Vocab Units 1-4

Accost

to confront in a challenging or aggressive way; to approach and speak to first

Animadversion

a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval

Avid

wanting something to the point of greed; intensely eager

Brackish

having a salty and unpleasant taste to drink

Celerity

swiftness or rapidity in motion or action

Devious

done in a shifty or underhanded manner; straying or wandering from a straight or direct course

Gambit

an opening move that involves risk or sacrifice in order to gain a later advantage

Halcyon

calm, peaceful, or happy; prosperous, affluent

Histrionic

pertaining to actors and their techniques; theatrical or melodramatic

Incendiary

tending to stir up controversy, anger, or rebellion; deliberately setting fires

Germane

relevant, appropriate, fitting

Insatiable

having a need or want so great that it cannot be satisfied

Intransigent

refusing to compromise; irreconciliable

Invidious

offensive; hateful; causing bitterness

Largesse

generosity in giving; lavish contributions

Reconnaissance

a survey for military purposes; any kind of preliminary inspection or examination

Substantiate

to establish through evidence; to give concrete form to

Taciturn

habitually silent or quiet; inclined to talk very little

Temporize

to stall or act evasively in order to gain time, avoid a confrontation, or postpone a decision; to compromise

Tenable

capable of being held or defended

Acquisitive

able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with acquiring wealth and/or property

Abrogate

to take or claim without the right to do so

Banal

overused; commonplace; hackneyed

Belabor

to work on or push excessively

Carping

tending to find fault in others, often in a petty, nasty way  (noun)- petty, nagging criticism

Coherent

holding or sticking together; comprehendible or meaningful

Congeal

to change from liquid to solid; to make inflexible or rigid

Emulate

to imitate someone or something with the intent of equaling or surpassing

Encomium

a formal expression of praise

Eschew

to avoid, shun, or keep away from

Maelstrom

a whirlpool of great size and violence; a situation resulting in violence and destruction

Myopic

nearsighted; lacking a broad, realistic view of a situation; lacking foresight or discernment

Overt

open or not hidden; expressed in a way that is easily recognized

Pejorative

tending to make worse; expressing disapproval; derogatory, belittling

Sacrilege

improper and disrespectful treatment of something held sacred

Propriety

the state or act of being proper; appropriateness; standards of what is socially acceptable

Summarily

without delay or formality; briefly or concisely

Suppliant

asking humbly and earnestly (noun)- one who makes a humble request

Talisman

an object that serves as a lucky charm or is believed to have magical powers

Undulate

to move in a wavelike motion; to have a wavelike appearance or form