HSPT Vocabulary

abbreviate

shorten, abridge

abrasive

rough; coarse; harsh

abridge

to make shorter

absolve

to clear of guilt

abstain

to not do something; refrain

accentuate

(v.) - to emphasize, to highlight

acrimonious

(adj.) stinging, bitter in temper or tone

adaptable

able to adjust to new situations

adulation

(n.) praise or flattery that is excessive

adversary

(n.) an enemy, opponent

adversity

hardship; misfortune

aesthetic

concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty

affected

pretentious; phony

aggressive

ready to attack or start fights; acting in a hostile way

alacrity

liveliness and eagerness

allege

(v.) to assert without proof or confirmation

alleviate

to relieve, make more bearable

ambiguous

having more than one possible meaning

ambivalent

having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone

amiable

(adj.) friendly, good-natured

amicable

(adj.) peaceable, friendly

amplify

(v.) to make stronger, larger, greater, louder, or the like

anachronistic

out-of-date, not attributed to the correct historical period

anarchy

(n) a lack of government and law; confusion

anomaly

deviation from what is normal

antagonism

hostility; active resistance

antiseptic

(adj.) clean, sterile, (n.)substance that sterilizes

apathy

(n.) a lack of feeling, emotion, or interest

arable

suitable for growing crops (of land)

arbiter

a person with the ability to resolve a disagreement; a judge

arbitrary

based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system

arcane

obscure, secret, known only by a few

ardor

intense and passionate feeling

arid

extremely dry

ascetic

(n.) - one who practices restraint as a means of self-discipline, usually religious

assiduous

hard-working, persistent, attentive, diligent

astute

(adj.) shrewd, crafty, showing practical wisdom

atypical

not typical, abnormal

audacious

(adj.) bold, adventurous, recklessly daring

audible

able to be heard

auspicious

(adj.) favorable; fortunate

authoritarian

requiring strict obedience to an authority, such as a dictator

belated

(adj.) late, tardy

belie

contradict; give a false impression

benevolent

(adj.) kindly, charitable

malevolent

(adj.) spiteful, showing ill will

berate

(v.) to scold sharply

bereft

(adj., part.) deprived of; made unhappy through a loss

bombastic

using language in a pompous, showy way; speaking to impress others

bourgeois

middle class; selfishly materialistic; too interested in material possessions

buttress

(v.) to support, prop up, strengthen; (n.) a supporting structure

camaraderie

good will between friends

candor

honesty, frankness

capricious

impulsive and unpredictable

carping

tending to find fault, especially in a petty, nasty, or hairsplitting way; petty, nagging criticism

catalytic

brining about, causing, or producing some result

caustic

(adj.) able to burn or eat away by chemical action; biting, sarcastic

carnivorous

adj. meat-eating

censure

to condemn severely for doing something bad

chaos

(n.) great confusion, disorder

circuitous

roundabout, not direct

circumlocution

roundabout way of speaking

benign

harmless

capitulate

(v.) to end resistance, give up, surrender, throw in the towel

colloquial

characteristic of informal spoken language or conversation

cognizant

having knowledge or being aware of

copious

abundant; plentiful

circumscribe

to draw a circle around; to restrict

circumvent

to get around; to bypass

clandestine

(adj.) secret, concealed; underhanded

cloying

sickly sweet; excessive

cogent

(adj.) forceful, convincing; relevant, to the point

cohesive

sticking or holding together; unified

collaborate

(v.) to work with, work together

competent

capable; qualified

complacent

satisfied with a situation that should be changed or improved

composure

control over expression and action

conciliatory

appeasing; soothing; showing willingness to reconcile

concise

(adj.) expressing much in a few words, short and to the point

condescending

possessing an attitude of superiority, patronizing

condolence

(n.) an expression of sympathy

confidant

(n.) a person entrusted with secrets

conformity

acting according to certain accepted standards

consensus

general agreement; opinion reached by a group

consolation

comfort received by a person after a loss or disappointment

consternation

(n.) dismay, confusion

consummate

complete or perfect in the highest degree; to bring to a state of completion or perfection

contaminate

make impure by mixture; pollute; defile

contemporary

(adj.) belonging to the same period of time as oneself; (n.) a person of the same time

contrite

feeling regret for having committed some wrongdoing

deter

to discourage or prevent from taking action

dextrous

adj. skillful; adroit

dilemma

a difficult or perplexing situation or problem

divulge

(v.) to tell, reveal; to make public

dormant

inactive, sleeping

egress

an exit; a means of going out

elegy

a sorrowful poem or speech

malicious

purposely hurtful

juxtaposed

placed side by side often for comparison

bovine

(adj.) resembling a cow or ox; sluggish, unresponsive; having to do with cows or cattle