Meaning

Major Words

Definitions/ More synonyms

Bold

audacious

bold, daring, fearless; impudent, arrogant 

courageous

brave, fearless, full of courage 

dauntless

bold, fearless, daring, impossible to frighten

Changing Quickly 

capricious

fickle, changeable 

mercurial

of or in the metal mercury; fluid, quick; changeable 

volatile

evaporating easily; rapidly changing; fickle

Hesitate
 

dither
 

of or in the metal mercury; fluid, quick; changeable 

vacillate

sway to and fro, fluctuate; hesitate, waver 

oscillate

vary regularly between two positions; vacillate between two opinions

waver

sway, oscillate, vacillate, fluctuate; blink, flicker (as of light)

teeter

be rocked, rock, swing, fluctuate 

Act Quickly

apace

swiftly, quickly 

impetuous

hasty, reckless, lacking caution, impulsive 

abrupt

sudden; ending or changing unexpectedly

precipitate

urge, hasten; cast down, toss down; throw down quickly

headlong

headfirst; rashly, recklessly 

Innocent/
Inexperienced

credulous

gullible, naive, deceivable, unsuspecting 

ingenuous

innocent, naive, artless

gullible

credulous, trusting; naive; easy to deceive 

novitiate

period of initiation and training (especially before joining a religious order) 

naïve

lacking worldly wisdom, unsuspecting, gullible

tyro

beginner, novice, amateur 

Difficult to understand

abstruse

ambiguous, difficult to understand obscure 

bemusing

confuse, bewilder, baffle; occupy one's attention 

esoteric

private, confidential; meant only for the initiated or the select few 

opaque

that which entirely obstructs the passage of light; fluid for photographic negatives 

recondite

profound, deep, difficult to comprehend; relatively unknown, obscure 

ambiguous

open to dispute, having many possible interpretations; obscure, vague 

cryptic

secret; hidden, obscure; puzzling; hiding, concealing 

inscrutable

not easily understood, enigmatic, mysterious; cannot be investigated; impenetrable 

paradoxical

contradictory, illogical, negates itself 

turbid

muddy, cloudy, murky, opaque; muddled, confused 

arcane

secret, hidden; mysterious; occult 

enigmatic

mysterious, puzzling, ambiguous, unclear 

obscure

make vague; make indistinct; make cloudy 

perplexing

baffle; confuse; complicate 

Easy to understand

articulate

speaking fluently, eloquent; expressed using clear and distinct syllables; able to speak

evident

clear, obvious, apparent 

pellucid

lucid, intelligible, understandable; clear, transparent 

cogent

convincing, persuasive, influential 

limpid

transparent; easy to understand, clear, unclouded; calm, serene 

eloquent

articulate, having a fluent manner of speaking; expressive 

lucid

comprehensible, intelligible; rational, sane; transparent; bright, radiant, shining 

Smart/
Learned

astute

clever; keen, acute, bright 

perspicacious
 

perceptive, discerning; sharp, acute; understanding 

canny

cautious; cunning, shrewd 

erudite

learned, scholarly, knowledgeable, educated 

Criticize/
Criticism

aspersion

slander, false rumor 

calumny

slander, libel; defamation, slur 

defamation

slander, libel, calumny 

diatribe

critical speech, tongue lashing, tirade 

gainsay

deny; dispute, contradict 

inveigh

attack with words, rant, rail; protest forcefully 

objurgate

reprimand; reproach, rebuke 

remonstrate

express objection, make a statement of protest; prove, demonstrate (Archaic) 

reprove

admonish, reproach; censure, condemn; blame, accuse 

vituperate

condemn or rebuke in a harsh abusive way 

belittle

disparage; depreciate; scorn, criticize 

castigate

punish, scold, chastise, reprimand 

denounce

condemn, censure; accuse 

disparage

lower in rank by words or actions, malign, depreciate, belittle 

harangue

passionate or pompous speech; lecture, scolding 

lambaste

beat unmercifully; rebuke strongly, reprimand (also lambaste) 

