English 10H Vocab List 1

Abate

Abate

(verb) to lessen in violence or intensity 

Bastion

(noun) a strong defense; a fort

Abhor

 (verb) to detest, loathe, hate strongly

Evince

 (verb.) to show clearly

Dilettante

 (noun) one who studies an art or science for mere amusement

Acrimony

(noun) harsh temper or bitter feeling

Adulation

 (noun) excessive praise or admiration

Affable

friendly; courteous; agreeable in manner; easy to talk to

Agnostic

(noun) one who believes that the existence of God is unknown and unknowable

Frowzy

(adj.) dirty, unkempt

Altercation

a heated argument

Raillery

good-humored ridicule; banter

Amicable

friendly; peaceable

Grandiloquent

speaking in a pompous style

Anathema

a greatly disliked, hated person or thing; a curse, or a person cursed

Fiasco

a complete, ridiculous failure

Appease

to make calm or quiet; to give in to the demands of

Droll

amusing in an odd way

Audacity

insolence; rude boldness

Gregarious

fond of the company of others; belonging to a flock

Avarice

excessive greed; desire for wealth

Incognito

hiding one’s name, rank, position, disguised

Bacchanalian

wild with drunkenness

Balk

to stop short and refuse to continue; to obstruct

Banter

teasing; good-natured joking

Indiscreet

not wise or judicious; imprudent, as in speech or action

Barrister

lawyer

Avid

eager; extremely interested

Bask

to lie in or be exposed to warmth

Odium

hatred; the state of being hated

Bigot

(noun) one who is intolerant of another's beliefs, opinions, or values

Cajole

 (verb) to persuade with false promises and flattery

Furtive

(adj.) done in a stealthy or secretive manner

Gadfly

 (noun.) a person who annoys others, esp. by rousing them from complacency

Galvanize

to startle into sudden activity

Castigate

(verb) to criticize or punish for the purpose of correction

Caustic

(adj.) biting, burning, severe; sharp or sarcastic

Extradite

(verb.) to turn a prisoner over to the jurisdiction of another country or state where the crime was allegedly committed

Extraneous

(adj.) not belonging; foreign; nonessential

Extrovert

(noun.) one who is outgoing, friendly; one who is more interested in what is going on around him or her than in his or her own inner being or thoughts

Exodus

(noun) a mass movement, exit, or departure of a group.