HESI VOCAB

Abrasive

irritating

Abstain

voluntarily refrain

acute

severe, intense, sharp

adjacent

close to, nearby

adverse

harmful

alleviate

to make less severe; to relieve

Ambiguous

uncertain meaning

ambulate

to walk without assistance

analogous

comparable, similar

anemic

weak; lifeless

anomaly

abnormal/unusual

atrophy

gradually weaken due to lack of use or neglect

benign

harmless; gentle

bilateral

present on two sides

bore

making hole by digging or drilling

cavity

opening or empty area

chronic

lasting or recurring over long period of time

coherent

easy to understand

compensate

make up for a fault

concise

brief, to the point

concave

rounded inward

conspicuous

obvious; noticeable

contingent

dependent

copious

great in amount

cursory

quick and not thorough

debacle

total failure / disaster

depleted

reduced; weakened or worn out

deteriorate

decline or worsen

diffuse

spread over a large area

dilute

weaken or lessen

discrete

distinct; separate

distend

enlarge or expand

docile

easily controlled; agreeable

dormant

inactive; sleeping

elicit

cause a reaction

emit

make a sound

envasive

seeking to avoid or escape situation

exacerbate

make worse or more severe

febrile

extremely excited or active

formidable

causing fear or awe

fortify

to strengthen or build up

futile

ineffective; useless

gratuitous

beyond what is necessary/appropriate

impede

to slow down or interfere

impending

occurring in near future

infirm

lacking strength; sick

inflame

cause intense excitement or anger

innate

natural

insidious

gradually & secretly causing harm

instill

add something gradually

ambivalent

being uncertain / mixed feelings

convulsive

causing involuntary movement

dynamic

in motion

feasible

practical

insulate

protect from harm by isolating

intermittent

stopping and starting over time

kinetic

energetic; lively

labile

unstable

laceration

wound with irregular borders

latent

present but not visible or active; undeveloped

lethargic

sluggish; lacking energy

mitigate

to relieve/make something less severe or painful

myopic

short-sighted

myriad

great in number; countless

nebulous

unclear/uncertain

negligible

small, slight, or unimportant

obscure

difficult to see or understand; mysterious

obtuse

slow to understand; lacking sharpness

occluded

closed/obstructed

ominous

threatening

ostracize

banish, exclude, shut out

overt

obvious or easily observed

pacify

sooth or calm

palpable

easily felt or perceived

paroxysmal

sudden fit or attack of symptoms

pathogenic

disease-causing

pathology

study of disease

perpetual

constant; lasting forever

precipitous

very steep; rapid

predisposed

willing or inclined to do something

prodigious

extremely large in amount or size

profound

deep (knowledge)

proliferate

to spread or grow rapidly

prolific

productive; fruitful

rationale

underlying reason

recumbent

lying down/resting

redundant

more than what is needed; consists of unnecessary repetition

residual

remaining; continuing

resuscitate

revive/bring back to life

sanguine

hopeful/cheerful

stagnate

to stop developing or progressing

stoic

showing no emotion; emotional resilience

tenuous

weak; uncertain

triage

determines what patients need most care through examinations

ubiquitous

happening or appearing everywhere

untoward

difficult to manage / inconvenient

virulent

extremely harmful or severe

volatile

unstable; rapidly changing

Aegis

protection, responsibility

abate

lessen