Brainpower chp 6 to 10 vocab

ameliorate

To make better or improve

baleful

Expressing hatred or evil; harmful

berate

To criticize vigorously; to scold vehemently

circumvent

To avoid through craftiness

compunction

A feeling of uneasiness or anxiety caused by guilt

condone

To overlook or accept without punishment

diminutive

Very small; tiny

euphemism

A polite term used to avoid naming something offensive

expendable

Able to be used up and then discarded or replaced

heresy

The expression of unacceptable views against established religious teaching

infirmity

Physical or mental weakness or defect

profane

Disrespectful of sacred things; worldly

recompense

To pay or compensate; payment

repast

Food and drink; a meal

servitude

A lack of freedom; forced labor

castigate

To punish by criticizing sharply; to berate

colloquial

Characterized by informal language

epitaph

The words carved on a tombstone in memory of the deceased

exodus

A mass departure

inter

To put in a grave; to bury

lacerate

To tear or cut roughly

largesse

The act of giving generously; gifts

obituary

A notice of someone's death

omnivorous

Eating all kinds of food

permeate

To spread throughout; to pass through

rendition

An interpretation or translation; a performance

resurgence

A rising again to life

stereotype

A generalization used to characterize a person without acknowledging individual differences

stipend

A regular and fixed amount of pay for work done

subservient

Serving or acting in a subordinate manner; servile

adjacent

Next to or adjoining

beset

To trouble or weigh down

circuitous

Roundabout or indirect

desultory

Proceeding or carried out in an aimless or random way

galvanize

To excite or arouse action

implement

To carry out

inconsequential

Lacking importance or worth

magnitude

Greatness of size or power or influence

materialize

To become real or actual

muster

To gather

prohibitive

Serving to prevent or forbid

remiss

Failing to fulfill one's obligation; negligent

reminisce

To confess or talk about one's past

vanguard

A leading or forward position in a movement

visionary

A person who is given to ideas that are currently unrealistic

cautionary

Offering or serving as a warning

constrain

To confine or hold back by force or necessity

floe

A sheet of floating ice

gossamer

A structure made of strands of cobweb

ignominious

Marked by disgrace or dishonor

incur

To take upon oneself or bring upon oneself

liquidate

To reduce a business to cash

magnate

An important

misnomer

A name that doesn't fit

onerous

Burdensome; causing hardship

pandemonium

Great confusion or uproar

quixotic

Romantic and idealistic

tenacity

Holding fast; persistent in adhering to something

vestige

A trace of something that once was present

zephyr

A light

attest

To declare to be evidence of something as true

axiom

A statement or principle that requires no proof

axiomatic

Pertaining to a statement that no one denies forever

churlish

Lacking good manners; rude

concoct

To make up

concoction

Something that grew out of or results from an earlier form

derivative

Something that grew out of or results from an earlier form

differentiate

To be or make a difference between

disparage

To criticize in a negative

dissipate

To break up and spread out or to scatter

esoteric

Not generally known or understood

olfactory

Pertaining to the sense of smell

plethora

Too great a number or an excess

refurbish

To make like new

secrete

To produce and give off

vagary

A departure from the normal

volatile

Exploding quickly