vocab sem`1 austin

abhor

to hate or strongly dislike

Cynical

believing that people are motivated by self-interest; distrustful of human sincerity or integrity

Pandemonium

an uproar; a great commotion

Negligent

failing to take proper care in doing something

Demarch

the ruler or leader of a political region

Supersede

to replace; to take the place of

Plebeian

common; not extraordinary

Dissonant

sounding harsh or disagreeable

Insurgent

one who takes part in forcible opposition to the authorities of a place; a revolutionary

Misanthropy

the hatred of man or mankind

Abduct, v.

to carry someone away against his/her will

Dubious, adj.

unclear; uncertain

Penultimate, adj.

the second to last member of a series

Necropolis, n.

a city inhabited by the deceased

Futile, adj.

pointless; incapable of resulting in success

Bulwark, n.

anything that provides shelter or defense

Confide, v.

to reveal in trust or confidence

Enthralled, adj.

captivated, fixated, held under any powerful influence

Grotesque, adj.

ill-proportioned, odd or unnatural in shape or appearance.

Catharsis, n.

the process of releasing any strong or overpowering emotions.

Juxtapose, v.

to place close together; to closely compare

Obsolete, adj.

no longer practiced or accepted; out of date

Sanctuary, n.

a safe or holy place

Dearth, n.

a lack of something, especially something essential or desirable

Epizootic, adj.

prevailing among animals

Zeitgeist, n.

the defining characteristics of a generation; the things that stand out about a generation

Philander, v.

to court a person; to flirt romantically

Aberration, n.

deviation from the norm

Omniscient, adj.

having unlimited or infinite knowledge

Pedestrian, adj.

lacking excitement, dull, boring

Abscission, n.

the process of cutting off, as if in a surgical procedure

Chastise, v.

to punish or reprimand

Myriad, n.

a large, indefinite number or amount

Gregarious, adj.

socially active; not habitually solitary; friendly

Heterogeneous, adj.

containing dissimilar elements; composed of different kinds of ingredients

Caricature, n.

a picture or description in which natural features are greatly exaggerated

Prodigious, adj.

immense, great

Pensive, adj.

thoughtful; reflective

Despondent, adj.

extremely sad or disheartened

Symbiote, n.

an organism that must form a bond with a different living thing in order to survive

Draconian, adj.

extremely strict or harsh

Domicile, n.

the place where one lives

Oratory, n.

the art of public speaking

Resonance, n.

the ability to reflect sound; the ability to produce an echo

Inundate, v.

to fill with an overflowing abundance; to flood

Antecedent, n.

a thing or event that exists/goes before another

Contuse, v.

to bruise by striking

Belligerent, adj.

having and demonstrating a loud, expressive nature; aggressive, war-like

Mediate, v.

to act as a negotiator between two parties

Charlatan, n.

a liar or a fraud

Epidermis, n.

the outer skin of a person or thing

Rupture, v.

to separate or break violently

Monotheistic, adj.

believing in only one god or deity

Conscientious, adj.

governed by good moral standards

Diminutive, adj.

very small in size or stature

Retrospect, n.

the review of past events or choices/actions

Unctuous, adj.

greasy, oily, describing a person who is overly flattering

Vivacity, n.

the quality of being lively and/or animated

Coddle, v.

to treat as a young child or baby

Indelible, adj.

incapable of being erased or taken back

Perjury, n.

the act of lying under oath.

Virulent, adj.

strongly harmful or dangerous

Ebullient, adj.

enthusiastic, excited

Corroborate, v.

to strengthen, as with truth or conviction; to go along or agree with

Impugn, v.

to attack with arguments or accusations

Connotation, n.

an idea or feeling that goes along with a word, in addition to its literal meaning

Anecdote, n.

a brief account of an interesting event or occurrence

Capacious, adj.

roomy, having plenty of space

Fallacy, n.

any unsound or illogical mode of reasoning

Predominant, adj.

superior in rank, title, number, influence, effectiveness, or degree

Subordinate, adj.

lower in rank or position; under the control of another person or governing body

Theocracy, n.

a government in which priests rule in the name of a god or gods

Incarnation, n.

a person who embodies a deity, spirit, or quality

Alliteration, n.

the repetition of the same letter or sound at the beginning of closely connected words

Tedious, adj.

boring, dull, taking too long

Convalesce, v.

to recover after a sickness

Innuendo, n.

an implication, suggestion, or insinuation

Indigenous, adj.

originating naturally in a certain place; native to a certain place

Anachronism, n.

a thing that exists in the wrong time period

Egocentric, adj.

selfish, vain, self-centered