English III Midterm Vocab

Ameliorate (v.)

become better; make better; improve; enhance

Amelioration (n.)

improvement

Conserve (v.)

keep from waste, loss, or decay; save

Conservation (n.)

preservation from loss, injury, or waste

Conservationist (n.)

one who advocates the conservation of natural resources

Detriment (n.)

injury, damage, or something that causes it; disadvantage

Detrimental (adj.)

harmful; damaging

Exotic (adj.)

1. introduced from another country; foreign

2. strikingly unusual; strange

Folly (n.)

lack of good sense; foolish action or undertaking

Formerly (adj.)

in an earlier period; previously

Former (adj.)

preceding; previous

Harmony (n.)

peaceable or friendly relations; accord; agreement; tranquility; concord

Harmonious (adj.)

friendly; amicable

Ignore (v.)

refuse to take notice of; disregard

Ignoramus (n.)

ignorant, stupid person; dunce; dolt; dullard; nincompoop

Impediment (n.)

something that hinders or obstructs; hinderance; obstacle

Impede (v.)

interfere with or slow the progress of; hinder; obstruct

Indolent (adj.)

disposed to avoid exertion; lazy; idle; lethargic

Indolence (n.)

idleness; laziness

Intact (adj.)

untouched by anything that damages or diminishes; left complete or entire; uninjured

Invalid (adj.)

not binding in law; having no force or effect; void; nugatory

Invalidate (v.)

abolish; annul

Invalid (n.)

sickly or disabled person

Noncarcinogenic (adj.)

not producing, or tending to produce cancer

Parsimonious (adj.)

unduly sparing in the spending of money; stingy; miserly; tightfisted

Parsimony (n.)

stinginess; parsimoniousness

Raze (v.)

destroy utterly by tearing down; demolish; level

Reticent (adj.)

inclined to be silent or secretive; uncommunicative; reserved

Reticence (n.)

restraint in communicating

Retire (v.)

1. withdraw from active duty or business

2. go to bed

Retort (v.)

answer; reply sharply or angrily

Retort (n.)

quick, witty, or sharp reply; answer

Subvert (v.)

overturn or overthrow from the foundation; undermine

Subversion (n.)

sabotage; undermining

Tractable (adj.)

easily led, taught, or controlled; yielding; docile; amenable

Tractability (n.)

obedience

Blithe

1. merry; joyous

2. heedless

Buoy

keep afloat; raise the spirits of; encourage

Buoyant

1. cheerful

2. able to float

Complacency

self-satisfaction; smugness

Complacent

too pleased with oneself-often without awareness of possible dangers or defects; self-satisfied; smug

Convivial

fond of eating and drinking with friends; sociable

Conviviality

sociability

Delectable

very pleasing; delightful

Ecstasy

state of overwhelming joy; rapture

Ecstatic

in ecstasy; enraptured

Elated

in high spirits; joyful

Elation

state of being elated; euphoria

Frolic

play and run about happily; have fun; romp

Frolicsome

full of merriment; playful

Gala

characterized by festivity

Jocund

merry; cheerful; lighthearted

Jubilant

showing great joy; rejoicing; exultant

Jubilation

rejoicing; exultation

Ascetic (adj.)

shunning pleasures; self-denying; austere

Ascetic (n.)

person who shuns pleasures and lives simply

Chagrin

embarrassment; mortification; disappointment

Chagrined

ashamed; mortified

Compunction

regret; remorse; misgiving; qualm; scruple

Contrite

showing deep regret and sorrow for wrongdoing; deeply penitent; repentant; remorseful

Contrition

repentance; remorse; penitence

Dejected

sad; in low spirits; depressed; downcast

Dejection

lowness of spirits; sadness; depression

Disconsolate

cheerless; inconsolable

Disgruntled

in bad humor; displeased; discontented

Doleful

causing grief or sadness; mournful; dolorous; lugubrious

Glum

moody; gloomy; dour

Lament

mourn; deplore

Lamentable

pitiable; rueful

Maudlin

weakly sentimental and tearful

Nostalgia

1. homesickness

2. yearning for the past

Nostalgic

homesick

Pathetic

arousing pity

Pathos

quality in events or in art (literature, music, etc.) that arouses our pity

Pensive

thoughtful in a sad way; melancholy

Plight

unfortunate state; predicament

Poignant

painfully touching; piercing

Sullen

resentfully silent; glum; morose; gloomy

Throes

anguish; pangs

Tribulation

suffering; distress

Burly

strongly and heavily built; husky

Buxom

plump and attractive

Cherubic

chubby and innocent-looking; like a cherub

Obese

extremely overweight; corpulent; portly

Obesity

excessive body weight; corpulence

Pudgy

short and plump; chubby

Attenuate

make thin; weaken

Emaciated

made unnaturally thin; abnormally lean because of starvation or illness

Haggard

careworn; gaunt

Lank

lean; ungracefully tall; lanky

Svelte

slender; lithe

Adulation

excessive praise; flattery

Blandishment

word or deed of mild flattery; allurement; enticement

Cajole

persuade by pleasant words; wheedle; coax

Cajolery

persuasion by flattery; wheedling; coaxing

Curry favor

seek to gain favor by flattery

Fulsome

offensive because of insincerity; repulsive; disgusting

Ingratiate

work (oneself) into favor

Lackey

follower who carries out another’s wishes like a servant; toady

Obsequious

showing excessive willingness to serve; subservient; fawning