Vocab Roots + Words 1-6

Acerbic

Sharply biting or critical, sarcastic, or ironic in temper, mood, or tone

Exacerbate

Make something already bad worse

Acrimony

Bitterness or ill feeling, bad blood

Altruism

The belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the wellbeing of others

Alienate

To make someone feel isolated or estranged

Alias

An additional name occasionally or always used by someone

Animosity

A feeling of strong dislike, ill will, or enmity that tends to display itself in action

Magnanimous

Generous or forgiving, especially toward a rival or less powerful person

Animate

To cause something or someone to be full of life

Antecedent

Something that existed before or logically precedes another

Antediluvian

Of or relating to the period before the biblical flood

Antiquated

Old-fashioned or outdated - think 'antique'

Anthropomorphic

Having human characteristics

Misanthrope

A person who dislikes humankind and avoids society

Philanthropy

The desire to help people, e.g. donating money

Belligerent/Bellicose

Implies aggression, hostility, or a readiness to fight

Decapitate

Cut off the head of a person or animal

Capitulate

Cease to resist an opponent or an unwelcome demand; surrender unconditionally

Precipitous

Dangerously high or steep; done suddenly and without careful consideration

Cede

To give up or surrender - see above

Incessant

Continuing without pause or interruption (usually for something negative or unwanted)

Intercede

To intervene on behalf of another

Cognizance

Knowledge, awareness, or notice

Agnostic

Someone who believes that nothing can be known of the existence of a higher power

Prognosticate

To foretell or prophesy a future event

Credulous

Describes someone who accepts something willingly without many supporting facts

Credence

Belief in or acceptance of something as true

Credential

A qualification, achievement, personal quality, or aspect of one's background, to show that they are qualified for a job or position

Culpable

Deserving condemnation or blame as wrong or harmful

Exculpate

Show or declare that someone is not guilty of wrongdoing

Culprit

A person responsible for a crime or other misdeed

Demographics

A specific section of a population

Demagogue

A leader who gains power by appealing to people's emotions, fears, and prejudices rather than using rational arguments

Pandemic

A widespread occurrence of an infectious disease over a whole country or the world at a particular time

Doleful

Expressing sorrow; mournful

Indolent

Wanting to avoid activity or exertion

Condolence

An expression of sympathy for someone's pain, especially on the occasion of death

Euphoria

A feeling or state of intense happiness

Euthanasia

The 'mercy' of killing someone who is dying of a permanent coma or terminal illness

Euphemism

A mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing

Infallible

Not capable of making mistakes

Fallacious

Based on a mistaken belief

Falsify

Alter information or evidence so as to mislead

Diffidence

Lack of self-confidence

Fidelity

Faithfulness to a person, cause, or belief (religious connotation)

Perfidious

Deceitful and untrustworthy

Congenital

A condition or trait that is present from birth (of a disease or physical abnormality)

Engender

To cause or give rise to (a feeling, situation, or condition)

Progeny

A descendant or the descendants of a person, animal, or plant; offspring

Retrograde

Directed or moving backward

Digress

Leave the main subject temporarily in speech or writing

Transgress

To go out of bounds or to cross the line (mostly with established expectations)

Gratuitous

Uncalled for; lacking good reason; unwarranted

Gratitude

The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness

Ingratiate

Bring oneself into favor with someone by flattering or trying to please them

Gregarious

Fond of company; sociable

Egregious

Especially or conspicuously bad

Congregate

Gather into a large group of people

Incorrigible

A person or their tendencies not being able to be corrected, improved, or reformed

Inexorable

Not preventable, impossible to stop, change, or persuade. (Suggests something inevitable and possibly threatening)

Ignominious

Deserving or causing public disgrace or shame

Lavish

Sumptuously rich, elaborate, or luxurious

Lave

Wash

Alleviate

To make (suffering, deficiency, or a problem) less severe

Levity

Humor or frivolity, especially the treatment of a serious matter with humor or in a manner lacking due respect

Elevate

Raise or lift something up to a higher position

Eloquent

Fluent or persuasive in speaking or writing

Loquacious

Tending to talk a great deal; talkative

Circumlocution

The use of many words where fewer would do, especially in a deliberate attempt to be vague or evasive

Lucid

Expressed clearly, easy to understand

Elucidate

To make (something) clear; explain

Illuminate

To make (something) visible or bright by shining light on it; light up

Magnify

To extol, laud, intensify, exaggerate, or enlarge (something)

Magnate

A wealthy and influential person, especially in business 

Admonish

To firmly warn or advise someone

Premonition

A strong feeling that something is about to happen, especially something unpleasant

Monitor

To observe and check the progress or quality of (something) over a period of time; keep under systematic review

Morbid

Characterized by an unusual interest in disturbing and unpleasant subjects, especially death and disease

Moribund

(of a person) at the point of death

Mortal

(of a living human being, often in contrast to a divine being) subject to death

Nascent

(especially of a process or organization) just coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential

Innate

Inborn; natural

Native

A person born in a specified place or associated with a place by birth, whether subsequently resident there or not

Neophyte

A person who is new to a subject, skill, or belief

Neologism

a newly coined word or expression

Neoteny

The delaying or slowing of the physiological, or somatic, development of an organism, typically an animal

ACR, AC

SHARP, SOUR

ALTR, ALI

ANOTHER

ANIM

MIND, SPIRIT, BREATH

ANTE, ANT

BEFORE

ANTHROP

HUMAN

BELLI, BELL

WAR

CAP, CIP

HEAD

CED, CESS

GO, YIELD

COGN, GNO

TO KNOW

CRED

BELIEVE, TRUST

CULP

BLAME, FAULT

DEMO, DEM

PEOPLE

DOL

PAIN

EU

GOOD, WELL