Wordly Wise 3000, Book 9, Lesson 1-4

bewail

v. To express deep regret or sorrow over.

destitute

adj. 1. Without resources or possessions, especially the necessities of life.

2. Lacking; devoid of.

destitution

n. Extreme poverty and lacking basic needs like food, money, or a home. The severe state where people do not have the necessary things required to stay alive.

detract

v. To take away, especially from the value, beauty, or importance of.

detractor

n. Person who criticizes someone or something, often to make them look bad, small, or less valuable.

emancipate

v. To set free from slavery; to liberate.

emancipation

n. The act of setting someone free from the control, power, or legal authority of another person.

extol

v. To praise highly.

flamboyant

adj. Excessively showy; unrestrained.

flamboyance or flamboyancy

n. Being very showy, flashy, and full of bold style that catches people’s eyes. It describes loud colors, grand actions, or a bright and confident personality that loves the spotlight.

impetus

n. 1. A driving force; anything that causes an action.

2. Increased activity resulting from a driving force.

insuperable

adj. Incapable of being overcome or defeated.

intermittent

adj. Not continuous; happening at intervals.

maxim

n. A general truth or rule of conduct; a short saying.

obligatory

adj. Required or demanded.

plumb

v. 1. To measure the depth of water.

2. To reach the deepest part of.

3. To understand by examining closely; to solve.

adj. Straight up and down; vertical.

vagabond

n. A person who wanders from place to place.

adj. Moving from place to place, rootless, or unsettled

visage

n. A face, especially one that expresses feeling.

wheedle

v. 1. To coax by using sly persuasion or insincere praise.

2. To gain by using sly persuasion or insincere praise.

alacrity

n. 1. Promptness in responding.

2. Eagerness.

array

n. 1. A large group of people or things.

2. An orderly arrangement or display.

v. 1. To place in order.

2. To dress up.

deduce

v. To draw a conclusion from given facts.

encumber

v. 1. To weight down or burden.

2. To impede the action of.

encumbrance

n. A burden, a legal claim, or a restriction on a property or budget.

fraught

adj. Full of or accompanied by (usually followed by with).

haphazard

adj. Marked by lack of plan, order, or direction.

incontrovertible

adj. Impossible to dispute; unquestionable.

inexplicable

adj. Hard to explain or impossible to understand.

ingenious

adj. Marked by imagination, resourcefulness, or cleverness.

ingenuity

n. cleverness, inventiveness, and original skill in solving problems or making new things.

laggard

n. One who falls behind others because of moving slowly or loitering; a straggler.

adj. Slow, sluggish, or behind the normal pace.

sustenance

n. Something that provides nourishment; food needed to live.

torrid

adj. 1. Intensely hot and dry.

2. Burning with passion.

traverse

v. To pass over, across, or through.

ubiquitous

adj. Appearing to be present in large numbers or in many different places.

zenith

n. 1. The highest point; the peak.

2. The point in the sky directly above the observer.