VocabularyCentral.com - vocabulary words

languid
(adj.) lacking vitality; indifferent
The languid student was always late to class.
I have studied so much that I have grown languid to the subject.
During her illness she was so languid she could not leave her bed.

larceny
(n.) theft; stealing
After robbing the liquor store, she was found guilty of larceny.

lascivious
(adj.) indecent; immoral; involves lust
He said it was a harmless pin-up poster, but his mother called it lascivious.
Known as a skirt-chaser, his lascivious ways seemed to all but preclude a stable marriage.

lassitude
(n.) a state of being tired or listless
Lassitude was evident in the nurses who had been working for 24 hours straight.
Ten days of continual work caused a feeling of lassitude for the worker.

latency
(n.) a period of inactivity
Its latency was small solace for the girl who feared that the cancer would re-emerge fiercer than ever.

laud
(v.) praise
He lauded his daughter for winning the trophy.

lax
(adj.) careless; irresponsible
She was lax in everything she did and therefore could not be trusted with important tasks.

lecherous
(adj.) impure in thought and act
The lecherous Humbert Humbert is Nabokov's protagonist in Lolita, a novel that sparked great controversy because of Humbert's romantic attachment to a young girl.
The lecherous man lurked on the corner.

lethargic
(adj.) lazy; passive
Feeling very lethargic, he watched television or slept the whole day.

levee
(n.) a landing on the edge of a river or field
The swimmer came ashore on the levee.

levity
(n.) lack of seriousness; instability
The levity with which he faced the destruction hampered the rescue effort.
Levity characterized the first months of his administration.
Levity is a necessary trait for a comedian.

lewd
(adj.) lustful; wicked
The comment was so lewd it could not be repeated in front of children.

liaison
(n.) connection; link
The student council served as a liaison between the faculty and the student body.

liberalism
(n.) believing in personal freedom (favoring reform or progress)
If you believe in liberalism, the First Amendment is sacrosanct.

libertine
(n.) one who indulges his desires without restraint
For the libertine, missing his child's birthday was not as significant as missing a football game.

licentious
(adj.) morally lacking in restraint
The people of Sodom and Gomorra were known for their licentious lifestyle.

ligneous
(adj.) having the composition of wood
The ligneous material appeared to be pure maple.

limber
(adj.) flexible; pliant
The dancers must be limber to do their ballet steps.

lithe
(adj.) easily bent; pliable; supple
It is best to use a lithe material when constructing a curved object.
A gymnast needs to be lithe in order to do a split.

litigate
(v.) to involve a lawsuit
A number of the state attorneys-general are litigating against the tobacco companies.

livid
(adj.) discolored, as if bruised; extremely angry; furious
After the fall, her arm was livid.
She became livid when she heard the news.
When she found out she had been robbed, the woman was livid.

loiter
(v.) to spend time aimlessly
Many teenagers loiter around the mall when there is nothing else to do.

loquacious
(adj.) very talkative; garrulous
She was having difficulty ending the conversation with her loquacious neighbor.
The staff knew the meeting would be long because the administrator was in a loquacious mood.

lucent
(adj.) shining; translucent
The flowing garment gave the woman a lucent quality when standing in the spotlight.

lucid
(adj.) shiny; clear minded
He chose a shimmering, lucid fabric for his curtains.
When lucid, the man spoke of vivid memories.

lucrative
(adj.) profitable; gainful
She entered the pharmaceutical industry in the belief that it would be lucrative.