# WordDuel Vocabulary — Level 7: Year 11–12 > 109 words · Australian Curriculum spelling list --- ## 1. abnegation **Phonetic:** /ab-neh-GAY-shun/ **Definition:** The act of renouncing or rejecting something, especially one's own interests or desires. It means self-denial or sacrifice. **Example:** The monk's life of complete self-denial and ________ stood in stark contrast to the materialism of modern society. --- ## 2. abulia **Phonetic:** /uh-BOO-lee-uh/ **Definition:** A loss of willpower or the inability to make decisions or act independently. It refers to a condition of extreme indecisiveness. **Example:** He sat at his desk for hours, completely paralysed by an inability to decide what task to start first. --- ## 3. acephalous **Phonetic:** /ay-SEF-uh-lus/ **Definition:** Without a head or leader. It is used both literally in biology and figuratively to describe a group or organisation lacking leadership. **Example:** Following the sudden departure of all senior officials, the organisation found itself leaderless and unable to make critical decisions. --- ## 4. adscititious **Phonetic:** /ad-sih-TISH-us/ **Definition:** Added or derived from an external source rather than being inherent. It describes something supplemental that is not essential or original. **Example:** The editor felt that several paragraphs were clearly added from outside sources and were not part of the original argument. --- ## 5. adumbrative **Phonetic:** /ad-UM-bruh-tiv/ **Definition:** Giving a faint or shadowy indication of something to come. It describes something that foreshadows or partially reveals a future event. **Example:** The dark, foreboding clouds on the horizon served as a shadowy foreshadowing of the devastating storm that would soon arrive. --- ## 6. alacrity **Phonetic:** /uh-LAK-rih-tee/ **Definition:** Brisk and cheerful readiness or eagerness to do something. It suggests a lively willingness and promptness in responding. **Example:** When the opportunity to travel abroad arose, she responded with such eager, cheerful promptness that her bags were packed within the hour. --- ## 7. anathema **Phonetic:** /uh-nath-uh-muh/ **Definition:** Something or someone that is intensely disliked or loathed. It originally referred to a formal curse by a church. **Example:** The concept of restricting artistic expression was something utterly detested and abhorrent to every member of the creative community. --- ## 8. anechoic **Phonetic:** /an-eh-KOH-ik/ **Definition:** Free from echo or reverberation. It describes a space or material that absorbs sound rather than reflecting it. **Example:** The specially designed room absorbed all sound reflections, creating an eerie silence that many visitors found deeply unsettling. --- ## 9. animadversion **Phonetic:** /an-ih-mad-VUR-zhun/ **Definition:** Strong criticism or censure, often expressed publicly. It refers to a harsh comment or unfavourable observation directed at someone or something. **Example:** The editorial contained harsh public criticisms of the government's handling of the environmental crisis. --- ## 10. animus **Phonetic:** /AN-ih-mus/ **Definition:** A strong feeling of hostility or ill will toward someone. It can also refer to the motivating force or intention behind an action. **Example:** The deep hostility between the two families had festered for generations, though nobody could recall its origin. --- ## 11. ataraxia **Phonetic:** /at-uh-RAK-see-uh/ **Definition:** A state of serene calmness and freedom from emotional disturbance or anxiety. It was a central concept in ancient Stoic and Epicurean philosophy. **Example:** The philosopher taught that the highest goal in life was achieving an unshakeable inner tranquillity free from all worry. --- ## 12. atavism **Phonetic:** /AT-uh-viz-um/ **Definition:** The reappearance of a characteristic in an organism after several generations of absence, or a reversion to an earlier type. It can also mean a throwback to a more primitive form. **Example:** The sudden appearance of a trait not seen for many generations puzzled the geneticists studying the family lineage. --- ## 13. bathetic **Phonetic:** /buh-THEH-tik/ **Definition:** Producing an effect of anticlimax, where something shifts abruptly from the elevated or serious to the trivial or ridiculous. It relates to a sudden drop in quality or tone. **Example:** The novel built tremendous emotional tension for three hundred pages only to resolve everything with a laughably trivial conclusion about a lost sock. --- ## 14. blandishment **Phonetic:** /blan-dish-ment/ **Definition:** A flattering or pleasing statement or action used to gently