100 Great Words

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boisterous (adj.) very noisy and active in a lively way

ecstasy (n.) a state of very great happiness : extreme delight ; an illegal
drug that is used to produce a feeling of excitement and pleasure
wither (v.) of a plant : to become dry and weak
tranquil (adj.) quiet and peaceful
protrude (v.) to stick out
nimble (adj.) able to move quickly, easily, and lightly ; able to learn and
understand things quickly and easily

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futile (adj.) having no result or effect : pointless or useless

foliage (n.) the leaves of a plant or of many plants
*cherish (v.) to feel or show great love for (someone or something); to
remember or hold (an idea, belief, etc.) in a deeply felt way
10. calamity (n.) an event that causes great harm and suffering
11. scrumptious (adj.) very pleasant to taste
12. utensil (n.) a simple and useful device that is used for doing tasks in a
person's home and especially in the kitchen
13. wholesome (adj.) helping to keep your body healthy : good for your
health ; morally good ; suggesting good health or behavior
14. prosper (v.) to become very successful usually by making a lot of money ;
to become very active, healthy, or strong
15. stifle (v.) to not allow yourself to do or express (something) ; to stop
(someone) from doing or expressing something ; to make (something)
difficult or impossible
16. nostalgia (n.) pleasure and sadness that is caused by remembering
something from the past and wishing that you could experience it again
17. consensus (n.) a general agreement about something : an idea or
opinion that is shared by all the people in a group
18. accelerate (v.) to move faster : to gain speed ; to cause (something) to
happen sooner or more quickly

19. deteriorate (v.) to become worse as time passes ; to make (something)

worse
20. wrath (n.) extreme anger
21. abundant (adj.) existing or occurring in large amounts
22. fluent (adj.) able to speak a language easily and very well ; done in a
smooth and easy way
23. culprit (n.) one accused of or charged with a crime ; one guilty of a crime
or a fault ; the source or cause of a problem
24. melancholy (n.) a sad mood or feeling
25. unprecedented (adj.) not done or experienced before
26. synchronize (v.) to cause (things) to agree in time or to make (things)
happen at the same time and speed ; to happen at the same time and
speed
27. arrogant (adj.) having or showing the insulting attitude of people who
believe that they are better, smarter, or more important than other people :
having or showing arrogance
28. punctual (adj.) arriving or doing something at the expected or planned
time
29. industrious (adj.) working very hard : not lazy
30. consume (v.) to eat or drink (something) ; to use (fuel, time, resources,
etc.) ; to destroy (something) with fire
31. mediocre (adj.) not very good
32. desolate (adj.) lacking the people, plants, animals, etc., that make people
feel welcome in a place ; very sad and lonely especially because
someone you love has died or left
33. evade (v.) to stay away from (someone or something) : to avoid (someone
or something) ; to avoid dealing with or facing (something) ; to avoid doing
(something required)
34. irate (adj.) very angry
35. obstacle (n.) something that makes it difficult to do something ; an object
that you have to go around or over : something that blocks your path
36. revenue (n.) money that is made by or paid to a business or an
organization ; money that is collected for public use by a government
through taxes

37. phenomenon (n.) something (such as an interesting

fact or event) that can be observed and studied and
that typically is unusual or difficult to understand or
explain fully
38. *allege (v.) to state without definite proof that
someone has done something wrong or illegal
39. valiant (adj.) having or showing courage : very brave
or courageous
40. stamina (n.) great physical or mental strength that
allows you to continue doing something for a long
time
41. perishable (adj.) likely to spoil or decay quickly : not
likely to stay fresh for a long time if not eaten or used
42. emphatic (adj.) said or done in a forceful or definite
way ; speaking or acting in a forceful way
43. *devastate (v.) to destroy much or most of
(something) : to cause great damage or harm to
(something) ; to cause (someone) to feel extreme
emotional pain
44. bias (n.) a tendency to believe that some people,
ideas, etc., are better than others that usually results
in treating some people unfairly; a strong interest in
something or ability to do something
45. radiant (adj.) having or showing an attractive quality
of happiness, love, health, etc. ; bright and shining ;
sent out from something in rays or waves that you
cannot see
46. predicament (n.) a difficult or unpleasant situation
47. *instigate (v.) to cause (something) to happen or
begin
48. *exasperate (v.) to make (someone) very angry or
annoyed
49. compassion (n.) a feeling of wanting to help
someone who is sick, hungry, in trouble, etc.
50. hesitant (adj.) slow to act or speak especially
because you are nervous or unsure about what to
do : feeling or showing hesitation
51. nonchalant (adj.) relaxed and calm in a way that
shows that you do not care or are not worried about
anything
52. *relinquish (v.) to give up (something) : to give
(something, such as power, control, or possession) to
another person or group
53. dynamic (adj.) always active or changing ; having or
showing a lot of energy ; of or relating to energy,
motion, or physical force
54. *enhance (v.) to increase or improve (something)

