Vocab, Level G - 4,5,6

Abject

1. (adj.) degraded; base, contemptible, cringing, servile; complete and unrelieved

2. Synonyms: wretched, miserable, ignoble, sheer, utter

Agnostic

1. (n.) one who believes that nothing can be know about God; a skeptic; (adj.) without faith, skeptical

2. Synonym: (n.) doubter

Complicity

1. (n.) involvement in wrongdoing; the state of being an accomplice

2. Synonyms: connivance, collusion

Derelict

1. (n.) someone or something that is abandoned or neglected; (adj.) left abandoned; neglectful of duty

2. Synonyms: (n.) vagrant; (adj.) delinquent

Diatribe

1. (n.) a bitter and prolonged verbal attack

2. Synonyms: harangue, tirade

Effigy

1. (n.) a crude image of a despised person

2. Synonyms: figure, figurine

Equity

1. (n.) the state or quality of being just, fair, or impartial; fair and equal treatment; something that is fair; the money value of a property above and beyond any mortgage or other claim

2. Synonyms: justice, fairness, impartiality

Inane

1. (adj.) silly, empty of meaning or value

2. Synonyms: idiotic, moronic, fatuous

Indictment

1. (n.) the act of accusing; a formal accusation

2. Synonyms: charge, accusation

Indubitable

1. (adj.) certain, not to be doubted or denied

2. Synonyms: unquestionable, indisputable

Intermittent

1. (adj.) stopping and beginning again, sporadic

2. Synonyms: fitful, spasmodic, random

Moot

1. (adj.) open to discussion and debate, unresolved; (v.) to bring up for discussion; (n.) a hypothetical law case argued by students

2. Synonyms: (adj.) debatable, questionable; (v.) broach

Motif

1. (n.) a principal idea, feature, theme, or element; repeated or dominant figure in a design

Neophyte

1. (n.) a new convert, beginner, novice

2. Synonyms: tenderfoot, tyro

Perspicacity

1. (n.) keenness in observing and understanding

2. Synonyms: acumen, discernment

Plenary

1. (adj.) complete in all aspects essentials; absolute; attended by all qualified members

2. Synonyms: unrestricted

Survellience

1. (n.) a watch kept over a person; careful, close, and disciplined observation

2. Synonyms: observation, monitoring

Sylvan

1. (adj.) pertaining to or characteristic of forests; living or located in a forest; wooded, woody

2. Synonyms: arcadian

Testy

1. (adj.) easily irritated; characterized by impatience and exasperation

2. Synonyms: irritable, peevish, waspish, petulant

Travesty

1. (n.) a grotesque or grossly inferior imitation; a disguise, especially the clothing of the opposite sex; (v.) to ridicule by imitating in a broad or burlesque fashion

2. Synonyms: (n.) burlesque, caricature, farce

Fore-

1. before, ahead of time

-auto-

self

-cryph-

1.  hidden, secret

-dem-

people

-dia-

1. through, across, between 

-dog-

1.  opinion, teaching

-dox-

1.  opinion, teaching

-dic-

1. speak, say, tell

-duct-

1. lead, conduct, draw

acuity

1. (n.) sharpness (particularly of the mind or senses) 

2. Syn: acuteness

delineate

1. (v.) to portray, sketch, or describe in accurate and vivid detail; to represent pictorially 

2. Syn: picture, render

depraved

1. (adj.) marked by evil and corruption, devoid of moral principles

2. Syn: perverted, degenerate, vicious, corrupt

enervate

1. (v.) to weaken or lessen the mental, moral, or physical vigor of; enfeeble, hamstring 

2. Syn: impair, cripple, paralyze

esoteric

1. (adj.) intended for or understood by only a select few, private, secret 

2. Syn: cryptic, arcane, recondite 

fecund

1. (adj.) fruitful in offspring or vegetation; intellectually productive

2.  Syn: fertile, teeming, prolific 

fiat

1. (n.) arbitrary order or decree; a command or act of will or consciousness 

2. Syn: dictum, ukase

figment

1. (n.) a fabrication of the mind; an arbitrary notion 

2. Syn: invention, fancy

garner

1. (v.) to acquire as the result of effort; to gather and store away, as for future use 

