Final Vocab List

allege

(v.) to assert without proof or confirmation

arrant

(adj.) out-and-out, shameless, blatant

badinage

(n.) light and playful conversation

concilliate

(v.) to overcome the distrust of, win over; to appease, pacify; to reconcile, make consistent

countermand

(v.) to cancel or reverse one order or command with another that is contrary to the first

echelon

(n.) one of a series of grades in an organization or field of activity; an organized military unit; a steplike formation or arrangement

exacerbate

(v.) to make more violent, severe, bitter, or painful

fatuous

(adj.) stupid or foolish in a self-satisfied way

irrefutable

(adj.) impossible to disprove; beyond arguement

juggernaut

(n.) a massive and inescapable force or object that crushes whatever is in its path

lackadaisical

(adj.) lacking spirit or interest; halfhearted

litany

(n.) a prayer consisting of short appeals to God recited by the leader alternating with responses from the congregation; any repetitive chant; a long list

macabre

(adj.) grisly, gruesome; horrible, distressing; having death as a subject

paucity

(n.) an inadequate quantity, scarcity, dearth

portend

(v.) to indicate beforehand that something is about to happen; to give advance warning of

raze

(v.) to tear down, destroy completely; to cut or scrape off or out

recant

(v.) to withdraw a statement or belief to which one has previously been committed, renounce, retract

saturate

(v.) to soak thoroughly, fill to capacity; to satisfy fully

saturnine

(adj.) of a gloomy or surly disposition; cold or sluggish in mood

slough

(v.) to cast off, discard; to get rid of something objectionable or unnecessary; to plod through as if through mud; (n.) a mire; a state of depression

aesthetic

(adj.) pertaining to beauty; sensitive or responsive to beauty

defunct

(adj.) no longer in existence or functioning, dead

discomfit

(v.) to frustrate, thrawt, or defeat; to confuse, perplex, or embarrass

espouse

(v.) to take up and support; to become attatched to, adopt; to marry

fetish

(n.) an object believed to have magical powers; an object of unreasoning devotion or reverence

gregarious

(adj.) living together in a herd or group; sociable, seeking the company of others

hapless

(adj.) marked by a persistent absence of good luck

impeccable

(adj.) faultless, beyond criticism or blame

importune

(v.) to trouble with demands; to beg for insistently

interpolate

(v.) to insert between other parts or things; to present as an addition or correction

irreparable

(adj.) incapable or being repaired or rectified

laconic

(adj.) concise, using few words

languish

(v.) to become weak, feeble, or dull; to droop; to be depressed or dispirited; to suffer neglect

mendacious

(adj.) given to lying or deception; untrue

nadir

(n.) the lowest point

omnipresent

(adj.) present in all places at all times

perfunctory

(adj.) done in a superficial or halfhearted manner; without interest or enthusiasm

plaintive

(adj.) expressive of sorrow or woe, melancholy

requite

(v.) to make suitable repayment, as for a kindness, service, or favor; to make retaliation, as for an injury or wrong; to reciprocate

tantamount

(adj.) equivalent, having the same meaning, value, or effect

abstruse

(adj.) extremely difficult to understand

affront

(n.) an open or intentional insult; a slight; (v.) to insult to one's face; to face in defiance , confront

canard

(n.) a false rumor, fabricated story

captious

(adj.) excessively ready to find fault; given to petty criticism; intended to trap, confuse, or show up

cognizant

(adj.) aware, knowledgeable, informed; having jurisdiction

contrite

(adj.) regretful for some misdeed or sin; plagued by a sense of guilt

cynosure

(n.) the center of attraction, attention, or interest; something that serves to guide or direct

decorous

(adj.) well behaved, dignified, socially proper

deign

(v.) to think it appropriate or suitable to one's dignity to do something

desiccated

(adj.) thoroughly dried out; arid and uninteresting

efficacy

(n.) the power to produce a desired result

engender

(v.) to bring into existence, give rise to, produce; to come into existence

ethereal

(adj.) light, airy, delicate; highly refined; suggesting what is heavenly

facade

(n.) the front of a building; a surface appearance

ghoulish

(adj.) revolting in an unnatural or morbid way

incongruous

(adj.) not in keeping, unsuitable, incompatible

machination

(n.) a crafty, scheming, or underhanded action designed to accomplish some end

mesmerize

(v.) to hypnotize, entrance; to fascinate, enthrall, bewitch

opprobrium

(n.) disgrace arising from shameful conduct; contempt, reproach

putative

(adj.) generally regarded as such; reputed; inferred

beautific

(adj.) blissful; rendering or making blessed

behemoth

(n.) a creature of enormous size, power, or appearance

blandishment

(n.) anythnig designed to flatter or coax; sweet talk

cacophonous

(adj.) harsh-sounding, raucous, discordant, dissonant

chicanery

(n.) trickery, deceptive practices or tactics, double-dealing

consign

(v.) to give over to another's care, charge, or control; to entrust, deliver; to set apart for a special use

