lit vocab 1

abstract

(adj) theoretical; not concrete

abstruse

(adj) hard to understand

accolade

(noun) an award or praise

acclaim

(verb) praise; applaud

acquiescent

(adj) reluctantly agreeable; compliant

acrimony

(noun) words or behavior filled with harshness or anger

adamant

(adj) refusing to change; stubborn, unyielding

adroit

(adj) skillful in physical activity, or in handling difficult situations

advocate

(verb) support; plead for; speak on behalf of

affable

(adj) friendly; easygoing

affirmation

(noun) positive statement; assertion; agreement

alienate

(verb) to push someone away, or cause him to separate from people

aloof

(adj) detached; apart; indifferent

ambidextrous

(adj) able to use both hands with equal skill

altruistic

(adj) unselfish; caring

ambiguous

(adj) unclear; vague; having several possible interpretations

ambivalence ("the house had been in the family for generations, so they were ambivalent about selling it")

(noun) indecision; feeling of being pulled in two directions

ameliorate

(verb) to make an unpleasant situation better; to improve

amity

(noun) friendship

amorphous

(adj) without form or shape

analogous

(adj) similar

anarchy

(noun) a lack of order; chaos

anathema

(noun) a religious curse, or the thing or person being cursed

antagonistic

(adj) in hostile competition; opposing

antiquated

(adj) too old to be useful; outdated; obsolete

antithesis

(noun) opposite

apathy

(noun) lack of interest or concern

apex

(noun) top; highest point; summit

appease

(verb) calm; pacify

arbitrary

(adj) selected by random choice and without solid reason

arcane

(adj) secret; mysterious

archaic

(adj) old; antiquated

arrogant

(adj) acting superior, obnoxious, smug, or rude

articulate

(adj) able to speak clearly and effectively

ascendance

(noun) domination; controlling power

ascetic

(noun) person who rejects physical comfort and luxury for self-discipline

asperity

(adj) roughness; harshness; irritability

assail

(verb) attack with words or force

assiduous

(adj) persistent; hard-working; diligent; attentive to detail

assuage

(verb) relieve; ease; pacify

astute

(adj) wise; insightfully clever; shrewd

atrophy

(verb) waste away; wither

audacious

(adj) brazen; brash; nervy

augment

(verb) make larger; increase

auspicious

(adj) taking place under promising conditions; likely to succeed

austere

(adj) stern; plain; without luxuries

averse

(adj) feeling repelled; wanting to avoid

avarice

(noun) greed

baleful

(adj) harmful; menacing

banal

(adj) boring; trite; insipid

belie

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

beguile

(verb) to cheat or deceive, usually through charm; to amuse

belligerent

(adj) having a strong tendency to argue and fight

benediction

(noun) good wishes; a blessing

benevolent

(adj) kind-hearted; good-natured; generous

benign

(adj) gentle; kind-hearted; mild

bequeath

(verb) to leave behind or hand down through a will; transmit

blight

(noun) decay; disease; widespread death

bolster

(verb) to support; to reinforce

bombast

(noun) speech or writing intended to impress the audience; pompous

brevity

(noun) briefness; conciseness

bumptious

(adj) pushy; obnoxiously self-assertive

cacophony

(noun) harshness of sound; opposite of harmony

cajole

(verb) to fool with flattery or false promises; coax; deceive

candor

(noun) honesty; frankness

capacious

(adj) large; roomy; spacious

capitulate

(verb) surrender; yield

capricious

(adj) unpredictable

castigate

(verb) scold; punish

caustic

(adj) burning, either with chemicals or sarcasm

celerity

(noun) speed

censure

(verb) to criticize

chasten

(verb) punish; discipline; castigate

chastise

(verb) scold; punish; castigate

choler

(noun) anger

circumscribe

(verb) draw a line around; define limits; confine; restrict

circumspect

(adj) cautious

clemency

(noun) mercy

coalesce

(verb) unite; grow together

coerce

(verb) to force someone by threatening or physically overpowering them

cloister

(noun) secluded or isolated from the outside world; also, a place of seclusion

complacent

(adj) self-satisfied; unconcerned

compliant

(adj) following someone else's demands; conforming; obeying

composure

(noun) calmness; equanimity

concede

(verb) admit reluctantly; yield

concise

(adj) short and to the point; terse

concur

(verb) agree

condone

(verb) to overlook, excuse, or pardon

confound

(verb) to mix up (in your own mind); or, to confuse someone else

consonance

(noun) a blending of sounds or opinions; harmony; agreement

consummate

(verb) to complete or make whole

contend

(verb) to argue a point or position; or, to struggle for

contingent

(adj) dependent upon other circumstances; conditional

contract

(verb) squeeze together; shrink

contrite

(adj) sorry; penitent

conundrum

(noun) riddle; mystery

converge

(verb) move together to meet at a common point

conviction

(noun) an opinion that is strongly held

convivial

(adj) fond of parties; sociable

copious

(adj) in large quantity; abundant