Vocabulary Level G Unit 1: Definitions

acquisitive

(adj.) able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with acquiring wealth or property

arrogate

(v.) to claim or take without right

banal

(adj.) hackneyed, trite, commonplace

belabor

(v.) to work on excessively; to thrash soundly

carping

(adj.) tending to find fault, especially in a petty, nasty, or hairsplitting way; (n.) petty, nagging criticism

coherent

(adj.) holding or sticking together; making a logical whole; comprehensible, meaningful

congeal

(v.) to change from liquid to solid, thicken; to make inflexible or rigid

emulate

(v.) to imitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model

encomium

(n.) a formal expression of praise, a lavish tribute

eschew

(v.) to avoid, shun, keep away from

germane

(adj.) relevant, appropriate, apropos, fitting

insatiable

(adj.) so great or demanding as not to be satisfied

intransigent

(adj.) refusing to compromise, irreconcilable

invidious

(adj.) offensive, hateful; tending to cause bitterness and resentment

largesse

(n.) generosity in giving; lavish or bountiful contributions

reconnaissance

(n.) a survey made for military purposes; any kind of preliminary inspection or examination

substantiate

(v.) to establish by evidence, prove; to give concrete or substantial form to

taciturn

(adj.) habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little

temporize

(v.) to stall or act evasively in order to gain time, avoid a confrontation, or postpone a decision; to compromise

tenable

(adj.) capable of being held or defended

excortion

a strong denuncation the act or state or stripping or wearing off skin

ramify

(v.) to divide into branches or subdivisions; to spread out or extend in a complex way.

Acquisitive sym

Greedy, ambitious, grasping

Arrogate sym

Claim, seize, take

Banal sym

Boring, ordinary, cliché

Belabor sym

Overwork, criticize, dwell on

Carping sym

Complaining, critical, faultfinding

Coherent sym

Logical, clear, consistent

Congeal sym

Solidify, thicken, harden

Emulate sym

Imitate, copy, model after

Encomium sym

Praise, tribute, compliment

Eschew sym

Avoid, shun, reject

Excoriation sym

Harsh criticism, condemnation, censure

Germane sym

Relevant, applicable, pertinent

Insatiable sym

Greedy, unquenchable, voracious

Intransigent sym

Stubborn, inflexible, uncompromising

Invidious sym

Envious, resentful, spiteful

Largesse sym

Generosity, charity, gifts

Ramify sym

Branch out, expand, spread

Reconnaissance sym

Investigation, scouting, exploration

Substantiate sym

Prove, confirm, support

Taciturn sym

Quiet, reserved, uncommunicativein speech or expression.

Temporize sym

Delay, stall, postpone

Tenable sym

Defensible, reasonable, supportable

Arrogate ant

Renounce, relinquish, surrender

Banal ant

Original, interesting, unique

Belabor ant

Praise, compliment, commend

Carping ant

Complimentary, approving, praising

Coherent ant

Incoherent, confusing, illogical

Congeal(ant)

Melt, liquefy, soften

Emulate(ant)

Differ from, disregard, ignore

Encomium(ant)(ant)

Criticism, insult, condemnation

Eschew(ant)

Embrace, accept, pursue

Excoriation(ant)

Praise, approval, commendation

Germane(ant)

Irrelevant, unrelated, extraneous

Insatiable(ant)

Satisfied, content, fulfilled

Intransigent(ant)

Flexible, cooperative, yielding

Invidious(ant)

Admiring, favorable, appreciative

Largesse(ant)

Stinginess, selfishness, greed

Ramify(ant)

Contract, shrink, simplify

Reconnaissance(ant)

Ignorance, unawareness, neglect

Substantiate(ant)

Disprove, refute, contradict

Taciturn(ant)

Talkative, chatty, outspoken

Temporize(ant)

Act, decide, hasten

Tenable(ant)

Indefensible, unreasonable, untenable