English 1111 Semester Exam Vocabulary Words

*=words were not on our sadlier list, so I just looked up definitions but I don't know if that's the definition that will be used on the exam bc it wasn't on any lists we have

drivel

(n) saliva or mucus flowing from the mouth or nose; foolish, aimless talk or thinking; nonsense
(v) to let saliva flow from the mouth; to utter nonsense or childish twaddle; to waste or fritter away foolishly

noncommittal

(adj.) not decisive or definite; unwilling to take a clear position
S: cagey, uninformative, playing it safe, playing it close to vest
A; positive, definite, committed

intercede

(v.) to plead on behalf of someone else; to serve as a third party or go-between in a disagreement
S: intervene, mediate

permeate

(v) to spread through, penetrate, soak through

umbrage

(n.) shade cast by trees; foliage giving shade; an overshadowing influence or power; offense, resentment, a vague suspicion
S: irritation, pique, annoyance
A: pleasure, delight, satisfaction

infringe

(v) to violate, trespass, go beyond recognized bounds

prerogatives

(n.) a special right or privilege; a special quality showing excellence
S: prerequisite, perk

tenuous

(adj.) thin, slender, not dense; lacking clarity or sharpness; of slight importance or significance; lacking a sound basis, poorly supported
S: flimsy, insubstantial, vague, hazy
A: strong, solid, substantial, vaild

callow

(adj.) without experience; immature, not fully developed; lacking sophistication and poise; without feathers

elicit

(v.) to draw forth, bring out from some source (such as another person)
S; call forth, evoke, extract, educe
A: repress, quash, squelch, stifle

interloper

(n) one who moves in where he or she is not wanted or has no right to be, an intruder

enjoin

(v.) to direct or order; to prescribe a course of action in an authoritative way; to prohibit
S: bid, charge, adjure
A: allow, permit

seditious

(adj.) resistant to lawful authority; having the purpose of overthrowing an established government
S: mutinous, rebellious
A; supportive, faithful, allegiant

expiate

(v.) to make amends; make up for; to avert

nominal

(adj.) existing in name only, not real; too small to be considered or taken seriously
S; titular, inconsequential
A: actual, exorbitant

transcend

(v.) to rise above or beyond, exceed
S: surpass, outstrip

assuage

(v.) to make easier or milder, relieve; to quiet, calm; to put an end to, appease, satisfy, quench
S: mitigate, alleviate, slake, allay
A: intensify, aggravate, exacerbate

surmise

(v) to think or believe without certain supporting evidence; to conjecture or guess
(n) likely idea that lacks definite proof

demagogues

(n.) a leader who exploits popular prejudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power
S: rabble-rouser, firebrand

filch

(v.) to steal, especially in a sneaky way and in petty amounts
S: pilfer, purloin, swipe

resilient

(adj.) able to return to an original shape or form; able to recover quickly
S: springy, elastic, buoyant, bouncy
A: rigid, stiff, inflexible, unyielding

contrive

(v.) to plan with ingenuity, invent, to bring about as the result of a scheme or plan
S: think up, devise, concoct, fabricate

soporific

(adj.) tending to cause sleep, relating to sleepiness or lethargic (n.) something that induces sleep
S: (n.) narcotic, anesthetic
A: (adj.) stimulating (n.) stimulant, stimulus

vicarious

(adj.) performed, suffered, or otherwise experienced by one person in place of another
S: surrogate, substitute, imagined, secondhand
A: real, actual, firsthand

amorphous

(adj.) shapeless, without definite form; of no particular type or character; without organization, unity, or cohesion
S: formless, unstructured, nebulous, inchoate
A: definite, well-defined, clear-cut

sinecure

(n.) a position requiring little or no work, an easy job
S: "no show" job, cushy job, "plum"

surreptitious

(adj.) stealthy, secret, intended to escape observation, made or accomplished by fraud
S: furtive, covert, clandestine, concealed
A: open, frank, aboveboard, overt

extricate

(v.) to free from entanglements or difficulties, to remove with effort
S: disentangle, extract, disengage
A: enmesh, entangle, involve

flout

(v.) to mock, treat with contempt
S: scoff at, sneer at, snicker at, scorn
A: obey, honor, revere, uphold

remonstrate

(v.) to argue or plead with someone against something, protest against, object to
S: reason against, expostulate

megalomania

(n.) a delusion marked by a feeling of power, wealth, talent, etc. far in excess of reality
S: delusion or grandeur
A: humility, modesty, self-abasement

aggrandize

(v.) to increase in greatness, power, or wealth; to build up or intensify; to make appear greater
S: augment, amplify, enhance, exalt
A: reduce, decrease, diminish

