1. abate- (v.) to make less in amount, degree, etc.; to subside, become less; to nullify; to deduct, omit
“We stood on the dock on that moonless night, waiting for the storm to abate.”
2. adulation- (n.) praise or flattery that is excessive
“Athletes have little choice but to enjoy the sometimes puzzling adulation of their fans.”
3. anathema- (n.) an object of intense dislike; a curse or strong denunciation (often used adjectivally without the article)
“The author’s views on bringing up children are anathema to my dad but a delight to my mother.”
4. astute- (adj.) shrewd, crafty, showing practical wisdom
“The astute management of money is a valuable skill but may not by itself make a good executive.”
5. avarice- (n.) a greedy desire, particularly for wealth
“Her career exhibited both the miser’s ever-growing avarice and the miser’s diminishing charm.”
6. culpable- (adj.) deserving blame, worthy of condemnation
“It was the inspectors’ culpable neglect of duty that left such old buses in service.”
7. dilatory- (adj.) tending to delay or procrastinate; not prompt; intended to delay or postpone
“She hired an assistant because, on her own, she was always dilatory in paying her bills.”
8. egregious- (adj.) conspicuous, standing out from the mass (used particularly in an unfavorable sense)
“Whoever allowed that man on a stage is guilty of an egregious blunder.”
9. equivocate- (v.) to speak or act in a way that allows for more than one interpretation; to be deliberately vague or ambiguous
“I won’t soon give my vote to a candidate who shows such a marked tendency to equivocate.”
10. evanescent- (adj.) vanishing, soon passing away; light and airy
“Looking back, I see that the magic of that summer was evanescent.”
From last week:
impugn
intemperate
perfidy
subservient
susceptible