icon - (n) a person or thing regarded as a representative symbol of something

malevolent - (adj) having or showing a wish to do evil to others

sanctimonious - (adj) making a show of being morally superior to other people

castigate - (v) reprimand (someone) severely

garrulous - (adj) excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters

deprecate - (v) express disapproval of

lackadaisical - (adj) lacking enthusiasm and determination; carelessly lazy

haughty - (adj) arrogantly superior and disdainful

languid - (adj) weak or faint from illness or fatigue

appease - (v) to make (someone) pleased or less angry by giving or saying something desired

fulsome - (adj) complimentary or flattering to an excessive degree; generous or abundant

supercilious - (adj) behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others

supplant - (v) supersede and replace

absurd - (adj) wildly unreasonable, illogical, or inappropriate

account - (n) a report or description of an event or experience

elaborate - (adj) involving carefully arranged parts; detailed and complicated in design

laconic - (adj) using very few words

facile - (adj) appearing comprehensive by ignoring the complexities of an issue; superficial

sardonic - (adj) grimly mocking or cynical

urbane - (adj) suave, courteous, and refined in manner

acquiesce - (v) accept something reluctantly but without protest

inconstancy - (n) not constant; changeable; fickle; variable

recant - (v) say that one no longer holds an opinion or belief

tenuous - (adj) very weak or slight

theoretical - (adj) concerned with theory rather than practical application

censure - (v) express severe disapproval of

gratuitous - (adj) uncalled for; lacking good reason; unwarranted

opaque - (adj) not able to be seen through; not transparent

impenetrable - (adj) impossible to pass through or enter

cultivated - (adj) refined and well educated

tangential - (adj) diverging from a previous course or line; erratic

abstemious - (adj) not self-indulgent, especially when eating and drinking

antipathy - (n) a deep-seated feeling of dislike; aversion

arduous - (adj) involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring

divisive - (adj) tending to cause disagreement or hostility between people

preeminent - (adj) surpassing all others; very distinguished in some way

abate - (v) lessen, reduce, or remove

subdued - (adj) quiet and rather a refective or depressed

pertinent - (adj) relevant or applicable to a particular matter; apposite

spurious - (adj) not being what it purports to be; false or fake

extrapolate - (v) extend an unknown situation by assuming that existing trends will continue

monotonous - (adj) dull, tedious, and repetitious; lacking in variety and interest

terse - (adj) sparing in the use of words; abrupt

diligent - (adj) having or showing care and conscientiousness in one's work or duties

relinquish - (v) voluntarily cease to keep or claim; give up

enmity - (n) the state or feeling of being actively opposed or hostile to someone or something

disgruntled - (adj) angry or dissatisfied

manipulate - (v) control or influence (a person or situation) cleverly or possibly unfairly

renown - (n) the condition of being known or talked about by many people; fame

flamboyant - (adj) attracting attention because of exuberance, confidence, and stylishness

hyperbole - (n) exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally

nebulous - (adj) unclear, vague, or ill-defined

defunct - (adj) no longer existing or functioning

parody - (v) produce a humorously exaggerated imitation of (a writer, artist, or genre)

predilection - (n) a preference or special liking for something; a bias in favor of something

downplay - (v) make (something) appear less important than it really is

permeate - (v) spread throughout (something); pervade

anonymity - (n) lack of outstanding, individual, or unusual features; impersonality

pioneering - (adj) involving new ideas or methods

stoic - (adj) enduring pain and hardship without showing one's feelings or complaining

formlessness - (adj) having no regular form or shape

inimical - (adj) being adverse often by reason of hostility or malevolence

prodigious - (adj) causing amazement or wonder

potent - (adj) having or wielding force, authority, or influence; powerful

dichotomies - (n) a division into two especially mutually exclusive or contradictory groups or entities

seldom - (adverb) rarely, infrequently

emblem - (n) a picture with a motto or set of verses intended as a moral lesson; a symbolic object used as a heraldic device

array - (v) to dress or decorate especially in splendid or impressive attire, adorn; to set in order or place

bridle - (v) to put a harness with which a horse is governed on the head of; to restrain, check, or control with or as if with a bridle

caveat - (n) a warning enjoining one from certain acts or practices; an explanation to prevent misinterpretation

lull - (v) to cause to sleep or rest; a temporary drop in business activity

commensurate - (adj) equal in measure or extent;

incongruous - (adj) lacking congruity or harmony; inconsistent within itself

zealots - (n) a person with zealous marked by fervent partisanship for a person, a cause, or an ideal

simpletons - (n) a person lacking in common sense

phonies - (n) not genuine or real; fake

hypocrites - (n) a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings

cynics - (n) one who believes that human conduct is motivated wholly by self-interest

ideologues - (n) an often blindly partisan advocate or adherent of a particular ideology; an impractical idealist

impugned - (v) to assail by words or arguments : oppose or attack as false or lacking integrity

extolled - (v) to praise something or someone very much

inducement - (n) a motive or consideration that leads one to action or to additional or more effective actions

