Vocabulary Words Starting With S

Showing good judgment and keen insight, especially about practical matters.

Standing out as the most noticeable or important feature of something.

Acting as though one is morally superior to others in a way that feels fake or hypocritical.

To officially approve or authorize an action -- confusingly, the related noun can also mean a penalty imposed for breaking a rule.

Cheerfully confident and optimistic that things will turn out well.

Mocking or scornful in a dry, biting way, often through sarcasm.

To satiate a craving is to fill it so completely that no more is wanted, at least for the moment.

A saturnine person tends to be sullen, withdrawn, and slow to show warmth or cheer.

A savant possesses a remarkably deep and specialized expertise, often standing out as exceptional in that one area.

To enjoy or appreciate something slowly and fully, drawing out the pleasure of the experience.

Having practical knowledge and good judgment, especially about a specific subject.

Extremely harsh and critical in a way that feels painfully sharp.

Extremely careful and thorough about doing what is right, down to the smallest detail.

To examine something very closely and critically.

Making false or insulting statements about someone in order to damage their reputation.

Involving a lot of sitting and very little physical movement or exercise.

A sedulous worker applies steady, painstaking effort to a task over a long period without giving up.

Following a particular, logical order, one after another.

Happening by a lucky chance in a way that turns out to be pleasant or valuable.

Calm, peaceful, and untroubled.

Servile behavior shows an exaggerated eagerness to please or obey, often out of fear or desire for favor.

Having sharp practical judgment, especially in business or money matters.

Happening or existing at exactly the same time as something else.

Giving the impression that something evil or harmful is about to happen.

Having doubts about whether a claim is true and not easily convinced.

Comfort received during a time of great sadness or distress.

A solicitous person pays close, caring attention to another's comfort or needs, sometimes to the point of hovering.

Dark, gloomy, or serious in mood, tone, or appearance.

A somnolent state or atmosphere is marked by heavy drowsiness, whether in a person or in a quiet place.

Highly developed, complex, and refined, or having worldly experience and refined tastes.

Sophistry is an argument built to sound convincing while actually resting on flawed or dishonest logic.

Sophomoric behavior displays the overconfidence of someone who has learned just enough to think they know everything.

Involving immoral or dishonorable actions and motives, morally degraded.

Thinly scattered or distributed, with only a small amount present.

Appearing to be reasonable or true at first glance, but actually false or misleading.

To form a guess or theory about something without having complete information.

Happening naturally and suddenly, without being planned in advance.

Happening occasionally and at irregular intervals rather than continuously.

Not genuine or authentic, and often meant to deceive by appearing legitimate.

To spurn an offer or a person is to refuse it forcefully, making clear one considers it beneath consideration.

A filthy, run-down condition, often resulting from poverty or neglect.

To waste money, time, or an opportunity carelessly.

Not growing, changing, or moving; stuck in the same state for too long.

Loyal, dependable, and firm in one's support, especially under pressure.

Very obvious, harsh, or severe, often used to describe a sharp contrast.

Staying the same; not moving, changing, or developing.

Loyal and steady in one's beliefs or support, especially under pressure.

Firmly loyal or fixed in purpose, without wavering.

To state clearly and firmly that something must be done as part of an agreement.

Enduring hardship or pain without complaining or showing much emotion.

Strict and rigorously enforced, leaving little room for exception.

Based on personal feelings, opinions, or perspective rather than objective, verifiable facts.

So excellent, beautiful, or grand that it inspires awe.

Lower in rank, power, or importance compared to something or someone else.

Coming after something else in time or order.

To become gradually less intense or to settle down.

Large in size, value, or importance; significant enough to matter.

To provide evidence or proof that supports a claim.

So slight or delicate that it is not easy to notice or describe.

Seeking to undermine or overthrow an established system, government, or set of ideas.

Expressed clearly in very few words, with nothing unnecessary included.

To stop resisting and give in to something, such as pressure, temptation, or illness.

Behaving as though one is superior to others, with a haughty and dismissive attitude.

Concerned only with the surface or obvious aspects, without any real depth.

More than what is needed, to the point of being unnecessary or excessive.

To take the place of another, especially through force, scheming, or superior position.

To stop something from being expressed, noticed, or allowed to grow, whether it is a feeling, action, or piece of information.

A surfeit is so large a quantity of something that it becomes overwhelming or even harmful.

A sudden, powerful increase in the amount or intensity of something.

To guess or conclude something based on limited or incomplete information, without solid proof.

To do or be better than someone or something else, going beyond an expectation or limit.

Done secretly and quickly in order to avoid being noticed.

To keep something going over time, or to support and maintain it.

A person who flatters someone powerful purely to gain favor or advantage.

To combine separate ideas, elements, or pieces of information into one unified whole.