cajole

(v.) to coax, persuade through flattery or artifice, to deceive with soothing thoughts or false promises
S: wheedle, inveigle, soft-soap, sweet-talk
A: coerce, force, strong-arm

scurrilous

(adj.) coarsely abusive, vulgar or low (especially in language), foul-mouthed
S: obscene, filthy, abusive, vituperative
A: decorous, seemly, tasteful, dignified

erudite

(adj.) schoalary, learned, bookish, pedantic
S: profoundly educated, well-read
A: ignorant, uneducated, illeterate

sedulous

(adj.) persistent, showing industry and determination
S: assiduous, tireless, indefatigable
A: lackadaisical, listless, indolent, otiose

axiomatic

(adj.) self-evident, expressing a universally accepted principle or rule
S: taken for granted
A: questionable, dubious, controversial

salutary

(adj.) beneficial, helpful, healthful, wholesome
S: salubrious, curative
A: detrimental, deleterious, pernicious

ascribe

(v.) to assign or refer to (as a cause or source), attribute
S: impute, credit

ameliorate

(v) to improve, make better, to correct a flaw or shortcoming

meritorious

(adj.) worthy, deserving recognition and praise
S: praiseworthy, laudable, commendable
A: blameworthy, reprehensible, discreditable

heinous

(adj.) very wicked, offensive, hateful
S: evil, odious, abominable, outrageous
A: excellent, wonderful, splendid

inscrutable

(adj.) incapable of being understood; impossible to see through physically
S: impenetrable, incomprehensible, enigmatic
A: comprehensible, intelligible, penetrable

immutable

(adj.) not subject to change, constant
S: unchangeable, unalterable, fixed, invariable
A: changeable, inconstant, variable, fickle

scathing

(adj.) bitterly severe, withering, causing great harm
S: searing, harsh, ferocious, savage
A: bland, mild

*proponent

(n.) a person who puts forward a proposition or proposal; person who argues in favor of something; an advocate

repudiate

(v.) to disown, reject, or deny the validity of
S: disavow, abjure, renounce
A: avow affirm, aver, avouch

*conciliate

(v.) to stop someone from being angry or discontented; placate; pacify

*stalwart

(adj.) strongly and stoutly built; sturdy and robust; strong and brave, valiant; loyal, reliable, hardworking
(n.) a physically stalwart person

*adjudicate

(v.) to pronounce or decree by judicial sentence; to settle or determine (an issue or dispute) judicially; to act as judge of; to sit in judgement

propensity

(n.) a natural inclination or predilection toward
S: natural bent, proclivity, penchant
A: natural incapacity or inability

proclivity

(n.) a natural or habitual inclination or tendency (especially of human (character or behavior)
S: penchant, propensity
A: inability, incapacity

hiatus

(n.) a gap, opening, break (in the sense of having an element missing)
S: pause, lacuna (a gap or pause)
A: continuity, continuation

aura

(n.) that which surrounds (as an atmosphere); a distinctive air or personal quality
S: ambience, atmosphere

aspersion

(n.) a damaging or derogatory statement, the act of slandering or defaming
S: innuendo, calumny, denigration
A: endorsement, testimonial, praise

approbation

(n.) the expression of approval or favorable opinion, praise; official approval
S: commendation, sanction
A: disapproval, condemnation, censure

expostulate

(v.) to attempt to dissuade someone from some course of decision by earnest reasoning
S: protest, remonstrate, complain

abominate

(v.) to have an intense dislike or hatred for
S: loathe, abhor, despise, detest
A: relish, savor, esteem

castigate

(v.) to punish severely, to criticize severely
S: chastise, rebuke, censure, upbraid
A: reward, honor, praise, laud

precipitate

(v) to fall as moisture; to cause or bring about suddenly; to hurl down from a great height; to give distinct form to

ingratiate

(v) to make oneself agreeable and thus gain favor or acceptance by others (sometimes used in a critical or derogatory sense)

commiserate

(v.) to sympathize with, have pity or sorrow for, share a feeling of distress
S: feel sorry for, empathize
A: feel no sympathy for

lassitude

(n) a weariness of body or mind, lack of energy

sangfroid

(n.) composure or coolness, especially in trying circumstances
S: poise, self-assurance, equanimity
A: excitability, hysteria, flappability

ennui

(n.) weariness and dissatisfaction from lack of occupation or interest, boredom
S: languor, world-weariness, listlessness
A: enthusiasm, liveliness, excitement, intensity

tenuous

(adj.) thin, slender, not dense; lacking clarity or sharpness; of slight importance or significance; lacking a sound basis, poorly supported
S: flimsy, insubstantial, vague, hazy
A: strong, solid, substantial, valid

vitriolic

(adj.) bitter, sarcastic; highly caustic or biting (like a strong acid)
S: withering, acerbic, mordant
A: bland, saccharine, honeyed, sugary

