Sadlier-Oxford: Level G Unit 1-5

Acuity

(n.) Sharpness (particularly of the mind or senses)

Delineate

(v.) To portray, sketch, or describe in accurate and vivid detail; to represent pictorially.

Depraved

(adj.) Marked by evil and corruption, devoid of moral principles.

Enervate

(v.) To weaken or lessen the mental, moral, or physical vigor of; enfeeble, hamstring.

Esoteric

(adj.) Intended for or understood by only a select few, private, secret.

Fecund

(adj.) Fruitful in offspring or vegetation; intellectually productive.

Fiat

(n.) An arbitrary order or decree; a command or act of will or consciousness.

Figment

(n.) A fabrication of the mind; an arbitrary notion.

Garner

(v.) To acquire as the result of effort; to gather and store away, as for future use.

Hallow

(v.) To set apart as holy or sacred, sanctify, consecrate; to honor greatly, revere.

Idiosyncrasy

(n.) A peculiarity that serves to distinguish or identify.

Ignominy

(n.) Shame and disgrace.

Mundane

(adj.) Earthly, worldly, relating to practical and material affairs; concerned with what is ordinary.

Nuance

(n.) A subtle or slight variation (as in color, meaning, quality)

Overweening

(adj.) Conceited, presumptuous; excessive, immoderate.

Penchant

(n.) A strong attraction or inclination.

Reputed

(adj.) According to reputation or general belief; having widespread acceptance and good reputation; (part.) alleged.

Sophistry

(n.) Reasoning that seems plausible but is actually unsound; a fallacy.

Sumptuous

(adj.) Costly, rich, magnificent.

Ubiquitous

(adj.) Present or existing everywhere.

Atrophy

(n.) The wasting away of a body organ or tissue; any progressive decline or failure; (v.) To waste away.

(SYN: degeneration, deterioration, wither)

(ANT: growth, mature)

Bastion

(n.) A fortified place, stronghold.

(SYN: citadel, rampart, parapet)

Concord

(n.) A state of agreement, harmony, unanimity; a treaty, pact, covenant.

(ANT: disagreement, strife, discord)

Consummate

(adj.) Complete or perfect in the highest degree; (v.) To bring to a state of completion or perfection.

(SYN: masterful, clinch, conclude)

(ANT: launch, initiate, begin, kick-off)

Disarray

(n.) Disorder, confusion. (v.) To throw into disorder.

(SYN: disorganization, dishevel, mess up)

(ANT: organization, order, tidiness)

Exigency

(n.) Urgency, pressure; urgent demand, pressing need; an emergency.

(SYN: requirement, crisis)

Flotsam

(n.) Floating debris; homeless, impoverished people.

(SYN: floating wreckage)

Frenetic

(adj.) Frenzied, highly agitated.

(SYN: frantic, overwrought)

(ANT: calm, controlled, relaxed, leisurely)

Glean

(v.) To gather bit by bit; to gather small quantities of grain left in a field by the reapers.

(SYN: cull, pick up)

Grouse

(n.) A type of game bird; a complaint; (v.) to complain, grumble.

(SYN: kvetch, bellyache)

Incarcerate

(v.) To imprison, confine, jail.

(SYN: intern)

(ANT: liberate, free)

Incumbent

(adj.) Obligatory, required. (n.) one who holds a specific office at the time spoken of.

(SYN: mandatory, necessary)

(ANT: optional, unnecessary)

Jocular

(adj.) Humorous, jesting, jolly, joking.

(SYN: waggish, facetious, droll)

(ANT: solemn, grave, earnest, grim)

Ludicrous

(adj.) Ridiculous, laughable, absurd.

(SYN: risible, preposterous)

(ANT: heartrending, poignant, pathetic)

Mordant

(adj.) Biting or caustic in thought, manner, or style; sharply or bitterly harsh.

