PSAT Vocab Lessons 1-4

altruistic

unselfishly concerned for the welfare of others, generous

ambivalent

having contrary feelings or attitudes, uncertain as to course of action

angular

lean; sharp-cornered; gaunt

arrogant

overbearingly assuming; insolently proud

aversion

strong disinclination, disliking

discern

to differentiate between two or more things

disdain

intense dislike; to treat with scorn or contempt

disparage

to degrade; to speak of someone or something ins a derogatory manner

disparity

inequality, condition or fact of being unequal in age, rank, or degree

embellish

to decorate; to make beautiful with ornamentaton

engender

to cause, to produce, to create

innocuous

harmless, producing no injury

insipid

boring and stupid

lament

to mourn ro to express sorrow in a demonstrative manner

laud

to praise, to extol

obscure

difficult to see, vague

ostentatious

showy, pretentious

prodigal

wasteful, a person given to extravagance

repudiate

to reject, to disown, to disavow

reticence

restraint in speech, reluctance to speak

revere

to honor, to regard with respect

serene

calm, placid

subtle

delicate, elusive, not obvious

superfluous

beyond what is needed or required, an overflow

taciturn

quiet, not verbose

antithesis

a direct opposite, a contrast

ascend

to move upward, to rise from a lower station

austere

strict, stern; unadorned

autonomous

independent, self-contained

banal

common, ordinary, lacking freshness

benign

not causing harm, of gentle disposition

capricious

changing suddenly, fickle

dawdle

to waste time, to spend time idly

defamation

act of harming or ruining another's reputation

esoteric

understood only by a small group or a select few

exacerbate

to aggravate, to irritate, to vex

extol

to praise, glorify

fastidious

reflecting a meticulous or demanding attitude, critical to an extreme

furtive

secret in an underhanded way, stealthy

gregarious

sociable and outgoing

hypocrite

one who is insincere or deceitful

innate

existing from birth, inborn

lethargic

sluggish, languid

melancholy

depression of spirits

opaque

not allowing the passage of light, not transparent; hard to understand

prolific

abundantly fruitful, marked by great productivity

reprove

to scold or rebuke for a misdeed usually with kindly intent

symmetry

balanced proportions

tranquil

peaceful, calm

venerate

to honor, to revere

abstruse

difficult to understand, concealed

affable

friendly, courteous, amiable

audacity

excessive boldness, rashness, daring

contrite

extremely apologetic, remorseful, repentant

credulous

believing on slight evidence, gullible

depravity

moral corruption, a wicked or perverse act

deprecate

to disapprove regretfully, to belittle

didactic

instructive, designed to teach

dormant

inactive, sleeping

enigmatic

mysterious, inexplicable, puzzling

erudite

scholarly

exotic

foreign, unfamiliar

fuse

to mix, to join (usually by melting)

immutable

unchanging

incorrigible

incapable of being reformed or improved

loathe

to detest

mitigate

to cause to become less harsh or hostile; to make less severe

nullify

to cause not to be in effect, to negate

pacifistic

opposed to war or use of force

pretentious

making an extravagant outward show, self-important

prlogue

introductory remarks to a speech, play, or literary work

recant

to withdraw or to repudiate a statement or belief

servile

overly submissive

trepidation

fear, trembling, agitation

vilify

to malign, to defame, to utter abusive statements against

aesthetic

relating or pertaining to a sense of beauty or art

aloof

apart, indifferent

archaic

antiquated, old, out of use

assuage

to ease, to mitigate, to make less painful or burdensome, to calm

belie

to contradict, to give a false impression

contentious

quarrelsome, stirring controversy

daunt

to intimidate, to dismay

debilitate

to weaken, to enfeeble

discord

lack of agreement, tension, strife

dissemination

the act of spreading widely, scattering

dogmatic

strongly opinionated in an unwarranted manner, stubborn

duplicity

double-dealing, hypocrisy

egocentric

self-centered, selfish

euphemism

substitution of an inoffensive term for one that is offensive

gluttonous

greedy for food and drink

mundane

ordinary, commonplace

ominous

threatening

petulance

unreasonable touchiness or irritability

pompous

exaggerated show of dignity or self-importance

precocious

exceptionally early in development or occurrence

slothful

lazy, indolent

trivia

insignificant manners

verbose

wordy, very talkative

virulent

extremely poisonous, hateful

volatile

quickly changeable, easily vaporized