*rancor

(n.) bitter, rankling resentment or ill will; hatred; malice

transient

(adj.) lasting only a short time; fleeting; (n.) one who stays only a short time
S: (adj.) impermanent, ephemeral, evanescent
A: (adj.) permanent, imperishable, immortal

equitable

(adj.) fair, just, embodying principles of justice
S: right, reasonable, evenhanded
A: unjust, unfair, one-sided, disproportionate

*durability

(n.) the ability to last over time, resisting wear, breakage, deterioration, etc.

provincial

(adj.) pertaining to an outlying area; local; narrow in mind or outlook, countrified in the sense of being limited and backward; of a simple, plain design that originated in the countryside; (n.) a person with a narrow point of view; a person from an outlying area; a soldier from a province or colony
S: (adj.) narrow-minded, parochial, insular, naive
A: (adj.) cosmopolitan, catholic, broad-minded

insular

(adj.) relating to, characteristic of, or situated on an island; narrow or isolated in outlook or experience
S: narrow-minded, parochial, provincial
A: catholic, cosmopolitan, liberal

*esoteric

(n.) things understood by or meant for a select few; recondite matters or items; intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest

*baneful

(adj.) destructive; pernicious, can also mean deadly; poisonous

fractious

(adj.) tending to be troublesome, unruly, quarrelsome, contrary, unpredictable
S: refractory, recalcitrant, peevish
A: docile, tractable, cooperative

*docile

(adj.) easily managed or handled; tractable; readily trained or taught; teachable

affable

(adj.) courteous and pleasant, sociable, easy to speak to
S: genial amicable, agreeable, cordial
A: surly cantankerous, dour, inhospitable

bizarre

(adj.) extremely strange, unusual, atypical
S: grotesque, fantastic, outlandish
A: normal, typical, ordinary, expected

intrinsic

(adj) belonging to someone or something by its very nature, essential, inherent; originating in a bodily organ or part

hackneyed

(adj.) used so often as to lack freshness or originality
S: banal, trite, commonplace, corny
A: new, fresh, novel (new), original

*novelty

(n.) state or quality of being novel, new, or unique; newness; a novel occurrence, experience, or proceeding

brusque

(adj.) abrupt, blunt, with no formalities
S: curt, tactless, ungracious, gruff, rough
A: gracious, tactful, courteous, diplomatic

*brevity

(n.) shortness of time or duration; briefness: the quality of expressing much in few words; terseness

vapid

(adj.) dull, uninteresting, tiresome, lacking in sharpness, liveliness, or force
S: insipid, lifeless, colorless
A: zesty, spicy, savory, colorful, lively

lurid

(adj.) causing shock, horror, or revulsion; sensational; pale or sallow in color; terrible or passionate in intensity or lack of restraint
S: gruesome, gory, grisly, baleful, ghastly
A: pleasant, attractive, appealing, wholesome

sleazy

(adj.) thin or flimsy in texture; cheap; shoddy or inferior in quality or character; ethically low, mean, or disreputable
S: inferior, cheesy, tawdry, tatty
A: superior, first-rate, quality, sturdy

reverberated

(v.) to re-echo, resound; to reflect or be reflected repeatedly
S: rumble, thunder, boom echo

sepulchral

(adj.) funereal, typical of the tomb, extremely gloomy or dismal
S: doleful, lugubrious, mortuary

blazon

(v.) to adorn or embellish; to display conspicuously; to publish or proclaim widely
S: broadcast, trumpet
A:hide, conceal, cover up, bury

unctuous

(adj.) excessively smooth or smug; trying too hard to give an impression of earnestness, sincerity, or piety; fatty oily; pliable
S: mealy-mouthed, servile, fawning, greasy
A: gruff, blunt

expostulate

(v.) to attempt to dissuade someone from some course of decision by earnest reasoning
S: protest, remonstrate, complain

*debase

(v.) to reduce in quality or value; adulterate

circuitous

(adj.) roundabout, not direct
S: indirect, meandering, winding
A: straight, direct, as the crow flies

epitome

(n) a summary, condensed account; an instance that represents a larger reality

caveat

(n.) a warning or caution to prevent misunderstanding or discourage behavior \n S: admonition, word to the wise

precepts

(n.) a rule of conduct or action \n S: principle, maxim

\*addenda

an item of additional material added at the end of a book or document, typically in order to correct, clarify, or supplement something.

S: appendix

coalitions

**(n.) a combination, union, or merger for some specific purpose** \n **S: alliance, league, federation, combine** \n **A: splinter group**

archetypes

(n.) an original model on which something was patterned or replicated; the ideal example of a particular type of person or thing \n S: model, prototype, epitome