A list that served me well while studying for GP, but more importantly enriched my mind; the words come from novels and other materials

• acquiesce: go along with/ agree/ concur/ submit >>(noun: acquiescence)
• acuity: ability to think, see or hear clearly
• adamantine (adj.): strong and impossible to break
• affliction: pain, suffering, distress; thing that causes suffering
• aficionado (noun): a fan or enthusiast >>pirate aficionado
• aggrandize (a-grand-ize as in dice): increase the power, rank, wealth or importance of someone or a country
• aggrandizement (a-grand-dis as in this-ment)
• alloy (verb): weaken or spoil by something that reduces value or pleasure >>but the gratification was by no means unalloyed
• altercation: quarelling or arguing noisily >>to put an end to this altercation and soften the evident vexation of her sister-in-law
• amalgam (noun): a mixture or combination of different things
• ambidextrous: equally skilled in the use of both hands
• ancillary: subsidiary; secondary; serving to assist; supplementary
• angst (noun): a feeling of dread, anxiety or anguish
• artifice (ar-tee-fis): clever trickery; deception >>I am, indeed, provoked at the artifice of this unprincipled woman
• au fait (French) (oh-fay): knowing a subject or procedure well
• august (verb): impressive, making you feel respect >>The 1990s began more honorably, if not augustly.
• axiom (noun): 1) a self-evident truth that requires no proof 2) a universally accepted principle or rule
• bailout (noun): giving money to a foreign country that has very serious financial problems
• bantering (noun): teasing
• becalmed: unable to move because there is no wind
• befog: to make somebody confused
• bellicose (adj.): inclined or eager to fight; aggressive
• belligerent: (adj.) hostile and aggressive (noun) a nation and person engaged in war or conflict
• bereft (adj.): 1) completely lacking something; having lost something 2) sad and lonely because you have lost something
• besiege (verb): 1) surround (a place) with armed forces 2) surround (somebody) closely 3) overwhelm somebody with something
• blandishments (noun): pleasant things you say/ do for people to persuade them to do something
• burgeoning: develop or grow rapidly
• cacophony (noun) (adj. is cacophonous): a mixture of loud unpleasant sounds
• candour (noun): the quality of saying what you think openly and honestly
• carnage (noun): killing, bloodshed, slaughter
• cataclysm (noun): a sudden disaster or a violent event that causes change
• cessation: ending or termination
• chagrined (verb): annoyed or displeased
• chaos: a state of complete confusion and lack of order
• chauvinism: 1) zealous and aggressive patriotism or blind enthusiasm for military glory 2) biased devotion to any group, attitude or cause
• churlish (adj.): rude or mean >>To oppose such lofty thoughts might seem as churlish as opposing motherhood.
• circumspect: (cautiously) looking around
• clergyman: priest or minister of the Christian Church
• codicil: later addition to a will
• cogito, ergo sum (Latin): I think, therefore I am
• commensurate (adj.): matching something in size, importance or equality etc; of equal extent >>What is required is a response commensurate with the violence
• compliant: too willing to agree with other people or to obey rules
• condescending: patronising descent from dignity or superiority
• conflate (verb): combine two or more into one
• contemptible: deserving contempt; despicable
• coquette: girl or woman who flirts >>I congratulate you and Mr Vernon on being about to receive into your family the most accomplished coquette in England.
