List 27

Antagonize

  • Pronunciation: an-TAG-uh-nize
  • Meaning: Act in opposition to or provoke hostility from
  • Mnemonic: “ANTI-GONE-IZE” (deliberately creating conflict)
  • Example: His sarcastic comments would antagonize his colleagues

Barren

  • Pronunciation: BAIR-uhn
  • Meaning: Incapable of producing offspring or fruit; unproductive
  • Mnemonic: “BARE-RUN” (completely empty and lifeless)
  • Example: The barren landscape stretched endlessly before them

Bombastic

  • Pronunciation: bom-BAS-tik
  • Meaning: High-sounding but with little meaning; overfilled
  • Mnemonic: “BOMB-ASTIC” (exploding with empty words)
  • Example: His bombastic speech impressed no one

Cajole

  • Pronunciation: kuh-JOHL
  • Meaning: Persuade through flattery or gentle urging
  • Mnemonic: “CAT-JOWL” (purring to get what you want)
  • Example: She would cajole her brother into helping her

Chary

  • Pronunciation: CHAIR-ee
  • Meaning: Being wary or cautiously reluctant
  • Mnemonic: “CHAR-Y” (carefully checking the chair before sitting)
  • Example: He was chary about investing in new ventures

Curmudgeon

  • Pronunciation: ker-MUH-juhn
  • Meaning: An ill-tempered person full of stubborn opinions
  • Mnemonic: “CURSE-MUCH-JON” (grumpy old man)
  • Example: The neighborhood curmudgeon complained about everything

Dirge

  • Pronunciation: DERJ
  • Meaning: A mournful song, especially for a funeral or mourning
  • Mnemonic: “DIRE-EDGE” (music at the edge of sorrow)
  • Example: The band played a haunting dirge for the fallen hero

Estimable

  • Pronunciation: ES-tuh-muh-buhl
  • Meaning: Deserving of respect or admiration
  • Mnemonic: “ESTIMATE-ABLE” (worthy of high evaluation)
  • Example: She was an estimable leader in the community

Euphemism

  • Pronunciation: YOO-fuh-miz-uhm
  • Meaning: A mild or polite term used to substitute a harsh or offensive one
  • Mnemonic: “EU-PHEME-ISM” (smooth talking to avoid harsh words)
  • Example: “Passed away” is a euphemism for “died”

Excoriate

  • Pronunciation: ek-SKOR-ee-eyt
  • Meaning: Criticize strongly; condemn
  • Mnemonic: “EX-CORE-IATE” (cutting right to the core of criticism)
  • Example: The critic would excoriate the poorly made film

Exigent

  • Pronunciation: EK-suh-juhnt
  • Meaning: Requiring immediate action or aid; urgent and pressing
  • Mnemonic: “EX-I-GENT” (exit urgently when something needs immediate attention)
  • Example: During the medical emergency, the exigent situation demanded immediate medical intervention

Haughty

  • Pronunciation: HAW-tee
  • Meaning: Exhibiting arrogant and condescending pride; looking down on others
  • Mnemonic: “HAUGHT-Y” (a haughty person thinks they are at the height of importance)
  • Example: The haughty executive dismissed his colleagues’ ideas without a second thought

Heady

  • Pronunciation: HED-ee
  • Meaning: Intoxicating or stupefying; causing excitement or euphoria
  • Mnemonic: “HEAD-Y” (something that goes straight to your head and overwhelms you)
  • Example: The heady atmosphere of the concert left the crowd in a state of pure excitement

Imperturbable

  • Pronunciation: im-pur-TURB-uh-buhl
  • Meaning: Not easily annoyed, upset, or excited; extremely calm and composed
  • Mnemonic: “IM-PERTURB-ABLE” (impossible to be disturbed or shaken)
  • Example: The imperturbable pilot maintained his composure during the turbulent flight

Implacable

  • Pronunciation: im-PLAK-uh-buhl
  • Meaning: Not able to be appeased or pacified; showing no mercy or willingness to compromise
  • Mnemonic: “IM-PLACATE-ABLE” (impossible to placate or calm down)
  • Example: The implacable judge refused to reduce the sentence despite the defendant’s pleas

