The words are presented in order from the highest to the lowest frequency. This means that the first words in the list tend to appear the most often in the exam texts, academic textbooks, articles, etc.
Trang 21. document (v) record for evidence, substantiate
E.g Document the moments you feel most in love with yourself - what you're wearing, who you're around, what you'redoing Recreate and repeat
(Warsan Shire)
2. comprehensive (adj.) including much, extensive
E.g A man, to be greatly good, must imagine intensely and comprehensively; he must put himself in the place ofanother and of many others; the pains and pleasures of his species must become his own
(Percy Bysshe Shelley)
3. calculated (adj.) deliberate, planned
E.g Often the difference between a successful person and a failure is not one has better abilities or ideas, but thecourage that one has to bet on one's ideas, to take a calculated risk - and to act
5. resolve (n.) determination, firmness of purpose
E.g Each of us has the right and the responsibility to assess the roads which lie ahead, and those over which wehave traveled, and if the future road looms ominous or unpromising, and the roads back uninviting, then we need togather our resolve and, carrying only the necessary baggage, step off that road into another direction If the newchoice is also unpalatable, without embarrassment, we must be ready to change that as well
(Maya Angelou)
6. doctrine (n.) philosophy, school of thought, belief
E.g The older I grow, the more I distrust the familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom
(H.L Mencken)
7. provincial adj limited in outlook to one's own small corner of the world; narrow-minded
E.g Man is always inclined to regard the small circle in which he lives as the center of the world and to make hisparticular, private life the standard of the universe But he must give up this vain pretense, this petty provincial way ofthinking and judging
(Ernst Cassirer)
8. inherent (adj.) inborn
E.g Shyness is the fear of social disapproval or humiliation, while introversion is a preference for environments thatare not overstimulating Shyness is inherently painful; introversion is not
(Susan Cain)
9. gravity (n.) severity; seriousness; solemnity
E.g I suppose I'll have to add the force of gravity to my list of enemies
(Lemony Snicket)
10.obscure (v.) make unclear, make vague; make indistinct
E.g Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures
(Jessamyn West)
11.restraint (n.) moderation or self-control; controlling force; restriction
E.g Why are we so full of restraint? Why do we not give in all directions? Is it fear of losing ourselves? Until we dolose ourselves there is no hope of finding ourselves
(Henry Miller)
12.arbitrary (adj.) wanton, reckless; uncontrolled, unreasonable
E.g All media exist to invest our lives with artificial perceptions and arbitrary values
(Marshall McLuhan)
13.detached (adj.) separate; impartial; aloof
E.g Too unconcerned to love and too passionless to hate, too detached to be selfish and too lifeless to be unselfish,too indifferent to experience joy and too cold to express sorrow, they are neither dead nor alive; they merely exist.(Martin Luther King)
300 Advanced Frequency-based Words in Motivating Contexts
Study online at quizlet.com/_1ydec5
Trang 314.prevalence (adj.) commonness, state of being widespread, currentness, predominance
E.g Comedy is deemed inferior to tragedy primarily because of the social prevalence of narcissistic pathology In otherwords people who are too self-important to laugh at their own frequently ridiculous behavior have vested interest ingravity because it supports their illusions of grandiosity
(Tom Robbins)
15.vigorous (adj.) energetic; forceful; strong and healthy
E.g We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now In thisunfolding conundrum of life and history, there "is" such a thing as being too late This is no time for apathy orcomplacency This is a time for vigorous and postive action
(Martin Luther King Jr )
16.rhetoric (n.) describes speech or writing which is intended to seem important or persuasive
E.g Out of the quarrel with others we make rhetoric; out of the quarrel with ourselves we make poetry
(W.B Yeats)
17.peripheral (adj.) circumferential; marginal
E.g Real life was something happening in her peripheral vision
(Rainbow Rowell)
18.derive (v.) obtain, gain; come from; deduce
E.g I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when theycan give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship
(Brené Brown)
19.predecessor (n.) a person or thing that has held a position or office before another
E.g Always dream and shoot higher than you know you can do Do not bother just to be better than your contemporaries
or predecessors Try to be better than yourself
(William Faulkner)