(SYN: acrimonious, acidulous, sardonic, scathing)

(ANT: bland, mild, gentle, soothing)

Nettle

(n.) A prickly or stinging plant; (v.) To arouse displeasure, impatience, or anger; to vex or irritate severely.

(SYN: peeve, annoy, incense, gall)

(ANT: please, delight, soothe, pacify)

Pecuniary

(adj.) Consisting of or measured in money; of or related to money.

(SYN: monetary)

Pusillanimous

(adj.) Contemptibly cowardly or mean-spirited.

(SYN: lily-livered)

(ANT: stouthearted, courageous)

Recumbent

(adj.) In a reclining position, lying down, in the posture of one sleeping or resting.

(SYN: prone, supine, inactive)

(ANT: erect, energetic, dynamic)

Stratagem

(n.) A scheme to outwit or deceive an opponent or to gain an end.

(SYN: trick, ploy, subterfuge)

cavort

v. to romp or prance around exuberantly; to make merry

syn. gambol

credence

n. belief, mental acceptance

syn. credit, trust, confidence

ant. disbelief, skepticism, incredulity

decry

v. to condemn, express strong disapproval; to officially depreciate

syn. denounce, censure, devalue

ant. tout, commend, extol, laud, praise

dissemble

v. to disguise or conceal, deliberately give a false impression

syn. dissimulate, mask, feign

distraught

adj. very much agitated or upset as a result of emotion or mental conflict

syn. distracted

ant. calm, collected

eulogy

n. a formal statement of commendation; high praise

syn. panegyric, encomium, tribute

ant. philippic, invective

evince

v. to display clearly, to make evident, to provoke

syn. exhibit, manifest, occasion

exhume

v. to remove from a grave; to bring to light

syn. disinter, unearth, uncover

ant. bury, inter

feckless

adj. lacking in spirit and strength,; ineffective, weak; irresponsible, unreliable

syn. feeble, incompetent, ineffectual

ant. competent, capable, effective

murky

adj. dark and gloomy, obscure; lacking in clarity and precision

syn. dim, cloudy

ant. clear, transparent, lucid, limpid

nefarious

adj. wicked, depraved, devoid of moral standards

syn. iniquitous, reprehensible

ant. virtuous, honorable, praiseworthy, meritorious

piquant

adj. stimulating to the taste or mind; spicy, pungent; appealingly provocative

syn. zestful, tangy

ant. bland, insipid, tasteless, mild

primordial

adj. developed or created at the very beginning; going back to the most ancient times or earliest stage; fundamental, basic

syn. original, primal

propinquity

n. nearness in place or time; kinship

syn. similarity

ant. remoteness, distance

substantive

adj. real, having a solid basis; considerable in number or amount; meaningful and on topic

syn. firm, substantial, meaty

ant. imaginary, unreal, meaningless

unwonted

adj, not usual or expected; not in character

syn. unusual, uncommon, unexpected, atypical

ant. usual, customary, typical

utopian

adj. founded upon or involving a visionary view of an ideal world, impractical

syn. idealistic

ant. realistic, pragmatice

verbiage

n. language that is too wordy or inflated in proportion to the sense or content, wordiness; a manner of expression

syn. prolixity, diction, jargon

verdant

adj. green tint in color; immature in experience or judgement

syn. artless, naive

ant. scorched, sere, barren

viscous

adj. having a gelatinous or gluey quality, lacking in easy movement or fluidity

syn. sticky, thick

ant. watery, aqueous

Acquisitive

(adj.) Able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with acquiring wealth or property.

(SYN: greedy, avaricious, retentive)

(ANT: altruistic)

Arrogate

(v.) To claim or take without right.

(SYN: expropriate, commandeer)

(ANT: renounce, abdicate, abandon)

Banal

(adj.) Hackneyed, trite, commonplace.

(SYN: stale, insipid)

(ANT: fresh, original, new)

Belabor

(v.) To work on excessively; to thrash soundly.

