English Vocab #1

abstract

theoretical; not concrete

abstruse

hard to understand

accolade

award or praise

acclaim

praised;applaud

Acquisecent

reluctantly

acrimony

words or behavior filled with harshness or anger

adamant

refusing to change; stubborn

adroit

skillful in physical activity

advocate

support; plead for; speak on behalf of

affable

friendly; easygoing

affirmation

positive statement; assertion; agreement

alienate

to push someone away

aloof

detached; apart; indifferent

altruistic

unselfish; caring

ambidextrous

albe to use both hands with equal skill

ambiguous

unclear; vague; having several possible interpretations

ambivalence

indecision; feeling of being pulled in two directions

ameliorate

to make an unpleasant situation better; to improve

ameliorate

to make an unpleasant situation better; to improve

amity

friendship

amorphous

without form or shape

Analogus

similar

anarchy

a lack of order; chaos

anathema

a religious curse

antagonistic

in hostile competition

antiquated

too old to be useful; outdated; obsolete

Antithesis

opposite

apathy

a lack of interest or concern

apex

top; highest point; summit

appease

calm; pacify

arbitrary

selected by random choice and without solid reason

arcane

secret

archaic

old

arrogant

acting superior; obnoxious

articulate

able to speak clearly and effectively

ascendance

domination; controlling power

ascetic

person who rejects physical comfort and luxury for self-discipline

asperity

roughness;harshness; irritability

assail

attack with words or force

assiduous

persistent; hard-working; diligent; attentive to detail

assuage

relieve; ease; pacify

astute

wise; insightfully clever; shrewd

atrophy

waste away; wither

audacious

brazen; brash; nervy

augment

make larger increase

auspicious

taking place under promising conditions; likely to succeed

austere

stern; plain;

averse

feeling repelled; wanting to avoid

avarice

greed

baleful

harmful; menacing

banal

boring; trite; inspid

beguile

to cheat or decieve

belie

to give an impression that is the opposite of the way things really are; misrepresent

belligerent

having a strong tendency to argue and fight

benediction

good wishes; a blessing

benevolent

kindhearted; good-natured; generous

benign

gentle; kind-hearted; mild

bequeath

to leave behind or hand dpwn through a will; transmit

blight

decay; disease; widespread death

bolster

to support; to reinforce

bombast

speech or writing intended to impress the audience; pompus

brevity

briefness; consciousness

bumptious

pushy; obnoxiously self-assertive

cacophony

harshness of sound; opposite of harmony

cajole

to fool with flattery or false promises; coax; decieve

candor

honesty

capacious

large

capitulate

surrender; yield

capricious

unpredictable

castigate

scold; punish

caustic

burning

celerity

speed

censure

to critizce

chasten

punish; discipline; castigate

chastise

scold; punish; castigate

choler

anger

circumscribe

draw a line around; define limits; confine; restrict

circumspect

cautious

clemency

mercy

coalesce

unite; grow together

coerce

to force someone by threatening or physically overpowering him

cloister

secluded or isolated from the outside world; also a place of seclusion

complacent

self-satisifed; unconcerned

compliant

following someone else's demands; conforming; obeying

composure

calmness; equanimity

concede

admit reluctantly; yield

concise

short and to the point

concur

to agree

condone

to overlook

confound

to mix up (in your mind) or to confuse someone else

Consonance

a blending of sounds or opinion; harmony; agreement

consummate

to complete or make whole

contend

to argue a point or position; or

contingent

dependent upon other circumstances; conditional

contract

squeeze together; shrink

contrite

sorry; penitent

conundrum

riddle; mystery

converge

move together to meet at a common point

conviction

an opinion that is strongly held

convivial

fond of parties; sociable