English Vocab

Diverge (verb): separate from another route, especially a main one, and go in a different direction.

We diverged from the trail to investigate a noise we heard.

Prestigious (adjective): having a good reputation; very respected. Prestige (noun) good reputation/standing.

Harvard is a prestigious university.

Precarious (adjective): not secure, likely to fall or collapse. Precariously (adverb)

The glass was in a precarious spot on the side of the table.

Reconcile (verb): to bring into agreement or come to terms with. Reconciliation (noun) the act of reconciling.

At first they disagreed, but they reconciled. I had to reconcile my fear of heights and desire to be a pilot.

Cadence (noun): a rhythmic sequence or flow of sounds in language or activity.

The actor practiced reading his lines with a natural cadence.

Stalwart (adjective & noun): loyal & reliable; or a loyal & reliable thing

A stalwart friend / He was a stalwart of the town leadership.

In retrospect (adv): looking back at past events.

In retrospect, I shouldn’t have eaten that third hamburger.

Apathy (noun): lack of emotion, interest, or concern. Apathetic (adjective) having apathy.

They need to change the conversation about their team, which is full of doubt and apathy

Litany (noun): a long list or account of things.

They had a litany of complaints.

Idiosyncrasy (noun): an individual’s quirk or unusual trait.

Idiosyncratic (adjective)

Putting milk before the cereal was one of his idiosyncrasies.

Incredulous (adj): unwilling or unable to believe something.

I was incredulous about the news of an alien landing.

Indelible (adj): not able to be removed; permanent

The war left an indelible mark on his mental health.

Arbitrary (adj): based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system. Arbitrarily (adv)

The ref was criticized for making arbitrary calls.

Simultaneously (adv): happening at the same time as something else. Simultaneous (adj)

We were simultaneously scared and excited.

Irrevocable (adj): impossible to change or take back; unalterable.

Revoke (verb) to take back.

The scandal with the CEO caused irrevocable damage to the company.

Ostracize (verb): exclude (someone) from a society or group.

They were ostracized in their community for their different beliefs.

Imminent (adj): about to happen; soon.

The test was imminent, so he reviewed his notes.

Unscathed (adj): unharmed.

The car crashed, but he was unscathed.

Insubordinate (adj): not submissive to authority; disobedient or defiant. Insubordination (n)

The cadet was punished for insubordinate behavior.

Aghast (adj): filled with horror or shock.

My parents were aghast at the messiness of my room.

Disparity(noun): a difference in level or treatment, especially one that is seen as unfair.

Social programs help to lessen the disparity in achievement.

Transient (adjective): lasting only a short time or staying in place for a brief time; impermanent.

The transient workers moved from farm to farm.

Subside (verb): to settle down.

My sea-sickness subsided as soon as I stepped off the boat.

Burgeoning (adjective): growing or developing quickly.

The young star was overwhelmed by her burgeoning career.

Elusive (adjective): difficult to find, capture, or remember. Elude (verb)

They searched for the robber, but he was elusive.

Cynical (adjective): believing the worst of human nature and motives; pessimistic. Cynicism (noun)

He was too cynical to trust his peers to do the right thing.

Tenuous (adjective): very weak or slight

She tightened her tenuous grasp on the rope.

Palpable (adjective): so intense as to almost seem like you can touch it.

The excitement in the packed room was palpable.

Gentrification (noun): when a poor urban area is changed by wealthier people moving in, typically displacing current residents. Gentrify (verb)

The gentrification of South Boston has led to soaring rents.

Trepidation (noun): a feeling of fear or nerves about something that may happen; apprehension. Trepidatious (adjective)

I opened the door with trepidation, unsure what I would find.

Revere (verb): deeply respect, almost to the point of worship. Reverent=adjective, reverence=noun

The fan revered the musician and went to all his concerts.

Filial piety (noun): devotion to one's parents, elders, and ancestors. Filial: relating to a son/daughter. Piety: devotion

Asian cultures value filial piety, and children are expected to care for their elders.

Indifferent (adjective): uninterested; feeling like it doesn’t make a difference to you.

Everyone else was watching the football game, but I was indifferent.

Exasperated (adjective): annoyed, out of patience.

Students talking when I’m giving instructions makes me exasperated.

Pretense (noun): a false show of something; an act.

I made a pretense of seeming interested, but I was bored.

Concubine (noun): Throughout history, there have been instances when it was considered acceptable for an important man to keep a woman, not his wife, as a mistress. These women were called concubines.

The emperor’s concubine had three children, but the queen’s children were his heirs.

Dowry (noun): money that a wife's family gives to her husband when they marry in some cultures

Many people wanted to marry the merchant’s daughter because of her impressive dowry from her father.

Lament (verb & noun): express sadness or regret

She lamented not talking to her grandparents more before they died.

Malignant (adjective): harmful; dangerous (mal=bad).

The prevalence of vaping is a malignant influence on teens.

Benevolent (adjective): well meaning; kindly (bene=good). Benevolently (adverb)

She smiled benevolently as she gave the child an extra cookie.

Adversary (noun): opponent

Boston Prep was our current adversary.

Solemn (adjective): serious and sad, unsmiling. Solemnity (noun)

The judge gave the sentence with a solemn expression.

Humility (noun): state of being humble, not thinking you are better than others.

He lacked humility and always bragged about his accomplishments.

Prodigy (noun): an unusually talented young person

The prodigy got into college when he was eight years old.

Morbid (adjective): interested in disturbing subjects like death

He loves true crime shows, but I think that’s morbid.

Dutiful (adjective): obedient out of a sense of duty and respect. Dutifully (adverb)

She dutifully took in the groceries from the car.

Disparaging (adjective): critical towards someone/something in a way that shows you do not respect or value it.

The fashion designer made disparaging remarks about the store brand shoes.

Tact (noun): ability to conduct oneself so as not to upset people. Tactful: having tact. Tactless: without tact.

I had no idea they had broken up, otherwise I would not have been so tactless as to make them work together.

Extravagant (adjective): excessive and lacking restraint.

Their extravagant wedding cost more than my house.

Guileless (adjective): innocent; without guile: deceit, duplicity and trickery.

The guileless child couldn’t understand why people would do bad things.

Mundane (adjective): very ordinary and not exciting.

While some find grocery shopping a mundane chore, I enjoy it.

Scrutinize (verb): to look at or examine somebody/something carefully.

The doctor scrutinized the x-ray for any signs of a fracture.

Passive (adjective): accepting or allowing what happens or what others do, without active response or resistance. Passively (adverb). Passivity (noun)

He was a passive member of the group and didn’t contribute much.

Chastise (verb): scold or criticize severely.

The dean chastised him for being tardy for class every day this week.