Quarter 1 Vocab

LangLit2H vocab list (23-24)

abstruse

(adj) difficult to understand

amity

(n) a friendly relationship

arrogant

(adj) having an exaggerated sense of one’s own importance or abilities

averse

(adj) having a strong dislike / opposition to something

bolster

(v) to support or strengthen, prop up

clemency

(n) mercy / lenience

contingent

(adj) 1. subject to chance 2. dependent on certain circumstances

cupidity

(n) the greed for money or possessions

desultory

(adj) lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm

dissolution

(n) 1. the closing down or dismissal of a group / partnership 2. debauched living

emulate

(v) to match or surpass a person or achievement by imitation

euphemism

(n) an indirect word or phrase substituted for one considered to be too blunt when referring to something unpleasant

fastidious

(adj) very attentive to / concerned with accuracy and detail

garish

(adj) obnoxiously bright and showy

heed

(v) to pay attention to

impetuous

(adj) done quickly and without thought or care

incredulous

(adj) unwilling / unable to believe something

insolent

(adj) showing a rude / arrogant lack of respect

jeopardy

(n) the danger of loss, harm, or failure

legacy

(n) 1. the long lasting impact of something that happened in the past / a person’s life 2. an amount of money / property left to someone in a will

malefactor

(n) a person who commits a crime or some other wrong

mitigate

(v) to make less severe, serious, or painful

nurture

(v) to care for and encourage the growth / development of …

optimist

(n) a person who tends to be hopeful and confident about the future

pervade

(v) to spread through and be perceived in every part of

preclude

(v) to prevent from happening

proximity

(n) nearness in space, time, or relationship

recluse

(n) a person who lives a solitary life and tends to avoid others

revere

(v) to feel deep respect / admiration for

seditious

(adj) causing people to rebel against the authority of their state

stealth

(n) a cautious, secretive way of moving to avoid detection

tangent

(n) 1. a completely different line of thought or action 2. a straight line / plane that touches a curve / curved surface at a point but does not cross it

trite

(adj) overused, lacking importance and originality

vacillate

(v) to alternate or waver between different opinions or actions

wane

(v) 1. to have a progressively smaller part of \[moon’s'\] visible surface illuminated 2. decrease in power and extent

affable

(adj) friendly, good natured, or easy to talk to

antiquated

(adj) old fashioned / outdated

assail

(v) to make a violent attack on …

belie

(v) to fail to give a true impression of (disguise) something

candor

(n) the quality of being open and honest

complacent

(adj) showing smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself

converge

(v) to tend to meet at a point

daunted

(adj) causing fear or discouragement

digress

(v) to leave the main subject temporarily when speaking or writing

dogmatic

(adj) inclined to lay down principles as undeniably true

enigma

(n) something that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand

expurgate

(v) to remove stuff thought to be objectionable / unsuitable from a text or account

fledgling

(n) 1. someone / thing that is immature / inexperienced 2. a young bird that has just fledged

gravity

(n) 1. extreme / alarming importance 2. the force that attracts mass towards another body of mass

hyperbole

(n) exaggerated statements not meant to be taken literally

inadvertent

(adj) not resulting from deliberate planning

infamy

(n) the state of being well known for a bad quality

intractable

(adj) hard to control or deal with

jubilant

(adj) feeling great happiness and triumph

loath

(adj) reluctant, unwilling

meager

(adj) lacking in quantity or quality

mundane

(adj) 1. lacking interest or excitement 2. of this earthly world

obscure

(adj) not discovered or known about

paragon

(n) a person / thing considered the perfect example of a specific quality

phlegmatic

(adj) having an unemotional and calm personality

pretentious

(adj) attempting to impress others by giving oneself greater importance

quandary

(n) a state of uncertainty over what to do in a difficult situation

reprove

(v) to reprimand

sanction

(n) 1. a threatened penalty for disobeying a rule 2. official permission for an action

slander

(n) the action of making a false spoken statement damaging a person’s reputation

subtle

(adj) delicate or precise enough to be difficult to analyze or describe

tenacious

(adj) tending to keep a firm hold of something

ubiquitous

(adj) present / found everywhere

vapid

(adj) offering nothing that is stimulating or challenging

wax

(v) to cover something with wax

alienate

(v) to cause someone to feel isolated

arbitrary

(adj) based on random choice rather than any reason

astute

(adj) having an ability to accurately assess situations and turn this into one’s advantage

benign

(adj) gently and kindly

censure

(v) to formally express severe disapproval of ...

composure

(n) the state of being calm and in control of oneself

cordial

(adj) warm and friendly

deplore

(v) to feel or express strong disapproval of …

disdain

(n) the feeling that someone / thing is unworthy of one’s consideration or respect

elated

(adj) extremely happy

erratic

(adj) irregular in pattern or movement

extraneous

(adj) irrelevant or unrelated to the current subject

fulminate

(v) to express intense protest

harbor

(v) 1. to keep a thought in one’s mind 2. to shelter or hide a criminal

imminent

(adj) about to happen

incompatible

(adj) 2 things opposed enough in character to be incapable of existing together

infer

(v) to conclude from evidence and reasoning rather than explicit statements

irascible

(adj) having a tendency to be easily angered

laconic

(adj) using very few words

lucid

(adj) expressed clearly and easy to understand

mellifluous

(adj) sweet, musical, and pleasant to hear

novelty

(n) 1. the quality of being new, original, or unusual 2. a small and inexpensive toy

obtuse

(adj) 1. annoyingly insenstive or stupid 2. angle greater than 90 and smaller than 180

penury

(n) extreme poverty

ponderous

(adj) slow and clumsy due to heavy weight

profound

(adj) 1. very great or intense 2. having great knowledge or insight

rampant

(adj) spreading unchecked

reserve

(n) a supply of a commodity not needed for immediate use but available if required

scrutinize

(v) to examine closely and thoroughly

sporadic

(adj) occurring at irregular intervals