Elite vocab 201-300

Vicarious (adj)

Felt as if one were taking part in the experiences of another (Eg. Although Vera knows she will never be wealthy herself, she gets a vicarious thrill out of reading about the lives of the rich and famous.)

Pique (v)

To arouse interest, curiosity, etc.; to irritate (Eg. Mark always begins his speeches with a joke in an attempt to pique this interest of his audience.)

Abate (v)

To lessen in amount, intensity or strength (Eg. The brutal August heat lasted for eight days before it finally abated, though it was still quite warm for another week.)

Maternal (adj)

Characteristic of a mother (Eg. Mrs. Tuck’s maternal instincts were so strong that she practically smothered her children with affection.)

Decorum (n)

Polite behavior (Eg. Jim’s lack of decorum at the funeral was especially evident when he belched loudly during the eulogy and then laughed at the shocked looks on others’ faces.)

Pretentious (adj)

Claiming dignity or importance, esp. when undeserved (Eg. We found Linda’s insistence on using the term “gummibar” instead of “gummi bear” to be pretentious, especially since she insisted on using the original German pronunciation.

Unwieldy (adj)

Hard to hand or manage, esp. because of size or weight (Eg. The parcel that the man carries was so unwieldy that he could not open the door to his apartement building.)

Homely (adj)

Unattractive; plain looking (Eg. From a somewhat homely child, Chris grew into a stunningly attractive adult.)

Impromptu (adj)

Without preparation (Eg. Having completely forgotten about the speech he was to prepare, Jason stood up anyway and humiliated himself with a sloppy impromptu presentation.)

Visceral (adj)

Instinctive; relating to the internal organs (Eg. My reaction to the plan was more visceral than thoughtful; I instinctively like the idea based on nothing more than my but reaction.)

Staccato (adj)

Composed of abrupt, disconnected parts or sounds (Eg. Mauricio had grown accustomed to hearing the staccato sound of this mother’s high heels as she walked up the concrete steps.)

Rue (v)

To regret (Eg. When the teacher announced the pop quiz, Kelvin rued his failiure to study the night before.)

Meritocracy (n)

A system in which promotion is based on individual ability or achievement (Eg. The founders of the company envisioned a meritocracy in which the most talented employees were rewarded with raises and bonuses.)

Inveigle (v)

To obtain by flattery (Eg. Trying to inveigle an A, Polly flattered her teacher excessively, but the teacher was immune to the attempts and gave Polly the grade she had earned.)

Behoove (v)

To be necessary or proper for (Eg. Just as children owe respect to their parents, it behooves parents to honor their children as individuals.)

Austere (adj)

Stern or severe in appearance; without luxury (Eg. Despite his newly achieved wealth, Henry still practices the same austere lifestyle he developed when he was a poor, struggling writer.)

Inert (adj)

Unable to move or respond; sluggish (Eg. Despite the efforts of reformers, the government’s massive bureaucracy remained inert and resistant to any change.)

Mnemonic (adj)

Pertaining to or assisting the memory (Eg. Many students us mnemonic devices, such as “please excuse my dear aunt Sally” to represent the order of operation, to help them remember the concepts.)

Censor (v)

To prevent from becoming known or circulated; n. an official editor of material (Eg. In times of war the U.S. army regularly censors all mail going to and from its troops to ensure that no vital military secrets are being sent.)

Imposing (adj)

Impressive by virtue of size, power, or manner (Eg. The professional football player is an imposing figure given his size and muscular build, but he really is pleasant person.)

Hectic (adj)

Characterized by intense activity (Eg. With everyone racing to turn in assignments and study for exams, the last few days of the semester are usually hectic.)

Sully (v)

To dirty or tarnish, esp. by disgracing (Eg. Mark accused his rivals within the company of deliberately starting a campaign to sully his reputation.)

Insipid (adj)

Uninteresting; having no flavor (Eg. Although his children liked the movie and its silly jokes, Bill found it insipid, no different from a hundred prior films and certainly no more interesting.)

Anachronism (n)

Something not belonging to a certain time period (Eg. The wristwatch one character wore in the film about ancient Rome was an anachronism since watches weren’t invented till much later.)

Malady (n)

A disease; sickness; illness (Eg. Several employees took suddenly ill when a mysterious malady swept through the factory.)