persuade someone. It refers to coaxing through charm rather than force. **Example:** The salesman used every form of flattery and gentle coaxing he could think of to persuade the reluctant customer. --- ## 15. bumptious **Phonetic:** /BUMP-shus/ **Definition:** Self-assertive or proud to an irritating degree; aggressively conceited. It describes someone who is annoyingly confident about their own importance. **Example:** The irritatingly self-important young man dominated every conversation, never pausing to consider that others might have worthwhile opinions. --- ## 16. caesura **Phonetic:** /sih-ZHOOR-uh/ **Definition:** A pause or break in the middle of a line of poetry, or more broadly, any significant interruption or pause in a sequence. **Example:** The dramatic pause in the middle of the verse forced the reader to reflect before continuing to the line's end. --- ## 17. captious **Phonetic:** /KAP-shus/ **Definition:** Tending to find fault or raise petty objections about trivial matters. It describes someone who is excessively critical in an unhelpful way. **Example:** No matter how well the students performed, the examiner always found trivial faults to nitpick about. --- ## 18. cathect **Phonetic:** /kuh-THEKT/ **Definition:** To invest emotional energy or mental focus in a person, idea, or object. It is the verb form related to the psychoanalytic concept of directing psychological energy toward something. **Example:** She poured so much emotional energy into the project that its cancellation felt like a personal bereavement. --- ## 19. cathisma **Phonetic:** /kah-THIZ-muh/ **Definition:** A section of the Psalter read during Orthodox Christian services, or a seat or sitting. It refers to a liturgical division used in worship. **Example:** During the monastic service, the congregation sat while a prescribed division of the Book of Psalms was read aloud. --- ## 20. chthonic **Phonetic:** /THON-ik/ **Definition:** Relating to or inhabiting the underworld, especially in Greek mythology. It describes deities, spirits, or forces associated with the earth and the realm beneath it. **Example:** The rituals were performed at nightfall to honour the dark, subterranean gods who dwelled beneath the earth rather than on Mount Olympus. --- ## 21. compendious **Phonetic:** /kum-PEN-dee-us/ **Definition:** Containing or presenting the essential facts in a concise but comprehensive way. It means briefly but thoroughly covering a subject. **Example:** The lecturer was praised for her ability to deliver a brief yet remarkably thorough summary of complex economic theories. --- ## 22. concupiscence **Phonetic:** /kon-KYOO-pih-sens/ **Definition:** Strong desire or longing, especially of a sensual nature. It is often used in theological or philosophical contexts to describe powerful physical appetites. **Example:** The philosopher argued that unchecked sensual desire and physical longing could cloud moral judgement and lead people away from virtuous living. --- ## 23. contumacious **Phonetic:** /kon-too-may-shus/ **Definition:** Stubbornly or wilfully disobedient to authority. It describes someone who rebelliously refuses to comply with rules or orders. **Example:** Despite multiple warnings, the stubbornly rebellious student continued to defy every instruction given by the school administration. --- ## 24. coruscate **Phonetic:** /KOR-uh-skayt/ **Definition:** To give off or reflect light in bright, brief flashes; to sparkle or glitter. It can also mean to be brilliant or showy in technique or style. **Example:** The morning sun hit the frost-covered branches, causing them to flash and glitter like thousands of tiny crystals. --- ## 25. defalcation **Phonetic:** /dee-fal-KAY-shun/ **Definition:** The misuse or embezzlement of funds placed in one's trust or care, especially by a public official or trustee. **Example:** The charity's director was prosecuted after auditors uncovered years of systematic embezzlement from the organisation's accounts. --- ## 26. defeasible **Phonetic:** /dih-FEE-zih-bul/ **Definition:** Capable of being annulled, revoked, or made void under certain conditions. In law and philosophy, it describes claims or rights that can be overridden by new evidence or circumstances. **Example:** The legal team argued that the property claim could be overturned if the original conditions were not met. --- ## 27. deflagration **Phonetic:** /def-luh-GRAY-shun/ **Definition:** A rapid, intense burning or combustion of a substance. It refers to a fierce burning that spreads quickly but below the speed of sound. **Example:** The rapid combustion of the powder created a brilliant flash