2. Syn: collect, accumulate, accrue

hallow

1. (v.) to set apart as holy or sacred, sanctify, consecrate; to honor greatly, revere 

2. Syn: venerate, bless 

idiosyncrasy

1. (n.) a peculiarity that serves to distinguish or identify 

2. Syn: quirk, mannerism

ignominy

1. (n.) shame and disgrace 

2. Syn: humiliation, disrepute, odium 

mundane

1. (adj.) earthly, worldly, relating to practical and material affairs; concerned with what is ordinary 

2. Syn: prosaic, humdrum, routine, sublunary

nuance

1. (n.) a subtle or slight variation (as in color, meaning, quality), delicate gradation or shade of difference 

2. Syn: shade, nicety, refinement

overweening

1. (adj.) conceited, presumptuous; excessive, immoderate 

2. Syn: arrogant, unbridled, inflated

penchant

1. (n.) a strong attraction or inclination 

2. Syn: proclivity, predilection

reputed

1. (adj.) according to reputation or general belief; having widespread acceptance and good reputation; (part.) alleged 

2. Syn: putative, reputable

sophistry

1. (n.) reasoning that seems plausible but is actually unsound; a fallacy 

2. Syn: specious reasoning

sumputous

1. (adj.) costly, rich, magnificent 

2. Syn: lavish, munificent, opulent, splendid 

ubiquitous

1. (adj.) present or existing everywhere 

2. Syn: pervasive, universal

Pre-

 before, ahead of time

-phon-

sound, voice

-pol-

 city, state

-pel-

drive

-puls-

drive

-pend-

hang, weight, set aside

-pon-

put, place

-pos-

put, place

-port-

carry

atrophy

(n) the wasting away of a body organ or tissue; any progressive decline or failure; (v) to waste away

Syn: degeneration, deterioration; wither

bastion

(n) a fortified place, stronghold

Syn: citadel, rampart, parapet

concord

(n) a state of agreement, harmony, unanimity; a treaty, pact, covenant

ant: discord, strife, disagreement

consummate

(adj) complete or perfect in the highest degree; (v) to bring to a state of completion or perfection

Syn: (adj) masterful; (V) clinch, conclude

disarray

(n) disorder, confusion; (v) to throw into disorder

Syn: (n) disorganization; (v) mess up, dishevel

exigency

(n) urgency, pressure; urgent demand, pressing need; an emergency

Syn: requirement, crisis

flotsam

(n) floating debris; homeless, impoverished people

Syn: floating wreckage

frenetic

(adj) frenzied, highly agitated

Syn: frantic, overwrought

glean

(v) to gather bit by bit; to gather small quantities of grain left in a field by the reapers

Syn: cull, pick up

grouse

(n) a type of game bird; a complaint; (v) to grumble

Syn: kvetch, bellyache

incarcerate

(v) to imprison, confine, jail

Syn: intern

incumbent

(adj) obligatory, required; (n) one who holds a specific office at the time spoken of

Syn: mandatory, necessary

jocular

(adj) humorous, jesting, jolly, joking

Syn: waggish, facetious, droll

ludicrous

(adj) ridiculous, laughable, absurd

Syn: risible, preposterous

mordant

(adj) biting or caustic in though, manner, or style; sharply or bitterly harsh

Syn: acrimonious, acidulous, sardonic, scathing

nettle

(n) a prickly or stinging plant; (v) to arouse displeasure, impatience, or anger; to vex or irritate severely

Syn: peeve, annoy, incense, gall

pecuniary

(adj) consisting of or measured in money; of or related to money

Syn: monetary

pusillanimous

(adj) contemptibly cowardly or mean-spirited

Syn: lily-livered

recumbent

(adj) in a reclining position, lying down, in the posture of one sleeping or resting

Syn: prone, supine, inactive

stratagem

(n) a scheme to outwit or deceive an opponent or to gain an end

Syn: trick, ploy, subterfuge

Re-

again, back

Sub-

under, less than

Super-

above, greater than

-scop-

watch, look out

-rupt-

break

-scrib-

write

-spec-

look, see