Advanced English 2 Vocab

Enigma (noun)

a mystery; something hard to understand or explain

Apathy (noun)

lack of emotion or interest

Candor (noun)

frankness; honesty

Reticent (adjective)

restrained; uncommunicative

Aesthetic (noun/adjective)

a guiding principle of art or taste; dealing with the beautiful; pleasing in appearance

Ascetic (noun/adjective)

without indulgence of luxuries; a person who practices severe self discipline

Autonomy (noun)

self rule; independence

Disdain (noun/verb)

contempt/scorn; to treat as beneath one's notice

Innocuous (adjective)

harmless; insignificant

Banal (adjective)

commonplace; dull; ordinary

Ambiguous (adjective)

open to or having several possible meanings

Ameliorate (verb)

to improve

Atrophy (noun/verb)

a wasting away of; to waste away from lack of use

Servile (adjective)

overly submissive; fawning

Augment (verb)

to add; increase

Benevolent (adjective)

kindly; compassionate

Derision (noun)

ridicule; contempt

Disparity (noun)

inequality; variation

Flagrant (adjective)

shockingly noticeable or evident; obvious

Indolence (noun)

laziness

Acquiescence (noun)

giving in; agreement; compliance

Prodigal (noun/adjective)

extravagant; wasteful; a person who spends money in a careless way

Capricious (adjective)

unpredictable; variable; impulsive

Austere (adjective)

severe; harsh; having no comforts or luxuries

Complacent (adjective)

pleased with oneself or often without awareness of some potential danger or defect

Dubious (adjective)

doubtful; questionable; dishonest; untrustworthy

Ephemeral (adjective)

short lived; fleeting

Prosaic (adjective)

lacking in imagination and spirit; dull; predictable

Obscure (adjective/verb)

unclear; clouded; partially hidden to disguise or conceal

Extol (verb)

to praise highly; exalt

Insipid (adjective)

without distinctive or interesting qualities; without sufficient taste to be pleasing (food/drink)

Peripheral (adjective)

on edge or outside part; not pertaining to the main point; unimportant

Taciturn (adjective)

inclined to silence; reserved in speech; stern and silent in expression or manner

Expedient (noun/adjective)

advantageous; beneficial; a means to an end; a resource

Fastidious (adjective)

excessively particular or demanding; hard to please; very attentive to detail

Parsimony (noun)

excessive economy or frugality; stinginess

Provincial (adjective)

belonging to some particular region unsophisticated and unwilling to accept new ideas or ways of thinking

Respite (noun/verb)

a break or rest especially of anything distressing; to relieve temporarily

Anecdote (noun)

a short account of an event, especially of an interesting or amusing nature; a short historical or biographical account

Euphonious (adjective)

pleasant in sound; agreeable to the ear

Cacophonous (adjective)

harsh or discordant sounding

Guile (noun)

smart, but sometimes deceptive behavior; crafty deception

Immutable (adjective)

unchanging; permanent

Incessant (adjective)

continuing without interruption

Benign (adjective)

kindly; good natured; not harmful

Credulous (adjective)

gullible; ready to believe without proof

Disparage (verb)

to speak poorly of; belittle

Eccentric (noun/adjective)

odd; quirky; a person of unconventional and strange views or behavior

Philanthropist (noun)

person with a concern for human welfare, usually shown by donation of money or work

Squander (verb)

to waste or to spend money extravagantly

Virulent (adjective)

poisonous; harmful; intensely bitter or malicious

Zeal (noun)

enthusiasm; favor for a person

Acuity (noun)

sharpness of perception or the mind

Affable (adjective)

pleasantly easy to approach; warmly polite; friendly; agreeable

Assuage (verb)

to reduce pain to make milder; relieve; ease

Avarice (noun)

insatiable greed for riches

Listless (adjective)

without energy or enthusiasm; having or showing little or no interest in anything

Philistine (noun/adjective)

one who lacks culture or taste; lacking or hostile to culture

Scrupulous (adjective)

showing moral standards; ethical; strict regard for what one considers right; careful; precise

Tentative (adjective)

not final; uncertain

Adulation (noun)

excessive devotion to someone; servile; flattery

Dogma (noun)/Dogmatic (adjective)

doctrine, teachings, set of beliefs (n) asserting opinions in an arrogant manner (adj)

Languid (adjective)

lacking in vigor or vitality; slow or relaxed

Pious (adjective)

deeply religious, devout, sincere

Protracted (adjective)

extended; prolonged in space or time

Deference (noun)

respectful submission or yielding; respectful or courteous regard

Paucity (noun)

smallness of quantity; scarcity; insufficiency

Conciliate (verb)

appease; to become friendly or agreeable

Contrite (adjective)

caused by or showing sincere remorse; remorseful

Didactic (adjective)

intended for instruction; educational; moralistic

Diffident (adjective)

lacking confidence; shy or reserved in manner

Laud (noun/verb)

to praise; glorify; acclaim for someone of something

Digress (verb) Digression (noun)

to deviate or wander away from the main topic (v) the act of digressing (n)

Elucidate (verb)

to make lucid or clear; explain; clarify

Dissent (noun/verb)

to express an opinion different from a prevailing position; disagree (v) difference of opinion; feeling (n)

Denounce (verb)

to condemn or criticize openly or publicly

Surreptitious (adjective)

obtained or done by stealth; secret or unauthorized; acting in a stealthy way

Astute (adjective)

showing in shrewdness and discernment; clever; cunning

Censure (noun/verb)

an expression of strong disapproval or harsh criticism; to express severe disapproval

Profuse (adjective)

plentiful; given or giving abundantly

Assiduous (adjective)

showing persistent attention or untiring application; diligent

Deleterious (adjective)

having a harmful effect; injurious

Intrepid (adjective)

resolutely courageous; fearless

Perfidious (adjective)

deliberately disloyal; treacherous

Exasperation (noun)

frustrated annoyance; the state of being exasperated

Sagacity (noun)

the quality of being discerning and sound of judgement and wisdom

Vindicate (verb)

to clear of accusation or suspicion with supportive arguments or proof; to justify or show to be right

Amicable (adjective)

exhibiting friendliness or goodwill; friendly

Opulent (adjective)

showing or exhibiting great wealth; characterized by extravagance or abundance

Demagogue (noun/verb)

a political leader who appeals to prejudices in a dangerous and manipulative way; to exploit an issue in a way that appeals to prejudices

Rancor (noun) Rancorous (adjective)

bitter resentment; deep ill-will; hateful

Tenacious (adjective)

stubbourn; relentless; extremely persistent

Anachronism (noun) Anachronistic (adjective)

a chronological misplacement of people, events, objects, or customs

Ostentatious (adjective)

persistent display meant to impress others

Haughty (adjective)

arrogant; condescending; acting superior

Precocious (adjective)

advanced in development, especially mental development; talented beyond one’s age

Impetuous (adjective)

acting or done quickly with little thought; rash; impulsive

Superfluous (adjective)

beyond what is required or sufficient; unnecessary or needless

Venerable (adjective)

commanding respect by virtue of age, dignity, character or position; worthy of reverence

Adversity (noun)

a state of hardship or affliction; misfortune