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Vocablulary

Terms

undefined, object
copy deck
Peppered
attack and bombard (as if with missiles)
Ex: The tanks were peppered with missiles.
Crescendo
a gradual increase in loudness (noun)
Ex: The guitarist's crescendo added dynamics to the music.
Jaunty
bouncy, happy
Ex; The cheerful jocky rode his horse with a jaunty air.
Magnitude
level / rank
Ex: The magnitude of the earthquake was so big that the whole roof fell in.
Integral
essential
Ex: Good grammar is an integral part of good writing.
Conceivably
possibly
Ex: The weather could conceivably change.
Tentatively
shyly, hesitantly
Ex: I tentatively agreed to meet him for dinner at eight o'clock.
Deftly
with quickness and skill
Ex: He deftly caught the baseball behind his back.
Torrent
heavy downpour
Ex: The torrent of rain flattened my car.
Transmitting
sending from one object to another
Ex: The Spirit rover is transmitting pictures back to NASA.
Conveyance
moving from one place / transport
Ex: Our body expends a lot of energy in the conveyance of oxygen to all our extremities.
Quizzically
questioningly
Ex: The teacher looked quizzically at the student when he started barking in the middle of class.
Prodded
pushed / poked
Ex: The lion prodded the victim into the deep pit.
Indulgently
with gratification
Ex: He swallowed his meat indulgently.
Reprieve
postponement of punishment
Ex: Because of the rain, the players were given a reprieve.
Relinquish
to let go / surrender
Ex: They were forced to relinquish the land by the army.
Invariably
without change / always
Ex: When you plan a team practice, there are invariably kids who don't show up.
Congregated
gathered
Ex: The congress congregated to discuss current events.
Meticulously
carefully / precisely
Ex: Rodin carved "The Thinker" miculously and proudly.
Retroactive
affecting things past
The student received a retroactive punishment for his behavior in the past year.
Lapse
error / slip
Ex: Excuse me for my lapse in good manners.
Iscribe
to write or etch words on or into a surface (in+ scrib)
Ironic
describing the use of words to express an unintended or contradictory meaning
Sarcastic
the use of witty language used to insult or show displeasure
Abdicate
to give up power.
Ex: King James had to abdicate the throne to marry an American woman.
Abominable
horrible or unpleasant
Ex: The Abominable Snowman is a hateful character in a book.
Accord
to be in agreement
Ex: She resigned from her office of her own accord.
Adept
very skilled
Ex: Nicole is very adept at writing.
Admiring
regarding with approval or respect
Ex: I am an admirer of your writing.
Akin
related to or alike
Ex: Taking the ISEE is akin to having your teeth pulled.
Allege
to declare that something is true without proof
Ex: He alleges that you plagiarized from the Shakespeare.
Aloof
keeping a distance
Ex: When you are shy, you may appear to be aloof.
Ambiguous
unclear
Ex: Bush spoke ambiguously about what he would do to improve the economy.
Noun: ambiguity
Ambivalent
having opposing or mixed feelings (such as love and hate)
Ex: She was ambivalent as to how she felt about the president's policies.
Amiable
friendly, good-natured (able)
Always smiling, she appeared to be an amiable person.
Amorphous
without shape (a + morph + ous)
The amorphous puddle of ink started to sink into the carpet.
Analytical
intending to understand the nature of something
When you perform a science experiment, you mus follow an analytical approach.
Animosity
hostility
Even though I was disappointed in how he had behaved towards me, I held no animosity towards him.
Arid
very dry
Ex: Located in a valley that receives very little rainfall, Santiago has an arid climate.
Assess
to evaluate or determine the worth of
Ex: Mary assessed the damage to her house after the earthquake.
Banal
unoriginal and boring
After you read one "Nancy Drew" book, you'll find the rest will seem predictable and banal.
Benign
Harmless (bene)
Thankfully, the cancer was diagnosed as benign (opposite of malignant)
Biased
favoring one side or opinion over another
Ex: She was biased toward attending Menlo since her brother went there.
Brash
bold
Ex: Mary is not afraid to make brash statements.
Cautious
careful
Ex: Be cautious when you write letters because people will read them over and over.
Condone
to forgive or to disregard an offense
Ex: The police officer condoned the infraction since it was the first time she had ever speeded.
