Vocab Exam (Freshmen and Sophomore words)

Indifferent

not caring one way or another; lacking a preference; neutral

Apathy

lack of emotion or interest

Obscure

unclear; clouded; partially hidden; hard to understand

Ambiguous

having more than one meaning; vague

Impartial

unbiased; neutral

Objective

without bias (as opposed to subjective)

Revere

to worship; to honor

Discriminate

to differentiate; to make a clear distinction; to see the difference

Denounce

to speak out against; to condemn

Innovate

to be creative; to introduce something new

Subtle

not obvious; hard to spot

Stagnant

not moving

Candid

honest; frank

Discern

to distinguish one thing from the other

Hypocritical

insincere

Disdain

contempt; intense dislike (verb) despise

Abstract

theoretical; lacking substance (the opposite of concrete)

Valid

founded on fact or evidence

Inevitable

unavoidable; bound to happen

Eccentric

odd; unusual; quirky

Provincial

narrow-minded; unsophisticated

Inferred

derived by reasoning; implied as a conclusion

Diverse

varied

Apprehensive

fearful; worried

Vulnerable

capable of being harmed

Benevolent

kind; good-hearted; generous

Pious

deeply religious

Skeptical

doubting (the opposite of gullible)

Resignation

acceptance of a situation

Illuminate

to light up; to make clear

Resolution

determination; (or) a solution to a problem

Servile

overly submissive; cringing; like a servant

Refute

to disprove

Anarchy

lack of government

Virulent

very harmful (like a virus)

Miser

one who saves greedily

Articulate

speaking well

Discord

disagreement

Diligent

hard-working

Perceptive

having a keen understanding; discerning

Superficial

on the surface; shallow

Contempt

to think little of someone

Lucid

clear; easy to understand

Immune

safe from harm; protected

Aesthetic

having to do with art or beauty

Inclined

tending toward one direction

Prodigal

extravagant; wasteful

Uniform

constant; without variety

Assess

to estimate the value of; to measure

Censor

one who deletes objectionable matter

Complacent

smug; self-satisfied

Eloquence

expressiveness; fluency in speaking or writing

Virtue

moral excellence

Guile

cunning; deceitfulness

Biased

not neutral; prejudiced

Monotonous

without variety; tiresomely uniform

Contemporary

living at the same time; modern

Profound

deep; insightful (the opposite of superficial)

Enhance

to make better

Deter

to prevent; to stop; to keep from doing something

Enduring

lasting

Phenomenon

an observable fact or occurrence

Solitude

the state of being alone

Tentative

not final

Provocative

exciting; attracting attention

Depravity

moral corruption

Adversary

an opponent; enemy

Gravity

seriousness

Grave

serious

Banal

common; dull; ordinary

Temper

to moderate; to soften

Extol

to praise

Erratic

irregular; without direction

Euphony

pleasant sound (opposite of cacophony)

Advocate

to speak in favor of; to support

Insipid

bland; boring; tasteless

Indulgent

pampering oneself; satisfying desires

Antagonism

opposition; hostility; resistance

Austere

severe; without frills

Expedite

to make faster or easier

Heresy

an opinion violently opposed to established beliefs

Censure

to blame; to criticize

Arbitrary

subject to individual judgment

Solicit

to ask for; to seek

Condescend

to talk down to

Irrational

unreasonable

Fallacious

false

Intangible

abstract; not able to be touched

Arrogant

feeling superior to others

Taciturn

quiet; saying little

Compatible

able to co-exist; harmonious

Dubious

doubtful; unclear

Elusive

tough to catch; hard to pin down

Compromise

to settle by concession or surrender

Flagrant

shocking; outstandingly bad

Static

stationary; not moving

Ironic

satiric; unexpected

Dogmatic

stubbornly opinionated

Facilitate

to make easier; to help

Frivolous

not serious; trivial; silly