English Vocabulary Lessons 1-9 (Midterm Exam Review)

• abhor: (verb) to detest, lothate, hate strongly

• adamant: (adj.) unyielding; firm in opinion

• altercation: (noun) a heated argument

• ambivalent: (adj.) being uncertain, unable to decide between two opposing points of view; indecisive

• amicable: (adj.) friendly; peaceable

• apathy: (noun) lack of interest

• appease: (verb) to make calm or quiet; to give in to the demands of

• arduous: (adj.) difficult; requiring much effort; strenuous

• audacity: (noun) insolence; rude boldness

• avarice: (noun) excessive greed; desire for wealth

• avid: (adj.) eager; extremely interested

• bawdy: (adj.) indecent; humorously obscene

• befuddle: (verb) to confuse; to perplex

• cajole: (verb) to persuade with promises and flattery, coax

• candid: (adj.) outspoken, blunt; straightforward, honest

• caustic: (adj.) biting, sharp, sever, sarcastic; able to burn or corrode

• chaos: (noun) complete disorder

• chastise: (verb) to punish severely

• circumvent: (verb) to bypass o go around; to avoid by cleverness

• clandestine: (adj.) secret

• cliche: (noun) a worn-out idea or overused expression

• coerce: (verb) to force a person to do something against his or her will; compel, force 

• collaborate: (verb) to work with another toward a goal/to cooperate with an enemy invade

• complacent: (adj.) pleased with oneself or one’s deeds; contented

• concur: (verb) to be of the same opinion; to agree with 

• condone: (verb) to forgive or overlook an offense by treating the wrongdoer as if there had been nothing wrong

• connive: (verb) to cooperate secretly in a wrongdoing 

• connoisseur: (noun) an expert; an authority

• contrite: (adj.) showing regret and sorrow, usually for having committed some wrongdoing; remorseful, repentant

• copious: (adj.) abundant; large in number or quantity

• crass: (adj.) coarse, stupid, tasteless  

• credence: (noun) belief or trust)

• culmination: (noun) the apex, highest point; completion, finish

• cult: (noun) a fad-like devotion to a person, thing or idea; a group of people bound together by the same thing, person or ideal

• cynical: (adj.) inclined to distrust or deny the goodness or sincerity of human motives; distrustful

• decorum: (noun) conformity to accepted standards of conduct proper behavior; etiquette

• destitute: (adj.) extremely poor; lacking necessities like food and shelter

• dilemma: (noun) a difficult choice; especially a choice between two equally undesirable alternatives

• divulge: (verb) to reveal something private or secret

• docile: (adj.) easy to teach or manage; submissive, compliant

• dogmatic: (adj.) stating an opinion in an authoritative, superior, or arrogant manner

• emaciated: (adj.) extremely thin, wasted away

• emulate: (verb) to imitate; to try to equal or better

• enamored: (adj.) to be in love with 

• enhance: (verb) to increase; to raise to a higher degree or quality

• enigma: (noun) a puzzling or seemingly inexplicable situation, person, etc.

• enraptured: (adj.) to be delighted, thrilled

• enunciate: (verb) to pronounce words clearly and distinctly

• ethnic: (adj.) of or having to do with races or classes of people and their language, culture, history, etc.

evoke: (verb) to call forth; to draw forth