Vocab Workshop Level F - Units 14 & 15

amenable

(adj.) willing to follow advice or authority, tractable, submissive; responsive; liable to be held responsible

berate

(v.) to scold sharply

carnage

(n.) large-scale slaughter or loss of life

credulous

(adj.) too ready to believe, easily deceived

criterion

(n.) a rule, test; a standard for judgment or evaluation

deplete

(v.) to use up as a result of spending or consumption; to diminish greatly

expatiate

(v.) to expand on, write or talk at length or in detail; to move about freely

extraneous

(adj.) coming from the outside, foreign; present but not essential, irrelevant

inception

(n.) the beginning, start, earliest stage of some process, institution, etc.

infirmity

(n.) a weakness or ailment (physical, mental, moral, etc.)

jejune

(adj.) lacking in nutritive value; lacking in interest or substance; immature, juvenile

obdurate

(adj.) stubborn; unyielding

potpourri

(n.) a collection of diverse or miscellaneous items; a general mixture; petals mixed with spices for scent

precocious

(adj.) showing unusually early development (especially in talents and mental capacity)

sadistic

(adj.) delighting in cruelty, excessively cruel

sententious

(adj.) self-righteous, characterized by moralizing; given to use of maxims or adages; saying much in few words, pithy

supplicate

(v.) to beg earnestly and humbly

surfeit

(n.) an excess or overindulgence, as in eating or drinking, causing disgust; (v.) to feed or supply with anything to excess

tortuous

(adj.) winding, twisted, crooked; highly involved, complex; devious

turgid

(adj.) swollen, bloated, filled to excess; overdecorated or excessive in language

adamant

(adj.) firm in purpose or opinion, unyielding, obdurate, implacable, inflexible; (n.) an extremely hard substance

brouhaha

(n.) a confused hodgepodge of sounds, hubbub; an uproar or commotion that goes far beyond what is justified

bulwark

(n.) a strong defense or protection, a solid wall-like structure for defense; (v.) to provide such defense or protection

choleric

(adj.) easily made angry, bad-tempered

cloy

(v.) to spoil or destroy an appetite by too much indulgence, especially in sweet or rich things; to glut, satiate, surfeit

curtail

(v.) to cut short, bring to a halt or end sooner than expected; to reduce

deference

(n.) courteous yielding to the wishes and ideas of another person; great respect marked by submission, as to a superior

definitive

(adj.) conclusive, final, representing the limit of what can be done

demeanor

(n.) the way a person behaves, overall impression made by comportment, manner, etc.; facial appearance, mien

enigmatic

(adj.) puzzling, perplexing, inexplicable, not easily understood

impromptu

(adj., adv.) without preparation, offhand, suddenly or hastily done; (n.) an extemporaneous composition or remark; a minimal piece suggestive of improvisation

mawkish

(adj.) excessively and objectionably sentimental; having a mildly sickening flavor

mollify

to soften; to calm, allay (as an emotion); reduce in intensity

onus

(n.) something that is heavy or burdensome (especially an unwelcome responsibility); a stigma; blame

presentiment

(n.) a vague sense of approaching misfortune

profligate

(adj.) given over to dissipation and self-indulgence, immoral; recklessly extravagant; (n.) a person given to self-indulgent and wild spending

remit

(v.) to send or hand in (as money); to cancel (as a penalty or punishment), forgive, pardon; to lessen, diminish; to put off, postpone, defer

requisite

(adj.) needed, necessary, regarded as essential or indispensable

sartorial

(adj.) of or pertaining to a tailor or his work; having to do with clothes or dress (especially men's)

thwart

(v.) to oppose successfully; to prevent, frustrate