ch. 6-10 vocabulary definitions // english 10

aegis

aegis

protection, sponsorship

auspicious

favorable, promising a good outcome

jaded

wearied, dulled, or bored by having too much

atone

make up (for a wrong)

lewd

obscene, indecent, hurtful

succinct

briefly and clearly expressed

prevaricate

stray from the truth, mislead

aloof

reserved, detached, unconcerned

jovial

full of hearty humor and fun; jolly

saturnine

gloomy, grave

curtail

shorten, reduce, lessen

travesty

ridiculous imitation

scruple

doubt or uneasiness as to what is right or proper

havoc

great destruction or confusion

mentor

wise, trusted teacher or counselor

haggard

looking worn and tired

utopian

characteristic of an ideal society; visionary

mercurial

changeable; unpredictable; lively

diffident

lacking self-confidence; timid; unassertive

hypocrisy

pretending to be what one is not, especially to have feelings, beliefs, or virtues that one does not have

zealous

extremely active, eager, devoted

candid

honest, truthful, straightforward

posthumous

occurring after death

enthrall

charm, fascinate, please greatly

parasite

plant or animal that lives on or in another and feeds off this other’s body; a person receiving support without giving anything useful or meaningful in return

chagrin

humiliation, disappointment, irritation

cant

insincere talk; special language of a social class, trade, or profession

ephemeral

short-lived, fleeting, lasting a very short time

dexterous

skillful, clever

sinister

threatening, wicked, evil

ignominy

disgrace, humiliation, shame

aboveboard

without dishonesty or trickery

anecdote

brief story of an interesting or amusing incident

bedlam

noisy confusion

martinet

strict disciplinarian

indolent

lazy

meander

follow a winding course; wander idly or aimlessly

precocious

advanced beyond one’s age (especially in mental aptitude)

scapegoat

someone blamed for the faults of others

shibboleth

password, slogan, or custom characteristic of a certain group and used to distinguish that group; empty, outworn expression or doctrine

agnostic

one who believes it impossible to know whether or not God exists

nepotism

favoritism to relatives in giving jobs and offices

enigmatic

puzzling, mysterious, perplexing

blatant

completely obvious, often offensively so; shameless

nebulous

unclear, hazy, indistinct

procrustean

forcing rigid conformity

denigrate

defame, speak ill of, attack the reputation of

prosaic

commonplace, dull, uninspired

docile

easily managed, controlled, or taught; gentle; submissive

boycott

refuse to deal with as a means of protest and persuasion