Antithesis (n)

A direct contrast; opposition (Eg. Hope is the antithesis of despair.)

Camaraderie (n)

Loyalty; a warm, friendly feeling among members of a group (Eg. Ed missed the camaraderie among his buddies on the force after retiring from work as a policeman.)

Undermine (v)

To weaken (Eg. Periodic outbreaks of continued fighting have undermined the diplomats’ claim that the cease-fire is holding.)

Figurative (adj)

Based on a figure of speech; not literal (Eg. “go take a hike’ is the sort of figurative expression that can confuse those who speak English as a second language.)

Exact (v)

To demand and obtain by force or authority (Eg. After conquering the country, the king exacted a high tribute from the subjugated people.)

Terminate (v)

To end (Eg. Congress terminated the weapons projects when it became clear that large amounts of money had been wasted.)

Apex (n)

The highest point (Eg. The apex of the director’s career was the moment she accepted his Academy Award for best picture.)

Inclement (adj)

Harsh; severe, usually of weather (Eg. Your new mud home should work out fine when it’s sunny, but don’t expect it to hold up well in inclement weather.)

Vehement (adj)

Forceful; furious (Eg. No one ever doubted his guilt, despite his loud and vehement claims of innocence.)

Rotund (adj)

Rounded in figure; plump (Eg. Nero Wolfe, the detective on Rex Stout’s mysteries, is rotund and prefers sitting behind his desk and eating gourmet meals to exercising of otherwise moving his great bulk.)

Attest (v)

To give evidence that something is true or genuine (Eg. The hordes of fans, who wait in line for says to buy concert tickets, attest to the popularity of this band.)

Eddy (n)

A current, as of water or air; moving contrary to the direction of the main current, esp. in a circular motion (Eg. As Helen tried to navigate her boat through the rapids, an eddy caught her canoe and smashed it into a rock, spilling her into the water.)

Hamper (v)

To keep from moving or acting freely (Eg. The iron shackles are there to hamper any attempt to escape from you desk.)

Momentous (adj)

Of extreme importance (Eg. She asked to have more time to consider so momentous a decision as taking a job in another country, so they gave her the weekend.)

Ramification (n)

A development or consequence resulting from a course of action (Eg. Before you publicly make such a controversial suggestion, I hope you will consider every possible ramification and not just the one you are hoping for.)

Antediluvian (adj)

Very old; outdated (Eg. Because technology is racing forward so quickly, some view landline telephones, cassette tapes, and even compact discs as antediluvian, but they’re not ancient at all and are still used by many.)

Precarious (adj)

Dangerously insecure or unstable (Eg. The books on Quincy’s desk are in a precarious stack several feet high, and I get the sense that if he sneeze, they will come tumbling down.)

Jar (v)

To make a harsh sound; to shale by sudden impact (Eg. It took a D on her physics exam to jar Cerise out of her conviction that she was the smartest student in the school.)

Subjugate (v)

To bring under control; to conquer (Eg. After William the Conqueror won the Battle of Hastings, it took him several years to fully subjugate the English countryside.)

Diligent (adj)

Painstaking and steady (Eg. Diligence will help you in almost anything, for hard work is often the key to success.)

Coalesce (v)

To grow together; to merge into a single body (Eg. Our employees have suggested may possible reforms to our sick-leave policy, but opinion had not yet coalesced sufficiently for a single plan to be implemented.)

Draconian (adj)

Extremely harsh and severe (Eg. The sorority house is notoriously prudish, enforcing the sort of draconian curfews and visitation restrictions you’d find in a convent.)

Burnish (v)

To polish (Eg. The soldier burnished his ceremonial sword until it shone brightly.)

Vernacular (n)

Informal speech; native language (Eg. Studying a language in school is great, but doing so may not prepare you for the vernacular, the forms of the language spoken regionally.)

Redundant (adj)

Repeating unnecessarily (Eg. It was a fair indication of the speaker’s nervousness that his presentation was redundant and filled with hesitations.)

Metamorphosis (n)

A transformation, as by magic; a marked changed in appearance or function (Eg. The metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly is one of the amazing phenomena of nature.)

Prestige (n)

Fame of importance based on reputation of achievements (Eg. The prestige associated with that particular boarding school is so great that the number of applicants is 20 times the number of available spots.)