that lit up the entire testing facility. --- ## 28. deliquescence **Phonetic:** /del-ih-KWES-ens/ **Definition:** The process by which a substance absorbs moisture from the air until it dissolves in the absorbed water. It can also describe a gradual melting or dissolving away. **Example:** Left on the laboratory bench overnight, the hygroscopic compound had absorbed so much moisture from the air that it had completely liquefied by morning. --- ## 29. descant **Phonetic:** /DES-kant/ **Definition:** A melody or counterpoint sung above the main tune, or to talk at length about a topic. It can refer to both a musical term and extended commentary. **Example:** While the main choir held the familiar hymn tune, one voice soared above them all with an ornamental higher melody. --- ## 30. descry **Phonetic:** /dih-SKRY/ **Definition:** To catch sight of something, especially something that is difficult to see or far away. It means to notice or discover by careful observation. **Example:** Squinting through the fog, the lookout finally managed to make out the faint outline of a lighthouse on the rocky shore. --- ## 31. desultory **Phonetic:** /DES-ul-tor-ee/ **Definition:** Lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm; occurring randomly or intermittently. It describes something that jumps from one thing to another without logical connection. **Example:** The meeting was unfocused and haphazard, with participants jumping randomly between unrelated topics without reaching any conclusions. --- ## 32. dissolution **Phonetic:** /dis-uh-loo-shun/ **Definition:** The closing down or dismissal of an assembly, partnership, or official body. It can also mean the process of dissolving or breaking apart. **Example:** After years of internal conflict, the formal breaking apart and termination of the business partnership was finally announced. --- ## 33. dithyrambic **Phonetic:** /dith-ih-RAM-bik/ **Definition:** Wildly enthusiastic or passionately ecstatic in expression. It derives from the dithyramb, an ancient Greek choral hymn sung in praise of Dionysus. **Example:** The speaker delivered such a wildly enthusiastic and impassioned tribute that several members of the audience were moved to tears. --- ## 34. equanimity **Phonetic:** /ee-kwuh-nim-uh-tee/ **Definition:** Mental calmness and composure, especially in a difficult situation. It means maintaining an even temper regardless of circumstances. **Example:** Despite the chaos erupting around her during the emergency, she maintained a serene composure that reassured everyone nearby. --- ## 35. etiolate **Phonetic:** /ee-tee-oh-layt/ **Definition:** To make or become pale and weak, especially through lack of light or nourishment. It can also mean to deprive something of its strength or vitality. **Example:** The seedlings grew pale, spindly, and weak after being kept in the dark cupboard for too long. --- ## 36. exiguous **Phonetic:** /eg-zig-yoo-us/ **Definition:** Very small in size or amount; scanty or meagre. It describes something that is inadequately small or insufficient. **Example:** The scholarship provided such a scanty and meagre allowance that the student could barely afford textbooks. --- ## 37. exuviae **Phonetic:** /eg-ZOO-vee-ee/ **Definition:** The cast-off skins, shells, or coverings of animals, especially those shed during moulting. It refers to remains left behind after an organism grows. **Example:** Clinging to the bark of the eucalyptus tree were dozens of hollow, transparent shells left behind by insects that had moulted. --- ## 38. farrago **Phonetic:** /fuh-RAH-goh/ **Definition:** A confused mixture or hodgepodge of different things. It describes a disordered collection that lacks coherence or organisation. **Example:** The essay was a bewildering jumble of unrelated ideas, misquoted statistics, and contradictory arguments all thrown together without any clear structure. --- ## 39. febrile **Phonetic:** /FEB-ryle/ **Definition:** Relating to or affected by fever. It can also describe a state of nervous excitement or agitation. **Example:** The patient's elevated temperature and flushed skin suggested a feverish condition requiring immediate medical attention. --- ## 40. fissiparous **Phonetic:** /fih-SIP-uh-rus/ **Definition:** Inclined to cause or undergo division into separate groups or factions. It describes a tendency to split apart or fragment. **Example:** Internal disagreements and rival ambitions created a splitting, fragmenting tendency within the organisation that threatened to tear it apart. --- ## 41. flagitious **Phonetic:** /fluh-JISH-us/ **Definition:** Deeply criminal or extremely wicked; shamefully