60 Cool Vocab Words

[Ky]

Hi, I'm studying for a test in my English class tomorrow. It's a vocabulary quiz. That means I get to test out the use of new words. Here's the best news: Since I'm in an honors course, the words don't suck (and I already knew some of them).

In part to help me remember them, and in part to make you a better master and overlord over the English language, here are some words with their definitions, synonyms, and maybe antonyms...in alphabetical order.

accost - verb
Definition: to approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging or aggressive way
Synonyms: buttonhole, approach, confront
Antonyms: evade, avoid, shun

acquisitive - adjective
Definition: able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with acquiring wealth or property
Synonyms: greedy, grasping, avaricious, retentive
Antonyms: altruistic, unretentive

animadversion - noun
Definition: a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval
Synonyms: rebuke, reproof
Antonyms: praise, compliment

arrogate - verb
Definition: to claim or take without right
Synonyms: expropriate, usurp, commandeer
Antonyms: relinquish, renounce, abdicate, abandon

articulate - verb, adjective
Definition (verb): to pronounce distinctly; to express well in words; to connect by a joint or joints
Definition (adjective): expressed clearly and forcefully; able to employ language clearly and forcefully; jointed
Synonyms (verb): pronounce, elucidate
Synonym (adjective): eloquent
Antonyms (verb): mumble, slur
Antonyms (adjective): tongue-tied, halting

avid - adjective
Definition: desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager
Synonyms: keen, enthusiastic, grasping
Antonyms: reluctant, indifferent, unenthusiastic

banal - adjective
Definition: hackneyed, trite, commonplace
Synonyms: stale, insipid
Antonyms: fresh, novel, original, new

belabor - verb
Definition: to work on excessively; to thrash soundly
Synonym: overwork

brackish - adjective
Definition: having a salty taste and unpleasant to drink
Synonyms: briny, saline
Antonyms: fresh, clear, sweet

carping - adjective, noun
Definition (adjective): tending to find fault, especially in a petty, nasty, or hairsplitting way
Definition (noun): petty, nagging criticism
Synonyms (adjective): nit-picking, caviling
Antonyms (adjective): approving, uncritical

cavort - verb
Definition: to romp or prance around exuberantly; to make merry
Synonym: gambol

celerity - noun
Definition: swiftness, rapidity of motion or action
Synonyms: promptness, alacrity, speed
Antonyms: slowness, sluggishness, dilatoriness

coherent - adjective
Definition: holding or sticking together; making a logical whole; comprehensible, meaningful
Synonyms: connected, unified, consistent, cohesive
Antonyms: muddled, chaotic, disjointed

congeal - verb
Definition: to change from liquid to solid, thicken; to make inflexible or rigid
Synonyms: harden, jell, coagulate, solidify
Antonyms: melt, liquefy

credence - noun
Definition: belief, mental acceptance
Synonyms: credit, trust, confidence
Antonyms: disbelief, skepticism, incredulity

decry - verb
Definition: to condemn, express strong disapproval; to officially depreciate
Synonyms: denounce, censure, devalue
Antonyms: tout, commend, extol, laud, praise

devious - adjective
Definition: straying or wandering from a straight or direct course; done or acting in a shifty or underhanded way
Synonyms: roundabout, indirect, tricky, sly, artful
Antonyms: direct, straightforward, open, aboveboard

dissemble - verb
Definition: to disguise or conceal, deliberately give a false impression
Synonyms: dissimulate, mask, feign

distraught - adjective
Definition: very much agitated or upset as a result of emotion or mental conflict
Synonyms: frantic, distracted
Antonyms: calm, composed, collected

emulate - verb
Definition: to imitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model
Synonyms: copy, mimic, rival, match, measure up to

encomium - noun
Definition: a formal expression of praise, a lavish tribute
Synonyms: panegyric, eulogy, commendation
Antonyms: condemnation, castigation, criticism

eschew - verb
Definition: to avoid, shun, keep away from
Synonyms: abstain from, steer clear of, forgo
Antonyms: embrace, adopt

eulogy - noun
Definition: a formal statement of commendation; high praise
Synonyms: panegyric, encomium, tribute, testimonial
Antonyms: philippic, diatribe, invective

evince - verb
Definition: to display clearly, to make evident, to provoke
Synonyms: exhibit, manifest, occassion

exhume - verb
Definition: to remove from a grave; to bring to light
Synonyms: disinter, unearth, uncover
Antonyms: bury, inter