Congenial
agreeable (con + gen)
The girl who chaperoned me around the school was amiable and congenial.
Conventional
traditional, ordinary (con + vent)
Ex: Digital cameras are more convenient than conventional cameras.
Counsel
to advise
Ex: The student was well counseled by the school counselor.
Debilitating
weakening, harmful
Ex: The disease which attacked her respiratory system was debilitating.
Debunk
to prove false
Galileo debunked the conventional wisdom of the day that the earth is flat.
Decree
an order or command
Ex: The king decreed that all peasants must give a percentage of their grains to the army.
Deficient
lacking an essential part
Ex: Her bone weakness was due to a deficiency in Vitamin D.
Deft
skillful
The waiter's deft hands were able to balance all the dishes on the tray.
Delusion
a false opinion or idea
Ex: He has delusions that he is a competent ice skater.
Despair
a feeling of absolute hopelessness or to lose hope
Ex: Her father's death left her with a feeling of absolute despair.
Dormant
temporarily inactive, asleep
Ex: The tulip bulbs lie dormant in the winter, but come to life each spring.
Dread
overwhelming fear, or to be very afraid
Ex: He lived in dread of the day that his friend would learn the truth.
Dubious
doubtful
Ex: Her chances of success in Hollywood were dubious.
Equivalent
equal
Ex: One teaspoon of nutrasweet is equivalent to a tablespoon of conventional sugar.
Eradicate
to erase or get rid of
Ex: The muslim extremist terrorists wanted to eradicate all other religions from the earth.
Exasperate
to make very angry or impatient.
Ex: Eric became exasperated when Jake continued to bump into him repeatedly.
Excavate
to dig up
Ex: The archaelogists excavated dinosaur bones near the existing L.A. Museum of natural history.
Exquisite
beautifully made or designed
Ex: Cici bought an exquisitely carved statue when she was in Europe.
Extol
praise
Ex: The principal extolled the qualities of the school's valedictorian.
Facet
an aspect of something.
He studied every fact of the issue.
Fundamental
the essential part, basic
Ex: Computers have become fundamental to our everyday efficiency.
Gaunt
very thin, bony
Ex: The African children were gaunt from near-starvation.
Hovel
a shack
Ex: Saddam Hussein was found hiding in a hole beneath a hovel.
Illuminate
to light up or make clear (lum)
Ex1: The light from one candle illuminated the room.
Ex2: Her book illuminated the election process for me.
Immaculate
perfectly clean, free from dirt or stain
Ex: It would be great if you could always keep your room this immaculate!
Impediment
an obstacle something in the way
Ex: If you are willing to practice and be perseverent, then you will find no impediments to your success!
Imply
to express indirectly
Ex: Are you trying to imply that I don't care?
Indictment
the situation of having been charged with a crime
Ex: Scott Petersonn was formally indicted for the murder of his wife.
Ingenuity
innovation, creativity (in + gen + ity)_
Ex: In building the Lego robot, you must use some ingenuity.
Innate
possessed at birth, not learned (in + nat)
Ex: She is lucky that she has an innate sense of good taste.
Inquiry
to request for information (in)
Ex: He received several inquiries with respect to how the computer program worked.
Irate
enraged
Ex: An irate customer called to demand that the product be replaced.
Itinerant
nomadic, constantly moving
Ex: He was an itinerant salesman, never remaining in one city for more than a month.
Jeer
to make fun of
Ex: At the Iowa primaries, Howard Dean was jeered and heckled at.
Jest
to joke
Ex: Please don't be insulted, I was just saying that in jest!
Jubilant
overly joyful
Ex: He was jubilant that the application process was finally over!
Kinetic
moving
Ex: In science, you will study kinetic and potential energy.
Laden
weighted down with a heavy load, burdened
Ex: Her shopping bags were ladended with merchadise.
Lament
to express grief for, mourn
Ex: Their pitiful laments could be heard through the thick walls.
Merge
to blend together
Ex: The two rivers merge near the town of Walkerville.
Meticulous
careful, paying attention to details
Ex: I like that you are meticulous in your work habits.
Notorious
known widely and unfavorably
Ex: He was in the clutches of the most notorious of cut-throats
Novice
a beginner
He was a novice at the game, but instinct told him that a good line of action was to shower gifts.
