Unit 1 Freshman English Vocab

Admonish

to firmly warn, scold, or advise someone about their behavior

I had to admonish my sister because she kept misbehaving.

Breach

To create an opening or breakthrough

Amazon suffered a data breach, so they had to upgrade their security measures.

Deadlock

a standstill where no progress, agreement, or movement is possible because opposing forces are stuck and refuse to give in

There was a deadlock at work because management could not come to an agreement on which company to should buy.

Cumbersome

heavy, large, and hard to manage

I almost passed out from exhaustion because the package I was carrying up from the post office was cumbersome.

Brigand

An outlaw or robber

When I was at the bank, a brigand showed up and stole money from the vault

Circumspect

Careful, cautious

When I am around snakes I am always circumspect so I don’t get attacked.

Commandeer

To seize for military or official use

The army will commandeer trucks to move food and water.

Debris

Scattered Fragments, Wreckage

The hurricane caused so much damage and debris.

Diffuse

To spread or scatter freely

The scent of fresh baking began to diffuse through the house.

Dilemma

A difficult situation or problem

I faced a major dilemma when I learned I lacked the credits to graduate.

Efface

to wipe out, erase, or make something disappear

I need to efface this mark before my mom gets home and gets mad at me.

Muddle

To make a mess of something; to mix things up in a messy way

Her desk was a muddle, You couldn't find anything in it.

Relinquish

To let go; Give up

I had to relinquish the bonfire because it was time to go home.

Opinionated

Stubborn and often unreasonable. Always think there ideas are right. (Closed Mind)

My friend is very stubborn and opinionated about her beliefs.

Perennial

Lasting for a long time;

Persistant Traffic jams are a perennial problem in the busy city.

Predispose

to make someone more likely to act, think, or feel in a specific way due to something that happened before

Certain genes may predispose a person to heart disease.

Salvage

To save things from fire or shipwreck

We tried to salvage everything we could after the fire, but most of it was unsalvageable.

Spasmodic

Sudden and violent only lasting for a short period of time

When we went to the Eras Tour, there were a lot of spasmodic lights.

Spurious

Not Genuine or true

His excuse for being late was completely spurious.

Unbridled

lacking in restraint; not controlled, restrained, or limited

His unbridled anger caused him to shout at the meeting.