gistfile1.txt

Norman Schur's 1000 Most Important Words

This is Norman Schur's list of the 1,000 "most important" words. There are actually 1,019 here because of those that are similarly spelled, opposites of one another, etc. I've gone through and marked with asterisks the ones (*) that I'm somewhat uncomfortable with (177 of these), as in I'd be slightly apprehensive if you challenged me to pinpoint their meaning, and the ones (**) that I'm basically clueless about (26 of these). I feel roughly fluent with the rest.
abashed
*abate
abdicate
aberrant
abominate
abrasive
abrogate
abstemious
abstinent
abstruse
accolade
acerbic
acme
acolyte
acquiesce
acrimonious
acronym
adage
admonitory
adroit
adulation
adversity
*aegis
affable
aficionado
affinity
aggrandize
alacrity
allay
allegory
alleviate
alliteration
*amanuensis
ambience
ambiguous
ambivalent
ambulatory
ameliorate
amenable
amenity
amorous
amorphous
anachronism
anagram
analogy
anathema
ancillary
animus
annals
anomaly
antecedents
anthropology
anthropomorphic
antic
antipathy
antiquity
antithesis
aphorism
aplomb
apocalypse
apocryphal
apogee
*apostate
apotheosis
appellation
apposite
apprehend
appropriate
apt
arbiter
arcane
arch
arduous
argot
arid
Armageddon
*arrant
arrogate
arsenal
artful
artless
ascetic
asperity
aspersion
assiduous
assuage
atavistic
atrophy
attenuate
augment
augur
auspicious
autonomous
*avuncular
awry
axiom
*badinage
*bailiwick
*baleful
banal
bastion
*bathos
behemoth
beleaguer
bellicose
belligerent
bemused
bestow
bibliophile
bibulous
*blandishment
blatant
bovine
bravado
*brickbat
*bromide
brook
brouhaha
brusque
bucolic
burgeon
cabal
cachet
cacophony
cadaverous
*cadge
cajole
*callow
*calumny
canard
candor
canon
*cant
cantankerous
capitulate
capricious
*captious
carnal
carnivorous
*carp
carrion
castigate
casuistry
cataclysm
catharsis
*catholic
caveat
*cavil
celibacy
champion
charlatan
*chary
chasm
*chicanery
chide
chimera
churlish
cipher
circuitous
circumlocution
circumspect
clamorous
clandestine
claptrap
cleave
clemency
*cloy
cogent
cognizant
collation
colloquy
compendium
complacent
*complaisant
complement
compliant
concomitant
concrete
conduit
congenital
consensus
consortium
consummate
contentious
context
contiguous
contretemps
contrite
*contumacious
conundrum
co-opt
copious
corollary
corporeal
correlate
*coruscate
*cosset
coterie
craven
*craw
credible
creditable
credulous
crestfallen
culpable
curmudgeon
cursory
curt
*cynosure
dalliance
*daub
dauntless
dearth
debacle
debase
debilitate
debunk
decimate
declasse
decorous
decorum
decry
deduce
deem
deferential
definitive
delectation
deleterious
demonic
denigrate
denizen
deprecate
*deracinate
derelict
deride
derisive
derogatory
*descry
desecrate
desiccate
*desuetude
desultory
detrimental
*detritus
dexterous
dextrous
diaphanous
diatribe
dichotomy
didactic
*diffident
digress
dilettante
diminution
disaffection
disconsolate
discursive
disdain
disingenuous
disparate
dissemble
dissertation
*dissimulate
dissolute
distraught
doff
dogged
*doggerel
dogmatic
*doleful
dolt
don
dormant
dossier
*doughty
*dour
*doyen
draconian
droll
dudgeon
duplicity
ebullient
eclectic
edify
effective
effectual
effectuate
efficacious
efficient
*effrontery
effulgent
egregious
egress
elegy
elicit
elide
elucidate
emblazon
emend
emeritus
emote
empirical
emulate
encomium
endemic
enervate
