ephemeral (adj.)	lasting only a very short time · Synonym: fleeting · e.g. The ephemeral rainbow faded before anyone could grab a camera.
equivocate (verb.)	to speak vaguely to avoid giving a clear answer · Synonym: hedge · e.g. When asked who broke the vase, Theo began to equivocate.
trepidation (noun.)	nervous fear about something that is coming · Synonym: dread · e.g. Maya felt trepidation as she stepped onto the stage for her solo.
laconic (adj.)	using very few words · Synonym: brief · e.g. Grandpa's laconic reply to my long letter was simply "Got it."
obsequious (adj.)	too eager to please or obey others · Synonym: fawning · e.g. The obsequious waiter refilled our glasses every thirty seconds.
abate (verb.)	to become less strong or intense · Synonym: lessen · e.g. We waited in the cabin for the blizzard to abate.
acumen (noun.)	skill at making quick, smart judgments · Synonym: insight · e.g. Her business acumen turned a lemonade stand into a summer company.
pragmatic (adj.)	focused on what is practical and actually works · Synonym: practical · e.g. Lena took a pragmatic approach and repaired her old bike.
ambiguous (adj.)	able to be understood in more than one way · Synonym: unclear · e.g. The ambiguous sign left drivers unsure which lane to use.
abdicate (verb.)	to give up a throne or a responsibility · Synonym: resign · e.g. The king chose to abdicate so that his daughter could rule.
ambivalent (adj.)	having mixed feelings about something · Synonym: undecided · e.g. Sam felt ambivalent about moving: excited for the beach, sad to leave friends.
adage (noun.)	an old, well-known saying · Synonym: saying · e.g. My grandmother loves the adage "Waste not, want not."
acquiesce (verb.)	to agree or give in without protest · Synonym: agree · e.g. After a long debate, Dad acquiesced and let us adopt the puppy.
audacious (adj.)	boldly daring and willing to take big risks · Synonym: bold · e.g. Her audacious plan was to bike across the entire country alone.
austere (adj.)	plain and severe, without comfort or decoration · Synonym: plain · e.g. The monks lived in austere rooms with only a cot and a candle.
alacrity (noun.)	cheerful eagerness and quickness · Synonym: eagerness · e.g. The kids accepted the invitation to the water park with alacrity.
ameliorate (verb.)	to make a bad situation better · Synonym: improve · e.g. The new bus route ameliorated the long commute for many students.
banal (adj.)	dull and ordinary, lacking anything fresh · Synonym: commonplace · e.g. The movie's banal plot held no surprises for the audience.
cantankerous (adj.)	grumpy and quick to argue · Synonym: grouchy · e.g. The cantankerous old goat butted anyone who came near the fence.
anomaly (noun.)	something that differs from what is normal · Synonym: oddity · e.g. A snowstorm in July would be an anomaly in Texas.
ascertain (verb.)	to find out for certain · Synonym: determine · e.g. The detective worked to ascertain who had left the gate open.
capricious (adj.)	changing suddenly and without any good reason · Synonym: fickle · e.g. The capricious weather switched from sun to hail within minutes.
clandestine (adj.)	done in secret, often to hide something · Synonym: secret · e.g. The friends held a clandestine meeting to plan a surprise party.
assuage (verb.)	to ease or calm a painful feeling · Synonym: ease · e.g. A cup of cocoa assuaged her disappointment about the canceled game.
antipathy (noun.)	a strong feeling of dislike · Synonym: dislike · e.g. The cat showed open antipathy toward the new puppy.
cogent (adj.)	clear, logical, and convincing · Synonym: convincing · e.g. Nadia's cogent essay persuaded the board to extend library hours.
condescending (adj.)	acting as if others are less intelligent · Synonym: patronizing · e.g. His condescending tone made the new students feel foolish.
belittle (verb.)	to make someone or something seem unimportant · Synonym: put down · e.g. Never belittle a classmate for asking a question.
