Senior Vocab Unit 1

Abominable

Worthy of or causing disgust or hatred; detestable

Confluence

A coming or flowing together, meeting, or gathering at one point (as of rivers)

Conform

To act in accordance with current customs, accepted standards, or prevailing fashion

Exuberance

The quality of being full of energy, excitement, and cheerfulness; the quality of being lively and joyful

Fester

To undergo or exist in a state of progressive deterioration; to rot

Incredulity

The state of being unwilling or unable to believe something

Insidious

Proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with harmful effects

Restive

Impatient, restless, or uneasy; also: stubbornly resisting control

Savory

Pleasant or agreeable in taste or smell; especially: piquant

Septic

Relating to or characteristic of putrefaction; (in medical contexts) infected with bacteria

Sophisticate

A person who is knowledgeable and worldly-wise; a person with refined tastes and habits

Amiable

Friendly, sociable, and congenial

Buckles

To bend, warp, or collapse under pressure or heat

Damask

A firm, lustrous fabric with patterns woven into it, typically used for upholstery or draperies

Dulcet

Sweet to the ear; pleasing or melodious; also: generally pleasant and agreeable

Glean

To gather information or material bit by bit

Imbecile

A foolish or stupid person

Itinerant

Traveling from place to place, especially for work

Poignancy

The quality or state of being poignant (painfully affecting the feelings); a sense of sadness or regret

Pragmatic

Dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations

Uncouth

Awkward and uncultivated in appearance, manner, or behavior; rude

Venerable

Accorded a great deal of respect, especially because of age, wisdom, or character

Arcane

Known or knowable to only a few people; secret, mysterious, obscure

Benighted

In a state of moral or intellectual darkness; unenlightened

Decorous

Marked by propriety and good taste; polite and restrained

Deterrence

The action of discouraging an action or event through instilling doubt or fear of the consequences

Fantastic

Conceived or appearing as if conceived by an unrestrained imagination; highly fanciful

Imperious

Marked by arrogant assurance; commanding or dominant

Malice

The intention or desire to do evil; ill will

Pedant

One who makes a show of knowledge; also: a person who is unimaginative or who adheres to a narrow set of rules

Portly

Having a stout body; somewhat fat

Utopian

Of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a utopia (an imaginary place where everything is perfect); a visionary system of political or social perfection

Virtue

Conformity to a standard of right; moral excellence

Aquifers

A body of permeable rock which can contain or transmit groundwater

Archaic

Having the characteristic of an earlier period; old and no longer useful or popular

Clamor

A loud and continuous noise (such as of a crowd or a bell)

Disparate

Essentially different in kind; not able to be compared

Encumber

To restrict or burden (someone or something) in such a way that free action or movement is difficult

Languor

Weakness or weariness of body or mind

Melancholy

Suggestive or expressive of sadness or depression of mind or spirit; a pensive or thoughtful sadness

Naive

Having or showing a lack of experience, judgment, or sophistaction

Polyglot

A person who knows several languages

Vapid

Lacking liveliness, animation, or interest; dull or boring

Wends

To proceed or travel slowly or with difficulty

Anathema

Something or someone that one vehemently dislikes; a formal curse by a pope or a council of the Church, excommunicating a person or denouncing a doctrine.

Banality

The quality or state of being banal (lacking originality, freshness, or novelty).

Benign

Of a mild type or character that does not threaten health or life; harmless

Dystopia

An imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmentally degraded one.

Emulation

The act of trying to equal or excel; imitation, especially with a view to equaling or surpassing

Lithesome

Easily bent; supple; also: having a body that moves easily and gracefully

Magnanimous

Showing or suggesting a lofty, courageous spirit or nobility in nature

Perturbations

A deviation of a system, moving object, or process from its regular or normal state or path, caused by an outside influence

Plume

To spread out or fluff up in a feathery or showy way

Wretched

Deeply afflicted, dejected, or distressed in a body or mind