criminal or villainous. It describes actions or people that are shockingly evil. **Example:** The dictator's deeply villainous acts against his own citizens were eventually documented and presented at the international tribunal. --- ## 42. forfend **Phonetic:** /for-FEND/ **Definition:** To avert, prevent, or forbid something undesirable from happening. It is often used in the phrase 'heaven forfend' as an exclamation. **Example:** The community took every precaution to ward off and prevent a repeat of the devastating flood that had struck the previous year. --- ## 43. fugato **Phonetic:** /foo-gah-toh/ **Definition:** A passage in a musical composition that is written in the style of a fugue but forms part of a larger, non-fugal work. It uses imitative counterpoint without being a complete fugue. **Example:** In the middle of the orchestral piece, the composer inserted a section where each instrument entered in imitation, mimicking the style of a fugue without committing to the full form. --- ## 44. fustian **Phonetic:** /FUS-chun/ **Definition:** Pompous or pretentious speech or writing; inflated and ridiculous language. Originally it referred to a type of coarse cloth. **Example:** Behind all the inflated, pretentious language in the politician's speech, there was remarkably little substance or genuine meaning. --- ## 45. gelid **Phonetic:** /JEL-id/ **Definition:** Extremely cold; icy. It describes something that is intensely frigid, often used in literary or formal contexts. **Example:** The mountain climbers' fingers went numb within seconds of removing their gloves in the intensely frigid air above the snowline. --- ## 46. hebdomadal **Phonetic:** /heb-DOM-uh-dul/ **Definition:** Occurring every week; weekly. It is a formal or literary term for something that happens on a seven-day cycle. **Example:** The university's governing body held its regularly scheduled seven-day meetings to discuss administrative matters each Monday. --- ## 47. hebetude **Phonetic:** /heb-ih-tyood/ **Definition:** The state of being dull, lethargic, or lacking mental sharpness. It describes a condition of mental sluggishness or stupor. **Example:** After three consecutive nights of poor sleep, a profound mental dullness and lethargy settled over him like a fog. --- ## 48. hypnagogic **Phonetic:** /hip-nuh-GOJ-ik/ **Definition:** Relating to the state of consciousness just before falling asleep. It describes the drowsy, dreamlike experiences that occur on the threshold of sleep. **Example:** Just as she was drifting off, strange images and sounds flooded her mind in that twilight zone between waking and sleeping. --- ## 49. iatrogenic **Phonetic:** /eye-AT-roh-JEN-ik/ **Definition:** Relating to illness or harm caused by medical examination or treatment. It describes negative effects that result from healthcare interventions themselves. **Example:** The complications arose not from the disease itself but from the medical treatment intended to cure it. --- ## 50. imprecation **Phonetic:** /im-preh-KAY-shun/ **Definition:** A spoken curse or an appeal to a higher power to bring harm upon someone. It refers to a solemn or angry invocation of evil. **Example:** In the ancient text, the priest called down divine wrath upon the enemies of the city through a formal spoken curse. --- ## 51. inanition **Phonetic:** /in-uh-NISH-un/ **Definition:** Exhaustion or weakness caused by lack of nourishment; also, a lack of mental or spiritual vitality. It refers to an emptied or depleted state. **Example:** The survivors were found in a state of extreme physical exhaustion and weakness brought on by prolonged starvation. --- ## 52. incarnadine **Phonetic:** /in-KAR-nuh-dyne/ **Definition:** Of a crimson or pinkish-red colour, or to make something red or crimson. Shakespeare famously used it to describe turning the seas red with blood. **Example:** In Macbeth, the guilt-stricken king imagines his bloodied hands turning the entire green ocean to a deep crimson hue. --- ## 53. incunabulum **Phonetic:** /in-kyoo-NAB-yoo-lum/ **Definition:** A book printed before 1501, in the earliest period of European printing. More broadly, it refers to the earliest stages or first traces of something. **Example:** The collector paid a fortune for the fifteenth-century printed volume, one of fewer than fifty surviving copies from that early press. --- ## 54. indefeasible **Phonetic:** /in-deh-FEE-zih-bul/ **Definition:** Not able to be lost, annulled, or overturned. It describes a right or claim that cannot be made void. **Example:** The legal scholar argued that the right to a fair trial is one that cannot be revoked under any