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hobble

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verb: to hold back the progress of something walk impeded by some physical limitation or injury. Synonyms : gimp , hitch , limp Bad weather has hobbled rescue efforts, making it difficult for crews to find bodies in the wreckage.

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dovetail

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verb: fit together tightly, as if by means of a interlocking joint Synonyms : dovetail joint Although Darwin's evolution and Mendel's genetics were developed in isolation from one another, they dovetail very well.

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asperity

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noun: harshness of manner Synonyms : sharpness The editor was known for his asperity, often sending severe letters of rejection to amateur writers.

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lacerate

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verb: deeply hurt the feelings of; distress. those snide remarks and personal digs can lacerate feelings like a knife slicing through butter. The teacher was fired for lacerating a student who wrote a poor essay. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

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inviolate

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adjective: must be kept sacred. If something's inviolate, it's sacred and must be protected. If you make an inviolate promise to your sister to never reveal her secret superhero identity, it's one you must honor and take very seriously. Synonyms : inviolable , sacrosanct While the literary critic subjected most of the classics to the harshest reviews, he regarded Cervantes as inviolate, and had nothing but praise for him.

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crestfallen

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adjective: brought low in spirit. If you are crestfallen, you are dark, depressed, and down in the dumps. You are in need of a pep talk, or at least a hug. Synonyms : chapfallen , chopfallen , deflated I asked Maria on a date and she refused without a moment's thought; I was crestfallen.

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firebrand

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noun: someone who deliberately creates trouble. someone who deliberately foments trouble Synonyms : inciter , instigant , instigator , provoker Freddie is a firebrand: every time he walks into the office, he winds up at the center of heated argument.

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magisterial

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adjective: offensively self-assured or given to exercising unwarranted power. A person who is magisterial can be distinguished and grand, or possibly just conceited and bossy. You will learn a lot if you listen to a magisterial presentation of early American history. Synonyms : autocratic , bossy , dominating , high-and-mighty , peremptory Though she was only a third grade teacher, Ms. Martinet was magisterial in dealing with her class, lording over them like a queen. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

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patent

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adjective: glaringly obvious Synonyms : apparent , evident , manifest , plain , unmistakable Since the book had been through no fewer than six proof runs, the staff was shocked to see such a patent spelling mistake remaining, right in the middle of the front cover! This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

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corollary

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noun: a practical consequence that follows naturally A corollary of Hurricane Sandy, which ravaged the east coast of the U.S., is a push to build higher sea walls to protect against future hurricanes.

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intimation

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noun: an indirect suggestion. The noun intimation means a hint or an indirect suggestion. Your teacher's intimation that there could be a quiz the next day might send you into a panic, while your friend sitting beside you might not even notice. Synonyms : breath , hint At first the hostess tried intimation, praising the benefits of cutlery; when Cecil continued eating with his hands, the hostess told him to use a fork at dinner.

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decry

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verb: express strong disapproval of Synonyms : condemn , excoriate , objurgate , reprobate The entire audience erupted in shouts and curses, decrying the penalty card issued by the referee.

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flippant

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adjective: showing inappropriate levity Synonyms : light-minded Although Sam was trying to honor Mark's sense of humor, many found it quite flippant that he wore a comic nose and glasses mask to Mark's funeral.

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imperious

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adjective: having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy Synonyms : disdainful , haughty , lordly , overbearing , prideful , sniffy , supercilious , swaggering Children are imperious with each other before they learn that earning someone's respect is better than demanding.

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incontrovertible

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adjective: necessarily or demonstrably true; impossible to deny or disprove Synonyms : demonstrable,irrefutable , positive Unless you can provide incontrovertible evidence, I will remain skeptical.

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hubris

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noun: overbearing pride or presumption. Hubris is an excess of confidence: a boxer who shouts "I'm the greatest!" even though he's about to get pummeled by a much stronger opponent is displaying a lot of hubris. Bill Clinton was criticized for his hubris, since he believed he could get away with anything once in the White House.

