to make something seem less important
  • Draconian — extremely harsh or severe (laws, measures)
  • Droll — amusing in an odd or subtle way
  • Dubious — doubtful; suspect
  • Dulcet — sweet and soothing (sound)
  • Duplicitous — deceitful, dishonest
  • Duration — length of time something lasts
  • Ebullient — full of enthusiasm and energy
  • Eccentric — odd or unconventional
  • Eclectic — selecting ideas from many sources
  • Edict — official order or proclamation
  • Edify — to instruct morally or intellectually
  • Efface — to erase or remove
  • Effectuate — put into force; bring about
  • Effete — depleted of vitality; weak
  • Efficacious — effective; capable of producing desired outcome
  • Effrontery — shameless boldness
  • Egregious — outstandingly bad
  • Elated — extremely happy
  • Elucidate — to clarify or explain
  • Elusive — difficult to catch or understand
  • Emancipate — to free from restraint or oppression
  • Embargo — official ban on trade
  • Embellish — to add decorative details; exaggerate
  • Embolden — to give courage or confidence
  • Emend — to correct or improve text
  • Emphatic — showing strong emphasis
  • Empirical — based on observation or experiment
  • Enact — to make into law
  • Enervate — to weaken; drain energy
  • Engender — to cause or give rise to
  • Engross — absorb the full attention of
  • Enigmatic — mysterious; puzzling
  • Ennui — boredom; dissatisfaction
  • Enshrine — to preserve and protect as sacred
  • Entail — to involve or require
  • Entice — to attract by offering pleasure or reward
  • Entrenched — firmly established
  • Enumerate — list one by one
  • Envoy — diplomatic representative
  • Envision — to imagine clearly
  • Ephemeral — lasting for a very short time
  • Epicenter — central point of activity or problem
  • Epiphany — sudden realization
  • Epitaph — inscription in memory of the dead
  • Epithet — descriptive phrase expressing a quality
  • Epitome — perfect example; embodiment
  • Equanimity — calmness under stress
  • Equitable — fair and impartial
  • Equivalent — equal in value or meaning
  • Erratic — unpredictable; inconsistent
  • Erroneous — incorrect; mistaken
  • Erstwhile — former
  • Erudite — scholarly; learned
  • Esoteric — intended for or understood by few
  • Espouse — to support or adopt a belief
  • Estranged — no longer close or affectionate
  • Ethereal — delicate; heavenly
  • Euphemism — mild word replacing harsh one
  • Euphoria — intense happiness
  • Evanescent — fading quickly
  • Evince — to show clearly
  • Evoke — to bring to mind
  • Exacerbate — to worsen a problem or situation
  • Exacting — demanding perfection
  • Exalt — to praise highly
  • Exasperate — to annoy intensely
  • Excavate — to dig up; uncover
  • Excoriate — to criticize severely
  • Exculpate — to free from blame
  • Execrable — extremely bad; detestable
  • Exemplify — to illustrate by example
  • Exhort — strongly encourage
  • Exhaustive — fully comprehensive
  • Exigency — urgent need or demand
  • Exile — forced removal from one’s country
  • Exonerate — to clear from blame
  • Exotic — foreign; strikingly unusual
  • Expansive — broad; extensive
  • Expedite — to speed up a process
  • Expeditious — done quickly and efficiently
  • Expel — officially force out
  • Expiate — to make amends for
  • Explicit — clearly stated
  • Exploit — use unfairly; benefit from
  • Exponent — strong advocate
  • Expropriate — to take property for public use
  • Expunge — to erase or remove
  • Extant — still existing
  • Extemporaneous — spoken or done without preparation
  • Extenuate — to make less serious
  • Extinguish — to put out (fire, emotion)
  • Extol — to praise exuberantly
  • Extract — to pull out or obtain
  • Extraneous — irrelevant; unnecessary
  • Extricate — to free from difficulty
  • Exuberant — full of energy and joy
  • Facade — outward appearance concealing reality
  • Facetious — humorous in inappropriate situations
  • Facilitate — to make easier
  • Factitious — artificially created; not natural
  • Fallacious — based on mistaken belief
  • Fallow — inactive; unused land
  • Fathom — to understand deeply
  • Fatuous — foolish; silly
  • Feasible — possible; workable
  • Feckless — irresponsible; ineffective
  • Fervent — having strong passion
  • Fiasco — complete failure
  • Fidelity — loyalty; faithfulness
  • Figurative — metaphorical; not literal
  • Filibuster — prolonged speech to delay action (parliamentary)
  • Finagle — to obtain by trickery
  • Finesse — skillful handling