aplomb (noun.)	calm confidence, especially under pressure · Synonym: poise · e.g. She handled the broken microphone with complete aplomb.
cursory (adj.)	quick and not thorough · Synonym: hasty · e.g. After a cursory glance at the map, Leo was sure he knew the way.
buttress (verb.)	to support or strengthen · Synonym: strengthen · e.g. She buttressed her argument with quotes from three experts.
dogmatic (adj.)	insisting one's beliefs are right beyond question · Synonym: opinionated · e.g. My dogmatic uncle refuses to consider any view but his own.
eclectic (adj.)	drawn from many different sources or styles · Synonym: varied · e.g. Her eclectic playlist mixed jazz, K-pop, and Irish folk songs.
artifice (noun.)	clever trickery meant to fool people · Synonym: trickery · e.g. The magician's artifice fooled even the sharpest kids in the audience.
cajole (verb.)	to persuade with flattery or gentle urging · Synonym: coax · e.g. Ella cajoled her dad into buying a second scoop of ice cream.
egregious (adj.)	shockingly bad · Synonym: outrageous · e.g. Misspelling the school's name on the trophy was an egregious mistake.
erudite (adj.)	having great knowledge gained from study · Synonym: scholarly · e.g. The erudite professor could quote Shakespeare and explain quantum physics.
avarice (noun.)	extreme greed for wealth · Synonym: greed · e.g. In the fable, the king's avarice led him to turn his food to gold.
capitulate (verb.)	to stop resisting and give in · Synonym: surrender · e.g. After a week of begging, Mom capitulated and bought the puppy.
esoteric (adj.)	understood by only a small, specialized group · Synonym: obscure · e.g. The professor's esoteric lecture on ancient grammar puzzled most listeners.
exorbitant (adj.)	far more than is reasonable, especially in price · Synonym: excessive · e.g. The airport charged an exorbitant price for a single bottle of water.
castigate (verb.)	to criticize or scold harshly · Synonym: scold · e.g. The coach castigated the team for skipping their warm-ups.
bane (noun.)	a cause of constant trouble or misery · Synonym: curse · e.g. Weeds are the bane of every gardener's summer.
extraneous (adj.)	not related to the main subject · Synonym: irrelevant · e.g. Delete any extraneous details so your essay stays focused.
fastidious (adj.)	very careful about details and cleanliness · Synonym: fussy · e.g. The fastidious cat refused to eat from a dish with crumbs.
circumvent (verb.)	to find a way around a rule or obstacle · Synonym: bypass · e.g. Clever students tried to circumvent the school's internet filter.
brevity (noun.)	the quality of being short · Synonym: shortness · e.g. The brevity of the principal's speech delighted the restless students.
fortuitous (adj.)	happening by lucky chance · Synonym: lucky · e.g. A fortuitous meeting at the bus stop led to a lifelong friendship.
gratuitous (adj.)	unnecessary and without good reason · Synonym: uncalled-for · e.g. The movie's gratuitous explosions added nothing to the story.
coalesce (verb.)	to come together to form one whole · Synonym: merge · e.g. Small raindrops coalesced into one large drop on the window.
hackneyed (adj.)	used so often it has lost its freshness · Synonym: overused · e.g. The essay opened with the hackneyed phrase "Since the dawn of time."
cacophony (noun.)	a harsh, jarring mix of loud sounds · Synonym: racket · e.g. The cacophony of car horns made it impossible to think.
condone (verb.)	to accept or allow behavior that is wrong · Synonym: excuse · e.g. The teacher would not condone cheating of any kind.
impassive (adj.)	showing no emotion · Synonym: expressionless · e.g. The guard's impassive face never changed as tourists made jokes.
impervious (adj.)	unable to be affected or passed through · Synonym: resistant · e.g. This raincoat is impervious to water.
catharsis (noun.)	a release of strong emotion that brings relief · Synonym: release · e.g. Crying at the end of the movie gave Ava a welcome catharsis.
