(EX) Vocab Level 3

dearth a lack or deficiency (There is a dearth of skilled workers in the construction industry right now, making it hard to complete projects on time.)

enigma something or someone puzzling or hard to understand (The origins of the ancient statue remain an enigma to historians, despite decades of research.)

amiable friendly and good (She was such an amiable host, greeting every guest with a warm smile and a handshake.)

eminent prominent; distinguished (The eminent scientist was awarded the Nobel Prize for her groundbreaking research in genetics.)

pragmatic practical (Instead of wasting time on abstract theories, the team took a pragmatic approach to solve the immediate problem.)

iconoclast one who attacks traditional ideas or institutions (Steve Jobs was seen as an iconoclast in the tech world, challenging established conventions with every product launch.)

antipathy a deep dislike or aversion (His strong antipathy toward cold weather meant he would never consider living in the mountains.)

penitent remorseful (After realizing the harm he had caused, the thief wrote a penitent letter to the victim expressing his deep regret.)

magnate a powerful or influential person (The shipping magnate owned a vast fleet of vessels and controlled much of the global trade route.)

gregarious sociable; enjoying the company of others (Unlike her shy brother, she was incredibly gregarious and loved attending large social gatherings.)

languid exhausted (The hot, humid afternoon made everyone feel languid, wanting nothing more than to lie in the shade.)

affable friendly (The librarian's affable manner made it easy for students to ask her for help with their research.)

hapless ill fated; unlucky (The hapless traveler missed the train, lost his luggage, and then discovered his wallet was gone.)

palliate to soothe or mitigate (The doctors administered medicine to palliate the patient's pain, though they could not cure the illness itself.)

taciturn reserved or quiet (Because he was so taciturn, his classmates often mistook his silence for aloofness.)

trite overused, commonplace, having no freshness or appeal (The speech was full of trite phrases like "reach for the stars" and "live your best life," offering no new insights.)

hew to cut or shape (Early settlers had to hew timber from the forest to build their log cabins.)

profligate wasteful (The company was bankrupted by the CEO's profligate spending on private jets and luxurious corporate parties.)

ubiquitous omnipresent (These days, smartphones have become ubiquitous, found in the hands of people of all ages across the globe.)

adroit skillful; accomplished; highly competent (The adroit negotiator managed to secure a favorable deal for both parties after months of deadlock.)

abhor to detest or loathe (As a pacifist, she could not help but abhor all forms of violence and conflict.)

castigate to punish severely (The teacher had to castigate the student publicly for cheating on the final exam.)

brusque rudely concise (The manager's brusque response to the employee's request for time off made it clear the discussion was over.)

secular worldly, not spiritual (The university is a secular institution, meaning it is not formally affiliated with any religious body.)

pious very observant of religious practices (A genuinely pious woman, she attended services every Sunday and volunteered at her local church weekly.)

amenable agreeable or cooperative (Since she was amenable to working extra hours, the manager assigned her to the crucial weekend project.)

furtive sneaky or sly (The spy gave a furtive glance over his shoulder to ensure no one was following him before entering the coded door.)

edify to instruct or enlighten (The purpose of the documentary was to edify the public about the environmental impact of plastic waste.)

assiduous diligent; hard working (The assiduous student spent every evening in the library preparing for the upcoming bar exam.)

admonish to caution or advise against (The coach had to admonish the player for arguing with the referee, reminding him to control his temper.)

heretic a person holding untraditional or blasphemous opinions (Galileo was once regarded as a heretic by some for asserting that the Earth revolved around the Sun.)

incorrigible capable of being corrected or reformed (The boy was a bright but incorrigible prankster who constantly disrupted class, no matter the punishment.)

auspicious favorable; promising (It was an auspicious start to the new year when the company announced record profits in January.)

avarice greed (Blinded by avarice, the executive chose to cut employee benefits to maximize his own personal bonus.)

egalitarian equal for all (The new CEO implemented an egalitarian policy that ensured everyone, regardless of rank, had a voice in meetings.)

circumspect careful to consider all circumstances and consequences (When investing a large sum of money, it's wise to be circumspect and thoroughly research all options first.)

byzantine very complicated or intricate (Getting a permit for the renovation became a byzantine process involving dozens of forms and several city departments.)

arcane known or understood by only a few (The professor’s lecture on medieval philosophy was full of arcane terms that confused most of the undergraduate students.)

feckless weak; ineffective; incompetent (The feckless attempt to fix the leak only made the problem worse, flooding the entire basement.)

ardent passionate (An ardent fan of the local football team, he never missed a home game, even in the worst weather.)

expedient suitable for achieving a particular end (It might be expedient to hire temporary staff for the holiday rush, even though it's not our usual practice.)

ascetic self-denying; depriving oneself of something (The spiritual leader lived an ascetic life, shunning all luxuries and focusing solely on meditation.)

onerous burdensome or oppressive (The cleaning of the entire laboratory before the inspection was an onerous task that took the whole team two days.)

sagacious wise (It was a sagacious decision by the CEO to invest heavily in renewable energy at a time when oil prices were peaking.)

indelible making marks or an impression that cannot be removed or lost (The terrible accident left an indelible mark on her memory; she would never forget the sound of the crash.)

aspersion a false rumor or damaging report (Casting aspersions on a rival candidate's character is a common, though unethical, tactic in political campaigns.)

innocuous harmless (The mushroom looked suspicious, but the lab test confirmed it was completely innocuous and safe to eat.)