enigmatic
enmity
ennui
entity
**enure
envisage
ephemeral
epicure
epigram
epitaph
epithet
epitome
equable
equanimity
equitable
equivocal
errant
ersatz
erudite
eschew
esoteric
ethereal
etymology
eulogy
euphemism
euphonius
euphoric
exacerbate
*excoriate
excrement
exculpate
*execrable
exegesis
exemplary
exhort
exigency
exonerate
exorcise
*expatiate
*expiate
expostulate
expropriate
expunge
extempore
extenuate
*extirpate
extrapolate
exuberant
facet
facile
facilitate
fallacious
*fallow
falter
*farrago
fatuous
feasible
feckless
fecund
feisty
felicitate
felicitous
felicity
*feral
ferret
*festoon
fetid
foetid
*fey
fiasco
fiat
fiduciary
figurative
finite
flaccid
flagellate
flamboyant
flatulent
flay
fledgling
flippant
flout
foible
foment
font
foray
*force majeure
forensic
formidable
fortuitous
founder
*fractious
fruition
*fulminate
*fulsome
*furtive
*fusillade
*gadfly
garrulous
gauche
generic
genesis
genre
*gentry
germane
googol
*gormandize
*gossamer
grandiloquence
gratuitous
gratuity
**gravamen
gregarious
guise
habituate
hackneyed
halcyon
harbinger
**harridan
hedonist
hegemony
**hegira
heinous
herbivorous
hermaphrodite
heterogeneous
heuristic
hiatus
**hie
*homily
homogeneous
honorarium
hubris
hyperbole
hypothesis
iconoclast
idyllic
ignominy
illicit
illusory
imbibe
*imbroglio
immemorial
immutable
impassive
impecunious
impede
*imperious
imperturbable
implacable
implement
implicate
implicit
imponderable
importunate
importune
impugn
impute
inauspicious
incarnate
inchoate
*incipient
inclement
incognito
incongruous
increment
incredulous
*incubus
inculcate
incumbent
indecorous
indigenous
indigent
indolent
ineffable
ineluctable
ineptitude
ingenue
ingenuous
innate
innocuous
innuendo
inordinate
*inscrutable
*insouciant
insular
intangible
integument
*interdict
interlocutor
interpolate
intractable
intransigent
intransigeant
intrepid
intuit
inundate
*inure
invective
inviolable
inviolate
*irascible
issue
iterate
*jejune
jettison
jingoism
jocular
*journeyman
juxtapose
karma
keen
ken
kinetic
kite
*kitsch
*knell
kowtow
kudos
**lachrymose
laconic
lacuna
*lagniappe
*lambent
lament
languish
lascivious
lassitude
latent
laudatory
lax
lay
lethargic
leviathan
lexicon
*licentious
*limn
linchpin
limpid
**lissome
**lissom
litany
*lithe
litigious
logy
loquacious
**lothario
lugubrious
lurid
macrocosm
maladroit
malaise
malapropism
malfeasance
malign
malleable
*manque
*martinet
*masticate
matriculate
*maw
*mawkish
megalomania
*melange
mellifluous
mendacious
mendicant
*mercurial
meretricious
messianic
metamorphosis
metaphor
metaphysics
mete
miasma
microcosm
*mien
milieu
militate
minutiae
misanthrope
misapprehension
misappropriate
miscreant
misnomer
misogyny
mitigate
mnemonic
modicum
molt
morass
*mordant
*moribund
motif
*mottled
*mountebank
**mulct
mundane
*munificent
nadir
nascent
nebulous
nefarious
nemesis
neophyte
nether
*niggardly
*niggling
nihilism
nirvana
nomenclature
non sequitur
*nostrum
noxious
nuance
nubile
**nugatory
obdurate
obeisance
obfuscate
oblivion
obloquy
obscurantism
*obsequies
obsequious
*obstreperous
obtrude
obtrusive
obtuse
obviate
occlude
odious
*offal
Olympian
*ombudsman
omniscient
omnivorous
onerous
onomatopoetic
*opprobrium
ordure
ostensible
ostentatious
ostracize
otiose
*paean
palliative
pallid
palpable
panacea
panache
*panegyric
panoply
pantheon
paradox
paragon
parameter
*pariah
