Essential Vocabulary for 11th Graders: Words 21-40 for Academic Success

acrid

strong and sharp, as a taste or smell

ameliorate

make better

auspicious

indicating favorable circumstances and good luck

brazen

unrestrained by convention or propriety

circumspect

careful to consider potential consequences and avoid risk

dearth

an insufficient quantity or number

disparage

express a negative opinion of

dogmatic

pertaining to a code of beliefs accepted as authoritative

empirical

derived from experiment and observation rather than theory

fastidious

giving careful attention to detail

goad

provoke as by constant criticism

guile

shrewdness as demonstrated by being skilled in deception

indoctrinate

teach uncritically

intimate

marked by close acquaintance, association, or familiarity

nebulous

lacking definition or definite content

portend

indicate by signs

pretext

a fictitious reason that conceals the real reason

rapacious

excessively greedy and grasping

scintillating

brilliantly clever

tenet

a basic principle or belief that is accepted as true