• counteract (verb): act in opposition to
• culpable: deserving blame, blameworthy >>I cannot be held culpable for their mistakes; culpable negligence
• curtail: to limit something or make it last for a shorter time
• decadent: 1) self-indulgent or morally corrupt 2) belonging to a period of decline in artistic standards/ morals >>Set in decadent high society London
• despondent: without hope; expecting no improvement
• despot (noun): a ruler who uses power in a cruel and unfair way
• diabolical (adj.): 1) extremely bad or annoying 2) morally bad and evil
• discern: distinguish between
• dispirited: having no hope or enthusiasm
• dissident: a person who strongly disagrees with and criticizes his government, especially in a country where such behavior is very dangerous
• ebullient (adj.): happy and excited
• eclectic (adj.): mot following one style or set of ideas but choosing from or using a wide variety
• elucidate: to make clear; explain
• embody (verb): 1) express or give visible form to 2) include or contain something >>To me he embodies all the best qualities of a teacher; the latest computer model embodies many new features
• encyclical: an official letter written by the Pope and sent to all Roman Catholic bishops
• endeavour (n-de as in there-ver)
• enumerate: list one by one
• epistolary: written in the form of letters >>Elinor and Marianne, written originally in epistolary form, would become Sense and Sensibility and eventually be published in 1811.
• epitome (e as in air-pee-to as in turf-me): a very typical example of something >>She was the epitome of elegance
• epoch: a period of history
• eradicate: destroy/ eliminate/ obliterate
• erudite (adj.) (ee-ru as in ruby-dite as in died): having or showing great learning; scholarly >>He was, Claire acknowledged, a charming enough date, erudite and well-informed
• estrange (a-strange): cause somebody formerly loving or friendly to become unfriendly to somebody
• euphoria (noun)/ euphoric (adj.): intense feeling of happiness and pleasant excitement; in a state of excitement
• exemplify: give an example of; illustrate by example >>This is exemplified by the fascination with playstation and facile computer games that allow fugitives from adulthood to indulge in fantasies of self-aggrandisement and orgies of destruction which have no connection to mature behaviour in the actual world.
• exigency: urgent need or demand; emergency >>It is not so much economic exigency
• exultation: great happiness >>'There, my dear' turning with exultation to his wife, 'you see how it is. So much for the celebrity of Brinshore!
• fallacious: misleading
• faux pas (French) (foh pah): an embarrassing blunder
• flippant: not showing sufficient respect or seriousness
• foolhardy (adj.) (disapproving): taking unecessary risks
• fortitude: courage, endurance and self-control in facing pain, danger or difficulty >>I shall soon have need for all my fortitude, as I am on the point of separation from my own daughter
• Gaia: the Earth, considered as a great natural system that organizes and controls itself
• genteel: 1) polite or refined in an exaggerated way 2) of the upper social classes >>and the daughter, a genteel-looking girl of twenty-two
• geranium (noun): a garden plant with red, pink or white flowers
• gratify: 1) give pleasure or satisfaction to 2) indulge >>and could only gratify his eye by occasional glances at his fair neighbour
• gripe: complain; grumble
• gumption (noun) (informal): 1) the intelligence needed to know what to do in a particular situation 2) courage and determination
• halcyon: peaceful and happy
• hedonism (heed-i-ni-sm): the belief that pleasure is the most important thing
• heralded: announced in a joyous manner >>Instead of the champagne and hope which had heralded the impending births of the first, second and third child
• heuristic: 1) systematic 2) guiding in discovery or investigation
• hiatus (noun): gap in a series or sequence >>But drone strikes against military targets have now been on hiatus for almost a month
• hitherto: until now or the particular time you are talking about
• hobnob (verb): spend time together in a friendly way
• imbibe: take in or absorb >>Though I specialised only in philosophy, I imbibed the liberal arts culture of challenging and questioning assumptions.