Duplicity (n)

Deception; deceitfulness; double-dealing (Eg. Most people hold elected officials in such low esteem that reports of a politician’s duplicity are frequently received with no surprise at all.)

Peruse (v)

To read carefully (Eg. She liked getting up early so she’d have time to peruse the paper before leaving for work, as she felt it necessary to learn as much as possible about current events.)

Disabuse (v)

To free from error or falsehood (Eg. In order to disabuse Catherina of the idea that psychology is nonsense, I tried to explain to her the many contributions the field has made to our understanding of humans.)

Transcribe (v)

To copy over, usually in a different form (Eg. The elderly court reported used an eccentric system of shorthand, producing notes that he alone could transcribe into legible text.)

Somber (adj)

Dark and gloomy or dull (Eg. The gray and rainy day fit well with the somber mood of the funeral procession.)

Debunk (v)

To expose the falsehood of (Eg. James Randi devoted his time to debunking the claims of supposed physics and has proved several to be frauds.)

Staunch (adj)

Strongly loyal (Eg. The latest acts of treason were so glaring that even her staunch supporters could no longer defend her.)

Mortify (v)

To humiliate; to fill with embarrassment (Eg. Mr. and Mrs. Park were mortified when their daughter concluded the valedictory address by saying, “Remember, the future is for the young generation, not old people like my parents.)

Blunder (v)

To move carelessly; n. such a movement; a significant error (Eg. Ruth is doing well now, but no one knows how long it will take her to blunder into another embarrassing mishap.)

Putrid (adj)

In a foul state, as of decaying flesh; rotten (Eg. A putrid odor wafted from the slaughterhouse)

Illicit (adj)

Unlawful; improper (Eg. The corporation, which had made millions by charging illegally high interest rates, had to repay its illicit gains after the attorney general’s investigation.)

Motif (n)

A recurring subject or theme, esp. in a work of art or literature (Eg. A traumatic obsession with death is a persistent motif in the work of Jack Kerouac.)

Scrupulous (adj)

Conscientious and exact; having principles (Eg. The pharmacist was scrupulous about checking orders twice since a single error could be disastrous.)

Ruse (n)

An action or device intended to decieve (Eg. Francine’s moaning, grimacing, and complaining of stomach pain were a ruse, but her mother saw through the deception and sent Francine to school.)

Lineaments (n)

Any of the features of the body, usually the face (Eg. After 50 years, the lineaments of her face had changed, the smoothness of the cheeks and forehead replaced by wrinkles, but there was still an unmistakable spark in her eyes.)

Derelict (adj)

Deserted, abandoned (of a building); neglectful of a duty (of a person); n. a homeless person (Eg. The many empty, derelict buildings near the waterfront attest to the decline that part of town had undergone in the last decade.)

Cynical (adj)

Distrusting others from a sense that everyone’s motives are selfish test to the Admirers belirve the televangelist is honestly devout, but those who are more cynical believe he is just trying to become rich from donations.)

Ingrate (n)

An ungrateful person (Eg. I realized that I had acted like an ingrate when I expressed disapointment after receiving a gift from my grandparents and failing to thank them.)

Caveat (n)

A warning (Eg. When I decided to buy a car, my father warned me to have it checked out by an independent mechanic, and this caveat saved me since my first car turned out to need major repairs.)

Compound (n)

A building or group of buildings enclosed by a barrier (Eg. Each day, the prisoners were allowed to exercise within the compound under with watchful eyes of armed guards.)

Apprehension (n)

Worry or unease (Eg. The approach of the history final in only one week filled Mary with apprehension as she realized she had forgotten most of the course material.)

Banal (adj)

Dull or stale; commonplace (Eg. What was supposed to be a creative and innovative presentation on the new uses of solar energy turned out to be banal and redundant.)

Rustic (adj)

Of or living in the country (Eg. Tired of the blare of car horns, the snarled traffic on every street, and the hectic pace of city life, Linda moved to the country to live the rustic life of a small farmer.)

Rejoinder (n)

An answer, esp. to another answer (Eg. Whenever my mother asked a question, she was quick with a rejoinder to my answer, so if she asked where I was going and I said “out,” she’d say, “I can’t figure out why you don’t have a Nobel Prize with brilliant answers like that.”

