Vocabulary Units 1-6 MIDTERM REVIEW

belabor

(v.) to work on excessively; to thrash soundly

carping

(adj.) tending to find fault, especially in petty, nasty, or hairsplitting; (n.) petty, nagging criticism

coherent

(adj.) holding or sticking together; making a logical whole; comprehensible, meaningful

emulate

(v.) to imitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model

eschew

(v.) to avoid, shun, keep away from

germane

(adj.) relevant, appropriate, apropos, fitting

insatiable

(adj.) so great or demanding as not to be satisfied

intransigent

(adj.) refusing to compromise, irreconcilable

largesse

(n.) generosity in giving; lavish or bountiful contributions

reconnaissance

(n.) a survey made for military purposes; any kind of preliminary inspection or examination

substantiate

(v.) to establish by evidence, prove; to give concrete or substantial form to

taciturn

(adj.) habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little

tenable

(adj.) capable of being held or defended

Accost

(v.) to approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging or aggressive way

Avid

(adj.) desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager

Brackish

(adj.) having a salty tast and unpleasant to drink

Celerity

(n.) swiftness, rapidity of motion or action

Gambit

(n.) in chess, an opening move that involves risk or sacrifice of a minor piece in order to gain a later advantage; any opening move of this type

Histrionic

(adj.) pertaining to actors and their techniques, theatrical, artificial; melodramatic

Maelstrom

(n.) a whirlpool of great size and violence; a situation resembling a whirlpool in violence and destruction

Myopic

(adj.) nearsighted, lacking a broad, realistic view of a situation, lacking foresight or discernment

Propriety

(n.) state of being proper, appropriateness; (pl.) standards of what is proper or socially acceptable

Sacrilege

(n.) improper or disrespectful treatment of something held sacred

Suppliant

(adj.) asking humbly and earnestly; (n.) one who makes a request humbly and earnestly, a petitioner, suitor

Talisman

(n.) an object that serves as a charm or is believed to confer magical powers, an amulet, fetish

Cavort

(v.) to romp or prance around exhuberantly; to make merry

Synonym: gambol

Credence

(n.) belief, mental acceptance

Synonyms: credit, trust, confidence

Antonyms:disbelief, skepticism, incredulity

Dissemble

(v.) to disguise or conceal, deliberately give a false impression

Synonyms: dissimulate, mask, feign

Distraught

(adj.) very much agitated or upset as a result of emotion or mental conflict

Synonyms: distracted

Antonyms: calm, collected

Eulogy

(n.) a formal statement of commendation; high praise

Synonyms: panegyric, encomium, tribute

Antonyms: philippic, invective

Evince

(v.) to display clearly, to make evident, to provoke

Synonyms: exhibit, manifest, occasion

Exhume

(v.) to remove from a grave; to bring to light

Synonyms: disinter, unearth, uncover

Antonyms: bury, inter

Feckless

(adj.) lacking in spirit and strength; ineffective, weak; irresponsible, unreliable

Synonyms: feeble, incompetent, ineffectual

Antonyms: competent, capable, effective

Nefarious

(adj.) wicked, depraved, devoid of moral standards

Synonyms: iniquitous, reprehensible

Antonyms: virtuous, honorable, praiseworthy, meritorious

Piquant

(adj.) stimulating to the taste or mind; spicy, pungent; appealingly provocative

Synonyms: zestful, tangy

Antonyms: bland, insipid, tasteless, mild

Unwonted

(adj.) not usual or expected; not in character

Synonyms: unusual, uncommon, unexpected, atypical

Antonyms: usual, customary, typical

Utopian

(adj.) founded upon or involving a visionary view of an ideal world; impractical

Synonyms: idealistic

Antonyms: realistic, pragmatic

Verbiage

(n.) language that is too wordy or inflated in proportion to the sense or content, wordiness; a manner of expression

Synonyms: prolixity, diction, jargon

Viscous

(adj.) having a gelatinous or gluey quality, lacking in easy movement or fluidity

Synonyms: sticky, thick

Antonyms: watery, aqueous

Atrophy

n. the wasting away of a body organ or tissue any progressive decline or failure; v. to waste away SYN: n. degeneration, deterioration; v. wither ANT: growth, development v. mature, develop

Concord

n. a state of agreement, harmony, unanimity; a treaty, pact, covenant ANT: disagreement, strife, discord

Disarray

n. disorder, confusion; v. to throw into disorder SYN: disorganization, dishevel, mess up ANT: organization, order, tidiness

Flotsam

n. floating debris, homeless, impoverished people SYN: floating wreckage

Frenetic

adj. frenzied, highly agitated SYN: frantic, overwrought ANT: calm, collected, relaxed, leisurely

incarcerate

v. to imprison, confine, jail SYN: intern, immure ANT: liberate, release, free

Jocular

adj. humorous, jesting, jolly, joking SYN: waggish, facetious, droll, witty ANT: humorless, solemn, grave earnest, grim

Ludicrous

adj, ridiculous, laughable, absurd SYN: risible, preposterous ANT: heartrending, poignant, pathetic

Mordant

adj, biting or caustic in thought, manner, or style; sharply or bitterly harsh SYN: acrimonious, acidulous, sardonic, scathing ANT: bland, mild, gentle, soothing

nettle

(n.) a prickly or stinging plant; (v.) to arouse displeasure, impatience, or anger; to vex or irritate severely Synonyms: (v.) peeve, annoy, incense, gall, irk Antonyms: (v.) please, delight, soothe, pacify

Recumbent

(adj.) in a reclining position, lying down, in a posture of one sleeping or resting Synonyms: prone, prostrate, supine, inactive Antonyms: erect, upright, energetic, dynamic

stratagem

(n.) a scheme to outwit or deceive an opponent or to gain an end Synonyms: ruse, trick, ploy, subterfuge

acuity

(n.) sharpness (particularly of mind or senses)

delineate

(v.) to portray, sketch, or describe in accurate and vivid detail, to represent pictorially

enervate

(v.) to weaken or lessen the mental, moral, or physical vigor of; enfeeble, hamstring

esoteric

(adj.) intended or understood by only a select few, private, secret

fecund

(adj.) fruitful in offspring or vegitation; intellectually productive

garner

(v.) to aquire as the result of effort; to gather and store away as for further use

hallow

(v.) to set apart as holy or sacred, sanctify, consecrate; to honor greatly, revere

idiosyncrasy

(n.) a peculiarity that serves to distinguish or identify

nuance

(n.) a subtle or slight variation (as in color, meaning, quality), delicate gradation or shade of difference

reputed

(adj.) according to reputation or general belief; having widespread acceptance or good reputation; (part.) alleged

sophistry

(n.) reasoning that sounds plausible but is actually unsound; a fallacy