Unit 3 - Improving Vocabulary Skills - Ch. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17

Squander

v to waste; spend foolishly

Curtail

v to cut short or reduce

Incentive

n something that moves one to take action or work harder; a motivation

Digress

v to turn aside, or stray, especially from the main topic, in speaking or writing

Rigor

Great hardship or difficulty; harshness; severity

Devastate

v to upset deeply; overwhelm

Succumb

v to give in; stop resisting

Indispensable

a necessary

Incorporate

v to unite into a single whole; combine

Intermittent

a starting and stopping from time to time; off-and-on

Covert

a secret; hidden

cynic

n someone who believes the worst of people’s behavior and motives; someone who believes people are motivated only by selfishness

intrinsic

a belonging to a person or thing by it’s very nature (and thus not dependant on circumstances); built in

infamous

a having a very bad reputation; widely known for being vicious, criminal or deserving of contempt

benefactor

n a person or organization that gives help, especially financial aid

Virile

a manly; masculin

Demise

n death

Speculate

v to come up with ideas or theories about a subject; theorize

Alleviate

v to relieve; make easier to endure

Revulsion

n great disgust or distaste

aspire

v to strongly desire; to be ambitious (to do something or to get something)

Lucrative

a profitable; well-paying

Deficit

n a shortage; a lack (in amount)

Abstain

v to hold oneself back from something; refrain

Benevolent

a Showing kindness; charitable

Agnostic

n a person who believes we can not know whether or not there is a God

Mandatory

a required

Diversion

n an amusement or pastime; anything that relaxes or amuses

Affiliate

v to associate; join

Dissent

n disagreement

Conversely

adv in an opposite manner; in an altogether different way

Charisma

n the quality of a leader in which captures great popular devotion; personal magnetism; charm

Quest

n a search; pursuit

Prevalent

a widespread; common

Contend

v to state to be so; claim; affirm

Contemporary

a modern; up-to-date

Proponent

n someone who supports a cause

Poignant

a emotionally moving; touching

Traumatic

a causing painful emotions, with possible long-lasting psychological effects

Extrovert

n an outgoing, sociable person

Perception

n insight or understanding gained through observation; impression

Prone

having a tendency; inclined (to do something)

Relentless

a persistent; continuous

Rationale

n the underlying reasons for something; logical basis

Flippant

a disrespectful and not serious enough

Congenial

a agreeable or pleasant in character; friendly; sociable

Prompt

v to urge into action; motivate

Reprisal

n the paying back of one injury or bad deed with another

Impasse

n a situation with no way out; dead end

Rapport

n relationship, especially one that is close, trusting, or sympathetic