Norman Schur's 1000 Most Important Words

This is Norman Schur's list of the 1,000 "most important" words. There are actua
lly 1,019 here because of those that are similarly spelled, opposites of one ano
ther, etc. I've gone through and marked with asterisks the ones (*) that I'm som
ewhat uncomfortable with (177 of these), as in I'd be slightly apprehensive if y
ou challenged me to pinpoint their meaning, and the ones (**) that I'm basically
clueless about (26 of these). I feel roughly fluent with the rest. 1.abashed
2.*abate
3.abdicate
4.aberrant
5.abominate
6.abrasive
7.abrogate
8.abstemious
9.abstinent
10.abstruse
11.accolade
12.acerbic
13.acme
14.acolyte
15.acquiesce
16.acrimonious
17.acronym
18.adage
19.admonitory
20.adroit
21.adulation
22.adversity
23.*aegis
24.affable
25.aficionado
26.affinity
27.aggrandize
28.alacrity
29.allay
30.allegory
31.alleviate
32.alliteration
33.*amanuensis
34.ambience
35.ambiguous
36.ambivalent
37.ambulatory
38.ameliorate
39.amenable
40.amenity
41.amorous
42.amorphous
43.anachronism
44.anagram
45.analogy
46.anathema
47.ancillary
48.animus
49.annals
50.anomaly
51.antecedents
52.anthropology
53.anthropomorphic
54.antic

55.antipathy
56.antiquity
57.antithesis
58.aphorism
59.aplomb
60.apocalypse
61.apocryphal
62.apogee
63.*apostate
64.apotheosis
65.appellation
66.apposite
67.apprehend
68.appropriate
69.apt
70.arbiter
71.arcane
72.arch
73.arduous
74.argot
75.arid
76.Armageddon
77.*arrant
78.arrogate
79.arsenal
80.artful
81.artless
82.ascetic
83.asperity
84.aspersion
85.assiduous
86.assuage
87.atavistic
88.atrophy
89.attenuate
90.augment
91.augur
92.auspicious
93.autonomous
94.*avuncular
95.awry
96.axiom
97.*badinage
98.*bailiwick
99.*baleful
100.banal
101.bastion
102.*bathos
103.behemoth
104.beleaguer
105.bellicose
106.belligerent
107.bemused
108.bestow
109.bibliophile
110.bibulous
111.*blandishment
112.blatant
113.bovine
114.bravado

115.*brickbat
116.*bromide
117.brook
118.brouhaha
119.brusque
120.bucolic
121.burgeon
122.cabal
123.cachet
124.cacophony
125.cadaverous
126.*cadge
127.cajole
128.*callow
129.*calumny
130.canard
131.candor
132.canon
133.*cant
134.cantankerous
135.capitulate
136.capricious
137.*captious
138.carnal
139.carnivorous
140.*carp
141.carrion
142.castigate
143.casuistry
144.cataclysm
145.catharsis
146.*catholic
147.caveat
148.*cavil
149.celibacy
150.champion
151.charlatan
152.*chary
153.chasm
154.*chicanery
155.chide
156.chimera
157.churlish
158.cipher
159.circuitous
160.circumlocution
161.circumspect
162.clamorous
163.clandestine
164.claptrap
165.cleave
166.clemency
167.*cloy
168.cogent
169.cognizant
170.collation
171.colloquy
172.compendium
173.complacent
174.*complaisant

175.complement
176.compliant
177.concomitant
178.concrete
179.conduit
180.congenital
181.consensus
182.consortium
183.consummate
184.contentious
185.context
186.contiguous
187.contretemps
188.contrite
189.*contumacious
190.conundrum
191.co-opt
192.copious
193.corollary
194.corporeal
195.correlate
196.*coruscate
197.*cosset
198.coterie
199.craven
200.*craw
201.credible
202.creditable
203.credulous
204.crestfallen
205.culpable
206.curmudgeon
207.cursory
208.curt
209.*cynosure
210.dalliance
211.*daub
212.dauntless
213.dearth
214.debacle
215.debase
216.debilitate
217.debunk
218.decimate
219.declasse
220.decorous
221.decorum
222.decry
223.deduce
224.deem
225.deferential
226.definitive
227.delectation
228.deleterious
229.demonic
230.denigrate
231.denizen
232.deprecate
233.*deracinate
234.derelict