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ossify

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verb: make rigid and set into a conventional pattern Synonyms : petrify , rigidify Even as a young man, Bob had some bias against poor people, but during his years in social services, his bad opinions ossified into unshiftable views. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

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celerity

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noun: speed, rapidity Synonyms : quickness , rapidity , rapidness , speediness We aim to respond to customers' questions with celerity and accuracy, with no longer than a 24 hour wait time.

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ribald

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adjective: humorously vulgar Synonyms : bawdy , off-color The speaker was famous for his ribald humor, but the high school principal asked him to keep the talk G-rated when he spoke to the student body.

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irrefutable

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adjective: impossible to deny or disprove Synonyms : incontrovertible , positive The existence of life on earth is irrefutable; the existence of intelligent life on earth is still hotly debated.

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inure

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verb: to make accustomed to something unpleasant Synonyms : harden , indurate Three years of Manhattan living has inured her to the sound of wailing sirens; she could probably sleep through the apocalypse.

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rarefied

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verb: make more subtle or refined Jack's vulgar jokes were not so successful in the rarefied environment of college professors.

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recrimination

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noun: mutual accusations The two brothers sat and cried, pointing fingers and making elaborate recriminations of the other's guilt

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invidious

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adjective: likely to cause resentment At a time when many others in the office were about to be laid off, many considered Cheryl's fine clothes that day an invidious display. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

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presentiment

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noun: a feeling of evil to come. Do you ever have the feeling that something bad is about to happen? That's called a presentiment. Synonyms : boding , foreboding , premonition On the night that Lincoln would be fatally shot, his wife had a presentiment about going to Ford's Theater, but Lincoln persuaded her that everything would be fine.

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crystallize

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verb: cause to take on a definite and clear shape Synonyms : crystalise , crystalize , crystallise Only after fifteen minutes of brainstorming did Samantha's ideas for the essay crystallize. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

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dispensation

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noun: an exemption from a rule or obligation. The act of giving or portioning something out is called dispensation. Your teacher will have a hard time with the dispensation of biology textbooks if there aren't enough copies for everyone in the class. Since her father is a billionaire, she is given dispensation from many of the school's policies. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

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tempestuous

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adjective: as if driven by turbulent or conflicting emotions; highly energetic and wildly changing or fluctuating. A tempest is a storm, so you can use the adjective tempestuous to describe anything stormy or volatile — from a tempestuous hurricane to a tempestuous romance. Synonyms : angry , furious , raging , wild Chuck and Kathy had always been stable and agreeable people on their own, but when they got involved, it was a tempestuous relationship.

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encumber

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verb: hold back To encumber is to weigh someone or something down with a physical or psychological burden. You may find yourself encumbered by a heavy backpack or with anxieties. Either way, it's a heavy load to bear! Synonyms : constrain , cumber , restrain The costume encumbered all my movements and caused me to sweat profusely.

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equitable

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adjective: fair to all parties as dictated by reason and conscience Synonyms : just The equitable distribution of ice cream to a group of 5 year olds will ensure little to no fighting - at least until the ice cream is gone.

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subterfuge

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noun: something intended to misrepresent the true nature of an activity. If you want to surprise your mom with a sweatshirt, but don't know her size, it might take an act of subterfuge, like going through her closet, to find it out. Subterfuge is the use of tricky actions to hide, or get something. Synonyms : blind Finally deciding to abandon all subterfuge, Arthur revealed to Cindy everything about his secret affair over the past two years.

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spartan

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adjective: unsparing and uncompromising in discipline or judgment; practicing great self-denial Synonyms : severe After losing everything in a fire, Tim decided to live in spartan conditions, sleeping on the floor and owning as little furniture as a possible.

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inimitable

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adjective: defying imitation; matchless. Use the adjective inimitable to describe someone or something that is so special or unique, it is impossible to duplicate, like that superstar tennis player with the inimitable serve no other player can copy. Mozart's music follows a clear pattern that, anyone could imitate, but his music gives an overall sense of effortlessness that is inimitable.

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unpropitious

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adjective: (of a circumstance) with little chance of success With only a bottle of water and a sandwich, the hikers faced an unpropitious task: ascending a huge mountain that took most two days to climb.

