vocab unit 1-9

admonish

(v.) to caution or advise against something; to scold mildly; to remind of a duty

brigand

(n.) a bandit, robber, outlaw, highwayman

circumspect

careful, cautious

commandeer

to take control of by force

cumbersome

(adj.) clumsy, hard to handle; slow-moving

deadlock

(n.) a standstill resulting from the opposition of two equal forces or factions; (v.) to bring to such a standstill

debris

scattered fragments, wreckage

diffuse

(v.) to spread or scatter freely or widely; (adj.) wordy, long-winded, or unfocused; scattered or widely spread

efface

(v.) to wipe out; to keep oneself from being noticed

perennial

(adj.) lasting for a long time, persistent; (n.) a plant that lives for many years

predispose

to incline to beforehand

spasmodic

(adj.) sudden and violent but brief; fitful; intermittent

spurious

not genuine, not true, not valid

unbridled

(adj.) uncontrolled, lacking in restraint

alien

a citizen of another country; foreign, strange

compensate

to make up for; to repay for services

dissolute

loose in one's morals or behavior

erratic

(adj.) not regular or consistent; different from what is ordinarily expected; undependable

expulsion

the process of driving or forcing out

feint

(n.) a deliberately deceptive movement; a pretense; (v.) to make a deceptive movement; to make a pretense of

fodder

(n.) food for horses or cattle; raw material for a designated purpose

fortify

to strengthen, build up

illegible

difficult or impossible to read

jeer

(v.) to make fun of rudely or unkindly; (n.) a rude remark of derision

proliferate

to reproduce, increase, or spread rapidly

subjugate

to conquer by force, bring under complete control

sully

to soil, stain, tarnish, defile, besmirch

unflinching

firm, showing no signs of fear, not drawing back

abridge

to make shorter

adherent

(n.) a follower, supporter; (adj.) attached, sticking to

altercation

an angry argument

cherubic

(adj.) resembling an angel portrayed as a little child with a beautiful, round, or chubby face; sweet and innocent

dissent

to disagree

eminent

(adj.) famous, outstanding, distinguished; projecting

fabricate

(v.) to make, manufacture; to make up, invent

irate

angry

marauder

a raider, plunderer

pauper

an extremely poor person

Pilfer

to steal in small quantities

Surmount

to overcome, rise above

Terminate

to bring to an end

Trite

(adj.) commonplace; overused, stale

usurp

to seize and hold a position by force or without right

abscond

to run off and hide

anarchy

absence of government

arduous

hard to do, requiring much effort

auspiscious

favorable, boding well for the future; successful

daunt

to make afraid; to discourage

fated

determined in advance by destiny or fortune

inanimate

not having life; without energy or spirit

incinerate

to burn to ashes

intrepid

very brave, fearless, unshakable

larceny

theft of personal property

precipice

a very steep cliff

reprieve

a temporary relief or delay

annihilate

to destroy completely

arbitrary

random

brazen

bold and without shame

catalyst

something that brings about a change in something else

Exodus

A mass departure

facilitate

to make easier

incorrigible

not able to be corrected; beyond control

latent

hidden

militant

(adj.) given to fighting; active and aggressive in support of a cause; (n.) an activist

morose

having a gloomy or sullen manner; not friendly or sociable

opaque

(adj.) not letting light through; not clear or lucid; dense, stupid

paramount

most important

prattle

meaningless, foolish talk

rebut

(v.) to offer arguments or evidence that contradicts an assertion; to refute

servitude

slavery, forced labor

slapdash

careless and hasty

stagnant

not moving

succumb

(v.) to give way to superior force, yield

atone

to make up for

credible

believable; reliable

defray

to supply the money for; to pay

diligent

hardworking, industrious, not lazy

doleful

sad; dreary

ghastly

frightful, horrible; deathly pale

hamper

to hold back

hew

to shape or cut down with an ax; to hold to

impoverished

poor, in a state of poverty; depleted

incessant

never stopping, going on all the time

intricate

complicated; difficult to understand

posthumous

occurring after death

prim

overly neat, precise, proper, or formal; prudish

sardonic

grimly or scornfully mocking, bitterly sarcastic

superfluous

exceeding what is sufficient or required, excess

taunt

(v.) to jeer at, mock; (n.) an insulting or mocking remark

tenacious

Holding fast; holding together firmly; persistent

Adieu

farewell

apex

the highest point

assimilate

(v.) to absorb fully or make one's own; to adopt as one's own; to adapt fully

bogus

false, counterfeit

exorbiant

excessive

interim

(n.) the time between; (adj.) temporary, coming between two points in time

inundate

(v.) to flood, overflow; to overwhelm by numbers or size

malign

(v.) to speak evil of, slander; (adj.) evil

meander

to wander aimlessly

metropolis

(n.) a large city; the chief city of an area