VOCAB FINAL

adroit (adj)

skillful ; clever

macroscopic (adj)

visible to the naked eye

fatuous (adj)

foolish; insane

bovine (adj)

pertaining to cows or cattle

ferret (v)

to search or drive out

affectation (n)

a phony attitude; pose

knell (n)

the sound of a bell

dichotomy (n)

a division into two parts

callow (adj)

young and inexperienced

laconic (adj)

using few words; short; concise

quiddity (n)

an essential quality

patent (adj)

evident or obvious

peccadilo (n)

a minor offense

sagacious (adj)

wise

rationalize (v)

to make an excuse for

deride (v)

to ridicule and mock

censure (v)

to criticize sharply

gambol (v)

to frolic; to be playful

immolate (v)

to kill someone as a sacrificial victim

recondite (adj)

difficult to understand; profound

martinet (n)

a strict disciplinary; taskmaster

quagmire (n)

a swamp; a difficult situation

give (v)

to scoff

agape (adj)

open mouthed and suprised

carcinogen (n)

causing cancer

olfactory (adj)

pertaining to smell

imperious (adj)

domineering

grotesque (adj)

absurd; distorted

neologism (n)

a new word or expression

hackneyed (adj)

commonplace; overused

antipathy (n)

an intense dislike

elucidate (v)

to make clear

imminent (adj)

likely to happen; threatening

banal (adj)

common, ordinary

obdurate (adj)

stubborn; heartfelt

peruse (v)

to read carefully; scrutinize

bedlam (n)

a noisy uproar; a scene of wild confusion

affluence (n)

wealth; richness

scurrilous (adj)

coarsly abusive; vulgar

parody (n)

intimidating in a ridiculous manner

sedulous (adj)

hard working; diligent

amoral (adj)

lacking a sense of right and wrong

eschew (v)

to keep away from; to avoid; to shun

denouement (n)

an outcome; result

impotent (adj)

powerless; lacking strength

antithesis (n)

an exact opposite; an opposite extreme

maelstrom (n)

whirlpool; turbulence; agitated state of mind

emendation (n)

a correction

chagrin (n)

embarrassment; a complete loss of courage

bauble (n)

a showy but useless thing

diaphanous (adj)

very sheer and light

labyrinth (n)

a complicated network of winding passages (A MAZE)

gloat (v)

to look or think about with great satisfaction

impediment (n)

a barrier; obstruction

nihilism (n)

a total rejection of established laws

bland (adj)

mild; tasteless and dull

bestial (adj)

savage; brutal

effete (adj)

worn out; barren

shard (n)

a fragment (sharp)

celibate (adj)

abstaining from intercourse; unmarried

fortuitous (adj)

happening by chance

syn: unintentional

ant: intentional

recapitulate (v)

to summarize/repeat briefly

perfunctory (adj)

done without care; in routine fashion

syn: off hand

ant: attentive

baroque (adj)

overly decorated

syn: ornate

ant: simple

hedonism (n)

in pursuit of pleasure

obloquy (n)

strong disapproval/bad reputation

syn: rebuke

ant: praise

debacle (n)

a complete failure

syn: catastrophe

ant: success

quasi- (adj)

resembling; seeming half

besmirch (v)

to stain/ make dirty

syn: smear

ant: cleanse

imperative (adj)

extremely necessary; vitally important

sacrosanct (adj)

extremely holy

syn: angelic

sadistic (adj)

pleasure from inflicting pain on others

syn: barbarous

ant: humane

demeanor (n)

manner of conducting oneself

syn: deportment

facetious (adj)

comical

syn: joking

ant: serious

fop (n)

an excessively fashion-conscious man

imprecation (n)

a curse

non sequitur (n)

something that does not logically follow

sanguine (adj)

cheerful; optimistic

bowdlerize (v)

to remove offensive passages of a play, novel, etc.

Impair (v)

to weaken; to cause to become worse

panegyric (n)

an expression of praise

quandary (n)

a puzzling situation; a dilemma

ebullient (adj)

enthusiastic

deference (n)

respect; consideration

carnal (adj)

relating to physical appetite, especially sexual

nebulous (adj)

hazy; vague; uncertain

rakish (adj)

dashingly stylish and confident

elegy (n)

a sad or mourning person

pedantic (adj)

tending to show off one’s learning