For Villains
Envy
n. excessive jealousy
v. to admire and be jealous of
His envy of her is quite obvious.
She envies her coworker's social skills.
Adapt
To accommodate oneself to a new condition, setting, or situation
Dogs are known for their ability to quickly adapt to their environments.
Establish
v. to enact
v. to found (a business, group, school, etc.)
They established a law that made it illegal to drive after drinking any amount of alcohol.
Our group established a new branch in Chicago.
Indulge
v. to give into; to satisfy or gratify
My friend loves to indulge in cheesy romance movies.
Hypothetical
adj. supposed; related to a hypothesis
For my physics homework, I must come up with a hypothetical situation.
Exploit
v. to use selfishly or for profit
The shoddy company exploited its workers by paying them extremely low wages.
Refute
To prove to be untrue, unfounded, or incorrect
The student refuted the professor’s claim in class.
Momentous
adj. historically significant
Her win in the election was momentous.
Innovative
adj. novel or new (esp. as an idea or invention)
Her invention was incredibly innovative and won her multiple awards.
Obsolete
adj. no longer used; rare or uncommon
Historians assumed record players would be obsolete by now, but in fact they’re making a huge comeback.
Egregious
adj. extremely bad
After cheating on the exam, Emily began to feel as though she’d made an egregious mistake.
Enumerate
To specify or count
I can’t enumerate how many times I’ve had to remind my students when their papers are due.
Paramount
adj. predominant, superior, most important
Our paramount concern is the safety of our employees.
Flourish
v. to prosper, grow, or make fast progress
After one year, the tiny plants had flourished into a breathtaking garden.
Pragmatic
adj. practical, useful
It’s not necessarily more pragmatic to study engineering than it is to study philosophy.
Disparage
To belittle or speak down to
A good boss is stern but never disparages his or her employees.
Postulate
v. to assert
The literary critic postulates that romanticism and naturalism are actually interconnected.
Doctrine
principle, theory, or position, usu. advocated by a religion or government
Devoutly religious people often live their lives according to their doctrines.
Freewheeling
adj. carefree
His freewheeling attitude often got him in trouble at work.
Imprudent
adj. not cautious or prudent; rash
Backpacking abroad can be fun, but don’t be imprudent about money.
Ferocity
n. viciousness, violence
The lion is just one wild animal known for its ferocity.
Abate
To become less active, less intense, or less in amount
As I began my speech, my feelings of nervousness quickly abated.
Promulgate
v. to put into law or formally declare
The ruler will at last promulgate an amnesty with the neighboring countries.
Galvanizing
adj. thrilling, exciting, stimulating
The galvanizing performance left everyone spellbound.
Ignominious
adj. publicly shameful or humiliating
The politician's expensive campaign ultimately ended in ignominious defeat.