20.undermine (v) weaken; injure or attack in a secretive or underhanded way
E.g When people cheat in any arena, they diminish themselves-they threaten their own self-esteem and theirrelationships with others by undermining the trust they have in their ability to succeed and in their ability to be true
(Cheryl Hughes)
21.superficial (adj.) on or near the surface; concerned with or understanding only what is on the surface, shallow
E.g We will gradually become indifferent to what goes on in the minds of other people when we acquire a knowledge ofthe superficial nature of their thoughts, the narrowness of their views and of the number of their errors Whoeverattaches a lot of value to the opinions of others pays them too much honor
(Arthur Schopenhauer)
22.proliferation (n.) rapid growth; spread; multiplication
E.g For nearly a century, the moral relativism of science has given faith-based religion-that great engine of ignoranceand bigotry-a nearly uncontested claim to being the only universal framework for moral wisdom As a result, the mostpowerful societies on early spend their time debating issues like gay marriage when they should be focused on problemslike nuclear proliferation, genocide, energy security, climate change, poverty, and failing schools
(Sam Harris)
23.pragmatic (adj) practical; dealing with actual facts and reality
E.g Even the most pragmatic person fell victim at times to a longing for something other
(Kate Morton)
24.ironic (adj.) sarcastic, ironical
E.g It is an ironic habit of human beings to run faster when they have lost their way
(Rollo May)
25.robust (adj.) healthy
E.g All opinions are not equal Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated and well supported in logic andargument than others
(Douglas Adams)
26.disclose (v.) reveal, divulge, expose
E.g Gradually it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor betweenclasses, nor between political parties either - but right through every human heart - and through all human hearts Thisline shifts Inside us, it oscillates with the years
(Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn)
Trang 427.susceptible (adj.) open to; easily influenced; lacking in resistance
E.g Here's something for you to remember; you might have been born into money, but you came out of a vagina thesame as everyone else Popping out of one that's rich doesn't make you anything but lucky, or susceptible to beingstuck your own arse Whichever
(Suzanne Wright)
28.proximity (n.) adjacency, closeness
E.g It takes so little, so infinitely little, for a person to cross the border beyond which everything loses meaning: love,convictions, faith, history Human life - and herein lies its secret - takes place in the immediate proximity of that border,even in direct contact with it; it is not miles away, but a fraction of an inch
(Milan Kundera)
29.rigorous (n.) harsh, strict, severe; exact, precise
E.g We should be rigorous in judging ourselves and gracious in judging others
(John Wesley)
30.constraint (n.) restriction; force
E.g Freedom is not being a slave to any circumstance, to any constraint, to any chance; it means compelling fortune toenter the lists on equal terms
(Seneca the Elder)
31.induce (v.) cause, impel, deduce
E.g Once upon a time there was a bear and a bee who lived in a wood and were the best of friends All summer long thebee collected nectar from morning to night while the bear lay on his back basking in the long grass When winter came thebear realised he had nothing to eat and thought to himself 'I hope that busy little bee will share some of his honey withme.' But the bee was nowhere to be found - he had died of a stress induced coronary disease
33.articulate (adj.) well spoken, eloquent
E.g Talkers are usually more articulate than doers, since talk is their specialty
(Thomas Sowell)
34.indifference (n.) apathy, unconcern, detachment, disinterest
E.g The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference The opposite
of faith is not heresy, it's indifference And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference."
(Elie Wiesel)
35.predator (n.) an animal that naturally preys on others
E.g It's like when a kitten tries to bite something to death The kitten clearly has the cold-blooded murderous instinct of apredator, but at the same time, it's this cute little kitten, and all you want to do is stuff it in a shoebox and shoot a video
of it for grandmas to watch on YouTube
(Jesse Andrews)
36.tentative (adj.) experimental in nature; uncertain, hesitant
E.g It is not what the man of science believes that distinguishes him, but how and why he believes it His beliefs aretentative, not dogmatic; they are based on evidence, not on authority or intuition
(Bertrand Russell)
37.dissent (v.) disagree on, dispute, oppose