relicts - (n) a surviving species of an otherwise extinct group of organisms, also : a remnant of a formerly widespread species that persists in an isolated area

unfathomable - (adj) impossible to comprehend or understand

retrenchment - (n) a situation in which a government, etc. spends less or reduces costs

curtailment - (n) the action of reducing or limiting something, or of stopping something before it is finished

resurgence - (n) a new increase of activity or interest in a particular subject or idea that had been forgotten for some time

façade - (n) the front of a building, especially a large or attractive building

propitiate -(v) to please and make calm a god or person who is annoyed with you

accentuate - (v) to emphasize a particular feature of something or to make something more noticeable

occlude - (v) to block something

presage - (v) to show or suggest that something, often something unpleasant, will happen

dilatory - (adj) slow and likely to cause delay

disingenuous - (adj) (of a person or their behaviour) slightly dishonest, or not speaking the complete truth

hectic - (adj) full of activity, or very busy and fast

partisanship - (n) the quality or action of strongly supporting a person, principle, or political party, often without considering or judging the matter very carefully

deterring - (v) to prevent someone from doing something or to make someone less enthusiastic about doing something by making it difficult for that person to do it or by threatening bad results if they do it

impartial - (adj) not supporting any of the sides involved in an argument

lamenting - (v) to express sadness and feeling sorry about something

valiantly - (adverb) in a way that is brave or determined when a situation is very difficult

idiosyncratic - (adj) having strange or unusual habits, ways of behaving, or features

intricate - (adj) having a lot of small parts that are arranged in a complicated or delicate way:

martinet - (n) someone who demands that rules and orders always be obeyed, even when it is unnecessary or unreasonable to do so

dissembler - (n) who dissemble: to hide your real intentions and feelings or the facts

allegorical - (adj) in or relating to a story, play, picture, or other work in which the characters and events represent moral, religious, or political qualities or ideas

pastiche - (n) a piece of art, music, literature, etc. that intentionally copies the style of someone else's work or is intentionally in various styles

anecdote - (n) a short, often funny story, especially about something someone has done

tantamount - (adj) being almost the same or having the same effect as something, usually something bad

germane - (adj) ideas or information that is germane to a particular subject or situation is connected with and important to it; being at once relevant and appropriate; fitting

candor - (n) the quality of being honest and telling the truth, especially about a difficult or embarrassing subject

apathy - (n) behaviour that shows no interest or energy and shows that someone is unwilling to take action, especially over something important

obfuscation - (n) the act of making something less clear and less easy to understand, especially intentionally, or an instance of this

raillery - (n) joking or laughing at someone in a friendly way

impervious - (adj) not allowing entrance or passage : IMPENETRABLE

blandness - (n) the quality of not having a strong taste or character or not showing any interest or energy

archipelago - (n) a group of small islands or an area of sea in which there are many small islands

atypical - (adj) different from all others of the same type

deft - (adj) skillful, clever, or quick

avid - (adj) extremely eager or interested

dissidents - (n) a person who publicly disagrees with and criticizes their government

fickle - (adj) likely to change your opinion or your feelings suddenly and without a good reason

reticent - (adj) unwilling to speak about your thoughts or feelings:

staid - (adj) serious, boring, and slightly old-fashioned

UPDATED the first post with important and relevant information about this extensive list

Regards

paltry - (adj) (of an amount of money) very small and of little or no value

onerous - (adj) difficult to do or need a lot of effort

ensue - (v) to happen after something else, especially as a result of it

ubiquitous - (adj) seeming to be everywhere

giddily - (adv) lightheaded with emotion

inchoate - (adj) only recently or partly formed, or not completely developed or clear

esoteric - (adj) very unusual and understood or liked by only a small number of people, especially those with special knowledge

waning - (v) to become weaker in strength or influence

derision - (n) the situation in which someone or something is laughed at and considered stupid or of no value

egalitarian - (adj) believing that all people are equally important and should have the same rights and opportunities in life

sacrosanct - (adj) thought to be too important or too special to be changed

tendentious - (adj) (of speech or writing) expressing or supporting a particular opinion that many other people disagree with

irrefutable - (adj) impossible to prove wrong

conundrum - (n) a problem that is difficult to deal with; enigma;ridle.

surfeit - (n) an amount that is too large, or is more than is needed

forgo - (v) to give up the enjoyment or advantage of : do without

forestall - (v) to prevent something from happening by acting first

foresee - (v) to know about something before it happens

revelation - (n) the act of making something known that was secret, or a fact that is made known:

infelicities - (n) the fact that something is not suitable or correct in a situation:

unravel - (v) If a piece of knitted or woven cloth, a knot, or a mass of thread unravels, it separates into a single thread, and if you unravel it, you separate it into a single thread

prefigured - (v) to show or suggest that something will happen in the future

ecstatically - (adverb) in an extremely happy way

exegesis - (n) an explanation of a text, especially from the Bible, after its careful study

interdisciplinary - (adj) involving two or more different subjects or areas of knowledge

explication - (n) the act of explaining something in detail, especially a piece of writing or an idea

vilify - (v) to say or write unpleasant things about someone or something, in order to cause other people to have a bad opinion of them