circumstances. --- ## 55. inspissate **Phonetic:** /in-SPIS-ayt/ **Definition:** To thicken or make dense, especially by evaporation or absorption of fluid. It can also be used figuratively to mean making something more concentrated. **Example:** The pharmacist heated the liquid extract carefully to evaporate the water content and make the mixture thicker and more concentrated. --- ## 56. integument **Phonetic:** /in-TEG-yoo-ment/ **Definition:** A tough outer protective layer or covering of an organism, such as skin, a shell, or a rind. It refers to any natural coating that shields what lies beneath. **Example:** The biologist examined the tough, protective outer layer of the beetle, noting how this natural covering shielded the delicate organs underneath. --- ## 57. invidious **Phonetic:** /in-VID-ee-us/ **Definition:** Likely to cause resentment or anger, especially by being unfair or discriminatory. It can also describe something unpleasantly envious or offensively harmful. **Example:** The teacher was placed in an unfair and resentment-provoking situation when asked to publicly rank students against each other. --- ## 58. lassitude **Phonetic:** /LASS-ih-tood/ **Definition:** A state of physical or mental weariness and lack of energy. It describes a feeling of listless exhaustion or fatigue. **Example:** The oppressive summer heat left everyone in a state of heavy weariness, unable to muster the energy for any activity. --- ## 59. lissome **Phonetic:** /LIS-um/ **Definition:** Thin, supple, and graceful in movement. It describes a person or figure that moves with elegant flexibility. **Example:** The dancer's slender, supple figure allowed her to execute even the most demanding choreography with fluid elegance. --- ## 60. litotes **Phonetic:** /LY-tuh-teez/ **Definition:** A figure of speech in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary, such as saying 'not bad' to mean 'good'. It is a form of deliberate understatement. **Example:** When the teacher described the student's brilliant thesis as 'not unintelligent,' the class recognised the deliberate understatement immediately. --- ## 61. louche **Phonetic:** /loosh/ **Definition:** Disreputable or dubious in a way that is also attractive or appealing. It describes someone or something that has a shady but alluring quality. **Example:** The mysterious stranger had a disreputable yet somehow magnetic charm that drew people to him despite their better judgment. --- ## 62. machicolation **Phonetic:** /muh-CHIK-oh-lay-shun/ **Definition:** An opening between the supporting corbels of a projecting parapet in a medieval castle, through which stones or boiling liquids could be dropped on attackers. **Example:** The tour guide pointed upward at the openings in the castle wall through which medieval defenders once poured boiling oil on enemies below. --- ## 63. manumission **Phonetic:** /man-yoo-MISH-un/ **Definition:** The act of freeing a slave or slaves. It is a historical and legal term for the formal release from bondage. **Example:** The historian discovered a legal document from the 1830s that formally granted liberation to an entire group of enslaved workers. --- ## 64. meretricious **Phonetic:** /meh-reh-TRISH-us/ **Definition:** Apparently attractive but having no real value or integrity; showy but cheap or insincere. It describes something that is superficially appealing but ultimately worthless. **Example:** The gaudy decorations and flashy neon signs gave the restaurant a superficially glamorous look, but the food and service were utterly disappointing. --- ## 65. nugatory **Phonetic:** /NOO-guh-tor-ee/ **Definition:** Having no purpose or value; useless or futile. It can also mean having no legal force or effect. **Example:** All their careful planning turned out to be completely worthless when the project was cancelled at the last minute. --- ## 66. objurgate **Phonetic:** /OB-jur-gayt/ **Definition:** To scold or rebuke someone severely and sharply. It implies a harsh verbal criticism. **Example:** The coach harshly berated the team in the change rooms after their careless performance in the first half. --- ## 67. obloquy **Phonetic:** /OB-luh-kwee/ **Definition:** Severe public criticism, censure, or verbal abuse. It can also refer to the state of disgrace or bad reputation resulting from such criticism. **Example:** After the scandal broke, the politician endured a torrent of harsh public condemnation from every corner of the media. --- ## 68. oleaginous **Phonetic:** /oh-lee-AJ-ih-nus/ **Definition:** Oily or greasy in texture, or excessively flattering and ingratiating in manner. It can describe both a