corroborate (verb.)	to confirm with additional evidence · Synonym: confirm · e.g. Two witnesses corroborated Jen's story about the missing bike.
incongruous (adj.)	out of place; not fitting its surroundings · Synonym: mismatched · e.g. A tuxedo looked incongruous at the muddy campsite.
indolent (adj.)	lazy and avoiding effort · Synonym: lazy · e.g. The indolent cat lay in the sun all afternoon.
charlatan (noun.)	a person who falsely claims special skill · Synonym: fraud · e.g. The doctor selling miracle tonic turned out to be a charlatan.
debunk (verb.)	to show that a claim is false · Synonym: disprove · e.g. The science teacher debunked the myth that goldfish forget everything in seconds.
innocuous (adj.)	harmless; not likely to hurt or offend · Synonym: harmless · e.g. Her innocuous question about the weather started a long conversation.
insipid (adj.)	lacking flavor or interest · Synonym: bland · e.g. Without salt, the soup tasted insipid.
decry (verb.)	to criticize openly as wrong · Synonym: criticize · e.g. Scientists decried the dumping of plastic in the ocean.
clemency (noun.)	mercy shown when deciding a punishment · Synonym: mercy · e.g. The principal showed clemency and canceled the student's detention.
intransigent (adj.)	refusing to change one's position · Synonym: stubborn · e.g. The intransigent toddler refused to wear anything but his dinosaur boots.
irascible (adj.)	easily made angry · Synonym: irritable · e.g. The irascible chef shouted whenever an order was late.
delineate (verb.)	to describe or mark out precisely · Synonym: outline · e.g. The handbook delineates the rules for using the science lab.
conundrum (noun.)	a confusing and difficult problem · Synonym: puzzle · e.g. Fitting all the boxes into the tiny car was quite a conundrum.
loquacious (adj.)	very talkative · Synonym: talkative · e.g. Our loquacious tour guide chatted nonstop for three hours.
denounce (verb.)	to declare publicly that something is wrong · Synonym: condemn · e.g. The club captain denounced the cheating that marred the tournament.
magnanimous (adj.)	generous and forgiving, especially toward a rival · Synonym: generous · e.g. In a magnanimous gesture, the winner helped her rival off the court.
malevolent (adj.)	wishing harm to others · Synonym: evil · e.g. The malevolent witch in the fairy tale cursed the entire village.
credence (noun.)	belief that something is true · Synonym: belief · e.g. Few scientists gave credence to the claim of a talking dolphin.
deride (verb.)	to mock with scorn · Synonym: mock · e.g. Critics derided the film's silly special effects.
mercurial (adj.)	changing mood quickly and unpredictably · Synonym: moody · e.g. The mercurial artist could be joyful one minute and furious the next.
nefarious (adj.)	wicked or villainous · Synonym: wicked · e.g. The villain's nefarious scheme was to steal the city's water supply.
criterion (noun.)	a standard used for judging something · Synonym: standard · e.g. Creativity was the main criterion for winning the art contest.
disparage (verb.)	to speak of as having little worth · Synonym: badmouth · e.g. It's unkind to disparage someone's cooking when they tried their best.
oblique (adj.)	indirect; not stated openly · Synonym: indirect · e.g. Her oblique comment about messy rooms was clearly aimed at me.
opaque (adj.)	not letting light pass through · Synonym: cloudy · e.g. The bathroom window was made of opaque glass for privacy.
disseminate (verb.)	to spread information widely · Synonym: spread · e.g. The club used social media to disseminate news about the bake sale.
debacle (noun.)	a sudden and embarrassing failure · Synonym: disaster · e.g. The school play became a debacle when the set collapsed.
ostentatious (adj.)	showy and meant to impress others · Synonym: showy · e.g. He wore an ostentatious gold watch to the casual barbecue.
pedantic (adj.)	too concerned with minor rules and details · Synonym: nitpicking · e.g. The pedantic tutor corrected every tiny comma in my rough draft.
