aplang 12

abate

(v.) to become less intense or widespread (I took Laura some homemade cookies, hoping to _ her sadness.)

abet

(v.) to encourage or assist (During the press conference, the president vowed severe consequences for any person or group who chose to ____ the terrorists.)

accede

(v.) to agree to a demand, request, or treaty (At your insistance and to avoid a prolonged argument, I will to your contract terms.)

berate

(v.) to scold or condemn vehemently and at length (There's no need to someone for making a mistake during the first day on the job.)

braggart

(n.) a person who boasts about achievements (While the boasted of killing ten men, he had actually been placed in prison for stealing a truckload of diapers.)

cache

(n.) a secure place of storage (In preparation of the drought, the farmer has stored a sizable _ of water tanks.)

catalyst

(n.) an agent that provokes or speeds significant change or action (The bombing attack was the for war.)

censorious

(adj.) severely critical of others

dearth

(n.) an adequate supply or scarcity (Because there was a of evidence, the district attorney was forced to drop the charges.)

demagogue

(n.) a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires rather than reason (The opposing politician is just a _ who preys upon people's fears and prejudices.)

dispassionate

(adj.) not influenced by strong feeling (A mediator must appear _ so the opposing parties will not feel they favor one side over the other.)

effluvia

(n.) an unpleasant or harmful odor (The from local sewage treatment plants is polluting the river and killing manatees at an alarming rate.)

emulate

(v.) to strive to equal or excel (It is common for younger siblings to _ their older siblings when it comes to academics or athletics.)

epochal

(adj.) uniquely or highly significance (When the basketball team won the championship, it was an _ event for the city that had gone decades without a championship title.)

expound

(v.) to present and explain a theory or idea systematically and in detail (The article the virtues of a healthy diet and regular exercise.)

facile

(adj.) easily accomplished or attained (Running a mile each morning is a feat for a marathon runner who does not blink at the idea of running thirteen miles in a single race.)

fictive

(adj.) of, relating to, or capable of imaginative creation (Science Fiction, by its very name, implies a _ universe within an understandable scientific framework.)

flippant

(adj.) lacking proper respect or seriousness (The politician's comment that the poor save on taxes offended manu people.)

gauche

(adj.) lacking social experience or grace (His loud talking at the opera marked him as and uncultured.)

hedonist

(n.) a person who is devoted to the pursuit of pleasure (While Janice was on the cruise ship, she lived the life of a and spent most of her days in search of fun experiences.)

hubris

(n.) exaggerated pride or self-confidence (The leader of the cult had so much he believed the government would never be able to capture him.)

ignoble

(adj.) not honorable in character (As punishment for vandalizing one of the school bathrooms, George received the task of cleaning all the bathrooms for one week.)

jettison

(v.) to get rid of something or someone that is not wanted or needed (The school district finally received the funding they needed to all of the outdated computers and technology in the classrooms.)

kismet

(n.) destiny; fate (Although Gale hates coffee, led her into the coffee shop where she reconnected with an old friend.)

lexicon

(n.) the vocabulary of a person, language, or branch of knowledge (It is almost impossible to imagine a time when terms like "social distancing" and "contact tracing" were not part of the English _.)