E.g I wish I could say that racism and prejudice were only distant memories We must dissent from the indifference Wemust dissent from the apathy We must dissent from the fear, the hatred and the mistrust We must dissent becauseAmerica can do better, because America has no choice but to do better
(Thurgood Marshall)
38.exhaust (v.) to use all of sth so that there is none left
E.g When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this - you haven't
(Thomas A Edison)
Trang 539.turbulent (adj.) disorderly, riotous, violent; stormy
E.g The need to go astray, to be destroyed, is an extremely private, distant, passionate, turbulent truth
(Georges Bataille)
40.turmoil (n) a state of great confusion or disorder; mental strain or agitation
E.g When I'm in turmoil, when I can't think, when I'm exhausted and afraid and feeling very, very alone, I go for walks.It's just one of those things I do I walk and I walk and sooner or later something comes to me, something to make mefeel less like jumping off a building
(Jim Butcher)
41.volatile (adj.) highly changeable, fickle; tending to become violent or explosive
E.g This may come as a shock to some of you, but I have a slightly volatile personality I don't suffer fools well
(Tucker Max)
42.apprehension (n.) fearful expectation or anticipation
E.g There's always apprehension whenever I launch anything, it seems When I launch a tour, people are always,'Oooh, is this gonna work?' And when I launch an album: 'Ooh, is this gonna work?' Or a new video 'Really?' It's alwayslike that - but I've always acted on the impulse that I have nothing to lose
(Mika)
43.sanction (v.) approve; ratify
E.g I made no resolutions for the New Year The habit of making plans, of criticizing, sanctioning and molding my life, istoo much of a daily event for me
(Anạs Nin)
44.concede (v.) admit, yield, give up
E.g If there is no struggle there is no progress Those who profess to favor freedom and yet deprecate agitation, aremen who want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightning They want the oceanwithout the awful roar of its many waters This struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, and it may beboth moral and physical, but it must be a struggle Power concedes nothing without a demand It never did and it neverwill
(Frederick Douglass)
45.homogeneous (adj.) the same
E.g In scientific thinking are always present elements of poetry Science and music requires a thought homogeneous (Albert Einstein)
46.contentious (adj.) belligerent, argumentative
E.g It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and angry woman
(Bible)
47.prudent (adj) wise in practical matters, carefully providing for the future
E.g Run from what's comfortable Forget safety Live where you fear to live Destroy your reputation Be notorious Ihave tried prudent planning long enough From now on I'll be mad
(Rumi)
48.lavish (v.) expend profusely, give in large amounts
E.g Great minds that are healthy are never considered geniuses, while this sublime qualification is lavished on brainsthat are often inferior but are slightly touched by madness
(Guy de Maupassant)
49.degradation (n.) humiliation, dishonor
E.g I have come to the conclusion that it's a waste of time to have too much pride in anything Perhaps it's good tohave a sense of duty, a jealous zeal to protect or improve, but pride ultimately is only that which stands vulnerable tooffense and degradation
(Henry Rollins)
50.ingenious (adj.) brilliant, someone's ability to think of clever new ways of doing something
E.g Better is possible It does not take genius It takes diligence It takes moral clarity It takes ingenuity And aboveall, it takes a willingness to try
(Atul Gawande)
51.mundane (adj.) banal, normal; earthy
E.g Today is a new day Don't let your history interfere with your destiny! Let today be the day you stop being a victim
of your circumstances and start taking action towards the life you want You have the power and the time to shape yourlife Break free from the poisonous victim mentality and embrace the truth of your greatness You were not meant for amundane or mediocre life!
(Steve Maraboli)
Trang 652.transient (adj.) lasting only a short time, fleeting; (n.) one who stays only a short time
E.g Music isn't just a pleasure, a transient satisfaction It's a need, a deep hunger; and when the music is right, it's joy.Love A foretaste of heaven A comfort in grief
Is it too much to think that perhaps God speaks to us sometimes through music?
How, then, could I be so ungrateful as to refuse the message?
(Orson Scott Card)
53.innate (adj.) inherent; inborn
E.g You've been given the innate power to shape your life but you cannot just speak change, you have to LIVEchange Intent paired with action builds the bridge to success You can't just want it; you have to do it, live it BE it!Success isn't something you have, it's something you DO!
