Sophomore Vocab List ALL TERMS

Mercenary

A hired soldier; someone who will do anything for money

Credulous

Eager to believe; gullible

Animosity

Resentment; hostility; ill will

Nostalgia

Sentimental longing for the past; homesickness

Convivial

Fond of partying; festive

Discern

To have insight; to see things clearly; to discriminate; to differentiate

Portent

An omen; a sign of something coming in the future

Provident

Preparing for the future; providing for the future; frugal

Colloquial

Conversational; informal in language

Amenity

Pleasantness; attractive or comfortable feature

Chasm

A deep, gaping hole; a gorge

Epitome

A brief summary that captures the meaning of the whole; the perfect example of something; a paradigm

Specious

Deceptively plausible or attractive

Absolve

To forgive or free from blame; to free from sin; to free from obligation

Vindictive

Seeking revenge

Munificent

Very generous; lavish

Deference

Submission to another's will; respect; courtesy

Debauchery

Wild living; excessive intemperance

Amorous

Feeling loving, especially in a sexual sense; in love; relating to love

Affable

Easy to talk to; friendly

Malaise

A feeling of depression, uneasiness, or queasiness

Flout

To disregard something out of disrespect

Spurious

False; fake

Milieu

Environment; surroundings

Efface

To erase; to rub away the features of

Belie

To give a false impression of; to contradict

Civil

Polite; civilized, courteous

Guile

Cunning; duplicity; artfulness

Inherent

Part of the essential nature of something; intrinsic

Cynic

One who deeply distrusts human nature

Bastion

Stronghold; fortress; fortified place

Covet

To wish for enviously

Ambience

Atmosphere; mood; feeling

Absolute

Total; unlimited; perfect

Beset

To harass; to surround

Dilettante

Someone with superficial knowledge of the arts; an amateur

Abash

To make ashamed; to embarrass

Awry

Off course; twisted to one side

Assuage

To soothe; to pacify; to ease the pain of; to relieve

Sentient

Able to perceive by the senses; conscious

Repercussion

A consequence; an indirect effect

Utopia

An ideal society

Palliate

To relieve or alleviate something without getting rid of the problem; to assuage; to mitigate

Fidelity

Faithfulness; loyalty

Lucid

Clear; easy to understand

Prodigious

Extraordinary; enormous

Heresy

Any belief that is strongly opposed to established beliefs

Futile

Useless; hopeless

Archetype

An original model or pattern; a universal symbol

Acute

Sharp; shrewd

Fervor

Great warmth or earnestness; ardor; zeal

Condescend

To stoop to someone else's level; to patronize

Ameliorate

To make better or more tolerable

Exemplify

To illustrate by example; to serve as a good example

Supercilious

Haughty; patronizing

Infamous

Shamefully wicked; having an extremely bad reputation; disgraceful

Affluent

Rich; properous

Judicious

Exercising sound judgment

Superfluous

Extra; unnecessary; redundant

Augment

To make bigger; to add to; to increase

Explicit

Clearly and directly expressed

Euphemism

A pleasant or inoffensive expression used in place of an offensive one

Allege

To assert without proof

Vindicate

To clear from all blame or suspicion; to justify

Pious

Reverent or devout; outwardly (and sometimes falsely)

Verisimilitude

Similarity to reality; the appearance of truth; looking like the real thing

Condone

To overlook; to permit to happen

Consecrate

To make or declare sacred

Incense

To make very angry

Parody

A satirical imitation

Forbear

To refrain from; to abstain

Criterion

Standard; basis for judgment

Cliché

An overused saying or idea

Emigrate

To move to a new country; to expatriate

Aggregate

Sum total; a collection of separate things mixed together

Complacent

Self-satisfied; overly pleased with oneself

Apotheosis

Elevation to divine status; the perfect example of something

Abate

To subside; to reduce

Prudent

Careful; having foresight

Volatile

Quick to evaporate; highly unstable; explosive

Zealous

Enthusiastically devoted to something; fervent

Ironic

Meaning the opposite of what you seem to say; using words to mean something other than what they seem to mean

Emulate

To strive to equal or excel, usually through imitation

Concise

Brief and to the point; succinct

Benefactor

One who provides help, especially in the form of a gift or donation

Innate

Existing since birth; inborn; inherent

Daunt

To make fearful; to intimidate

Tangible

Touchable; palpable

Accost

To approach and speak to someone aggressively

Rogue

A criminally dishonest person; a scoundrel

Magnanimous

Forgiving; unresentful; noble in spirit; generous

Adulation

Wild or excessive admiration; flattery

Expedient

Providing an immediate advantage; serving immediate self-interests; practical

Aberration

Something not typical; deviation from the standard

Virtuoso

A masterful musician; a masterful practitioner in some other field

Penitent

Sorry; repentant; contrite

Ostensible

Apparent (but misleading); professed

Contrived

Artificial; labored

Renounce

To give up formally or resign; to disown; to have nothing to do with anymore

Sordid

Vile; filthy; squalid