(SYN: overwork)

Carping

(adj.) Tending to find fault, especially in a petty, nasty, or hairsplitting way; (n.) petty, nagging criticism.

(SYN: nit-picking, caviling)

(ANT: approving, uncritical)

Coherent

(adj.) Holding or sticking together; making a logical whole; comprehensible, meaningful.

(SYN: connected, unified, consistent, cohesive)

(ANT: muddled, chaotic, disjointed)

Congeal

(v.) To change from liquid to solid, thicken; to make inflexible or rigid.

(SYN: harden, jell, solidify)

(ANT: liquefy)

Emulate

(v.) To imitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model.

(SYN: copy, mimic, rival, match, measure up to)

Encomium

(n.) A formal expression of praise, a lavish tribute.

(SYN: panegyric, eulogy)

(ANT: condemnation, castigation, criticism)

Eschew

(v.) To avoid, shun, keep away from.

(SYN: abstain from, steer clear of, forgo)

(ANT: embrace, adopt)

Germane

(adj.) Relevant, appropriate, apropos, fitting.

(SYN: pertinent)

(ANT: irrelevant, extraneous, inappropriate)

Insatiable

(adj.) So great or demanding as not to be satisfied.

(SYN: unquenchable, ravenous)

Intransigent

(adj.) Refusing to compromise, irreconcilable.

(SYN: uncompromising, unyielding, obdurate)

(ANT: lukewarm, halfhearted, yielding)

Invidious

(adj.) Offensive, hateful; tending to cause bitterness and resentment.

(SYN: malicious, spiteful, prejudicial, pejorative)

(ANT: flattering, ameliorative)

Largesse

(n.) Generosity in giving; lavish or bountiful contributions.

(SYN: liberality, bounty)

(ANT: stinginess, miserliness, niggardliness)

Reconnaissance

(n.) A survey made for military purposes; any kind of preliminary inspection or examination.

(SYN: exploration)

Substantiate

(v.) To establish by evidence, prove; to give concrete or substantial form to.

(SYN: confirm, validate, authenticate)

(ANT: refute, disprove, invalidate)

Taciturn

(adj.) Habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little.

(SYN: tight-lipped, uncommunicative, laconic)

(ANT: garrulous, loquacious, prolix, verbose)

Temporize

(v.) To stall or act evasively in order to gain time, avoid a confrontation, or postpone a decision; to compromise.

(SYN: dillydally, procrastinate)

Tenable

(adj.) Capable of being held or defended.

(SYN: defensible, justifiable, maintainable)

(ANT: indefensible, unjustifiable)

accost

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

s: approach

a: avoid

animadversion

(n.) a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval

s: rebuke

a: praise

avid

(adj.) desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager

s: keen

a: reluctant

brackish

(adj.) having a salty taste and unpleasant to drink

s: saline

a: clear

celerity

(n.) swiftness, rapidity of motion or action

s: promptness

a:sluggishness

devious

(adj.) staying or wandering from a straight or direct course; done or acting in a shifty or underhanded way

s: tricky

a: direct

gambit

(n.) in 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

s: ploy

histrionic

(adj.) pertaining to actors and their techinques; theatrical, artificial; melodramatic

s: Theatrical

a:subdued

halcyon

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

s: placid

a: turbulent

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

s: provocative

a: soothing

maelstrom

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

s: chaos

myopic

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

s: shortsighted

a: farsighted

overt

(adj.) open, not hidden, expressed or revealed in a way that is easily recognized

s: obvious

a: covert

pejorative

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

s:derogatory

a: complimentary

propriety

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

s: decorum

a: inappropriateness

sacrilege

(n.) improper or disrespectful treatment of something held sacred

s: desecration

summarily

(adv.) without delay or formality; briefly, concisely

s: promptly

suppliant

(adj.) asking humbly and earnestly; (n.) one who makes a request humbly and earnestly, a petitioner, suitor

s:petition

talisman

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

s:amulet

undulate

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

s: fluctuate