JLC Vocab

meager

meager

(adj.)

lacking in quantity or quality

While they wait for their trial, the prisoners eat their ___ ration of bread.

wayward

(adj.)

difficult to control/predict because of unusual/perverse behavior

Daniel was a ___ child because he always misbehaved in the most random situations.

recoup

(v.)

to make up for, regain

After running a marathon, Marie slept for 14 hours to ___ her strength.

felicitous

(adj.)

well chosen or suited to the circumstances

The music for the party was ___ and fit the celebratory mood perfectly.

auspicious

(adj.)

favorable; fortunate

As it was raining and thundering outside, it was not an ___ day for a picnic.

listless

(adj.)

lacking energy; too tired

The flu left Alice sick, weak, and ___.

penance

(n.)

voluntary self-punishment in order to atone for some wrongdoing

Because George spent his teenage years mistreating his mom, he felt it was his ___ and treated her to expensive gifts as a young adult.

wanton

(adj.)

(of a cruel/violent action) deliberate and unprovoked

The delinquents were guilty of the ___ destruction of public property.

malignant

(adj.)

malevolent, harmful, evil

The ___ spirit haunted Sophie’s house, giving off harmful energy and spoiling her produce.

predisposed

(adj.)

make someone inclined to a specific attitude, action, or condition

A longtime belief in the essential goodness of people ___ Alan to trust a random stranger.

brash

(adj.)

self-assertive in a rude, noisy, or overbearing

Jack’s ___ nature caused him to have few friends, as he was rude and noisy.

curio

(n.)

a rare, unusual or intriguing object

The cat pawed at a shiny toy, believing it to be a ___.

jaunty

(adj.)

having or expressing a lively, cheerful, and self-confident manner

He struck a ___ pose for the camera, sticking out his hip and lifting his chin.

deftly

(adv.)

quickly and skillfully

Steph ___ tied his shoelaces in less than 2 seconds.

chagrin

(n.)

embarrassment

Much to his ___, Jeff was overtaken in the first 50m of the 5km race by his biggest competitor.

reproach

(v.)

address (someone) in such a way as to express disapproval or disappointment

She is quick to ___ anyone who doesn’t live up to her own high standards.

avant-garde

(adj.)

favoring or introducing experimental ideas

The ___ Italian composer’s latest composition challenged traditional notions of music.

inhibition

(n.)

a feeling that makes one self-conscious and unable to act in a relaxed and natural way

The shy girl let go of her ___ and decided to perform at the Global Culture Week performance in front of a large crowd.

prodigal

(adj.)

wastefully extravagant

Russia’s ___ government was not hesitant to spend too much money on it’s military.

exuberance

(n.)

the quality of being full of energy, excitement, and cheerfulness

Vanilla smiled with ___ in front of the Eiffel Tower due to the fact that she was taking a picture with the Eiffel Tower.

inviolable

(adj.)

never meant to be broken, infringed, or dishonored

The rights protected by the Constitution are ___ and never meant to be taken away.

irrevocable

(adj.)

unable to be reversed

Throwing your keys into the Marianna Trench is an ___ action.

sonorous

(adj.)

(of a person’s voice or other sound) imposingly deep and full

The Chinese gong was ___ and ruptured everyone’s eardrums when it was struck.

unequivocal

(adj.)

leaving no doubt; unambiguous

With an ___ tone, Newton declared that he discovered gravity.

(run) amok

(adv.)

behave uncontrollably and disruptly

The mom was unable to control her crazy children who were ___ in the grocery store

feeble-minded

(adj.)

(of a person) unable to make intelligent decisions or judgements

Bobby was too ___ to solve a simple puzzle that even 5th graders could solve.

drab

(adj.)

lacking brightness or interests; drearily dull

The landscape was ___ and gray because the sun was covered by the clouds.

insidious

(adj.)

proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with harmful effects

Reading in bad lighting is ___ for your eyesight because it slowly strains your eyes.

artful

(adj.)

(of a person or action) clever and skillful, typically in a crafty or cunning way

Billie used a very ___ plan of digging out a hole in the wall and covering it with a poster to escape from prison

impertinent

(adj.)

rude; not showing proper respect

The ___ child was rude to his elders and always talked back.

laden

(adj.)

heavily loaded; weighed down

Beebo was ___ with the guilt of the hundreds of war crimes he had committed.

docile

(adj.)

submissive; ready to accept control or instruction

The ___ citizen readily awaited instructions from the government.