Lang/lit Quarter 1 Vocab

abstruse

(adj) hard to understand

amity

(n) friendship; peaceful harmony

arrogant

(adj) making claims or pretensions to superior importance or rights

averse

(adj) having a strong feeling of opposition, antipathy, repugnance, etc.; opposed

bolster

(v) to support with or as with a pillow cushion

clemency

(n) compassion or forgiveness in judging or punishing; leniency

contingent

(adj) conditional, dependent for existence, occurrence, character, etc. on something not yet certain

cupidity

(n) eager or excessive desire, especially to possess

desultory

(adj) lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful, random, unconnected with the main subject

dissolution

(n) the undoing or breaking of a bond tie union or partnership

emulate

(v)to try to equal or excel; imitate with effort to equal or surpass

euphemism

(n) the substitution of mild, indirect, or vague expression for thought to be offensive harsh or blunt

fastidious

(adj) excessively particular, critical, demanding; hard to please

garish

(adj) crudely or tastelessly colorful, showy, or elaborate

heed

(v) to give careful attention to, give attention, have regard

impetuous

(adj) impulsive

incredulous

(adj) skeptical

insolent

(adj) insulting, boldly rude or disrespectful

jeopardy

(n) peril, danger, risk of exposure to lose, harm, death or injury

legacy

(n) a gift of property, especially personal property, as money, by will; anything handed down from the past as from an ancestor or predecessor

malefactor

(n) a person who does harm or evil, violates the law, criminal

mitigate

(v) to lessen in force or intensity moderate, make less severe, appease

nurture

(v) to support, feed, protect, encourage, train, educate

optimist

(n) one who tends to look towards the more favorable conditions, good predominates evil

pervade

(v) to become spread through all parts of

preclude

(n) to make impossible, prevent the prescience existence or occurrence of

proximity

(n) nearness in place, time, order, occurrence, or relation

recluse

(v) a person who lives in seclusion or apart from society; often for religious meditation

revere

(v) to regard with respect tinged with awe

seditious

(adj) relating to rebellion, rebellious, guilty of rebellion

stealth

(adj) secret, not opening acknowledged, sneaky

tangent

(n) different line of thought or action

trite

(Adj) lacking in freshness or effectiveness because of constant is or excessive repetition, repetitive, stale

vacillate

(v) to waver in mind or opinion, to be indecisive,

wane

(v) to decrease in strength, intensity, power, end. Moon- after full moon

affable

(Adj) pleasantly easily to approach and talk to. Friendly

antiquated

(Adj) old fashioned, aged, obsolete

assail

(V) assault to attack violently

belie

(V) contradict, falsify, misrepresent, lie

candor

(N) sincere, honest, candid

complacent

(Adj) pleased with one's situation often without awareness of potential danger

converge

(V) to meet together, result, conclusion, meet in a point or line

daunted

(Adj) to over come with fear, intimidate, dishearten

digress

(V) to deviate or wander away from the main topic or purpose in speaking or writing

dogmatic

(Adj) relating to any strong set of principles concerning faith, morals as those laid down by a church; opinionated

enigma

(N) a puzzling or inexplicable occurrence or situation, puzzling character; riddle

expurgate

(V) to purge or cleanse of moral offensiveness; to amend by removing words passages are deemed offensive or objectionable

fledgling

(N) a young bird just taken flight; Young new or inexperienced

gravity

(N) The force of attraction by which terrestrial bodies tend to fall toward the center of the earth

hyperbole

(N) obvious and intentional exaggeration; and extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally

inadvertent

(Adj) unintentional heedless

infamy

(N). Extremely bad reputation public reproach or strong condemnation as the result of a shameful criminal or outrageous act

intractable

(Adj) hard to work with not easily controlled or directed stubborn obstinate

jubilant

(Adj) showing great joy and satisfaction or triumph

loath

(Adj) unwilling reluctant disinclined

meager

(Adj) deficient in quantity or quality inadequate

mundane

(Adj) common ordinary unimaginative relating to this world or earth as contrasted with heaven

obscure

(Adj) not clear or plain ambiguous vague uncertain

paragon

(N) A model pattern of excellence of a particular excellence someone of exceptional merit

phlegmatic

(Adj) Self possessed call them composed not easily excited to action or display of emotion apathetic sluggish

pretentious

(Adj) characterized by assumption of dignity or important especially when exaggerated undeserved

quandary

(N) A state of perplexity or uncertainty especially as to what to do dilemma

reprove

(V) to criticize a correct especially gently to disapprove of strongly

sanction

(V) to authorize approve allow ratify or confirm

slander

(N) A malicious false and defamatory statement or report

subtle

(Adj) delicate faint fine difficult to perceiver understand Cunning

tenacious

(Adj) characterized by keeping a firm hold persistent stubborn obstinate

ubiquitous

(Adj) existing or being everywhere especially at the same time omnipresent

vapid

(Adj) lacking or having lost life sharpness or flavor insipid flat without liveliness or spirit dull or tedious

wax

(V) to Rub or polish

alienate

(v) to make it different or hostile to cause to be withdrawn or isolated from the objective world

arbitrary

(adj) unreasonable unsupported conditional; chosen at random debatable

astute

(adj) clever of Keen penetration or discernment

benign

(Adj) having a kindly disposition gracious

censure

(v) to criticize or approach in a harsh manner; adverse criticism disapproval or blame

composure

(n) serene self-control state of mind calmness or Tranquility

cordial

(adj)courteous and gracious friendly warm sincere heartfelt

deplore

(v) to regret strongly lament

disdain

(n) to look upon or treat with contempt despise scorn to think unworthy of notice response consider beneath oneself

elated

(adj) very happy or proud jubilant

erratic

(adj) deviating from the usual or proper course in conduct or opinion eccentric

extraneous

(adj) Irrelevant or unrelated to the subject being dealt with

fulminate

(v) to explode in protest

harbor

(v) to give shelter two to conceal to hide offer refuge to

imminent

(adj) likely to occur at any moment impending

incompatible

(adj) unable to exist together in harmony contrary or opposed and character

infer

(v) to derive by reasoning conclude or judge from premises or evidence; to guess speculate surmise to hint imply suggest

irascible

(adj) easily provoked to anger very irritable

laconic

(adj) using few words expressing much in few words concise

lucid

(adj) easily understood completely intelligible incomprehensible, shining or bright

mellifluous

(adj) sweetly or smoothly flowing sweet sounding

novelty

(n) New or unique something never seen before

obtuse

(Adj) not quick or alert and perception feeling or intellect dull

penury

(n) Extreme poverty destitution inadequacy

ponderous

(adj) Slow and clumsy because of great weight

profound

(adj) penetrating or entering deeply into subjects of thought or knowledge having deep insight or understanding;; of a deep meaning going far beneath what is superficial External or obvious

rampant

(adj) violence in action or spirit raging furious

reserve

(n) to keep back for future use

scrutinize

(v)to examine in detail with careful or critical attention

sporadic

(adj) Occurring at irregular intervals or only in a few places