English lll - Sadlier Unit I-III

ameliorate

(v) to improve, make better, to 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 disapproval

lassitude

(n) a 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

permeate

(v) to spread through, penetrate, sock through

precipitate

(v) to fall as moisture; to cause or bring about suddenly; to hurl down from a great height; to give distinct form to

stringent

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

surmise

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

approbation

(n.) the expression of approval or favorable opinion, praise; official approval
S: commendation, sanction
A: disapproval, condemnation, censure

assuage

(v.) to make easier or milder, relieve; to quiet, calm; to put an end to, appease, satisfy, quench
S: mitigate, alleviate, slake, allay
A: intensify, aggravate, exacerbate

coalition

(n.) a combination, union, or merger for some specific purpose
S: alliance, league, federation, combine
A: splinter group

decadence

(n.) decline, decay, or deterioration; a condition or period of decline or decay; excessive self-indulgence
S: degeneration, corruption
A: rise, growth, development, maturation

elicit

(v.) to draw forth, bring out from some source (such as another person)
S; call forth, evoke, extract, educe
A: repress, quash, squelch, stifle

expostulate

(v.) to attempt to dissuade someone from some course of decision by earnest reasoning
S: protest, remonstrate, complain

hackneyed

(adj.) used so often as to lack freshness or originality
S: banal, trite, commonplace, corny
A: new, fresh, novel (new), original

hiatus

(n.) a gap, opening, break (in the sense of having an element missing)
S: pause, lacuna (a gap or pause)
A: continuity, continuation

innuendo

(n.) a hint, indirect suggestion, or reference (often in a derogatory sense)
S: insinuation, intimidation
A: direct statement

intercede

(v.) to plead on behalf of someone else; to serve as a third party or go-between in a disagreement
S: intervene, mediate

jaded

(adj.) wearied, worn-out, dulled (in the sense of being satiated by excessive indulgence)
S: sated, surfeited, cloyed
A: unspoiled, uncloyed

lurid

(adj.) causing shock, horror, or revulsion; sensational; pale or sallow in color; terrible or passionate in intensity or lack of restraint
S: gruesome, gory, grisly, baleful, ghastly
A: pleasant, attractive, appealing, wholesome

meritorious

(adj.) worthy, deserving recognition and praise
S: praiseworthy, laudable, commendable
A: blameworthy, reprehensible, discreditable

petulant

(adj.) peevish, annoyed by trifles, easily irritated and upset
S: irritable, testy, waspish
A: even-tempered, placid, serence, amiable

prerogative

(n.) a special right or privilege; a special quality showing excellence
S: prerequisite, perk

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
S: (adj.) narrow-minded, parochial, insular, naive
A: (adj.) cosmopolitan, catholic, broad-minded

simulate

(v.) to make a pretense of, imitate; to show the outer signs of
S: feign, pretend, affect

transcend

(v.) to rise above or beyond, exceed
S: surpass, outstrip

umbrage

(n.) shade cast by trees; foliage giving shade; an overshadowing influence or power; offense, resentment, a vague suspicion
S: irritation, pique, annoyance
A: pleasure, delight, satisfaction

unctuous

(adj.) excessively smooth or smug; trying too hard to give an impression of earnestness, sincerity, or piety; fatty oily; pliable
S: mealy-mouthed, servile, fawning, greasy
A: gruff, blunt

abominate

(v.) to have an intense dislike or hatred for
S: loathe, abhor, despise, detest
A: relish, savor, esteem

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
S: adaptation

adventitious

(adj.) resulting from chance rather than from an inherent cause or character; accidental, not essential; (medicine) acquired, not congenital
S: extrinsic, incidental, fortuitous
A: essential, intrinsic, inherent, congenial

ascribe

(v.) to assign or refer to (as a cause or source), attribute
S: impute, credit

circuitous

(adj.) roundabout, not direct
S: indirect, meandering, winding
A: straight, direct, as the crow flies

commiserate

(v.) to sympathize with, have pity or sorrow for, share a feeling of distress
S: feel sorry for, empathize
A: feel no sympathy for

enjoin

(v.) to direct or order; to prescribe a course of action in an authoritative way; to prohibit
S: bid, charge, adjure
A: allow, permit

expedite

(v.) to make easy, cause to progress faster
S: accelerate, facilitate, speed up
A: hinder, hamper, impede, obstruct

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
S: commotion, turmoil, unrest
A: peace and quiet, tranquility, placidity

inadvertent

(adj.) resulting from or marked by lack of attention; unintentional, accidental
S: accidental
A: deliberate, intentional

nominal

(adj.) existing in name only, not real; too small to be considered or taken seriously
S; titular, inconsequential
A: actual, exorbitant

noncommittal

(adj.) not decisive or definite; unwilling to take a clear position
S: cagey, uninformative, playing it safe, playing it close to vest
A; positive, definite, committed

peculate

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

proclivity

(n.) a natural or habitual inclination or tendency (especially of human (character or behavior)
S: penchant, propensity
A: inability, incapacity

sangfroid

(n.) composure or coolness, especially in trying circumstances
S: poise, self-assurance, equanimity
A: excitability, hysteria, flappability

seditious

(adj.) resistant to lawful authority; having the purpose of overthrowing an established government
S: mutinous, rebellious
A; supportive, faithful, allegiant

tenuous

(adj.) thin, slender, not dense; lacking clarity or sharpness; of slight importance or significance; lacking a sound basis, poorly supported
S: flimsy, insubstantial, vague, hazy
A: strong, solid, substantial, vaild

vitriolic

(adj.) bitter, sarcastic; highly caustic or biting (like a strong acid)
S: withering, acerbic, mordant
A: bland, saccharine, honeyed, sugary

wheedle

(v.) to use coaxing or flattery to gain some desired end
S: inveigle, soft-soap, sweet-talk
A: coerce, browbeat, intimidate, strong-arm