Sadlier Vocabulary Workshop Level F

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and definitions from Units 1 through 15 of Sadlier Vocabulary Workshop Level F.

approbation

The expression of approval or favorable opinion, praise; official approval.

assuage

To make easier or milder, relieve; to quiet, calm; to put an end to, appease, satisfy, quench.

coalition

A combination, union, or merger for some specific purpose.

decadence

Decline, decay, or deterioration; a condition or period of decline or decay; excessive self-indulgence.

elicit

To draw forth, bring out from some source (such as another person).

expostulate

To attempt to dissuade someone from some course or decision by earnest reasoning.

hackneyed

Used so often as to lack freshness or originality.

hiatus

A gap, opening, break (in the sense of having an element missing).

innuendo

A hint, indirect suggestion, or reference (often in a derogatory sense).

intercede

To plead on behalf of someone else; to serve as a third party or go-between in a disagreement.

jaded

Wearied, worn-out, dulled (in the sense of being satiated by excessive indulgence).

lurid

Causing shock, horror, or revulsion; sensational; pale or sallow in color; terrible or passionate in intensity or lack of restraint.

meritorious

Worthy, deserving recognition and praise.

petulant

Peevish, annoyed by trifles, easily irritated and upset.

prerogative

A special right or privilege; a special quality showing excellence.

provincial

Pertaining to an outlying area; local; narrow in mind or outlook, countrified in the sense of being limited and backward; a person with a narrow point of view; a person from an outlying area; a soldier from a province or colony.

simulate

To make a pretense of, imitate; to show the outer signs of.

transcend

To rise above or beyond, exceed.

umbrage

Shade cast by trees; foliage giving shade; an overshadowing influence or power; offense, resentment; a vague suspicion.

unctuous

Excessively smooth or smug; trying too hard to give an impression of earnestness, sincerity, or piety; fatty, oily; pliable.

ameliorate

To improve, make better, correct a flaw or shortcoming.

aplomb

Poise, assurance, great self-confidence; perpendicularity.

bombastic

Pompous or overblown in language; full of high-sounding words intended to conceal a lack of ideas.

callow

Without experience; immature, not fully developed; lacking sophistication and poise; without feathers.

drivel

Saliva or mucus flowing from the mouth or nose; foolish, aimless talk or thinking; nonsense; to let saliva flow from the mouth; to utter nonsense or childish twaddle; to waste or fritter away foolishly.

epitome

A summary, condensed account; an instance that represents a larger reality.

exhort

To urge strongly, advise earnestly.

ex officio

By virtue of holding a certain office.

infringe

To violate, trespass, go beyond recognized bounds.

ingratiate

To make oneself agreeable and thus gain favor or acceptance by others (sometimes used in a critical or derogatory sense).

interloper

One who moves in where he or she is not wanted or has no right to be, an intruder.

intrinsic

Belonging to someone or something by its very nature, essential, inherent; originating in a bodily organ or part.

inveigh

To make a violent attack in words, express strong disapproval.

lassitude

Weariness of body or mind, lack of energy.

millennium

A period of one thousand years; a period of great joy.

occult

Secret, hidden from view; not detectable by ordinary means; mysterious, magical, uncanny; to hide, cover up; eclipse; matters involving the supernatural.

permeate

To spread through, penetrate, soak through.

precipitate

To fall as moisture; to bring about suddenly; to hurl down from a great height; to give distinct form to; characterized by excessive haste; moisture; the product of an action or process.

stringent

Strict, severe; rigorously or urgently binding or compelling; sharp or bitter to the taste.

surmise

To think or believe without certain supporting evidence; to conjecture or guess; likely idea that lacks definite proof.

abominate

To have an intense dislike or hatred for.

acculturation

The modification of the social patterns, traits, or structures of one group or society by contact with those of another; the resultant blend.

adventitious

Resulting from chance rather than from an inherent cause or character; accidental, not essential; acquired, not congenital.

ascribe

To assign or refer to (as a cause or source), attribute.

circuitous

Roundabout, not direct.

