Common Words 3

abstain

to choose not to do something; choose not to consume or take part in(particularly something enjoyable)

trick = abstain = stay away

Although the politician had strong opinions, he abstained from making public statements until the investigation was complete.

belligerent

characteristic of one eager to fight ; aggressive

The customer became belligerent after being told there would be a delay.

circumvent

To avoid, get around, often by being clever or indirect.

The company tried to circumvent the regulations by using a legal loophole.

delineate

To describe in detail

The author carefully delineates the differences between correlation and causation, leaving little room for misunderstanding.

indicate

To represent, or be a sign of something.

A red traffic light denotes that drivers must stop.

derivative

Copied from or based on something else; lacking originality.

Critics dismissed the movie as derivative because it closely resembled earlier films.

derive

1. come from

2. reason by deduction

1. Many English words are derived from Latin.

2. Scientists derived a formula from the experimental data.

disaffected

Dissatisfied, alienated, or no longer loyal or enthusiastic toward a person, organization, or government.

Many disaffected voters chose not to participate in the election.

ameliorate

to improve, make better; make something bad better

Doctors prescribed medication to ameliorate the patient's pain.

apathy

a lack of enthusiasum, emotion, or interest

His apathy toward his studies affected his grades.

ascetic

Living with very few comforts; practicing self-denial

The monk lived an ascetic lifestyle, owning only a few possessions.

avaricious

excessively greedy

His avaricious nature led him to exploit every opportunity for financial gain.

contrive

to plan cleverly; to devise

Despite limited resources, the engineers contrived an innovative method to reduce production costs.

eclectic

made up of a variety of sources or styles

Her taste in music is eclectic, ranging from classical to hip-hop.

elucidate

to explain; make clear and easier to understand

he scientist used a series of diagrams to elucidate the complex biological process for the audience.

eminent

standing above others in quality or position

Marie Curie was an eminent scientist.

ephemeral

lasting a very short time

Cherry blossoms have an ephemeral bloom each spring.

fallacious

of a belief that is based on faulty reasoning ; misleading, or logically incorrect.

The advertisement made fallacious claims about the product.

forlorn

means sad and lonely because of being abandoned, rejected, or without hope. (hopeless)

After the team lost the championship, the players wore forlorn expressions.

frustrate

1. To prevent or stop something from succeeding; cause an hindernce

2. feeling upset because they cannot achieve something

1. Heavy rain frustrated our plans for a picnic.

2. The difficult puzzle frustrated the students.

guileless

honest, innocent, and free from deceit or trickery.

The witness's guileless testimony convinced the jury that she had no reason to deceive anyone.

haughty

showing arrogance and looking down on others because you think you're superior

The executive's haughty demeanor alienated many of his colleagues, who found him condescending.

heretic

someone who challenges established beliefs

In the Middle Ages, many heretics were persecuted for their beliefs.

immutable

unchangeable

incongruous

not in harmony; out of place

Wearing a tuxedo to the beach would be incongruous.

insidious

working in a suble but distructive way

His insidious attempts to undermine his coworker went unnoticed for months.

itinerant

traveling from place to place, especially for work.

The doctor worked as an itinerant physician, visiting remote villages.

jingoism

aggressive, extreme nationalism / patriotism

The newspaper was criticized for promoting jingoism during the conflict.

jubilant

extremely joyful, happy

juxtapose

to place side by side for comparison

The essay juxtaposes ancient and modern political systems.

languid

slow and relaxed

The hot afternoon made everyone feel languid.

magnanimous

noble and generous in spirit, especially towards a rival or someone less powerful ; means generous and forgiving, especially toward someone less powerful or someone who has wronged you.

Despite being insulted, he remained magnanimous and accepted the apology.

mollify

to calm someone's anger, soothe their feelings, or make something less severe.

She tried to mollify the angry customer with a sincere apology.

negligible

so small or unimportant as to be not worth considering; insignificant.

panache

stylish confidence, distinctive flair, or impressive elegance in the way someone does something.

She delivered the speech with great panache.

precocious

developing certain abilities or intelligence earlier than is usual, especially in children.

The precocious child was reading novels at the age of four.

quotidian

ordinary, everyday, or occurring daily.

Quotidian = everyday; routine

She was tired of the quotidian routine of commuting and office work.

refractory

stubbornly resistant to authority or control

Despite months of patient coaching and repeated warnings, the refractory employee continued to ignore the company's safety procedures.

rudimentary

basic; elementary; in the earliest stages of development

Although the village school had only rudimentary facilities, the teachers were dedicated and managed to provide a good education.

spurious

not genuine; false ; appearing to be true or authentic but actually misleading or incorrect.

The researcher rejected the study because it relied on spurious evidence that could not be independently verified.

staunch

firm and dependable especially in loyalty

She remained a staunch supporter of environmental conservation even when her views were unpopular.

subsume

1. contain or include

2. consider (an instance of something) as part of a general rule or principle

The philosopher attempted to subsume a wide range of seemingly unrelated ethical theories under one overarching principle, arguing that they all reflected the same fundamental values.

supplant

take the place or move into the position of ; to replace

tantamount

equivalent in value or significance

Ignoring repeated safety warnings is tantamount to putting everyone's lives at risk.

tenacious

Holding firmly to something; persistent and determined; not giving up easily.

Tenacious = never lets go.

Although many researchers abandoned the project after repeated failures, one tenacious scientist continued experimenting until she discovered a breakthrough.

travesty

a mockery

The film was supposed to honor the historical event, but its numerous inaccuracies turned it into a travesty of history.

treacherous

1. dangerously unstable and unpredictable

2. tendding to betray

1.For people: Someone who betrays you.

2.For places or conditions: Something that looks safe but is actually dangerous.

1. The hikers were warned that the mountain trail becomes treacherous after heavy rain because the rocks become extremely slippery.

2. The spy's treacherous actions endangered the entire intelligence operation.

unequivocal

Something that is completely clear and unambiguous.

The surveillance footage provided unequivocal proof of the suspect's innocence.

vehement

marked by extreame intensity of emotions or conviction ; Showing very strong emotion, force, or passion, especially when expressing an opinion

She was vehement in her opposition to the proposed policy, arguing that it would unfairly affect low-income families.

vilify

to spread negative information about

denote

be a sign or indication of