Vocabulary Study List

Appreciable (adj.) – Noticeable; large enough to be important.

• There was an appreciable improvement in his grades.

Autocratic (adj.) – Ruling with absolute power; controlling.

• The autocratic leader made all decisions alone.

Blanch (v.) – To turn pale (from shock) or to briefly boil food.

• She blanched when she heard the bad news.

Blasphemy (n.) – Speech or action that insults religion.

• Some people considered his joke blasphemy.

Brawny (adj.) – Strong and muscular.

• The brawny firefighter carried the child to safety.

Concerted (adj.) – Done together in a planned way.

• They made a concerted effort to clean the park.

Contend (v.) – To struggle or compete against something.

• She had to contend with heavy rain during the race.

Humane (adj.) – Kind and compassionate.

• The shelter treats animals in a humane way.

Illustrious (adj.) – Famous and respected.

• The illustrious scientist won a Nobel Prize.

Intolerable (adj.) – Too bad to be accepted.

• The heat was intolerable without a fan.

Irreverent (adj.) – Not showing respect (often in a funny way).

• His irreverent jokes made some people laugh and others frown.

Laborious (adj.) – Requiring a lot of hard work.

• Moving all the boxes was a laborious task.

Lithe (adj.) – Graceful and flexible.

• The lithe dancer moved smoothly across the stage.

Maltreat (v.) – To treat badly or cruelly.

• No one should maltreat animals.

Ponder (v.) – To think deeply about something.

• He liked to ponder life’s big mysteries.

Subversive (adj.) – Trying to weaken or overthrow authority.

• The subversive group secretly opposed the government.

Synthetic (adj.) – Man-made, not natural.

• Her backpack was made of synthetic material.

Temperate (adj.) – Mild; not extreme (weather or behavior).

• The temperate climate was perfect for growing crops.

Venomous (adj.) – Poisonous (snake, spider, or remark).

• The venomous snake hid in the grass.

Wily (adj.) – Clever in a tricky way.

• The wily fox outsmarted the hunters.