CCP English Vocabuary Words (Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior)

Indifferent

not caring one way or the other; lacking a preference; neutral

Apathy

lack of interest or emotion

Obscure

unclear; clouded; partially hidden; hard to understand

Ambiguous

having more than one meaning; vague

Impartial

unbiased; neutral

Enduring

lasting

Phenomenon

an observable fact or occurrence

Solitude

the state of being alone

Tentative

not final

Provocative

exciting; attracting attention

Conciliate

to soothe; to end a dispute; to reconcile

Rigor

harshness or severity

Disparity

inequality; difference

Disparage

to speak badly of; to belittle

Conventional

ordinary; customary

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

Depravity

moral corruption

Adversary

an opponent; enemy

Gravity/Grave

seriousness or serious

Banal

common; dull; ordinary

Temper

to moderate; to soften

Ephemeral

short-lived; fleeting; transitory

Futile

hopeless; worthless; useless

Prosaic

uninspired; dull; banal

Profuse

flowing freely; generous; excessive

Authentic

real; genuine

Subtle

not obvious; hard to spot

Stagnant

not moving

Candid

honest; frank

Discern

to distinguish one thing from the other

Hypocritical

insincere

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

Expedient

useful for effecting a desired result

Fastidious

not easy to please; overly critical

Philanthropy

a desire to help people; gifts to charities

Astute

perceptive; crafty

Brevity

the quality of being brief

Disdain

contempt; intense dislike

Abstract

theoretical; lacking substance (the opposite of concrete)

Valid

founded on fact or evidence

inevitable

unavoidable; bound to happen

eccentric

odd; unusual; quirky

Indulgent

pampering oneself; satisfying desires

Antagonism

opposition; hostility; resistance

Austere

severe; without frills

expedite

to make faster of easier

Heresy

an opinion violently opposed to established beliefs

Languid

slow; tired; drooping; weak

Novel

new; unusual

Relevant

pertinent; important to know

Mitigate

to make milder or less severe

Reprehensible

shameful; bad

Provincial

narrow-minded; unsophisticated

Inferred

derived by reasoning; implied as a conclusion

Diverse

varied

Apprehensive

fearful; worried

vulnerable

capable of being harmed

Censure

to blame; to criticize

arbitrary

subject to individual judgement

Solicit

to ask for; to seek

Condescend

to talk down to

Irrational

unreasonable

Engender

to create; to produce

Deride

to ridicule; to make fun of

Lethargic

tired; languid; weak

Fanatic

one who is extremely devoted to a cause or idea

Solemn

serious; grave

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

Fallacious

false

Intangible

abstract; not able to be touched

Arrogant

feeling superior to others

Taciturn

quiet; saying little

Compatible

able to co-exist; harmonious

Acclaim

praise; applause; admiration

Augment

to add; to increase; to make bigger

Incoherent

jumbled; impossible to understand; chaotic

Indolence

laziness

Ambivalent

undecided