(Steve Maraboli)
54.contend (v.) maintain, assert; compete
E.g Only by contending with challenges that seem to be beyond your strength to handle at the moment you can growmore surely toward the stars
(Brian Trac)
55.prolific (adj.) abundantly productive; abundant, profuse
E.g There is something heroic about the way my fans operate their cameras So precisely, so intricately and so proudly.Like Kings writing the history of their people, is their prolific nature that both creates and procures what will later beperceived as the kingdom
(Lady Gaga)
56.archaic (adj.) ancient; no longer used
E.g Painting and sculpture are very archaic forms It's the only thing left in our industrial society where an individualalone can make something with not just his own hands, but brains, imagination, heart maybe
(Philip Guston)
57.discrepancy (n.) difference, lack of accord, inconsistency
E.g There is a serious discrepancy between what we really wants, and what we usually do to get what we think we want.What we really want is to fill the hole inside and become complete, and what we do is look for success and growthoutside
(Ilchi Lee)
58.pervasive (adj) tending to spread throughout
E.g Deep in the human unconscious is a pervasive need for a logical universe that makes sense But the real universe
is always one step beyond logic
(Frank Herbert)
59.complacency (n.) contentment, self-satisfaction
E.g Complacency by the watchdogs hurts both taxpayers and beneficiaries
(Chuck Grassley)
60.benevolent (adj.) charitable, kind
E.g We both can be the most beautiful and benevolent creatures on the planet, but then there's another side that can
be as harsh and as ugly as the darkest thing you could imagine seeing
(Terrence Howard)
61.diffuse (v.) spread, scatter, fan out
E.g I learned early in life that laughter is a great way to diffuse and uncomfortable situation, so I began to use that as atool, throughout my life
(Romany Malco)
62.sporadic (adj) occasional, happening irregularly or in scattered locations
E.g Our society is so fragmented, our family lives so sundered by physical and emotional distance, our friendships sosporadic, our intimacies so 'in-between' things and often so utilitarian, that there are few places where we can feel trulysafe
(Henri J.M Nouwen)
63.malicious (adj.) hateful
E.g Don't listen to the malicious comments of those friends who, never taking any risks themselves, can only see otherpeople's failures
(Paulo Coelho)
Trang 764.ominous (adj.) sign of negative event
E.g Ayn Rand's 'philosophy' is nearly perfect in its immorality, which makes the size of her audience all the more ominousand symptomatic as we enter a curious new phase in our society To justify and extol human greed and egotism is to mymind not only immoral, but evil
(Gore Vidal)
65.coercion (n.) compulsion, use of force
E.g True freedom is the capacity for acting according to one's true character, to be altogether one's self, to be
self-determined and not subject to outside coercion
(Corliss Lamont)
66.mar (v.) damage, mutilate, spoil, deface
E.g We laugh and laugh, and nothing can ever be sad, no one can be lost, or dead, or far away: right now we are here, andnothing can mar our perfection, or steal the joy of this perfect moment."
(Audrey Niffenegger)
67.shudder (v) to shake suddenly with very small movements because of a very unpleasant thought or feeling
E.g The true genius shudders at incompleteness — imperfection — and usually prefers silence to saying the somethingwhich is not everything that should be said
(Edgar Allan Poe)
68.emulate (v.) copy
E.g Grief and love are conjoined, you don't get one without the other All I can do is love her, and love the world, emulateher by living with daring and spirit and joy
(Jandy Nelson)
69.partisan (n.) one who fervently supports a specific group or cause
E.g I hate the indifferent I believe that living means taking sides Those who really live cannot help being a citizen and apartisan Indifference and apathy are parasitism, perversion, not life That is why I hate the indifferent
I am a partisan, I am alive, I feel the pulse of the activity of the future city that those on my side are building is alive intheir conscience And in it, the social chain does not rest on a few; nothing of what happens in it is a matter of luck, nor theproduct of fate, but the intelligent work of the citizens Nobody in it is looking from the window of the sacrifice and the drain
of a few Alive, I am a partisan That is why I hate the ones that don't take sides, I hate the indifferent
(Antonio Gramsci)
70.salvage (v) save from destruction, rescue
E.g You know a relationship has deteriorated past the point of salvage when one person detests another's gestures
(Josephine Humphreys)
71.sage (adj.) wise; (n.) a very wise person
E.g To paraphrase several sages: Nobody can think and hit someone at the same time
(Susan Sontag)
72.diligence (n.) persistence, perseverance, industriousness
E.g Few things are impossible to diligence and skill Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance (Samuel Johnson)
73.opaque (n.) unclear; muddy
E.g We exist for ourselves, perhaps, and at times we even have a glimmer of who we are, but in the end we can never besure, and as our lives go on, we become more and more opaque to ourselves, more and more aware of our own
incoherence No one can cross the boundary into another - for the simple reason that no one can gain access to himself (Paul Auster)
74.eloquent (adj.) well-spoken, persuasive, convincing, silver-tongued
E.g In my mind I am eloquent; I can climb intricate scaffolds of words to reach the highest cathedral ceilings and paint mythoughts But when I open my mouth, everything collapses
(Isaac Marion)
75.deference (n.) respect, reverence, esteem
E.g To have respect for ourselves guides our morals; and to have a deference for others governs our manners
(Lawrence Sterne )
76.devious (adj.) dishonest, deceptive, crooked
E.g With my physicality and my face, I don't think I could pull off a completely righteous guy There's something deviousabout my eyes I like characters with flaws and to see how they overcome those flaws I want to play real people, and
they're flawed, not perfect
(Emraan Hashmi)
Trang 877.preclude (v.) to make impossible, prevent, shut out
E.g Accepting oneself does not preclude an attempt to become better
(Flannery O'Connor)
78.lofty (adj.) elevated, noble
E.g Great men are like eagles, and build their nest on some lofty solitude
(Arthur Schopenhauer)
79.austere (adj.) strict, rigid; ascetic
E.g I'm not shy in the spotlight I might seem austere and even arrogant, but far from it, I'm actually shy
(Riccardo Muti)
80.inert (adj.) not moving
(E.g The only thing more painful than being an active forgetter is to be an inert rememberer."
