ALL vocabulary definitions // english 10

goes up to ch. 10

herculean

herculean

tremendous in size, strength, difficulty, or effort

bowdlerize

remove or change parts considered vulgar or immoral

pandemonium

utter confusion or wild uproar

pander

play up to another's desires and weaknesses

quixotic

idealistic but not practical

cynical

doubting the goodness and sincerity of human motives

stoical

indifferent to pain and pleasure

stigma

mark of disgrace

impede

hinder, obstruct, slow down the process of

expedite

speed up; hasten or help the accomplishment of

tantalize

arouse hopes that will be frustrated

labyrinth

complex, intricate network of passages; complicated situation; maze

machiavellian

unprincipled and crafty

laconic

brief, concise

maudlin

excessively sentimental

galvanize

startle, excite, shock, electrify

lethargic

lazy, sluggish, lacking energy

ostracize

exclude from society, refuse to associate with, banish

gregarious

liking the company of others; sociable

egregious

outstandingly bad

mesmerize

hypnotize, fascinate

martial

warlike, military, pertaining to the armed forces

erotic

pertaining to or arousing sexual love and desire

cupidity

greed

philistine

an uncultured, materialistic person who is indifferent or hostile to artistic and intellectual activities

catholic

broad-minded, universal

jeopardize

put it danger

precarious

unsafe, risky, insecure

foible

minor or amusing fault or weakness

forte

strong point

odyssey

long, adventurous journey

protean

readily changing form or character

fiasco

complete or ridiculous failure

idiosyncrasy

personal peculiarity

quintessence

most essential part or quality; perfect example

rankle

cause bitterness, hatred, resentment

decimate

destroy or kill a large part of

narcissism

extreme self-love or self-admiration

incumbent

holder of an office or position

succumb

give in, give up, yield; die

amazon

large, strong, aggressive woman

iconoclast

attacker of traditional or cherished beliefs, institutions, ideas

sardonic

mockingly bitter or scornful; sarcastic

supercilious

scornfully looking down on others; disdainfully superior

nemesis

agent of revenge, punishment; difficult or unbeatable opponent; something incapable of being achieved or overcome; cause of one's downfall or undoing

procrastinate

put off till later

panacea

remedy for all desires, sufferings, troubles

capricious

changeable, unpredictable

introvert

one who is concerned mainly with self-examination and one’s own inner life rather than with others

extrovert

one whose interests and thoughts are mainly with other people and things outside oneself rather than with one’s own inner life

aegis

protection, sponsorship

auspicious

favorable, promising a good outcome

jaded

wearied, dulled, or bored by having too much

atone

make up (for a wrong)

lewd

obscene, indecent, hurtful

succinct

briefly and clearly expressed

prevaricate

stray from the truth, mislead

aloof

reserved, detached, unconcerned

jovial

full of hearty humor and fun; jolly

saturnine

gloomy, grave

curtail

shorten, reduce, lessen

travesty

ridiculous imitation

scruple

doubt or uneasiness as to what is right or proper

havoc

great destruction or confusion

mentor

wise, trusted teacher or counselor

haggard

looking worn and tired

utopian

characteristic of an ideal society; visionary

mercurial

changeable; unpredictable; lively

diffident

lacking self-confidence; timid; unassertive

hypocrisy

pretending to be what one is not, especially to have feelings, beliefs, or virtues that one does not have

zealous

extremely active, eager, devoted

candid

honest, truthful, straightforward

posthumous

occurring after death

enthrall

charm, fascinate, please greatly

parasite

plant or animal that lives on or in another and feeds off this other’s body; a person receiving support without giving anything useful or meaningful in return

chagrin

humiliation, disappointment, irritation

cant

insincere talk; special language of a social class, trade, or profession

ephemeral

short-lived, fleeting, lasting a very short time

dexterous

skillful, clever

sinister

threatening, wicked, evil

ignominy

disgrace, humiliation, shame

aboveboard

without dishonesty or trickery

anecdote

brief story of an interesting or amusing incident

bedlam

noisy confusion

martinet

strict disciplinarian

indolent

lazy

meander

follow a winding course; wander idly or aimlessly

precocious

advanced beyond one’s age (especially in mental aptitude)

scapegoat

someone blamed for the faults of others

shibboleth

password, slogan, or custom characteristic of a certain group and used to distinguish that group; empty, outworn expression or doctrine

agnostic

one who believes it impossible to know whether or not God exists

nepotism

favoritism to relatives in giving jobs and offices

enigmatic

puzzling, mysterious, perplexing

blatant

completely obvious, often offensively so; shameless

nebulous

unclear, hazy, indistinct

procrustean

forcing rigid conformity

denigrate

defame, speak ill of, attack the reputation of

prosaic

commonplace, dull, uninspired

docile

easily managed, controlled, or taught; gentle; submissive

boycott

refuse to deal with as a means of protest and persuasion