GregMat (Vocab Mt.) - Group 30

aberrant

[adj.] deviating from what is normal or expected

synm: anomalous, deviant, peculiar

e.g. “aberrant behavior”

abide

[v.] to tolerate, follow or accept something

synm: adhere

e.g. “abide by the law”

I will abide by the rules of the game.

bravado

[n.] display of courage or confidence, often feigned

synm: bluster, machismo

e.g. She showed bravado when faced with the challenge, but inside she was nervous.

callow

[adj.] young and inexperienced; immature

synm: fledgling, naive

e.g. The callow intern made several mistakes on his first day.

capitulate

[v.] to surrender or give up resistance

synm: yield, relent, succumb

e.g. The enemy forces were forced to capitulate after a long and exhausting battle.

cogitate

[v.] to think deeply; ponder

synm: contemplate, mull over, ruminate

e.g. He cogitated on the implications of his actions.

deportment

[n.] the way a person behaves; manners

synm: conduct, demeanor, etiquette

e.g. "to have good/bad deportment"

His deportment at the formal event was impeccable.

extemporize

[v.] to speak or perform without preparation

synm: ad-lib, improvise, wing it

e.g. I'd lost my notes and had to extemporize.

factious

[adj.] likely to cause division or disagreement

synm: discordant, sectarian

e.g. The Lisbon Treaty was the result of long negotiations among the factious states of Europe.

fallow

1. [adj.] (of farmland) not cultivated;

synm: unplowed

e.g. The farmland lay fallow, awaiting next season's crops.

2. [adj.] (of a period of time) inactive

synm: dormant, quiescent, idle

e.g. Those were the fallow periods of my life when I accomplished very little.

feint

[n.] a deceptive movement or action

synm: trick, bluff, ruse

e.g. The player executed a perfect feint, deceiving the goalkeeper and placing the ball into the empty net.

flagrant

[adj.] noticeably offensive; blatant

synm: egregious, glaring, overt

e.g. The player was given a red card for his flagrant foul.

gratuitous

[adj.] unwarranted; without justification; unnecessary

synm: uncalled for, superfluous

e.g. The gratuitous addition of a romantic subplot seemed out of place in the horror film.

grovel

[v.] to act in an excessively humble or submissive manner; beg for favor

synm: beg, kowtow, fawn

e.g. She had to grovel to her boss to keep her job.

indecorous

[adj.] inappropriate; lacking manners or conduct

synm: unseemly, indelicate, unbecoming

e.g. “indecorous behavior”

It was indecorous to make such a joke at a funeral.

intrigue

1. [n.] a secret plans or schemes

synm: plot, collusion, conspiracy

e.g. The movie revolved around political intrigue and espionage.

2. [v.] arouses curiosity or interest

synm: fascinate, tempt

e.g. The mysterious painting intrigued him.

nominal

1. [adj.] just name sake

synm: symbolic, titular, token

e.g. He held the nominal position of president, but had no real power.

2. [adj.] insignificant; small in amount/value

synm: token, minimal, trifling

e.g. The damage to the car was nominal.

obdurate

[adj.] stubborn; unyielding

synm: obstinate, intransigent

e.g. Despite the pleas of his friends, he remained obdurate in his decision to leave.

obstreperous

[adj.] noisy, unruly, or hard to control

synm: boisterous, disruptive, rowdy

e.g. The obstreperous child disrupted the entire classroom.

odious

[adj.] highly offensive; repulsive

synm: detestable, abhorrent, repugnant, loathsome

e.g. The odious crime shocked the community.

plucky

[adj.] brave; showing courage or determination

synm: intrepid, valiant, spirited

e.g. The plucky underdog team defied the odds and won the championship.

precocious

[adj.] exceptionally early development or maturity

[Hint: Pre (before) + conscious (knowledge/intelligence)]

synm: gifted, prodigy, talented

e.g. The precocious child was already reading complex novels at the age of five.

remuneration

[n.] payment for work or services

synm: compensation, earnings, recompense

e.g. He received remuneration for his consulting services.

slovenly

1. [adj.] untidy, or dirty (especially in appearance)

synm: unkempt, messy, scruffy

e.g. "a slovenly appearance"

His slovenly attire was deemed inappropriate for the interview.

2. [adj.] careless

synm: negligent, lax, haphazard

e.g. The slovenly student turned in a paper full of errors.

soliloquy

[n.] speech you make to express yourself; speech delivered by a character in a play who is alone on stage, expressing inner thoughts

[HInt: Solo + speech - a speech made to oneself to express]

synm: monologue, oration

e.g. Hamlet's "To be or not to be" is a famous soliloquy.

spurn

[v.] reject with contempt

synm: scorn, rebuff, snub

e.g. She spurned his advances, making her feelings clear.

stolid

[adj.] not easily excited or disturbed; calm

synm: phlegmatic, impassive, apathetic

e.g.

temerity

[n.] reckless confident or bold

synm: audacity, effrontery, brazeness

e.g. He had the temerity to question the authority of the king.

tenuous

[adj.] thin or weak; uncertain

synm: fragile, shaky, dubious

e.g. The evidence against him was tenuous at best.

verve

[n.] energy, enthusiasm

synm: vitality, zest, elan

e.g. She danced with a verve that was contagious.