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.”

Redact(ed) tr.v. Edit something: to edit, revise, or delete content in preparation for publication. “The documents were redacted so personal information wasn’t released to the public.”

Eclectic adj. 1. Composed of elements drawn from various sources 2. Not following any one system, but selecting and using what are considered the best elements of all systems. “An eclectic taste in decorating; an eclecticapproach to management.”

Repugnant adj. Arousing disgust or aversion; offensive or repulsive.

Opine v.tr. To state as an opinion. Latin: opinari – to have an opinion.

Effusive [ef·fu·sive] adj. 1. Unrestrained or excessive in emotional expression; gushy: “An effusive manner.” 2. Profuse; overflowing: “effusive praise.”

Epochal adj. 1. Highly significant or important; momentous: “Epochaldecisions made by the president.” 2. Without parallel: “Epochal stupidity.”

Voracity; Voracious adj. Consuming or eager to consume great amounts of food; ravenous. 2. Having or marked by an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit; greedy: “A voracious reader.”

Venality [ve·nal·i·ty] n. 1. The condition of being susceptible to bribery or corruption. 2. The use of a position of trust for dishonest gain: “The venality of a corrupt judge.”

Egregious adj. Conspicuously bad or offensive. “The judge’s conduct was egregious.”

Episodic adj. Happening at irregular intervals. “He has episodicmigraines.”

Auspices [aus·pi·ces] n.pl. 1. With the protection or support of someone or something, especially an organization: “Financial aid is being provided under the auspices of NATO.”

Analogous adj. 1. Similar or alike in such a way as to permit the drawing of an analogy. “The brain and the Acme 1000 supercomputer are analogous to each other.”

Metaphor n. A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate something else. Example: “She was drowning in money.”

Indigenous [in·dig·e·nous] adj. Originating and living or occurring naturally in an area or environment. “The cactus is indigenous to Arizona.”

Savant [sa·vant] n. A person of learning; wise or scholarly.

Progeny n.pl. 1. Something that originates or results from something else; outcome; issue. 2. A result of creative effort; a product.

Causative [caus·a·tive] adj. 1. Indicative that the subject causes an act to be performed or a condition to come into being. “A causative factor of war.”

Ambivalence n. 1. Uncertainty or indecisiveness as to which course to follow. 2. The coexistence of opposing attitudes or feelings, such as love and hate, toward a person, object, or idea.

Litigious [li·ti·gious] adj. Of, relating to, or characterized by litigation.
Tending to engage in lawsuits. A litigious celebrity.

Gratuitous adj. 1. Given or granted without return or recompense; unearned. 2. Unnecessary or unwarranted; unjustified: A gratuitousremark.

Aplomb [a·plomb] n.  Self-confident assurance, skill, and poise – especially in difficult or challenging circumstances.

Secular [sec·u·lar] adj. 1. Worldly rather than spiritual. 2. Not specifically relating to religion or to a religious body. “A secular book.”

Arduous adj. 1. Demanding great effort or labor; difficult. “An arduousundertaking.” 2. Testing severely the powers of endurance; strenuous. “A long and arduous process.”

Antithesis n.pl. 1. Direct contrast; opposition. 2. The direct or exact opposite. “Hope is the antithesis of despair.”

A phrase in which two words of contradictory meaning are used together for special effect, for example, “wise fool” or “to make haste slowly.”

Pervicacious adj. Stubborn, extremely willful, obstinate. “He became quite pervicacious in his old age.”

Accoutrement n. Additional items of dress or equipment, carried or worn by a person or used for a particular activity. The General dressed for battle in shining accoutrements.”

Vernacular n. The language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region. An idiomatic word, phrase, or expression. The idiom of a particular trade or profession: “In the legal vernacular.”

Paradigm n. A typical example or pattern of something; a model. “The economic paradigm was flawed.”

Deciduous adj. Not permanent or lasting; ephemeral. “The fire created a deciduous outlook for the company.”

Pedantic adj. 1. Characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning and formal rules. “A pedantic attention to details.”

Vexatious adj. 1. Full of annoyance or distress; harassed. 2. Causing or creating vexation; annoying. “Her ex-husband put her in a vexatioussituation.”

Assiduous adj. 1. Constant in application or attention; diligent: “An assiduous worker who strove for perfection.” 2. Unceasing; persistent: “Assiduous cancer research.”

Precarious adj. 1. Dangerously lacking in security or stability: “The precarious life of an undercover cop.” 2. Subject to chance or unknown conditions. 3. Based on uncertain, unwarranted, or unproved premises. “A precarious solution to a difficult problem.”