coup

(n.) a highly successful stroke, masterstroke, tour de force, act, plan, or stratagem; a sudden takover of power or leadership

euphemism

(n.) a mild or inofensive expression used in place of a harsh or unpleasant one; a substitute

febrile

(adj.) feverish; pertaining to or marked by fever; frenetic

gainsay

(v.) to deny, contradict, controvert; to dispute, oppose

imminent

(adj.) about to happen, threatening

innate

(adj.) natural, inborn, inherent; built-in

loath

(adj.) unwilling, reluctant, disinclined

manifest

(adj.) clear, evident to the eyes or mind; (v.) to show plainly, exhibit, evince; (n.) a list of cargo and/or passengers

minutiae

(n.) small or trivial details, trifling matters

moratorium

(n.) a suspension of activity; an official waiting period; an authorized period of delay

nostrum

(n.)an alleged cure-all; a remedy or scheme of questionable effectiveness

pariah

(n.) one who is rejected by a social group or organization

visionary

(adj.) not practical, lacking in realism; having the nature of a fantasy or a dream; (n.) one given to far-fetched ideas; a dreamer or seer characterized by vision or foresight

wizened

(adj.) dry, shrunken, and wrinkled (often as a result of aging)

Abrogate

(v.) to repeal, cancel, declare null and void

Synonyms: annul, revoke

Antonyms: renew, ratify

Ambient

(adj.) completely surrounding, encompassing

Synonyms: -

Antonyms: -

Asperity

(n.) roughness, severity; bitterness or tartness

Synonyms: rigor, harshness

Antonyms: mildness, blandness, softness, lenience

Burnish

(v.) to make smooth or glossy by rubbing, polish; (n.) gloss, brightness, luster

Synonyms: (v.) shine, buff

Antonyms: (v.) dull, abrade

Cabal

(n.) a small group working in secret

Synonyms: ring, gang, plot, conspiracy

Antonyms: -

Delectable

(adj.) delightful, highly enjoyable; deliciously flavored, savory; (n.) an appealing or appetizing food or dish

Synonyms: (adj.) scrumptious

Antonyms: (adj.) repugnant, repulsive, distasteful

Deprecate

(v.) to expres mild disapproval; to belittle

Synonyms: deplore, frown upon

Antonyms: smile on, approve

Detritus

(n.) loose bits and pieces of material resulting from disintegration or wearing away; fragments that result from any destruction

Synonyms: wreckage, ruins, rubble

Antonyms: -

Ebullient

(adj.) overflowing with enthusiasm and excitement; boiling, bubbling

Synonyms: exhilarated, elated

Antonyms: gloomy, morose, sullen, apathetic, blasé

Eclectic

(adj.) draw from different sources; (n.) one whose beliefs are drawn from various sources

Synonyms: (adj.) selective, synthetic, pick-and-choose

Antonyms: (adj.) uniform, monolithic

Flaccid

(adj.) limp, not firm; lacking vigor or effectiveness

Synonyms: soft, flabby;

Antonyms: hard, solid

Impecunious

(adj.) having little or no money

Synonyms: impoverished, indigent

Antonyms: affluent, wealthy, prosperous, rich

Inexorable

(adj.) inflexible, beyond influence; relentless, unyielding

Synonyms: ineluctable, obdurate

Antonyms: avoidable, yielding, pliant

Moribund

(adj.) dying, on the way out

Synonyms: obsolescent;

Antonyms: thriving

Necromancer

(n.) one who claims to reveal or influence the future through magic, especially communication with the dead; in general, a magician or wizard

Synonyms: sorcerer, conjurer

Antonyms: -

Onerous

(adj.) burdensome; involving hardship or difficulty

Synonyms: weighty;

Antonyms: light, easy, undemanding, untaxing

Rife

(adj.) common, prevalent, widespread, happening often, full, abounding; plentiful, abundant, replete

Synonyms: -

Antonyms: devoid of, lacking

Rudiments

(n. pl.) the parts of any subject or discipline that are learned first; the earliest stages of anything

Synonyms: basics, fundamentals

Antonyms: -

Sequester

(v.) to set apart, separate for a special purpose; to take possession of and hold in custody

Synonyms: segregate, isolat, closet

Antonyms: -

Winnow

(v.) to get rid of something unwanted, delete; to sift through to obtain what is desirable; to remove the chaff from the wheat by blowing air on it; to blow on, fan

Synonyms: sift, strain, filter, sort

Antonyms: -