Vocabulary Definitions

abate

v. to diminish in intensity

aberrant

adj. diverging from the standard type

abjure

v. to reject or renounce

abscond

v. to leave secretly, evading detection

abstain

v. to voluntarily refrain from doing something

acumen

n. keen judgment and perception

admonish

v. scold or to advise firmly

adulterate

v. to contaminate or make impure by introducing inferior elements

advocate

v. to recommend, support, or advise

aesthetic

adj. concerned with the nature of beauty and art

affectation

n. fake or artificial behavior, often meant to impress or conceal the truth

aggrandize

v. enlarge or increase, esp. wealth, power, reputation

alacrity

n. promptness and eagerness

She accepted the acceptance letter to Harvard with an alacrity because it had been her dream since she was 5.

alleviate

v. to relieve a problem or ease a burden

amalgamate

v. to combine to or mix together

ambiguous

adj. unclear

ambivalent

adj. open to multiple interpretations

ameliorate

v. to improve or mitigate a situation

amenable

adj. easily convinced or persuaded

anachronism

n. something appearing in a time period where it does not belong

analogous

adj. comparable

anoint

v. to choose for a particular office or position

anomaly

n. an exception or unusual case

antipathy

n. strong dislike or hatred

antithetical

adj. contrary to the very nature of

spiritual concerns and ideals that are antithetical to the materialism embraced by modern society

apathy

n. state of total disinterest or unenthusiasm

appease

v. to placate

arbitrary

adj. seemingly chosen or designated without reason or purpose

arcane

adj. secret or known only to a select group

archaic

adj. old-fashioned

arduous

adj. difficult, taxing, requiring considerable effort

articulate

adj. exhibiting considerable communication skills, well-spoken

artless

adj. without artifice/ingenuity

Tash did not want to go to UTD to see people because of all the artifice conversations from "how was your summer" to "we should hang out".

ascetic

adj. austere or self-denying

an ascetic monk

an ascetic diet

assuage

v. to provide relief from an unpleasant feeling

astonishment

n. total surprise, shock

audacious

adj. very bold or presumptuous

austere

adj. severe, unadorned

avarice

n. greed

aver

v. to assert or allege

banal

adj. boring, cliché

belie

v. give a false impression (intentional or unintentional) in word, appearance, or deed

benign

adj. gentle, harmless

biased

adj. prejudiced, displaying partiality

bolster

v. to shore up or support

bombastic

adj. overblown, theatrical

brazen

adj. bold or open to the point of shocking

bucolic

adj. pastoral, rustic, countryfied

burgeon

v. flourish, bloom, expand or increase quickly

cacophony

n. loud and chaotic noise

calumny

n. lie or slander

you want to look "calm" when you are lying

candid

adj. honest, open

canon

n. accepted rules and tenets of a discipline

capacity

n. the total amount a container can hold

capricious

adj. mercurial, unpredictable, whimsical

castigate

v. to scold or berate strongly

catalyst

n. something that speeds up a process or causes action

caustic

adj. bitterly sarcastic

censure

v. to express intense condemnation

chauvinist

n. someone who believes prejudicially that their own group is the superior one

chicanery

n. trickery or deception

chronological

adj. ordered by time

coalesce

v. to come together, esp. from disparate parts

cogent

adj. clearly laid out and persuasive

commensurate

adj. in accordance with, proportional

compelling

adj. captivating

comprehensive

adj. complete and thorough

condone

v. to approve or allow

confound

v. to confuse or astonish

connoisseur

n. an expert in a particular subject matter area, usually relating to the fine arts or cultural pursuits

consequential

adj. as a result of

construe

v. to interpret

consumption

n. utilization (esp. of a resource)

contend

v. assert or claim

contentious

adj. involving conflict

contrite

adj. remorseful

convoluted

adj. roundabout, not straightforward

copious

adj. plentiful or abundant

cosmopolitan

adj. of or relating to a city or urban area

covet

v. to desire something that does not belong to you

craft

n. skill

craven

adj. cowardly to the point of being shameful

credence

n. belief or trust

credulous

adj. gullible, naïve

decorum

n. appropriate behavior or good manners

deference

n. respect or polite submission

deflect

v. divert or cause to ricochet

deftness

adj. skill, acumen

delineate

v. to describe very accurately

demur

v. to object or raise concerns

denigrate

v. say negative things about, particularly in a defamatory way

deride

v. to mock or ridicule

derivative

adj. imitates another work in a way that is unoriginal or uninspiring

desiccate

v. to dry out completely

desultory

adj. inconsistent or random

detachment

n. objectivity or aloofness

determinant

n. a strong factor in an outcome

diatribe

n. a rant or angry speech denouncing someone or something

didactic

adj. educational or with an instructive purpose; often includes an element of moralizing

diffident

adj. shy, timid, or reserved due to a lack of confidence