St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School Summer Vocabulary List - Sophomore

A complete list of 75 vocabulary terms and definitions from the St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School Sophomore Summer Vocabulary List.

abate

To become less intense, active, or severe; to diminish in degree or amount.

accede

To agree, give consent, or yield to a demand or request.

alienate

To cause someone to feel isolated, estranged, or hostile.

altruistic

Showing an unselfish concern for the welfare of others; devoted to helping others.

analogous

Comparable or similar in certain respects, making a concept clearer by comparison.

apathy

A lack of interest, enthusiasm, emotion, or concern.

apropos

Very appropriate, fitting, or relevant to a given situation.

assiduous

Showing great care, attention, and persistent effort in completing a task.

autocratic

Possessing or exercising absolute, dictatorial control over others.

aversion

A strong feeling of dislike, antipathy, or disinclination toward something.

banal

Lacking in originality or freshness; trite and commonplace.

benign

Gentle, kindly, favorable, or non-harmful in effect.

besiege

To surround a location with forces, or to overwhelm someone with persistent requests.

bovine

Relating to cattle; slow-moving, dull, or placid.

callous

Showing an insensitive, cruel, or hardened disregard for others.

caustic

Able to burn or corrode; harshly sarcastic or biting in tone.

coalesce

To come together or combine to form one unified mass or whole.

comprise

To consist of, contain, or be composed of.

covet

To strongly desire or wish to possess something belonging to someone else.

dour

Stern, severe, gloomy, or sullen in appearance or manner.

foil

To frustrate, block, or prevent a plan or effort from succeeding.

frugal

Economical, thrifty, or careful with money and resources.

garrulous

Excessively talkative, especially on trivial or minor matters.

harass

To subject someone to aggressive pressure, annoyance, or intimidation repeatedly.

idiosyncrasy

A peculiar or unique behavioral habit, mannerism, or feature of an individual.

idle

Not active, operating, or employed; lazy or inactive.

imperative

Of vital importance, essential, or urgently necessary.

perfunctory

Carried out with minimal effort, routine interest, or care.

incredulous

Unwilling or unable to believe something; doubtful or skeptical.

infallible

Incapable of making mistakes or being wrong; completely trustworthy.

ingenuous

Innocent, naive, candid, and unsuspecting.

ironic

Happening in a way opposite to what is expected, creating a poignant or humorous effect.

lethargic

Feeling sluggish, slow, or lacking energy and enthusiasm.

levity

Humor or lightness of mind, especially when dealing with a serious subject.

loiter

To linger or stand around without an obvious purpose.

malignant

Evil, harmful, or deadly in influence or effect.

manifest

Clear, obvious, and apparent to the mind or senses; to display clearly.

meticulous

Showing extreme care and thorough attention to detail.

mitigate

To make less severe, serious, painful, or painful.

nominal

Existing in name only; extremely small or far below real value.

nonchalant

Appearing calm, relaxed, and unconcerned or indifferent.

propriety

Conformity to conventionally accepted standards of behavior or morale.

bequeath

To leave or pass down property, assets, or knowledge to another person.

nullify

To invalidate, cancel out, or make legally void.

obstinate

Stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action.

obtuse

Annoyingly insensitive or slow to understand or perceive.

officious

Assertive of authority in an annoyingly domineering or meddlesome way.

petty

Of little importance or consequence; small-minded in attitude.

pilferage

The action of stealing small quantities or items of low value repeatedly.

precedent

An earlier event or action that serves as an example or rule for future situations.

priority

A thing that is regarded as more important than others in urgency or order.

proportionate

Corresponding in size, amount, or degree to something else.

prudent

Acting with or showing care, wisdom, and thought for the future.

pungent

Having a sharp, strong, or penetrating taste or smell.

reprehensible

Deserving strong condemnation, blame, or disapproval.

repudiate

To reject, disown, or refuse to accept or acknowledge.

saturnine

Gloomy, dark, somber, or sullen in disposition.

scrupulous

Extremely attentive to details; diligent and guided by strong moral principles.

smug

Having or showing excessive pride or self-satisfaction with oneself.

sophomoric

Pretentious, immature, or juvenile in behavior or attitude.

strident

Loud, harsh, grating, or piercing in sound.

supplant

To supersede, replace, or take the place of another.

surreptitious

Kept secret or done stealthily because it would not be approved of.

taciturn

Reserved, quiet, or uncommunicative in speech.

tedium

The state of being tedious, boring, or monotonous.

feasible

Possible, practical, and easily done or accomplished.

jeopardy

Danger of loss, harm, injury, or severe failure.

retrogress

To return to an earlier, inferior, or worse condition.

tenacious

Holding firm to a goal, position, or principle; persistent and stubborn.

vex

To annoy, frustrate, irritate, or worry someone.

virulent

Extremely severe, poisonous, infectious, or bitterly hostile.

voracious

Having an extremely eager or insatiable appetite for food or information.

waive

To refrain from insisting on or applying a right, claim, or rule.

whimsical

Playfully quaint, fanciful, or unpredictable in an appealing way.

wretched

In a very unhappy, unfortunate, or miserable condition; of poor quality.