• impeach: raise doubts about (something); question >>My uncle's sense is not at all impeached in my opinion by his attachment to my aunt
• impudent: shameless or brazenly immodest
• impunity (noun): If a person does something bad with impunity, they do not get punished for what they have done; exemption or immunity
• inane (adj.): stupid or silly; with no meaning
• indict: accuse somebody officially; charge >>By heaven! I would indict it if I lived near you
• indolent: lazy
• ineffable: cannot be expressed in words >>Cézanne isn't ineffable in some swoony, aesthetic, double-rainbow sense that puts him beyond words. He's so effing effable, he's unparaphrasable
• infamy (noun): 1) a state of being well known for something bad or evil 2) an evil act
• infirm: physically weak >>Mr Watson's infirm state of health; Sir Reginald is very infirm
• insatiable: cannot be fulfilled
• insinuate: suggest something unpleasantly and indirectly
• insolent: (to/towards somebody) extremely rude/ disrespectful
• insular (noun) (disapproving) (in-su as in soup-ler): only interested in your own country, ideas etc and not in those from outside
• insurrection (noun): a violent uprising against an authority or government
• intent (adj.): very interested, eager or determined
• intervene: come betweem; intercede
• intractable (noun): difficult to influence, direct or manage
• isthmus (iss-mus): a narrow strip of land connecting two larger pieces of land
• jingoism (noun) (adj. is jingoistic): a strong belief that your own country is best
• juggernaut (noun): a large and powerful force or institution that cannot be controlled
• languid: lacking vigour or energy; slow-moving
• languishing: trying to win sympathy or affection >>'How charming Emma is' whispered Margaret to Mrs Robert, in her most languishing tone
• laudable (adj.): deserving praise >>The two writers commenting on Obama's speech believe that a nuclear-free world, though a laudable objective, is impossible to achieve.
• lithe (adj.): moving or bending easily
• machination (ma as in mashed-shi as in shit-na-tion): a secret and complicated plan >>The paranoia of Pakistan about India's supposed dark machinations should never be underestimated.
• maître d'hôtel (French) (metr-doh-tel): headwaiter
• malady: disease, illness >>Bouazizi and his deed of despair brought a people to a reckoning with its maladies (Bouazizi - Tunisian street vendor who set himself on fire on 17 Dec 2010)
• malaise (noun): the problems affecting a particular situation or group of people
• martyr (noun) (mar-ter): someone who died for his religious or political beliefs
• maxim: saying that expresses a general truth or rule of conduct >>Better 60 years of tyranny than one day of anarchy, ran a maxim of the culture.
• menagerie (noun) (me as in British milk-na as in Nat-ge-rie as in Jerry): collection of wild animals in captivity, esp in a circus or for exhibition
• milieu: the social environment that you live or work in
• mirth (noun): merriment or happiness; laughter
• mitigate (verb): make (something) less severe, violent or painful >>Taking their age, vulnerability and other powerful mitigating factors into account
• modus operandi (Latin): mode of operating or working
• morose: gloomy or ill-tempered
• nausea: feeling of sickness or disgust
• neurotic (adj.): very worried or frightened about something in a way that is not normal >>She knew just how hilarious she was, poor little rich girl haunted by her neurotic imagination, dangling sarcomas and car wrecks where sugar plum faeries and swiss boarding schools should have been.
• non sequitur (Latin) (non-sek-wit-er): a conclusion that does not follow from the evidence given
• nondescript: not having any interesting or unusual qualities
• nota bene (noh-ta-ben-ee): note carefully; usually shortened to NB
• nuke (nuke as in nude): a nuclear weapon
• onus (noun): duty or responsibility; burden
• opulent: 1) having or showing signs of great wealth 2) abundant >>Saunière gazed up at the walls of his opulent prison
• oratory (noun): the skill of making powerful and effective speeches in public
• orgy (or-g): great indulgence in one or more activity
• ostensibly: apparently; stated though perhaps not true
• outcry: protest; disagreement
• palpable (adj.): 1) that can be felt or touched 2) clear to the mind; obvious
• panacea (noun): something that will solve all the problems of a particular situation
• parsonage: a person's house
• perpetuate: cause to continue or pervail
• pervasive: present and perceived everywhere; pervading
• perverse: 1) deliberately continuing to behave in a way that is wrong, unreasonable or unacceptable 2) stubbornly unreasonable >>Frederica must be as much as sixteen, and ought to know better; but from what her mother insinuates, I am afraid she is a perverse girl.