opprobrium

humiliation; shame; insult 

rebuke

reprimand, reproach, scold, reprove 

revile

disparage, abuse, defame, libel, deride 

berate

scold, rebuke, reproach 

decry

condemn; denounce 

deride

mock, ridicule, sneer 

excoriate

harshly criticize, denounce; remove the skin from 

impugn

attack the credibility of, attempt to discredit, challenge 

obloquy

public accusation; defamation 

pillory

lock up by the head and hands in stocks; condemn publicly, punish publicly

reprehend

reprimand, reproach, reprove, scold, admonish 

tirade

denunciation, harangue, reproach, rebuke 

Carousal

bacchanalian

pertaining to a drunken revelry 

iniquity

wickedness, evil; injustice 

licentious

lewd, lascivious; lawless, immoral 

salacious

lustful, lecherous, filled with sexual desire; sexually appealing, lascivious 

depraved

corrupt, debauch, lead astray, degenerate 

libertine

person who lacks moral restraint, immoral person, lecherous person 

reprobate

censure, denounce, condemn 

sordid

dirty, foul, squalid; poor, wretched; low, base; selfish, greedy 

dissipated

scatter, spread out; be scattered 

libidinous

lustful, lascivious, lewd; of or pertaining to the libido

ribald

crude, vulgar, offensive 

turpitude

wickedness, baseness; vile act 

Truth

candid

adj. honest, straightforward, open, frank 

indisputable

adj. unquestionable, irrefutable, incontrovertible; certain, obvious, real 

probity

n. honesty, integrity, truthfulness; fairness, uprightness, decency 

verity

n. quality of being true or in accordance with fact; truth, fact

fealty

n. loyalty, faithfulness

indubitable

adj. certain, unquestionable, obvious 

sincere

adj.  honest, truthful, frank, straightforward, genuine, earnest 

frankness

n. sincerity, honesty, openness

legitimate

adj. legal, lawful; acceptable; justified; reasonable, logical; born of parents who are legally married; correct, sound; authorized 

veracious

adj. honest, truthful; accurate 

Falsehood

apocryphal

adj. doubtful; not genuine; pertaining to the Apocrypha (Old Testament books not included in the Bible) 

canard

n. false story, hoax 

chicanery

plotting, scheming 

dissemble

v.  act in a false or misleading manner, disguise one's true motives 

duplicity

n.  deception; being two-faced 

equivocate

v.  be ambiguous, prevaricate, use words with double meanings (especially with intent to deceive) 

erroneous

adj. wrong, incorrect, mistaken, untrue, inaccurate 

ersatz

adj. used in place of, substitute; n. substitute or replacement

fallacious

adj. false; mistaken; unsound; deceptive; disappointing 

feigned

adj. phony, fake; counterfeit; assumed, fictitious -also noun

guile

n. deceit, duplicity; fraud, cunning; trickery

mendacious

adj. deceptive, dishonest; false, untrue 

mendacity

n.  untruthfulness; falsity, dishonesty 

perfidy

n.  adulterousness, unfaithfulness; treachery, deceitfulness

prevaricate

v.  lie, make false statements; speak half-truth, embellish the truth; deceive, intentionally mislead 

specious

adj. having the appearance of truth while in actuality being false; deceptively appealing, superficially attractive 

spurious

adj. false, phony, artificial 

Praise

acclaim

n.  praise; applause 

accolade

n.  award or honor, expression of praise 

aggrandize

v.  make bigger, make larger; widen 

encomium

n.  praise, high commendation; eulogy 

eulogize

v.  speak in praise of someone; write or speak a eulogy

extol

v.  exalt, glorify, praise, laud 

fawn

v.  lavish affection upon; flatter, act in a servile manner in order to gain favor 

laud

praise, commend -- also noun praise, commendation (rare); hymn of praise, song of praise 

venerate

v.  esteem, respect, revere