Greenwald Vocab 13

Dilapidated

Dilapidated

(adj) fallen into disrepair or partial ruin, usually through neglect

Decrepit

worn out or ruined because of age or neglect

Ramshackle

(especially of a house or vehicle) in a state of severe disrepair

Dingy

dull, lacking freshness

Shipshape

in good order; trim and neat

In disrepair

in a poor condition of a building or structure due to neglect

Run into the ground

to mismanage to the point of ruin

Dilatory

(adj) inclined to put things off; intended to postpone something

Laggard

a person who makes slow progress and falls behind others

Dawdling

to do something or go somewhere very slowly, taking more time than is necessary

Sluggish

slow-moving or inactive

Lackadaisical

lacking enthusiasm and determination; carelessly lazy

Lethargic

affected by lethargy; sleepy or fatigued and sluggish

Dillydallying

to move or act too slowly; to waste time

Temporizing

avoid making a decision or committing oneself in order to gain time or and advantage

Expeditious

done with speed and efficiency

Drag one’s heels

be deliberately slow or reluctant to act

Diligent

(adj) hardworking; thorough and persistent

Assiduous

showing great care and perseverance

Sedulous

(of a person or action) showing dedication and diligence

Indefatigable

(of a person or their efforts) persisting tirelessly

Slothful

slow

Indolent

wanting to avoid activity or exertion; lazy

Perfunctory

(of an action or gesture) carried out with a minimum of effort or reflection

Dire

(adj) dreadful or disastrous; bleak or cheerless (suggesting urgency)

Calamitous

involving calamity; catastrophic or disastrous

Grievous

(of something bad) very severe or serious

Dismal

depressing; dreary

Somber

dark or dull in color or tone; gloomy

Salubrious

health-giving; healthy

Inconsequential

not important or significant

Dire financial straits

a dreadful situation due to financial strain

Discomfit

(v) to defeat or frustrated completely

Rout

to defeat decisively/to put to disorderly retreat

Trounce

defeat heavily in a contest

Thwart

prevent (someone) from accomplishing something

Foil

prevent (considered wrong) from succeeding

Discourse

a. (n) an oral exchange of ideas or conversation; a lengthy discussion, either written or spoken b. (v) to talk about or discuss at length

Treatise

a long, formal piece of writing about a particular subject

Sermon

a talk on a religious or moral subject, especially one given during a church service and based on a passage from the Bible

Colloquy

a conversation

Expatiate (upon)

speak or write at length or in detail

Precis

a summary or abstract of a text or speech

Synopsize

to make a synopsis of; summarize.

Discriminate

a. (v) to distinguish between two or more things, often by perceiving minute differences b. (v) to behave unfairly toward a person or group because of prejudice

Discern

perceive or recognize (something)

Perspicacity

the quality of having a ready insight into things; shrewdness

Acumen

the ability to make good judgments and quick decisions, in a specific subject

Discernment

the ability to judge well

Disparage

(v) to speak slightingly of or undervalue

Depreciate

disparage or belittle

Derogate

to detract from

Decry

publicly denounce

Extol

praise enthusiastically

Laud

praise (a person or their achievements) highly, especially in a public context

Disparity

(n) difference or inequality, as of age, character or quality

Distraught

(a) deeply distressed or agitated

Overwrought

in a state of nervous excitement or anxiety

Perturbed

feeling anxiety or concern; unsettled

Impassive

not feeling or showing emotion

Divulge

(v) to make known; to make public

Impart

make (information) known; communicate

Docile

(adj) easy to manage, teach, train or discipline

Tractable

(of a person) easy to control or influence

Amenable

(of a person) open and responsive to suggestion; easily persuaded or controlled

Compliant

inclined to agree with others or obey rules, especially to an excessive degree; acquiescent

Perverse

(of a person or their actions) showing desire to behave unreasonably or unacceptably, often in spite of the consequences

Intractable

hard to control or deal with

Obdurate

stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action

Dormant

(adj) inactive, as if in sleep; suspended in use, growth or development

Latent

(of a quality or state) existing but not yet developed or manifest; hidden or concealed

Inert

lacking the ability or strength to move

Torpid

mentally or physically inactive; lethargic

Volatile

liable to change rapidly and unpredictably, especially for the worse

Drastic

(adj) violently forceful and swift; extreme

Rigorous

extremely thorough, exhaustive, or accurate

Potent

having great power, influence, or effect

Draconian

(of laws or their application) excessively harsh and severe

Ineffectual

not producing any or the desired effect

Duplicity

(n) deliberate deception in speech or conduct

Guile

sly or cunning intelligence

Dissimulation

concealment of one's thoughts, feelings, or character; pretense

Chicanery

the use of trickery to achieve a political, financial, or legal purpose

Double-dealing

the practice of working to people's disadvantage behind their backs

Probity

the quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency

A Judas kiss

an act that on the surface seems kindly, affectionate or courteous, but in reality is the opposite

See the handwriting on the wall

to be aware that something bad will probably happen soon

A doubting Thomas

a person who is skeptical and refuses to believe something without proof

A Good Samaritan

one who is compassionate and helpful to a person in distress

The salt of the earth

a very good and honest person

A Jonah

any person or thing regarded as bringing bad luck

Serve two masters

to give equal support to two different causes or groups

Turn the other cheek

refrain from retaliating when one has been attacked or insulted

Manna from heaven

An unexpected aid, advantage, or assistance

Cast pearls before swine

offer valuable things to people who do not appreciate them

Indian summer

an unseasonably warm and sunny patch of weather during autumn

Go Dutch

share the cost of something equally (usually a meal)

Get your Irish up

cause one to become angry

A Scotch verdict

a verdict of not proven instead of a verdict of not guilty (allowed in Scottish criminal law)

A Mexican standoff

a stalemate where no one can be victorious