commiserate

To sympathize with, have pity or sorrow for, share a feeling of distress.

enjoin

To direct or order; to prescribe a course of action in an authoritative way; to prohibit.

expedite

To make easy, cause to progress faster.

expiate

To make amends, make up for; to avert.

ferment

A state of great excitement, agitation, or turbulence; to be in or work into such a state; to produce alcohol by chemical action.

inadvertent

Resulting from or marked by lack of attention; unintentional, accidental.

nominal

Existing in name only, not real; too small to be considered or taken seriously.

noncommittal

Not decisive or definite; unwilling to take a clear position.

peculate

To steal something that has been given into one's trust; to take improperly for one's own use.

proclivity

A natural or habitual inclination or tendency (especially of human character or behavior).

sangfroid

Composure or coolness, especially in trying circumstances.

seditious

Resistant to lawful authority, having the purpose of overthrowing an established government.

tenuous

Thin, slender, not dense; lacking clarity or sharpness; of slight importance; lacking a sound basis, poorly supported.

vitriolic

Bitter, sarcastic; highly caustic or biting (like a strong acid).

wheedle

To use coaxing or flattery to gain some desired end.

affable

Courteous and pleasant, sociable, easy to speak to.

aggrandize

To increase in greatness, power, or wealth; to build up or intensify; to make appear greater.

amorphous

Shapeless, without definite form; of no particular type or character; without organization, unity, or cohesion.

archetype

An original model on which something was patterned or replicated; the ideal example of a particular type of person or thing.

aura

That which surrounds (as an atmosphere); a distinctive air or personal quality.

contraband

Illegal traffic, smuggled goods; illegal, prohibited.

erudite

Scholarly, learned, bookish, pedantic.

gossamer

Thin, light, delicate, insubstantial; a very thin, light cloth.

inscrutable

Incapable of being understood; impossible to see through physically.

insular

Relating to, characteristic of, or situated on an island; narrow or isolated in outlook or experience.

irrevocable

Incapable of being changed or called back.

propensity

A natural inclination or predilection toward.

querulous

Peevish, complaining, fretful.

remonstrate

To argue with someone against something, protest against.

repudiate

To disown, reject, or deny the validity of.

resilient

Able to return to an original shape or form; able to recover quickly.

reverberate

To re-echo, resound; to reflect or be reflected repeatedly.

scurrilous

Coarsely abusive, vulgar or low (especially in language), foul-mouthed.

sedulous

Persistent, showing industry and determination.

sleazy

Thin or flimsy in texture; cheap; shoddy or inferior in quality or character; ethically low, mean, or disreputable.

amnesty

A general pardon for an offense against a government; in general, any act of forgiveness or absolution.

autonomy

Self-government, political control.

axiomatic

Self-evident, expressing a universally accepted principle.

blazon

To adorn or embellish; to display conspicuously; to publish or proclaim widely.

caveat

A warning or caution to prevent misunderstanding or discourage behavior.

equitable

Fair, just, embodying principles of justice.

extricate

To free from entanglements or difficulties; to remove with effort.

filch

To steal, especially in a sneaky way and in petty amounts.

flout

To mock, treat with contempt.

fractious

Tending to be troublesome; unruly, quarrelsome, contrary; unpredictable.

precept

A rule of conduct or action.

salutary

Beneficial, helpful; healthful, wholesome.

scathing

Bitterly severe, withering; causing great harm.

scourge

To whip, punish severely; a cause of affliction or suffering; a source of severe punishment or criticism.

sepulchral

Funereal, typical of the tomb; extremely gloomy or dismal.

soporific

Tending to cause sleep, relating to sleepiness or lethargy; something that induces sleep.

straitlaced

Extremely strict in regard to moral standards and conduct; prudish, puritanical.

transient

Lasting only a short time, fleeting; one who stays only a short time.

unwieldy

Not easily carried, handled, or managed because of size or complexity.

vapid

Dull, uninteresting, tiresome; lacking in sharpness, flavor, liveliness, or force.