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Vocab Week 9 D:
abase - whimsy pg. 230-249
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| watershed | n. a critical point that marks a division |
| vitriolic | adj. characterized by cruelty and bitterness |
| vindictive | adj. seeking revenge; marked by a desire to hurt |
| verisimilitude | n. resemblance to the truth |
| untenable | adj. that which cannot be defended |
| tractable | adj. easily managed or controlled |
| sinecure | n. a paid position that requires little or no work |
| salvo | n. a spirited attack, often verbal |
| reprobate | n. a person who lacks morals |
| raillery | n. light, good-natured ridicule or satire |
| raconteur | n. known for telling witty stories and anecdotes |
| punctilious | adj. careful about every detail of behavior |
| progeny | n. children or descendants |
| preponderance | n. superiority in weight, force, importance, or influence |
| precept | n. a rule of action or conduct |
| pontificate | v. to speak pompously and at length |
| perspicacious | adj. having keen perception or understanding |
| paroxysm | n. a sudden convulsion or outburst; a fit |
| onus | n. an unpleasant task or duty; an obligation |
| oligopoly | n. domination of a market by only a few businesses |
| nostrum | n. a potion given as a medicine of doubtful effectiveness |
| moratorium | n. suspension of activity; authorized delay |
| mete | v. to separate into appropriate portions; to apportion |
| mawkish | adj. characterized by sick sentimentality |
| manumit | v. to grant freedom to slaves; to emancipate |
| malfeasance | n. wrongdoing, esp. by a public official |
| malapropism | n. a ridiculous misuse of words |
| lave | n. to wash or bathe |
| languor | n. the state of feeling, often pleasant, of tiredness or inertia |
| laconic | adj. brief in speech; using few words |
| junta | n. a council or assembly that deliberates in secret upon the affairs of government |
| intimation | n. an indirect suggestion; a hint |
| impute | v. to assign credit, often of guilt or blame |
| ignominy | n. shame; dishonor |
| idolatrous | adj. excessively worshiping one object or person |
| iconoclast | n. one who attacks and seeks to destroy widely accepted ideas, esp. old ideas |
| germane | adj. fitting and appropriate |
| foment | v. to stir up negative feelings, esp. those that lead to violent action |
| fecund | adj. producing offspring; fruitful; intellectually productive |
| farce | n. something absurd or ridiculous, like an obvious lie; comedy based on a crude, unlikely situation |
| extemporaneous | adj. done with little or no preparation |
| epistolary | adj. relating to or contained in letters |
| encomium | n. warm, deserving praise; a tribute |
| effrontery | n. bold and insulting behavior |
| effluvium | n. noxious or ill-smelling particles or exhalation from decaying or putrefying matter |
| draconian | adj. extremely harsh and severe |
| dolor | n. sorrow, grief |
| diurnal | adj. daily |
| dissemble | v. to deceive or conceal; to hide one's motives; to simulate |
| dint | n. power; effort (idiomatically "by ____ of hard work, he succeeded") |
| defalcate | v. to cut off or take away, as part of something |
| cygnet | n. a young swan |
| contusion | n. bruise, injury |
| concomitant | adj. accompanying (of events) |
| commute | v. to change a punishment to one less severe |
| cachet | n. a mark of distinction |
| atavistic | adj. reverting to past traits, esp. to traits absent for a long time |
| arrogate | v. to claim for one's self unjustly |
| apostate | adj. not true |
| abeyance | n. a suspension of activity |
| yokel | n. an unsophisticated person from the country |
| windfall | n. unexpected good fortune |
| volatile | adj. tending to vary widely; unstable; quickly evaporating |
| vogue | n. prevailing fashion |
| vociferous | adj. offensively loud and often given to demonstration of agitated emotions or agitated outcry |
| unassailable | adj. impossible to attack; undeniable; actual, and authentic |
| truncate | v. to cut short |
| tributary | n. a stream flowing into a larger river/ adj. making additions or producing supplies |
| telling | adj. strikingly effective |
| squalid | adj. having a dirty or lowly appearance |
| segue | n. an easy, effective, or uninterrupted transition |
| sedition | n. the promotion of rebellion against the government |
| repatriate | v. to return to one's country of origin |
| purvey | v. to supply |
| propriety | n. good manners; proper behavior |
| presage | v. to indicate or warn in advance |
| ponderous | adj. clumsy and heavy; boring and labored |
| plucky | adj. having or displaying courage, tenacity, and resourcefulness under difficult or trying circumstances |
| plaintive | adj. expressing sorrow |
| perquisite | n. a perk; an extra benefit |
| penitent | adj. feeling regret |
| parity | n. similarity; equality; sameness |
| panacea | n. a cure-all or an all-purpose solution |
| occult | adj. relating to the supernatural; beyond human comprehension; mysterious |
| obsolescence | n. something no longer in use or needed; a dying breed |
| mausoleum | n. a huge tomb |
| marshal | v. to arrange in order |
| jurisprudence | n. the science of law |
| jilt | v. to suddenly reject or abandon (a lover) |
| irradiate | v. to render clear and intelligible (or to bombard with radiation) |
| irascible | adj. easily angered; quick-tempered |
| intrinsic | adj. relating to the essential nature of something |
| intrepid | adj. courageous; acting with much determination and little fear |
| infidelity | n. unfaithfulness |
| gambit | n. a calculated, risky move in a game or contest |
| fumigate | v. to subject to the action of smoke or fumes, esp. for disinfection |
| fortitude | n. strength of mind that allows one to endure adversity |
| firebrand | n. one who stirs up trouble or revolt |
| embezzle | v. to illegally take things from your employer or company |
| edifice | n. a building; architectural monument |
| domineer | v. to rule with insolence or unnecessary annoyance |
| disenfranchise | v. to deprive of any right, privilege, or power |
| disavow | v. to deny knowledge of or responsibility for |
| didactic | adj. intended to teach; inclined to teach excessively |
| destitution | n. the lack of any means of subsistence |
| desiccate | v. to dry completely |
| cursory | adj. superficially done; performed rapidly and carelessly |
| countervail | v. to offset |
| countenance | n. appearance, esp. the expression of the face/ v. to tolerate |
| contrive | v. to make something happen artificially |
| constable | n. an officer whose duty is to maintain the peace |
| conducive | adj. tending to bring about |
| castigate | v. to criticize thoroughly, even to punish for an infraction |
| burgeon | v. to sprout or grow rapidly |
| borough | n. an incorporated village or town |
| bona fide | adj. authentic and genuine/ made and carried out in good faith |
| blazon | v. to make widely or generally known |
| bigamy | n. the crime of marrying any other person while having a legal spouse living |
| beleaguered | adj. harassed; besieged |
| bastion | n. a well-fortified place; a source of protection |
| baste | v. to cover with melted fat or gravy, while cooking |
| auxiliary | n. someone or something that aids or helps (esp. when regarded as subsidiary or unnecessary) |
| audacious | adj. fearlessly bold; possibly even foolhardy and daring |
| aspersion | n. a curse, expression of ill-will |
| apprehend | v. to become aware of through the senses |
| apotheosis | n. the ideal example; the elevation of a person to the rank of a god |
| allay | v. soothe, calm, relieve |
| accost | v. to approach and speak to, usually aggressively |
| pennant | n. a small flag |
| calibrate | v. to set, standardize |
| aboriginal | adj. primitive, unsophisticated |
| abase | v. behave in a way so as to belittle or degrade (someone) |
Created by:
linsherry
Popular English Vocabulary sets