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sumptuous
(adj.) involving great expense
A sumptuous spread of meats, vegetables, soups and breads was prepared
for the guests.
sunder
(v.) break; split in two
The Civil War threatened to sunder the United States.
Management seeks to sunder the workers' connections to the union.
sundry
(adj.) various; miscellaneous; separate; distinct
This store sells many sundry novelty items.
Sundry items may be purchased as a single item.
superficial
(adj.) on the surface, narrow minded; lacking depth
The victim had two stab wounds, but luckily were only superficial.
superfluous
(adj.) unnecessary; extra
Although the designer considered the piece superfluous, the woman wanted
the extra chair in her bedroom.
Only the first sentence is necessary; all of these details are superfluous.
After they finished their seven-course meal, a large dessert seemed superfluous.
superlative
(adj.) of the highest kind or degree
The Golden Gate Bridge is a superlative example of civil engineering.
supplant
(v.) to take the place of
Can you supplant my position if I cannot play?
suppliant
(adj.) asking earnestly and submissively
Her suppliant request of wanting to know the name of the man was met with
a laugh.
suppress
(v.) to bring to an end; hold back
The illegal aliens were suppressed by the border patrol.
surfeit
(v.; n.) excessively indulging; overindulgence
The teenagers were warned not to surfeit at the party.
The result of her surfeit was a week of regret.
surmise
(n; v) a guess; to guess
Was my surmise correct?
I surmise that we will not
He surmised how the play would end before the second act began.
surpass
(v.) go beyond; out do
After recovering from a serious illness, the boy surpassed the doctor's
expectations by leaving the hospital two days early.
surreptitious
(adj.) done secretly
The surreptitious maneuvers gave the advancing army an advantage.
susceptible
(adj.) easily imposed; inclined
She gets an annual flu shot since she is susceptible to becoming ill.
swathe
(v.) to wrap around something; envelop
Soft blankets swathe the new born baby.
sycophant
(n.) flatterer
Rodolfo honed his skills as a sycophant, hoping it would get him into
Sylvia's good graces.
The sycophant is known for attending many parties.
syllogism
(n.) reasoning in order from general to particular
The syllogism went from fish to guppies.
symmetry
(n.) correspondence of parts; harmony
The roman columns give the building a symmetry.
synthetic
(adj.) not real, rather artificial
The synthetic skin was made of a thin rubber.
table
(n.) a systematic list of details
The train schedule was set up as a table.
tacit
(adj.) not voiced or expressed
The National Security Agency aide argued, in effect, that he had received
the president's tacit approval for the arms-for-hostages deal.
taciturn
(adj.) inclined to silence; speaking little; dour, stern
The man was so taciturn it was forgotten that he was there.
tantalize
(v.) to tempt; to torment
The desserts were tantalizing, but he was on a diet.
tarry
(v.) to go or move slowly; delay
She tarried too long, and therefore missed her train.
taut
(adj.) stretched tightly
They knew a fish was biting, because the line suddenly became taut.
tawdry
(adj.) tastelessly ornamented
The shop was full of tawdry jewelry.
tedious
(adj.) wearisome, tiresome
Cleaning the house is a tedious chore for some people.
With so many new safety precautions instituted, flying has become a tedious
affair.
teem
(v.) to be stocked to overflowing; to pour out; to empty
The new plant seemed to be teeming with insects.
It is healthier to teem the grease from the broth before serving it.
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