unit 1-6 vocab (level g)

acquisitive

adj, able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with acquiring wealth or property

arrogate

verb, to claim or take without right

banal

adj, hackneyed, trite, commonplace

Belabor

verb, to work on excessively; to thrash around

carping

adj, tending to find fault, especially in a petty, nasty, or hairsplitting way; noun, petty, nagging criticism

coherent

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

congeal

verb, to change from liquid to solid, thicken; to make inflexible or rigid

emulate

verb, to imitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model

encomium

verb, a formal expression of praise, a lavish tribute

eschew

verb, 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

noun, generosity in giving; lavish or bountiful contributions

reconnaissance

noun, a survey made for military purposes; any kind of preliminary inspection or examination

substantiate

verb, to establish by evidence, prove; to give concrete or substantial form to

taciturn

adj, habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little

temporize

verb, 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

acuity

noun, sharpness, particularly of mind or senses

delineate

verb, to portray, sketch, or describe in accurate and vivid detail; to represent pictorially

depraved

adjective, marked by evil and corruption, devoid of moral principles

enervate

verb, to weaken or lessen the mental, moral, or physical vigor of; enfeeble, hamstring

esoteric

adjective, intended for or understood by only a select few, private, secret

fecund

adjective, fruitful in offspring or vegetation; intellectually productive

fiat

noun, an arbitrary order or decree; a command or act of will or consciousness

figment

noun, a fabrication of the mind; an arbitrary notion

garner

verb, to acquire as the result of effort; to gather and store away, as for future use

hallow

verb, to set apart as holy or scared, sanctify, consecrate; to honor greatly, revere

idiosyncrasy

noun, a peculiarity that serves to distinguish or identify

ignominy

noun, shame and disgrace

mundane

noun,earthly, worldly, relating to practical and material affairs; concerned with what is ordinary

nuance

noun, a subtle or slight variation, as in color, meaning, quality; delicate gradation or shade or difference

overweening

adjective, conceited, presumptuous; excessive, immoderate

penchant

noun, a strong attraction or inclination

reputed

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

sophistry

noun, reasoning that seems plausible but is actually unsound; a fallacy

sumptuous

adjective, costly, rich, magnificent

ubiquitous

adjective, present or existing everywhere

cavort

verb, to romp or prance around exuberantly; to make merry

credence

noun, belief, mental acceptance

decry

verb, to condemn, express strong disapproval; to officially depreciate

dissemble

verb, to disguise or conceal, deliberately give a false impression

distraught

adjective, very much agitated or upset as a result of emotion or mental conflict

eulogy

noun, a formal statement of commendation; high praise

evince

verb, to display clearly, to make evident, to provoke

exhume

verb, to remove from a grave; to bring to light

feckless

adjective, lacking in spirit and strength; ineffective, weak; irresponsible, unreliable

murky

adjective, dark and gloomy, obscure; lacking in clarity and precision

nefarious

adjective, wicked, depraved, devoid of moral standards

piquant

adjective, stimulating to the taste or mind; spicy, pungent; appealingly provocative

primordial

adjective, developed or created at the very beginning; going back to the most ancient times or earliest stage; fundamental, basic

propinquity

noun, nearness in place or time; kinship

unwonted

adjective, not usual or expected; not in character

utopian

adjective, founded upon or involving a visionary view of an ideal world; impractical

verbiage

noun, language that is too wordy or inflated in proportion to the sense or content, wordiness; a manner of expression

verdant

adjective, green in tint or color; immature in experience or judgement

viscous

adjective, having a gelatinous or gluey quality, lacking in easy movement or fluidity

atrophy

the wasting away of a body organ or tissue; any progressive decline or failure; verb, to waste away

concord

noun, a state of agreement, harmony, unanimity; a treaty, pact, covenant

consummate

adjective, complete or perfect in the highest degree; verb, to bring to a state of completion or perfection

disarray

noun, disorder, confusion ; verb, to throw into disorder

exigency

noun, urgency, pressure; urgent demand, pressuring need; an emergency

flotsam

noun, floating debris; homeless, impoverished people

frenetic

adjective, frenzied, highly agitated

glean

verb, to gather bit by bit; to gather small quantities of grain left in a field by the reapers

grouse

noun, a type of game bird; a complaint; verb, to complain, grumble

incarcerate

verb, to imprison, confine, jail

incumbent

adjective, obligatory, required; noun, one who holds a specific office at the time spoken of

jocular

adjective, humorous, jesting, jolly, joking

ludicrous

adjective, ridiculous, laughable, absurd

mordant

adjective, biting or caustic in thought, manner, or style; sharply or bitterly harsh

nettle

noun, a prickly or stinging plant; verb, to arouse displeasure, impatience, or anger; to vex or irritate severely

pecuniary

adjective, consisting of or measured in money; of or related to money

pusillanimous

adjective, contemptibly cowardly or mean-spirited

recumbant

adjective, in a reclining position, lying down, in the posture of one sleeping or resting

stratagem

noun, a scheme to outwit or deceive an opponent or to gain an end

accost

verb, to approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging or aggressive way

animadversion

noun, a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval

avid

adjective, desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager

brackish

adjective, having a salty taste and unpleasant to drink

celerity

noun, swiftness, rapidity of motion or action

devious

adjective, straying or wandering from a straight or direct course, done or acted in a shifty or underhanded way

gambit

noun, in chess, an opening move that involves risk or sacrifice of a minor piece in order to gain a later advantage; any opening move of this type

halcyon

noun, a legendary bird identified with the kingfisher; adjective, of or relating to the halcyon; calm, peaceful; happy, golden; prosperous, affluent

histrionic

adjective, pertaining to actors and their techniques; theatrical, artificial; melodramatic

incendiary

adjective, deliberately setting or causing fires; designed to start fires; tending to stir up strife or rebellion; noun, the one who deliberately sets fires, arsonist; one who causes strife

maelstrom

noun, a whirlpool of great size and violence; a situation resembling a whirlpool in violence and destruction

myopic

adjective, nearsighted; lacking a broad, realistic view of a situation; lacking foresight or discernment

overt

adjective, open, not hidden, expressed or revealed in a way that is easily recognized

pejorative

adjective, tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement, derogatory, deprecatory, belittling

propriety

noun, the state of being proper, appropriateness

sacrilege

noun, improper or disrespectful treatment of something held sacred

summarily

adverb, without delay or formality; briefly, concisely

suppliant

adjective, asking humbly and earnestly; noun, one who makes a request humbly and earnestly, a petitioner, suitor

talisman

noun, an object that serves as a charm or is believed to confer magical powers, an amulet, fetish

undulate

verb, to move in waves or with a wavelike motion; to have a wavelike appearance or form

bastion

noun, a fortified place, stronghold

abject

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