Vocab 8 - 12

acrimony

bitterness & resentment, especially in speech, attitude, or tone

solace

somebody or something that provides comfort in times of sadness

exorbitant

far greater than is reasonable or manageable

censure

to express disapproval or condemnation, particularly in official form; severe criticism or official expression of disapproval

reprimand

to scold/punish somebody for a wrongdoing

lackadaisical

without much enthusiasm, energy, or effort

insipid

dull and lacking in lively qualities

archaic

old and out of use because it comes from a time period long past

punctilious

showing great care in small details, particularly when it comes to behavior and etiquette

irreverent

disrespectful

aspersion

the act of slandering or defaming someone; a damaging rumor

candid

frank and sincere; direct honesty

capricious

tending to make sudden and unpredictable changes

despot

a tyrant; somebody who behaves in a tyrannical way

diaphanous

so delicate it is transparent

detritus

debris or discarded material

equivocate

to speak vaguely or ambiguously, especially to mislead

iconoclast

somebody who challenges or overturns traditional beliefs, customs, and values

mendicant

an extremely poor person, a beggar

pedestrian

ordinary, unimaginative, or uninspired

visceral

characterized by instinct (from the 'gut') rather than reasoned thinking

ostentatious

marked by an obnoxious display of wealth and/or success designed to impress people

nascent

in the process of emerging, being born, or starting to develop

loquacious

tending to talk a great deal

inept

lacking competence or skill for a particular task

derivative

copied from somewhere & not original

accolade

an expression of high praise and esteem for somebody’s achievements

indigent

poor/impoverished, lacking in the necessities of life, such as food, clothing, & shelter

mitigate

to make something less harsh, severe, or violent

perfidy

treachery or deceit, betrayal

assuage

to provide relief from something stressful or painful

anodyne

something that soothes, comforts, or relaxes

acclivity

an upward slope on a hill

declivity

a downward slope on a hill

undulation

a wavy motion or curving form/outline, especially one in a series such as a wave

unequivocal

cannot be doubted or misinterpreted

sanguine

cheerfully optimistic and hopeful

equanimity

composure, evenness of temper even under stress

tepid

showing little enthusiasm or warmth

vacillate

to be indecisive, to change one’s mind repeatedly back and forth

trivialize

to treat something as though it is less important than it really is

exigent

needing immediate attention

polemic

a passionate argument in favor of something or someone (often controversial)

acolyte

somebody, especially a young person, who assists and/or follows a mentor

nullify

to make something invalid/void; to cancel something out

vilify

to make abusive and extremely hurtful statements about somebody

endemic

having to do with a particular place or among a particular group

celerity

quickness in movement

caustic

very sarcastic, in a way that is bitter and causes intensely bad emotions

repository

a place in which something is stored

torpor

lack of mental or physical energy