St Joseph By The Sea Vocabulary - Freshmen

abhor

(verb) detest; hate

abridge

(verb) to shorten; curtail; to use fewer words; condense

abscond

(verb) to depart secretly and hide yourself

accessory

(noun) accomplice; partner; attachment; additional object; a useful but non-essential thing

adherent

(noun) a follower; a believer or advocate of a particular thing

adjourn

(verb) to suspend a session (meeting) until a later time or place

admonish

(verb) to warn or disapprove of

adroit

(adjective) skillful; highly competent

alacrity

(noun) cheerful promptness; cheerful willingness; speed; eagerness

alien

(noun) strange; foreign; exotic

allusion

(noun) an indirect refrence

altercation

(noun) noisy or angry dispute; a quarrel

altruistic

(adjective) devoted to the interest of others; generous; benevolent

ambiguous

(adjective) unclear; doubtful in meaning; uncertain

ban

(verb) to forbid; outlaw

berate

(verb) to scold strongly

biased

(verb) prejudiced; inclined to one side of an issue

brazen

(adjective) bold; shameless; impudent

cacophonous

(adjective) loud; discordant; (describes a sound)

candid

(adjective) showing sincere honesty; frank; blunt

catalyst

(noun) a substance that initiates (begins) a chemical reaction

chide

(verb) to scold; reprove admonish

clemency

(noun) merciful leniency; mildness

coerce

(verb) to force by intimidation

console

(verb) to take away the grief; comfort

contrite

(adjective) penitent; deeply sorrowful repentant

conundrum

(noun) riddle; puzzle; dilemma (problem with no solution)

conventional

(adjective) typical; ordinary; customary; commonplace

credible

(adjective) capable of being believed: believable: plausible

cubicle

(noun) a small partitioned place

demure

(adjective) modest; reserved; serious or sober

deplete

(verb) to use up; exhaust; reduce

depreciation

(noun) lowering the price or value of; disparagement

despicable

(adjective) worthy of contempt or hatred

despot

(noun) a tyrannical ruler; tyrant; authoritarian leader

deteriorate

(verb) to make inferior in quality or value; impair; to grow worse; degenerate

diatribe

(noun) a bitter verbal attack; a bitter scolding; an invective; tirade; harangue

diffident

(adjective) shy; lacking confidence; timid

diminutive

(adjective) extremely small; tiny

divulge

(verb) to make known; reveal (as a secret)

dolt

(noun) stupid person; idiot; dull-witted person

duplicity

(noun) trickery

elicit

(verb) to draw out by discussion; provoke; to call forth

embroil

(verb) to be involved in a conflict or difficulties

enlightened

(adjective) to give knowledge; to instruct; to illuminate

euphony

(noun) a pleasant; harmonious sound (adjective- euphonious)

fallow

(adjective) uncultivated; unused

feign

(verb) to pretend; to invent falsely; to give a false impression

fodder

(noun) coarse food for cattle, horses, or sheep

fortify

(verb) to make strong; to give physical strength or endurance

garrulous

(adjective) talkative, loquacious ( see #64), verbose

ghastly

(adjective) resembling a ghost; terrifying to the senses; grisly; gruesome; lurid

hamper

(verb) to restrain; disrupt; shackle; fetter

humane

(adjective) merciful; kind

impediment

(noun) barrier; obstacle; speech disorder

impertinent

(adjective) rude; insolent

impoverished

(adjective) poor; depleted

incessant

(adjective) continuing; continual; constant

indigenous

(adjective) native; occurring naturally in an area

indolent

(adjective) lazy; idle

interim

(adjective) time intervening; interval

intricate

(adjective) complicated; complex; difficult to analyze; detailed

languid

(adjective) weak; sluggish; slow; listless

loquacious

(adjective) talkative; garrulous; verbose

maltreat

(verb) to treat cruelly or roughly; abuse

mire

(noun) heavy; often deep mud; slush or dirt

mirthful

(adjective) happy; laughing; light-hearted

mundane

(adjective) worldly; commonplace; ordinary; banal

nefarious

(adjective) vicious; evil; very wicked

pathos

(noun) sympathy; pity; compassion

pauper

(noun) a poor person; an indigent

penitent

(adjective) sorrowful; contrite; repentant; remorseful // (noun) a sorrowful; contrite person

perennial

(adjective) enduring; constant; persistent // (noun) a plant which comes back to life year after year

perfidious

(adjective) disloyal; basely false; faithless; untrustworthy

predispose

(verb) incline; make susceptible

proliferate

(verb) to grow rapidly

rancid

(adjective) having a sour or rank odor taste; spoiled; rotten

raucous

(adjective) noisy; harsh-sounding; boisterous

rectify

(verb) to correct; to remedy

rift

(noun) an opening; fissure; a space; breach; cleft; a break in a friendly relationship

sagacious

(adjective) wise; shrewd; keen; having insight

sedentary

(adjective) inactive; stationary; sluggish

servitude

(noun) slavery; bondage

slapdash

(adjective) sloppy; cursory; careless; slipshod; haphazard; done hastily

slothful

(adjective) lazy; inactive; sluggish

stagnant

(adjective) motionless; not flowing; dull; inactive

succinct

(adjective) terse; brief; concise

succumb

(verb) to yield to a superior force; to die; yield

taunt

(verb) to insult; to mock; ridicule

tenacious

(adjective) persistent; stubborn; holding fast to belief

thesis

(noun) hypothesis; theory

tremulous

(adjective) trembling; quivering; fearful; timid

urbane

(adjective) courteous; refined; suave; elegant

vagrant

(noun) wanderer; one who roves // (adjective) random; having no fixed course

vile

(adjective) morally base; wicked; foul; degrading; low; disgusting

vulnerable

(adjective) defenseless; unprotected; innocent; naive

warp

(verb) to twist out of shape; falsify; distort

wily

(adjective) crafty; sly; shrewd

winsome

(adjective) charming; happily engaging; agreeable; gracious

zenith

(noun) highest point; summit; peak; pinnacle