English Vocabulary Final

abstruse

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