Venial (adj)

Easily excused or forgiven (Eg. One juror voted to acquit the drunk driver because she considered the offense venial and not worth prosecuting, but the 11 other jurors disagreed strenuously, noting the potential consequences of what they considered a serious offense.)

Apt (adj)

Appropriate; having a natural tendency (Eg. An apt math student, Ruth quickly grasped even the most difficult concepts in her calculus class.)

Exert (v)

To put forth or bring to bear (Eg. Politicians of the opposing party accused the governor of exerting his influence to pass a bill that created a tax break for a major contributor.)

Exodus (n)

The departure of a large number of people (Eg. The play’s horrible actors provoked a mass exodus of the audience, and by intermission, only two brave souls were left in the theater.)

Suffrage (n)

The right to vote (Eg. Universal suffrage for adults is considered basic to democracy, for without the right to vote, large segments of the population are often exploited.)

Diverge (v)

To depart from a set course or opinion (Eg. Although the two candidates largely agreed on general principles, the diverged sharply over how they wanted to achieve their goals)

Blithe (adj)

Frivolous; casual; carefree (Eg. No one was more surprised than Sheila at her own blithe indifference to losing her job.)

Indelible (adj)

Incapable of being removed or erased (Eg. The tragic images of the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake left an indelible impression on many viewers, prompting them to do whatever they could to help the less fortunate.)

Arbitrate (v)

To settle a dispute or a fight between two parties (Eg. The business partners agreed to hire someone to arbitrate their disagreement and said that they would abide by the decision.)

Pragmatic (adj)

Dealing practically with a situation or a thing; based on experience rather than theory (Eg. It’s tempting to purchase the small, shiny sports car, but a more pragmatic choice would be the minivan with airbags.)

Averse (adj)

Opposed, reluctant; repelled (Eg. Few people are averse to the idea of making tons of money; it’s the hard work along the way that turns them off.)

Dismal (adj)

Causing gloom or depression (Eg. The use of dismal weather in a book to reflect characters’ depression or to foreshadow gloom is called a pathetic fallacy since weather rarely is so obliging as to mimic out moods and happenings.)

Circumspeact (adj)

Showing discretion and carful judgement (Eg. Careful not to get the family’s hopes up, the doctor was circumspect in her comments, carefully letting the loved ones know that there was a long road ahead.)

Underscore (v)

To emphasize (Eg. Ms. Gomez underscored her point by writing it on the whiteboard and then physically underlining the key words.)

Sedate (adj)

Calm; quiet (Eg. The doctor emphasized that the medication would not calm Mrs. Carson unless she were moved to a more sedate environment.)

Saline (adj)

Of or containing common salt (Eg. If you plan to keep freshwater fish, you must ensure that the water is not saline.)

Atheist (n)

One who believes that God does not exist (Eg. Rebelling against the religion of his parents, Sam declared that he was an atheist.)

Icon (n)

An image; a symbol; a representation of a holy person, esp. in the Orthodox Christian churches (Eg. The Spirit of St. Louis, the plan in which Charles Lindenbegh made the first transatlantic flight, remains an icon of the adventurous spirit of the early aviators.)

Fallacy (n)

A false notion, esp. one based on incorrect reasoning (Eg. The idea that a cold winder disproves the theory of global warming is a fallacy; a single cold spell does not prove the temperatures are not rising on average.)

Analogy (n)

A similarity between things that are otherwise dissimilar; a comparison based on such a similarity (Eg. Charles’s parents didn’t find his analogy between their curfew and Nazism very funny and grounded him for a week.)

Abject (adj)

Of the lowest degree; brought low in condition (Eg. The film was an abject failure in that critics and audiences alike found it awful, and it was pulled from theaters after just two days.)

Aristocracy (n)

A hereditary ruling class; a group considered to be superior to others (Eg. The Roosevelts and the Kenedys were both families of the political aristocracy; generations after generation their members entered public service.)

Relegate (v)

To assign to an obscure place or condition; to send away (Eg. The company will relegate those salespeople who don’t meet their quote to the shifts with the fewest customers.)

Ubiquitous (adj)

Present everywhere (Eg. American culture is so ubiquitous today that it is not uncommon to find people in distant countries wearing clothing with logos of American sports teams and companies.)