vocab test 10-12

Askance

(Adv.) with suspicion

Attenuate

(V.) to make thin or slender; to weaken or lessen in force, intensity, or value

Benign

(Adj.) gentle, kind; forgiving, understanding; having a favorable or beneficial effect

Cavil

(V.) to find fault in a petty way (nitpick)

Charlatan

(N.) one who feigns knowledge or ability; an imposter

Decimate

(V.) to kill or destroy a large part of

Foible

(N.) a weak point, failing, minor flaw

Forgo

(V.) to do without, abstain from, give up

Fraught

(Adj.) full of or loaded with

Inure

(V.) to toughen, harden; to become accustomed to

Luminous

(Adj.) emitting or reflecting light

Obsequious

(Adj.) marked by slavish attentiveness; servile

Obtuse

(Adj.) blunt, not coming to a point; slow or dull in understanding

Oscillate

(V.) to swing back and forth with a steady rhythm

Penitent

(Adj.) regretful for one's sins or mistakes

Peremptory

(Adj.) having the nature of a command that leaves no opportunities for debate

Rebuff

(V.) to snub; to repel, drive away

Reconnoiter

(V.) to engage in reconnaissance, to inspect

Shambles

(N.) a slaughterhouse, a place os mass bloodshed

Sporadic

(Adj.) occurring at irregular intervals

abrogate

(v.) to repeal, cancel, declare null and void

ambient

(adj.) completely surrounding, encompassing

asperity

(n.) roughness, severity; bitterness or tartness

burnish

(v.) to make smooth or glossy by rubbing, polish; (n.) gloss, brightness, luster

cabal

(n.) a small group working in secret

syn: ring, gang, plot, conspiracy

delectable

(adj.) delightful, highly enjoyable; deliciously flavored, savory; (n.) an appealing or appetizing food or dish

deprecate

(v.) to express mild disapproval; to belittle

detritus

(n.) loose bits and pieces of material resulting from disintegration or wearing away; fragments that result from any destruction

ebullient

(adj.) overflowing with enthusiasm and excitement; boiling, bubbling

eclectic

drawn from different sources

flaccid

(adj.) limp, not firm; lacking vigor or effectiveness

impecunious

having little or no money

inexorable

(adj.) inflexible, beyond influence; relentless, unyielding

moribund

(adj.) dying, on the way out

necromancer

(n.) one who claims to reveal or influence the future through magic, especially communication with the dead; in general, a magician or wizard

onerous

(adj.) burdensome; involving hardship or difficulty

rife

(adj.) common, prevalent, widespread, happening often; full, abounding; plentiful, abundant, replete

rudiments

the parts of any subject or discipline that are learned first; the earliest stages of anything

sequester

(v.) to set apart, separate for a special purpose; to take possession of and hold in custody

winnow

(v.) to get rid of something unwanted, delete; to sift through to obtain what is desirable; to remove the chaff from the wheat by blowing air on it; to blow on, fan

aesthetic

(adj.) pertaining to beauty; sensitive or responsive to beauty

defunct

(adj.) no longer in existence or functioning, dead

discomfit

(v.) to frustrate, thwart, or defeat; to confuse, perplex, or embarrass

espouse

(v.) to take up and support; to become attached to, adopt; to marry

fetish

(n.) an object believed to have magical powers; an object of unreasoning devotion or reverence

gregarious

(adj.) living together in a herd or group; sociable, seeking the company of others

hapless

(adj.) marked by a persistent absence of good luck

impeccable

(adj.) faultless, beyond criticism or blame

importune

(v.) to trouble with demands; to beg for insistently

interpolate

(v.) to insert between other parts or things; to present as an addition or correction

irreparable

(adj.) incapable of being repaired or rectified

iaconic

using few words

languish

(v.) to become weak, feeble, or dull; to droop; to be depressed or dispirited; to suffer neglect

mendacious

(adj.) given to lying or deception; untrue

nadir

lowest point

omnipresent

present in all places at all times

perfunctory

(adj.) done in a superficial or halfhearted manner; without interest or enthusiasm

plaintive

(adj.) expressive of sorrow or woe, melancholy

requite

(v.) to make suitable repayment, as for a kindness, service, or favor; to make retaliation, as for an injury or wrong; to reciprocate

tantamount

(adj.) equivalent, having the same meaning, value, or effect