Word List 17
accede	to consent to something
accord	agreement; a state of harmony
admonish	to rebuke, to scold gently
adversity	trouble, suffering
advocate	to stand up for something
amends	something done or given to make up for having done wrong
aspersion	criticism
assurance	something offered to inspire confidence
benevolent	kindly
carp	to keep complaining about something
chastise	to criticize heavily
compassion	to feel sympathy for another’s misfortunes
contrite	genuinely apologetic
covenant	a binding promise or contract
culpable	at fault
delineate	to explain something in detail
disaffected	disappointed and dissatisfied
docile	meek, easy to control
empathize	to identify with another person’s feelings
exasperated	fed up and angry
exhort	to urge someone to do something
expiate	to make amends
explicit	very clear; very open and direct about sexuality
extricate	to disentangle oneself from a sticky situation
forbearance	self-control
forsake	to give something up
fortitude	strength, stamina
fraternal	relating to brothers
goad	to prompt, to provoke
interrogate	to question aggressively
intuitive	known instinctively
malediction	a curse
mandate	an official order
maternal	relating to mothers
objective	without bias or personal involvement
obstinate	stubborn
paternal	relating to fathers
penitent	genuinely apologetic
placate	to please someone in order to make someone less angry
pugnacious	aggressive
quandary	a puzzling situation
rationale	line of reasoning
reconcile	to make up
rescind	to take back something (like a promise or an argument)
resilient	able to bounce back from hardship
stipulate	to specify something as part of an agreement or contract
subjective	based on opinions and feelings
submissive	easily giving in
tentative	not definite; likely to change before it is final
unconditional	guaranteed with no strings attached
vindicate	to show that someone was justified and correct

Word List 18
anachronistic	from the wrong period of time
anomaly	something that doesn’t belong
austere	extremely simple, severely plain
baroque	excessively exaggerated in style
behemoth	something huge and powerful
capacious	spacious
comely	pretty, attractive
commodious	spacious
conformist	a person who always thinks and behaves in socially acceptable ways
copious	large in quantity
diaphanous	gauzy, delicate
discrepancy	a difference between two things that are supposed to match
disruptive	causing disorder
embellished	having lots of ornaments and decorations
enhance	to improve a particular quality in something
ethereal	insubstantial, airy
exorbitant	extravagantly large or high
extraneous	extra and unnecessary looking around, I immediately felt incongruous
façade	the outward appearance of something
farcical	resembling a farce; ridiculous and confused
frenetic	frenzied, rushed
garish	excessively colorful or shiny, perhaps looking fake or cheap
gaudy	excessively colorful or shiny, perhaps looking fake or cheap
gilt	a thin layer of gold
gossamer	a very thin, filmy material
grandiose	magnificent, but often also implies pretentious or unrealistic
incandescent	giving off light
incompatible	unable to blend in or get along
incongruous	strange and out of place
manifest	made obvious or clear
nondescript	plain, uninteresting
opulence	affluence, luxurious splendor
ostentatious	showy, obvious
ostracize	to avoid or exclude someone from a group
palatial	spacious and luxurious
pariah	an outcast
regalia	formal, ceremonial clothing and objects worn by members of royalty
replete	fully supplied
resplendent	dazzling in appearance
sinuous	slinky, winding
spartan	very plain and austere
sumptuous	luxurious, magnificent
tirade	a long outraged speech
translucent	letting light through, but not completely transparent
tryst	a secret, prearranged meeting, usually between lovers
voluminous	large, expansive