"You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them." ~Ray Bradbury
Vocab words for Fall 2015
Vocabulary List #1
Ostentatious (adj.)- pretentious, showy
Contentious (adj.)-quarrelsome
Reprove (v)-to scold, find fault with
Cursory (adj.)- hastily done
Profligate (adj.)-wasteful, extravagant
Jocular (adj.)- joking, facetious
Fracas (n)- brawl
Caricature (n)-humorous imitation
Corroborate (v)-to confirm
Precarious (adj.)-dangerous
Bolster (v)-to support
Daunt (v)-to intimidate
Apathy (n)-indifference
Ambiguous (adj.)-vague, unclear
Fervent (adj.)-showing great emotion
Vocabulary #2
Subtle (adj.)- not obvious
Enigma (n)- puzzle
Infer (v)-to conclude, to lead to a result or conclusion
Diverse (adj.)-varied
Articulate (adj.)- well-spoken
Apprehensive (adj.)- anxious
Benevolent (adj.)- kind
Virulent (adj.)-hostile
Pious (adj.)- devout, religious
Provincial (adj.)- narrow-minded
Resolve (n)-determination
Servile (adj.)-slavish, servant-like
Refute (v)- to disprove, counter, contradict
Anarchy (n)- disorder
Discord (n)-lack of harmony
Vocabulary List #3
Vagrant (n)- wanderer
Oblivious (adj.)-unaware
Obscure (v)-to block, hide
Revere(v)-to respect
Denounce (v)- to censure, condemn
Innovate (v)-to start, introduce
Stagnant (adj.)- not moving
Candid (adj.)-impartial, honest
Vulnerable(adj.)- open to attack
Disdain (v)-to treat with contempt
Abstract (adj.)- hard to understand
Valid (adj.)- well-grounded, authentic
Objective (adj.)- based on fact
Discern (v)- to perceive, discriminate
Embellish (v)- to adorn
Vocabulary List #4
Superficial (adj.)- shallow
Lucid (adj.)- clear, easily understood
Immune (adj.)-resistant
Aesthetic (adj.)- artistic
Prodigal (adj.)-lavish, wasteful
Assess (v)- to rate, estimate
Deter (v)- to prevent from acting
Guile (n)- deceit
Profound (adj.)- deep
Enhance (v)- to increase
Advocate (v)- to recommend, support
Tentative (adj.)- uncertain
Contemporary- (adj.) current, modern
Provocative (adj.)- stimulating
Adversary (n)- enemy, opponent
list #5
Depravity(n)- moral corruption
Banal(adj.)- overused, lacking originality
Temper (v)- to moderate
Censure(v)- to criticize severely
Extol(v)- to praise lavishly
Indulgent(adj.)- lenient, tolerant, forgiving
Insipid(adj.)- dull, tasteless, uninteresting
Arbitrary(adj.)- based on preference
Condescend(v)- to do something considered beneath you
Dubious(adj.)- doubtful, skeptical
Facilitate(v)- to make easier
Ironic(adj.)- unexpected
Dogmatic(adj.)-stubborn
Expedite(v)- to speed up
Austere(adj.)- plain, harsh. severe
Vocabulary list #6
Fallacious(adj.)-misleading, deceptive
Intangible(adj.)-airy, elusive
Solicit(v)- to entreat, respectfully request, entice
Flagrant(adj.)-bold, obvious
Taciturn(adj.)-terse, silent
Infamous(adj.)-notorious, disreputable
Redundant(adj.)-repetitive
Scanty(adj.)-barely adequate, deficient
Fervor(n)-intense emotion, passion
Dispassionate(adj.)-objective, unemotional
Pragmatic(adj.)-practical
Reticent(adj.)-hesitant
Frivolous(adj.)-lacking seriousness, shallow, foolish
Static(adj.)-not moving, fixed or stationary condition
Heresy(n)-any opinion that varies with established beliefs
Vocabulary list #7
Philanthropy (n)- love of humanity; giving to others (as money)
Languid (adj.)- lacking energy; not energetic
Astute(adj.)- shrewd, sharp, keen in judgement
Disparage (v)- to speak of in a belittling manner
Engender (v)- to come into existence
Acclaim (v)-to approve of
Lethargic (adj.)- drowsy
Novel (adj.)- new, unusual
Ambivalent (adj.)- uncertain, indecisive
Indolent (adj.)-lazy
Benign (adj.)-beneficial, kind; not malignant
