Vocabulary 1-15

Honors Vocabulary

Abject

degraded base, contemptible

Agnostic

one who believes that nothing can be known about God; a skeptic

Complicity

involvement in wrong doings; the state being an accomplice

Derelict

someone or something that is abandoned or neglected

Diatribe

a bitter and prolonged verbal attack

Effigy

a crude image of a despised person

equity

the state or quality of being just, fair, or impartial fair and equal treatment

inane

silly, empty. of meaning or value

indictment

the act of accusation

indubitable

certain, not to be doutbed or denied

intermittent

stopping and starting at irregular intervals

moot

open to discussion and debate unresolved

motif

a principle, idea, feature, theme, or element

neophyte

a new convert beginner, novice

perspicacity

keenness in observing and understanding

plenary

complete in all aspects or essentials

surveillance

close observation of a person or group

sylvan

pertaining to or characteristic of forests

testy

easily irritated

travesty

a grotesque or grossly inferior

allay

to calm or pacify, set to rest

bestial

beastlike; brutal

convivial

festive, sociable, having fun together

coterie

a circle of acquaintances

counterpart

a person or thing closely resembling

demur

to object or take exception

effontery

shameless boldness

embellish

to decorate, adorn , touch-up

emphemeral

lasting only a short time, short lived

felicitous

appropiate,apt, well-chosen

furtive

done slyly or stealthily

garish

glaring; tastelessly

illusory

misleading, deceptive

indigent

needy, impoverished

inordinate

far too great

jettison

to cast overboard

misanthrope

a person who hates or despises peop

pertinacious

very persistent

picayune

of little value or importance

raiment

clothing, garments

allege

to assert without proof

arrant

thoroughgoing out and out

badinage

light and playful conversation

conciliate

to overcome the distrust of win over

countermand

to cancel or reverse one order or command

echelon

one of a series of grades in an organization

exacerbate

to make more violent

fatuous

foolish in a self-satisfied way

irrefutable

impossible to disprove

juggernaut

a massive and inescapable force

lackadaisical

lacking spirit or interest

litany

a prayer consiting of short appeals to God

macabre

grisly, gruesome, horrible

paucity

an inadequate quanitity

portend

to indicate beforehand that something is about to happen

raze

to tear down, destroy completely

recant

to withdraw a statement or belief

saturate

to soak thoroughly fill to capacity

saturnine

of a gloomy or surly disposition

slough

to cast off, discard

acclamation

a shout of welcome

bucolic

characteristic of the countryside, rural

caluminate

to slander, to accuse falsely

chary

extremely cautious, hesitant or slow

collusion

secret agreement or cooperation

dilettante

a dabbler in the arts

imperturbable

not easily excited emotionally steady

increment

an enlargement, increase,addition

mandate

an authoritative command, formal roder

paltry

trifling, insingnificant

paroxysm

a sudden outburst a spasm, convulsion

pedantry

a pretentious display of knowledge

peregrination

the act of traveling an excursion

redolent

fragant smelling strongly

refuigent

shining, radiant, replendent

shibboleth

a word, expression or custom

tyro

a beginner, novice, one with little or no background

unremitting

not stopping, maintained steadily

vacillate

to swing indecisively from one idea or course of action

vituperative

harshly, abusive, severely scolding

accost

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

animadversion

a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval

avid

desirous of something to the point of greed

brackish

having a salty taste and unpleasant drink

celerity

swiftness, rapitidy of motion or action

devious

straying or wandering from a straight or direct course

gambit

in chess, an opening move that involves risk

halcyon

calm, peaceful happy golden

historionic

pertaining to actors and their techniquies

incendiary

deliberately setting or causing fire

maelstrom

a whirlpool of great size and violence

myopic

nearsighted; lacking broad realistic view

overt

open, not hidden, expressed or revealed

pejorative

tending to make worse

propriety

tending to make worse; expressing disapporval

sacrilege

improper or disrespectul treatment of something held sacred

summarily

without delay or formation

suppliant

asking humbly and earnestly

talisman

an object that serves as a charm

undulate

to move in waves or with a wavelike motion