Honors English II - Vocab Unit 3

genial

(adj) warm and cheerful

gregarious

(adj) social and talkative

covertly

(adv) concealed, disguised, or secretly

avuncular

(adj) kind, patient, and generous

blithe

(adj) carefree; merry

aggregation

(n) a group of things

precipitate

(v) to quicken the occurrence of something

aversion

(n) a strong feeling of dislike

suffrage

(n) the right to vote

consternation

(n) a sudden feeling of anxiety

tumultuous

(adj) a great clatter

imperious

(adj) overbearing

dilapidated

(adj) a state of disrepair; fallen to decay

superfluous

(adj) excessive; unnecessary

evitable

(adj) avoidable

magnanimity

(n) generosity in forgiving

expedient

(adj) tending to promote

posterity

(n) future generations

alacrity

(n) cheerful, readiness, or liveliness

filigree

(n) ornamental work of fine metal; brass, silver

surmise

(v) to guess

finite

(adj) limited; having boundaries

abeyance

(n) temporary inactivity

dictum

(n) a statement declared in court; a judicial declaration

summarily

(adv) immediately

oscillation

(n) to swing back and forth

effaced

(v) to wipe out

ineffable

(adj) inexpressible

predilection

(n) a preexisting preference

ingratiating

(adj) charming

dissembling

(adj/noun- gerund) false appearance

calumny

(n) false statement meant to destroy a reputation

inculcation

(n) teaching by repetition

propitiation

(n) the act of appeasing

licentious

(adj) morally unrestrained

pallor

(n) extreme paleness in the face

ameliorate

(v) to make better

avidly

(adv) with great enthusiasm

base

(noun) a fundamental principle

deference

(noun) a gesture of respect

theology

(noun) the study of religion

quail

(verb) to draw back in fear

gingerly

(adverb) with great care

abomination

(noun) something that causes disgust or hatred

blasphemy

(noun) curse against god

imperceptible

(adj) unable to perceive

deferentially

(adv) respectfully

anonymity

(n) the act of remaining anonymous

contentious

(adj) argumentative

deposition

(noun) sworn testimony signed under oath

prodigious

(adj) extraordinary in size

effrontery

(n) shameless boldness

confounded

(adj) confused; bewildered

-ous

full of

-able

able to

-tion

process of

incredulously

(adv) skeptically

blanched

(v) to become pale or whiten by surprise or shock

agape

(adv) wide open

conciliatory

(adj) to appease or to calm

beguile

(v) to deceive; charm through trickery

floundering

(n) an awkward struggle

retaliation

(n) returning an attack

adamant

(adj) refusing to change one's mind; unyielding

cleave

(v) to cling to something