Vocab Unit 9

Abate (v.)

to make less in amount; to become less; to nullify; to decrease or diminish

Adulation (n.)

praise or flattery that is excessive; adoration; idolization

Anathema (n.)

an object of intense dislike; a curse or string denunciation; malediction; abomination

Astute (adj.)

shrewd; crafty; showing practical wisdom; acute

Avarice (n.)

a greedy desire, particularly for wealth

Culpable (adj.)

deserving blame; worthy of condemnation; guilty

Dilatory (adj.)

trending to delay or procrastinate; not prompt; stalling, slow, tardy

Egregious (adj.)

conspicuous; standing out, usually in a negative way; glaring; blatant; obvious

Equivocate (v.)

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

Evanescent (adj.)

vanishing; soon passing; light and alry

Irresolute (adj.)

unable to make up one's mind; hesitating; indecisive

Nebulous (adj.)

cloudlike; resembling a cloud; cloudy in cloud; vague; not transparent; hazy, fuzzy

Novice (n.) (adj.)

one who is just a beginner at some activity requiring skill and experience; trainee; apprentice

Penury (n.)

extreme poverty; destitution

Pretentious (adj.)

done for show; striving to make a big impression; claiming merit or position unjustifiably

Recapitulate (v.)

to review a series of facts; to sum up

Resuscitate (v.)

to revive; to bring back to consciousness or existence

Slovenly (adj.)

untidy; dirty; careless; unkempt

Supposition (n.)

something that is assumed or taken for granted without conclusive evidence; assumption; presumption

Torpid (adj.)

inactive; sluggish; dull