English 2H-B Final Vocab

abstruse

hard to understand

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S: ***obscure, perplexing, incomprehensible***

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amicable

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

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*S:* ***friendly, good-natured, cooperative***

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amiss

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

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S: ***faulty, wrong, awry***

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amity

friendliness and peaceful relations

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*S:* ***harmony, companionship, goodwill***

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amorous

showing or feeling romantic love or sexual attraction

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S: ***ardent, passionate, lustful***

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animosity

a feeling or spirit of hostility and resentment

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*S:* ***hatred, hostility, loathing***

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atone

to make reparation for a sin or a mistake

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*S:* ***apologize, redeem, reconcile***

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beguile

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

somebody

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*S:* ***enchant, captivate, mesmerize***

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bereft

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

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*S:* ***devoid, deprived, left without***

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besiege

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

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*S:* ***blockade, surround, mob***

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blatant

obtrusive and conspicuous in an offensive way, often intentionally

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S: ***outright, shameless, impudent***

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boorish

rough and bad-mannered; coarse

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*S:* ***crude, vulgar, uncivilized***

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cadaverous

looking very thin or pale; resembling a corpse

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*S:* ***ashen, corpse-like, sallow***

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carrion

dead and putrefying flesh; flesh unfit for food

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*S:* ***remains, corpse, body***

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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

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*S:* ***diverging, spreading, diffusive***

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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

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*S:* ***courteous, respectful, gallant***

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circuitous

lengthy because very indirect; roundabout

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*S:* ***roundabout, tortuous, labyrinthine***

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circumspect

taking into consideration all possible circumstances and consequences before acting

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*S:* ***cautious, wary, guarded***

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clemency

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

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*S:* ***mercy, leniency, indulgence***

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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"

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*S:* ***alias, moniker, nickname***

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coincide

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

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*S:* ***conjunction, accord, accompaniment***

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colloquial

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

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*S:* ***informal, conversational, everyday***

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components

a part of something, usually of something bigger

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*S:* ***ingredient, part, element***

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concentric

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

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*S:* ***coordinated, aligned, parallel***

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concise

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

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*S:* ***pithy, succinct, brief***

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condolence

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

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*S:* ***sympathy, consolation, pity***

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congestion

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

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*S:* ***obstruction, blockage, overcrowding***

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contest

to challenge or question something

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*S:* ***litigate, dispute, oppose***

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cumbersome

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

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***S: clumsy, unwieldy, inconvenient***

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curtail

to reduce the length or duration of something

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***S: reduce, trim, lessen***

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decadences

a process of decline or decay in a society, especially in its morals; a state of uninhibited immoral self-indulgence

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***S: decay, corruption, decline***

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decorum

propriety and good taste in conduct or appearance

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***S: respectability, demeanor, civility***

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dilate

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

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***S: enlarge, widen, expand***

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diverge

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

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***S: deviate, separate, differ***

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elegiac

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

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***S: melancholic, sorrowful, doleful***

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eloquence

the ability to speak forcefully, expressively, and persuasively

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***S: fluency, expressiveness, articulateness***

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elucidate

to explain or clarify something

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***S: explain, clarify, spell out***

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enigma

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

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***S: mystery, puzzle, paradox***

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entrenched

firmly held and hard to change

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***S: lodged, well-established, rooted***

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epochs

a significant period in history or in somebody's life

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***S: period of time, span, era***

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erratic

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

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***S: unpredictable, variable, turbulent***

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esoteric

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

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***S: abstruse, obscure, abstract***

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ethnocentric

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

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***S: partiality, partisanship***

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flaccid

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

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***S: flabby, nerveless, sapped***

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frank

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

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***S: candid, forthright, honest***

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gauche

clumsy; lacking grace or tact in social situations

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***S: awkward, gawky, clumsy***

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impediment

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

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***S: obstruction, hindrance, obstacle***

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impudent

showing a lack of respect and excessive boldness

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***S: impertinent, cocky, brazen***