235.deride
236.derisive
237.derogatory
238.*descry
239.desecrate
240.desiccate
241.*desuetude
242.desultory
243.detrimental
244.*detritus
245.dexterous
246.dextrous
247.diaphanous
248.diatribe
249.dichotomy
250.didactic
251.*diffident
252.digress
253.dilettante
254.diminution
255.disaffection
256.disconsolate
257.discursive
258.disdain
259.disingenuous
260.disparate
261.dissemble
262.dissertation
263.*dissimulate
264.dissolute
265.distraught
266.doff
267.dogged
268.*doggerel
269.dogmatic
270.*doleful
271.dolt
272.don
273.dormant
274.dossier
275.*doughty
276.*dour
277.*doyen
278.draconian
279.droll
280.dudgeon
281.duplicity
282.ebullient
283.eclectic
284.edify
285.effective
286.effectual
287.effectuate
288.efficacious
289.efficient
290.*effrontery
291.effulgent
292.egregious
293.egress
294.elegy

295.elicit
296.elide
297.elucidate
298.emblazon
299.emend
300.emeritus
301.emote
302.empirical
303.emulate
304.encomium
305.endemic
306.enervate
307.enigmatic
308.enmity
309.ennui
310.entity
311.**enure
312.envisage
313.ephemeral
314.epicure
315.epigram
316.epitaph
317.epithet
318.epitome
319.equable
320.equanimity
321.equitable
322.equivocal
323.errant
324.ersatz
325.erudite
326.eschew
327.esoteric
328.ethereal
329.etymology
330.eulogy
331.euphemism
332.euphonius
333.euphoric
334.exacerbate
335.*excoriate
336.excrement
337.exculpate
338.*execrable
339.exegesis
340.exemplary
341.exhort
342.exigency
343.exonerate
344.exorcise
345.*expatiate
346.*expiate
347.expostulate
348.expropriate
349.expunge
350.extempore
351.extenuate
352.*extirpate
353.extrapolate
354.exuberant

355.facet
356.facile
357.facilitate
358.fallacious
359.*fallow
360.falter
361.*farrago
362.fatuous
363.feasible
364.feckless
365.fecund
366.feisty
367.felicitate
368.felicitous
369.felicity
370.*feral
371.ferret
372.*festoon
373.fetid
374.foetid
375.*fey
376.fiasco
377.fiat
378.fiduciary
379.figurative
380.finite
381.flaccid
382.flagellate
383.flamboyant
384.flatulent
385.flay
386.fledgling
387.flippant
388.flout
389.foible
390.foment
391.font
392.foray
393.*force majeure
394.forensic
395.formidable
396.fortuitous
397.founder
398.*fractious
399.fruition
400.*fulminate
401.*fulsome
402.*furtive
403.*fusillade
404.*gadfly
405.garrulous
406.gauche
407.generic
408.genesis
409.genre
410.*gentry
411.germane
412.googol
413.*gormandize
414.*gossamer

415.grandiloquence
416.gratuitous
417.gratuity
418.**gravamen
419.gregarious
420.guise
421.habituate
422.hackneyed
423.halcyon
424.harbinger
425.**harridan
426.hedonist
427.hegemony
428.**hegira
429.heinous
430.herbivorous
431.hermaphrodite
432.heterogeneous
433.heuristic
434.hiatus
435.**hie
436.*homily
437.homogeneous
438.honorarium
439.hubris
440.hyperbole
441.hypothesis
442.iconoclast
443.idyllic
444.ignominy
445.illicit
446.illusory
447.imbibe
448.*imbroglio
449.immemorial
450.immutable
451.impassive
452.impecunious
453.impede
454.*imperious
455.imperturbable
456.implacable
457.implement
458.implicate
459.implicit
460.imponderable
461.importunate
462.importune
463.impugn
464.impute
465.inauspicious
466.incarnate
467.inchoate
468.*incipient
469.inclement
470.incognito
471.incongruous
472.increment
473.incredulous
474.*incubus

