Elite Vocab 101-200

Reprehensible (adj)

Deserving to be severely criticized (Eg. Senator Thomas’s statement that the poor deserved to be poor was seen as reprehensible, and member of both political parties harshly condemned the senator’s insensitivity.)

Lethargic (adj)

Dull; sluggish; moving slowly (Eg. Every Monday morning the class is unusually lethargic, as most students have spent their weekends playing and have not gotten enough sleep.)

Pulpit (n)

A podium used for preaching (Eg. Pastor Rodriguez preferred not to speak from the pulpit, instead choosing to leave the podium to walk up to and even amount her congregation.)

Edible (adj)

Able to be eaten (Eg. Dorothy rummages through her cupboards, searching in vain for something edible)

Artifact (n)

An object produced by human work, esp. one of historical or archaeological interest (Eg. Some of the artifacts from the archaeological site ended up in private collections rather than museums, where these objects should have been displayed.)

Quiver (v)

To shake; to tremble from fear or cold (Eg. David quivered with fear, but the dentist was so gentle that he soon stopped shaking and, by the end of the appointment, even asked his father to make an appointment with her for the next week.)

Languish (v)

To lose strength or health; to remain neglected (Eg. To prevent students from languishing in the back of the classroom, the teacher has a new seating plan each day and calls on all of the students at least twice a week.)

Collaborate (v)

To work together, esp. at an intellectual effort (Eg. After discovering their common interests at a dinner party, the two scientists decided to collaborate on their next project.)

Utopia (n)

An ideally perfect place (Eg. The utopia in your proposal sounds undeniably attractive, but few believe we’ll ever attain it.)

Turbid (adj)

Cloudy, muddy; in a state of turmoil (Eg. The river, normally so clear you can see fish in it, became turbid during the storm, and the water became nearly opaque with mud and sediment.)

Altruistic (adj)

Unselfish; benevolent; caring more for others than oneself (Eg. Studies suggest that being altruistic actually help us, for when we give to others or help people in need, we experience a real sense of happiness.)

Delve into (v)

To look for; to search; to investigate (Reports illegal gambling was occurring inside the restaurant prompted police chief to announce that she would delve into the matter and make sure that such gambling was uncovered and stopped.)

Recede (v)

To go back; to withdraw (Eg. As the water from the flood receded, they left behind a trail of debris and mud that would take months to clean up)

Avocation (n)

A hobby (Eg. It’s been years since the last time he was able to sell a canvas, so he now refers to painting as his avocation and real estate as his profession)

Patron (n)

A sponsor; a supporter; a regular customer (Eg. J. Paul Getty was famous as a patron of the arts and donated a large portion of his fortune to museums)

Raiment (n)

Clothing (Eg. Once he sheds his policeman’s raiment, Al completely loses his air of authority.)

Bellow (v)

To yell very loudly; to shout (Eg. Mrs. Sampson bellowed from the kitchen for her kids to come in for lunch.)

Pervade (v)

To spread though or be present throughout (Eg. Before the important verdict was handed down, anxiety and tension pervaded the city.)

Penitent (adj)

Feeling regret (Eg. The Japanese legal system operated more leniently for those defendants who plead guilty and appear truly penitent.)

Exude (v)

To give off; to emit; to radiate (Eg. Vickie exuded a sense of confidence that was so compelling that she was given the job over several applicants who had superior qualification on paper.)

Conducive (adj)

Tending to bring about (Eg. Although violent protest may attract media attention, it is rarely conducive to a settlement, as the targets of the protest only tend to become more stubborn.)

Feral (adj)

Existing in a wild or untamed state (Eg. Organizations devoted to reducing the population of stray cats often traps feral cats, neuter them, and the release them so these wild cats can live out thier lived without adding to the population.)

Vindictive (adj)

Seeking revenge; marked by a desire to hurt (Eg. The war was caused not by a clash of ideals but by the king’s vindictive urge to punish his enemies.)

Immortal (adj)

Deathless (Eg. The book’s introduction points out that we call these ports immortal because we continue to read them.)

Conspicuous (adj)

Easy to notice; obvious; apparent (Eg. The boy was horrified to dins a huge zit conspicuous at the end of his nose on the day school pictures were to be taken.)

