California CSR Vocabulary

abase

humiliate; humble; deprive of self-esteem

abnegate

reject; renounce; deny

abstemious

moderate; temperate; nonindulgent

accolade

honor; award; tribute

acronym

a word made up of the initials of other words

adjunct

assistant; something added or connected

advocate

support publicly; argue for; campaign for

agenda

schedule; outline; itinerary

albino

organism with deficient pigmentation

alloy

mixed metals; blend; intermix; combine

ambidextrous

using both hands with equal ease; double-dealing

amnesty

pardon; absolution; forgiveness

anathema

anything loathed or detested; abomination

annals

chronicles; archives; records

anthropoid

akin to person in shape; akin to ape in action

apex

top; highest point; acme; crest

ardent

passionate; fervent; loyal

assuage

relieve; pacify; soothe

austere

unadorned; stern; strict

bacchanal

a drunken reveler; a drunken revelry or orgy

baroque

flamboyant style; extravagantly ornate; overdone

bemused

confused; bewildered; addled

bestride

straddle; ride; sit or stand astride

blandishment

flattery; cajolery

brigand

outlaw; gangster; criminal; thug

burnish

polish; brighten; buff; shine

capitulate

surrender; give in; give up; yield

carrion

dead flesh; cadaver; corpse; remains

causerie

informal discourse; short informal composition

charlatan

pretender; impostor; fraud

chortle

laugh gleefully; chuckle; cackle

clandestine

secret; sneaky; concealed, usually not good

cogitate

ponder; think carefully about; meditate

colloquy

conference; conversation; dialogue

compunction

remorse; uneasiness for wrongdoing; regret; contrition

conducive

contributive; helpful; useful

conjugal

matrimonial; nuptial; marital

consummate

complete; finish; conclude

contumely

rude language or treatment caused by comtempt

countermand

override; annul; cancel a command

dastard

coward who commits malicious acts

de facto

actually; using power as if legal

deify

elevate; glorify; make a god of; immortalize

derelict

neglectful; delinquent; deserted; abandoned

diatribe

bitter, abusive denunciation

discountenance

look on with disfavor; discourage by disapproval

diurnal

occurring every day; occurring in the daytime

dolt

stupid person; dunce; blockhead

ebullient

enthusiastic; exuberant; eager

effigy

likeness of someone; especially used to express hatred

ellucidate

explain in detail; make understandable

endogenous

caused by factors inside organism or system

erudite

learned; scholarly; well-versed

evince

demonstrate convincingly; prove; make manifest

execrate

hate; abhor; abominate

expostulate

reasoning with someone to warn or dissuade

fallacious

false; wrong; deceptive

fettle

state of physical fitness or mind; condition

flippant

frivolously disrespectful; impertinent

formidable

arduous; challenging; powerful; feared; awful

gauche

tactless; unsophisticated; crude; awkward

grandiloquent

pompous; pretentious; flowery (communication)

habiliment

equipment; apparatus; paraphernalia

hawser

large rope for towing, mooring, or securing ship

homunculus

midget; dwarf; little man, manikin

husbandry

farming; frugality; thrift

imbibe

drink, often heavily; consume; tipple

implacable

unappeasable; unforgiving; unbending; relentless

wizened

shriveled; withered; shrunken with age

votary

enthusiast; devotee; devoted admirer

virulent

extremely poisonous; lethal; malignant

vestige

last trace; remaining bit of something; token

venerate

revere; honor; hallow; sanctify

usury

lending money at extremely high rate of interest

ululation

howling; wailing

truculent

belligerent; hostile; antagonistic

traduce

malign; defame; slander; libel

threnody

song of lamentation for the dead; elegy

temerity

nerve; audacity; boldness

sycophant

self-serving flatterer; apple polisher

subterfuge

artifice; trick; ruse; stratagem

steppe

vast arid land area, usually level and treeless

splenetic

bad tempered; malevolent; spiteful

sloth

laziness; idleness; indolence

seraglio

harem; the palace of a sultan

saturnine

gloomy; dismal; morose; sulky

saccharine

sugary; oversweet; cloying

reticent

quiet; restrained; secretive

repose

tranquility; rest; relaxation

remonstrate

argue against; object; take exception

recalcitrant

stubbornly defiant; disobedient; uncontrollable

rankle

annoy; irritate; rile; gall; irk

quell

suppress; squelch; put an end to

punctilious

meticulously attentive to detail; very exacting

proselytize

convert; win over; persuade

proselyte

a new convert, usually to Judaism

progeny

descendants; offspring; children

probity

honesty; uprightness; fairness

poultice

heated medication in cloth applied to sores

plutocracy

government by the wealthy; control by the wealthy