475.inculcate
476.incumbent
477.indecorous
478.indigenous
479.indigent
480.indolent
481.ineffable
482.ineluctable
483.ineptitude
484.ingenue
485.ingenuous
486.innate
487.innocuous
488.innuendo
489.inordinate
490.*inscrutable
491.*insouciant
492.insular
493.intangible
494.integument
495.*interdict
496.interlocutor
497.interpolate
498.intractable
499.intransigent
500.intransigeant
501.intrepid
502.intuit
503.inundate
504.*inure
505.invective
506.inviolable
507.inviolate
508.*irascible
509.issue
510.iterate
511.*jejune
512.jettison
513.jingoism
514.jocular
515.*journeyman
516.juxtapose
517.karma
518.keen
519.ken
520.kinetic
521.kite
522.*kitsch
523.*knell
524.kowtow
525.kudos
526.**lachrymose
527.laconic
528.lacuna
529.*lagniappe
530.*lambent
531.lament
532.languish
533.lascivious
534.lassitude

535.latent
536.laudatory
537.lax
538.lay
539.lethargic
540.leviathan
541.lexicon
542.*licentious
543.*limn
544.linchpin
545.limpid
546.**lissome
547.**lissom
548.litany
549.*lithe
550.litigious
551.logy
552.loquacious
553.**lothario
554.lugubrious
555.lurid
556.macrocosm
557.maladroit
558.malaise
559.malapropism
560.malfeasance
561.malign
562.malleable
563.*manque
564.*martinet
565.*masticate
566.matriculate
567.*maw
568.*mawkish
569.megalomania
570.*melange
571.mellifluous
572.mendacious
573.mendicant
574.*mercurial
575.meretricious
576.messianic
577.metamorphosis
578.metaphor
579.metaphysics
580.mete
581.miasma
582.microcosm
583.*mien
584.milieu
585.militate
586.minutiae
587.misanthrope
588.misapprehension
589.misappropriate
590.miscreant
591.misnomer
592.misogyny
593.mitigate
594.mnemonic

595.modicum
596.molt
597.morass
598.*mordant
599.*moribund
600.motif
601.*mottled
602.*mountebank
603.**mulct
604.mundane
605.*munificent
606.nadir
607.nascent
608.nebulous
609.nefarious
610.nemesis
611.neophyte
612.nether
613.*niggardly
614.*niggling
615.nihilism
616.nirvana
617.nomenclature
618.non sequitur
619.*nostrum
620.noxious
621.nuance
622.nubile
623.**nugatory
624.obdurate
625.obeisance
626.obfuscate
627.oblivion
628.obloquy
629.obscurantism
630.*obsequies
631.obsequious
632.*obstreperous
633.obtrude
634.obtrusive
635.obtuse
636.obviate
637.occlude
638.odious
639.*offal
640.Olympian
641.*ombudsman
642.omniscient
643.omnivorous
644.onerous
645.onomatopoetic
646.*opprobrium
647.ordure
648.ostensible
649.ostentatious
650.ostracize
651.otiose
652.*paean
653.palliative
654.pallid

655.palpable
656.panacea
657.panache
658.*panegyric
659.panoply
660.pantheon
661.paradox
662.paragon
663.parameter
664.*pariah
665.*parlous
666.parochial
667.paroxysm
668.parsimonious
669.*parvenu
670.pastiche
671.pastoral
672.patent
673.pathological
674.pathos
675.patrician
676.paucity
677.peccadillo
678.pecuniary
679.pedagogue
680.pedant
681.pedestrian
682.pejorative
683.penchant
684.penultimate
685.*penurious
686.**peregrination
687.*peremptory
688.*perfidious
689.perfunctory
690.peripatetic
691.peripheral
692.pernicious
693.*peroration
694.perquisite
695.*persiflage
696.persona
697.perspicacious
698.peruse
699.pervasive
700.petulant
701.philistine
702.phlegmatic
703.*piquant
704.pithy
705.placate
706.placebo
707.placid
708.plaintive
709.*plangent
710.platitude
711.*plaudits
712.plethora
713.poignant
714.polemic

715.polyglot
716.ponderous
717.pontificate
718.portend
719.portmanteau
720.postulate
721.potpourri
722.*potter
723.pragmatic
724.**prate
725.*prattle
726.precipitate
727.precipitous
728.precursor
729.predilection
730.*preen
731.prehensile
732.presage
733.prescience
734.presentiment
735.*prestidigitator
736.**prevaricate
737.*priapic
738.*primogeniture
739.primordial
740.privation
741.privy
742.*probity
743.proclivity
744.procreate
745.prodigal
746.prodigious
747.prodigy
748.profane
749.profligate
750.prognosis
751.prognosticate
752.proliferate
753.prolific
754.*prolix
755.prone
756.propensity
757.prophylactic
758.*propinquity
759.*propitiate
760.*propitious
761.proprietary
762.prosaic
763.proselytize
764.*protean
765.protracted
766.proviso
767.prowess
768.prurient
769.*puckish
770.puerile
771.pugnacious
772.**pulchritude
773.*pummel
774.*punctilious

