Cognitive adj. 1. Relating to the process of acquiring knowledge by the use of reasoning, intuition, or perception. 2. Having a basis in or reducible to empirical factual knowledge. “A Cognitive model for success.”

Specious adj.  1. Having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually fallacious. “A specious argument.” 2. Deceptively attractive.

Nebulous adj. 1. Lacking definition or definite content. 2. Lacking definite form or limits; vague. “The test results were nebulous and determined to be unusable.”

Exacerbate transitive verb.  To make more violent, bitter, or severe; to irritate or make worse. “The continued delays were greatly exacerbated by the lack of workers on the project.”

Ostensible adj.  Stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so. Being such in appearance, plausible rather than demonstrably true or real. “The ostensible purpose of the trip was for business.”

Disingenuous adj. Not straightforward or candid; insincere or calculating.  “It was disingenuous of her to claim she had no financial interest in the company.”

Derisive (de·ri·sive) adj. Expressing contempt or ridicule; mocking or scornful. “A derisive laugh.”

Prodigious (pro·di·gious) adj. Remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree. “Her prodigious sales performance resulted in a promotion.”

Bucolic (bu·col·ic) adj. Of or relating to the pleasant aspects of country life. “He retired to a more bucolic life on his farm.”

Atypical adj.  Not conforming to type; unusual or irregular. Deviating from what is usual or common or to be expected; often somewhat odd or strange. “The strong sales were atypical of the normally weak market.”

Antiquated adj.  Very old; aged. Too old to be fashionable, suitable, or useful; outmoded, obsolete. “The committee thought the marketing strategy was too antiquated to approve.”

Fortuitous adj.  Happening by accident or chance. Happening by a fortunate accident or chance. Lucky or fortunate. “The check could not have arrived at a more fortuitous time.”

Voluminous adj.  Having great volume, fullness, size, or number; ample or lengthy in speech or writing. “Voluminous paperwork.”

Reciprocity (rec·i·proc·i·ty) n A reciprocal condition or relationship. “The president’s proposal calls for full reciprocity.”

Myopic; Myopia n.  Distant objects appear blurred – Lack of discernment or long-range perspective in thinking or planning: “Myopic thinking.”

Vociferous (vo·cif·er·ous) adj Characterized by vehemence, clamour, or noisiness: “A vociferous crowd.”

Expeditious (ex·pe·di·tious) adj.  Acting or done with speed and efficiency.

Placid (plac·id) adj.  1. Satisfied; complacent.  2. Undisturbed by tumult or disorder; calm or quiet.

Demonstrable (de·mon·stra·ble) adj.  1. Capable of being demonstrated or proved: “demonstrable truths.”  2. Obvious or apparent: “demonstrable lies.”

Perpetuity (per·pe·tu·i·ty) n.pl.  1. Time without end; eternity.  2. The quality or condition of being perpetual: “The terms of the agreement remain in effect in perpetuity.”

Amorous adj. Showing, feeling, or relating to intimate desire. “She did not appreciate his amorous advances.”

Maniacal adj. Characterized by excessive enthusiasm or excitement. “A maniacal grin on his face.”

Sartorial adj. Of or relating to tailoring, clothes, or style of dress. “Sartorial taste; “Sartorial elegance.”

Luddite n. A person opposed to increased industrialization or new technology, and is often someone who is incompetent when using new technology. “He was a luddite that preferred his typewriter over a computer.”

Conflate v. Combine two or more texts, ideas, etc. into one. “Their ideas were conflated in ways that were not helpful.”

Epicene adj. Having characteristics of both sexes or no characteristics of either sex; of indeterminate sex. “Clothing fashions are becoming increasingly epicene.”

Peripatetic adj. Traveling from place to place, esp. working or based in various places for relatively short periods. “He maintained a peripatetic lifestyle.”

Rapier n. Quick and incisive. A sharp-pointed sword used for thrusting. “Rapier combat was not for the meek.” “Rapier wit.”

Acuity n. Sharpness or keenness of thought, vision, or hearing. “The sun’s glare can cause discomfort and reduces visual acuity.”

Sycophant; Sycophantic Attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery; A servile self-seeking flatterer. “There was sycophantic laughter from the audience at their bosses jokes.”

Surreptitious adj. Kept secret, particularly because it would not be approved of. “His surreptitious drug habit could land him in jail.”

Brusque adj. Abrupt and curt in manner or speech; discourteously blunt. “Her boss gave a brusque reply.”

Congruent; Congruous adj. In agreement or harmony. Suitable; appropriate. “The company’s operations were congruent with its business plan.”

Churlish adj. Rude in a mean-spirited and surly way. “It was rather churlish of him to complain about the small donations.”

Efficacy n. The ability to produce a desired or intended result. “The efficacy of the new marketing plan has not been proven.”

Amorphous adj. Without a clearly defined shape or form. Vague; ill-organized; unclassifiable. “The amorphous package caused alarm to many people in the terminal.”

Gourmand n. A person who enjoys eating and often eats too much; gluttonous. A connoisseur of good food. “The traveling gourmand seldom passed up a restaurant.”

Melancholy n. A deep, pensive, and long-lasting sadness. adj. Sad, gloomy, or depressed. “She was in a melancholy mood.”

Disparate adj. Essentially different in kind; not allowing comparison. markedly distinct in quality or character. “He is a strong leader capable of managing a disparate team to achieve their goals.”

Demonstrative adj. Tending to show feelings, especially the open expression of emotion. “A demonstrative argument.”

Accolade n. An expression of praise or admiration. An award or privilege granted; an acknowledgment of merit. “The scientist was given many accolades for his research.”

Patronize v. Treat with an apparent kindness that betrays a feeling of superiority. “She detests being patronized.” Frequent an establishment as a customer. “He always patronizes the same restaurant.”

Ardent adj. Enthusiastic or passionate. “He is an ardent sports fan.”

Servile adj. Having or showing an excessive willingness to serve or please others. “She wrote a servile letter to her upset neighbor.”

Phalanx n. A group of people or things of a similar type forming a compact body or brought together for a common purpose. “A phalanx of lawyers took charge of the case.”

Tangential adj. Superficially relevant; divergent. Diverging from a previous course or line; erratic. “He took credit for anything tangentially related to their work.”

Discern; Discerning v. Perceive or recognize (something). Distinguish (someone or something) with difficulty by sight or with the other senses. “Discern who is telling the truth.”

Canonize v. Regard as being above reproach or of great significance. “He canonized women.”

Equivocal adj. Open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous. Uncertain or questionable in nature. “Congress was equivocal on its domestic spending package.”

Audacious; Audacity adj. Showing a willingness to take risks. “An audacious attack on the company.” Showing an impudent lack of respect. “An audacious move.”