Week 1 Vocab

Abeyance

A temporary state of suspension or inactivity.

Abrogate

To formally abolish a law, agreement, or responsibility.

Adroit

Clever, skilful, and quick in handling situations.

Anachronistic

Belonging to a different historical period.

Anathema

Something intensely disliked or rejected.

Apocryphal

Of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as true.

Apotheosis

The highest point of development or perfection.

Assuage

To make an unpleasant feeling less intense.

Austere

Severe, restrained, or lacking luxury.

Calumny

A false and malicious statement intended to damage someone's reputation.

Chicanery

Deception or trickery used to achieve an objective.

Cogent

Clear, logical, and convincing.

Commensurate

Corresponding in size, degree, or proportion.

Compunction

A feeling of guilt or moral unease.

Cupidity

Excessive greed, especially for wealth.

Debacle

A sudden and humiliating failure.

Demur

To express hesitation or objection.

Diffident

Lacking confidence in oneself.

Dilatory

Slow to act or deliberately delaying something.

Disabuse

To correct someone's mistaken belief.

Encomium

A speech or piece of writing expressing high praise.

Equanimity

Mental calmness, especially under pressure.

Exculpate

To clear someone from blame or wrongdoing.

Execrable

Extremely bad or detestable.

Expedient

Convenient or practical, sometimes at the expense of principle.

Extemporaneous

Spoken or performed without advance preparation.

Fatuous

Foolish or pointless in a self-satisfied way.

Fecund

Highly productive, fertile, or intellectually fruitful.

Germane

Directly relevant to the matter being discussed.

Hegemony

Dominance or leadership by one group or state.

Imbroglio

A complicated and confusing situation.

Impecunious

Having little or no money.

Inchoate

Not yet fully developed or clearly formed.

Indefatigable

Persisting tirelessly despite difficulty.

Inveterate

Long-established and unlikely to change.

Lachrymose

Tearful or inclined to sadness.

Munificent

Exceptionally generous.

Nugatory

Having little or no value or effect.

Onerous

Involving a burdensome amount of effort or responsibility.

Parsimonious

Unwilling to spend or give more than necessary.

Perfidious

Treacherous or deliberately disloyal.

Perspicuity

The quality of being clear and easy to understand.

Pertinacious

Holding firmly to an opinion or course of action.

Pusillanimous

Lacking courage or determination.

Reprobate

An unprincipled or morally disapproved person.

Sardonic

Grimly mocking or scornfully humorous.

Soporific

Causing sleepiness or boredom.

Stentorian

Extremely loud and powerful in sound.

Temerity

Excessive boldness or recklessness.

Vituperative

Characterized by bitter, abusive criticism.

Alleviate

To make something less severe or difficult.

Assertive

Confidently expressing your opinions or needs.

Benevolent

Kind and willing to help others.

Circumvent

To avoid a rule, obstacle, or problem, often indirectly.

Conventional

Based on traditional or commonly accepted ideas.

Detrimental

Causing harm or damage.

Discerning

Good at noticing and understanding subtle differences.

Exemplify

To be a clear or typical example of something.

Intriguing

Very interesting because it is unusual or mysterious.

Mitigate

To reduce the harmful effects or seriousness of something.

Astute

Very perceptive and good at understanding situations.

Candid

Honest and direct, especially about something difficult.

Condescending

Behaving as though you are superior to others.

Diligent

Consistently hardworking and careful.

Discrepancy

A difference between two things that should match.

Eloquent

Able to express ideas clearly and effectively.

Empirical

Based on observation or evidence rather than theory.

Exacerbate

To make a problem or situation worse.

Feasible

Possible and practical to accomplish.

Impartial

Fair and not favoring one side.

Inadvertent

Unintentional; done without meaning to.

Inherent

Naturally existing as a basic part of something.

Lucid

Clear and easy to understand.

Perpetual

Continuing indefinitely or seemingly without stopping.

Pragmatic

Focused on practical solutions rather than ideals.

Profound

Very deep, significant, or meaningful.

Scrupulous

Extremely careful about doing what is right or accurate.

Superficial

Concerned only with the surface rather than deeper aspects.

Tentative

Not certain or definite; subject to change.

Versimilitudinous

Appearing believable or realistic.

Ambiguous

Having more than one possible meaning.

Arbitrary

Based on personal choice rather than a clear reason.

Coherent

Logical and easy to understand.

Compelling

Very convincing or interesting.

Conspicuous

Easy to notice.

Deteriorate

To become worse.

Elaborate

Detailed and carefully developed.

Inevitable

Certain to happen.

Intricate

Very detailed or complicated.

Meticulous

Extremely careful and precise.

Nuanced

Showing subtle differences or complexities.

Plausible

Seeming reasonable or believable.

Predominant

More common or important than others.

Reluctant

Unwilling or hesitant.

Resilient

Able to recover from difficulties.

Scrutinize

To examine something very carefully.

Substantial

Large or important in amount or degree.

Undermine

To weaken something gradually.

Versatile

Able to be used or adapted in many ways.

Vindicate

To prove that someone was right or not guilty.