P
- pablum: something (as writing or speech) that is trite, insipid, or simplistic.
- paean: a song or other expression of praise or joy.
- paladin: a champion of a cause.
- palaver: idle talk; also, to talk idly.
- palimpsest: an object or place whose older layers or aspects are apparent.
- palindrome: a word or phrase that reads the same backward as forward.
- palindrome: a word, verse, phrase, or sentence that reads the same backward or forward.
- palliate: to extenuate; also, to relieve.
- palpable: plain; distinct; obvious.
- panacea: a cure-all.
- panacea: a remedy for all diseases or problems.
- panache: dash or flamboyance in manner or style.
- pandemic: affecting a whole people or a number of countries.
- panjandrum: an important or self-important official.
- panoply: a splendid or impressive array.
- pantheon: the collective gods of a people; also, a group of highly esteemed persons.
- paragon: a model of excellence or perfection.
- pari passu: at an equal pace or rate.
- parley: a conference or discussion; also, to confer.
- parlous: dangerous.
- parlous: fraught with danger; hazardous.
- paroxysm: an outburst; a fit.
- paroxysm: any sudden and violent emotion; a fit.
- parse: to analyze.
- parsimonious: frugal to excess.
- parsimony: excessive sparingness in the expenditure of money.
- parvenu: a person who has suddenly risen to a higher economic status.
- parvenu: an upstart; one newly risen in class or economic status.
- pastiche: a hodgepodge; a potpourri.
- paterfamilias: the male head of a household or the father of a family.
- patina: a superficial layer.
- patrician: a nobleman; also, a person of refined upbringing, manners, and taste.
- paucity: fewness.
- paucity: fewness; insufficiency.
- peccadillo: a slight offense; a petty fault.
- peccadillo: a slight trespass or offense.
- peccant: sinning.
- pecuniary: relating to money.
- pejorative: depreciatory; disparaging; unfavorable; belittling.
- pejorative: disparaging; belittling.
- pelf: money; riches.
- pellucid: transparent, clear; also, easily understandable.
- pellucid: transparent, clear; easily understandable.
- penchant: a strong liking.
- penchant: a strong liking.
- penury: extreme poverty; also, insufficiency.
- perambulate: to stroll; to walk through or over.
- perdurable: very durable; long lasting.
- peregrination: a traveling from place to place.
- peremptory: precluding or putting an end to all debate or action.
- perfidy: faithlessness; treachery.
- perforce: by necessity.
- perfunctory: done routinely.
- perfunctory: performed mechanically.
- peripatetic: walking about or traveling from place to place.
- permeate: to spread or diffuse through.
- pernicious: deadly; destructive; exceedingly harmful.
- perorate: to conclude or sum up a long discourse; also, to speak at length.
- perquisite: a benefit in addition to a salary.
- persiflage: frivolous or bantering talk.
- perspicacity: clearness of understanding.
- pertinacious: holding obstinately to a belief, purpose, or design; also, stubbornly persistent.
- pertinacious: obstinate; also, stubbornly persistent.
- pervicacious: stubborn; obstinate.
- pettifogger: a petty, unscrupulous lawyer; also, one who quibbles over trivia.
- phantasmagoria: a shifting series or succession of things seen or imagined.
- philomath: a lover of learning; a scholar.
- philter: a love potion.
- physiognomy: the face or appearance.
- physiognomy: the face, with respect to the temper of the mind.
- piebald: mottled; also, mixed.
- pied-a-terre: a temporary or second place of lodging.
- pin money: money for incidental expenses; also, a trivial sum.
- placate: to appease; to pacify.
- plaint: an expression of sorrow; also, a complaint.
- plaintive: expressive of sorrow or melancholy.
- plangent: beating with a loud or deep sound; also, expressing sadness.
- platitude: a banal, trite, or stale thought or remark.
- platitude: a thought or remark which is banal, trite, or stale.
- plaudit: enthusiastic approval.
- plebeian: common; vulgar.
- plenary: full; entire; complete.
- plenipotentiary: invested with full power.
- pleonasm: the use of more words than are necessary to express an idea.
- plethora: excess.
- plethora: excess; superabundance.
- politic: political; also, shrewdly tactful.
- politic: political; also, shrewdly tactful; also, judicious; expedient.
- polyglot: speaking many languages.
- polyglot: speaking, writing, or made up of many languages.
- polymath: a person of great learning.
- polymath: a person of great or varied learning.
- popinjay: a vain and talkative person.
- portend: to foreshadow; to bode.
- portent: a sign or omen.
- portentous: foreboding; ominous.
- posit: to postulate; also, to suggest.
- posit: to postulate; also, to suggest; also, set firmly.
- postprandial: happening or done after a meal.
- potable: drinkable.
- potable: drinkable; also, a beverage, especially an alcoholic one.
- potboiler: a usually inferior literary or artistic work, produced quickly for the purpose of making money.
- Potemkin village: a false front or facade.
- potentate: one who possesses great power or sway.
- practicable: feasible; also, usable.
- precipice: a very steep, perpendicular, or overhanging place.
- precocious: characterized by or characteristic of exceptionally early development.
- predilection: an established preference.
- prelapsarian: pertaining to the time or state before the Fall.
- preponderate: to exceed in weight, influence, importance, amount, etc.
- prepotency: predominance.
- prescience: knowledge of events before they take place.
- prescient: knowing or anticipating the outcome of events before they happen.
- presentiment: a premonition.
- prestidigitation: manual dexterity in the execution of tricks.
- prestidigitation: sleight of hand.
- preternatural: beyond of different from what is natural; inexplicable; extraordinary; abnormal.
- prevaricate: to depart from or evade the truth.
- prima facie: at first view.
- primogeniture: the state of being the firstborn; also, an exclusive right of inheritance that belongs to the eldest son.
- prink: to primp.
- privation: the state of being deprived of something.
- probity: complete and confirmed integrity.
- probity: honesty; uprightness.
- proclivity: a natural inclination.
- procrastination: the act or habit of delaying doing something.
- profligate: dissipated; dissolute.
- profligate: shamelessly immoral; also, recklessly wasteful.
- profuse: plentiful; copious.
- prolix: unnecessarily long.
- prolix: wordy.
- Promethean: of or pertaining to Prometheus; also, boldly original.
- pronunciamento: a proclamation; a pronouncement.
- propinquity: nearness.
- propitiate: to appease; to conciliate.
- propitious: presenting favorable circumstances.
- proponent: an advocate.
- propound: put forward; to propose.
- propound: to put forward for consideration.
- proscribe: to forbid; to prohibit.
- proselytize: to convert (someone) to another religion, belief, etc.
- protean: readily assuming different shapes or forms.
- protean: readily assuming different shapes.
- provenance: origin; source.
- provender: food or provisions.
- puckish: whimsical; mischievous; impish.
- puerile: displaying a lack of maturity.
- puerile: juvenile; childish.
- pugilist: a boxer.
- pugnacious: combative; quarrelsome.
- pugnacious: inclined to fighting.
- puissant: powerful.
- pukka: authentic; genuine; also, first-class.
- pulchritude: beauty.
- pule: to whimper; to whine.
- punctilious: precise; exact in the smallest particulars.
- purblind: having greatly reduced vision.
- purdah: a state of seclusion.
- pusillanimous: cowardly.
- pusillanimous: lacking in courage and resolution.
- putative: commonly thought or deemed; supposed.
- putsch: an attempt to overthrow a government.
- Pyrrhic victory: a victory achieved at great cost.
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