Sadlier Oxford Vocabulary Level G:Unit 2

Accost (v.)

to approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging or aggressive way.

Animadversion (n.)

a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval.

Avid (adj.)

desirous of something to be the point of greed; intensely eager.

Brackish (adj.)

having a salty taste and unpleasant to drink.

Celerity (n.)

switness, rapidity of motion or action.

Devious (adj.)

straying or wandering from a straight or direct course; done or acting in a shifty or underhanded way.

Gambit (n.)

in a chess, an opening move that involves risk or sacrifice of a minor piece in order to gain a later advantage; any opening move of this type.

Halcyon (n.)

a legendary bird identified with kingfisher; (adj.) of or relating to the halcyon; calm, peaceful; happy, golden; prosperous, affluent.

Histrionic (n.)

pertaining to actors and their techniques; theatrical, artificial; melodramatic.

Incendiary

(adj.)deliberately setting or causing fires; designed to start fires; tending to stir up strife or rebellion; (n.) one who deliberately sets fires, arsonist; one who causes strife.

Maelstrom (n.)

a whirlpool of great size and violence; a situation resembling a whirlpool in violence and destruction.

Myopic (adj.)

nearsighted; lacking a broad, realistic view of a situation; lacking foresight or discernment.

Overt (adj.)

Open, not hidden, expressed or revealed in a way that is easily recognized.

Pejorative (adj.)

tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement, derogatory, deprecatory, belittling.

Propriety (n.)

the state of being proper, appropriateness; (pl.) standards of what is proper or socially acceptable.

Sacrilege (n.)

improper or disrespectful treatment of something held sacred.

Summarily (adj.)

without delay or formality; briefly, concisely.

Suppliant (adj.)

asking humbly and earnestly; (n.) one who makes a request humbly and earnestly.

Talisman (n.)

an object that serves as a charm or is believed to confer magical powers, an amulet, fetish.

Undulate (v.)

to move in waves or with a wavelike motion; to have a wavelike appearance or form.