Unit 7,8,9 vocab

austere

severe or stern in manner; without adornment or luxury, simple, plain; harsh or sour in flavor

beneficent

performing acts of kindness or charity; conferring benefits, doing good

cadaverous

pale, gaunt, resembling a corpse

concoct

to prepare by combining ingredients, make up; to devise, invent, fabricate

crass

coarse, unfeeling; stupid

debase

to lower in character, quality, or value, to degrade, adulterate; to cause to deteriorate

desecrate

to commit sacrilege upon, treat irreverently; to contaminate, pollute

disconcert

to confuse; to disturb the composure of

grandiose

grand in an impressive or stately way; marked by pompous affection or grandeur, absurdly exaggerated

inconsequential

trifling, unimportant

infraction

a breaking of a law or obligation

mitigate

to make milder or softer, to moderate in force or intensity

pillage

to rob of goods by open force (as in war), plunder; the act of looting; booty

prate

to talk a great deal in a foolish or aimless fashion

punctilious

very careful and exact, attentive to fine points of etiquette

redoubtable

inspiring fear or awe; illustrious, eminent

reprove

to fine fault with, scold, rebuke

restitution

the act of restoring someone or something to the rightful owner or to a former state or position; making good on a loss or damage

stalwart

strong and sturdy; brave; resolute; a brave, strong person; a strong supporter; one who takes an uncompromising position

vulnerable

open to attack; capable of being wounded or damaged; unprotected

acrimonious

stinging, bitter in temper or tone

bovine

resembling a cow or ox; sluggish, unresponsive

consternation

dismay, confusion

corpulent

fat; having a large, bulky body

disavow

to deny responsibility for or connection with

dispassionate

impartial; calm, free from emotion

dissension

disagreement, sharp difference of opinion

dissipate

to cause to disappear; to scatter, dispel; to spend foolishly, squander; to be extravagant in pursuit of pleasure

expurgate

to remove objectionable passages or words from a written text; to cleanse, purify

gauntlet

an armored or protective glove; a challenge; to lines of men armed with weapons with which to beat a person forced to run between them; an ordeal

hypothetical

based on an assumption or guess; used as a provisional or tentative idea to guide or direct investigation

ignoble

mean, low, base

impugn

to call into question; to attack as false

intemperate

immoderate, lacking in self-control; inclement

odium

hatred, contempt; disgrace or infamy resulting from hateful conduct

perfidy

faithlessness, treachery

relegate

to place in a lower position; to assign, refer, turn over; to banish

squeamish

inclined to nausea; easily shocked or upset; excessively fastidious or refined

subservient

subordinate in capacity or role; submissively obedient; serving to promote some end

susceptible

open to; easily influenced; lacking in resistence

abate

to make less in amount, degree, etc; to subside, become less; nullify; to deduct; omit

adulation

praise or flattery that is excessive

anathema

an object of intense dislike; a curse or strong denunciation (often used adjectivally without the article)

astute

shrewd, crafty, showing practical wisdom

avarice

a greedy desire, particularly for wealth

culpable

deserving blame, worthy of condemnation

dilatory

tending to delay or procrastinate; not prompt; intended to delay or postpone

egregious

conspicuous, standing out from the mass (used particularly in an unfavorable sense)

equivocate

to speak or act in a way that allows for more than one interpretation; to be deliberately vague or ambiguous

evanescent

vanishing, soon passing away; light and airy

irresolute

unable to make up one’s mind, hesitating

nebulous

cloudlike, resembling a cloud; cloudy in color, not transparent; vague, confused, indistinct

novice

one who is just a beginner at some activity requiring skill and experience (also used adjectivally)

penury

extreme poverty; barrenness, insufficiency

pretentious

done for show, striving to make a big impression; claiming merit or position unjustifiably; ambitious

recapitulate

to review a series of facts; to sum up

resuscitate

to revive, bring back to consciousness or existence

slovenly

untidy, dirty, carless

supposition

something that is assumed or taken for granted without conclusive evidence

torpid

inactive, sluggish, dull