Unit 5 Vocabulary Level G

acuity

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

2. Syn: acuteness

delineate

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

2. Syn: picture, render

depraved

1. (adj.) marked by evil and corruption, devoid of moral principles

2. Syn: perverted, degenerate, vicious, corrupt

enervate

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

2. Syn: impair, cripple, paralyze

esoteric

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

2. Syn: cryptic, arcane, recondite 

fecund

1. (adj.) fruitful in offspring or vegetation; intellectually productive

2.  Syn: fertile, teeming, prolific 

fiat

1. (n.) arbitrary order or decree; a command or act of will or consciousness 

2. Syn: dictum, ukase

figment

1. (n.) a fabrication of the mind; an arbitrary notion 

2. Syn: invention, fancy

garner

1. (v.) to acquire as the result of effort; to gather and store away, as for future use 

2. Syn: collect, accumulate, accrue

hallow

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

2. Syn: venerate, bless 

idiosyncrasy

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

2. Syn: quirk, mannerism

ignominy

1. (n.) shame and disgrace 

2. Syn: humiliation, disrepute, odium 

mundane

1. (adj.) earthly, worldly, relating to practical and material affairs; concerned with what is ordinary 

2. Syn: prosaic, humdrum, routine, sublunary

nuance

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

2. Syn: shade, nicety, refinement

overweening

1. (adj.) conceited, presumptuous; excessive, immoderate 

2. Syn: arrogant, unbridled, inflated

penchant

1. (n.) a strong attraction or inclination 

2. Syn: proclivity, predilection

reputed

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

2. Syn: putative, reputable

sophistry

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

2. Syn: specious reasoning

sumputous

1. (adj.) costly, rich, magnificent 

2. Syn: lavish, munificent, opulent, splendid 

ubiquitous

1. (adj.) present or existing everywhere 

2. Syn: pervasive, universal

Pre-

 before, ahead of time

-phon-

sound, voice

-pol-

 city, state

-pel-

drive

-puls-

drive

-pend-

hang, weight, set aside

-pon-

put, place

-pos-

put, place

-port-

carry