Deference (n)

Yielding an opinion, desire, or position to another out of respect (Eg. Though Nate thought his comments inoffensive, he changed them in deference to suggestions from his staffs that they might be perceived as insensitive.)

Salient (adj)

Important, prominent, most noticeable (Eg. The salient feature of Professor Edwards’s writings is the combination of his informal language and his key insights, for it is these two factors that one notices first.)

Unseemly (adj)

Not decent or proper (Eg. You managed to cover that sneeze in front of her parents quite effectively, although asking them afterward if you could borrow a “snot rag” was unseemly.)

Remorse (n)

Sadness or regret for what one has done (Eg. Whatever remorse he might have felt over the theft was short-lived; within a few hours he embarked on a cross-country larceny spree.)

Mercenary (adj)

Greedy; motivated by desire for money (Eg. The woman openly admitted her mercenary intentions, declaring that she would not marry anyone who had less than a million dollars.)

Fetid (adj)

Having a bad odor (Eg. Never one to engage in housekeeping, Ted became nonetheless alarmed when his refrigerators began to give off the fetid aroma of forgotten leftovers.)

Drab (adj)

Dull or dreary; monotonous (Eg. The first thing the Reyes family did after moving into their new house was to repaint the drab walls of their living room with bright, cheery colors)

Prodigal (adj)

Exceedingly or recklessly wasteful (Eg. Do not blame me if you die broke; I am the one who warned you not to be so prodigal. with your inheritance)

Patronize (v)

To sponsor or support; be kind or helpful in a snobbish way, as if dealing with an inferior (Eg. Marjorie prefers to patronize smaller businesses, even if she has to pay a bit more for giving them her business.)

Plausible (adj)

Appearing worthy of belief or trust (Eg. Robert wasn’t able to come up with a plausible excuse to explain why he had come home at two in the morning, so his parents grounded him.)

Allure (n)

The power to attract with something desirable (Eg. The allure of a chance to win great wealth often lead people to gamble recklessly at casinos.)

Lenient (adj)

Inclined not to be strict (Eg. The driver’s education teacher was unpopular because he refused to be lenient in grading those who knocked over the little lane markers.)

Pertinent (adj)

Relevant (Eg. You can claim you made a pertinent point, but the rest of us just saw it as a digression)

Serene (adj)

Calm and peaceful (Eg. The meadow was serene; butterflies fluttered about peacefully, and the flowers sayed calmly in the light breeze.)

Indubitable (adj)

Certain; indisputable; literally “not doubtable” (Eg. It is indubitable that we all will one day cease to be, but until that time comes, we can lead lives of great joy.)

Inaugurate (v)

To formally bring into office at the beginning of a term (Eg. After being elected, a new president must wait about two months to take office; we elect a president in November and inaugurate in January.)

Covert (adj)

Concealed or disguised; not openly practices (Eg. Although the U.S. government loudly objects whenever a foreign spy in discovered, we should remember that the CIA conducts its own covert operations in other countries as well.)

Solace (n)

Comfort in a time of distress (Eg. A true friend not only celebrates your victotries but also offers solace for all you failures.)

Insidious (adj)

Subtly harmful; stealthy, sneaky (Eg. Even the most transparent propaganda can have an insidious effect, as the constant repetition of falsehoods makes them seem less ridiculous.)

Atrophy (n)

A wasting away, esp. of body tissue (Eg. Nurses who care for long-term patients have to prevent atrophy of those muscles that are not regularly exercised.)

Altercation (n)

A heated or noisy argument (Eg. The debate between the two candidates was interrupted when an altercation broke out in the audience between partisans of both sides.)

Foment (v)

To stir up negative feelings, esp. those that lead to violent action (Eg. Despite attempts of activists to foment discontent among the workforce, most employees at the company were quite happy with their current situation.)

Purloin (v)

To steal, oft. in violation of a trust (Eg. During the party, someone purloined the silver bell that had been above the door, and the hosts mourned the loss of their stolen heirloom.)

Caesura (n)

A break or a pause (Eg. Robin Williams can make it through most of his monologues without stopping to take a breath, talking through even the natural caesura speakers usually have at then end of a sentence.)

