English 4 - Vocabulary #1-10

Panache

(n): dashing elegance of manner or style.

Profound

(adj): intellectually deep or penetrating; reaching to, rising form, on affecting the depths of one’s nature.

Boor

(noun): a rude person; someone that is unrefined.

Prodigious

(adj): enormous in size, quantity, degree; marvelous, amazing

Forbearance

(adj): patience

Opaque

(adj.) Having no luster; dull; hard to understand

Agog

(adj): highly excited by eagerness

Forthright

(adj): frank; going straight to the point

Fiasco

(noun): a complete or humiliating failure

Doleful

(adj): Sorrowful; Melancholy

Barrage

(n): A curtain of artillery fire; any overwhelming attack; as of words or blows

Elite

(n) the best or skilled members of a group

Throng

(n) a large group of people gathered closely together

Portal

(n) an entrance, door or gate

Tome

(n) a large book

Annals

(n) descriptive record; history

Cataract

(n) a large waterfall; a deluge; an eye abnormality

Animated

(adj) having life; filled with activity, vigor, or spirit

Booty

(n) loot; the spoils of war; goods or property seized by force; a valuable prize

Jetsam

(n) cage or equipment thrown overboard to lighten an imperiled vessel; discarded odds and ends

Allure

to entice with something desirable; tempt

Commodious

spacious, roomy, capacious

Ramification

a branching out; a development growing out of and often complicating a problem or pain

Dispel

to drive away; to dissipate

Gloat

to brag greatly

Muse

to ponder; meditate; think about at length

Pique

irritation, resentment stemming from wounded pain; also to arouse curiosity

Paradox

a statement that seems true but at the same time seems to also have an opposite truth

Edifice

a building, especially one of imposing appearance or size

Penitent

sorrow and remorse for past misdeeds

Mogul

a very rich or powerful; a magnate

Courier

a messenger

Despot

an absolute ruler

Carnivore

a flesh-eating animal

Clone

an exact duplicate

Dolt

a stupid person

Specter

a ghost or phantom

Sage

a person of wisdom and prudence

Iconoclast

one who attacks and seeks to overthrow traditional or popular ideas or institutions

Nemesis

an opponent that cannot be beaten or overcome

Dearth

scarcity; lack

Sundry

various, several, miscellaneous

Legacy

something handed down from one who has gone before or from the past; a bequest

Prowess

exceptional skill and bravery

Insoucient

calm and carefree; lighthearted

Somber

depressing, gloomy, dark

Generalize

rather than specific; to form a general conclusion

Callous

unfeeling, insensitive; having calluses

Revere

to regard with great devotion or respect, to honor

Phobia

a persistent, illogical fear

Offal

waste parts especially of a butchered animal; rubbish

Diatribe

a bitter verbal attack

Parley

a conference, especially between enemies

Fray

a fight or scuffle; brawl

Cataclysm

a violent upheaval or change

Lambaste

to give a thrashing; scold

Escapade

an adventurous unconventional act

Eschew

to avoid or shun

Camaraderie

comradeship, friendship

Ransack

to search thoroughly; pillage

Embody

to give bodily form to; to personify; to make part of system

Pillage

to rob of goods by violent seizure, plunder; to take as spoils

Forsake

to abandon, to give up, to renounce

Truncate

to shorten by cutting off

Remorse

a strong feeling of sadness or guilt for having done something wrong

Verbatim

using exactly the same words, word for word

Deft

dexterous, skillful

Creditor

a person to whom money is owed

Antecedent

going before; preceding; an occurrence or event preceding another

Ubiquitous

the quality of being everywhere (or seeming to) at the same time

Poltroon

a coward

Paragon

a model or pattern of excellence

Lampoon

a light, good-humored satire

Strife

bitter conflict; quarrel; fight

Appease

to soothe; to pacify or relieve by giving into

Boon

a timely benefit; a blessing

Conundrum

a dilemma; any problem or puzzle

Brazen

bold, shameless; impudent; also like brass

Covert

secret; hidden; concealed

Bootleg

to smuggle; to make, sell, or transport for sale

Expunge

To remove, to delete, to erase

Incongrous

Not appropriate, unsuited to the surroundings; not fitting in

Bulwark

A defensive wall; something serving as a principal defense

Cerebral

Of or relating to the brain; an intellectual person

Austere

Stern, as in manner; without excess, unadorned, severely simple and plain

Aloof

Distant, reserved in manner; uninvolved

Cacophony

Harsh sounds

Lament

To express sorrow or regret; to mourn

Chattel

An item of personal, movable property; slave

Connoisseur

An expert, particularly in matters of art and taste

Mirage

Unreal reflection; an optical illusion

Philanthropy

Love of mankind, especially through charitable gifts and deeds

languished

To become weak or feeble; sag with loss of strength

Coup

The violent overthrow of a government by a small group; A victorious accomplishment

Entice

Attract or temp by offering pleasure or advantage

Oust

Drive out or expel (someone) from a position or place

Misanthropy

Someone who hates mankid

Hoard

To accumulative for futre use; stockpile

Noisome

Stinking; offensive; disgusting

Cloister

A tranquil, secluded place