Objective
not influenced by personal opinion, just the facts
Ex: Since she is my sister, I cannot be objective about her competency.
Obscure
hidden or dark, hard to see (ob)
Ex: The stars were obscured by the clouds.
Parch
to make very thirsty
Ex: The dry heat combined with the salty peanuts left me parched.
Parody
a humorous imitation
Ex: The students did a parody of the teachers.
Pedestrian
ordinary, dull
Ex: Please don't take me to a movie with another pedestrian plot!
Placate
to please or make less angry (plac)
Ex: The crying baby was finally placated by a milk bottle.
Plight
a bad situation, a predicament
Ex: The Americans were not completely aware of the plight of the Jews during WWII.
Procure
to obtain
Ex: The VP of Procurement's job is to procure all the supplies necessary to build the plant.
Profane
to abuse or put to ill use
Ex: Do not profane the name of God.
Pungent
a sharp, biting smell or taste
Ex: The feta cheese was too pungent for his taste.
Quiver
a portable container for arrows
Ex: She returned the arrow to its quiver.
Rancid
having a nasty smell or taste, rotting
Ex: Parmesan cheese may smell rancid, but it tastes good on spaghetti!
Ratify
to approve, usually a law
Ex: Even though many people were opposed to it, the governor ratified the new law.
Recalcitrant
disobedient, stubborn
Ex: In general, you are flexible, but sometimes you act like a recalcitrant teenager.
Recreation
Something done for fun, a hobby or game
Ex: In between your work, you should insert some recreation.
Refrain
to hold back, abstain or restrain
Ex: Don't refrain from singing just because I'm here.
Reminiscence
a memory, the act of recalling the past
Ex: She often reninisces about the past and often embellishes it.
Remote
far away, distant
Ex: Vichuquen is located in a remote corner of Chile.
Repugnant
highly disgusting/offensive
Ex: I find his lack of table manners absolutely repugnant.
Revile
to criticize with abusive language
Ex: The kids reviled and taunted him whenever he entered the cafeteria.
Syn: Vilified, vituperated
Robust
healthy
Ex: The teenagers were robust enough to survive two nights in the cold wilderness.
Rue
to regret
Ex: He rued the day that he had met her.
Sage
wise
Ex. A sage old man gave him advice on how to live his life.
Skeptical
doubtful
Ex: I was skepticul of her story about how she had battled a sea monster,
Skit
a short comic scene
Ex: Do you remember the skit we performed together at Jones Gulch?
Somber
overly serious dark or gloomy
Ex: The death of their teammate cast a somber mood for the rest of the basketball season.
Subjective
Influenced by personal opinion, biased
Ex: There is no right or wrong answer since it is completely subjective (depends on the person's individual opinon).
Sustain
to support
Ex: She needs lots of food and water in order to sustain enough energy to run 7 miles.
Temperament
your usual mood or behavior
Ex: I usually have an easy temperament, although sometimes I can be moody.
Tenacious
holding firmly, especially to a belief, stubborn
Ex: She is generally tenacious and doesn't give up easily.
Toil
hard work,or to work hard
Ex: He was sentenced to seven years of hard toil.
Uniform
all the same, common
Ex: The show's producer wanted everyone in the dance to be of uniform height.
Vend
to sell
Ex: She looked for vended in water in the soda machine but couldn't find any.
Vigor
strength, energy
Ex: The power bar gave him renewed vigor.
Wane
to decrease in size or strength
Ex. It took several hours for the might of the storm to wane and dissipate.
Warlock
a male witch
Ex: Do you believe in witches and warlocks?
abyss
a deep narrow pit
Ex: He fell into a dark abyss at the top of the mountain and was never seen again.
barrage
a flood
Ex: The school principal received a barrage of phone calls from concerned parents.
brig
the prison of a ship
Ex: Charlotte was sent down to the brig.
flag
to decrease or diminish
Ex: Her excitement for gymnastics flagged when she realized it involved hours of hard work.
insolent
disrespectful, rude
Ex. YOu know that I will not tolerate your insolent behavior.
Scorn
to abuse or treat with no respect, or a strong feeling of dislike
Ex: The math teacher was abusive and treated his students with scorn.
Authentic
Genuine and true, not fake
Ex: The gem expert confirmed that the diamond was authentic.