Acquiesce (v)

To agree without protest (Eg. Shy and subservient, Henry acquiesces to all the demands that other people make of him.)

Conscientious (adj)

Showing care and precision (Eg. The store’s owners have been delighted with the new employee, praising his punctuality and his conscientious attention to each customer.)

Crass (adj)

Dull-witted; unrefined (Eg. At the art gallery’s black tie event, the artist stunned everyone by being crass, showing a complete lack of refinement and harsh indifference to everyone else’s sense of decency.)

Impart (v)

To give a portion of; to make known (Eg. Before his son got married, the proud father tried to impart some advice about how to live harmoniously with a wife.)

Spendthrift (n)

One who spends money wastefully (Eg. His parents gave Albert every material comfort but never taught him responsibility, so he became a spendthrift and wasted their entired fortune within a few years.)

Tabulate (v)

To count (Eg. The school election was marred by accusations that there were irregularities in how the results had been tabulated.)

Adroit (adj)

Naturally skillful, esp. dealing with difficult circumstances (Eg. He is an adroit negotiator, able to help partied who appear to have irreconcilable differences come to an agreement.)

Dextrous (adj)

Skillful with the hands or mind (The card player’s dextrous fingers allowed him to deal from the bottom of the deck without detection.)

Redolent (adj)

Aromatic; fragrant; suggestive (Eg. John loved baking mostly because of the aroma, so the kitchen was frequently redolent of baking cookies.)

Foreboding (n)

A sense of impending evil; esp. one without definite cause (Eg. The somber music heard at the opening of the film creates a sense of foreboding, but true disaster does not materialize until the conclusion.)

Denouement (n)

Conclusion; resolution; the falling action of a story after its climax (Eg. Some have criticized the denouement of the film, claiming that this conclusion does not represent the best possible ending for the two main characters.)

Subsidy (n)

Monetary assistance (Eg. The government refused to give the project any additional subsidy until the money already spend had been accounted for.)

Prevalent (adj)

Dominant; widespread (Eg. Having dedicated his life to social work, Father Murray is especially annoyed at the prevalent attitude that poor people are lazy.)

Incumbent (adj)

Necessary or obligatory; n. a person who currently hold a particular position (Eg. Since the police haven’t shown up to defend us, it’s incumbent on us to do what we can for ourselves.)

Mimic (v)

To copy closely, esp. with intent to ridicule (Eg. Jake stood at the front of the class and mimicked his teacher’s speech patterns, amusing the students but getting himself in trouble when the teacher came in and saw.)

Beacon (n)

A signaling light; a source of guidance or inspiration (Eg. Ravaged with hunger, we were relieved to see the restaurant’s neon sign rising before us, a welcome beacon in the night)

Supplant (v)

To take the place of (Eg. The word processor has largely supplanted the electric typewriter.)

Scythe (n)

A long-handled, bladed instrument used for harvesting crops (Eg. On his first day of work at the farm, Josh used his scythe with so much vigor his feet were iin constant peril.)

Shard (n)

A fragment of a brittle substance like glass or pottery; a small piece of something (Eg. Although her son had just smashed a valuable vase, the mother only sighed and swept up the shards.)

Wayward (adj)

Stubbornly going against what is expected or required in order to satisfy one’s own desires (Eg. Veronica’s successful bid for a seat in the local assemble cams as a surprise to those who remembered the lawless and wayward days of her youth.)

Effrontery (n)

Bold and insulting behavior (It was bad enough when the army division accidentally invaded the wrong country, but the commanding officer made it worse when he had the effrontery to say that he thought it was kind of fun.)

Vagary (n)

An erratic notion or action (Eg. I am used to some of your bizarre quirks, but this latest vagary has taken me completely off guard.)

Agile (adj)

Quick and easy in movement; mentally alert (Eg. Friends recall that he was a particular delight at parties where he proved to be an informed and agile conversationalist.)

Glut (n)

An oversupply (Eg. Wheat farmers always suffer when a glut of grain products on the market forces their prices lower.)

Cursory (adj)

Superficially done; performed rapidly (Eg. I have not checked your work thoroughly yet, but a cursory glance tells me you have the right idea.)