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denouement

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noun: the final resolution of the many strands of a literary or dramatic work; the outcome of a complex sequence of events. You can use it outside the context of plays or novels, too: you might describe the denouement of an argument between two friends. At the denouement of the movie, all questions were answered, and the true identity of the robber was revealed.

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puissant

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adjective: powerful Over the years of service, and quite to his surprise, he became a puissant advisor to the community.

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surreptitious

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adjective: stealthy, taking pains not to be caught or detected. When someone behaves in a surreptitious way, they're being secretive. They're doing something that they don't want to be seen doing. Synonyms : furtive , sneak , sneaky , stealthy Since his mom was a light sleeper, Timmy had to tiptoe surreptitiously through the entire house, careful to not make the floors creak, until he at last was able to enjoy his plunder: a box of chocolate chip cookies.

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immure

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verb: to enclose, usually in walls Synonyms : gaol , imprison , incarcerate , jail , jug , lag , put away , put behind bars , remand The modern supermarket experience makes many feel claustrophobic, as they are immured in walls upon walls of products.

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untenable

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adjective: (of theories etc) incapable of being defended or justified. If something is untenable, you can't defend it or justify it. If your disagreement with your teacher puts you in an untenable position, you better just admit you made a mistake and get on with it. Synonyms : indefensible With the combination of Kepler's brilliant theories and Galileo's telescopic observations, the old geocentric theory became untenable to most of the educated people in Europe.

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machinate

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verb: engage in plotting or enter into a conspiracy, swear together Synonyms : cabal , complot , conjure , conspire The rebels met at night in an abandoned barn to machinate.

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stalwart

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adjective: dependable; inured to fatigue or hardships. a person who is loyal to their allegiance (especially in times of revolt) Synonyms : stout,hardy ,sturdy Despite all the criticism directed at the President during this scandal, Lisa has remained his stalwart supporter.

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obstreperous

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adjective: noisily and stubbornly defiant; willfully difficult to control Synonyms : casual , insouciant When the teacher asked the obstreperous student simply to bus his tray, the student threw the entire tray on the floor, shouted an epithet, and walked out.

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nonchalant

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adjective: coming across as uninterested or unconcerned; overly casual. If your friend is acting cool, unconcerned or in an indifferent manner, call him nonchalant . marked by blithe unconcern. Synonyms : casual , insouciant The twenty-somethings at the coffee shop always irked Sheldon, especially the way in which they acted nonchalantly towards everything, not even caring when Sheldon once spilled his mocha on them.

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puerile

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adjective: of or characteristic of a child; displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity Synonyms : adolescent , jejune , juvenile Helen enjoyed blowing soap bubbles, but Jim regarded this as puerile, totally unworthy of a woman with a Ph.D.

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unflappable

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adjective: not easily perturbed or excited or upset; marked by extreme calm and composure Synonyms : imperturbable The house shook and the ground quaked, but my dad was unflappable and comforted the family.

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improvident

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adjective: not given careful consideration. Someone who is improvident doesn't worry about the future — or plan wisely for it. Synonyms : ill-considered , ill-judged , shortsighted Marty was improvident, never putting money aside for the future but spending it on decorating the interior of his home.

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impetuous

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adjective: characterized by undue haste and lack of thought or deliberation. Someone impetuous acts too hastily or carelessly Synonyms : brainish , hotheaded , impulsive , madcap , tearaway Herbert is rarely impetuous, but on the spur of the moment, he spent thousands of dollars on a motorcycle today.

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peripatetic

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adjective: traveling by foot Synonyms : wayfaring Jim always preferred a peripatetic approach to discovering a city: he felt that he could see so many more details while walking.

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cosseted

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verb: treat with excessive indulgence The king and queen cosseted the young prince, giving him a prized miniature pony for his fifth birthday.

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unviable

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adjective: not able to work, survive, or succeed (also spelled inviable). The plan was obviously unviable considering that it lead to complete environmental destruction in the river valley.

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