Vocabulary Unit 12

  1. Absolve [verb] — to make (someone) free from guilt, responsibility, etc.

  2. Caricature [noun] — a picture of someone in which their features have been exaggerated for humorous effect

  3. Clangor [noun] — a continuous noisy banging

  4. Contiguous [adjective] — used to describe things that touch each other or are next to each other

  5. Cupidity [noun] — excessive desire or greed

  6. Deleterious [adjective] — harmful

  7. Enhance [verb] — to bring out positive features

  8. Enthrall [verb] — to captivate or charm

  9. Extenuate [verb] — to cause a wrong act to be judged less because of circumstances

  10. Implicit [adjective] — understood though not clearly or directly stated

  11. Incisive [adjective] — clear and direct; sharp

  12. Ostentatious [adjective] — intended to attract notice and impress others in an extreme and unnecessary way

  13. Paragon [noun] — a model of excellence or perfection

  14. Paraphrase [verb] — to take someone else’s words or writing and restate it

  15. Politic [adjective] — having or showing tact

  16. Prosaic [adjective] — commonplace or dull; unimaginative

  17. Redundant [adjective] — something that is unnecessary

  18. Sanctimonious [adjective] — pretending to be better than others on a moral level

  19. Scintillating [adjective] — remarkably witty

  20. Winsome [adjective] — appealing in an innocent manner

  21. Exude [verb] — to openly display an emotion or quality

  22. Preeminent [adjective] — better than others

  23. Premonition [noun] — an intense feeling something is about to occur, generally a negative event