• petulant (adj.): ill-tempered; insolent
• pious (adj.): 1) having or showing a deep devotion to religion 2) hypocritically virtuous
• placid (adj.): not getting angry or upset easily >>Although none of the children was stirring, in fact, Lindy and George stared at her placidly over their morning toast.
• plegmatic (adj.): not easily made angry or upset; apathetic
• podgy: slightly fat
• precipitously: dangerously high or steep >>In 1800 her parents had made the sudden decision to retire to Bath and Cassandra and Jane were precipitously uprooted from the rural familiarity of the Steventon parsonage, the only home they had ever known.
• prima facie (Latin) (pry-ma-fay-shee): at first sight; judging by the first impression
• prodigious (adj.): very large or impressive
• prolific (adj.): producing many works/ abundantly
• propensity: inclination or tendency >>A question had tugged at and tormented the Arabs: were they marked by a special propensity for tyranny, a fatal brand that rendered them unable to find a world beyond the prison walls of the despotism?
• propitious: giving or indicating a good chance of success; favourable >>Margaret, in the joy of her heart under circumstances that she chose to consider as peculiarly propitious
• puissance (piu-sance as in nonsense): great power or influence
• quantify: determine or express the quantity of
• quotidian (adj.): everyday; common
• raillery: good-humoured mockery or ridicule >>My dearest Jane, do not overpower me with your raillery
• recalcitrant (adj.): disobedient or uncooperative
• recumbent: of a person's position (lying down)
• rehabilitate: to restore to a former position
• replete: filled with something
• reprisal: something that is done unofficially to punish people >>Al Qaeda will surely seek reprisals for the death of Osama Bin Laden.
• reprise (ree-prize): a repeated part of something, esp a piece of music
• requisite: required by circumstances >>presented her a note, which 'he had the honor of bringing from her sister, but to which he must observe a verbal post-script from himself would be requisite.'
• respite: a delay or cessation for a time
• sanguine: 1) hopeful, optimistic 2) having a red complexion >>sanguine hopes were entertained that the Osbournes themselves would be there
• scruple: feeling that prevents one from doing or allowing something that one thinks may be wrong >>She has her good qualities, but she has no faith, no honour, no scruples
• senile: mentally confused because of old age
• sequester (verb): isolate or hide away
• slew: a large number/ amount
• spartan: simple and harsh; without luxury or comforts >>The room was spartan - hardwood floors, a pine dresser, a canvas mat in the corner that served as his bed
• spiteful (adj.): behaving in an unkind way to hurt/ upset somebody
• status quo (Latin): existing state or condition
• staunch (adj.): strong and loyal in your opinions and attitudes
• stodgy: heavy and making you feel very full
• stoicism (noun): suppression of emotions; followed the philosophy of Stoics >>She endured her long illness with stoicism.
• subliminal: affecting your mind even though you are aware of it; below the threshold of consciousness
• sultry (adj.): oppressively hot and humid
• supersede (verb): replace, make obsolete
• tableau vivant: a scene from history acted out in silence
• tabula rasa: blank slate
• tempest (tem as in temper-pest as in purse): violent storm >>Saunière closed his eyes, his thoughts a swirling tempest of fear and regret
• the Amish: the members of a strict religious group in N. America. They live a simple farming life and reject some forms of modern technology.
• tremulous: causing you to shake lightly/ slightly
• ultimatum (noun): a final proposal or set of terms
• undoing (noun): to cause somebody's failure >>Like so many others recently, he let greed and corruption cause his undoing.
• vanquish: defeat(ed) >>She was quite vanquished
• vindictive (adj.): inclined to seeking revenge/ vengeance
• vista (noun): a beautiful view, for example, of the countryside, a city etc
• voluble: 1) speaking a lot; talkative 2) quick, easy or fluent; glib >>easy, voluble friend
• wrath: extreme anger