physical quality and an unpleasantly fawning personality. **Example:** The politician's slick, excessively flattering manner made voters distrust every word he said. --- ## 69. oppugn **Phonetic:** /uh-PYOON/ **Definition:** To call into question; to oppose or attack by argument or criticism. It means to challenge the truth or validity of something. **Example:** The defence attorney vigorously challenged and contested the validity of every piece of evidence presented by the prosecution. --- ## 70. opsimath **Phonetic:** /OP-sih-math/ **Definition:** A person who begins to learn or study late in life. It describes someone who takes up education or acquires knowledge at an advanced age. **Example:** Having spent decades working on farms, the eighty-year-old finally enrolled in a literature course, proving it is never too late to pursue learning. --- ## 71. palaver **Phonetic:** /puh-LAH-ver/ **Definition:** Unnecessarily lengthy or idle discussion, or a fuss about something. It can also mean a prolonged and tedious negotiation. **Example:** What should have been a simple five-minute decision turned into an hour-long fuss involving everyone in the office. --- ## 72. palinode **Phonetic:** /PAL-ih-nohd/ **Definition:** A poem or statement in which the author retracts something said in a previous poem or work. More broadly, it means a formal retraction or recantation. **Example:** After publishing a scathing critique that proved unfounded, the journalist wrote a formal piece retracting every claim made in the original article. --- ## 73. palladium **Phonetic:** /puh-LAY-dee-um/ **Definition:** Something regarded as a safeguard or guarantee of protection, especially of liberty or safety. It originally referred to a sacred statue believed to protect ancient Troy. **Example:** The charter of rights was seen as the ultimate safeguard protecting citizens from government overreach. --- ## 74. palliate **Phonetic:** /pal-ee-ayt/ **Definition:** To make a disease or its symptoms less severe without removing the cause. It can also mean to make something bad seem less serious. **Example:** While the treatment could not cure the underlying condition, it significantly eased the suffering and discomfort the patient experienced. --- ## 75. palynology **Phonetic:** /pal-ih-NOL-uh-jee/ **Definition:** The scientific study of pollen and spores, both living and fossilised. It is used in fields like archaeology, geology, and forensic science. **Example:** By analysing microscopic plant reproductive particles found in sediment layers, scientists could determine what vegetation grew thousands of years ago. --- ## 76. patulous **Phonetic:** /pat-yoo-lus/ **Definition:** Spreading or expanded widely; open or gaping. It is often used in botany to describe branches, leaves, or structures that spread outward. **Example:** The ancient tree's limbs spread widely outward in every direction, creating an enormous canopy over the courtyard. --- ## 77. pelagic **Phonetic:** /peh-LAJ-ik/ **Definition:** Relating to the open sea, especially the upper layers far from shore. It describes organisms or environments found in the open ocean. **Example:** The marine biologist studied species that lived far from any coastline, roaming freely through the vast open waters. --- ## 78. peroration **Phonetic:** /per-uh-RAY-shun/ **Definition:** The concluding part of a speech, especially one that is intended to inspire enthusiasm or be particularly forceful and eloquent. **Example:** The lawyer saved her most powerful and impassioned arguments for the rousing conclusion of her address to the jury. --- ## 79. phthisis **Phonetic:** /THY-sis/ **Definition:** A wasting disease, especially pulmonary tuberculosis. It is an archaic medical term that was once commonly used for consumption of the lungs. **Example:** The nineteenth-century poet gradually wasted away from the dreaded lung disease that claimed so many lives in that era. --- ## 80. pretermit **Phonetic:** /pree-tur-MIT/ **Definition:** To leave out or omit something, or to let something pass without mention or action. It can also mean to neglect or disregard intentionally. **Example:** In her otherwise thorough analysis, the researcher deliberately chose to pass over several minor inconsistencies without comment. --- ## 81. privation **Phonetic:** /pry-VAY-shun/ **Definition:** A state in which essential things such as food, warmth, or shelter are lacking. It refers to the condition of being deprived of basic comforts and necessities. **Example:** The documentary revealed the severe lack of food, clean water, and shelter that the displaced families were forced to endure. --- ## 