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incorrigible

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

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***S: hopeless, incurable, habitual***

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indiscretion

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

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***S: irresponsibility, incaution, imprudence***

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inveterate

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

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***S: ingrained, habitual, deep-seated***

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irrevocable

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

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***S: unchangeable, final, irreversible***

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jostle

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

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***S: jolt, collide, bump into***

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laconic

using very few words

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***S: brief, concise, terse***

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larceny

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

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***S: burglary, theft, robbery***

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luminous

emitting or reflecting light; clear and easy to understand

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***S: brilliant, radiant, dazzling***

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masticate

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

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***S: munch, crunch, chew***

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menagerie

A varied mixture

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***S: exhibition, collection, assortment***

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militant

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

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***S: aggressive, fierce, combative***

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modicum

a small portion or limited quantity

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***S: smidgen, fragment, iota***

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mortician

funeral director

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***S: embalmer, undertaker, funeral manager***

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mortuary

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

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***S: morgue, funeral home, funeral parlor***

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nomenclature

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

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***S: classification, terminology, taxonomy***

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nominal

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

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***S: official, formal, titular***

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noxious

harmful to life or health, especially by being poisonous

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***S: deadly, toxic, corrupting***

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obdurate

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

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***S: stubborn, obstinate, unyielding***

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obloquy

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

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***S: vilification, condemnation, criticism***

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orthodox

of, pertaining to, or conforming to beliefs, attitudes, or modes of conduct that are generally approved

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***S: conventional, accepted, traditional***

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ostentatious

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

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***S: flamboyant, flashy, showy***

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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

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

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placid

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

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***S: peaceful, tranquil, calm***

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poignant

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

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***S: heartbreaking, sentimental, emotional***

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posthumous

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

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***S: delayed, post-mortem, post-obituary***

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prudent

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

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***S: wise, sensible, well advised***

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pugilist

the practice, sport, or profession of boxing

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***S: fighter, boxer, contender***

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pulchritude

physical beauty

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***S: allure, elegance, beauty***

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qualm

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

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***S: anxiety, sudden uncertainty, second thoughts***

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rendezvous

a meeting or appointment arranged for an agreed time and place

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***S: appointment, meeting, assignation***

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reticent

not revealing one’s thoughts or feelings readily

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***S: reserved, withdrawn, uncommunicative***

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ridiculing

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

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***S: mockery, scorn, contempt***

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risible

completely unreasonable and not at all sensible or acceptable

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***S: ridiculous, laughable, absurd***

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sanguine

cheerful and hopeful

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***S: optimistic, cheery, confident***

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saturnine

Slow and gloomy in manner OR moody and mysterious in features

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***S: somber, morose, dour***

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semblance

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

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***S: façade, appearance, guise***

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snivel

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

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***S: whimper, whine, weep***

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sodden

saturated with liquid, especially water; soaked through.

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***S: drenched, soaking, saturated***

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stereotype

an oversimplified standardized image of a person or group

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***S: lacking originality, conventional image, cliché***

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submerge

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

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***S: inundate, deluge, swamp***

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supplication

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

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***S: appeal, request, plea***

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tawdry

showy, but cheap and of poor quality

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***S: gaudy, flashy, loud***

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titter

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

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***S: chuckle, snicker, twitter***

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tractable

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

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***S: malleable, compliant, obedient***

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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

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***S: unblurred, clear, semi-transparent***

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triumvirate

a group of three people who share a position or power

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***S: triad, trinity, trilogy***

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unimpeachable

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

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***S: trustworthy, dependable, reliable***

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veracity

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

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***S: truthfulness, accuracy, fidelity***

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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

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***S: plausibility, lifelikeness, authenticity***

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veritable

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

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***S: authentic, genuine, real***

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verity

the *quality* of being true or real

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***S: accuracy, truth, actuality***

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whet

1\. 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.

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***S: sharpen, hone, file***

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