Vocab 1st Quat

ELA Vocab

abstruse

Difficult to understand; obscure.

affable

Friendly, good-natured, and easy to talk to.

alienate

To cause someone to feel isolated or estranged.

amity

A friendly relationship.

antiquated

Outdated or old-fashioned.

arbitrary

Based on random choice or personal whim.

arrogant

Having an exaggerated sense of one's own importance.

assail

To attack violently or with words.

astute

Having the ability to accurately assess situations or people.

averse

Strongly disinclined or opposed.

belie

To contradict or show something to be false.

benign

Having a kindly disposition; not harmful.

bolster

To support or strengthen.

candor

The quality of being open and honest.

censure

To express severe disapproval.

clemency

Mercy or leniency.

complacent

Self-satisfied and unconcerned.

composure

The state of being calm and in control.

contingent

Subject to chance; dependent on certain conditions.

converge

To come together from different directions.

cordial

Warm and friendly.

cupidity

Greed for money or possessions.

daunted

Intimidated; discouraged.

deplore

To express strong disapproval.

desultory

Lacking a plan or purpose; disconnected.

digress

To deviate from the main topic.

disdain

The feeling that someone or something is unworthy.

dissolution

The closing down or dismissal of an assembly.

dogmatic

Inclined to lay down principles as incontrovertibly true.

elated

In high spirits; extremely happy.

emulate

To imitate with the intent of matching or exceeding.

enigma

A person or thing that is mysterious or difficult to understand.

erratic

Not even or regular in pattern; unpredictable.

euphemism

A mild or indirect word substituted for one considered harsh.

expurgate

To remove matter thought to be objectionable.

extraneous

Irrelevant or unrelated to the subject.

fastidious

Very attentive to detail; hard to please.

fledgling

A young bird just ready to fly; a novice.

fulminate

To express vehement protest.

garish

Obtrusively bright and showy.

gravity

Seriousness or importance.

harbor

To give shelter or refuge.

heed

To pay attention to.

hyperbole

Exaggerated statements not meant to be taken literally.

imminent

About to happen.

impetuous

Acting or done quickly and without thought.

inadvertent

Not resulting from or achieved through deliberate planning.

incompatible

Not able to exist or work together.

incredulous

Unwilling or unable to believe something.

infamy

The state of being well known for a bad quality.

infer

To deduce or conclude information from evidence.

insolent

Showing a rude and arrogant lack of respect.

intractable

Difficult to manage or govern.

irascible

Easily provoked to anger.

jeopardy

Danger of loss, harm, or failure.

jubilant

Feeling or expressing great happiness.

laconic

Using very few words.

legacy

Something handed down by a predecessor.

loath

Reluctant; unwilling.

lucid

Expressed clearly; easy to understand.

malefactor

A person who commits a crime.

meager

Lacking in quantity or quality.

mellifluous

Pleasant to hear; smooth and musical.

mitigate

To make less severe or serious.

mundane

Lacking interest or excitement; dull.

novelty

The quality of being new, original, or unusual.

nurture

To care for and encourage the growth of.

obscure

Not discovered or known about; uncertain.

obtuse

Difficult to understand; not sharp.

optimist

A person who tends to be hopeful and confident.

paragon

A person or thing regarded as a perfect example.

penury

Extreme poverty.

pervade

To spread through and be perceived in every part.

phlegmatic

Having an unemotional and stolidly calm disposition.

ponderous

Slow and clumsy because of great weight.

preclude

To prevent from happening; make impossible.

pretentious

Attempting to impress by affecting greater importance.

profound

Very great or intense.

proximity

Nearness in space, time, or relation.

quandary

A state of perplexity or uncertainty.

rampant

Unrestrained and spreading unchecked.

recluse

A person who lives a solitary life.

reprove

To reprimand or correct.

reserve

To keep back or save for later use.

revere

To feel deep respect or admiration.

sanction

A penalty for disobeying a law or rule.

scrutinize

To examine carefully.

seditious

Inciting or causing people to rebel against authority.

slander

The action of making false spoken statements.

sporadic

Occurring at irregular intervals.

stealth

Cautious and surreptitious action or movement.

subtle

Not obvious; delicate.

surreptitious

Kept secret, especially because it would not be approved of.

tangent

A completely different line of thought or action.

tenacious

Holding firmly; persistent.

tirade

A long, angry speech of criticism or accusation.

trite

Overused and devoid of freshness.

ubiquitous

Present, appearing, or found everywhere.

unkempt

Having an untidy or messy appearance.

vacillate

To waver between different opinions or actions.