(Jonathan Safran Foer)
81.heterogeneous (adj.) of different mixture
E.g Memory has its own special kind It selects, eliminates, alters, exaggerates, minimizes, glorifies, and vilifies also;but in the end it creates its own reality, its heterogeneous but usually coherent version of events; and no sane humanbeing ever trusts someone else's version more than his own
(Salman Rushdie)
82.vow (n.) a solemn or sacred promise or pledge; (v.) to declare or promise in a solemn way
83.expedient (adj.) worthwhile
E.g On some positions, cowardice asks the question, is it expedient? And then expedience comes along and asks thequestion, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? Conscience asks the question, is it right?
There comes a time when one must take the position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must do itbecause conscience tells him it is right
(Martin Luther King Jr.)
84.composure (n.) calmness, equanimity
E.g Genuine good taste consists in saying much in few words, in choosing among our thoughts, in having order andarrangement in what we say, and in speaking with composure
(Francois Fenelon)
85.fervor (n.) ardor, passion, eagerness; great heat
E.g Those who direct the maximum force of their desires towards the center, toward the true being, toward perfection,seem quieter than the passionate souls because the flame of their fervor cannot always be seen In argument, forexample, they will not shout and wave their arms But I assure you, they are nevertheless burning with subdued fires." (Hermann Hesse)
86.apathy (n.) indifference, absence of emotion or enthusiasm
(E.g Willpower is the key to success Successful people strive no matter what they feel by applying their will toovercome apathy, doubt or fear
(Dan Millman)
87.bolster (v.) strengthen, reinforce
E.g If the United Nations is to survive, those who represent it must bolster it; those who advocate it must submit to it;and those who believe in it must fight for it
(Norman Cousins)
88.antagonism (n.) opposition, resistance
E.g My opinion on who's wrong or who's right has nothing to do with the fact that we have to bring together people whoare against each other, to transform antagonism into cooperation
(Harri Holkeri)
89.discern (v.) distinguish, perceive
E.g As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light of meaning in the darkness ofmere being
(C.G Jung)
90.acclaim (v.) praise, extol
E.g Did you ever stop to think that a great man in life, who has won great acclaim and great reputation, is the veryman who is willing to share and give the honor to others in the doing of things that made him great?
(Charles M Schwab)
Trang 991. commemorate (v.) honor, pay tribute
E.g Life is a lot more interesting if you are interested in the people and the places around you So, illuminate yourlittle patch of ground, the people that you know, the things that you want to commemorate Light them up with yourart, with your music, with your writing, with whatever it is that you do
(Alan Moore)
92. impeccable (adj.) faultless, perfect; free from sin, pure
E.g Be impeccable with your word Don't take anything personally Don't make assumptions Always do your best (Miguel Ruiz)
93. reverence (n.) veneration, sense of deep respect; gesture of honor
E.g Spring passes and one remembers one's innocence
Summer passes and one remembers one's exuberance
Autumn passes and one remembers one's reverence
Winter passes and one remembers one's perseverance
(Yoko Ono)
94. exemplary (adj.) top
E.g You give up on what you need to be doing because you forget that you're worth it This is why most people aren'tleading exemplary lives You have to believe in yourself so much that you're willing to do what's uncomfortable, time-consuming, inconvenient, and on occasion seemingly impossible When you don't believe in yourself this much,pretend
(Victoria Moran)
95. linger (v.) stay around, tarry, persist
E.g Everyone makes choices in life Some bad, some good It's called living, and if you want to bow out, then go rightahead But don't do it halfway Don't linger in whiner's limbo."
