1st Vocab Test: English III

Accost (v.)

To approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging or aggressive way.

Animadversion (n.)

A comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval.

Avid (adj.)

Desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager.

Brackish (adj.)

Having a salty taste and unpleasant to drink.

Celerity (n.)

Swiftness, rapidity of motion or action.

Devious (adj.)

Straying or wandering from a direct course; done in a shifty or underhanded way.

Gambit (n.)

An opening move involving risk or sacrifice to gain a later advantage.

Halcyon (n. / adj.)

A legendary bird; calm, peaceful, happy, golden, or prosperous.

Histrionic (adj.)

Pertaining to actors; theatrical, artificial, or melodramatic.

Incendiary (adj. / n.)

Designed to cause fires or strife; an arsonist or one who causes strife.

Maelstrom (n.)

A whirlpool of great size and violence; a destructive, violent situation.

Myopic (adj.)

Nearsighted; lacking foresight or a realistic view of a situation.

Overt (adj.)

Open, not hidden; expressed in an easily recognized way.

Pejorative (adj.)

Tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement.

Propriety (n.)

The state of being proper; standards of socially acceptable behavior.

Sacrilege (n.)

Improper or disrespectful treatment of something held sacred.

Summarily (adv.)

Without delay or formality; briefly, concisely.

Suppliant (adj. / n.)

Asking humbly and earnestly; a petitioner or humble suitor.

Talisman (n.)

An object believed to confer magical powers or serve as a charm.

Undulate (v.)

To move in waves or with a wavelike motion and appearance.

Acquisitive

greedy, grasping, avaricious, retentive

Arrogate

expropriate, usurp, commandeer

Banal

stale, insipid

Belabor

overwork

Carping

nit-picking, caviling

Coherent

connected, unified, consistent, cohesive

Congeal

harden, jell, coagulate, solidify

Emulate

copy, mimic, rival, match, measure up to

Encomium

panegyric, eulogy, commendation

Eschew

abstain from, steer clear of, forgo

Germane

pertinent

Insatiable

unquenchable, ravenous, voracious

Intransigent

uncompromising, unyielding, obdurate

Invidious

malicious, spiteful, prejudicial, pejorative

Largesse

liberality, munificence, bounty

Reconnaissance

scouting expedition

Substantiate

verify, confirm, validate, authenticate

Taciturn

tight-lipped, uncommunicative, laconic

Temporize

hedge, dillydally, procrastinate

Tenable

defensible, justifiable, maintainable

Articulate

(v.) To pronounce distinctly; to express well in words; to connect by a joint or joints ; (adj.) — Expressed clearly and forcefully; able to employ language clearly and forcefully; jointed .

Cavort

(v.) To romp or prance around exuberantly; to make merry .

Credence

(n.) Belief, mental acceptance.

Decry

(v.) To condemn, express strong disapproval; to officially depreciate .

Dissemble

(v.) To disguise or conceal, deliberately give a false impression.

Distraught

(adj.) Very much agitated or upset as a result of emotion or mental conflict.

Eulogy

(n.) A formal statement of commendation; high praise .

Evince

(v.) To display clearly, to make evident, to provoke.

Exhume

(v.) To remove from a grave; to bring to light .

Feckless

(adj.) Lacking in spirit and strength; ineffective, weak; irresponsible, unreliable.

Murky

(adj.) Dark and gloomy, obscure; lacking in clarity and precision.

Nefarious

(adj.) Wicked, depraved, devoid of moral standards.

Piquant

(adj.) Stimulating to the taste or mind; spicy, pungent; appealingly provocative.

Primordial

(adj.) Developed or created at the very beginning; going back to the most ancient times or earliest stage; fundamental, basic.

Proximity

(n.) Nearness, closeness.

Unwonted

(adj.) Not usual or expected; not in character.

Utopian

(adj.) Founded upon or involving a visionary view of an ideal world; impractical.

Verbiage

(n.) Language that is too wordy or inflated in proportion to the sense or content, wordiness; a manner of expression.

Verdant

(adj.) Green in tint or color; immature in knowledge or judgment.

Viscous

(adj.) Having a gelatinous or gluey quality, lacking in easy movement or fluidity.