Audacious

adj: fearless and daring

The audacious peasant dared to insult the king's mother.

Synonyms: adventuresome, aggressive, assertive, bold, brave, courageous, daring, dauntless, doughty, fearless, gallant, game, heroic, intrepid, mettlesome, plucky, stout, stouthearted, unafraid, undaunted, valiant, valorous, venturesome, venturous

Articulate

adj: able to speak clearly and expressively

She is extremely articulate when it comes to expressing her pro-labor views; as a result, unions are among her strongest supporters.

Synonyms: eloquent, expressive, fluent, lucid, silver-tongued, smooth-spoken

Emulate

verb: to copy, to try to equal or excel

The graduate student sought to emulate his professor in every way, copying not only how she taught but also how she conducted herself outside of class.

Synonyms: ape, imitate, simulate

Enumerate

verb: to count, list, or itemize

Before making his decision, Jacob asked the waiter to enumerate the different varieties of ice cream that the restaurant carried.

Synonyms: catalog, index, tabulate

Upbraid

verb: to scold sharply

The teacher upbraided the student for scrawling graffiti all over the walls of the school.

Synonyms: berate, rebuke, reproach, tax

Dupe

verb: to deceive, a person who is easily deceived

Bugs Bunny was able to dupe Elmer Fudd by dressing up as a lady rabbit.

Synonyms: beguile, betray, bluff, cozen, deceive, delude, fool, hoodwink, humbug, mislead, take in trick

Grovel

verb: to humble oneself in a demeaning way

Thor groveled to his ex-girlfriend, hoping she would take him back.

 Synonyms: bootlick, cringe, fawn, kowtow, toady

Redress

noun: relief from wrong or injury

Remedy or compensation for a wrong or grievance.

verb: Remedy or compensation for a wrong or grievance.

Seeking redress for the injuries she had received in the accident, Doreen sued the driver of the truck that had hit her.

Synonyms: amends, indemnity, compensation, quittance, reparation, restitution

Ethos

noun: beliefs or character of a group

1.) Sociology. the fundamental character or spirit of a culture; the underlying sentiment that informs the beliefs, customs, or practices of a group or society; dominant assumptions of a people or period: In the Greek ethos the individual was highly valued.

2. the character or disposition of a community, group, person, etc.

3. the moral element in dramatic literature that determines a character's action rather than his or her thought or emotion.

It is the Boy Scouts' ethos that one should always be prepared.

Synonyms: culture, ethic, philosophy

Erratic

adj: wandering and unpredictable

The plot seemed predictable until it suddenly took a series of erratic turns that surprised the audience.

Synonyms: capricious, inconstant, irresolute, whimsical

Sublime

adj: lofty or grand

The music was so sublime that it transformed the rude surroundings into a special place.

 Synonyms: august, exalted, glorious, grand, magnificent, majestic,noble, resplendent, superb

Mar

verb: to damage or deface, spoil

Telephone poles mar the natural beauty of the countryside.

Synonyms: blemish, disfigure, impair, injure, scar

Heterogeneous

adj: composed of unlike parts, different, diverse

The United Nations is by nature a heterogenous body.

Synonyms: assorted, micellaneous, mixed, motley, varied

Malinger

verb: to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill

A common way to avoid the draft was by malingering - pretending to be mentally or physically ill so as to avoid being taken by the army.

Synonyms: shirk, slack

Antagonize

verb: to annoy or provoke to anger

The child discovered that he could antagonize the cat by pulling its tail.

Synonyms: clash, conflict, incite, irritate, oppose, pester, procoke, vex

Vex

verb: to annoy, irritate, puzzle, confuse

The old man who loved his peace and quiet was vexed by his neigbor's loud music.

Synonyms: annoy, bother, chafe, exasperate, irk, nettle, peeve, provoke

Meticulous

adj: extremely careful, fastidious, painstaking

To find all the clues at the crime scene, the meticulous investigators examined every inch of the area.

Synonyms: finicky, fussy, picky, precise, punctilious, scrupulous

finicky -
1.(of a person) Fussy about one's needs or requirements.


2.Showing or requiring great attention to detail.

Fetid

adj: foul-smelling, putrid

The fetid stench from the outhouse caused Francesca to wrinkle her nose in disqust.

Synonyms: funky, malodorous, noisome, rank, stinky

Pungent

adj: sharp and irritating to the senses.

The smoke from the burning tires was extremely pungent.

Synonyms: acrid, caustic, piquant, poignant, stinging

Fervid

adj: intensely emotional, feverish

1.Intensely enthusiastic or passionate.
2.Burning, hot, or glowing.
 
At the school board meeting the librarian delivered a fervid speech defending the classic novel against would-be censors.


The fervid sands of Arabia, where T.E. Lawrence staked his claim to military glory.

The fans of Maria Callas were particularly fevid, doing anything to catch a glimpse of the great opera singer.
 
 

Synonyms: brning, impassioned, passsionate, vehement, zealous

Ardor

noun: intense and passionate feeling (sometimes relating to sexuality), loyalty

:an often restless or transitory warmth of feeling

Bishop's ardor for landscape was evident when he passionately described the beauty of the scenic Hudson Valley.

Synonyms: devotion, enthusiasm, fervency, fervidity, fervidness, ferver, fire, passion, zeal, zealousness