Advanced Vocabulary Lecture Notes

A comprehensive collection of 100 vocabulary terms with their definitions, roots, and usage contexts derived from the lecture notes.

temerity

reckless confidence

depredate

to plunder, pillage, destroy or to exploit

genuflect

to bend knee to ground (as in worship) or to grovel

wend

to go, proceed, walk

pelagic

relating to open seas rather than waters adjacent to land

froward

intractable, stubbornly disobedient, difficult to manage

punctilious

precise, paying attention to trivialities of etiquette

aphorism

a tersely phrased truth or opinion; adage; epigram; a brief statement of principle or general truth

purloin

to steal

esoteric

intended for or understood only by a particular group; not publicly disclosed; confidential

succor

relief during a time of struggle

protean

readily assuming different forms or characters, versatile

callous

insensitive; having no feeling

proscribe

to prohibit or forbid as harmful or unlawful

denouement

an outcome or solution to a complex series of events

supercilious

arrogant, overbearing; displaying condescending superiority over someone else

parley

discussion between enemies, often to prepare terms of surrender

apoplectic

furious; enraged; overcome with anger

simper

to say with a coy smile; to smirk

miscegenation

the interbreeding of different races; any mixture or hybrid

androgynous

not distinguishable between male and female

covey

a family of partridges; a small group

supine

inactive, lying on one’s back apathetically; morally slack

cozen

to cheat, beguile, or deceive

limpid

calm, untroubled, serene; transparent, clear (as of water, air, or crystal)

refulgent

shining radiantly; brilliant

phlegmatic

hard to excite, calm, sluggish; unemotional, stoic

attenuate

to weaken or reduce in force or value; to make small or fine

disingenuous

lacking in sincerity or candor

epistle

a written message, usually a formal letter

factitious

produced artificially; not natural; fake

pied

containing patches of two or more colors, usually in blotches

militate

to have strong influence or effect; to operate against or sometimes in favor of something

Stygian

dark, gloomy, dismal; infernal, hellish

gainsay

to declare false; to deny; to contradict or claim exception to

palliate

to make something appear less serious; to mitigate; to alleviate

nostrum

cure-all, questionable remedy, or a placebo

obstreperous

unruly, noisy, loudly stubborn

precocious

unusually quick development or maturation, especially in intelligence

regale

to entertain; to supply lavishly; a choice piece especially of food

ambit

the extent, boundary or scope of something

apostate

one who abandons a belief, cause, party or religion

sophistry

fallacious reasoning; faulty, although plausible, logic

perspicuity

clarity or perceptiveness in speech, thought, or writing

enjoin

to command or direct an action with authority; to prohibit or forbid an action

fulsome

offensively flattering or insincere; offensive to the taste; generous or abundant

imprecation

a curse

extenuate

to lessen the magnitude or seriousness of; to mitigate

ineluctable

certain, inevitable, unavoidable

vitiate

to reduce the quality of; to corrupt

turpitude

depravity, baseness; a vile or wicked act

plaintive

mournful, sorrowful, melancholy

pertinacious

holding tenaciously to a belief; stubbornly unyielding

recreant

unfaithful, disloyal to belief or principle; cowardly or craven

adduce

to offer as proof in an argument

traduce

to slander or speak maliciously of

apposite

relevant, suitable, or fitting

discursive

rambling aimlessly through a wide range of subjects

avocation

an extracurricular activity; a hobby

adumbrate

to foreshadow vaguely; to produce a faint outline or resemblance of something

alchemy

the medieval study of transforming lead into gold

allege

to state that something is true without providing proof

allude

to refer to another concept indirectly

altruism

selfless concern for others

ambivalence

confused or contradicting feelings

amble

to walk slowly

ameliorate

to make better

amenable

open to suggestion or criticism; accountable

analgesic

pain reliever

anecdote

a story of a specific incident, used as an example or for entertainment

annul

to declare invalid

didactic

overly instructive, educational

diffident

lacking confidence; restrained or reserved

diffuse

to spread out; widely spread, scattered; wordy and rambling

dilapidated

ruined, worn down

dilate

to widen or enlarge; to give a long speech on a subject

dilettante

a person with an interest in a topic without really committing; a patron of the arts

dirge

a mournful song

disabuse

to free from a misconception or error in thought

disaffect

to make someone lose loyalty or affection

discern

to recognize; to recognize as different

discomfit

to unsettle; to upset or prevent from succeeding

hackneyed

overdone or cliché

hallmark

a unique, identifying trait; a mark used to indicate the purity of certain metals

harangue

to speak with intense emotions; a rant

hedonism

dedication to pursuing pleasure

tan

to whip; to make leather out of animal hide

heretical

differing from official beliefs

hieroglyphic

difficult to understand, mysterious

homogenous

composed of similar or identical parts

hone

to perfect; to sharpen

husband

to conserve

nonplussed

confused

noxious

harmful in a physical or moral way

nuance

a small difference

obdurate

stubborn; inflexible and unyielding; emotionally cold; not compassionate

obsequious

very submissive and flattering

obstinate

stubborn, unyielding to change an opinion

obviate

to anticipate and prevent; to make obsolete

occlude

to close or block off; to combine opposite surfaces