Johnson Vocab

Asperity (Noun)

Harshness or sharpness of matter

The ASPERITY in my coach's voice intimidates me.

Bane (Noun)

A person or thing that causes harm

That class is going to be the BANE of my existence.

Garish (Adjective)

Excessively bright and flashy

The performer wore a GARISH outfit that stood out in the crowd.

Imbue (Verb)

To fill completely with a feeling or idea

Mr. J hopes to IMBUE us with an appreciation for language and literature.

Doleful (Adjective)

Mournful or full of sorrow

The atmosphere at the funeral was DOLEFUL. Uncle Joey was sobbing.

Penchant (Noun)

A strong attraction

Shelby has a PENCHANT for guys with manbuns.

Repertoire (Noun)

The list of pieces or skills a person is ready and able to perform

Our band has five songs in our REPERTOIRE. Let's rock!

Undermine (Verb)

To weaken or lessen by degrees

My ex UNDERMINED my reputation by spreading rumors about me.

Unremitting (Adjective)

Never relaxing or slackening

She was recognized for her UNREMITTING efforts to improve the lives of people in her city.

Rudiment (Noun)

A basic principle or element or a fundamental skill.

My kindergarten math class taught me the RUDIMENTS that I have used throughout my years of high school math.

Rambunctious (Adverb)

Marked by uncontrollable exuberance.

My little brother is super RAMBUNCTIOUS, he has been jumping on the couch all day!

Instigate (Verb)

Bring about or initiate (an action or event)

My teacher INSTIGATED a new policy that we are not allowed to use our phones in the classroom.

Hierarchy (Noun)

A system or organization in which people or groups are ranked one above the other according to status or authority.

My parents are at the top of the family HIERARCHY.

Extrovert (Noun)

An outgoing, overtly expressive person.

My sister is an EXTROVERT. She talks to everyone she meets!

Buffoon (Noun)

A ridiculous but amusing person; a clown.

My brother is a BUFFOON. He always makes me laugh.

Countenance (Noun)

Facial expression

I could tell by your COUNTENANCE that you were eager to read the first book of Gilgamesh.

Disgruntle (Verb)

To make dissatisfied or to put in a bad mood

The mean teacher DISGRUNTLED his students by assigning homework over the long weekend.

Equilibrium (Noun)

A state of balance

My teenage years had no EQUILIBRIUM. I had no direction.

Gird (Verb)

To encircle or bind for support

My pals GIRDED me through troubled times. I couldn't have made it without them.

Expedite (Verb)

To speed up the process of

To EXPEDITE the arrival of my passport, I paid extra for shipping.

Gratuitous (Adjective)

Uncalled for; Lacking good reason

The violence in the film was GRATUITOUS. It was over the top.

Implacable (Adjective)

Unable to be soothed

I was IMPLACABLE when my girlfriend left me for my best friend.

Luminary (Noun)

A source of light

Martin Luther King Jr. was a LUMINARY during the Civil Rights movement.

Manifesto (Noun)

A public statement explaining the intentions, motives, beliefs, or views of an individual or group

The leaders met to form a MANIFESTO that would change the way the government worked in their countries.

Spurious (Adjective)

Not genuine

His students saw through his SPURIOUS smile. They knew he hated them.

Adjudicate (Verb)

To hear and decide judicially

I left the decision to my parents. they would ADJUDICATE whether or not my date was "a keeper."

Illusory (Adjective)

Unusual or deceiving

My friend tried to warn me that my crush's flirtations were ILLUSORY. She merely smiled at me.

Centennial (Adjective)

A 100th anniversary or celebration

The Ed Sullivan Theater will still be standing for its CENTENNIAL in 2027.

Mesmerize (Verb)

To hypnotize

The crowd was MESMERIZED by the acrobats.

Precedent (Noun)

An earlier occurrence of something similar

The judge's ruling was based on legal PRECEDENT.

Discriminate (Verb)

To note or observe the difference

The coach could DISCRIMINATE between and a great one.

Curtail (Verb)

To cut short in time

Our gossip was CURTAILED when the bell rang.

The bell ringing CURTAILED our gossip.

Indiscriminate (Adjective)

Not marked by careful distinction

The twins were INDISCRIMINATE, except for the freckle on one's chin.

Malign (Adjective/Verb)

To speak about (someone) negatively or spitefully

My ex MALIGNED my reputation by spreading gossip.