Lambaste

  • Pronunciation: lam-BAYST
  • Meaning: To scold, reprimand, or criticize harshly
  • Mnemonic: “LAMB-BASTE” (imagining criticizing a lamb with intense words)
  • Example: The coach lambasted the team for their poor performance during the championship game

Miscreant

  • Pronunciation: MIS-kree-uhnt
  • Meaning: One who has behaved badly or illegally; a wrongdoer
  • Mnemonic: “MIS-CREATE” (someone who creates mischief)
  • Example: The miscreant was arrested for vandalism and theft

Peccadillo

  • Pronunciation: pek-uh-DIL-oh
  • Meaning: A small flaw or sin; a minor mistake or weakness
  • Mnemonic: “PECCA-DILLO” (a tiny dent in one’s moral armor)
  • Example: Forgetting to send a thank-you note was his only peccadillo in an otherwise perfect relationship

Philistine

  • Pronunciation: FIL-uh-steen
  • Meaning: A person who is ignorant or uneducated, especially in matters of culture and art
  • Mnemonic: “FILL-A-STINE” (filling one’s head with mundane, uncultured thoughts)
  • Example: The philistine dismissed modern art as nonsense without attempting to understand it

Relegate

  • Pronunciation: REL-uh-gayt
  • Meaning: To consign to a place or position of insignificance, lower rank, or inferiority
  • Mnemonic: “RE-LOCATE” (moving something to a less important place)
  • Example: After his poor performance, the employee was relegated to a minor administrative role

Repugnant

  • Pronunciation: REP-ug-nuhnt
  • Meaning: Offensive or repulsive; arousing disgust or aversion
  • Mnemonic: “RE-PUGNANT” (something that pushes you away with its nastiness)
  • Example: The repugnant odor from the garbage made everyone want to leave the room

Sentimental

  • Pronunciation: sen-tuh-MEN-tuhl
  • Meaning: Characterized by feelings of nostalgia or tender emotion
  • Mnemonic: “SENT-MENTAL” (sending memories to your mind)
  • Example: She kept her grandmother’s old letters, feeling sentimental about their shared memories

Squander

  • Pronunciation: SKWAHN-der
  • Meaning: To spend profusely or recklessly; waste resources carelessly
  • Mnemonic: “SQUANDER-ed” (scattered money like water)
  • Example: He squandered his entire inheritance on gambling and luxury cars within a year

Swindle

  • Pronunciation: SWIN-duhl
  • Meaning: To obtain money by fraudulent or deceitful methods; cheat
  • Mnemonic: “SWIN-DLE” (spinning a web of lies to steal)
  • Example: The con artist would swindle elderly people out of their life savings through elaborate investment scams

Tangible

  • Pronunciation: TAN-juh-buhl
  • Meaning: Capable of being touched; real or actual; concrete
  • Mnemonic: “TOUCH-ABLE” (something you can physically touch)
  • Example: The research team needed tangible evidence to support their scientific hypothesis

Turpitude

  • Pronunciation: TUR-puh-tood
  • Meaning: Wickedness or moral corruption; depravity
  • Mnemonic: “TURD-PITCH” (an extreme moral low point)
  • Example: The politician’s acts of turpitude destroyed his reputation and political career

Unalloyed

  • Pronunciation: un-uh-LOYD
  • Meaning: Pure; without any adulteration or mixture
  • Mnemonic: “UN-ALLOY-ED” (completely unmixed)
  • Example: She felt unalloyed joy when her long-lost friend returned home

Undercut

  • Pronunciation: un-der-KUT
  • Meaning: To undermine; weaken or reduce the effectiveness of something
  • Mnemonic: “UNDER-CUT” (cutting the support from underneath)
  • Example: The competitor’s low prices undermined the local business’s market position

Wheedle

  • Pronunciation: HWEE-duhl
  • Meaning: To attempt to persuade by flattery; coax
  • Mnemonic: “WHEE-IDLE” (using idle chatter to manipulate)
  • Example: The child would wheedle her parents into buying her a new toy by giving exaggerated compliments

Xenophobic

  • Pronunciation: zen-uh-FOH-bik
  • Meaning: Showing a fear or hatred of strangers or foreigners
  • Mnemonic: “XENO-PHOBIC” (fearing the unknown or foreign)
  • Example: The xenophobic remarks at the town hall meeting revealed deep-seated prejudices against immigrants