Semester 1 Vocab

abate (v)

to lessen

amiable (adj.)

friendly

bolster (v)

to support

circuitous (adj.)

indirect

delineate (v)

to list or explain

dispassionate (adj)

unemotional

ephemeral (adj)

short lived

extol (v)

to praise

furtive (adj)

sneaky

hubris (n)

pride, arrogance

indignant (adj)

angered (by injustice)

insipid (adj)

dull, boring

lithe (adj)

graceful, flexible

modicum (n)

small amount

perfunctory (adj)

done routinely with little interest or care

prevaricate (v)

to lie

recalcitrant (adj)

stubborn

scintillating (adj)

lively

strident (adj)

loud and harsh

trepidation (n)

apprehension, fear

abhor (v)

to hate

arcane (adj)

known by only a few

boorish (adj)

crude, rudimentary

clandestine (adj)

secretive

denigrate (v)

to belittle

divergent (adj)

different, conflicting

enumerate (v)

to list

fallacy (n)

false belief

futile (adj)

pointless

idyllic (adj)

tranquil, peaceful (in nature)

indolent (adj)

lazy

insolent (adj)

disrespectful

lurid (adj)

sensational, shocking

morose (adj)

depressed, sad

paucity (adj)

scarcity

prodigious (adj)

impressive in size

recant (v)

to go back on one’s word or belief

scrupulous (adj)

very careful and precise

stupefy (v)

to bewilder

ubiquitous (adj)

ever-present, pervasive

accost (v)

to confront

assuage (v)

to relieve or appease

cacophony (adj)

discordant sound

coalesce (v)

to bend, to fuse

depravity (n)

moral corruption

duplicity (n)

deliberately deceptive

equivocal (adj)

ambiguous

fastidious (adj)

close attention to detail

gallant (adj)

courageous

illicit (adj)

illegal

indomitable (adj)

too strong to be defeated

intrepid (adj)

courageous

magnanimous (adj)

generous

nebulous (adj)

vague

petulant (adj)

irritable

proliferate (v)

to grow, increasing rapidly

rectify (v)

to make right

serendipity (n)

luck

superfluous (adj)

more than necessary, over the top

vapid (adj)

dull, boring

acrimony (n)

bitter, animosity

assail (v)

to belittle or attack

cajole (v)

to coax or persuade

confluence (n)

a place where things merge or flow together

deride (v)

to make fun of

egalitarian (adj)

the belief in equality

erroneous (adj)

wrong, false, incorrect

esoteric (adj)

only understood by a few

felicitous (adj)

well suited, happy

garish (adj)

tastelessly showy

impasse (n)

obstacle

ineffable (adj)

impossible to express in words

invoke (v)

to call forth

mar (v)

to scar

nefarious (adj)

evil

piety (n)

religious devotion

propensity (n)

inclination, tendency

relegate (v)

to demote

servile (adj)

subservient, submissive

verbose (adj)

wordy, long-winded