LA10H Murdock Vocab

hapless

unlucky/unfortunate

aspiration

a goal or hope of achieving something

aesthetic

how something looks or feels/paying attention to appearance

arbitrary

based on randomness rather than reason

barrage

a bombardment of something

implore

to beg

chide

to scold or to rebuke

anomaly

something that deviates from what is considered to be standard or normal

lucrative

producing a great deal of profit

philanthropist

a person who seeks to promote the welfare of others through generous donations of money to good causes

lavish

rich and elaborate

levity

the treatment of a serious matter with humor or in a manner of disrespect

purport

to claim to be or to do something that you are not

infer

to make an educated guess

plumage

feathers from a bird

disparity

a great and measurable difference

copious

a large amount

innocuous

harmless/not offensive

pallor

a pale and sickly complexion

comely

attractive and pleasant to look at

lackluster

uninspiring, not interesting

prodigious

wonderful, amazing

harrowing

distressing

noxious

poisonous, harmful, or unpleasant

satiate

to satisfy

subjugate

to bring under domination or control

procure

to acquire through care and effort

amicable

to have a spirit of friendliness/non-confrontational

foible

a minor weakness or eccentricity in someone’s character

heckle

to shout annoying or rude comments

laconic

being brief, using few words

pugnacious

quick to fight

comprise

to be made up of

lugubrious

looking or sounding sad and dismal

abate

to become less intense

relic

an object surviving from an earlier time

rebuttal

a counter argument

plummet

to fall steeply

torrid

1) very hot and dry

2) full of difficulty and tribulation

ascend

to go up or to climb

cloister

to hide oneself away

pram

a british baby carriage

dystopia

an imagined place where everything is unpleasant or bad

pseudo

false

ethereal

heavenly, delicate, and light

impervious

unable to pass through

enshroud

to hide from view or cover completely

corroborate

to confirm or support with evidence

elucidate

to teach or explain something in detail

renowned

famous

enigma

a person or thing that is mysterious or hard to understand

hamper

to hold back

defer

to put off for a later time

lethargic

tired and sluggish

cordial

warm and friendly

overt

obvious

absolution

a formal release from guilt or punishment

catalyst

something causing a change

plethora

an excessive amount of something

fiasco

an extremely embarrassing failure

intrepid

adventurous

ephemeral

brief, lasting for a short time

candor

frank and truthful

camaraderie

mutual trust and friendship

clairvoyant

the supernatural ability to see the future

embezzle

to steal money by falsifying records

alacrity

to do something quickly and lively

tenacious

to have a strong grip on something

emulate

to imitate someone because you want to be the same as them or to surpass them

asylum

emergency citizenship granted to certain refugees

superfluous

exceeding what is sufficient or necessary

orator

a skilled public speaker

novice

a person who is new to something

scrutinize

to inspect closely and thoroughly

impetuous

done without thought or care

transient

only staying for a short period of time (physically moving around a lot)

demure

shy and reserved, typically used in reference to females

accolade

an award

mundane

boring

anecdote

a true short story

adulation

high praise

anachronistic

something chronologically out of place

digress

to move away from the main point

disdain

to severely dislike or to have a severe dislike for something

haughty

snobbish/arrogant

inconsequential

something that isn’t important in the long-term

ostentatious

meant to show off wealth

prosaic

commonplace

reclusive

introverted

reconcile

to come to an agreement after a fight

renovate

to rebuild or to remodel

substantiate

to verify using evidence

tactful

to be careful with your words

vindicate

to redeem/to clear someone from blame or suspicion

wary

feeling or showing caution

frugal

to be careful and conservative with spending

exemplary

an exceptional version of its kind

antagonize

to try to bring to anger

auspicious

favorable and conducive to success

bellicose

quick to fight