impious irreverent; disrespectful (The king was accused of being impious after he openly mocked the traditional ceremonies of the state church.)

assuage to soothe or pacify (A warm cup of tea and a good book is all she needs to assuage her stress after a long day at work.)

perspicacious very perceptive or discerning (The perspicacious detective immediately noticed the small clue that everyone else had overlooked.)

abstruse complex; hard to understand (The mathematical concept was so abstruse that only the professor could fully explain it to the graduate students.)

petulant childish; irritable (The spoiled child became petulant, whining and stomping his feet when he didn't get the toy he wanted.)

abase to humble or degrade (He refused to abase himself by apologizing for a mistake he hadn't actually committed.)

latent undeveloped or dormant (The composer's great talent for melody was latent until he finally began taking piano lessons in college.)

abdicate to formally relinquish (Facing public criticism, the monarch chose to abdicate the throne in favor of his younger son.)

obstreperous noisy; unruly (The kindergarten teacher struggled to control the obstreperous class during the sudden thunderstorm.)

harbinger forerunner or omen (The sudden silence in the forest was a harbinger of the approaching storm.)

beguile to deceive (The talented speaker could easily beguile the audience with his smooth voice and convincing, though false, arguments.)

irreverent lacking respect (The comedian delivered an irreverent parody of a classic film, much to the amusement of the young crowd.)

parity state of being equivalent (The activists were fighting for wage parity between men and women doing the same job.)

callow inexperienced; immature (The callow intern was unsure of how to answer the phone or greet clients without stammering.)

torse brief (The editor asked the writer to make his introduction more torse, cutting out the unnecessary details.)

clamor noise, a mixture of disagreeable sounds (The loud clamor of construction work outside made it impossible to concentrate on the meeting.)

colloquial informal (In academic writing, avoid using colloquial expressions like "a whole lot" and "gonna.")

acquiesce to agree; submit passively (Although he disagreed with the decision, he decided to acquiesce to the majority vote to avoid a long argument.)

irreproachable beyond criticism or fault, perfect or faultless in behavior or actions (Her professional conduct has always been irreproachable, setting a high standard for the entire department.)

loquacious talkative (The loquacious tour guide spoke for two hours straight, providing endless facts about the city's history.)

haughty arrogant; snobbish (The restaurant critic gave a haughty dismissal of the new chef’s dish, barely even tasting it.)

deft skilled (With a few deft strokes of his paintbrush, the artist turned a simple outline into a vibrant portrait.)

idiosyncratic peculiar or unique to an individual; having distinctive characteristics (One of the writer's idiosyncratic habits was to only write using a green pen while standing up.)

bereft lacking; missing (After losing his long-time co-host, the late-night comedian felt bereft of his creative partner.)

curt short in response, commonly used when someone is being rude (Feeling stressed, the receptionist gave a curt "No" when asked if the doctor was available.)

rancor bitterness; spitefulness (Decades after the betrayal, a deep rancor still existed between the two former business partners.)

coalesce to come together to form a single group or mass (The small independent companies decided to coalesce into a single, large corporation to compete with the industry leader.)

belligerent aggressive; hostile (The usually calm neighbor became belligerent after a few drinks and started yelling about the property line.)

contrite affected by guilt (He offered a contrite apology for having forgotten his mother's birthday, promising to make it up to her.)

omniscient all knowing (In many novels, the narrator is omniscient, able to describe the thoughts and feelings of all the characters.)

untenable indefensible (The argument that the company was not responsible for the pollution was completely untenable once the test results were released.)

orthodox adhering to established beliefs, customs, or practices (The professor used an orthodox teaching method that focused heavily on memorization and repetition.)

decorous marked by good behavior (Students were reminded to maintain a decorous silence in the library and not disturb others.)

pertinent relevant (Please stick to the topic and only provide information pertinent to the case.)

banal commonplace (The film's plot was so banal and predictable that the audience quickly lost interest.)

allay to lessen, ease, or soothe (The school principal spoke to the worried parents to allay their fears about the new safety procedures.)

spurious false or not genuine; lacking authenticity (The antique dealer was arrested for selling spurious artifacts that were actually cheap, modern reproductions.)

surreptitious secret and stealthy (The student made a surreptitious attempt to check his phone for the answer during the closed-book exam.)

bilk to swindle or cheat (The smooth-talking con artist tried to bilk the elderly woman out of her life savings with a false investment scheme.)

egregious obviously bad or offensive (It was an egregious error for the company to delete all of its customers' data during the system upgrade.)

extreme dislike extreme dislike (This definition is a bit redundant, but based on the list: She had an extreme dislike for public speaking.)

incongruous out of place (The sight of a tuxedo-clad man riding a scooter through the muddy farm field was utterly incongruous.)

acrimony bitterness or hostility (The political debate ended with such acrimony that the two candidates refused to shake hands.)

disparage belittle; to speak down to someone (It’s unprofessional to disparage the efforts of your colleagues in front of the management team.)

fervent passionate or zealous (The speaker gave a fervent plea for environmental protection, urging the crowd to take immediate action.)

dubious doubtful (I am dubious about his claims of being able to finish the entire project in just two days.)

venerable worthy of respect (The venerable professor, who had taught at the university for 50 years, received a standing ovation at his retirement party.)

curmudgeon a rude person (The old curmudgeon sits on his porch every afternoon and yells at neighborhood kids to get off his lawn.)

convivial sociable; festive (The dinner party was a convivial occasion, full of laughter, good food, and lively conversation.)