engender (verb.)	to cause or give rise to · Synonym: produce · e.g. Her kindness engendered loyalty among her teammates.
dearth (noun.)	a lack or shortage · Synonym: shortage · e.g. A dearth of rain left the farm's crops brown and dry.
perfunctory (adj.)	done only out of duty, with little care · Synonym: halfhearted · e.g. Max gave his aunt a perfunctory thank-you before running outside.
pernicious (adj.)	harmful in a gradual or hidden way · Synonym: harmful · e.g. The pernicious mold slowly spread behind the walls.
exacerbate (verb.)	to make a problem worse · Synonym: worsen · e.g. Scratching a mosquito bite only exacerbates the itch.
poignant (adj.)	deeply moving, often in a sad way · Synonym: touching · e.g. The poignant letter from her grandfather brought tears to her eyes.
decorum (noun.)	proper and polite behavior · Synonym: manners · e.g. The students behaved with decorum during the museum tour.
exonerate (verb.)	to clear someone of blame · Synonym: clear · e.g. The security video exonerated Jake, proving he never touched the trophy.
prodigious (adj.)	remarkably great in size or amount · Synonym: enormous · e.g. The young pianist had a prodigious memory for complex music.
profligate (adj.)	recklessly wasteful, especially with money · Synonym: wasteful · e.g. The profligate prince spent his entire fortune on parties.
deference (noun.)	polite respect for another's wishes or judgment · Synonym: respect · e.g. Out of deference to the sleeping baby, we whispered.
extol (verb.)	to praise with great enthusiasm · Synonym: praise · e.g. The coach extolled her team's teamwork in the newspaper interview.
prosaic (adj.)	ordinary and lacking imagination · Synonym: ordinary · e.g. His prosaic explanation was that the ghost was just the wind.
provincial (adj.)	narrow-minded because of limited experience · Synonym: narrow-minded · e.g. Travel abroad helped him outgrow his provincial attitudes.
demagogue (noun.)	a leader who stirs up emotions instead of reason · Synonym: agitator · e.g. The demagogue's fiery speech played on the crowd's fears.
extricate (verb.)	to free from a difficult situation · Synonym: free · e.g. Firefighters worked to extricate the kitten from the drainpipe.
pugnacious (adj.)	eager to argue or fight · Synonym: combative · e.g. The pugnacious goose chased every visitor away from the pond.
querulous (adj.)	complaining in a whiny way · Synonym: whiny · e.g. The querulous toddler whimpered about everything on the long car ride.
fathom (verb.)	to understand something difficult · Synonym: grasp · e.g. I can't fathom how ants carry fifty times their weight.
diatribe (noun.)	a bitter, angry speech of criticism · Synonym: rant · e.g. The coach's diatribe about lazy players lasted twenty minutes.
recalcitrant (adj.)	stubbornly refusing to obey or cooperate · Synonym: defiant · e.g. The recalcitrant mule refused to take another step.
reticent (adj.)	unwilling to share thoughts or feelings · Synonym: reserved · e.g. Usually reticent, Kim surprised everyone by telling a long story about herself.
feign (verb.)	to pretend to feel or have · Synonym: fake · e.g. Dev feigned surprise even though he knew about the party.
dichotomy (noun.)	a sharp division into two opposing parts · Synonym: split · e.g. The story explores the dichotomy between city life and country life.
sagacious (adj.)	wise and showing good judgment · Synonym: wise · e.g. The sagacious old owl in the story always gave the best advice.
foment (verb.)	to stir up trouble or unrest · Synonym: stir up · e.g. A few loud fans tried to foment trouble in the stands.
salient (adj.)	most noticeable or important · Synonym: notable · e.g. The most salient feature of the painting was its bright red sky.
sanguine (adj.)	cheerfully hopeful · Synonym: optimistic · e.g. Despite the rain, Jo remained sanguine about the picnic.