(Maria V Snyder)
96. sluggish (adj.) lazy; slow-moving; not active, dull
E.g But we never get back our youth The pulse of joy that beats in us at twenty becomes sluggish Our limbs fail,our senses rot We degenerate into hideous puppets, haunted by the memory of the passions of which we were toomuch afraid, and the exquisite temptations that we had not the courage to yield to
(Oscar Wilde)
97. adversary (n.) opponent, rival, enemy
E.g We have been conditioned to see the passing of time as an adversary
(Menachem Mendel Schneerson)
98. disperse (v.) scatter, send out; be scattered
E.g Now I know what loneliness is, I think Momentary loneliness, anyway It comes from a vague core of the self like a disease of the blood, dispersed throughout the body so that one cannot locate the matrix, the spot of
-contagion
99. cessation (n.) a temporary discontinuance
E.g The Buddha said that suffering was caused by desire, we'd learned, and that the cessation of desire meant thecessation of suffering When you stopped wishing things wouldn't fall apart, you'd stop suffering when they did
(John Green)
100.disdain (v.) contempt, scorn
E.g The biggest moments of insecurity come when all self-confidence is lost and you feel like people are watchingand judging It should be the opposite You should feel like the people who are watching care about you This issomething we can try to give each other - the feeling that eyes signal support, not disdain
( Miley Cyrus)
101.indignant (adj.) irate, angry, furious; exasperated, resentful
E.g There is perhaps no phenomenon which contains so much destructive feeling as 'moral indignation,' which permitsenvy or hate to be acted out under the guise of virtue
(Erich Fromm)
Trang 10102.oblivion (n.) unawareness, state of complete forgetfulness
E.g "I'm in love with you," he said quietly
"Augustus," I said
"I am," he said He was staring at me, and I could see the corners of his eyes crinkling "I'm in love with you, and I'm not
in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things I'm in love with you, and I know that love isjust a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we're all doomed and that there will come a day whenall our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we'll ever have, and I am in lovewith you."
(John Green)
103.astute (adj.) clever, acute, shrewd
E.g One of the funny things about the stock market is that every time one person buys, another sells, and both thinkthey are astute
(William Feather)
104.piety (n.) devotion
E.g The world is a wonderfully weird place, consensual reality is significantly flawed, no institution can be trusted,certainty is a mirage, security a delusion, and the tyranny of the dull mind forever threatens but our lives are not aslimited as we think they are, all things are possible, laughter is holier than piety, freedom is sweeter than fame, and inthe end it's love and love alone that really matters
(Tom Robbins)
105.superfluous (adj.) exceeding what is sufficient or required, excess
E.g Obedience, fasting, and prayer are laughed at, yet only through them lies the way to real true freedom I cut off mysuperfluous and unnecessary desires, I subdue my proud and wanton will and chastise it with obedience, and with God'shelp I attain freedom of spirit and with it spiritual joy
(Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
106.erroneous (adj.) wrong, incorrect, mistaken, inaccurate
E.g What disturbs and depresses young people is the hunt for happiness on the firm assumption that it must be metwith in life From this arises constantly deluded hope and so also dissatisfaction Deceptive images of a vaguehappiness hover before us in our dreams, and we search in vain for their original Much would have been gained if,through timely advice and instruction, young people could have had eradicated from their minds the erroneous notion thatthe world has a great deal to offer them
(Arthur Schopenhauer)
107.rectify (v.) make better, calibrate
E.g No, the secret is that there's no reward and we have to endure our characters and our natures as best we can,because no amount of experience or insight is going to rectify our deficiencies, our self-regard, or our cupidity We have
to learn that our desires do not find any real echo in the world We have to accept that the people we love do not love
us, or not in the way we hope We have to accept betrayal and disloyalty, and, hardest of all, that someone is finer than
we are in character or intelligence
(Sándor Márai)
108.divergent (adj.) diverging from another or a standard
E.g I feel like someone breathed new air into my lungs I am not Abnegation I am not Dauntless
I am Divergent
(Veronica Roth)
109.alleviate (v.) relieve, allay, soothe
E.g Everybody should have a fair deal; everybody should have the chance to life in this world If we were evolved ashuman beings, we would hopefully be able to alleviate suffering in the world
(Vivienne Westwood)
110.aloof (adj.) unfriendly, standoffish, indifferent
E.g I love Obama's calm and dignity A lot of people confuse that with being aloof, but I know people that have held thatjob It's a 24-hour barrage of information
(Stephen Stills)
111.remorse (n.) regret, guilty feeling
E.g All good books are alike in that they are truer than if they had really happened and after you are finished readingone you will feel that all that happened to you and afterwards it all belongs to you: the good and the bad, the ecstasy,the remorse and sorrow, the people and the places and how the weather was If you can get so that you can give that topeople, then you are a writer
(Ernest Hemingway)
Trang 11112.animosity (n.) hatred, resentment; hostility
E.g Suspicion and doubt lead to animosity and hatred
114.disparity (n.) inequality; difference, dissimilarity
