Vocab Units 8-11

abate

Become less in amount or intensity

adulation

Praise of flattery that is excessive

anathema

An object of intense dislike; a curse or strong denunciation

astute

Shrewd, crafty, showing practical wisdom

avarice

A greedy desire, particularly for wealth

culpable

Deserving blame, worthy of condemnation

dilatory

Not on time, not prompt; tending to delay

egregious

Conspicuous, standing out from the mass (unfavorable sense)

equivocate

To speak or act in a way that allows of more than one interpretation; to be deliberately vague or ambiguous

evanescent

Vanishing, soon passing away; light and airy

irresolute

Unable to make up ones mind, hesitating

nebulous

Cloud like; not transparent; vague confused indistinct

novice

One who is just a beginner at something

penury

Extreme poverty;barrenness insufficiency

pretentious

intended to attract notice and impress others

recapitulate

summarize briefly

resuscitate

return to consciousness

slovenly

Untidy, dirty, careless

supposition

Something that is assumed or taken for granted without conclusive evidence

torpid

Inactive, sluggish, slow

accrue

to grow or accumulate over time; to happen as a natural result

annotation

a critical or explanatory note or comment, especially for a literary work

bedlam

a state or scene of uproar and confusion

covert

hidden, disguised, purposefully kept secret; sheltered, secluded; (n.) a sheltered place, a hiding place

debonair

pleasant, courteous, lighthearted; smooth and polished in manner and appearance

dun

to demand insistently, especially in payment of a debt; a creditor; dark, dull, drab, dingy

efficacious

effective, producing results

equanimity

calmness, composure, refusal to panic

fortuitous

accidental, occurring by a happy chance

gist

the essential part, main point, or essence

gratuitous

freely given; not called for by circumstances, unwarranted

imperious

overbearing, arrogant; seeking to dominate; pressing, compelling

invective

a strong denunciation or condemnation; abusive language; (adj.) abusive, vituperative

motley

showing great variety; composed of different elements or many colors; (n.) a jester's costume; a jester

munificent

extremely generous, lavish

procrastinate

to delay, put off until later

provocative

tending to produce a strong feeling or response; arousing desire or appetite; irritating, annoying

recondite

exceeding ordinary knowledge and understanding

reprobate

a depraved, vicious, or unprincipled person, scoundrel; (adj.) wicked, corrupt, or unprincipled; (v.) to disapprove of, condemn

sedentary

characterized by or calling for continued sitting; remaining in one place

acrimonious

(adj.) stinging, bitter in temper or tone

bovine

(adj.) resembling a cow or ox; sluggish, unresponsive

consternation

(n.) dismay, confusion

corpulent

(adj.) fat; having a large, bulky body

disavow

(v.) to deny responsibility for or connection with

dispassionate

(adj.) impartial; calm, free from emotion

dissension

(n.) disagreement, sharp difference of opinion

dissipate

(v.) to cause to disappear; to scatter, dispel; to spend foolishly, squander; to be extravagant in pursuit of pleasure

expurgate

(v.) to remove objectionable passages or words from a written text; to cleanse, purify

gauntlet

(n.) an armored or protective glove; a challenge; two lines of men armed with weapons with which to beat a person forced to run between them; an ordeal

hypothetical

(adj.) based on an assumption or guess; used as a provisional or tentative idea to guide or direct investigation

ignoble

(adj.) mean, low, base

impugn

(v.) to call into question; to attack as false

intemperate

(adj.) immoderate, lacking in self-control; inclement

odium

(n.) hatred, contempt; disgrace or infamy resulting from hateful conduct

perfidy

(n.) faithlessness, treachery

relegate

(v.) to place in a lower position; to assign, refer, turn over; to banish

squeamish

(adj.) inclined to nausea; easily shocked or upset; excessively fastidious or refined

subservient

(adj.) subordinate in capacity or role; submissively obedient; serving to promote some end

susceptible

(adj.) open to; easily influenced; lacking in resistance

abstemious

(adj.) moderate, sparing (as in eating and drinking), characterized by abstinence and self-discipline

censurable

(adj.) needing correction, deserving of blame

contingent

(adj.) likely but not certain to happen, possible, dependent on uncertain events or conditions, happening by chance (n.) a representative group forming part of a larger body

corroborate

(v.) to confirm, make more certain, booster, substantiate, verify

denizen

(n.) an inhabitant, resident; one who frequents a place

discursive

(adj.) passing aimlessly from one place or subject to another, rambling, roving, nomadic

disseminate

(v.) to scatter of spread widely

dowdy

(adj.) poorly dressed, shabby; lacking smartness and good taste

florid

(adj.) highly colored, reddish; excessively ornate, showy

foist

(v.) to impose by fraud; to pass off as worthy or genuine, to bring about by stealth, dishonesty, or coercion

gauche

(adj.) awkward, lacking in social graces, tactless, clumsy

heresy

(n.) an opinion different from accepted belief; the denial of an idea that is generally held sacred

inculcate

(v.) to impress on the mind by repetition, teach persistently and earnestly

palpable

(adj.) capable of being touched or felt, easily seen, heard, of recognized

perceptive

(adj.) having sympathetic insight or understanding, capable of keen appreciation

pernicious

(adj.) extremely harmful; deadly, fatal

salient

(adj.) leaping, jumping, or springing forth; prominent, standing out, conspicuous (n.) a projection or bulge, a land form that projects upward or outward

satiate

(v.) to satisfy completely; to fill to excess; (adj.) full, satisfied

sear

(v.) to make or become dry and withered; to char or scorch the surface of; to harden or make unfeeling; to parch, desiccate, singe

specious

(adj.) deceptive, apparently good or valid but lacking real merit