dilettante (noun.)	someone who dabbles in a subject without serious study · Synonym: dabbler · e.g. He was a dilettante who tried painting, guitar, and chess, mastering none.
forestall (verb.)	to prevent by acting ahead of time · Synonym: prevent · e.g. Dad fixed the gutter to forestall a leak during the rainy season.
scrupulous (adj.)	very careful to be honest and correct · Synonym: principled · e.g. The scrupulous cashier returned the extra dollar the customer had dropped.
sporadic (adj.)	happening now and then, at irregular times · Synonym: occasional · e.g. Sporadic showers interrupted the baseball game.
duplicity (noun.)	dishonest behavior that deceives others · Synonym: deceit · e.g. The friend's duplicity shocked her: he had been sharing her secrets all along.
galvanize (verb.)	to shock or excite into action · Synonym: motivate · e.g. The coach's speech galvanized the team for the second half.
spurious (adj.)	false or fake, though seeming genuine · Synonym: false · e.g. The website made spurious claims about a miracle diet.
staid (adj.)	serious, proper, and unadventurous · Synonym: stuffy · e.g. The staid museum surprised visitors by hosting a dance party.
harangue (verb.)	to lecture someone forcefully and at length · Synonym: lecture · e.g. Grandpa harangued us for an hour about leaving the lights on.
enmity (noun.)	deep and lasting hostility · Synonym: hostility · e.g. The enmity between the two rival schools went back decades.
stoic (adj.)	enduring hardship without complaining · Synonym: uncomplaining · e.g. The stoic runner finished the race despite a twisted ankle.
strident (adj.)	loud, harsh, and grating · Synonym: harsh · e.g. The strident alarm jolted everyone awake.
impugn (verb.)	to question someone's honesty or motives · Synonym: question · e.g. The rival team impugned the referee's fairness.
epiphany (noun.)	a sudden moment of understanding · Synonym: realization · e.g. In the shower, Marisol had an epiphany about the math problem.
sublime (adj.)	so beautiful or excellent it inspires awe · Synonym: glorious · e.g. The view of the sunrise from the mountaintop was sublime.
superfluous (adj.)	more than is needed · Synonym: extra · e.g. Bringing a fourth umbrella on the trip seemed superfluous.
inculcate (verb.)	to teach by constant repetition · Synonym: instill · e.g. Our coach inculcated the habit of stretching before every run.
surreptitious (adj.)	done secretly to avoid being noticed · Synonym: sneaky · e.g. Lucy took a surreptitious bite of cake before dinner.
epitome (noun.)	a perfect example of a quality or type · Synonym: model · e.g. With her calm leadership, Ms. Ortiz is the epitome of a good captain.
ingratiate (verb.)	to win favor by trying hard to please · Synonym: flatter · e.g. The new student tried to ingratiate herself with the popular group.
taciturn (adj.)	habitually quiet and saying little · Synonym: quiet · e.g. The taciturn fisherman nodded but never spoke.
tenuous (adj.)	very weak or slight · Synonym: flimsy · e.g. Their tenuous friendship broke apart after a single argument.
equanimity (noun.)	calmness and an even temper, even under stress · Synonym: composure · e.g. She accepted both praise and criticism with equanimity.
inundate (verb.)	to overwhelm with a huge amount · Synonym: flood · e.g. After the contest, fans inundated the radio station with calls.
transient (adj.)	lasting only briefly; passing through · Synonym: temporary · e.g. Her bad mood was transient, gone by lunchtime.
ubiquitous (adj.)	found everywhere · Synonym: widespread · e.g. Smartphones have become ubiquitous in high schools.
euphemism (noun.)	a mild word that replaces a harsh one · Synonym: polite term · e.g. "Passed away" is a common euphemism for "died."
jettison (verb.)	to throw away or discard · Synonym: discard · e.g. The crew jettisoned extra cargo to lighten the ship.
urbane (adj.)	polished, polite, and sophisticated · Synonym: refined · e.g. The urbane host made every guest feel welcome and at ease.
