Vocabulary Workshop Level F Units 1-4

approbation

approbation

(n.) the expression of approval or favorable opinion, praise; official approval

assuage

(v.) to make easier or milder, relieve; to quiet, calm; to put an end to, appease, satisfy, quench

coalition

(n.) a combination, union, or merger for some specific purpose

decadence

(n.) decline, decay, or deterioration; a condition or period of decline or decay; excessive self-indulgence

elicit

(v.) to draw forth, bring out from some source (such as another person)

expostulate

(v.) to attempt to dissuade someone from some course or decision by earnest reasoning

hackneyed

(adj.) used so often as to lack freshness or originality

hiatus

(n.) a gap, opening, break (in the sense of having an element missing)

innuendo

(n.) a hint, indirect suggestion, or reference (often in a derogatory sense)

intercede

(v.) to plead on behalf of someone else; to serve as a third party or go-between disagreement

jaded

(adj.) wearied, worn-out, dulled (in the sense of being satiated by excessive indulgence)

lurid

(adj.) causing shock, horror, or revulsion; sensational; pale or sallow in color; terrible or passionate in intensity or lack of restraint

meritorious

(adj.) worthy, deserving recognition and praise

petulant

(adj.) peevish, annoyed by trifles, easily irritated and upset

prerogative

(n.) a special right or privilege; a special quality showing excellence

provincial

(adj.) pertaining to an outlying area; local; narrow in mind or outlook, countrified in the sense of being limited and backward; of a simple, plain design that originated in the countryside (n.) a person with a narrow point of view; a person from an outlying area; a soldier from a province or colony

simulate

(v.) to make a pretense of, imitate; to show the outer signs of

transcend

(v.) to rise above or beyond, exceed

umbrage

(n.) shade cast by trees; foliage giving shad; an overshadowing influence or power; offense, resentment; a vague suspicion

unctuous

(adj.) excessively smooth or smug; trying too hard to give an impression of earnestness, sincerity, or piety; fatty, oily; pliable

ameliorate

(v.) to improve, make better, correct a flaw or shortcoming

aplomb

(n.) poise, assurance, great self-confidence; perpendicularity

bombastic

(adj.) pompous or overblown in language; full of high-sounding words intended to conceal a lack of ideas

callow

(adj.) without experience; immature, not fully developed; lacking sophistication and poise; without feathers

drivel

(n.) saliva or mucus flowing from the mouth or nose; foolish, aimless talk or thinking; nonsense. (v.) to let saliva flow from the mouth; to utter nonsense or childish twaddle; to waste or fritter away foolishly

epitome

(n.) a summary, condensed account; an instance that represents a larger reality

exhort

(v.) to urge strongly, advise earnestly

ex officio

(adj. - adv.) by virtue of holding a certain office

infringe

(v.) to violate, trespass, go beyond recognized bounds

ingratiate

(v.) to make oneself agreeable and thus gain favor or acceptance by others (sometimes used in a critical or derogatory sense)

interloper

(n.) one who moves in where he or she is not wanted or has no right to be, an intruder

intrinsic

(adj.) belonging to someone or something by its very nature, essential, inherent; originating in a bodily organ or part

inveigh

(v.) to make a violent attack in words, express strong disapproal

lassitude

(n.) weariness of body or mind, lack of energy

millennium

(n.) a period of one thousand years; a period of great joy

occult

(adj.) mysterious, magical, supernatural; secret, hidden from view; not detectable by ordinary means (v.) to hide, conceal; eclipse (n.) matters involving the supernatural

permeate

(v.) to spread through, penetrate, soak through

precipitate

(v.) to fall as moisture; to cause or bring about suddenly; to hurl down from a great height; to give distinct form toadj. characterized by excessive haste (n.) moisture; the product of an action or process

stringent

(adj.) strict, severe; rigorously or urgently binding or compelling; sharp or bitter to taste

surmise

(v.) to think or believe without certain supporting evidence; to conjecture or guess (n.) likely idea that lacks definite proof

abominate

(v.) to have an intense dislike or hatred for

acculturation

(n.) the modification of the social patterns, traits, or structures of one group or society by contact with those of another; the resultant blend

adventitious

(adj.) resulting from chance rather than from an inherent cause or character; accidental, not essential; (medicine) acquired, not congenital

ascribe

(v.) to assign or refer to (as a cause or source), attribute

circuitous

(adj.) roundabout, not direct

commiserate

(v.) to sympathize with, have pity or sorrow for, share a feeling of distress

enjoin

(v.) to direct or order; to prescribe a course of action in an authoritative way; to prohibit

expedite

(v.) to make easy, cause to progress faster

expiate

(v.) to make amends, make up for; to avert

ferment

(n.) a state of great excitement, agitation, or turbulence; to be in or work into such a state; to produce alcohol by chemical action

inadvertent

(adj.) resulting from or marked by lack of attention; unintentional, accidental

nominal

(adj.) existing in name only, not real; too small to be considered or taken seriously

noncommittal

(adj.) not decisive or definite; unwilling to take a clear position or to say yes or no

peculate

(v.) to steal something that has been given into one's trust; to take improperly for one's own use

proclivity

(n.) a natural or habitual inclination or tendency (especially of human character or behavior)

sangfroid

(n.) composure or coolness, especially in trying circumstances

seditious

(adj.) resistant to lawful authority; having the purpose of overthrowing an established government

tenuous

(adj.) thin, slender, not dense; lacking clarity or sharpness; of slight importance or significance; lacking a sound basis, poorly supported

vitriolic

(adj.) bitter, sarcastic; highly caustic or biting (like a strong acid)

wheedle

(v) to use coaxing or flattery to gain some desired end

affable

(adj.) courteous and pleasant, sociable, easy to speak to

aggrandize

(v.) to increase in greatness, power, or wealth, to build up or intensify, to make appear greater

amorphous

(adj.) shapeless, without definite form, of no particular type or character, without organization, unity, or cohesion

aura

(n.) that which surrounds (as an atmosphere), distinctive air or personal quality

contraband

(n.) illegal traffic, smuggled goods, (adj) illegal, prohibited

erudite

(adj.) scholarly, learned, bookish, pendantic

gossamer

(adj.) thin, light, delicate, insubstantial, (n.) a very thin, light cloth,

infer

(v) to find out by reasoning, to arrive at a conclusion on the basis of thought, to hint, suggest, imply

inscrutable

(Adj.) incapable of being understood, impossible to see through physically

insular

(adj) relating to, characteristic of, or situated on an island, narrow or isolated in outlook or experience

irrevocable

(adj) incapable of being changed or called back

propensity

(n) a natural inclination or predilection toward

querulous

(adj) peevish, complaining, fretful

remonstrate

(v) to argue or plead with someone against something, protest against, object to

repudiate

(v) to disown, reject, or deny the validity of

resilient

(adj) able to return to an original shape or form; able to recover quickly

reverberate

(v) to re-echo, resound, to reflect or be reflected repeatedly

scurrilous

(adj) coarsely abusive, vulgar or low (especially in language), foul-mouthed

sedulous

(adj) persistent, showing industry and determination

sleazy

(adj) thin or flimsy in texture, cheap, shoddy or inferior in quality or character, ethicaly low, mean, or disreputable