english exam vocab

Municipality

a city or town that has corporate status and local government.

Atrocious

horrifyingly wicked.

Assassinated

murder (an important person) in a surprise attack for political or religious reasons.

Unprecedented

never done or known before.

Wielder

a person who wields something, especially power

Headsman

a man who was responsible for beheading condemned prisoners.

Slain

kill (a person or animal) in a violent way

Fatal

causing death, leading to failure or disaster.

Premises

a house or building, together with its land and outbuildings, occupied by a business or considered in an official context.

Unparalleled

having no parallel or equal; exceptional.

Monstrosity

something, especially a building, that is very large and is considered unsightly.

Apparent

clearly visible or understood; obvious.

Surging

(of a crowd or a natural force) move suddenly and __powerfully__ forward or __upward__.

Humanity

the human race; human __beings__ __collectively__.

Consolation

the comfort received by a person after a loss or __disappointment__.

Counterpane

a bedspread.

Accustomed

customary; usual.

Rigid

unable to bend or be forced out of shape; not flexible.

Unpretentious

not attempting to __impress__ others with an appearance of greater importance, talent, or culture than is actually __possessed__.

Strenuous

requiring or using great __exertion__.

Cunning

having or showing skill in achieving one's ends by __deceit__ or __evasion__.

Sought in vain

without success or a result.

Guillotine

a machine with a heavy blade sliding __vertically__ in __grooves__, used for __beheading__ people.

Penetrate

succeed in __forcing__ a way into or through (a thing).

Perceived

become aware or conscious of (something); come to realize or understand.

Interval

an __intervening__ time or space, a pause or break in activity.

Right-minded

a person with opinions and principles that you think are sensible and morally correct.

Notorious

famous or well known, typically for some bad quality or __deed__.

Suppositions

an uncertain belief.

Colossus

a person or thing of enormous size, importance, or ability.

Intrusion

the action of __intruding__.

Interior

the inner or indoor part of something, especially a building; the inside.

Logic

__reasoning__ conducted or assessed according to strict principles of validity.

Monotony

lack of variety and interest; __tedious__ repetition and routine.

Bosky

__wooded__; covered by trees or __bushes__.

Descendant

a person, plant, or animal that is __descended__ from a particular __ancestor__.

Conspiracies

a secret plan by a group to do something __unlawful__ or harmful.

Grisly

causing horror or __disgust__.

Oral history

the collection and study of historical information using sound recordings of interviews with people having personal knowledge of past events.

Curator

a keeper or custodian of a museum or other collection.

Memorabilia

objects kept or collected because of their historical interest, especially those associated with memorable people or events.

Acquitted

free (someone) from a criminal charge by a __verdict__ of not guilty / conduct __oneself__ or perform in a specified way.

Mansion

a large, impressive house.

Inquest

a __judicial__ inquiry to __ascertain__ the facts relating to an incident, such as a death.

Proclaim

announce officially or publicly.

Soiled

dirty; stained / having been __disgraced__ or __discredited__.

Ragbag

a bag in which __scraps__ of fabric and old clothes are kept for use.

Purgatory

(in Roman Catholic doctrine) a place or state of suffering __inhabited__ by the souls of __sinners__ who are __expiating__ their sins before going to heaven.

Noisome

having an extremely offensive smell / disagreeable; unpleasant.

Suttee (Sati)

a former practice in India __whereby__ a widow __threw__ herself on to her husband's funeral __pyre__.

Theatrical troupe

a group of theatrical performers working together.

Undertaker

a person whose business is preparing dead bodies for __burial__ or __cremation__ and making arrangements for __funerals__.

Psychopaths

a person affected by chronic mental disorder with __abnormal__ or violent social behavior.

Biological

(of a member of a person's family) __genetically__ related; related by blood.

Lineage

__lineal__ descent from an __ancestor__; ancestry or __pedigree__.

Ancestry

one's family or ethnic descent.

Orbital cortex

the area of the prefrontal cortex that sits just above the orbits (also known as the eye sockets).

Impulses

a sudden strong and __unreflective__ urge or desire to act.

Freewheeling

characterized by a __disregard__ for rules or conventions; __unconstrained__ or __uninhibited__.

Sociopaths

a person with a personality disorder __manifesting__ itself in extreme __antisocial__ attitudes and behavior and a lack of __conscience__.

Amygdala

region of the brain primarily associated with emotional processes.

Imbalance

lack of proportion or relation between corresponding things.