1. Irrevocable We tend to think of court verdicts as irrevocable, but they are often overturned by higher courts.

1. Irrevocable (adj.) incapable of being changed or called back Synonyms: irreversible, unalterable The commitment you have made is irrevocable without the consent of the other party to the agreement.

2. Propensity Queen Elizabeth I showed a strong propensity for putting off decisions in the hopes that they would resolve themselves.

2. Propensity (n.) natural inclination toward Synonyms: natural bent, proclivity Because of his propensity for gossiping, we tried not to let him learn anything about our personal affairs.

3. Querulous Some flight attendants dread a querulous airline passenger more than they do rough weather.

3. Querulous (adj.) peevish, complaining, fretful Synonyms: touchy, cranky, irritable He is really insufferable when he gets into one of those querulous moods in which nothing in the world pleases him.

4. Remonstrate Slowly, carefully, keeping his voice down, he argued with the caller as one might remonstrate with a child.

4. Remonstrate (v.) to argue or plead with someone against something, protest against, object to Synonyms: reason against, expostulate Since our efforts to remonstrate with the factory managers about pollution of the lake have been ineffective, we are now considering legal action.

5. Repudiate He was forced to repudiate a statement he had made before he had all the information.

5. Repudiate (v.) to disown, reject, or deny the validity of Synonym: renounce I am not going to repudiate the ideas and standards by which I have guided my life just because they have become unpopular.

6. Resilient The development of lightweight, resilient plastics revolutionized the design of many durable goods.

6. Resilient (adj.) able to return to an original shape or form; able to recover quickly Synonyms: springy, elastic, bouncy This jacket is made out of material so resilient that it sheds wrinkles and keeps its shape even when one has worn it for days.

7. Reverberate From the construction site, the noise of the bulldozers and dump trucks reverberated across the valley.

7. Reverberate (v.) to re-echo, resound; to reflect or be reflected repeatedly Synonyms: rumble, thunder, boom, echo The sharp crack of the rifle shot reverberated through the hills.

8. Scurrilous Days passed and unrest grew, and soon the rebels began a scurrilous attack on their absent leader.

8. Scurrilous (adj.) coarsely abusive, vulgar or low, foul-mouthed Synonyms: obscene, filthy, abusive His attempts to discredit her by belittling her ability and character were nothing more than scurrilous abuse.

9. Sedulous No one could say that he was lazy, for he was a careful, sedulous copier of other people’s work.

9. Sedulous (adj.) persistent, showing industry and determination Synonym: tireless Perhaps she had less naïve ability than some of her classmates, but her powers of concentration and sedulous study program enabled her to finish first in the class.

10. Sleazy The old lady made her clothes at home in order to avoid the sleazy goods sold in the general store.

10. Sleazy (adj.) thin or flimsy in texture; cheap; shoddy or inferior in quality or character; ethically low, mean or disreputable Synonyms: inferior, cheesy, Sleazy dives full of disreputable and dangerous-looking characters have given the waterfront areas of many cities a bad reputation.