feckless - adjective
Definition: lacking in spirit and strength; ineffective, weak; irresponsible, unreliable
Synonyms: feeble, helpless, incompetent, ineffectual
Antonyms: competent, capable, effective

gambit - noun
Definition: in chess, an opening move that involves risk or sacrifice of a minor piece in order to gain a later advantage; any opening move of this type
Synonyms: ploy, stratagem, ruse, maneuver

germane - adjective
Definition: relevant, appropriate, apropos, fitting
Synonym: pertinent
Antonyms: irrelevant, extraneous, inappropriate

halcyon - noun, adjective
Definition (noun): a legendary bird identified with the kingfisher
Definition (adjective): of or relating to the halcyon; calm, peaceful; happy, golden; prosperous, affluent
Synonyms (adjective): tranquil, serene, placid, palmy
Antonyms (adjective): turbulent, chaotic, tumultuous

histrionic - adjective
Definition: pertaining to actors and their techniques; theatrical, artificial; melodramatic
Synonyms: affected, stagy
Antonyms: low-keyed, muted, untheatrical, subdued

incendiary - adjective, noun
Definition (adjective): deliberately setting or causing fires; designed to start fires; tending to stir up strife or rebellion
Definition (noun): one who deliberately sets fires, arsonist; one who causes strife
Synonyms (adjective): inflammatory, provocative
Synonym (noun): firebrand
Antonyms (adjective): soothing, quieting
Antonym (noun): peacemaker

insatiable - adjective
Definition: so great or demanding as not to be satisfied
Synonyms: unquenchable, ravenous, voracious

intransigent - adjective
Definition: refusing to compromise, irreconcilable
Synonyms: uncompromising, unyielding, obdurate
Antonyms: lukewarm, halfhearted, yielding

invidious - adjective
Definition: offensive, hateful; tending to cause bitterness and resentment
Synonyms: malicious, spiteful, prejudicial, pejorative
Antonyms: complimentary, flattering, ameliorative

largesse - noun
Definition: generosity in giving; lavish or bountiful contributions
Synonyms: liberality, munificence, bounty
Antonyms: stinginess, miserliness, niggardliness

maelstrom - noun
Definition: a whirlpool of great size and violence; a situation resembling a whirlpool in violence and destruction
Synonyms: vortex, chaos, turbulence, tumult

murky - adjective
Definition: dark and gloomy, obscure; lacking in clarity and precision
Synonyms: dim, cloudy, unclear
Antonyms: clear, transparent, lucid, limpid

myopic - adjective
Definition: nearsighted; lacking a broad, realistic view of a situation; lacking foresight or discernment
Synonym: shortsighted
Antonym: farsighted

nefarious - adjective
Definition: wicked, depraved, devoid of moral standards
Synonyms: iniquitous, reprehensible
Antonyms: virtuous, honorable, praiseworthy, meritorious

overt - adjective
Definition: open, not hidden, expressed or revealed in a way that is easily recognized
Synonyms: clear, obvious, manifest, patent
Antonyms: secret, clandestine, covert, concealed

perjorative - adjective
Definition: tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement, derogatory, deprecatory, belittling
Antonyms: complimentary, ameliorative

piquant - adjective
Definition: stimulating to the taste or mind; spicy, pungent; appealing, provocative
Synonyms: tangy, zestful
Antonyms: bland, insipid, tasteless, mild

primordial - adjective
Definition: developed or created at the very beginning; going back to the most ancient times or earliest usage; fundamental, basic
Synonyms: original, primeval, primal

propinquity - noun
Definition: nearness in place or time; kinship
Synonyms: proximity, similarity
Antonyms: remoteness, distance

propriety - noun
Definition: the state of being proper, appropriateness; (plural) standards of what is proper or socially acceptable
Synonyms: fitness, correctness, decorum
Antonyms: unseemliness, inappropriateness

reconnaissance - noun
Definition: a survey made for military purposes; any kind of preliminary inspection or examination
Synonym: scouting expedition

sacrilege - noun
Definition: improper or disrespectful treatment of something held sacred
Synonyms: desecration, profanation, defilement

substantiate - verb
Definition: to establish by evidence, prove; to give concrete or substantial form to
Synonyms: verify, confirm, validate, authenticate
Antonyms: refute, disprove, invalidate

summarily - adverb
Definition: without delay or formality; briefly, concisely
Synonyms: promptly, peremptorily, abruptly

