English Vocabulary Final

abstruse

hard to understand

***obscure, perplexing, incomprehensible***

amicable

characterized by or done in friendliness, without anger or bad feelings

***friendly, good-natured, cooperative***

amiss

faulty, incorrect, inappropriate, or not as it should be

***faulty, wrong, awry***

amity

friendliness and peaceful relations

***harmony, companionship, goodwill***

amorous

showing or feeling romantic love or sexual attraction

***ardent, passionate, lustful***

animosity

a feeling or spirit of hostility and resentment

***hatred, hostility, loathing***

atone

to make reparation for a sin or a mistake

***apologize, redeem, reconcile***

beguile

to win and hold somebody's attention, interest, or devotion; to mislead or deceive somebody

***enchant, captivate, mesmerize***

bereft

deprived of somebody or something loved or valued; lacking in something desirable or necessary

***devoid, deprived, left without***

besiege

to surround a city, building etc. to try and take control of it; to gather around someone in an aggressive way 

***blockade, surround, mob***

blatant

obtrusive and conspicuous in an offensive way, often intentionally

***outright, shameless, impudent***

boorish

Rough and bad-mannered; coarse

***crude, vulgar, uncivilized***

cadaverous

looking very thin or pale; resembling a corpse 

***ashen, corpse-like, sallow***

carrion

Dead and putrefying flesh; flesh unfit for food

***Remains, corpse, body***

centrifugal

__Physics: acting, moving, or pulling away from a center or axis;__ Politics: tending to disperse political or administrative power away from a central authority

***diverging, spreading, diffusive***

chivalrous

1\. courteous and considerate 2. relating to or reflecting the values of the medieval code of knighthood, especially courtesy, self-sacrifice, and a sense of fair play

***courteous, respectful, gallant***

circuitous

lengthy because very indirect; roundabout

***roundabout, tortuous, labyrinthine***

circumspect

taking into consideration all possible circumstances and consequences before acting

***cautious, wary, guarded***

Clemency

__**mercy**__**;** the tendency to show mercy or leniency

***mercy, leniency, indulgence***

cognomen

a nickname or name that describes somebody, e.g. "Billy the Kid"; a surname or family name, especially the third name given to a citizen of ancient Rome, e.g. "Cicero" in "Marcus Tullius Cicero"

***alias, moniker, nickname***

coincide

to happen at or around the same time or to __fall together__ at the same time

***conjunction, accord, accompaniment***

colloquial

appropriate to, used in, or characteristic of spoken language or of writing that is used to create the effect of conversation

***informal, conversational, everyday***

component

a part of something, usually of something bigger

***ingredient, part, element***

concentric

describes circles and spheres of different sizes with the same middle point

***coordinated, aligned, parallel***

concise

Using as few words as possible to give the necessary information, or compressed in order to be brief.

***pithy, succinct, brief***

condolence

an expression of sorrow and sympathy, usually to somebody who is grieving over a death

***sympathy, consolation, pity***

congestion

a state of overcrowding in a street or other area, making movement slow or difficult

***obstruction, blockage, overcrowding***

contest

to challenge or question something

***litigate, dispute, oppose***

cumbersome

awkward to carry or handle because of weight, size, or shape

***clumsy, unwieldy, inconvenient***

curtail

to reduce the length or duration of something

***reduce, trim, lessen***

decadences

the beat or measure of something such as a dance or a march that follows a set rhythm; __the rise and fall__ of the voice during speech

***rhythm, intonation, tempo***

decorum

Propriety and good taste in conduct or appearance 

***respectability,  demeanor, civility***

dilate

to become, or cause something to become, wider, larger, or stretched; to talk or write at great length

***enlarge, widen, expand***

diverge

to move or extend in different directions from a common point; to become or be different; to turn aside from a path

***deviate, separate, differ***

elegiac

Having a mournful quality (especially in a work of art)

***melancholic, sorrowful, doleful***

eloquence

the ability to speak forcefully, expressively, and persuasively

***fluency, expressiveness, articulateness***

elucidate

to explain or clarify something

***explain, clarify, spell out***

enigma

like a __**riddle**__; somebody or something that is not easily explained or understood

***mystery, puzzle, paradox***

entrenched

firmly held and hard to change

***lodged, well-established, rooted***

epochs

A significant period in history or in somebody's life

***period of time, span, era***

erratic

not predictable, regular, or consistent, especially in being likely to depart from expected standards at any time

***unpredictable, variable, turbulent***

esoteric

Requiring or exhibiting knowledge that is restricted to a small group; difficult to understand

***abstruse, obscure, abstract***

ethnocentric

a belief in or assumption of the superiority of the social or cultural group that a person belongs to

***partiality, partisanship***

flaccid

soft, limp, or lacking firmness; lacking energy, enthusiasm, or competence

***flabby, nerveless, sapped***

frank

open, honest, and sometimes forceful in expressing true feelings and opinions

***candid, forthright, honest***

gauche

clumsy; lacking grace or tact in social situations

***awkward, gawky, clumsy***

impediment

an impairment, especially one affecting speech; __something that hinders progress__

***obstruction, hindrance, obstacle***

impudent

showing a lack of respect and excessive boldness

***impertinent, cocky, brazen***

incorrigible

impossible or very difficult to correct or reform; impossible or very difficult to control or keep in order

***hopeless, incurable, habitual***

indiscretion

lack of tact or good judgment; something said or done that is tactless or unwise

***irresponsibility, incaution, imprudence***

inveterate

fixed in a habit or practice, especially a bad one; firmly established and of long standing

