| Amnesia: Partial or total loss of memory |
| Consumptions of drugs and alcohol can lead to amnesia. |
| Anomaly: Deviation from the normal or common order or form or rule |
| Anomalies are easy to find in the work of amateurs. |
| Arbiter: Someone with the power to settle matters at will |
| Sequins have often aroused the scorn of arbiters of taste. |
| Emulate: Strive to equal or match, especially by imitating |
| Sons are traditionally expected to emulate their fathers. |
| Extraneous: Not pertinent to the matter under consideration |
| Just give me the basic facts, with no extraneous details. |
| Ferment: A state of agitation or turbulent change or development |
| The country is in a state of political ferment. |
| Menial: Used of unskilled work |
| The name beef-eater was aimed at any well-fed menial. |
| Paltry: Contemptibly small in amount |
| He received a paltry wage for the ten hard days of labour he had put in. |
| Trivial: Of little substance or significance |
| I do not like to visit the doctor just for something trivial. |
| Ambiguous: Having more than one possible meaning |
| His remarks clarify an ambiguous statement given earlier this week. |
| Archaic: So extremely old as seeming to belong to an earlier period |
| These archaic practises are advocated by people of limited outlook. |
| Concomitant: Following or accompanying as a consequence |
| New methods had to be learnt, with the concomitant delays in production. |
| Condone: Excuse, overlook, or make allowances for; be lenient with |
| He could not condone lying. |
| Deleterious: Harmful to living things |
| Fear of crime is having a deleterious effect on society. |
| Dissent: A difference of opinion |
| No-one dissents from the decision to unify. |
| Incumbent: The official who holds an office |
| The previous incumbent led the party for eleven years. |
| Innocuous: Lacking intent or capacity to injure |
| Both the cultivated and the wild mushrooms look innocuous, but in fact the wild can be deadly. |
| Prodigious: So great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe |
| The business generates cash in prodigious amounts. |
| Propagate: Become distributed or widespread |
| The easiest way to propagate vines is to take cuttings. |
| Succinct: Briefly giving the gist of something |
| Make sure your work is accurate, succinct and to the point. |
| Usurp: Take the place of |
| She tried to usurp her brother’s place in her mother’s heart. |
| Alleviate: Provide physical relief, as from pain |
| A great deal can be done to alleviate back pain. |
| Attenuated: Reduced in strength |
| Medicine attenuated the fever’s effect. |
| Celerity: A rate that is rapid |
| The horses responded with terrific celerity to the telepathic instructions of their riders. |
| Efficacy: Capacity or power to produce a desired effect |
| Recent medical studies confirm the efficacy of a healthier lifestyle. |
| Expedite: Speed up the progress of; facilitate |
| We will do all we can to expedite the procedure. |
| Facetious: Cleverly amusing in tone |
| It was difficult to listen to his facetious remarks. |
| Fervid: Characterized by intense emotion |
| He was a fervid patriot and for him, nothing mattered more than country. |
| Heresy: Any opinions or doctrines at variance with the official or orthodox position |
| It might be considered a heresy to suggest any notion that goes against the established norms of religion. |
| Milieu: The environmental condition |
| They stayed within their social milieu and choose not to interact with others. |
| Ostensible: Appearing as such but not necessarily so |
| Illness was the ostensible reason for his absence, but in fact he was just lazy. |
| Profound: Of the greatest intensity; complete |
| The overwhelming feeling is of profound shock and anger. |
| Prudent: Careful and sensible |
| He is taking a prudent and cautious approach to start his business. |
| Rabid: Extremely enthusiastic |
| The kids showed rabid emotions in the playground. |
| Salubrious: Promoting health; healthful |
| The climate in the mountains was salubrious. |
| Savant: Learned person |
| PHDs are generally savants in their field of interest. |
| Spurious: Plausible but false |
| He gathered a spurious framework for analysis. |
| Strident: Being sharply insistent on being heard |
| She tried to laugh, and the sound was harsh and strident. |
| Surfeit: Indulge (one's appetite) to satiety |
| Rationing had put an end to a surfeit of biscuits long ago. |
| Venerable: Impressive by reason of age |
| We met a venerable old man with white hair while walking. |