Vocab Unit 1-4 Level G - Shea 80

acquisitive

(adj.) able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with acquiring wealth or property.

arrogate

(v.) to claim or take without right

banal

(adj.) cliched, trite, commonplace

belabor

(v.) to work on excessively; to thrash soundly

carping

(adj.) tending to find fault, especially in a petty, nasty, or hairsplitting way; (n.) petty, nagging criticism

coherent

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

congeal

(v.) to change from liquid to solid, thicken; to make inflexible or rigid

emulate

(v.) to imitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model

encomium

(n.) a formal expression of praise, a lavish tribute

eschew

(v.) 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 or resentment

largesse

generosity in giving; lavish or bountiful contributions

reconnaissance

(n.) a survey made for military purposes; any kind of preliminary inspection or examination

substantiate

(v.) to establsih by evidence, prove; to give concrete or substantial form to

taciturn

(adj.) habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little

temporize

(v.) to stall or act evasively in order to gain time, avoid a confrontation, or postpone a decision; to compromise

tenable

(adj.) capable of being held or defended

Accost

to approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging way

Amimadversion

A comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval.

Avid

desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager.

Brackish

Having a salty or unpleasant taste (to drink)

Celerity

swiftness, rapidity of motion or action.

Devious

straying or wandering from a straight or direct course; done or acting in a shifty

Gambit

A chess move where a player will male a sacrifice in order to gain a later advantage.

Halcyon

Referring to calm, peaceful, happy or prosperous or the legendary bird with kingfisher

Histrionic

pertaining to actors and their techniques. (stagey)

Incendiary

deliberately setting or causing fires, one who starts rebellion.

Maelstrom

whirlpool of great size and violence, something like violence and destruction.

Myopic

lacking a realistic view of a situation, nearsighted

Overt

open, obvious

Pejorative

tending to make worse, derogatory

Propriety

the state of being appropriate

Sacrilege

improper treatment to something considered sacred.

Summarily

without delay or formality; brief, concise

Suppliant

asking humbly or earnestly

Talisman

An object that has magical powers

Undulate

fluctuate, like wave

cavort

v. to romp or prance around exuberantly; to make merry

syn. gambol

credence

n. belief, mental acceptance

syn. credit, trust, confidence

ant. disbelief, skepticism, incredulity

decry

v. to condemn, express strong disapproval; to officially depreciate

syn. denounce, censure, devalue

ant. tout, commend, extol, laud, praise

dissemble

v. to disguise or conceal, deliberately give a false impression

syn. dissimulate, mask, feign

distraught

adj. very much agitated or upset as a result of emotion or mental conflict

syn. distracted

ant. calm, collected

eulogy

n. a formal statement of commendation; high praise

syn. panegyric, encomium, tribute

ant. philippic, invective

evince

v. to display clearly, to make evident, to provoke

syn. exhibit, manifest, occasion

exhume

v. to remove from a grave; to bring to light

syn. disinter, unearth, uncover

ant. bury, inter

feckless

adj. lacking in spirit and strength,; ineffective, weak; irresponsible, unreliable

syn. feeble, incompetent, ineffectual

ant. competent, capable, effective

murky

adj. dark and gloomy, obscure; lacking in clarity and precision

syn. dim, cloudy

ant. clear, transparent, lucid, limpid

nefarious

adj. wicked, depraved, devoid of moral standards

syn. iniquitous, reprehensible

ant. virtuous, honorable, praiseworthy, meritorious

piquant

adj. stimulating to the taste or mind; spicy, pungent; appealingly provocative

syn. zestful, tangy

ant. bland, insipid, tasteless, mild

primordial

adj. developed or created at the very beginning; going back to the most ancient times or earliest stage; fundamental, basic

syn. original, primal

propinquity

n. nearness in place or time; kinship

syn. similarity

ant. remoteness, distance

substantive

adj. real, having a solid basis; considerable in number or amount; meaningful and on topic

syn. firm, substantial, meaty

ant. imaginary, unreal, meaningless

unwonted

adj, not usual or expected; not in character

syn. unusual, uncommon, unexpected, atypical

ant. usual, customary, typical

utopian

adj. founded upon or involving a visionary view of an ideal world, impractical

syn. idealistic

ant. realistic, pragmatice

verbiage

n. language that is too wordy or inflated in proportion to the sense or content, wordiness; a manner of expression

syn. prolixity, diction, jargon

verdant

adj. green tint in color; immature in experience or judgement

syn. artless, naive

ant. scorched, sere, barren

viscous

adj. having a gelatinous or gluey quality, lacking in easy movement or fluidity

syn. sticky, thick

ant. watery, aqueous

Atrophy

n. the wasting away of a body organ or tissue any progressive decline or failure; v. to waste away SYN: n. degeneration, deterioration; v. wither ANT: growth, development v. mature, develop

Bastion

n. fortified place, stronghold SYN: citadel, rampart, bulwark, parapet

Concord

n. a state of agreement, harmony, unanimity; a treaty, pact, covenant ANT: disagreement, strife, discord

Consummate

adj. complete or perfect in the highest degree; v. to bring to a state of completion SYN: adj. masterful; v. clinch, conclude ANT: v. launch, initiate, begin, kick off

Disarray

n. disorder, confusion; v. to throw into disorder SYN: disorganization, dishevel, mess up ANT: organization, order, tidiness

Exigency

n. urgency, pressure; urgent demand, pressing need, emergency SYN: requirement, crisis

Flotsam

n. floating debris, homeless, impoverished people SYN: floating wreckage

Frenetic

adj. frenzied, highly agitated SYN: frantic, overwrought ANT: calm, collected, relaxed, leisurely

Glean

v. to gather bit by bit; to gather small quantities of grain left in a field by the reapers SYN: collect, cull, pick up

Grouse

n. a type of game bird; a complaint; v. to complain, grumble SYN: v. gripe, kvetch, bellyache

Incarcerated

v. to imprison, confine, jail SYN: intern, immure ANT: liberate, release, free

Incumbent

adj. obligatory, required; n. one who hold a specific office at the time spoken of SYN: adj. mandatory, necessary ANT: adj. optional unnecessary

Jocular

adj. humorous, jesting, jolly, joking SYN: waggish, facetious, droll, witty ANT: humorless, solemn, grave earnest, grim

Ludicrous

adj, ridiculous, laughable, absurd SYN: risible, preposterous ANT: heartrending, poignant, pathetic

Mordant

adj, biting or caustic in thought, manner, or style; sharply or bitterly harsh SYN: acrimonious, acidulous, sardonic, scathing ANT: bland, mild, gentle, soothing

nettle

(n.) a prickly or stinging plant; (v.) to arouse displeasure, impatience, or anger; to vex or irritate severely Synonyms: (v.) peeve, annoy, incense, gall, irk Antonyms: (v.) please, delight, soothe, pacify

pecuniary

(adj.) consisting of or measured in money; of or related to money Synonyms: monetary, financial

Pusillanimous

(adj.) contemptibly cowardly or mean-spirited Synonyms: craven, lily-livered Antonyms:southhearted, courageous, daring

Recumbent

(adj.) in a reclining position, lying down, in a posture of one sleeping or resting Synonyms: prone, prostrate, supine, inactive Antonyms: erect, upright, energetic, dynamic

stratagem

(n.) a scheme to outwit or deceive an opponent or to gain an end Synonyms: ruse, trick, ploy, subterfuge