E.g To love To be loved To never forget your own insignificance To never get used to the unspeakable violenceand the vulgar disparity of life around you To seek joy in the saddest places To pursue beauty to its lair To neversimplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple To respect strength, never power Above all, to watch Totry and understand To never look away And never, never to forget
(Arundhati Roy)
115.affirmation (n.) support; testimony
E.g Practice rather than preach Make of your life an affirmation, defined by your ideals, not the negation of others.Dare to the level of your capability then go beyond to a higher level
(Alexander Haig)
116.stagnant (adj.) not running or flowing; foul from standing still; inactive, sluggish, dull
E.g Are you going to allow the world around you to change while you remain stagnant? Make this the time you throwaway old habits that have hindered your happiness and success and finally allow your greatest self to flourish
(Steve Maraboli)
117.aspire (v.) dream, yearn
E.g Most of us who aspire to be tops in our fields don't really consider the amount of work required to stay tops
(Althea Gibson)
118.relinquish (v.) cede, surrender, give up; forsake, abandon
E.g I know why we try to keep the dead alive: we try to keep them alive in order to keep them with us I also knowthat if we are to live ourselves there comes a point at which we must relinquish the dead, let them go, keep themdead "
(Joan Didion)
119.esoteric (adj.) obscure
E.g But I believe we all fall in love for some esoteric and simple reason: the first time a man comes to your rescue,the way he holds you when you kiss, his smile that has you endlessly daydreaming I'm not sure the reason you fall is
as important as the fact that you have indeed fallen
(David Cristofano)
120.heresy (n.) unorthodox opinion, belief or idea which is in opposition to established views
E.g The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference Theopposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference
(Elie Wiesel)
121.dogmatic (adj.) opinionated, intolerant, rigid
E.g Nothing is more dangerous than a dogmatic worldview - nothing more constraining, more blinding to innovation,more destructive of openness to novelty
(Stephen Jay Gould)
122.satire (n.) a way of criticizing people or ideas in a humorous way, or a piece of writing or play which uses this style
E.g A man is angry at a libel because it is false, but at a satire because it is true
(G.K Chesterton)
123.fallacy (n.) misconception, false belief
E.g Money makes people rich; it is a fallacy to think it makes them better, or even that it makes them worse Peopleare what they do, and what they leave behind
(Terry Pratchett)
124.indiscriminate (adj.) thoughtless, careless; mixed, thrown together
E.g Love is one of the most intense feelings felt by man; another is hate Forcing yourself to feel indiscriminate love
is very unnatural If you try to love everyone you only lessen your feelings for those who deserve your love
Repressed hatred can lead to many physical and emotional aliments By learning to release your hatred towards thosewho deserve it, you cleanse yourself of these malignant emotions and need not take your pent-up hatred out on yourloved ones
(Anton Szandor LaVey)
Trang 12125.ascendancy (n.) domination, superiority, supremacy
E.g The Japanese put houses in among the trees and allowed nature to gain the ascendancy in any composition
(Stephen Gardiner)
126.aversion (n.) a feeling of intense dislike
E.g I deeply detest social distinction and snobbery, and in that lies my strong aversion to titular honours
(Helen Clark)
127.conciliatory (adj.) pacifying, appeasing
E.g If you're not very clever you should be conciliatory
(Benjamin Disraeli)
128.ratify (v.) approve, confirm
E.g All over the place, from the popular culture to the propaganda system, there is constant pressure to make peoplefeel that they are helpless, that the only role they can have is to ratify decisions and to consume
(Noam Chomsky)
129.innocuous (adj.) harmless
E.g You live like this, sheltered, in a delicate world, and you believe you are living Then you read a book or you take
a trip and you discover that you are not living, that you are hibernating The symptoms of hibernating are easilydetectable: first, restlessness The second symptom (when hibernating becomes dangerous and might degenerate intodeath): absence of pleasure That is all It appears like an innocuous illness Monotony, boredom, death Millions live likethis (or die like this) without knowing it They work in offices They drive a car They picnic with their families They raisechildren And then some shock treatment takes place, a person, a book, a song, and it awakens them and saves themfrom death Some never awaken
(Anạs Nin)
130.antidote (n.) remedy
E.g Good humor is a tonic for mind and body It is the best antidote for anxiety and depression It is a business asset
It attracts and keeps friends It lightens human burdens It is the direct route to serenity and contentment
(Grenville Kleiser)
131.hamper (v.) impede, hinder
E.g Understanding the difference between healthy striving and perfectionism is critical to laying down the shield andpicking up your life Research shows that perfectionism hampers success In fact, it's often the path to depression,anxiety, addiction, and life paralysis
(Groucho Marx)
134.perpetuate (v.) eternalize, make everlasting
E.g Resentment always hurts you more than it does the person you resent While your offender has probably forgottenthe offense and gone on with life, you continue to stew in your pain, perpetuating the past Listen: those who hurt you inthe past cannot continue to hurt you now unless you hold on to the pain through resentment Your past is past! Nothingwill change it You are only hurting yourself with your bitterness For your own sake, learn from it, and then let it go.(Rick Warren)
135.unscathed (adj.) wholly unharmed, not injured
E.g It's impossible to go through life unscathed Nor should you want to By the hurts we accumulate, we measure bothour follies and our accomplishments."
