enjoin
verb: give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority
The government agency enjoined the chemical company to clean up the hazardous dump it had created over the years.
portentous
adjective: ominously prophetic
When the captain and more than half the officers were sick on the very first night of the voyage, many of the passengers felt this was portentous, but the rest of the voyage continued without any problems.
importune
verb: beg persistently and urgently
After weeks of importuning the star to meet for a five-minute interview, the journalist finally got what she wanted.
redoubtable
adjective: inspiring fear or awe
On television basketball players don't look that tall, but when you stand in front of a seven-foot tall NBA player, he is truly redoubtable.
juggernaut
noun: a force that cannot be stopped
Napoleon was considered a juggernaut until he decided to invade Russia in winter; after which, his once indomitable army was decimated by cold and famine.
jaundiced
adjective: to be biased against due to envy or prejudice
Shelly was jaundiced towards Olivia; though the two had once been best friends, Olivia had become class president, prom queen, and, to make matters worse, the girlfriend of the one boy Shelly liked.
cupidity
noun: greed for money
Some people believe that amassing as much wealth as possible is the meaning to life—yet they often realize that cupidity brings anything but happiness.
peremptory
adjective: bossy and domineering
My sister used to peremptorily tell me to do the dishes, a chore I would either do perfunctorily or avoid doing altogether.
hedge
verb: to limit or qualify a statement; to avoid making a direct statement
When asked why he had decided to buy millions of shares at the very moment the tech company's stock soared, the CEO hedged, mentioning something vague about gut instinct.
fell
adjective: terribly evil
For fans of the Harry Potter series, the fell Lord Voldemort, who terrorized poor Harry for seven lengthy installments, has finally been vanquished by the forces of good—unless, that is, JK Rowling decides to come out of retirement.
This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study
