Improving Vocabulary Skills, Unit 3

Curtail

(v.) to shorten; to cut short or reduce

Devastate

(v.) to upset deeply; overwhelm

digress

(v.) to go off-topic when speaking or writing; to turn aside or stray from the main subject

incentive

(n.) encouragement; a motivation

incorporate

(v.) to join together; to unite into a single whole; combine

indispensable

(adj.) absolutely necessary; needed

intermittent

(adj.) irregular; starting and stopping from time to time;
off-and-on

rigor

(n.) a hardship; difficulty; harshness; severity

squander

(v.) to spend foolishly; to waste; to misuse

succumb

(v.) to give way to superior force; to yield; to give in; to stop resisting

alleviate

(v.) to relieve; make more bearable

benefactor

(n.) a financial supporter; a person or organization that gives help, especially financial help

covert

(adj.) concealed; secret; hidden

cynic

(n.) someone who believes the worst of people's behavior and motives

demise

(n.) dying; death

infamous

(adj.) known unfavorably; having a bad reputation

intrinsic

(adj.) fundamental; built-in

revulsion

(n.) hatred; great disgust

speculate

(v.) to guess; theorize; to come up with ideas or theories about a subject

virile

(adj.) having attractive male qualities; manly; masculine

abstain

(v.) hold back; refrain; decline to vote; deny oneself

affiliate

(v.) to join; to become closely connected or associated

agnostic

(n.) A person who believes we cannot know whether or not there is a God; doubtful; noncommittal

aspire

(v.) to wish; to have ambitious hopes or plans; to strongly desire

benevolent

(adj.) showing kindness; charitable

deficit

(n.) a shortage; a lack (in amount)

dissent

(n.) opposition; disagreement

diversion

(n.) an amusement or pastime; anything that relaxes or amuses; a way to relax; an amusing distraction

lucrative

(adj.) profitable; moneymaking; financially rewarding; well-paying

mandatory

(adj.) required; essential

charisma

(n.) personal appeal or attraction; charm

contemporary

(adj.) belonging to the same period of time as oneself; modern; up-to-date

contend

(v.) to declare; claim; affirm; to state to be so

conversely

(adv.) in contrast; in an opposite manner

extrovert

(n.) a sociable person; an outgoing person

poignant

(adj.) deeply affecting; touching; emotionally moving

prevalent

(adj.) found frequently; widespread; common

proponent

(n.) a supporter; someone who supports a cause

quest

(n.) a hunt; a search; pursuit

traumatic

(adj.) extremely upsetting

congenial

(adj.) friendly; sociable; pleasant in character

flippant

(adj.) not serious enough; disrespectful; rude

impasse

(n.) dead end; a deadlock; a problem without a solution; a situation with no way out

perception

(n.) impression; a view; insight or understanding gained through observation

prompt

(v.) to encourage; motivate; to urge into action

prone

(adj.) tending; having a tendency; inclined

rapport

(n.) relationship; a personal connection

rationale

(n.) an explanation; logical basis; underlying reasons for something

relentless

(adj.) nonstop; continuous; persistant

reprisal

(n.) revenge; a paying back of one injury or bad deed with another

cor, cour

heart

di-, du-

two; double

-dom

state of being; condition

-fy

cause to become; make

il-, im-

not

-ish

characteristic of; like; resembling

magni-, magn-

large; great

phob

fear

pro-

forward; forth

psych-, psycho-

mind; mental process