The Verbose Insomniacs
Group 1
Acrid: sharp; pungent (used of smells and tastes)
Boorish: ill-mannered
Cynical: believing that people act only out of selfish motives
Epistle: a letter (form of communication)
Heresy: against orthodox opinion
Lance: spear; spike; javelin
Obscure: difficult to understand; partially hidden
Poignant: deeply moving; strongly affecting the emotions
Respite: a break; intermission
Terse: concise; to the point
Group 2
Acrophobia: fear of heights
Bourgeois: middle class
Debility: weakness; incapacity
Epistolary: concerned with letters; through correspondence
Hiatus: interruption; pause
Languid: tired; slow
Obscured: hidden; covered; buried
Poised: calm; collected; self-possessed
Resplendent: shining; glowing
Therapeutic: medicinal; curative
Group 3
Acuity: sharpness (mental or visual)
Braggart: someone who boasts
Debunking: exposing false claims or myths
Epitomized: typified; characterized; personified
Hidebound: rigid in opinions
Languish: decay; fade away; get weaker
Obsequious: servile; submissive
Polemical: causing debate or argument
Restorative: a tonic
Thwart: prevent; frustrate
Group 4
Adamant: forceful; inflexible
Brawny: muscular
Decathlon: an athletic competition with ten events
Equivocate: speak ambiguously; avoid telling the truth
Hieroglyphics: 1. picture writing; 2. writing which is difficult to read or enigmatic
Larceny: theft; robbery; stealing
Obsession: a dominating concern
Ponderous: weighty; slow and heavy
Retention: preservation; withholding
Timorous: cowardly; fearfu
Group 5
Adroit: skilful / skillful
Brevity: being brief
Decorum: dignified, correct behavior [decorous (a)]
Err: make a mistake
Hinder: obstruct
Largess: generosity
Obsolete: no longer valid
Pontificate: speak pompously or dogmatically
Reticent: restrained; holding something back; uncommunicative
Tirade: stream of verbal abuse
Group 6
Adulation: strong admiration; worship
Bristle: to show irritation
Decoy: lure; trap; trick
Erratic: wandering; irregular
Histrionic: theatrical; exaggerated
Laud: praise
Obstreperous: noisy and boisterous
Portend: foretell
Retraction: withdrawal; cancellation of a statement
Tittergiggle quietly
Group 7
Adversity: hardship
Broach: start to discuss; approach
Deference: respect
Esoteric: obscure and difficult to understand
Hoary: old
Lavish: on a grand scale; wasteful
Obtuse: mentally dull
Portent: a warning sign; omen
Revere: worship
Tome: large book
Group 8
Advocate: support
Brusque: blunt; abrupt
Defoliate: cause leaves to fall off
Espouse: promote; take up; support
Hones: harpen; increase; whet
Lax: careless; not strict
Obviate: avoid; make unnecessary
Poseur: someone who puts on an act
Riddled: full of (usually full of holes)
Torpid: inactive; lazy; stagnant
Group 9
Aesthetic: concerning art or beauty
Bulwark: fortification; barricade; wall
Defunct: no longer in existence
Etymology: the study of word origins
Hyperbole: grossly exaggerated speech
Legend: 1. key to map; 2. myth or story
Odious: hateful
Posterity: future generations
Rife: common
Torpord: ormancy; sluggishness; inactivity
Group 10
Affable: friendly; social; easygoing
Bureaucracy: officialdom
Degradation: deprivation; poverty; debasement
Eulogy: praise
Hypochondriac:a person obsessed with health; having imaginary illnesses
Legion: in large numbers
Officious: domineering; intrusive; meddlesome
Posthumous: after death
Rigor: thoroughness
Totter: walk unsteadily