UNITS 1-4 VOCAB

aggrandize

to make great or greater in power, wealth, rank, or honor

circumspect

cautious and considerate of all possible consequences

credulous

willing to believe or trust too readily (gullible)

dichotomy

division into two usually contradictory parts or groups; a sharp contrast between two things

exculpate

to free from blame or guilt; to vindicate

iconoclast

one who destroys sacred religious images; one who attacks or goes against tradition (think of a trendsetter)

mitigate

to make less severe

obtuse

not quick or alert in perception, feeling, or intellect; dull

ostentatious

intended to attract notice and impress others

perfunctory

done routinely with little interest or care

proscribe

to ban or forbid; to prohibit

reprobate

a depraved or evil person

stolid

not easily excited or upset; showing little or no emotion

arbitrary

subject to individual will or judgment without restriction

bombastic

pretentious or overly stylish when speaking or writing

censorious

demanding and hard to please; fastidious

diatribe

a sharply abusive and thunderous verbal attack

erudite

characterized by great knowledge; scholarly

esoteric

intended for (or likely to be understood) by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest; obscure

impetuous

characterized by sudden and forceful energy or emotion; passionately impulsive

irascible

easily angered and irritable

magnanimous

noble and generous in spirit

obsequious

obedient and submissive in an excessive, flattering way (teacher pet)

reticent

reserved and quiet; not readily sharing thoughts or feelings (taciturn)

vacillate

to sway or waver in opinion; to be indecisive

volition

the act or an instance of making a conscious choice or decision

zealot

an excessively fanatical/overly passionate person

abscond

to depart in a sudden and secret manner, especially to avoid capture

altruist

a person unselfishly concerned for or devoted to the welfare of others

banal

predictable and lacking originality

cogent

powerfully convincing or persuasive

didactic

instructive or inclined to teach or lecture

egregious

obviously or glaringly bad or wrong

fastidious

very harsh or demanding; hard to please

futile

ineffective or useless

incongruous

lacking in harmony; incompatible, not matching

levity

the treatment of a serious matter/issue with humor or silliness instead of the appropriate respect; lack of appropriate seriousness

pertinacious

being firm, determined, or stubborn when it comes to an opinion or purpose

querulous

full of complaints; whiny

revile

to speak in an abusive way towards someone

surreptitious

secretive or acting in a stealthy manner

torpor

mental or physical inactivity or sluggishness

abridge

to shorten or condense

benevolent

intending or showing kindness and generosity

choleric

easily angered; irritable

conflagration

a large, destructive fire

despotic

characteristic of an absolute ruler; tyrannical

exacerbate

to intensify or increase the severity of something

extraneous

not pertinent; irrelevant

insipid

uninteresting or bland

onerous

troublesome or burdensome; causing hardship

paragon

a pattern or model of excellence

provincial

having or showing manners or viewpoints that are unsophisticated or narrow

repudiate

to reject as untrue or unjust; to refuse to have anything to do with

superfluous

more than what is needed or required; excessive

taciturn

reserved or silent in expression and manner

voracious

having an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit