Freshmen Vocabulary Unit 10

adept

(adj.) thoroughly skilled; (n.) an expert

aspire

(v) to have ambitious hopes or plans, strive toward a higher goal, desire earnestly; to ascend

bleak

(adj.) bare, dreary, dismal

chide

(v.) to blame; scold

despicable

(adj.) worthy of scorn, contemptible

diminutive

(adj.) small, smaller than most others of the same type

emancipate

(v.) to free from slavery; to release or liberate

erroneous

(adj.) incorrect, containing mistakes

exploit

(v.) to make use of, develop; to make improper use of for personal profit; (n.) a feat, deed

extemporaneous

(adj.) made or delivered on the spur of the moment

impair

(v.) to make imperfect, damage, harm

invincible

(adj.) not able to be defeated, unbeatable

languid

(adj.) drooping; without energy, sluggish

mire

(n.) mud; wet, swampy ground; a tough situation; (v.) to get stuck

obtrusive

(adj.) forward; undesirably prominent; thrust out

preamble

(n.) an introduction to a speech or piece of writing

render

(v.) to cause to become; to perform; to deliver officially; to process, extract

rugged

(adj.) rough, irregular; severe, stern; strong; stormy

skeptical

(adj.) inclined to doubt; slow to accept something as true

slipshod

(adj.) untidy in dress, personal habits, etc.; careless, sloppy