Facetious [fa·ce·tious] adj. Treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant.

Fractious adj. (1) Easily irritated; bad-tempered: “they fight and squabble like fractious kids.” (2) (of an organization) Difficult to control; unruly.

Abysmal adj. Extremely bad; appalling. “The results were pretty abysmal;” “Abysmal failure.”

Atrocious adj. Horrifyingly wicked: “Atrocious cruelties.” Of a very poor quality; extremely bad or unpleasant: “Atrocious weather.”

Endemic adj. Native to a specific region or environment and not occurring naturally anywhere else. “Malaria is endemic in tropical climates.” (n.) An endemic plant or animal.

Paradox n. A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth. An opinion or statement contrary to commonly accepted opinion, but may be factual.

Superfluous adj. Unnecessary, being beyond what is required or sufficient. “The repeated warnings were superfluous.” “Superfluous details.”

Masticate v. To chew (as in food). To reduce to pulp by crushing, grinding or kneading. “The patient was unwilling to masticate or swallow his food.”

Didactic adj. (1) Intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive. (2) In the manner of a teacher, particularly so as to treat someone in a patronizing way. “The didactic speech influenced the weaker members of the audience.”

Decadent n. A person who is luxuriously self-indulgent. (adj.) Characterized by or reflecting a state of decay or cultural decline, as in being self-indulgent or morally corrupt.

Innervate v. To stimulate or supply nervous energy.

Insolent adj. Showing a rude or arrogant lack of respect. “The child’s insolent behavior was unacceptable.”

Garrulous adj. Excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters. “A garrulous reprimand.”

Vacuous adj. Having or showing a lack of thought or intelligence; mindless: “a vacuous smile.”

Agnostic [ag·nos·tic] n. A person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God or of anything beyond material phenomena.

Juxtapose tr.v. 1. To place side by side, especially for comparison or contrast. “The exhibition juxtaposes Picasso’s early drawings with some of his later works.”

Pundit n. 1. Somebody who expresses an opinion: somebody who acts as a critic or authority on a particular subject, especially in the media. “The election results threw the political pundits into confusion.” 2. Somebody wise: somebody with knowledge and wisdom.

Tenacious adj. 1. Not readily letting go of, giving up, or separated from an object that one holds, a position, or a principle: “A tenacious hold.” 2. Not easily dispelled or discouraged; persisting in existence or in a course of action: “A tenacious legend.”

Vacillate v. Alternate or waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive. “Her tendency to vacillate made her a poor director.”

Fastidious adj. 1. Very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail. 2. excessively particular, critical, or demanding; hard to please: “A fastidious eater.” 3. Very concerned about matters of cleanliness.

Assuage v. 1. To make milder or less severe; relieve; ease; mitigate: “to assuage one’s pain.” 2. to appease, satisfy, or relieve: “To assuage one’s hunger.” 3. to soothe or calm: “To assuage his fears;” “To assuage her anger.”

Vicarious [vi·car·i·ous] adj. 1. Experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person: “A vicarious thrill.” 2. Acting or done for another: “A vicarious atonement.”

Transitory adj. 1. Not lasting, enduring, permanent, or eternal. 2.Lasting only a short time; brief; short-lived; temporary. “It was a transitory stage in the actor’s career.”

Rhetorical adj. Of or relating to rhetoric. Characterized by language that is elaborate, pretentious, insincere, or intellectually vacuous.

Bloviate [blo·vi·ate] i.v. To speak or write at length in a pompous or boastful manner.

Temerity n. Excessive confidence or boldness; audacity: “No one had the temerity to question her decision.”

Ignominious adj. Deserving or causing public disgrace or shame; humiliating: “An ignominious defeat.”

Diatribe n. 1. A bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism: “Repeated diatribes against the candidates.”

Clandestine [clan·des·tine] adj. 1. Kept or done in secret, often in order to conceal an illicit or improper purpose. “The CIA maintains clandestine operations in many countries.”

Eponym n. A person whose name is or is thought to be the source of the name of something, such as a city or country. “George Washington is the eponym of Washington DC.”

Rhetorical [rhe·tor·i·cal] adj. Of or relating to rhetoric. Characterized by language that is elaborate, pretentious, insincere, or intellectually vacuous.

Eccentric adj. 1. Departing from a recognized, conventional, or established norm or pattern. 2. n. One that deviates markedly from an established norm, especially a person of odd or unconventional behavior. “His eccentricities now extend to never leaving his home.”

Impugn tr.v. To attack as false or questionable; challenge in argument: “To impugn a political opponent’s record.”

Erudite adj. Deep, extensive learning. “He has a reputation as an eruditeintellectual with a deep understanding of the issues.”

Homogeneous [ho·mo·ge·ne·ous] adj. 1. Uniform in structure or composition. 2. Of the same or similar nature or kind: “The corporation maintains tight-knit, homogeneous board members.”

Nocturnal adj. Occurring or coming out at night: “A nocturnal lifestyle.”

Aesthetic(s) [aes·thet·ic] adj. 1. Of or concerning the appreciation of beauty or good taste. 2. Characterized by a heightened sensitivity to beauty. “The aesthetic design of the building is amazing!”

Enervate tr.v. 1. To weaken or destroy the strength or vitality. 2. Lacking physical, mental, or moral vigor. “Prolonged exposure to the sun and dehydration enervated the desert racing team.”

Attrition n. 1. A gradual, natural reduction in membership or personnel, as through retirement, resignation, or death. 2. A gradual diminution in number or strength. “The company’s attrition rate was quite high.”

Axiom n. 1. An established rule, principle, or law. 2. A self-evident or universally recognized truth; a maxim. 3. A self-evident principle or one that is accepted as true without proof as the basis for argument.

Prognosticate tr.v. To predict according to present indications or signs; foretell. “The armchair quarterback tried to prognosticate the play from his recliner.”

Insidious adj. 1. Working or spreading harmfully in a subtle or stealthy manner: insidious rumors; an insidious disease. 2. Beguiling but harmful; alluring: insidious pleasures.

Apathetic adj. 1. Feeling or showing little or no emotion; unresponsive. 2. Feeling or showing a lack of interest or concern; indifferent. “He seemed very apathetic about the company’s closure.”

Cornucopia n. A large amount of something; a great supply, an abundance: “A cornucopia of employment opportunities.”

Solicitous [so·lic·i·tous] adj. 1. Marked by or given to anxious care and often hovering attentiveness. 2. Extremely careful; meticulous: “solicitous in matters of behavior.” 3. Anxious or concerned: “a solicitous parent.”

Attenuate v. 1. To reduce in force, value, amount, or degree; weaken: “The layoffs attenuated the company’s sales forecast.”

Caveat n. 1. A warning or proviso: something said as a warning, caution, or qualification. “The agreement contains the usual caveats.”

Intuitive [in·tu·i·tive] adj. Known automatically: known directly and instinctively, without being discovered or consciously perceived. “He intuitively knew that one day she would become a movie star.”

Truncate tr.v. 1. To shorten or cut off. 2. To shorten (a number) by dropping one or more digits after the decimal point.

Cathartic adj. Producing a feeling of being purified emotionally, spiritually, or psychologically as a result of an intense emotional experience or therapeutic technique. “The strength of the movie had a cathartic effect on her.”