1. benign
(adj) having a kindly disposition; gracious:
The benign king treated all his subjects with love.
2. bestial
(adj) without reason or intelligence; brutal; inhuman:
The bestial treatment of prisoners in Iraq led to several soldiers' courtmartial.
3. burnish
(verb) to polish (a surface) by friction to make smooth and shiny.
I burnished the vase so much, I could see my reflection in it.
4. delectable
(adj) delicious:
A delectable dinner would consist of steak and lobster.
5. echelon
(noun) a level of command, authority, or rank:
In high school, seniors hold the upper echelon of power.
6. eclectic
(adj) selecting or choosing from various sources.
Her tastes in music were considered eclectic since she listened to many different types.
7. embellish
(verb) To make beautiful, as by ornamentation; decorate.
Nancy embellished her dress with so many rhinestones that it sparkled in the dark.
8. exacerbate
(verb) to increase the severity, bitterness, or violence of (disease, ill feeling, etc.); aggravate
Arguing with your paretnts only exacerbates the problem you are having; it never makes anything better.
9. fraught
(adj) filled or laden (with)
The situation was fraught with danger.
10. furtive
(adj) taken, done, used, etc., surreptitiously or by stealth; secret.
He gave his neighbor's paper a furtive galnce as he tried to cheat on the quiz.
11. jettison
(verb) to throw off (something) as an obstacle or burden; discard.
The sinking ship was forced to jettison its cargo to lighten the load.
12. litany
(noun) list, catalog, or a long religious prayer
I hate listening to her complaints; the litany just goes on and on!
13. luminous
(adj) radiating or reflecting light; shining; bright.
The luminous full moon cast its light over the field.
14. misanthrope -
(noun) a hater of humankind.
My teacher has to be a total misanthrope because she hates everyone!
15. necromancer
(noun) one who practices magic or sorcery especially by conjuring the dead.
The necromancer tried to raise the zombie to do his bidding.
16. paroxysm
(noun) any sudden, violent outburst; a fit of violent action or emotion; a spasm
I didn't think the joke was funny, but Paul went into a paraxysm of laughter.
17. rudiments
(noun) elements or first principles of a subject
You have to learn the rudiments of basketball, like dribbling, before you can dunk.
18. sequester
(verb) to remove or withdraw into solitude or retirement; seclude.
The jury had to be sequestered for the length of the trial.
19. sporadic
(adj) occurrences) appearing or happening at irregular intervals in time; occasional
His attendance is sporadic at best; he hasn't made a full a week of school yet.
20. vituperative
(adj) marked by harshly abusive criticism;
Her vituperative comments were very hurtful and made me feel badly about myself.
(adj) having a kindly disposition; gracious:
The benign king treated all his subjects with love.
2. bestial
(adj) without reason or intelligence; brutal; inhuman:
The bestial treatment of prisoners in Iraq led to several soldiers' courtmartial.
3. burnish
(verb) to polish (a surface) by friction to make smooth and shiny.
I burnished the vase so much, I could see my reflection in it.
4. delectable
(adj) delicious:
A delectable dinner would consist of steak and lobster.
5. echelon
(noun) a level of command, authority, or rank:
In high school, seniors hold the upper echelon of power.
6. eclectic
(adj) selecting or choosing from various sources.
Her tastes in music were considered eclectic since she listened to many different types.
7. embellish
(verb) To make beautiful, as by ornamentation; decorate.
Nancy embellished her dress with so many rhinestones that it sparkled in the dark.
8. exacerbate
(verb) to increase the severity, bitterness, or violence of (disease, ill feeling, etc.); aggravate
Arguing with your paretnts only exacerbates the problem you are having; it never makes anything better.
9. fraught
(adj) filled or laden (with)
The situation was fraught with danger.
10. furtive
(adj) taken, done, used, etc., surreptitiously or by stealth; secret.
He gave his neighbor's paper a furtive galnce as he tried to cheat on the quiz.
11. jettison
(verb) to throw off (something) as an obstacle or burden; discard.
The sinking ship was forced to jettison its cargo to lighten the load.
12. litany
(noun) list, catalog, or a long religious prayer
I hate listening to her complaints; the litany just goes on and on!
13. luminous
(adj) radiating or reflecting light; shining; bright.
The luminous full moon cast its light over the field.
14. misanthrope -
(noun) a hater of humankind.
My teacher has to be a total misanthrope because she hates everyone!
15. necromancer
(noun) one who practices magic or sorcery especially by conjuring the dead.
The necromancer tried to raise the zombie to do his bidding.
16. paroxysm
(noun) any sudden, violent outburst; a fit of violent action or emotion; a spasm
I didn't think the joke was funny, but Paul went into a paraxysm of laughter.
17. rudiments
(noun) elements or first principles of a subject
You have to learn the rudiments of basketball, like dribbling, before you can dunk.
18. sequester
(verb) to remove or withdraw into solitude or retirement; seclude.
The jury had to be sequestered for the length of the trial.
19. sporadic
(adj) occurrences) appearing or happening at irregular intervals in time; occasional
His attendance is sporadic at best; he hasn't made a full a week of school yet.
20. vituperative
(adj) marked by harshly abusive criticism;
Her vituperative comments were very hurtful and made me feel badly about myself.