Vocabulary Workshop - Unit 10

Unit 10 Vocabulary

acquiesce

(v.) to accept without protest; to agree or submit.
Example: To avoid further argument, she acquiesced to his demands.

allure

(v.) to entice, tempt; to be attractive to.
(n.) a strong attraction; the power to attract, charm.
Example: The allure of the forbidden was too strong to resist.

askew

(adj./adv.) twisted to one side, crooked; disapprovingly.
Example: Her hat was askew after the gust of wind.

blithe

(adj.) cheerful, lighthearted; casual, unconcerned.
Example: Her blithe spirit was contagious.

contentious

(adj.) quarrelsome, inclined to argue.
Example: The contentious debate lasted for hours.

covet

(v.) to desire something belonging to another.
Example: He coveted his neighbor's sports car.

crestfallen

(adj.) discouraged, dejected, downcast.
Example: She was crestfallen after failing the exam.

disheveled

(adj.) rumpled, mussed; hanging in disorder.
Example: He looked disheveled after a long night of studying.

exponent

(n.) one who advocates, speaks for, explains, or interprets.
(n.) (math) the power to which a number, symbol, or expression is to be raised.
Example: He is a leading exponent of the theory of relativity.
Example: In the expression x^2, 2 is the exponent.

garrulous

(adj.) given to much talking, tediously chatty.
Example: The garrulous old man told stories for hours.

insuperable

(adj.) incapable of being overcome.
Example: The challenges seemed insuperable at first.

lamentable

(adj.) to be regretted or pitied.
Example: The accident was a lamentable tragedy.

misnomer

(n.) an unsuitable or misleading name.
Example: "Greenland" is a misnomer, as it is covered in ice.

profess

(v.) to affirm openly; to state belief in; to claim, pretend.
Example: He professed his love for her.

respite

(n.) a period of relief or rest.
Example: The weekend offered a welcome respite from work.

retribution

(n.) a repayment; a deserved punishment.
Example: He sought retribution for the wrongs done to him.

sinuous

(adj.) winding, having many curves; lithe and flexible.
Example: The sinuous river flowed through the valley.

sonorous

(adj.) full, deep, or rich in sound; impressive in style.
Example: The sonorous voice of the opera singer filled the theater.

vanguard

(n.) the foremost part of an army; the leading position in any field.
Example: They were in the vanguard of scientific research.

wastrel

(n.) a wasteful person, spendthrift; a good-for-nothing.
Example: He was a wastrel who squandered his inheritance.