Indignity (Noun)

An insult to one's pride

The player suffered the INDIGNITY of missing the penalty that would have won the championship.

Rancor (Noun)

A deep hatred

Since breaking up, he has developed a RANCOR for his ex. Does she deserve it? Maybe.

Reparation(s) (Noun)

A repair or a making up for a wrongdoing

The country was forced to provide REPARATIONS for the damage they caused.

Intercede (Verb)

To act or plead on another's behalf

My counselor INTERCEDED on my behalf when my teacher and I couldn't reach a compromise.

Espionage (Noun)

The act of spying, especially having to do with government

It turns out that my neighbors are spies involved in ESPIONAGE.

Smattering (Noun/Adjective)

A scattered knowledge or a small amount

My SMATTERING of spanish vocabulary didn't help me on our trip to Oaxaca.

Inalienable (Adjective)

Incapable of being alienated, surrendered, or transferred

Washington's address lacks Jefferson's idealism about equality and INALIENABLE rights.

Incarcerate (Verb)

To subject to confinement

The state INCARCERATED over 1900 people last year.

Infamous (Adjective)

Having a reputation of the worst kind; notoriously evil

A city INFAMOUS for poverty and crime.

Perpetuate (Verb)

To cause to last indefinitely

National conservatism is a rebellion against the natural course of human development as PERPETUATED by a growth in prosperity.

Rampant (Adjective)

Marked by a menacing wildness, extravagance, or absence of restraint

The mayor promised to put a stop to the RAMPANT crime that plagued the city.

Adamant (Adjective)

Not yielding

My parents are ADAMANT that I am home before curfew.

Endow (Verb)

Provide with a quality, ability, or asset

The foundation ENDOWED me with a grant for my education.

Assiduous (Adjective)

Showing great care, effort, and perseverance

Impressed with his ASSIDUOUS students' behavior, the teacher felt lucky.

Pantheon (Noun)

A group of people held in high esteem for their achievements

The PANTHEON of great guitarists includes Eric Johnson!

Perverse (Adjective)

Turned away from what is considered right or reasonable

We were troubled by the individual's PERVERSE interpretation of the book.

Tutelage (Noun)

Instruction, protection, guardianship

Under the TUTELAGE of our coach, we made it to the championship and won!

Accolade (Noun)

An expression of approval or respect for special merit

Aitana Bonmati has earned many ACCOLADES for her soccer skills.

Ephemeral (Adjective)

Lasting only a short amount of time

Romeo's attraction to Rosaline was EPHEMERAL.

Ingratiate (Verb)

To work to gain the favor of someone

The teacher's students INGRATIATE themselves to him by complimenting his hairstyle

Adulate (Verb)

To praise someone excessively

The ADULATION of her fans went to her head, resulting in a downward spiral.

Altercation (Noun)

A noisy, heated, angry dispute

When the victim confronted the suspect, a physical ALTERCATION broke out.

Annals (Noun)

A record of events, especially a yearly record, in chronological order

The reporter cited facts from the ANNALS of our community.

Chary (Adjective)

Discreetly cautious

Many corporate leaders are CHARY about overreacting to the workforce disruption concern.

Clique (Noun)

A narrow exclusive circle or group of persons

That CLIQUE refuses to even talk to outsiders at their lunch table.

Decrepit (Adjective)

Worn-out from use

Old and DECREPIT, the man hobbled through life looking for meaning.

Acrimony (Noun)

Biterness or ill-feeling

The ACRIMONIOUS separation was difficult for everyone involved.

Engender (Verb)

To bring into being

The novel's themes ENGENDERED questions about my place in the world.

Poignant (Adjective)

Making an impression by affecting the feelings

I still remember that POIGNANT moment where she said "I never loved you."

Ambivalent (Adjective)

Having mixed, often opposing, feelings about something or someone

AMBIVALENT about which date to take to prom, I flipped a coin.

Affinity (Noun)

A natural liking or sympathy for someone or something, especially because of shared characteristics.

Marvin has an AFFINITY for classic rock music, his favorite being the Allman Brothers Band.

Insatiable (Adjective)

Never satisfied

Gilgamesh had an INSATIABLE hunger for power.

Illicit (Adjective)

Unlawful

Their ILLICIT activities landed them in the slammer; They are both serving 25 to life.