vacuous (adj.)	empty of ideas or intelligence · Synonym: empty · e.g. The commercial's vacuous slogan said nothing about the product.
malign (verb.)	to say false, harmful things about · Synonym: slander · e.g. The jealous rival tried to malign Ana's reputation online.
fortitude (noun.)	courage and strength in facing hardship · Synonym: courage · e.g. It took real fortitude to finish the marathon in the rain.
venerable (adj.)	respected because of age, wisdom, or character · Synonym: respected · e.g. The venerable oak in the town square is three hundred years old.
virulent (adj.)	extremely severe, harmful, or hostile · Synonym: severe · e.g. A virulent strain of flu spread through the school.
mitigate (verb.)	to make less severe or harmful · Synonym: reduce · e.g. Planting trees can mitigate the heat in city neighborhoods.
hubris (noun.)	excessive pride or self-confidence · Synonym: arrogance · e.g. His hubris made him skip practice before the big match.
vociferous (adj.)	loudly and forcefully expressing opinions · Synonym: vocal · e.g. Vociferous fans chanted the team's name for the entire game.
mollify (verb.)	to calm someone's anger · Synonym: soothe · e.g. A free dessert mollified the annoyed customer.
abject (adj.)	extremely miserable and hopeless · Synonym: miserable · e.g. The abject puppy shivered alone in the cold rain.
acrimonious (adj.)	bitter and angry in tone · Synonym: bitter · e.g. The acrimonious debate ended with neither side speaking to the other.
hyperbole (noun.)	extreme exaggeration not meant to be taken literally · Synonym: exaggeration · e.g. Saying "I've told you a million times" is hyperbole.
negate (verb.)	to cancel the effect of · Synonym: cancel · e.g. Eating a huge dessert can negate the benefits of a salad.
adroit (adj.)	skillful and clever, especially with hands or mind · Synonym: skillful · e.g. The adroit juggler kept five flaming torches in the air.
affable (adj.)	friendly and easy to talk to · Synonym: friendly · e.g. Our affable bus driver greeted every student by name.
impetus (noun.)	a force that drives someone to act · Synonym: motivation · e.g. The broken swing was the impetus for building a new playground.
obfuscate (verb.)	to make something unclear on purpose · Synonym: confuse · e.g. The company tried to obfuscate its hidden fees with tiny print.
altruistic (adj.)	unselfishly concerned for others · Synonym: selfless · e.g. Her altruistic act was donating her birthday money to the shelter.
arbitrary (adj.)	based on chance or whim, not reason · Synonym: random · e.g. The arbitrary rule banned blue pens but allowed black ones.
ostracize (verb.)	to exclude someone from a group · Synonym: exclude · e.g. The team agreed never to ostracize a player for making mistakes.
impunity (noun.)	freedom from punishment or consequences · Synonym: immunity · e.g. The raccoons raided the trash cans with impunity.
ascetic (adj.)	giving up comforts and pleasures for discipline · Synonym: self-denying · e.g. The monk lived an ascetic life, eating one simple meal a day.
assiduous (adj.)	showing steady, careful effort · Synonym: diligent · e.g. Her assiduous practice made her the best violinist in the orchestra.
placate (verb.)	to calm someone by making concessions · Synonym: calm · e.g. Mom placated the crying toddler with a cookie.
innuendo (noun.)	an indirect hint, usually something negative · Synonym: hint · e.g. Through sly innuendo, he suggested his rival had cheated.
auspicious (adj.)	showing signs of future success · Synonym: promising · e.g. Clear skies made an auspicious start to the sailing trip.
bombastic (adj.)	full of showy, puffed-up language · Synonym: pompous · e.g. His bombastic speech used big words but said very little.
preclude (verb.)	to make impossible in advance · Synonym: prevent · e.g. The heavy snow precluded any chance of an outdoor practice.
caustic (adj.)	bitterly harsh or able to burn chemically · Synonym: biting · e.g. The critic's caustic review left the young author in tears.
