Vocabulary Workshop Level F Unit 1 and Unit 2

Approbation

(n) the expression of approval or favorable opinion, praise: official approval

S- commendation, sanction

A- disapproval, condemnation, censure

assuage

(V) to make easier or milder relieve; to quiet, calm; to put an end to, appease, satisfy, quench

S- mitigate, alleviate, slake, allay

A- intensify, aggravate, exacerbate

coalition

(n) a combination, union, or merger for some specific purpose

S- alliance, league, federation, combine

A- splinter group

decadence

(n) decline, decay, or deterioration; a condition or period of decline or decay; excessive self- indulgence

S- degeneration, corruption

A- rise, grow, development, maturation

elicit

(v) to draw forth, bring out from some source (such as another person)

s- call forth, evoke, extract, educe

a- repress, quash, squelch, stifle

expostulate

(v) to attempt to dissuade someone from some course or decision by earnest reasoning

S- protest, remonstrate, complain

hackneyed

(adj) used so often as to lack freshness or originality

s- banal, trite, commonplace, corny

a- new, fresh, novel, original

hiatus

(n) a gap, opening, break (in a sense of having an element missing)

s- pause, lacuna

A- continuity, continuation

innuendo

(n) a hint, indirect suggestion, or reference (often in a derogatory sense)

s- insinuation, intimation

a- direct statement

intercede

(v) to plead on behalf of someone else; to serve as a third party or go- between in a disagreement

S0 intervene, mediate

jaded

(adj) wearied, worn-out, dulled (in a sense of being satiated by excessive indulgence)

S- sated, surfeited, cloyed

A- unspoiled, uncloyed

lurid

(adj) causing shock, horror, or revulsion; sensational; pale or sallow in color; terrible or passionate in intensity or lack in restraint

S- gruesome, gory, grisly, baleful, ghastly

A- pleasant, attractive, appealing, wholesome

meritorious

(adj) worthy, deserving recognition and praise

S- praiseworthy, laudable, commendable

A- blameworthy, reprehensible, discreditable

petulant

(adj) peevish, annoyed by trifles, easily irritated and upset

S- irritable, testy, waspish

A- even-tempered, placid, serene, amiable

prerogative

(n) a special right or privilege; a special quality showing excellence

S- perquisite, perk

provincial

(adj) pertaining to an outlying area; local; narrow in mind or outlook, countrified in the sense of being limited and backward' of a simple, plain design that originated in the countryside; (n) a person with a narrow POV; a person from an outlying area; a soldier from a province or colony

S- narrow-minded, parochial, insular, naive

A- cosmopolitan, catholic, broadminded

simulate

(v) to make a pretense of, imitate; to show the outer signs of

S- feign, pretend, affect

transcend

(v) to rise above or beyond, exceed

s- surpass, outstrip

umbrage

(n) shade cast by trees; foliage giving shade, an overshadowing influence or power; offense, resentment; a vague suspicion

S- irritation, pique, annoyance

A- pleasure, delight, satisfaction

unctuous

(adj) excessively smooth or smug; trying too hard to give an impression of earnestness, sincerity, or piety; fatty, oily; pliable

s- mealymouthed, servile, fawning, greasy

a- gruff, blunt

ameliorate

(v) to impove, make better, correct a flaw or shortcoming

s- amend, better

a- worsen, aggravate, exacerbate

aplomb

(n) poise, assurance, great self-confidence, perpendicularity

s- composure, self- possession, levelheadedness

a- confusion, embarrassment, abashment

bombastic

(adj) pompous or overblown in language; full of high-sounding words intended to conceal a lack of ideas

s-- inflated, highfalutin, high-flown, pretentious

a- unadorned, simple, plain, austere

callow

(adj) without experiences; immature, not fully developed, lacking sophistication and poise; without feathers

s- green, raw, unfledged, inexperienced

a- mature, grown-up, polished, sophisticated

drivel

(n) saliva or mucus flowing from the nose or mouth; foolish, aimless talk or thinking; nonsense; (v) to let saliva flow from the mouth; to utter nonsense or childish twaddle; to waste or fritter away foolishly

S- (n) balderdash, hogwash, tommyrot; (v) slaver

epitome

(n) a summary, condensed account; an instance that represents the bigger picture

s- abstract, digest, model, archetype

exhort

(v) to urge strongly, advise earnestly

s- entreat, implore, adjure

a- discourage, advise against, deprecate

ex officio

(adj/adv) by virtue of holding a certain office

infringe

(v) to violate, trespass, go beyond recognized grounds

s- encroach, impinge, intrude, poach

a- stay in bounds

ingratiate

(v) to make oneself agreeable and thus gain favor or acceptance by others (sometimes critical or derogatory sense)

s- to cozy up to, curry favor with

a- alienate, humiliate oneself, mortify oneself

interloper

(n) one who moves in where he or she is not wanted or has no right to be, an intruder

s- trespasser, meddler, buttinsky

intrinsic

(adj) belonging to someone or something by its very nature, essential, inherent; originating in a bodily organ or part

s- immanent, organic

a- extrinsic, external, outward

inveigh

(v) to make a violent attack in words, express strong disapproval

s- rail, harangue, fulminate, remonstrate

a- acclaim, glorify, extol

lassitude

(n) weariness of body or mind; lack of energy

s- fatigue, lethargy, torpor, languor

a- energy, vitality, animation, liveliness

millennium

(n) a period of one thousand years; a period of great joy

s- chiliad, golden age, prosperity, peace

a- doomsday, day of judgement

occult

(adj) mysterious, magical, supernatural; secret, hidden from view; not detectable by ordinary means; (v) to hide, conceal' eclipse; (n) matters involving the supernatural

s- (adj) supernatural, esoteric, abstruse, arcane

a- (adj) mudane, common, public, exoteric

permeate

(v) to spread through, penetrate, soak through

precipitate

precipitate

(v) to fall as moisture; to cause to bring about suddenly; to hurl down from a great height; to give distinct form to; (adj) characterized by excessive hast; (n) moisture; the product of an action or process

s- (v) provoke, produce; (adj) reckless, impetuous

a- (adj) wary, cautious, circumspect

stringent

(adj) strict, severe; rigorously or urgently binding or compelling; sharp or bitter to the tase

s- stern, rigorous, tough, urgent, imperative

a- lenient, mild, lax, permissive

surmise

(v) to think or believe without certain supporting evidence; to conjecture or guess; (n) likely idea that lacks definite proof

s- (v) infer, gather; (n) inference, presumption