Enclave (Noun)

A distinct region or community within a larger territory

We knew we had entered a new ENCLAVE when the signage changed languages.

Proselytize (Verb)

To connect someone to a faith, belief, or cause

The young couple traveled the neighborhood proselytizing their belief system, which had to do with Abraxas.

Exacerbate (Verb)

To make more severe

Playing on my sprained ankle, I EXACERBATED my condition, preventing me from participating in the championship.

Infatuation (Noun)

Excessive, surface-level passion

Melissa has an INFATUATION with David Bowie; She has photos of him everywhere!

Cessation (Noun)

A stopping, temporary or final

At the CESSATION of our conversation, I felt confident that we would have success.

Emaciated (Adjective)

Very thin and feeble especially from lack of nutrition or illness

Horses remain neglected — and now another EMACIATED horse has been found.

Indigenous (Adjective)

Produced, growing, living, or occurring natively or naturally in a particular region or environment

Viking invaders quickly subdued the INDIGENOUS population.

Inexorable (Adjective)

Not to be persuaded, moved, or stopped

The INEXORABLE rise of a political movement.

Baleful (Adjective)

Expressing hatred or evil

My ex shot BALEFUL glances at me from across the room.

Compunction (Noun)

Feeling of uneasiness caused by guilt

Emil Sinclair felt COMPUNCTION for having lied to his parents.

Ameliorate (Verb)

To make or become better

I AMELIORATED my performance by implementing my coach's suggestions.

Heresy (Noun)

The expression of shocking or unacceptable views

The leader of their clique was persecuted for her HERETICAL speech calling for human sacrifice.

Circumvent (Verb)

To avoid by craftiness

Messi CIRCUMVENTED the defense to score yet another miraculous goal.

Infirmity (Noun)

A physical or mental weakness

Messi exploited the defense's INFIRMITY to score yet another brilliant goal.

Diminutive (Adjective)

Very small

The player's DIMINUTIVE stature didn't compromise his brilliance on the field.

Repast (Noun)

A meal

We enjoyed a sumptuous REPAST before going to the movie.

Euphemism (Noun)

A mild word or expression substituted for one considered harsh or embarrassing

Not wanting to upset my friend, I approached the subject of his father's death by saying a EUPHEMISM about how he was in a better place.

Profane (Verb/Adjective)

Disrespectful of sacred things

We were appalled to see that someone PROFANED the structure with PROFANE slurs.

Recompense (Verb/Noun)

To pay in return for a service or damage incurred

The naughty students RECOMPENSED their teacher with candy to make up for their behavior.

Servitude (Noun)

A lack of freedom

I felt in SERVITUDE to my peers and needed to break free.

Berate (Verb)

To scold or condemn vehemently and at length.

There's no need to BERATE someone for making a mistake during the first day on the job

Condone (Verb)

To regard or treat (something bad or blameworthy) as acceptable, forgivable, or harmless

I don't CONDONE violence, and I think 'gangsta rap' should be outlawed.

Expendable (Adjective)

More easily or economically replaced than rescued, salvaged, or protected

Employees whose jobs are low paying are often considered EXPENDABLE.

Epitaph (Noun)

Words on a gravestone

Grandpa asked us to include his favorite quote in his EPITAPH. I will honor his wish.

Colloquial (Adjective)

Characterized by informal language

For my college essays, I decided to use COLLOQUIAL language even though my counselor urged me not to.

Omnivorous (Adjective)

Taking in all things

As an OMNIVOROUS reader, I have unlimited resources.

Stipend (Noun)

A fixed or regular pay for work completed

The teacher recieved a STIPEND for the work he did over the summer.

Rendition (Noun)

An interpretation of a performance

Do you prefer the original or Johnny Cash's RENDITION?

Exodus (Noun)

A mass departure (usually from danger)

There was an EXODUS when the new leader took over.

Inter (Verb)

To put in the ground (Body)

We INTERRED Moby, my hamster, in the backyard on a cold, November morning.

Castigate (Verb)

To punish by criticizing sharply

My older sister CASTIGATED me for using her clothes without permission

Largesse (Noun)

The act of giving generously

Thanks to the LARGESSE of the foundation, we were able to offer several endowments.

Permeate (Verb)

To spread throughout

Nervousness PERMEATED the classroom on the day of the exam