82. procrustean **Phonetic:** /proh-KRUS-tee-un/ **Definition:** Enforcing rigid conformity to a standard, regardless of individual variation or circumstances. It comes from the Greek myth of Procrustes, who stretched or cut travellers to fit his bed. **Example:** The rigid policy forced every department into the same template, regardless of their unique needs and circumstances. --- ## 83. prolepsis **Phonetic:** /proh-lep-sis/ **Definition:** The anticipation and answering of possible objections in an argument, or the representation of a future event as if it has already happened. It is a rhetorical and literary technique. **Example:** The skilled debater anticipated every possible counterargument and addressed them before her opponent could even raise them. --- ## 84. propitiate **Phonetic:** /proh-PISH-ee-ayt/ **Definition:** To win or regain the favour of someone by doing something that pleases them; to appease or conciliate. Often used in the context of calming anger or wrath. **Example:** The diplomats offered generous concessions in an effort to appease the rival nation and prevent war. --- ## 85. quietus **Phonetic:** /kwy-EE-tus/ **Definition:** Something that puts an end to or settles a matter finally. It can also mean death or a calming or silencing influence. **Example:** The decisive vote of the parliament put a definitive and permanent end to the controversial policy debate. --- ## 86. quisling **Phonetic:** /KWIZ-ling/ **Definition:** A traitor who collaborates with an occupying enemy force. The term comes from a Norwegian politician who aided the Nazi occupation of Norway. **Example:** History remembers him not as a patriot but as a collaborator who betrayed his own countrymen to serve the occupying forces. --- ## 87. rebarbative **Phonetic:** /reh-BAR-buh-tiv/ **Definition:** Unattractive, objectionable, or repellent. It describes something that causes irritation or strong dislike. **Example:** The new building's harsh concrete exterior and jagged angles made it thoroughly unappealing to most residents. --- ## 88. sciolism **Phonetic:** /SY-oh-liz-um/ **Definition:** Pretentious superficiality of knowledge; the practice of pretending to know more than one actually does. It describes shallow learning paraded as expertise. **Example:** The self-proclaimed expert's superficial grasp of the subject became embarrassingly clear when real specialists questioned him. --- ## 89. scrannel **Phonetic:** /SKRAN-ul/ **Definition:** Thin, slight, or harsh and unmelodious in sound. It describes something that is meagre, grating, or unpleasantly squeaky. **Example:** The critic dismissed the new album as containing nothing but thin, grating melodies that lacked any warmth or resonance. --- ## 90. sequacious **Phonetic:** /seh-KWAY-shus/ **Definition:** Lacking independence or originality of thought; inclined to follow others slavishly. It can also mean logically following in a smooth, uninterrupted sequence. **Example:** Rather than forming their own opinions, the group members slavishly adopted whatever position their charismatic leader happened to express. --- ## 91. sibilant **Phonetic:** /SIB-ih-lunt/ **Definition:** Making or characterised by a hissing sound. In linguistics, it refers to sounds like 's' and 'sh'. **Example:** The snake's threatening hissing sound echoed through the quiet bush, causing the hikers to freeze in their tracks. --- ## 92. somnolent **Phonetic:** /SOM-nuh-lent/ **Definition:** Sleepy or drowsy; tending to cause sleepiness. It can describe both a person feeling drowsy and something that induces drowsiness. **Example:** The heavy meal and warm fireplace made everyone in the room feel deliciously drowsy and ready for a nap. --- ## 93. sophistry **Phonetic:** /SOF-iss-tree/ **Definition:** The use of clever but false arguments, especially with the intention of deceiving. It refers to reasoning that sounds impressive but is actually flawed. **Example:** His argument sounded impressively logical at first, but closer examination revealed it to be nothing more than clever but deceptive reasoning. --- ## 94. splenetic **Phonetic:** /spleh-NET-ik/ **Definition:** Bad-tempered, spiteful, or full of ill humour. Historically related to the spleen, which was once thought to be the source of irritability. **Example:** The old professor was known for his ill-tempered outbursts whenever a student dared to question his theories. --- ## 95. spoonerism **Phonetic:** /SPOO-nuh-riz-um/ **Definition:** An error in speech where the initial sounds or letters of two or more words are accidentally swapped, often with humorous results. **Example:** The nervous speaker accidentally