belittle - (v) to make a person or an action seem as if he, she or it is not important

befuddle - (v) to confuse someone

fervor - (n) strong and sincere beliefs

conciliatory - (adj) showing willingness to end a disagreement, or trying to make someone less angry

whimsical - (adj) unusual and strange in a way that might be funny or annoying

valedictory - (adj) relating to saying goodbye, especially formally

wistful - (adj) sad and thinking about something that is impossible or in the past

excoriating - (v) to write or say that a play, book, political action, etc. is very bad

extolling - (v) to praise something or someone very much

exuberance - (n) the quality of feeling energetic, or the behaviour of someone who feels this way; the fact that plants are strong and growing quickly

quiescent - (adj) temporarily quiet and not active

sift - (v) to put flour, sugar, etc. through a sieve (= wire net shaped like a bowl) to break up large pieces

neonatal - (adj) of or for babies that were born recently

querulous - (adj) often complaining, especially in a weak high voice

pugnacity - (adj) the quality of wanting to start an argument or fight, or of expressing an argument or opinion very forcefully

coaxing - (n) the act of persuading someone gently to do something, by being kind and patient, or by appearing to be

dwindling - (adj) gradually becoming smaller in size or amount, or fewer in number

venerable - (adj) deserving respect because of age, high position, or religious or historical importance

elusive - (adj) difficult to describe, find, achieve, or remember

haphazard - (adj) not having an obvious order or plan

axiomatic - (adj) obviously true and therefore not needing to be proved

tenable - (adj) (of an opinion or position) able to be defended successfully or held for a particular period of time

hodgepodge - (n) a confused mixture of different things

incongruity - (n) the fact that something is incongruous

superfluous - (adj) more than is needed or wanted

profound - (adj) felt or experienced very strongly or in an extreme way

ostensibly - (adverb) in a way that appears or claims to be one thing when it is really something else

foreboding - (n) a feeling that something very bad is going to happen soon

proliferation - (n) the fact of something increasing a lot and suddenly in number or amount

trope - (n) something such as an idea, phrase, or image that is often used in a particular artist's work, in a particular type of art, etc

promulgated - (v) to spread beliefs or ideas among a lot of people

indignant - (adj) angry because of something that is wrong or not fair

contrite - (adj) feeling very sorry and guilty for something bad that you have done

disgorge - (v) to release large amounts of liquid, gas, or other contents; to send many people out of a place or vehicle at the same time

penchant - (n) a liking for, an enjoyment of, or a habit of doing something, especially something that other people might not like

feuds - (n) an argument that has existed for a long time between two people or groups, causing a lot of anger or violence

perilous - (adj) extremely dangerous

retrench - (v) If governments, companies, etc. retrench, they start spending less money, or reducing costs; to remove a worker from his or her job as a way of reducing costs

imperative - (adj) extremely important or urgent

embargoes - (n) an order to temporarily stop something, especially trading or giving information

vex - (v) to cause difficulty to someone, or to cause someone to feel angry, annoyed, or upset

ethos - (n) the set of beliefs, ideas, etc. about the social behaviour and relationships of a person or group

dictums - (n) a short statement, especially one expressing advice or a general truth

bromides - (n) a drug used to calm people who are very unhappy or worried

monologue - (n) a long speech by one person; a short play for one actor

aphorism - (n) a short clever saying that is intended to express a general truth

platitude - (n) a remark or statement that may be true but is boring and has no meaning because it has been said so many times before

conflate - (v) to combine two or more separate things, especially pieces of text, to form a whole

gulf - (n) a very large area of sea surrounded on three sides by a coast; a very large, deep hole in the ground; an important difference between the ideas, opinions, or situations of two groups of people

constrict - (v) to become tighter and narrower, or to make something become tighter and narrower

thwart - (v) to stop something from happening or someone from doing something

confound - (v) to confuse and very much surprise someone, so that they are unable to explain or deal with a situation

impinge - (v) to have an effect on something, often by limiting it in some way

ascribe - (v) to consider something to be caused, created, or owned by someone or something

sloth - (n) unwillingness to work or make any effort

cupidity - (n) a strong feeling of wanting to have something, especially money or possessions

serendipitous - (adj) happening or found by chance

impetuous - (adj) likely to do something suddenly, without considering the results of your actions; said or done suddenly, without considering the likely results

extemporaneous - (adj) done or said without any preparation or thought

sedulous - (adj) careful and using a lot of effort

promulgate - (v) to spread beliefs or ideas among a lot of people

lambaste - (v) to criticize someone or something severely

multitudinous - (adj) consisting of many things or parts

myriad - (n) a very large number of something

meretricious - (adj) seeming attractive but really false or of little value

bemoan - (v) to complain or express sadness about something

maundering - (v) talk in a rambling manner

waggish - (adj) (of a person) funny in a clever way; using or expressing humour in a clever way

obsequious - (adj) too eager to praise or obey someone

obliterate - (v) to remove all signs of something, either by destroying it or by covering it so that it cannot be seen; to make an idea or feeling disappear completely