Honors Junior English Vocab 4-6

abject

(adj.) degraded; base, contemptible; cringing, servile; complete and unrelieved

derelict

(n.) someone or something that is abandoned or neglected; (adj.) left abandoned; neglectful of duty

diatribe

(n.) a bitter and prolonged verbal attack

Equity

(n.) the state or quality of being just, fair, or impartial; fair and equal treatment; something that is fair; the money value of a property above and beyond any mortgage or other claim

indubitable

(adj.) certain, not to be doubted or denied

intermittent

(adj.) stopping and beginning again, sporadic

neophyte

(n.) a new convert, beginner, novice

perspicacity

(n.) keenness in observing and understanding

surveillance

(n.) a watch kept over a person; careful, close, and disciplined observation

testy

(adj.) easily irritated; characterized by impatience and exasperation

agnostic

(n.) one who believes that nothing can be known about God; a skeptic; (adj.) without faith, skeptical

complicity

(n.) involvement in wrongdoing; the state of being an accomplice

effigy

(n.) a crude image of a despised person

inane

(adj.) silly, empty of meaning or value

indictment

(n.) the act of accusing; a formal accusation

moot

(adj.) open to discussion and debate, unresolved; (v.) to bring up for discussion; (n.) a hypothetical law case argued by students

Motif

(n.) a principal idea, feature, theme, or element; a repeated or dominant figure in a design

plenary

(adj.) complete in all aspects or essentials; absolute; attended by all qualified members

sylvan

(adj.) pertaining to or characteristic of forests; living or located in a forest; wooded, woody

travesty

(n.) a grotesque or grossly inferior imitation; a disguise, especially the clothing of the opposite sex; (v.) to ridicule by imitating in a broad or burlesque fashion

delineate

(v.) to portray, sketch, or describe in accurate and vivid detail; to represent pictorially

esoteric

(adj.) intended for or understood by only a select few, private, secret

fiat

(n.) an arbitrary order or decree; a command or act of will or consciousness

figment

(n.) a fabrication of the mind; an arbitrary notion

hallow

(v.) to set apart as holy or sacred, sanctify, consecrate; to honor greatly, revere

idiosyncrasy

(n.) a peculiarity that serves to distinguish or identify

mundane

(adj.) earthly, worldly, relating to practical and material affairs; concerned with what is ordinary

nuance

(n.) a subtle or slight variation (as in color, meaning, quality), delicate gradation or shade of difference

reputed

(adj.) according to reputation or general belief; having widespread acceptance and good reputation; (part.) alleged

sumptuous

(adj.) costly, rich, magnificent

acuity

(n.) sharpness (particularly of the mind or senses)

depraved

(adj.) marked by evil and corruption, devoid of moral principles

enervate

(v.) to weaken or lessen the mental, moral, or physical vigor of; enfeeble, hamstring

fecund

(adj.) fruitful in offspring or vegetation; intellectually productive

garner

(v.) to acquire as the result of effort; to gather and store away, as for future use

ignominy

(n.) shame and disgrace

overweening

(adj.) conceited, presumptuous; excessive, immoderate

penchant

(n.) a strong attraction or inclination

sophistry

(n.) reasoning that seems plausible but is actually unsound; a fallacy

ubiquitous

(adj.) present or existing everywhere

atrophy

(n.) the wasting away of a body organ or tissue; any progressive decline or failure; (v.) to waste away

concord

(n.) a state of agreement, harmony, unanimity; a treaty, pact, covenant

disarray

(n.) disorder, confusion; (v.) to throw into disorder

frenetic

(adj.) frenzied, highly agitated

grouse

(n.) a type of game bird; a complaint; (v.) to complain, grumble

incumbent

(adj.) obligatory, required; (n.) one who holds a specific office at the time spoken of

jocular

(adj.) humorous, jesting, jolly, joking

mordant

(adj.) biting or caustic in thought, manner, or style; sharply or bitterly harsh

pusillanimous

(adj.) contemptibly cowardly or mean-spirited

statagem

(n.) a scheme to outwit or deceive an opponent or to gain an end

bastion

(n.) a fortified place, stronghold

consummate

(adj.) complete or perfect in the highest degree; (v.) to bring to a state of completion or perfection

exigency

(n., often pl.) urgency, pressure; urgent demand, pressing need; an emergency

flotsam

(n.) Floating debris; homeless, impoverished people.

(SYN: floating wreckage)

glean

(v.) to gather bit by bit; to gather small quantities of grain left in a field by the reapers

incarcerate

(v.) to imprison, confine, jail

ludicrous

(adj.) ridiculous, laughable, absurd

nettle

(n.) a prickly or stinging plant; (v.) to arouse displeasure, impatience, or anger; to vex or irritate severely

pecuniary

(adj.) consisting of or measured in money; of or related to money

recumbent

(adj.) in a reclining position, lying down, in the posture of one sleeping or resting