Era
a period of time (usually in the past)
Ex: In the era of great grandfather, women were not allowed to vote.
Extinct
no longer existing
Ex: That way of thinking is extinct.
Hackneyed
over-used and old-fashioned
Ex: "Once upon a time" is a hackneyed way to start a story.
Hoary
very old, or gray from old age
Ex: The cover of "The Giver" shows the imagee of a hoary bearded man.
Obsolete
out of date, no longer useful
Ex: The advent of the computer wordprocessor made the typewrite obsolete.
Posterity
all of a person's decendents (post + ity)
Ex: We must fight for freedom for all of our decendants.
Premise
an essential fact that others are based on.
Ex: Our democracy is premised on the assumption that everyone is educated enought to know what to vote for.
Retrospect
the review of past events; hindsight (spec)
Ex: In retrospect, I wish that I had chosen to major in biology instead of economics.
Absolved
freed from guilt or blame
Ex: He was absolved of the crime when they found there was not enough evidence to condemn him.
Concede
to give in or surrender
Ex. Even though you didn't want the cheesecloth to be stretched out, you finally conceded.
Contrition
deep regret for doing something wrong
Ex: The actress looked contrite after she shoplifted the shoes from the store.
Implore
to beg or ask earnestly
Ex: I implore you to help me out of this terrible situation.
Indignant
feeling angry or insulted from an injustice or wrongdoing
Ex. She was indignant that she hadn't been given a part in the show.
Obdurate
stubborn (ob)
Ex: She remained obdurate and would not change her position on the matter.
Obstinate
stubborn (ob)
Ex: She was obstinate and would not give in.
Pardoned
forgiven
Ex: The criminal was pardoned by the President and did not have to go to prison as he should have.
Penitent
feeling or expressing remorse for a wrongdoing
Ex: The ex-convict was penitent for the hurt that he had caused his victims.
Revere
do deeply respect or admire
Ex: Martin L. King was revered by all Americans.
Abridge
to shorten in length or duration
Ex: You read an abridged version of "Little Women"
Academic
having to do with school or education
Ex: Do you prefer academic or athletic activities?
Adage
an old saying usually considered to be true
Ex: "Don't judge a book by its cover" is an old adage.
Assert
to state a viewpoint
Ex: It's important to stand up and assert yourself!
Cumulative
increasing through successive addition
Ex: The benefits of studying are cumulative: the more you study, the more you will learn!
Genre
a specific style of art or literature
Ex: What genre of literature do you prefer?
Oration
a formal speech
Ex: Abraham Lincoln was famous for his long orations.
Preamble
an introduction to a formal document
Ex: The preamble to the constitution is just as important as the document itself.
Ail
to suffer from sickness
Ex: Her old aunt was ailing.
Confound
to puzzle or confuse
Ex: These questions confound even the experts.
Deteriorate
to get worse
Ex: The patients condition deteriorated (got worse).
Dilute
to weaken, especially by adding water to a solution
Ex: The vitamin C cocktail was too strong, so Nicole diluted it with water.
Distort
to bend or twist something out of its normal shape
Ex: The teather ball pole became distorted by the kids' constantly climbing it.
Quibble
to complain about little things
Ex: Sisters and brothers often quibble about unimportant issues.
Rift
a narrow break
Ex: The sun shone through a rift in the clouds
Squalid
appearing dirty and wretched
Ex: She lived in the squalid surroundings of the back alleys of San Francisco.
Exile
to banish someone from their native country
Ex: Many Chileans wanted to send Pinochet into exile.
Fluctuate
to shift back and forth without regularity
Ex: The temperatures here fluctuate between 50 and 70 degrees.
Recede
to move away or become smaller
Ex: The army felt releif as the enemy receded.
Ramble
to move or speak without direction
Ex: She has a habit of rambling on and on without saying much.
Dingy
dirty, dull, shabby
He lives in a shabby hovel by the creek.
Elongate
to lengthen
Ex: The vase has an elongated shape.
Emulate
to copy of imitate
Ex: Haley often emulates Camila's choice of books.
Hue
the color or shade of an object
Ex: The hue of blue of that tablecloth is gorgeous.
Livid
discolored, bruised or very angry
Ex: She was livid with anger when she found out that I had told on her.

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