Sadlier Level G Units 8 to 14

Allege

To assert without proof or confirmation.

Arrant

Thoroughgoing, out-and-out; shameless, blatant.

Conciliate

To overcome the distrust of, win over; to appease, pacify.

Echelon

One of a series of grades in an organization or field of activity; an organized military unit; a steplike formation or arrangement.

Exacerbate

To make more violent, severe, bitter, or painful.

Irrefutable

Impossible to disprove; beyond argument.

Juggernaut

A massive and inescapable force or object that crushes whatever is in its path.

Paucity

An inadequate quantity, scarcity, dearth.

Portend

To indicate beforehand that something is about to happen; to give advance warning of.

Recant

To withdraw a statement or belief to which one has previously been committed, renounce, retract.

Slough

To cast off, discard; to get rid of something objectionable or unnecessary; to plod through as if through mud; (n.) a mire; a state of depression.

Bucolic

Characteristic of the countryside, rural; relating to shepherds and cowherds, pastoral.

Calumniate

To slander; to accuse falsely and maliciously.

Collusion

Secret agreement or cooperation.

Dilettante

A dabbler in the arts; one who engages in an activity in an amateurish, trifling way; (adj.) superficial.

Imperturbable

Not easily excited; emotionally steady.

Increment

An enlargement, increase, addition.

Mandate

An authoritative command, formal order, authorization; (v.) to issue such an order.

Paroxysm

A sudden outburst; a spasm, convulsion.

Redolent

Fragrant, smelling strongly; tending to arouse memories or create an aura.

Unremitting

Not stopping, maintained steadily, never letting up, relentless.

Vacillate

To swing indecisively from one idea or course of action to another; to waver weakly in mind or will.

Askance

With suspicion, distrust, or disapproval.

Attenuate

To make thin or slender; to weaken or lessen in force, intensity, or value.

Charlatan

One who feigns knowledge or ability; a pretender, impostor, or quack.

Foible

A weak point, failing, minor flaw.

Forgo

To do without, abstain from, give up.

Fraught

Full of or loaded with; accompanied by.

Inure

To toughen, harden; to render used to something by long subjection or exposure.

Obsequious

Marked by slavish attentiveness; excessively submissive, often for purely self-interested reasons.

Oscillate

To swing back and forth with a steady rhythm; to fluctuate or waver.

Peremptory

Having the nature of a command that leaves no opportunity for debate, denial, or refusal; offensively self-assured, dictatorial; determined, resolute.

Sporadic

Occurring at irregular intervals, having no set plan or order.

Ambient

Completely surrounding, encompassing.

Cabal

A small group working in secret.

Delectable

Delightful, highly enjoyable; deliciously flavored, savory; (n.) an appealing or appetizing food or dish.

Deprecate

To express mild disapproval; to belittle.

Detritus

Loose bits and pieces of material resulting from disintegration or wearing away; fragments that result from any destruction.

Ebullient

Overflowing with enthusiasm and excitement; boiling, bubbling.

Eclectic

Drawn from different sources; (n.) one whose beliefs are drawn from various sources.

Flaccid

Limp, not firm; lacking vigor or effectiveness.

Inexorable

Inflexible, beyond influence; relentless, unyielding.

Moribund

Dying, on the way out.

Onerous

Burdensome; involving hardship or difficulty.

Sequester

To set apart, separate for a special purpose; to take possession of and hold in custody.

Winnow

To get rid of something unwanted, delete; to sift through to obtain what is desirable; to remove the chaff from the wheat by blowing air on it; to blow on, fan.

Aesthetic

Pertaining to beauty; sensitive or responsive to beauty.

Defunct

No longer in existence or functioning, dead.

Discomfit

To frustrate, thwart, or defeat; to confuse, perplex, or embarrass.

Espouse

To take up and support; to become attached to, adopt; to marry.

Gregarious

Living together in a herd or group; sociable, seeking the company of others.

Hapless

Marked by a persistent absence of good luck.

Impeccable

Faultless, beyond criticism or blame.

Mendacious

Given to lying or deception; untrue.

Nadir

The lowest point.

Perfunctory

Done in a superficial or halfhearted manner; without interest or enthusiasm.

Requite

To make suitable repayment, as for a kindness, service, or favor; to make retaliation, as for an injury or wrong; to reciprocate.

Tantamount

Equivalent, having the same meaning, value, or effect.

Abstruse

Extremely difficult to understand.

Affront

An open or intentional insult; a slight; (v.) to insult to one's face; to face in defiance, confront.

Cognizant

Aware, knowledgeable, informed; having jurisdiction.

Deign

To think it appropriate or suitable to one's dignity to do something; to condescend.

Efficacy

The power to produce a desired result.

Engender

To bring into existence, give rise to, produce; to come into existence, assume form.

Ethereal

Light, airy, delicate; highly refined; suggesting what is heavenly (rather than earthbound).

Façade

The front or face of a building; a surface appearance (as opposed to what may lie behind).

Machinations

A crafty, scheming, or underhanded action designed to accomplish some (usually evil) end.

Putative

Generally regarded as such; reputed; hypothesized, inferred.

Beatific

Blissful; rendering or making blessed.

Behemoth

A creature

Cacophonous

(adj.): Harsh-sounding, raucous, discordant, dissonant.

Coup

(n.): A highly successful stroke, masterstroke, tour de force, act, plan, or stratagem; a sudden takeover of power or leadership.

Euphemism

(n.): A mild or inoffensive expression used in place of a harsh or unpleasant one; a substitute.

Imminent

(adj.): About to happen; threatening

Innate

(adj.): Natural, inborn, inherent; built-in.

Loath

(adj.): Unwilling, reluctant, disinclined.

Minutiae

(pl. n.): Small or trivial details, trifling matters.

Pariah

(n.): One who is rejected by a social group or organization.

Visionary

(adj.): Not practical, lacking in realism; having the nature of a fantasy or dream; (n.) one given to far-fetched ideas; a dreamer or seer characterized by vision or foresight.