Spurn (v)

To push or drive away contemptuously with or as with the foot (Eg. The truly depressed person will usually spurn those trying hardest to help.)

Comply (v)

To yield or act in accordance with requests, conditions, etc. (Eg. If you want to earn your parents’ trust you must comply with their rules and come home each night before curfew.)

Peccadillo (n)

A minor sin (Eg. Some view a lie as a mere peccadillo, but others view lying as far from a minor sin and, indeed, a sign of a deep character flaw.)

Incendiary (adj)

Causing or capable of causing fire; stirring up trouble (Eg. The unrest and fighting at our high school is not likely to die down soon, given the incendiary nature of you last opinion column.)

Impunity (n)

Exemption from punishment or harm (Eg. Because of his wealth and power, the business executive believed that he could act with impunity, misappropriating the company’s funds without fear of punishment.)

Proficient (adj)

Very skillful, esp. through training (Eg. It takes a year or more to learn the basics of tapestry-weaving and even longer to become truly proficient.)

Preceded (v)

To go before (Eg. Small earthquakes known as foreshocks sometimes precede a major tremor.)

Benefactor (n)

One who help and supports others (Eg. The charity did receive a few small donations but relied primarily on a single benefactor, a millionaire who donated thousands of dollars to the charity.)

Flout (v)

To intentionally and obviously disobey (Eg. Recent highly publicized blunders have made a few countries think that it is okay to flout the demands of the United Nations Security Council.)

Erode (v)

To wear away slowly (Eg. The combination of heavy storm winds and high waves eroded much of the beach, washing away the sand.)

Spate (n)

A large number or amount of something esp. in a brief time (Eg. A spate of broken windows along the usually quiet street prompted the police to increase their patrols in an attempt to catch the vandals.)

Imbue (v)

To inspire; to permeate; to fill with a mood or tone (Eg. Sports drinks are specifically formulated to imbue the athlete with a renewed sense of vigor.)

Credulous (adj)

Tending to believe too easily (Eg. My uncle is too credulous to be entrusted with the management of his wife’s business; he’s fall for every con artist to come along.)

Bravura (n)

A showy display (Eg. Dan’s bravura had irritated people, but unlike many braggarts, he backs up his big words with real accomplishments.)

Omniscient (adj)

All-knowing (Eg. Children typically believed their patents are omniscient until the children prove otherwise to themselves by learning things their parents do not know.)

Untenable (adj)

Indefensible, or impossible to maintain (Eg. Only after the invention and refinement of the microscope was the idea of spontaneous generation rejected as untenable.)

Veneer (n)

An attractive, ultimately misleading outward show; thin layer (Eg. The diplomats exhibited a veneer of civility, but beneath this outward show, neither trusted the other.)

Legible (adj)

Capable of being read or deciphered (Eg. Nate’s handwriting is barely legible, so his family has asked him to send emails instead of letters so that they can read his thoughts.)

Recount (v)

To tell in detail (Much to her friends’ chagrin, Erendira recounted her excruciating experience in the dentist’s office for the third time that day, this time in even more detail.)

Prevaricate (v)

To speak or write evasively in order to avoid telling the truth (Eg. A master at prevarication, the politician often spoke in doublespeak, leading people to believe he had said something significant when all the while he was being evasive and hiding the truth.)

Sedentary (adj)

Sitting down most of the time (Eg. Health clubs can thrive only in those areas where most workers lead sedentary lives.)

Veracious (adj)

Honest; truthful (Eg. Sheila probably lies occasionally, but in my own dealing with her, she had never spoken a word which was not veracious.)

Venerate (v)

To look upon with respect and honor (Eg. Veteran’s Day is set aside each November as a time to venerate those who fought to defend our country in times of war.)

Raconteur (n)

One who tells stories with skill (Eg. Ronald Reagan was a brilliant raconteur who could always entertain his audiences, even when his stories were less than truthful.)

Leaning (n)

A preference or inclination (Eg. Adventurous all her life, Alice has a leaning towards exciting sports like parachuting.)

Premature (adj)

Happening, done, arriving or existing before the proper time (Eg. The warm February weather has led to premature blooming of the flowers around here.)