1. Aberration - a state or condition markedly different from the normEXAMPLE SENTENCE:While Tampa Bay has taken a huge nosedive a year after going 10-6, maybe that 2010 success was anaberration.

2. Abhor - find repugnantEXAMPLE SENTENCE:There are sane readers whoabhorgratuitous violence but love Reachers menacing wisecracks.

3. Bane - something causing misery or deathEXAMPLE SENTENCE:Knee pain is thebaneof many runners, sometimes causing them to give up altogether.

4. Banish - expel, as if by official decreeEXAMPLE SENTENCE:He, however, was destined never to return but was proscribed andbanished.

5. Catharsis- (psychoanalysis) purging of emotional tensionsEXAMPLE SENTENCE:Not enough people use evenings out as an opportunity forcatharsis.6. Caustic- of a substance, especially a strong acid; capable of destroying or eating away by chemical actionEXAMPLE SENTENCE:Though the mud only came up to ankle height, itscausticingredients continue to eat away the foundations.

7. Deleterious- harmful to living thingsEXAMPLE SENTENCE:A number of the species are edible, while others have been recorded asdeleterious, poisonous, etc.

8. Demeanor- (behavioral attributes) the way a person behaves toward other peopleEXAMPLE SENTENCE:Hollande projects a unifying, jovial persona and leadership method that clashes with Sarkozys dominating, impetuous, controversial, and at times gratingdemeanor.

9. Egregious- conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensibleEXAMPLE SENTENCE:His comments were soegregious, naturally advertisers will have doubts about being associated with Limbaughs brand of hate, Mr. Boehlert said in an e-mail message.

10. Eloquent- expressing yourself readily, clearly, effectivelyEXAMPLE SENTENCE:But, so far as the best selection of words, the clearest style, the most coherent and convincing argument can constitute eloquence, Mill's speeches areeloquent.

11. Fallible- wanting in moral strength, courage, or will; having the attributes of man as opposed to e.g. divine beingsEXAMPLE SENTENCE:We regard them as extraordinary butfallibleand imperfect men, whom it would be very unsafe to follow in every view and line of conduct.

12. Fallow- left unplowed and unseeded during a growing seasonEXAMPLE SENTENCE:But before that the fields, which had lainfallowthrough the winter, must be ploughed and harrowed.

13. Guise- an artful or simulated semblanceEXAMPLE SENTENCE:But more broadly, 30 years of near total rule by one man under theguiseof democracy has stunted the country's political development.

14. Gullible- naive and easily deceived or trickedEXAMPLE SENTENCE:The people weregullible; they might be made to believe that the senators of Rome were their best friends.

15. Hireling- a person who works only for moneyEXAMPLE SENTENCE:Hirelingtroops, soldiers serving for pay: they were not Ultonians and did not belong to the Red Branch.

16. Histrionic- characteristic of acting or a stage performance; often affectedEXAMPLE SENTENCE:Present-day Graham dancers are often taken to task for overacting, orhistrionicsor otherwise obscuring the integrity of their material.

17. Imbroglio- an intricate and confusing interpersonal or political situationEXAMPLE SENTENCE:And indeed his world is one hugeimbroglioof Potentialities and Diplomatic Intricacies, agitating to behold.

18. Impaired- diminished in strength, quality, or utilityEXAMPLE SENTENCE:Thinking could be slowed, attention dulled, judgementimpaired, memory muddled.19. Jargon- specialized technical terminology characteristic of a particular subjectEXAMPLE SENTENCE:He has complained that officials' speeches and writings were clogged with Partyjargonand demanded more plain speaking.

20. Jaunty- having a cheerful, lively, and self-confident airEXAMPLE SENTENCE:Yet his mood wasjauntyand he cheerfully claimed to have achieved his ambition, thus far, of getting through February without touching alcohol.

21. Knell- the sound of a bell rung slowly to announce a death or a funeral or the end of somethingEXAMPLE SENTENCE:"If she dies," he had said, and the words rang in my ears like a funeralknell.

22. Knotty- highly complex or intricate and occasionally deviousEXAMPLE SENTENCE:I am, at this present writing, perplexed and plagued with twoknottyproblems in politics.

23. Lassitude- weakness characterized by a lack of vitality or energyEXAMPLE SENTENCE:He told by her very attitude that now there waslassitude, even weariness in her.

24. Latter- referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)EXAMPLE SENTENCE:More missiles were fired carefullynot to do damage, but to discourage the intruders; thelatter were held at bay for another twelve hours.

25. Machination- a crafty and involved plot to achieve your (usually sinister) endsEXAMPLE SENTENCE:With life experiences like those behind her, the extreme plotmachinationsof Hollywood melodrama must have possessed an everyday familiarity for Stanwyck.