***ingrained, habitual, deep-seated***

irrevocable

__**irreversible**__**;** impossible to revoke, undo, or change

***unchangeable, final, irreversible,***

jostle

to come in contact or into collision; to make one’s way by pushing and shoving 

***jolt, collide, bump into***

laconic

using very few words

***brief, concise, terse***

larceny

The unlawful taking of personal property with intent to deprive the rightful owner of it permanently 

***burglary, theft, robbery***

luminous

emitting or reflecting light; clear and easy to understand

***brilliant, radiant, dazzling***

masticate

transitive and intransitive verb to grind and pulverize food inside the mouth, using the teeth and jaws

***munch, crunch, chew***

menagerie

A varied mixture

***exhibition, collection, assortment***

militant

extremely active in the defense or support of a cause, often to the point of extremism

***aggressive, fierce, combative***

modicum

a small portion or limited quantity 

***smidgen, fragment, iota***

mortician

Funeral director

***embalmer, undertaker, funeral manager***

mortuary

a room or building in which dead bodies are kept until they are buried or cremated

***morgue, funeral home, funeral parlor***

nomenclature

a system of names assigned to objects or items in a particular science or art

***classification, terminology, taxonomy***

nominal

acting or being something in name only, but not in reality; representing very little cost when compared with the actual value received

***official, formal, titular***

noxious

harmful to life or health, especially by being poisonous

***deadly, toxic, corrupting***

obdurate

stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion or course of action; unmoved by pity or tender feelings

***stubborn, obstinate, unyielding***

obloquy

Strong public criticism or verbal abuse; disgrace brought about by public abuse.

***vilification, condemnation, criticism***

orthodox

capitalized of, relating to, or constituting any of various conservative religious or political groups: such as \n a EASTERN ORTHODOX

**formal, ceremonial, conventional**

ostentatious

marked by a vulgar display of wealth and success designed to impress people

***flamboyant, flashy, showy***

patronizing

to give money or support to someone or something; to talk to someone in a way that shows you believe you are more intelligent or better that other people 

***condescend, talk down to, look down on***

placid

peaceful; tending or appearing to be calm and not easily excited, upset, or disturbed

***peaceful, tranquil, calm***

poignant

Evoking a keen sense of sadness/regret or just general feelings.

***heartbreaking, sentimental, emotional***

posthumous

Occurring, awarded, or appearing after the death of the originator

***delayed, post-mortem, post-obituary***

prudent

having good sense in dealing with practical matters; using good judgment to consider likely consequences and act accordingly

***wise, sensible, well advised***

pugilist

the practice, sport, or profession of boxing

***fighter, boxer, contender***

pulchritude

physical beauty

***allure, elegance, beauty***

qualm

a sudden feeling of uncertainty or apprehension, especially a misgiving about an action or conduct

***anxiety, sudden uncertainty, second thoughts***

rendezvous

a meeting or appointment arranged for an agreed time and place

***appointment, meeting, assignation***

reticent

not revealing one’s thoughts or feelings readily

***reserved, withdrawn, uncommunicative***

ridiculing

to reduce or dismiss the importance or quality of somebody or something in a contemptuous way

***mockery, scorn, contempt***

risible

completely unreasonable and not at all sensible or acceptable

***ridiculous, laughable, absurd***

sanguine

cheerful and hopeful 

***optimistic, cheery, confident***

saturnine

Slow and gloomy in manner OR moody and mysterious in features

***Somber, morose, dour***

semblance

a small amount of something; an outward appearance or imitation of something

***façade, appearance, guise***

snivel

To behave in a whining, tearful, or self-pitying way; to sniff repeatedly

***whimper, whine, weep***

sodden

Saturated with liquid, especially water; soaked through.

***drenched, soaking, saturated***

stereotyped

An oversimplified standardized image of a person or group

***lacking originality, conventional image, clich***

submerge

to put under water or to cover with water; to suppress

***inundate, deluge, swamp***

supplication

a humble and sincere appeal to somebody who has the power to grant a request

***appeal, request, plea***

tawdry

howy, but cheap and of poor quality 

***gaudy, flashy, loud***

titter

To laugh in a nervous,  affected, or partly suppressed manner, to giggle or to snicker 

***chuckle, snicker, twitter***

tractable

Easily managed or controlled; willing to learn or be guided by another

***malleable, compliant, obedient***

translucent

allowing light to pass through, but only diffusely, so that objects on the other side cannot be clearly distinguished; having a glowing appearance, as if light were coming through

***unblurred, clear, semi-transparent***

triumvirate

a group of three people who share a position or power 

***triad, trinity, trilogy***

unimpeachable

very reliable and trusted; not able to be doubted or questioned  

***trustworthy, dependable, reliable***

veracity

the truth, accuracy, or precision of something; the truthfulness or honesty of somebody

***truthfulness, accuracy, fidelity***

verisimilitude

the *appearance* of being true or real; something that only appears to be true or real, e.g. a statement that is not supported by evidence

***plausibility, lifelikeness, authenticity***

veritable

being truly or very much so: *a veritable triumph;* used to emphasize a figurative concept

***authentic, genuine, real***

verity

the *quality* of being true or real

***accuracy, truth, actuality***

whet

 To make a feeling, sense, or desire more keen or intense. 2. To sharpen the cutting edge or blade of a tool or weapon, usually by rubbing it on a stone.

***sharpen, hone, file***