*parlous
parochial
paroxysm
parsimonious
*parvenu
pastiche
pastoral
patent
pathological
pathos
patrician
paucity
peccadillo
pecuniary
pedagogue
pedant
pedestrian
pejorative
penchant
penultimate
*penurious
**peregrination
*peremptory
*perfidious
perfunctory
peripatetic
peripheral
pernicious
*peroration
perquisite
*persiflage
persona
perspicacious
peruse
pervasive
petulant
philistine
phlegmatic
*piquant
pithy
placate
placebo
placid
plaintive
*plangent
platitude
*plaudits
plethora
poignant
polemic
polyglot
ponderous
pontificate
portend
portmanteau
postulate
potpourri
*potter
pragmatic
**prate
*prattle
precipitate
precipitous
precursor
predilection
*preen
prehensile
presage
prescience
presentiment
*prestidigitator
**prevaricate
*priapic
*primogeniture
primordial
privation
privy
*probity
proclivity
procreate
prodigal
prodigious
prodigy
profane
profligate
prognosis
prognosticate
proliferate
prolific
*prolix
prone
propensity
prophylactic
*propinquity
*propitiate
*propitious
proprietary
prosaic
proselytize
*protean
protracted
proviso
prowess
prurient
*puckish
puerile
pugnacious
**pulchritude
*pummel
*punctilious
pundit
**purgative
*purloin
*pusillanimous
putative
quaff
quagmire
quail
qualm
quandary
*quarry
quash
**quaver
**quay
*quell
*querulous
query
queue
quiescent
quintessence
quixotic
quizzical
*raconteur
**raffish
*rake
rambunctious
*rancor
rankle
rapacious
rapt
recalcitrant
recant
recapitulate
recidivism
reclusive
recondite
reconnoiter
rectify
rectitude
redolent
redoubtable
redress
*refractory
*refulgent
*regale
rejoinder
remand
*remonstrate
renegade
renege
repartee
repertoire
replete
reprehensible
reprobate
reprove
resolute
reticent
retrograde
retrogress
retrospective
rhetoric
ribald
rife
rigors
*riposte
*risible
**roue
**rubicund
*rue
ruminate
sacrosanct
sagacity
salacious
salient
salubrious
salutary
salvo
sanctify
sanctimonious
sang-froid
sanguine
*sapient
sardonic
sartorial
**saturnine
savoir-faire
savor
saw
*scabrous
schism
**scion
score
scourge
scurrilous
*scuttle
*seamy
secular
seminal
sententious
sentient
septic
sequel
sequester
serendipity
*serpentine
servile
shibboleth
*sibilant
simile
simulate
*sinecure
*sinuous
skeptic
sceptic
skittish
slake
slew
*slue
smug
*sobriquet
sodden
solecism
soliloquy
solipsism
sop
*sophism
sophomore
soporific
*soupcon
spate
spleen
sporadic
spurious
squalid
**stentorian
stolid
strident
stultify
sublimate
*sub rosa
succor
succubus
succulent
succumb
sully
supercilious
supine
supplicate
surfeit
surmise
surreptitious
*sybarite
sycophant
**sylph
symbiosis
syntax
synthesis
tacit
taciturn
tactile
tangential
tangible
tautology
tawdry
tedious
*temerity
temporal
tendentious
tenet
tenuous
terse
testy
*timorous
*titular
*toady
torpid
tortuous
traduce
transcend
travesty
*tremulous
*trenchant
trepidation
*truculent
truism
truncate
turgid
*tyro
ubiquitous
*umbrage
unconscionable
*unctuous
unfathomable
unflagging
unmitigated
*unpropitious
unseemly
unsullied
untenable
*untrammeled
*uxorious
vacillate
vacuous
vagary
vapid
variegated
vehement
*venal
veneer
venerate
venial
veracious
verisimilitude
veritable
vertigo
vicissitude
vignette
vilify
**virago
virtuoso
virulent
visage
visceral
vitriolic
vituperative
vociferous
voluble
voracious
votary
votive
waft
wag
wanton
waspish
*welter
winnow
winsome
wizened
*wont
wry
xenophobia
*yen
zealot
zenith