Vocab FUnits 12-15
Terms
undefined, object
copy deck
- winsome
- (adj) charming, attractive, pleasing (often suggesting a childlike charm and innocence)
- onus
- (n) something that is heavy or burdensome (especially an unwelcome responsibility); a stigma; blame
- amenable
- (adj) willing to follow advice or authority, tractable, submissive, responsive; liable to be held responsible
- impromptu
- (adj., adv) without preparation, offhand, suddenly or hastily done; (n) an extemporaneous composition or remark; a minimal piece suggestive of improvisation
- deference
- (n) courteous yielding to the wishes and ideas of another person; great respect marked by submission, as to a superior
- absolve
- (v) to clear from blame, responsibility, or guilt
- prosaic
- (adj) dull, lacking in distinction and originality; matter-of-fact, straightforward; characteristic of prose, not poetic
- contiguous
- (adj) side by side, touching, near; adjacent in time
- mollify
- (v) to soften, make gentle, pacify; to calm, allay (as an emotion), assuage, appease, placate; to reduce in intensity
- incontrovertible
- (adj) unquestionable, beyond dispute
- collate
- (v) to compare critically in order to note differences, similarities, etc.; to arrange in order for some specific purpose
- connoisseur
- (n) and expert, one who is well qualified to pass critical judgments, especially in one of the fine arts
- sententious
- (adj) self-righteous, characterized by moralizing; given to use of maxims or adages; saying much in a few words, pithy
- herculean
- (adj) (capital H) relating to Hercules (lowercase H) characterized by great strength; very hard to do in the sense of requiring unusual strength
- sartorial
- (adj) of or pertaining to a tailor or his work; having to do with clothes or dress (especially men's )
- incisive
- (adj) sharp, keen, penetrating (with a suggestion of decisiveness and effectiveness)
- aver
- (v) to affirm, declare confidently
- precocious
- (adj) showing unusually early development (especially in talents and mental capacity)
- curtail
- (v) to cut short, bring to a halt or end sooner than expected to reduce
- inauspicious
- (adj) unfavorable, unlucky, suggesting bad luck for the future
- choleric
- (adj) easily made angry, bad-tempered
- rejoinder
- (n) a reply, especially from the defendant in a legal suit
- surfeit
- (n) an excess or overindulgence, as in eating and drinking, causing disgust; (v) to feed or supply with anything to excess
- foment
- (v) to promote trouble or rebellion; to apply worm liquids to, warm
- disconsolate
- (adj) deeply unhappy or dejected; without hope, beyond consolation
- potpourri
- (n) a collection of diverse or miscellaneous items; a a general mix; petals mixed with spices for sent
- berate
- (v) to scold sharply
- cupidity
- (n) an eager desire for something; greed
- turgid
- (adj) swollen, bloated, filled to excess; overdecorate or excessive in language
- requisite
- (adj) needed, necessary, regarded as essential or indispensable
- prolific
- (adj) abundantly productive, abundant, profuse
- obdurate
- (adj) stubborn, unyielding
- scintillating
- (adj.,part.) sparkling, twinkling, exceptionally brilliant (applied to mental or personal qualities)
- buttress
- (v) to support, prop up, strengthen (n) a supporting structure
- grisly
- (adj) frightful, horrible, ghastly
- definitive
- (adj) conclusive, final, representing the limit of what can be done
- implicit
- (adj) implied or understood through unexpressed; without doubts or reservations, unquestioning; potentially contained in
- caricature
- (n) a representation (especially a drawing) in which the subject's characteristic features are deliberately exaggerated; (v) to present someone or something in a deliberately distorted way
- sadistic
- (adj) delighting in cruelty, excessively cruel
- criterion
- (n) a rule, test a standard for judgment or evaluation
- sanctimonious
- (adj) making a show of virtue or righteousness; hypocritically moralistic or pious, self-righteous, canting, holier-than-thou
- jejune
- (adj) lacking in nutritive value; lacking in interest or substance; immature; juvenile
- enigmatic
- (adj) puzzling, perplexing, inexplicable, not easily understood
- profligate
- v) given over to dissipation and self-indulgence, immoral; recklessly extravagant; (n) a person given to self-indulgent and wild spending
- infirmity
- (n) a weakness or ailment (physical, mental, moral, etc.)
- supplicate
- (v) to beg earnestly and humbly
- remit
- (v) to send or hand in (as money); to cancel (as a penalty or punishment), forgive, pardon; to lessen, diminish; to put off, postpone, defer
- paragon
- (n) a model of excellence or perfection
- extenuate
- (v) to lessen the seriousness or magnitude of an offense by making partial excuses
- clangor
- (n) a loud ringing sound; (v) to make a loud ringing noise
- opportune
- (adj) suitable or convenient for a particular purpose; occurring at an appropriate time
- enthrall
- (v) to captivate, charm, hold spellbound; to enslave, to imprison
- inception
- (n) in the beginning, start, earliest stage of some process, institution, etc.
- deleterious
- (adj) harmful, injurious
- mawkish
- (adj) excessively and objectionably sentimental; having a mildly sickening flavor
- thwart
- (v) to oppose successfully; to prevent, frustrate
- blatant
- (adj) noisy in a coarse, offensive way; obvious or conspicuous, especially in an unfavorable sense
- impassive
- (adj) showing no feeling or emotion; inanimate, motionless
- ostentatious
- (adj) marked by conspicuous or pretentious display, showy
- brouhaha
- (n) a confused hodgepodge of sounds, hubbub; an uproar or commotion that goes far beyond what is justified
- bulwark
- (n) a strong defense or protection, a solid wall-like structure for defense; (v) to provide such defense or protection
- extraneous
- (adj) coming from the outside, foreign; present but not essential, irrevelant
- presentiment
- (n) a vague sense of approaching misfortune
- paraphrase
- (v) to restate in other words (n) a statement that presents a given idea in a new language
- cloy
- (v) to spoil or destroy an appetite by too much indulgence, especially in sweet or rich things; to glut, satiate, surfeit
- encumber
- (v) to weigh down or burden (with difficulties, cares, debt, etc.); to fill up, block up, hinder
- credulous
- (adj) too ready to believe, easily decieved
- expatiate
- (v) to expand on, write or talk at length or in detail; to move about freely
- tortuous
- (adj) winding, twisting, crooked; highly involved, complex; devious
- enhance
- (v) to raise to a higher degree; to increase the value or desirability of
- politic
- (adj) prudent, shrewdly conceived and developed; artful, expedient
- carnage
- (n) large-scale slaughter or loss of life
- nonplussed
- (adj.; part) puzzled, not knowing what to do, at a loss
- redundant
- (adj) extra, excess, more than is needed; wordy, repetitive; profuse, lush
- deplete
- (v) to use up as a result of spending or consumption; to diminish greatly
- adamant
- (adj) firm in purpose or opinion, unyielding, obdurate, implacable, inflexible (n) an extremely hard substance
- abet
- (v) to encourage, assist, aid, support (especially in something wrong or unworthy)
- demeanor
- (n) the way a person behaves, overall impression made by comportment, manner, etc.; facial appearance, mien
- carousal
- (n) a noisy revelry or merrymaking (often with suggestion of heavy drinking)
- broach
- (v) to bring up or begin to talk about (a subject); to announce, introduce; to break the surface of the water; to turn sideways to the wind and waves; to pierce (a keg or cask) in order to draw off liquid; (n) a spit for roasting; a tool for tapping casks