26. Maelstrom- a powerful circular current of water (usually the result of conflicting tides)EXAMPLE SENTENCE:The entire bowl was now amaelstromof swirling bodies, legs and arms.

27. Nautical- relating to or involving ships or shipping or navigation or seamenEXAMPLE SENTENCE:For this expedition Henry Hudsonalready known as an experienced and intrepid seaman, and well-skilled innauticalsciencewas chosen commander.

28. Navigate- act as the navigator in a car, plane, or vessel and plan, direct, plot the path and position of the conveyanceEXAMPLE SENTENCE:Washed out roads grounded trucks in the muck, and precarious mountain passes were in some cases too risky tonavigate.

29. Oblique- indirect in departing from the accepted or proper way; misleading

30. Obloquy- state of disgrace resulting from public abuseEXAMPLE SENTENCE:Thus public men are content to leave their reputation to posterity; great reactions take place in opinion; nay, sometimes men outlive opposition andobloquy.

31. Parody- a composition that imitates or misrepresents somebody's style, usually in a humorous wayEXAMPLE SENTENCE:Granted, all are outrageously exaggerated, but a discerning eye can detect the truth that lurks behind any satire,parody, or lampoon.

32. Patriarchal- characteristic of a form of social organization in which the male is the family head and title is traced through the male lineEXAMPLE SENTENCE:The oldpatriarchalsystem is gone; the father is no longer an autocratic ruler in his small world.

33. Quagmire- a soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfootEXAMPLE SENTENCE:The heavy rain had reduced this low-lying ground to a veritablequagmire, making progress very difficult even for one as unburdened as he was.

34. Qualified- meeting the proper standards and requirements and training for an office or position or taskEXAMPLE SENTENCE:All schools need administrators who are highlyqualified, dedicated to the profession and not hired due to political connections.

35. Rapport- a relationship of mutual understanding or trust and agreement between peopleEXAMPLE SENTENCE:Ms. Tindall, 48, did not work for Mr. Stevens, but several people said they had a strong mutual respect and a warmrapport.

36. Rationalization- (psychiatry) a defense mechanism by which your true motivation is concealed by explaining your actions and feelings in a way that is not threateningEXAMPLE SENTENCE:The people, she said in an e-mail message, are tired of the same oldrationalizationsand excuses.

37. Sully- make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphoricallyEXAMPLE SENTENCE:Burning coalsulliesthe atmosphere and leaves toxic ash mountains.

38. Sumptuous- rich and superior in qualityEXAMPLE SENTENCE:The city is rich in antiquities, in historic buildings associated with illustrious names, in works of art and insumptuouspalaces.

39. Tenet- a religious doctrine that is proclaimed as true without proofEXAMPLE SENTENCE:Mr. Malik, who does not drink, decided that trading so-called pub securities would violatetenetsof his faith.

40. Tenuous- lacking substance or significanceEXAMPLE SENTENCE:Watching Belasco's short play in London in 1900, Puccini reportedly was deeply moved despite histenuousgrasp of the English language.

41. Ultimatum- a final peremptory demandEXAMPLE SENTENCE:Have issuedultimatumto my own country that, if she does not find fresh countries for me to fight before midnight, war will ensue.

42. Umbrage- a feeling of anger caused by being offendedEXAMPLE SENTENCE:Such men are easily offended, takeumbrageat trifles, and are unforgiving in their resentments.

43. Varying- marked by diversity or differenceEXAMPLE SENTENCE:National central banks do make disclosures, but invaryingformats and with differing frequencies and delays.

44. Vassal- a person holding a fief; a person who owes allegiance and service to a feudal lordEXAMPLE SENTENCE:Second, thevassals, who rendered service to those from whom they held their lands.

45. Warble- sing or play with trills, alternating with the half note above or belowEXAMPLE SENTENCE:Any singer who couldwarbleaway at runs and trills was a great artist.

46. Xenophobia- a fear of foreigners or strangersEXAMPLE SENTENCE:Some fear a return of thexenophobiathat led to violent attacks on foreigners two years ago.

47. Yeoman- in former times was free and cultivated his own landEXAMPLE SENTENCE:On one extreme was the well-to-doyeomanfarmer farming his own land.

48. Yokel- a person who is not very intelligent or interested in cultureEXAMPLE SENTENCE:Now, poor people,yokels, clods, cannot love what is incomprehensible to them.

49. Zealot- a fervent and even militant proponent of somethingEXAMPLE SENTENCE:Finally having conquered his irritable bowel syndrome, he worked out like azealotall winter, adding about 17 pounds of solid muscle.

50. Zenith- the point above the observer that is directly opposite the nadir on the imaginary sphere against which celestial bodies appear to be projectedEXAMPLE SENTENCE:Zenith, the point in the celestial sphere directly overhead.

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