HESI A2 Vocabulary

abrasive

irritating; rude, unfriendly

abstain

to voluntarily refrain from something

acountable

answerable; responsible for ones actions

acute

severe or intense; sharp

adhere

to hold fast or stick together

adjacent

close to; nearby

adverse

undesired; possibly harmful

alleviate

to make less severe; to relieve

ambiguous

of uncertain meaning; having more than one interpretation

ambulate

to walk

analogous

comparable; similar

anemic

weak; lifeless

anomaly

something abnormal or unusual

apathy

lack of concern or interest

articulate

to speak clearly; to put into words

assert

to state something strongly

atrophy

to gradually weaken due to lack of use or neglect

audible

able to be heard

benevolent

kind-hearted; henerous

benign

harmless; gentle

bilateral

present on two sides

bore

to make a hole by digging or drilling

cavity

an opening or empty area

cerebral

intelligent; relating to the brain or the mind

chronic

lasting or recurring over a long period of time

coherent

easy to understand; reasonable

compensate

to make up for a fault or deficiency; to pay for something

comprehend

to understand

concave

rounded inward

concise

brief, to the point

congenital

making up an essential part of a person’s character; natural

conspicuous

obvious; very noticeable

contingent

dependent

copious

great in amount or number; heavy

cursory

quick, perfunctory, not thorough

debacle

total failure; disaster

deficit

a deficiency or lack of something

depleted

reduced; weakened or worn out

deteriorate

to decline or worsen

diffuse

spread over a large area; generalized

dilute

to weaken or lessen

discrete

distinct, separate

discreet

someone who is polite and careful not to offend others

distend

to enlarge or expand

docile

easily controlled; agreeable

dormant

inactive; sleeping

elicit

to cause a reaction; to draw out a response or emotion from someone

emit

to make a sound; to release something into the air

enhance

to increase or improve

equilibrium

a state of balance

evasive

seeking to avoid or escape a situation

evolve

to develop gradually

exacerbate

to make worse or more severe

fatal

resulting in death; causing failure or ruin

fatigue

extreme tiredness; exhaustion

febrile

extremely excited or active

flaccid

weak or soft

formidable

causing fear or awe

fortify

to strengthen or build up

futile

ineffectiveness; useless

gratuitous

beyond what is necessary or appropriate

impair

to make weaker; to harm or damage

impede

to slow something down; to interfere with something

impending

occurring in the near future, about to happen

implied

suggested without explicitly stating

inferred

reached an opinion through reasoning

infirm

lacking strength; sick

inflame

to cause intense excitement or anger

infuse

to put into; to fill with something

ingest

to consume or absorb information

innate

natural; existing from birth

insidious

gradually and secretly causing harm

instill

to add something gradually

insulate

to protect from harm by separating or isolating something

intact

complete; without any damage or harm

intermittent

stopping and starting over time

invasive

interfering, nosy

kinetic

energetic, lively

latent

present but not active or visible, undeveloped

lethargic

sluggish; lacking energy

malleable

easily changed; flexible

melancholy

a state of sadness or depression

meticulous

thorough; careful to notice small details

migrate

to move or transfer

mitigate

to relieve or make something less painful

myopic

short-sighted

myriad

great in number; countless

nebulous

unclear; uncertain

negligible

small, slight, or unimportant

obscure

difficult to see or understand; mysterious

obtuse

slow to understand; lacking sharpness

occluded

closed or obstructed

opaque

difficult to see through or understand

overt

obvious or easily observed

pacify

to sooth or calm

palpable

easily felt or perceived

perpetual

constant; lasting forever

plethora

a large amount

potent

producing a strong effect

precipitous

very steep; rapid