juxtaposition (noun.)	placing two things side by side to compare · Synonym: contrast · e.g. The juxtaposition of old and new buildings made the street interesting.
proliferate (verb.)	to increase rapidly in number · Synonym: multiply · e.g. Weeds proliferated across the garden while the family was away.
circumspect (adj.)	careful to consider risks before acting · Synonym: cautious · e.g. A circumspect hiker checks the weather before climbing.
contentious (adj.)	likely to cause arguments · Synonym: controversial · e.g. Changing the school mascot became a contentious issue among students.
levity (noun.)	lighthearted humor, especially at a serious time · Synonym: humor · e.g. Grandpa's jokes brought some levity to the long hospital wait.
propagate (verb.)	to spread or reproduce widely · Synonym: spread · e.g. Gardeners propagate roses by planting cuttings from older bushes.
culpable (adj.)	deserving blame for wrongdoing · Synonym: guilty · e.g. The judge found the driver culpable for the accident.
didactic (adj.)	intended to teach, often in a preachy way · Synonym: instructive · e.g. The didactic cartoon taught kids to brush their teeth.
malaise (noun.)	a vague feeling of unease or low energy · Synonym: unease · e.g. A general malaise settled over the team after three losses.
recant (verb.)	to publicly take back an earlier statement · Synonym: retract · e.g. The scientist recanted her claim after finding errors in her data.
diffident (adj.)	lacking self-confidence; shy · Synonym: shy · e.g. The diffident student rarely raised her hand in class.
disparate (adj.)	very different; not alike at all · Synonym: different · e.g. The club drew members from disparate backgrounds and interests.
relegate (verb.)	to move to a lower, less important position · Synonym: demote · e.g. The coach relegated the late player to the bench.
maverick (noun.)	an independent person who refuses to conform · Synonym: rebel · e.g. The maverick painter ignored every rule her teachers taught.
ebullient (adj.)	bubbling over with cheerful excitement · Synonym: cheerful · e.g. The ebullient fans cheered and danced after the win.
effusive (adj.)	expressing feelings in an overflowing, gushing way · Synonym: gushing · e.g. She gave an effusive thank-you speech that lasted ten minutes.
renege (verb.)	to go back on a promise · Synonym: back out · e.g. He reneged on his offer to help us move.
misnomer (noun.)	a name that describes something wrongly · Synonym: wrong name · e.g. Calling a koala a bear is a misnomer.
equitable (adj.)	fair and equal to everyone involved · Synonym: fair · e.g. The teacher made an equitable plan for sharing the computers.
repudiate (verb.)	to reject completely and refuse to accept · Synonym: reject · e.g. The author repudiated the fake quote attributed to her.
facetious (adj.)	joking at an inappropriate or serious moment · Synonym: joking · e.g. His facetious answer annoyed the teacher during the test review.
flippant (adj.)	lacking respect or seriousness; casually disrespectful · Synonym: careless · e.g. Her flippant reply showed she did not care about the rules.
modicum (noun.)	a small amount · Synonym: bit · e.g. Even a modicum of effort would have improved his essay.
rescind (verb.)	to cancel or officially take back · Synonym: cancel · e.g. The school rescinded the new phone ban after student protests.
garrulous (adj.)	excessively talkative, especially about trivial things · Synonym: talkative · e.g. Our garrulous neighbor talks for hours about his tomatoes.
idiosyncratic (adj.)	peculiar to one person; quirky · Synonym: quirky · e.g. His idiosyncratic habit of wearing two different socks amused everyone.
nuance (noun.)	a subtle difference in meaning or tone · Synonym: subtlety · e.g. The actor captured every nuance of the character's sadness.
ruminate (verb.)	to think deeply and at length · Synonym: ponder · e.g. She ruminated on the riddle long after class ended.
imperious (adj.)	bossy and arrogant, expecting to be obeyed · Synonym: bossy · e.g. The imperious captain barked orders at the crew.