(Christopher Paolini)
136.pacifist (n.) lover of peace
E.g Wise men are not pacifists; they are merely less likely to jump up and retaliate against their antagonizers Theyknow that needless antagonizers are virtually already insecure enough
(Criss Jami)
Trang 13137.cryptic (adj.) obscure, puzzling, concealing
E.g Maps encourage boldness They're like cryptic love letters They make anything seem possible
(Mark Jenkins)
138.lament (v.) mourn, grieve for
E.g Both looked back then on the wild revelry and they lamented that it had cost them so much of their lives to findthe paradise of shared solitude."
(Gabriel Garcí¬a Márquez)
139.refute (v.) dispute, rebut, disprove, prove false
E.g.There are also those who inadvertently grant power to another man's words by continuously trying to spite him If aman gets to the point where he can simply say, 'The sky is blue,' and people indignantly rush up trying to refute himsaying, 'No, the sky is light blue,' then, whether they realize it or not, he has become an authority figure even to suchadversaries
(Criss Jami)
140.censure (n.) harsh criticism or disapproval
E.g It is folly for an eminent man to think of escaping censure, and a weakness to be affected with it All the illustriouspersons of antiquity, and indeed of every age in the world, have passed through this fiery persecution
(Joseph Addison)
141.incongruous (adj.) inhamornious, inconsistent
E.g A lonely, quiet person has observations and experiences that are at once both more indistinct and more penetratingthan those of one more gregarious; his thoughts are weightier, stranger, and never without a tinge of sadness .Loneliness fosters that which is original, daringly and bewilderingly beautiful, poetic But loneliness also fosters thatwhich is perverse, incongruous, absurd, forbidden
(Thomas Mann)
142.profusion (n.) a plentiful supply; a great or generous amount
E.g I'll admit that my garden now grows hope in lavish profusion, leaving little room for anything else I suppose it hassqueezed out more practical plants like caution and common sense Still, though, hope does not flourish in everygarden, and I feel thankful it has taken root in mine
(Sharon Kay Penman)
143.unwarranted (adj.) unjustified; groundless; undeserved
E.g The unwarranted devotion Putting up with the fear of being with the wrong person because you can't deal with thefear of being alone The hope tinged with doubt, and the doubt tinged with hope Every time I see these feelings insomeone else's face, it weighs me down
(David Levithan)
144.mitigate (v.) soften in force or severity; lessen the impact or intensity of; appease, make easier, sweeten
E.g Yes, it's vital to make lifestyle choices to mitigate damage caused by being a member of industrialized civilization,but to assign primary responsibility to oneself, and to focus primarily on making oneself better, is an immense copout,
an abrogation of responsibility."
(Derrick Jensen)
145.renounce (v.) to give up or resign something
E.g But time, as well as healing all wounds, taught me something strange too: that it's possible to love more than oneperson in a lifetime I remarried I'm very happy with my new wife, and I can't imagine living without her This, however,doesn't mean that I have to renounce all my past experiences, as long as I'm careful not to compare my two lives Youcan't measure love the way you can the length of a road or the height of a building
(Paulo Coelho)
146.cursory (adj.) quick and probably not detailed
E.g We do not talk - we bludgeon one another with facts and theories gleaned from cursory readings of newspapers,magazines and digests
147.adversity (n) hardship, adverse fortune
E.g Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit
(Napoleon Hill)
148.implausible (adj.) not feasible
E.g There is boring There is sensational There is mediocre There is lazy There is good There is evil People doimplausible things all the time, and they run the gamut of moderately weird to truly extraordinary But there is no normal.The world is an unbelievable place full of unbelievable people doing unbelievable things
(Penny Reid)