Vocabulary Workshop Level G Units 1-9

abject

(adj.) degraded; base, contemptible; cringing, servile; complete and unrelieved

agnostic

(n.)one who believes that nothnig can be known about god; a skeptic

complicity

(n.) involvement in wrongdoing; the state of being an accomplice

derelict

(n.) someone or something that is abandoned or neglected; (adj.) left abandoned; neglectful of duty

diatribe

(n.) a bitter and prolonged verbal attack

effigy

(n.) a crude image of a despised person

equity

(n.) the state or quality of being just or fair

inane

(adj.) silly, empty of meaning or value

indictment

(n.) the act of accusing, a formal accusation

indubitable

(adj.) certain, not to be doubted or denied

intermittent

(adj.) stopping and beginning again, sporadic

moot

(adj.) debatable, questionable

motif

(n.) a principal idea, theme or element; a repeated or dominant figure in a design

neophyte

(n.) beginner, novice

perspicacity

(n.) keenness in observing and understanding

plenary

(adj.) complete in all aspects; absolute

surveillance

(n.) careful, close, and disciplined observation

sylvan

(adj.) pertaining to or characteristic of forests

testy

(adj.) easily irritated; characterized by impatience and exasperation

travesty

(n.) a grotesque or grossly inferior imitation

allay

(v.) to calm or pacify, set to rest; to lessen or relieve

bestial

(adj.) beastlike; beastly, brutal; subhuman in intelligence and sensibility

convivial

(adj.) festive, sociable, having fun together, genial

coterie

(n.) a circle of aquaitances; a close-knit, often exclusive, group of people with a common interest

counterpart

(n.) a person or thing closely resembling or corresponding to another; a complement

demur

(v.) to object or take exception to; (n.) an objection

effrontery

(n.) shameless boldness, impudence

embellish

(v.) to decorate, adorn, touch up; to improve by adding details

ephemeral

(adj.) lasting only a short time, short-lived

felicitous

(adj.) appropriate, apt, well chosen; marked by well-being or good fortune, happy

furtive

(adj.) done slyly or stealthily, sneaky, secret, shifty; stolen

garish

(adj.) glaring; tastelessly showy or overdecorated in a vulgar or offensive way

illusory

(adj.) misleading, decemptive; lacking in or not based on reality

indigent

(adj.) needy, impoverished

inordinate

(adj.) far too great, exceeding reasonable limits, excessive

jettison

(v.) to cast overboard, get rid of as unnecessary or burdensome

misanthrope

(n.) a person who hates or despises people

pertinacious

(adj.) very persistent; holding firmly to a course of action or a set of beliefs; hard to get rid of, refusing to be put off or denied

picayune

(adj.) of little value or importance, paltry, measly; concerned with trifling matters, small-minded

raiment

(n.) clothing, garments

allege

(v.) to assert without proof or confirmation

arrant

(adj.) out-and-out, shameless, blatant

badinage

(n.) light and playful conversation

concilliate

(v.) to overcome the distrust of, win over; to appease, pacify; to reconcile, make consistent

countermand

(v.) to cancel or reverse one order or command with another that is contrary to the first

echelon

(n.) one of a series of grades in an organization or field of activity; an organized military unit; a steplike formation or arrangement

exacerbate

(v.) to make more violent, severe, bitter, or painful

fatuous

(adj.) stupid or foolish in a self-satisfied way

irrefutable

(adj.) impossible to disprove; beyond arguement

juggernaut

(n.) a massive and inescapable force or object that crushes whatever is in its path

lackadaisical

(adj.) lacking spirit or interest; halfhearted

litany

(n.) a prayer consisting of short appeals to God recited by the leader alternating with responses from the congregation; any repetitive chant; a long list

macabre

(adj.) grisly, gruesome; horrible, distressing; having death as a subject

paucity

(n.) an inadequate quantity, scarcity, dearth

portend

(v.) to indicate beforehand that something is about to happen; to give advance warning of

raze

(v.) to tear down, destroy completely; to cut or scrape off or out

recant

(v.) to withdraw a statement or belief to which one has previously been committed, renounce, retract

saturate

(v.) to soak thoroughly, fill to capacity; to satisfy fully

saturnine

(adj.) of a gloomy or surly disposition; cold or sluggish in mood

slough

(v.) to cast off, discard; to get rid of something objectionable or unnecessary; to plod through as if through mud; (n.) a mire; a state of depression

acclamation

(n.) a shout of welcome; an overwhelming verbal vote of approval

bucolic

(adj.) characteristic of the countryside. rural; relating to shepherds and cowherds, pastoral

calumniate

(v.) to slander; to accuse falsely and maliciously

chary

(adj.) extremely cautious, hesitant or slow; reserved

collusion

(n.) secret agreement or cooperation

dilettante

(n.) a dabbler in the arts; one who engages in an activity in an ameteurish, trifling way; (adj.) superficial

imperturbable

(adj.) not easily excited; emotionally steady

increment

(n.) an enlargement, increase, addition

mandate

(n.) an authoritative command, formal order, authorization; (v.) to issue such an order

paltry

(adj.) trifling, insignificant; mean, despicable; inferior, trashy

paroxysm

(n.) a sudden outburst; a spasm, convulsion

pedantry

(n.) a pretentious display of knowledge; overly rigid attention to rules and details

peregrination

(n.) the act or traveling ; an excursion, especially on foot or to a foreign country

redolent

(adj.) fragrant, smelling strongly; tending to arouse memories or create an aura

refulgent

(adj.) shining, radiant, resplendent

shibboleth

(n.) a word, expression, or custom that distinguishes a particular group of persons from all others, a commonplace saying or truism

tyro

(n.) a beginner, novice; one with little or no background or skill

unremitting

(adj.) not stopping, maintained steadily, never letting up, relentless

vacillate

(v.) to swing indecisively from one idea or course of action to another; to waver weakly in mind or will

vituperative

(adj.) harshly abusive, severely scolding

acquisitive

adj, able to get and retain ideas or information; conserned with acquiring wealth or property

arrogate

verb, to claim or take without right

banal

adj, hackneyed, trite, commonplace

belabor

verb, to work on excessively; to thrash around

carping

adj, tending to find fault, especially in a petty, nasty, or hairsplitting way; noun, petty, nagging criticism

coherent

adj, holding or sticking together; making a logical whole; comprehensible, meaningful

congeal

verb, to change from liquid to solid, thicken; to make inflexible or rigid

emulate

verb, to immitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model

encomium

verb, a formal expression of praise, a lavish tribute

eschew

verb, to avoid, shun, keep away from

germane

adj, relevant, appropriate, apropos, fitting

insatiable

adj, so great or demanding as not to be satisfied

intransigent

adj, refusing to compromise, irreconcilable

invidious

adj, offensive, hateful; tending to cause bitterness and resentment

largesse

noun, generosity in giving; lavish or bountiful countributions

reconnaissance

noun, a survery made for military purposes; any kind of preliminary inspection or examination

substantiate

verb, to establish by evidence, prove; to give concrete or substancial form to

taciturn

adj, habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little

temporize

verb, to stall or act evasively in order to gain time, avoid a confrontation, or postpoe a decision; to compromise

tenable

adj, capable of being held or defended