Vocabulary for the College Bound Student Chapter 3

alacrity

cheerful willingness; readiness; liveliness

aversion

strong dislike; repugnance; antipathy

involuntary

not done of one's own free will; automatic; unintentional; spontaneous

loath

unwilling; averse; disinclined; reluctant

loathe

have an intense aversion to; detest

volition

will

acclivity

upward slope

acme

highest point; pinnacle; summit

apogee

1.) farthest point from the earth in the orbit of a heavenly body 2.) highest point; culmination

climactic

arranged in order of increasing force and interest

consummate

perfect; superb; carried to the highest degree

eminence

high rank

eminent

standing out; notable; famous

ethereal

of the heavens; celestial; airy; delicate; intangible

exalt

1.) lift up with joy, pride, etc.; elate 2.) rise in rank, dignity, etc.; extol; glorify

precipice

very steep or overhanging place; cliff

precipitous

1.) steep as a very steep or overhanging place 2.) hasty; rash

preeminent

standing out above others; superior

sublimate

1.) redirect the energy of a person's bad impulses into socially and morally higher channels 2.) purify; refine

sublime

elevated; noble; exalted; uplifting

vertex

farthest point opposite the base, as in a triangle or pyramid; apex

zenith

1.) highest point; culmination; peak 2.) point in the heavens directly overhead

abject

deserving contempt; sunk to a low condition; wretched

abysmal

deep; profound; immeasurably great

abyss

bottomless depth; immeasurably great space

anticlimax

abrupt decline from the dignified or important to the trivial or ludicrous; comedown; bathos

chasm

deep breach; wide gap or rift

declivity

downward slope

dregs

most worthless part; sediment at the bottom of a liquid

earthy

down-to-earth; realistic; coarse; low

humble

1.) of low position or condition 2.) not proud; unpretentious; modest; courteously respectful

humiliate

lower the pride, position, or dignity of; abase; degrade; mortify

humility

freedom from pride; humbleness; lowliness; modesty

menial

low; mean; subservient; servile

nadir

lowest point

plumb

get to the bottom of; ascertain the depth of; fathom

profound

very deep; deeply felt; intellectually deep

ravine

deep, narrow gorge worn by running water

consanguinity

blood relationship

filial

of or like a son or daughter

fraternal

of or like a brother

genealogy

a person's or family's descent; linage; pedigree

gentility

1.) good manner 2.) gentry, upper class

kith and kin

friends and relatives; kindred

maternal

of or like a mother

nepotism

favoritism to relatives by those in power

paternal

of or like a father

progenitor

forefather

progeny

offspring; children; descendants

sibling

one of two or more children of a family

aroma

pleasant odor; bouquet

aromatic

sweet-scented; fragrant

fragrant

having a pleasant odor; pleasantly odorous or odoriferous

fusty

1.) stale-smelling; musty; moldy 2.) old-fashioned

incense

substance yielding a pleasant odor when burned

malodorous

ill-smelling; stinking; fetid; unpleasantly odorous

noisome

1.) offensive to smell; disgusting 2.) harmful; noxious

olfactory

pertaining to the sense of smell

pungent

sharp in smell or taste; acrid; biting; stimulating

putrid

1.) stinking from decay 2.) extremely bad; corrupt

rancid

unpleasant to smell or taste from being spoiled or stale

rank

1.) having a strong, bad odor or taste; offensively gross or coarse 2.) extreme

reek

emit a strong, disagreeable smell; be permeated with

scent (n.)

smell; perfume

scent (v.)

get a suspicion of

unsavory

1.) unpleasant to taste or smell 2.) morally offensive