  • Flabbergasted — astonished
  • Flagrant — extremely offensive
  • Flamboyant — showy; extravagant
  • Flippant — not taking things seriously
  • Florid — excessively decorated or complicated
  • Flounder — to struggle helplessly
  • Flout — openly disobey
  • Fluctuate — rise and fall irregularly
  • Foible — minor weakness
  • Foment — to stir up (rebellion, unrest)
  • Forbear — refrain from; show restraint
  • Forensic — relating to courts or scientific investigation
  • Formidable — inspiring fear or respect
  • Fortify — strengthen; reinforce
  • Fortitude — courage in pain or difficulty
  • Fortuitous — happening by chance
  • Foster — encourage growth or development
  • Fractious — irritable; difficult
  • Fragrant — having a pleasant smell
  • Fraught — filled with (danger, difficulty)
  • Frenetic — wildly excited or energetic
  • Frivolous — not serious; trivial
  • Frugal — economical; avoiding waste
  • Frustrate — to prevent success
  • Fulminate — to explode with anger
  • Furtive — secretive; sneaky
  • Futile — pointless; ineffective
  • Gainsay — to deny or contradict
  • Galvanize — to shock into action
  • Garrulous — excessively talkative
  • Gaudy — excessively bright or showy
  • Gaunt — extremely thin
  • Genesis — origin or beginning
  • Germane — relevant and appropriate
  • Glacial — extremely cold or unfriendly
  • Glib — fluent but insincere
  • Gloomy — dark; depressing
  • Gluttonous — greedy for food or drink
  • Goad — to provoke or annoy
  • Grandiose — excessively grand or ambitious
  • Gratuitous — unnecessary; uncalled for
  • Gregarious — sociable; fond of company
  • Grievous — causing severe pain or suffering
  • Grumble — complain quietly
  • Guile — sly or cunning intelligence
  • Gullible — easily deceived
  • Hackneyed — overused; trite
  • Halcyon — peaceful and prosperous
  • Hamper — obstruct; hinder
  • Haphazard — lacking order or planning
  • Harangue — long, aggressive speech
  • Harbinger — a sign or omen
  • Hardy — capable of enduring hardship
  • Haughty — arrogant; disdainful
  • Hedonistic — pleasure-seeking
  • Heinous — shockingly evil
  • Heresy — belief contrary to orthodox doctrine
  • Hiatus — gap or break
  • Hinder — to obstruct
  • Hinterland — remote, less developed region
  • Historicity — factual authenticity
  • Histrionic — overly dramatic
  • Homage — honor or respect
  • Homogeneous — of the same kind
  • Hyperbole — exaggerated statements
  • Iconoclast — one who attacks established beliefs
  • Ideology — system of ideas, often political
  • Idiosyncrasy — unique characteristic
  • Ignoble — dishonorable
  • Ignominious — deserving shame
  • Illicit — illegal
  • Illustrious — famous and respected
  • Immaculate — perfectly clean
  • Immaterial — irrelevant
  • Immense — very large
  • Immutable — unchangeable
  • Impartial — fair and unbiased
  • Impasse — deadlock; no progress possible
  • Impeccable — flawless
  • Impede — to obstruct progress
  • Impel — to drive or force
  • Imperative — essential; necessary
  • Imperious — arrogant; commanding
  • Impertinent — rude; irrelevant
  • Impervious — impossible to penetrate
  • Impetuous — acting quickly without thought
  • Impinge — to interfere or encroach
  • Implacable — unable to be appeased
  • Implicate — to involve in wrongdoing
  • Implicit — implied; not directly stated
  • Impolitic — unwise; not prudent
  • Imponderable — difficult to estimate
  • Importune — to beg persistently
  • Impostor — someone who pretends to be another person
  • Imprecise — not exact
  • Impregnate — fill or saturate
  • Improbable — unlikely to happen
  • Impropriety — improper behavior
  • Improvised — created without preparation
  • Imprudent — not showing care for consequences
  • Impudent — rude; disrespectful
  • Impugn — to dispute or question
  • Inaccessible — hard to reach
  • Inaccurate — incorrect
  • Inactive — not in use; idle
  • Inalienable — cannot be taken away
  • Inane — silly; lacking meaning
  • Inapplicable — not relevant
  • Inartistic — lacking artistic quality
  • Inaudible — cannot be heard
  • Inaugurate — begin formally
  • Incapacitated — unable to act or respond
  • Incarnate — embodied in human form
  • Incense — make very angry
  • Incentive — motivation to act
  • Inception — beginning; start
  • Incidence — occurrence; rate of occurrence
  • Incidental — secondary; minor
  • Incinerate — burn completely
  • Incipient — beginning to appear
  • Incisive — clear and sharp
Set 1 | Set 2 |Set 3 |Set 4 | Set 5
Scroll to Top