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