English Vocab Semester 2
Terms
undefined, object
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- abrogate (v)
- to repeal, to set aside, to nullify
- abscond (v)
- to leave quickly and secretively
- accolade (n)
- award or honor, high praise
- adjure (v)
- to command or urge solemnly and earnestly
- aggrieve (v)
- to distress, to mistreat
- ameliorate (v)
- to make better, to ease or improve
- anathema (n)
- something or someone loathed or intensely disliked
- ancillary (adj)
- subsidiary, subordinate
- antipodal (adj)
- situated on opposite sides of the earth, or being exactly opposite
- apostasy (n)
- abandonment of a loyalty or religion
- assignation (n)
- a secret meeting, a tryst, or something assigned
- bandy (v)
- to toss back and forth, to exchange, to use in a glib way
- bathos (n)
- a transition from the illustrious to commonplace, overdone pathos, triteness
- bilious (adj)
- red, cranky, angry
- bivouac (n)
- temporary encampment
- bumptious (adj)
- pushy, conceited, noisily self-assertive
- Byzantine (adj)
- extremely intricate or complicated in structure
- cabal (n)
- a secret group of conspirators, a clique
- calumny (n)
- slander, deliberate false statements
- cavil (v)
- to quibble, to raise trivial objections
- comport (v)
- to behave
- concomitant(adj)
- accompanying, attending, going along with
- conflagration (n)
- a large, disastrous fire
- coterie (n)
- an intimate group of people with a common interest
- decimate (v)
- to kill or destroy a large part of something
- depredate (v)
- to prey upon, to plunder with violence if necessary
- determinism (n)
- a philosophy that says things are determined in ways that are out of human hands
- dichotomy (n)
- division into two often contradictory parts
- dissipate (v)
- to break up, to squander, to indulge excessively in sensual pleasure
- draconian (adj)
- severe, exceedingly harsh
- effete (adj)
- exhausted, lost vitality, over-refined
- enervate (v)
- to weaken, to sap the strength
- ennui (n)
- boredom, listlessness, lack of interest
- ensconce (v)
- to settle in snugly, to hide in a secure place
- erudite (adj)
- scholarly, deeply learned, well read
- feckless (adj)
- lacking responsibility, ineffective
- feral (adj)
- wild, like an wild animal, savage
- fetter (v)
- to impede, retrain, hamper
- flagellate (v)
- to whip, or to punish as if by whipping
- foment (v)
- to stir up, to incite
- forswear (v)
- retract, renounce or recant
- gestalt (n)
- a structure whose parts cannot stand alone
- gesticulate (v)
- to gesture, especially when speaking
- gird (v)
- to invest with authority, to brace
- histrionic (adj)
- overly dramatic, theatrical, deliberately affected
- ignominious (adj)
- disgraceful, dishonorable
- impecunious (adj)
- without money, penniless
- impugn (v)
- to attack the integrity of something
- implacable (adj)
- not capable of being appeased or mollified
- inchoate (adj)
- just beginning, not organized or orderly, incomplete
- iniquitous (adj)
- evil, unjust
- insouciant (adj)
- nonchalant, lighthearted, unconcerned
- intransigent (adj)
- uncompromising, stubborn
- inveterate (adj)
- habitual, deeply rooted or established
- juggernaut (n)
- a massive, unstoppable object
- lassitude (n)
- a weariness, listlessness, a state of lethargy
- libidinous (adj)
- lustful, lascivious
- machination (n)
- scheming activity for an evil purpose
- malfeasance (n)
- an illegal act—especially by a public official
- martinet (n)
- one who adheres strictly to the rules
- mendacious (adj)
- dishonest, deceitful
- myopia (n)
- nearsightendness, lacking foresight
- nepotism (n)
- showing favoritism to friends or family, as in granting positions in jobs or politics
- nihilism (n)
- the belief that there are no values or morals in the universe, that existence is senseless or useless
- noisome (adj
- harmful, unwholesome, stinking, putrid
- obdurate (adj)
- stubborn
- obsequious (adj)
- fawning, subservient, servile
- onerous (adj)
- burdensome, oppressive, troublesome
- onus (n)
- burden, blame, obligation
- opprobrious (adj)
- damning, extremely critical, disgraceful
- panacea (n)
- a remedy that cures everything
- paradigm (n)
- a model or example
- philistine (n)
- a smugly insensitive and ignorant person who has no knowledge of intellectual or artistic objects
- phlegmatic (adj)
- calm, indifferent, not easily aroused
- plebeian (adj)
- common, vulgar, low class
- pluralism (n)
- a society in which distinct groups function together but retain their identities
- portent (n)
- an omen, a sign nor something coming, a foreshadowing
- probity (n)
- honesty, uprightness
- prurient (adj)
- lascivious, have lustful thoughts or desires
- punctilious (adj)
- meticulously attentive to detail, exacting
- recidivism (n)
- the act of repeating an offense
- redoubtable (adj)
- formidable, fearsome, deserving of respect
- remuneration (n)
- payment, recompense
- rife (adj)
- widespread, abounding, occurring frequently
- ruminate (v)
- to muse upon
- sallow (adj)
- sickly, greenish-yellow
- saturnine (adj)
- sullen, gloomy, depressed
- sententious (adj)
- preachy, pompous, using wise sayings excessively
- slatternly (adj)
- squalid, slovenly, foul, unclean
- somnolent (adj)
- drowsy, sleepy
- spate (n)
- a sudden outburst
- stalwart (adj)
- unwavering, robust, sturdily built
- tendentious (adj)
- advancing a point of view, biased
- timorous (adj)
- fearful, easily frightened
- umbrage (n)
- displeasure or resentment
- vagary (n)
- a whim, an unpredictable action
- venerate (v)
- to honor, to worship, to respect
- veracious (adj)
- truthful, honest
- vitriolic (adj)
- corrosive, biting, bitterly scathing
- wont (n)
- custom, habit