suppliant - adjective or noun
Definition (adjective): asking humbly and earnestly
Definition (noun): one who makes a request humbly and earnestly, a petitioner, suitor

taciturn - adjective
Definition: habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little
Synonyms: tight-lipped, uncommunicative, laconic
Antonyms: garrulous, loquacious, prolix, verbose

talisman - noun
Definition: an object that serves as a charm or is believed to confer magical powers, an amulet, fetish

temporize - verb
Definition: to stall or act evasively in order to gain time, avoid a confrontation, or postpone a decision; to compromise
Synonyms: hedge, dillydally, procrastinate

tenable - adjective
Definition: capable of being held or defended
Synonyms: defensible, justifiable, maintainable
Antonyms: indefensible, unjustifiable

undulate - verb
Definition: to move in waves or with a wavelike motion; to have a wavelike appearance or form
Synonyms: ripple, fluctuate, rise and fall

unwonted - adjective
Definition: not usual or expected; not in character
Synonyms: unusual, uncommon, unexpected, atypical
Antonyms: usual, customary, typical

utopian - adjective
Definition: founded upon or involving a visionary view of an ideal world; impractical
Synonym: idealistic
Antonyms: realistic, pragmatic

verbiage - noun
Definition: language that is too wordy or inflated in proportion to the sense or content, wordiness; a manner of expression
Synonyms: verbosity, prolixity, diction, jargon

verdant - adjective
Definition: green in tint or color; immature in experience or judgement
Synonyms: artless, naive
Antonyms: scorched, sere, barren, arid

viscous - adjective
Definition: having a gelatinous or gluey quality, lacking in easy movement or fluidity
Synonyms: gummy, sticky, thick
Antonyms: runny, watery, aqueous

Well, that's all 60. It's funny because half of them sound like words we could use in arguments against pro-schooling.

[Ky]

(09-14-2012 08:06 AM)jollychimp Wrote:  Great list. It's weird to think that we may never hear any of these words used in conversation, since most of them are uncommon.

If you've never heard the word "articulate" in your life, you might need to find better company.

[4r4b7]

GTFO

[V.R.]

>inb4 egregious

[Ky]

^ Nah, that was last year's vocabulary, I think.

[V.R.]

I must say, it is pretty inconsistent.

[AtheistLGBTQAnarchist]

*Forever Alone*-lonely,im so tired im making sucky comments.I miss old SS that couls actually get me in a emotional and serious mood.

[Miller0700]

MFW, when I know every word on your list since we had to look up and write definitions on them out of a dictionary in my old school's Saturday detention.

[Ky]

(09-29-2012 01:03 PM)Derchin Wrote:  MFW, when I know every word on your list since we had to look up and write definitions on them out of a dictionary in my old school's Saturday detention.

Holy shit, that sounds tedious.

[Miller0700]

It was. I got done faster than most because I didn't talk to anybody and the fact that I write fast (at the cost of poor, poor penmanship).

[Ky]

I'd probably be much like you in a situation like that, then. I also write fast at the cost of legibility.

[olivialeeper]

Good job. Interested in finding new words.

[Ky]

Yeah, well I've quit doing the vocab for my English class (and most of my other assignments, for that matter) and am too lazy to copy the rest of the words here.

[brainiac3397]

Read a dictionary.
(I did. I found that my 3000+ paged webster dictionary was actually a freaking dictionary-encyclopedia hybrid that should have never existed. I don't know how my father got his hands on it, as it isn't very recent by I'd say 10-20 years, but that thing has every English-Latin-Greek word AND an entire list of idioms in all three. Not to mention a ton of our information totally unrelated to vocabulary. It must've been hell for those poor saps back in the day to use that thing. Thank god we made it to the internet age huh.)

[Sunbourn]

(09-14-2012 08:07 AM)DoA Wrote:  

(09-14-2012 08:06 AM)jollychimp Wrote:  Great list. It's weird to think that we may never hear any of these words used in conversation, since most of them are uncommon.

If you've never heard the word "articulate" in your life, you might need to find better company.

Don't be so perjorative!

This is a relatively nice list. All of the words that we specifically had to learn in my high school English classes were ones I thought were pretty obvious to any native speaker of the English language already. Some of these most people should know. Articulate, dissemble, and definitely motherfucking DISTRAUGHT you should definitely already know by now. That's just looking at the top of the list. Words that were new to me that I'm going to do my best to integrate in to my use of the language are myopic, taciturn, and piquant.