Sadlier-oxford level f unit 7-9

austere

(adj.) severe or stern in manner; uncompromising or strict

beneficent

(adj.) performing acts of kindness or charity; conferring benefits, doing good

cadaverous

(adj.) pale, gaunt, resembling a corpse

concoct

(v.) to prepare by combining ingredients, make up (as a dish); to devise, invent, fabricate

crass

(adj.) coarse, unfeeling; stupid

debase

(v.) to lower in character, quality, or value; to degrade, adulterate; to cause to deteriorate

desecrate

(v.) to commit sacrilege upon, treat irreverently; to contaminate, pollute

disconcert

(v.) to confuse; to disturb the composure of

grandiose

(adj.) grand in an impressive or stately way; marked by pompous affectation or grandeur, absurdly exaggerated

inconsequential

(adj.) trifling, unimportant

infraction

(n.) a breaking of a law or obligation

mitigate

(v.) to make milder or softer, to moderate in force or intensity

pillage

(v.) to rob of goods by open force (as in war), plunder; (n.) the act of looting; booty

prate

(v) to talk a great deal in a foolish or aimless fashion

punctilious

adj. very careful and exact, attentive to fine points of etiquitte or propriety

redoubtable

(adj.) inspiring fear or awe; illustrious, eminent

reprove

(v.) to find fault with, scold, rebuke

restitution

(n.) the act of restoring someone or something to the rightful owner or to a former state or position; making good on a loss or damage

stalwart

(adj.) strong and sturdy; brave; resolute; (n.) a brave, strong person; a strong supporter; one who takes an uncompromising position

vulnerable

(adj.) open to attack; capable of being wounded or damaged; unprotected

acrimonious

(adj.) stinging, bitter in temper or tone

bovine

(adj.) resembling a cow or ox; sluggish, unresponsive

consternation

(n.) dismay, confusion

corpulent

(adj.) fat; having a large, bulky body

disavow

(v.) to deny responsibility for or connection with

dispassionate

(adj.) impartial; calm, free from emotion

dissension

(n.) disagreement, sharp difference of opinion

dissipate

(v.) to cause to disappear; to scatter, dispel; to spend foolishly, squander; to be extravagant in pursuit of pleasure

expurgate

(v.) to remove objectionable passages or words from a written text; to cleanse, purify

gauntlet

(n.) an armored or protective glove; a challenge; two lines of men armed with weapons with which to beat a person forced to run between them; an ordeal

hypothetical

(adj.) based on an assumption or guess; used as a provisional or tentative idea to guide or direct investigation

ignoble

(adj.) mean, low, base

impugn

(v.) to call into question; to attack as false

intemperate

(adj.) immoderate, lacking in self-control; inclement

odium

(n.) hatred, contempt; disgrace or infamy resulting from hateful conduct

perfidy

(n.) faithlessness, treachery

relegate

(v.) to place in a lower position; to assign, refer, turn over; to banish

squeamish

(adj.) inclined to nausea; easily shocked or upset; excessively fastidious or refined

subservient

(adj.) subordinate in capacity or role; submissively obedient; serving to promote some end

susceptible

(adj.) open to; easily influenced; lacking in resistance

abate

(v.) to make less in amount, degree, etc.; to subside, become less; to nullify; to deduct, omit

adulation

(n.) praise or flattery that is excessive

anathema

(n.) an object of intense dislike; a curse or strong denunciation (often used adjectivally without the article)

astute

(adj.) shrewd, crafty, showing practical wisdom

avarice

(n.) a greedy desire, particularly for wealth

culpable

(adj.) deserving blame, worthy of condemnation

dilatory

(adj.) tending to delay or procrastinate, not prompt; intended to delay or postpone

egregious

(adj.) conspicuous, standing out from the mass (used particularly in an unfavorable sense)

equivocate

(v.) to speak or act in a way that allows for more than one interpretation; to be deliberately vague or ambiguous

evanescent

(adj.) vanishing, soon passing away; light and airy

irresolute

(adj.) unable to make up one's mind, hesitating

nebulous

(adj.) cloudlike, resembling a cloud; cloudy in color, not transparent; vague, confused, indistinct

novice

(n.) one who is just a beginner at some activity requiring skill and experience (also used adjectivally)

penury

(n.) extreme poverty; barrenness, insufficiency

pretentious

(adj.) done for show, striving to make a big impression; claiming merit or position unjustifiably; making demands on one's skill or abilities, ambitious

recapitulate

(v.) to review a series of facts; to sum up

resuscitate

(v.) to revive, bring back to consciousness or existence

slovenly

(adj.) untidy, dirty, careless

supposition

(n.) something that is assumed or taken for granted without conclusive evidence

torpid

(adj.) inactive, sluggish, dull