Vocabulary 11-20

alienate

verb - to turn away the normal feelings of fondness toward anyone; to estrange

celestial

adjective - having to do with the heavens; divine

desecrate

verb - to treat with disrespect

enervate

verb - to weaken; to lessen the strength of

furtive

adjective - done quickly and with stealth to avoid being noticed; secret

incisive

adjective - keen; penetrating.

lucid

adjective - easily understood; rational; clear; clear-minded

peruse

verb - to study; to read

rejuvenate

verb - to make young or fresh again

scapegoat

noun - one taking the blame for the mistake and crimes of others

tawdry

adjective - gaudy and cheap; vulgarly ornamental

unethical

adjective - not conforming to approved standards of behavior, a socially accepted code, or professionally endorsed principles and practices

verbose

adjective - wordy; tedious

wither

verb - to dry; to shrivel; to cause to lose courage or to be ashamed

zealot

noun- a person who shows great enthusiasm for a cause

alleviate

verb - to make easier to endure; to relieve; to diminish

censure

verb - to blame; to criticize adversely

despot

noun - monarch with unlimited power

engender

verb - to cause; produce; bring into being

incongruous

adjective - inappropriate; out of place

philistine

adjective - narrow-minded; smugly conventional

relegate

verb - to put in a less important position; to assign; to banish

scoff

verb - to mock or jeer at; to make fun of

tedious

adjective - long or verbose and wearisome; tiresome; boring

ungainly

adjective - clumsy; awkward; hard to handle

viable

adjective - able to live or exist; practicable

writhe

verb - to twist or squirm, as in pain; to suffer from shame or shyness

zenith

noun - the point in the sky directly above one; the highest point

aloof

adjective - indifferent; unsympathetic; not interested; apart

chastise

verb - to criticize severely

altruistic

adjective – thoughtful of the welfare of others

ambiguous

adjective – permitting more than one interpretation; not clearly defined

chimerical

adjective – absurd; wildly fanciful

chronic

adjective – lasting a long time; constant

deter

verb – to discourage; to keep someone from doing something

devious

adjective – not straightforward; lying; roundabout

enhance

verb – to add to; to make greater in value

enigma

noun – a puzzle; a baffling situation

piety

noun – devotion and reverence, especially to god and family

relic

noun – a thing or part that remains from the past; something kept as sacred because it belonged to a saint

scrupulous

adjective – very honest and conscientious; careful about claimed expense

temerity

noun – rashness; foolish or reckless boldness

unimpeachable

adjective – beyond doubt or reproach; unquestionable

vicarious

adjective – taking the place of another; experienced through sympathetic participation in the experience of another

incontrovertible

adjective - not able to be disputed or denied

ambivalence

noun – condition of having conflicting attitudes

ameliorate

verb – to make better or more tolerable; to improve

circumspect

adjective – careful

clairvoyant

adjective –having exceptional insight

devoid

adjective – entirely without; lacking

diatribe

noun – a denunciation; bitter verbal attack

ephemeral

adjective – lasting for only a short time

equanimity

noun – evenness of temper

incorrigible

adjective – too firmly fixed to be reformed or changed

pique

verb – to hurt the feelings of or make resentful; to arouse; to excite

remorse

noun- a deep feeling of sorrow or guilt over a wrong one has done

scrutinize

verb – to look at very carefully; to inspect minutely

tenet

noun – a principle, doctrine, or belief held as a truth by a group

unobtrusive

adjective – not readily noticeable; inconspicuous

vilify

verb – to defame; to slander; to cause a person to become vile

analogous

adjective - similar in certain qualities; comparable

animosity

noun – active dislike; ill will

clandestine

adjective - secret

clemency

noun – mercy; mildness

didactic

adjective - intended to instruct

diffuse

adjective – spread out; wordy

equivocate

verb - to use ambiguous or unclear expressions in order to mislead; to be shifty; to hedge

esoteric

adjective – understood by only a few; little known; obscure

indefatigable

adjective - tireless

placate

verb - to soothe; to pacify

repudiate

verb - reject; to refuse to recognize, acknowledge or pay; to divorce or discard

sectarian

adjective - pertaining to a group within a larger group that is limited by common beliefs or interests; narrow-minded

tentative

adjective-made,done, or proposed experimentally; not definite or final; indicating timidity, hesitancy, or uncertainty

unscathed

adjective – undamaged; unharmed

vindictive

adjective – revengeful; unforgiving; bitter; spiteful

anonymity

noun- condition of being nameless or unknown

antagonism

noun - hostility, active opposition

coalesce

verb- to grow together; to combine

colloquial

adjective - conversational; used in a informal speech or writing

diminution

noun- a lessening

discerning

adjective - keenly perceptive shrewd

eulogy

noun- high praise for a deceased person

euphemism

noun - use of an indirect expression in place of one that is harsh

indigent

adjective - poverty stricken

placid

adjective - outwardly calm or composed; self satisfied; peaceful

repugnant

adjective - disgusting; loathsome; objectionable; incompatible

sequester

verb - to hide or keep away from others; to withdraw into seclusion; to confiscate; to segregate

terse

adjective - using only a few words but clear to the point; polished

untenable

adjective - that which cannot be maintained or occupied ; incapable of being defended or held

virtuoso

noun - one interested in the pursuit of knowledge; one with mastery skill or technique in any field

antithesis

noun - direct opposite

commiserate

verb - to sympathize with; to feel sorrow for another’s suffering

disdain

noun - a feeling of contempt for anything that is regarded as unworthy; scorn

evanescent

adjective - gradually disappearing; fleeting

ingratiate

verb - to make oneself acceptable

plagiarize

verb - to take ideas or writings from someone else and present them as one’s own; to use without giving credit

rescind

verb - to cancel; to repeal; to set aside

serene

adjective - unruffled; tranquil; unclouded

threadbare

adjective - with the nap worn down so that the threads show; frayed or shabby; used so often that it is stale.

urbane

adjective - courteous suave; polished