775.pundit
776.**purgative
777.*purloin
778.*pusillanimous
779.putative
780.quaff
781.quagmire
782.quail
783.qualm
784.quandary
785.*quarry
786.quash
787.**quaver
788.**quay
789.*quell
790.*querulous
791.query
792.queue
793.quiescent
794.quintessence
795.quixotic
796.quizzical
797.*raconteur
798.**raffish
799.*rake
800.rambunctious
801.*rancor
802.rankle
803.rapacious
804.rapt
805.recalcitrant
806.recant
807.recapitulate
808.recidivism
809.reclusive
810.recondite
811.reconnoiter
812.rectify
813.rectitude
814.redolent
815.redoubtable
816.redress
817.*refractory
818.*refulgent
819.*regale
820.rejoinder
821.remand
822.*remonstrate
823.renegade
824.renege
825.repartee
826.repertoire
827.replete
828.reprehensible
829.reprobate
830.reprove
831.resolute
832.reticent
833.retrograde
834.retrogress

835.retrospective
836.rhetoric
837.ribald
838.rife
839.rigors
840.*riposte
841.*risible
842.**roue
843.**rubicund
844.*rue
845.ruminate
846.sacrosanct
847.sagacity
848.salacious
849.salient
850.salubrious
851.salutary
852.salvo
853.sanctify
854.sanctimonious
855.sang-froid
856.sanguine
857.*sapient
858.sardonic
859.sartorial
860.**saturnine
861.savoir-faire
862.savor
863.saw
864.*scabrous
865.schism
866.**scion
867.score
868.scourge
869.scurrilous
870.*scuttle
871.*seamy
872.secular
873.seminal
874.sententious
875.sentient
876.septic
877.sequel
878.sequester
879.serendipity
880.*serpentine
881.servile
882.shibboleth
883.*sibilant
884.simile
885.simulate
886.*sinecure
887.*sinuous
888.skeptic
889.sceptic
890.skittish
891.slake
892.slew
893.*slue
894.smug

895.*sobriquet
896.sodden
897.solecism
898.soliloquy
899.solipsism
900.sop
901.*sophism
902.sophomore
903.soporific
904.*soupcon
905.spate
906.spleen
907.sporadic
908.spurious
909.squalid
910.**stentorian
911.stolid
912.strident
913.stultify
914.sublimate
915.*sub rosa
916.succor
917.succubus
918.succulent
919.succumb
920.sully
921.supercilious
922.supine
923.supplicate
924.surfeit
925.surmise
926.surreptitious
927.*sybarite
928.sycophant
929.**sylph
930.symbiosis
931.syntax
932.synthesis
933.tacit
934.taciturn
935.tactile
936.tangential
937.tangible
938.tautology
939.tawdry
940.tedious
941.*temerity
942.temporal
943.tendentious
944.tenet
945.tenuous
946.terse
947.testy
948.*timorous
949.*titular
950.*toady
951.torpid
952.tortuous
953.traduce
954.transcend

955.travesty
956.*tremulous
957.*trenchant
958.trepidation
959.*truculent
960.truism
961.truncate
962.turgid
963.*tyro
964.ubiquitous
965.*umbrage
966.unconscionable
967.*unctuous
968.unfathomable
969.unflagging
970.unmitigated
971.*unpropitious
972.unseemly
973.unsullied
974.untenable
975.*untrammeled
976.*uxorious
977.vacillate
978.vacuous
979.vagary
980.vapid
981.variegated
982.vehement
983.*venal
984.veneer
985.venerate
986.venial
987.veracious
988.verisimilitude
989.veritable
990.vertigo
991.vicissitude
992.vignette
993.vilify
994.**virago
995.virtuoso
996.virulent
997.visage
998.visceral
999.vitriolic
1000.vituperative
1001.vociferous
1002.voluble
1003.voracious
1004.votary
1005.votive
1006.waft
1007.wag
1008.wanton
1009.waspish
1010.*welter
1011.winnow
1012.winsome
1013.wizened
1014.*wont

1015.wry
1016.xenophobia
1017.*yen
1018.zealot
1019.zenith