English 10 Vocabulary 7-12

squeamish

inclined to nausea; easily shocked or upset; excessively fastidious or refined

odium

hatred, contempt; disgrace or infamy resulting from hateful conduct

acrimonious

stinging, bitter in temper or tone

bovine

resembling a cow or ox; sluggish, unresponsive

consternation

dismay, confusion

corpulent

having a large, bulky body; fat

disavow

to deny responsibility for or connection with

dispassionate

impartial; calm, free from emotion, disinterested

dissension

disagreement, sharp difference of opinion

dissipate

to cause to disappear; to scatter, dispel

expurgate

to remove objectionable passages or words from a written tet; to cleanse, purify

gauntlet

an armored or protective glove

hypothetical

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

ignoble

mean, low, base, dishonorable

impugn

to call into question; to attack as false

intemperate

lacking in self-control; excessive, extreme

perfidy

faithlessness, treachery, betrayal

relegate

to place in a lower position, to assign, refer, turn over; banish

subservient

subordinate in capacity or role; sibmissively obedient; serving to promote some end

susceptible

open to; easily influenced; lacking in response

dissipate

to spend foolishly, squander; to be extravagant in pursuit of pleasure

gauntlet

a challenge; an ordeal

abate

to make less in amount

adulation

praise or flattery that is excessive, adoration

anathema

an object of intense dislike

astute

shrewd, showing practical wisdom

avarice

a greedy desire, particularly for wealth; extreme greed

culpable

deserving blame

dilatory

tending to delay or procrastinate; not prompt; intended to delay or postpone

egregious

conspicuous, standing out from the mass; glaring, flagrant, blatant

equivocate

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

evanescent

vanishing, soon passing away; light and airy

irresolute

unable to make up one’s mind, hesitating

nebulous

cloudlike, resembling a cloud; not transparent

novice

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

penury

extreme poverty; barrenness, insufficiency

pretentious

done for show, striving to make a big impression

recapitulate

to review a series of facts; to sum up

resuscitate

to revive, bring back to consciousness or existence

slovenly

untidy, dirty, careless

supposition

something that is assumed or taken for granted without conclusive evidence

torpid

inactive, sluggish, dull

pernicious

extremely harmful; deadly; fatal

sear

to char or scorch the surface of; to harden or make unfeeling

specious

deceptive, apparently good or valid but lacking real merit

salient

a projection or bulge

abstemious

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

censurable

deserving of blame or correction

contingent

likely but not certain to happen, possible

corroborate

to confirm, make more certain, bolster, substantiate, verify

denizen

an inhabitant, resident; one who frequencts a place

discursive

passing aimlessly from one place or subject to another, roving, rambling, nomadic

disseminate

to scatter or spread widely

dowdy

poorly dressed, shabby; lacking smartness and good taste

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florid

highly colored, reddish; excessively ornate, showy

foist

to impose by fraud; to pass off as worthy or genuine; to bring about by stealth, dishonesty or coersion

gauche

awkward, lacking in social graces, tactless, clumsy

heresy

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

inculcate

to impress on the mind by repitition, teach persistently and earnestly

palpable

capable of being touched or felt, easily seen, heard or recognized

perceptive

having sympthetic insight or understanding, capable of keen appreciation

salient

prominent, standing out, conspicuous

satiate

to satisfy completely; to fill to excess

contingent

a representative group forming part of a larger body

satiate

full, satisfied

austere

severe or stern in manner

beneficent

performing acts of kindness or charity; doing good

Cadaverous

pale, gaunt, resembling a corpse

concoct

to prepare by combining ingredients; make up (as a dish)

crass

coarse, unfeeling; stupid

debase

to lower in character, quality, or value; to degrade, adulterate; to cause to deteriorate

desecrate

to commit sacrilege upon, treat irreverently; to contaminate, pollute

disconcert

to confuse; to disturb the composure of

grandiose

grand in an impressive or stately way; absurdly exaggerated

Inconsequential

trifling, unimportant

infraction

a breaking of a law or obligation

mitigate

to make milder or softer, to moderate in force or intensity

pillage

to rob of goods by open force (as in war), plunder

prate

to talk a great deal in a foolish or aimless fashion

Punctilious

very careful and exact; attentive to fine points of etiquette

redoubtable

inspiring fear or awe; illustrious, eminent

reprove

find fault with, scold, rebuke

restitution

the act of restoring someone/something to the rightful owner or to a former state/position; making good on a loss or damage

stalwart

Strong and sturdy, brave, resolute

Vulnerable

Open to attack; capable of being wounded/damaged; unprotected

stalwart

a brave, strong person; a strong supporter; one who takes an uncompromising position

austere

without adornment or luxury; simple, plain

concoct

to devise, invent, fabricate

absolve

to clear from blame, responsibility, or guilt

caricature

a representation, such as a drawing, that exaggerates a subject’s characteristic features

clangor

a loud ringing sound

contiguous

side by side, touching; near; adjacent in time

cupidity

an eager desire for something; greed

deleterious

harmful, injurious

enhance

to raise to a higher degree; to increase the value or desirability of

enthrall

to captivate, charm, hold spellboud

extenuate

to lessen the seriousness or magnitude of an offense by making partial excuses

implicit

implied or understood though unexpressed; without doubts or reservations, unquestioning

incisive

sharp, keen (with suggestion of decisiveness and effectiveness)

inimical

tending to cause harm or obstruct developments’ being oppositional or adverse