Vocabulary Words 1-40

allay

to calm or pacify, set to rest; to lessen or relieve

bestial

beastlike; beastly, brutal; subhuman in intelligence and sensibility

convivial

festive, sociable, having fun together, genial

coterie

a circle of acquaintances; a close-knit, often exclusive, group of people with a common interest

counterpart

a person or thing closely resembling or corresponding to another; a complement

demur

to object or take exception to; an objection

effrontery

shameless boldness, impudence

embellish

to decorate, adorn, touch up; to improve by adding details

ephemeral

lasting only a short time, short-lived

felicitous

appropriate, apt, well chosen; marked by well-being or good fortune, happy

furtive

done slyly or stealthily, sneaky, secret, shifty; stolen

garish

glaring; tastelessly showy or overdecorated in a vulgar or offensive way

illusory

misleading, deceptive; lacking in or not based on reality

indigent

needy, impoverished

inordinate

far too great, exceeding reasonable limits, excessive

jettison

to cast overboard, get rid of as unnecessary or burdensome

misanthrope

a person who hates or despises people

pertinacious

very persistent; holding firmly to a course of action or a set of beliefs; hard to get rid of, refusing to be put off or denied

picayune

of little value or importance, paltry, measly; concerned with trifling matters, small-minded

raiment

clothing, garments

allege

to assert without proof or confirmation

arrant

throughgoing, out-and-out; shameless, blatant

badinage

light and playful conversation

conciliate

to overcome the distrust of, win over; to appease, pacify; to reconcile, make consistent

countermand

to cancel or reverse one order or command with another that is contrary to the first

echelon

one of a series of grades in an organization or field of activity; an organized military unit; a steplike formation or arrangement

exacerbate

to make more violent, severe, bitter, or painful

fatuous

stupid or foolish in a self-satisfied way

irrefutable

impossible to disprove; beyond argument

juggernaut

a massive and inescapable force or object that crushes whatever is in its path

lackadaisical

lacking spirit or interest, halfhearted

litany

a prayer consisting of short appeals to God recited by the leader alternating with responses from the congregation; any repetitive chant; a long list

macabre

grisly, gruesome; horrible, distressing; having death as a subject

paucity

an inadequate quantity, scarcity, death

portend

to indicate beforehand that something is about to happen; to give advance warning of

raze

to tear down, destroy completely; to cut or scrape off or out

recant

to withdraw a statement or belief to which one has previously been committed, renounce, retract

saturate

to soak thoroughly, fill to capacity; to satisfy fully

saturnine

of a gloomy or surly disposition; cold or sluggish in mood

slough

to cast off, discard; to get rid of something objectionable or unnecessary; to plod through as if through mud; a mire; a state of depression

acclamation

a shout of welcome; an overwhelming verbal vote of approval