55. *defy (v.) to refuse to obey (something or someone) ;

to make (something) very difficult or impossible ; to
resist or fight (something)
56. frivolous (adj.) not important : not deserving serious
attention ; silly and not serious
57. obsolete (adj.) no longer used because something
newer exists : replaced by something newer ; no
longer used by anyone
58. *provoke (v.) to cause the occurrence of (a feeling or
action) : to make (something) happen ; to cause (a
person or animal) to become angry, violent, etc.
59. zeal (n.) a strong feeling of interest and enthusiasm
that makes someone very eager or determined to do
something
60. fluctuate (v.) to change level, strength, or value
frequently
61. hinder (v.) to make (something, such as a task or
action) slow or difficult
62. distort (v.) to change the natural, normal, or original
shape, appearance, or sound of (something) in a way
that is usually not attractive or pleasing ; to change
(something) so that it is no longer true or accurate
63. longevity (n.) long life : the fact of living for many
years ; length of life ; the length of time that
something or someone lasts or continues
64. repulsive (adj.) causing strong dislike or disgust ;
physics : of or relating to the force that pushes
something away from something else
65. undaunted (adj.) not afraid to continue doing
something or trying to do something even though
there are problems, dangers, etc.
66. rivalry (n.) a state or situation in which people or
groups are competing with each other
67. indignant (adj.) feeling or showing anger because of
something that is unfair or wrong : very angry
68. crucial (adj.) extremely important
69. lenient (adj.) allowing a lot of freedom and not
punishing bad behavior in a strong way : not harsh,
severe, or strict
70. haphazard (adj.) having no plan, order, or direction ;
marked by lack of plan, order, or direction
71. sluggish (adj.) moving slowly or lazily
72. *taunt (v.) to say insulting things to (someone) in
order to make that person angry
73. substantial (adj.) large in amount, size, or number ;
strongly made ; of food : enough to satisfy hunger
74. wary (adj.) not having or showing complete trust in
someone or something that could be dangerous or
cause trouble

75. chaos (n.) complete confusion and disorder : a state

in which behavior and events are not controlled by
anything; the state of the universe before there was
any order and before stars and planets were formed
76. eloquent (adj.) having or showing the ability to use
language clearly and effectively ; clearly showing
feeling or meaning
77. optimist (n.) one who feels or believes that good
things will happen in the future : one who feels or
believes that what you hope for will happen
78. shrewd (adj.) having or showing an ability to
understand things and to make good judgments :
mentally sharp or clever
79. persistent (adj.) continuing to do something or to try
to do something even though it is difficult or other
people want you to stop ; continuing beyond the
usual, expected, or normal time : not stopping or
going away
80. tremor (n.) a shaking movement of the ground before
or after an earthquake ; a slight shaking movement or
sound that is caused especially by nervousness,
weakness, or illness
81. veto (n.) a decision by a person in authority to not
allow or approve something (such as a new law) ; the
right or power of a person in authority to decide that
something (such as a new law) will not be approved
82. presume (v.) to think that (something) is true without
knowing that it is true ; to accept legally or officially
that something is true until it is proved not true ; to do
(something) that you do not have the right or
permission to do
83. formidable (adj.) very powerful or strong : deserving
serious attention and respect ; very difficult to deal
with ; large or impressive in size or amount
84. momentous (adj.) very important : having great or
lasting importance

85. wily (adj.) full of clever tricks : very clever

86. unwieldy (adj.) difficult to handle, control, or deal
with because of being large, heavy, or complex
87. vigorous (adj.) healthy and strong ; done with great
force and energy
88. temperament (n.) the usual attitude, mood, or
behavior of a person or animal
89. scrutinize (v.) to examine (something) carefully
especially in a critical way
90. ruthless (adj.) having no pity : cruel or merciless
91. reluctant (adj.) feeling or showing doubt about doing
something : not willing or eager to do something
92. recuperate (v.) to return to normal health or strength
after being sick, injured, etc. ; to get back (money that
has been spent, invested, lost, etc.)
93. compatible (adj.) able to exist together without
trouble or conflict : going together well ; of devices
and especially computers : able to be used together
94. impetuous (adj.) acting or done quickly and without
thought : controlled by emotion rather than thought
95. *intercept (v.) to stop and take someone or
something that is going from one place to another
place before that person or thing gets there
96. insolent (adj.) rude or impolite : having or showing a
lack of respect for other people
97. *confound (v.) to surprise and confuse (someone or
something) ; to prove (someone or something) wrong
used as an interjection to express anger or
annoyance
98. grapple (n.) the act or an instance of grappling ; a
hand-to-hand struggle ; a contest for superiority or
mastery ; a bucket similar to a clamshell but usually
having more jaws
99. obscure (adj.) not well-known : not known to most
people ; difficult to understand : likely to be
understood by only a few people ; difficult or
impossible to know completely and with certainty
100. prudent (adj.) having or showing careful good
judgment