transposed the first letters of two words, turning a serious announcement into an unintentionally comic moment. --- ## 96. stertorous **Phonetic:** /STUR-tor-us/ **Definition:** Describing breathing that is heavy, noisy, and laboured, often with a snoring or rasping sound. It is typically used in medical or literary contexts. **Example:** The heavy, rasping sounds coming from the sleeping man could be heard from the next room. --- ## 97. sudoriferous **Phonetic:** /soo-dor-IF-er-us/ **Definition:** Producing or secreting sweat. It is a technical term relating to the sweat glands of the body. **Example:** The biology textbook explained how the glands responsible for perspiration are distributed across the surface of human skin. --- ## 98. susurrant **Phonetic:** /suh-SUR-unt/ **Definition:** Whispering or rustling softly. It describes a gentle murmuring sound like leaves in a breeze. **Example:** The soft rustling of the curtains created a gentle, whispering atmosphere in the dimly lit room. --- ## 99. tautology **Phonetic:** /taw-TOL-uh-jee/ **Definition:** The saying of the same thing twice in different words, generally considered a fault of style. It is needless repetition of an idea in different words. **Example:** The editor flagged the phrase 'past history' as redundant, since history by definition refers to things that have already occurred. --- ## 100. tenebrous **Phonetic:** /TEN-eh-brus/ **Definition:** Dark, shadowy, or obscure. It describes something shrouded in gloom or difficult to understand because of its murky nature. **Example:** The old mansion's hallways were so deeply shadowed and gloomy that even at midday, one needed a torch to navigate them safely. --- ## 101. tergal **Phonetic:** /TUR-gul/ **Definition:** Relating to or situated on the back or dorsal surface of an organism, particularly the upper surface of an arthropod segment. **Example:** The biologist focused her analysis on the dorsal surface plates of the insect's body segments under the microscope. --- ## 102. termagant **Phonetic:** /TUR-muh-gunt/ **Definition:** A harsh-tempered, overbearing, or violently scolding person. It originally referred to a fictional deity in medieval plays. **Example:** The shrewish character in the play berated everyone around her with relentless fury and bitter insults. --- ## 103. torose **Phonetic:** /tor-OHS/ **Definition:** Muscular or bulging, with a knotted or swollen appearance. In botany, it describes a surface with rounded swellings. **Example:** The botanist noted the plant's cylindrical fruit had a distinctively knobbly, bulging appearance between each seed. --- ## 104. usufruct **Phonetic:** /YOO-zoo-frukt/ **Definition:** The legal right to use and enjoy the benefits of someone else's property without damaging or diminishing it. It grants temporary enjoyment of assets that belong to another person. **Example:** Under the terms of the will, she could live in the house and harvest from the orchard for life, though the property technically belonged to her nephew. --- ## 105. usurious **Phonetic:** /yoo-ZHOOR-ee-us/ **Definition:** Relating to or involving the practice of lending money at unreasonably high or illegal interest rates. **Example:** The moneylender's exorbitant interest rates trapped borrowers in cycles of debt they could never escape. --- ## 106. uxoricide **Phonetic:** /uk-SOR-ih-syde/ **Definition:** The act of killing one's wife, or a person who kills their wife. It is a specific legal and forensic term. **Example:** The forensic historian studied several colonial-era cases in which men were convicted of murdering their spouses. --- ## 107. uxorious **Phonetic:** /uk-SOR-ee-us/ **Definition:** Having or showing an excessive or submissive fondness for one's wife. It describes a man who is overly devoted to or dominated by his spouse. **Example:** The king was criticised for being so excessively devoted to his queen that he allowed her to influence all his decisions. --- ## 108. velitation **Phonetic:** /vel-ih-TAY-shun/ **Definition:** A minor skirmish or dispute. It refers to a small conflict or petty quarrel rather than a full-scale battle. **Example:** What began as a minor disagreement about seating arrangements quickly escalated into a petty but heated verbal skirmish. --- ## 109. vertiginous **Phonetic:** /ver-TIJ-ih-nus/ **Definition:** Causing or relating to a feeling of dizziness or spinning. It can also describe something extremely high or steep, or something that changes rapidly. **Example:** Standing at the edge of the observation deck, she felt a spinning, dizzy sensation as she looked down at the city hundreds of metres below. ---