ERWC 12 Baker 6th period vocab

aberration

deviating from the usual course

atavistic

tending to revert to a more primitive type

cajole

to persuade by pleasant words

hedonist

one who lives solely for pleasure

introversion

directing thoughts inward

irrefutable

cannot be disproved

loquacious

talkative

moribund

near death

presentiment

a feeling that something will happen

presumptuous

arrogant; pushy

raze

to destroy

rubble

broken pieces of rock

salutary

healthful

specious

seemingly fair but actually not

unequivocal

very clear in meaning

abstinence

giving up pleasures

abstract

theoretical, not applied to practical

belittle

make something seem less important

embellish

to elaborate upon

extirpate

to exterminate

immutable

never changing

inviolate

intact, not violated

latent

lying hidden and undeveloped

opulent

wealth

inordinate

exceeding reasonable limits

pseudo

false

psychotic

one afflicted with a mental disorder

stilted

stiffly formal

tenet

belief held as a truth by a group

vituperative

harshly abusive

augment

to increase

callous

unfeeling

cryptic

secret

factious

uncontrollable

frugal

thrifty

pediatrician

a doctor who specializes in treating children

peonage

slavery

phlegmatic

sluggish, unemotional

ponderous

very heavy, dull or tiresome

pungent

sharp sensation

serene

tranquil

succinct

consise, brief

synthesis

a combining of elements into a whole

validate

to verify

veracity

conforming to the truth

apocryphal

counterfeit

capitulate

surrender

derogatory

degrading

embroil

to involve in a quarrel

forlorn

left alone; unhappy

galvanize

arouse suddenly

nomenclature

a systematic naming

philander

to engage in love affairs casually

pragmatic

concerned with actual practice rather than with theory

retribution

payback

sanguine

warm; cheerful

sardonic

mocking

saturnalia

unrestrained celebration

temporize

to stall

vicarious

experienced through sympathetic participation in the experience of another

acclaim

approval

admonish

to warn

anthropoid

resembling humans

bizarre

odd; grotesque

carping

complaining

emulate

to imitate

hierarchy

organization by rank

judicious

wise; showing sound judgment

plebeian

vulgar

polygot

(adj) speaking many languages, (n) mixture of languages

precocious

having or showing much more ability or knowledge than is usual at such a young age

repugnant

disgusting

tenuous

flimsy, weak

thwart

to block

verbatim

word for word

alleviate

to relieve

catalyst

something that brings about a change

dismantle

to take apart

impassive

without feeling

nonchalance

lack of interest

pariah

an outcast

ribald

low, vulgar humor

schizophrenia

withdrawal from reality

sedate

(adj) composed, collected

sedulous

painstaking

spurious

counterfeit; false

susceptible

capable of being acted upon

therapeutic

having healing powers

tirade

a long, angry speech

ungainly

clumsy, awkward

affinity

liking for a thing

animosity

active dislike

palpable

capable of being touched

catharsis

an emotional purification of relief

desecrate

to treat with disrespect

dormant

latent but capable of being activated

fitful

irregular

homogeneous

similar; uniform in nature

hypochondria

a neurotic conviction that one is ill or about to become

ill when illness is neither actually present nor likely