Amiable (adj.)- pleasant, good-natured
Laud (v)-to praise
Caustic (adj.)- sarcastic, biting, acidic
Atrophy (v)-to waste away physically
Vocabulary List #8
Alleviate (v)- to reduce, lessen
Vacillate (v)- to sway
Ephemeral (adj.)- short-lived
Deference (n)- respect
Relegate (v)-to assign or exile
Condone (v)- to forgive
Dissent (v) to disagree
Conciliate (v)- to reconcile, placate or win over
Incessant (adj.)- continuous
Disparity (n)-difference
Rigor (n)-hardship
Conventional (adj.)-customary, usual
Profuse (adj.)- abundant, extravagant
Expedient (adj.)- serving one’s interest, convenient
Fastidious (adj.)- excessively neat, overly critical
Vocabulary #9
Brevity (n)- conciseness
Mitigate (v)-to make less severe
Augment (v)-to increase
Reprehensible (adj.)-worthy of censure, blameworthy
Deride (v)-to ridicule
Virtuoso(n)- one talented in arts/music
Deplete(v)- to exhaust, use up
Compliant(adj.)-agreeing
Inadvertent(adj.)-unintentional
Acquiesce(v)-to consent, give in to
Levity(n)-light manner
Belittle(v)-to put down
Extraneous(adj.) -not essential
Digress(v)- to stray from the topic
Emulate(v)-to imitate, identify with
Vocabulary #10
Sage(n)-wise person, wise(adj.)
Auspicious(adj.)-favorable
Furtive(adj.)-shifty, sneaky
Remorse(n)-feelings of guilt, regret
Scrutinize(v)-to inspect carefully
Coalesce(v)-to fuse, unite
Innate(adj.)-inborn, inherited
Respite(n)-short rest, pause
Efface(v)-to erase, destroy
Malfeasance(n)-misconduct in public, misbehavior
Ameliorate(v)-to make better, improve
Prodigious(adj.)-great in size or force
Immutable(adj.)- unchangeable
Preclude(v)-to prevent
Repress(v)- to suppress, hold down
Vocabulary #11
Stoic (adj.)-impassive, unemotional Innocuous (adj.)-harmless
Credulous (adj.)-gullible
Blasphemy (n)-irreverent act or attitude
Lax (adj.)-slack, lacking strictness
Cryptic (adj.)-secret
Esoteric (adj.)-understood by few
Pretentious (adj.)-showy, ostentatious
Incongruous (adj.)-inappropriate, out of place
Unprecedented (adj.)- not occurring before
Pedestrian (adj.)- ordinary
Prudent (adj.)- wise
Exemplary (adj.)- serving as a model, outstanding
Sycophant (n)- flatterer, self-serving
Rescind (v)- to annul, make void
Vocabulary #12
Rejuvenate (v)- to restore to youth or restore vigor
Vilify (v)- to defame
Assuage (v)- to ease, soothe
Saccharine (adj.)- artificially sweet
Supercilious (adj.)- disdainful, arrogant
Avarice (n)- greed
Pivotal (adj.)- key, essential
Blithe (adj.)- cheerful
Scrupulous (adj.)- having principles
Volatile (adj.)- explosive, changing quickly
Peripheral (adj.)- auxiliary, on the edge
Benefactor (n)- giver of aid
Apocryphal (adj.)- of questionable origin
Voluminous (adj.)- great size (book)
Contrite (adj.)- feeling guilty, humble
Vocabulary #13
Animosity (n)- hostility, enmity
Stringent (adj.)- severe, strict
Hackneyed (adj.)- trite, overused
Amass (v)- to accumulate
Verbose (adj.)- wordy, talkative
Trepidation (n)- dread, fear
Desecrate (v)- to make unholy, unsacred
Fortuitous (adj.)- fortunate, happening by accident
Vehement (adj.)- strong
Manifest(v)- to show, reveal
Travesty (n)- poor imitation
Rapport (n)- working relationship
Supersede (v)- to replace
Poignant (adj.)- touching
Façade (n)- false front
Vocabulary #14
Panacea (n)- cure all
Inundate (v)- to overwhelm, flood
Cognizant (adj.)- aware
Caveat (n)- warning
Exonerate (v)- to free from blame
Graphic (adj.)- detailed
Allay (v)- to lessen, put to rest
Ramification (n)- consequence
Viable (adj.)- capable of living, practical
Paradox (n)- contradictory statement
Scourge (n)- cause of pain or suffering
Discretion (n)- judgement
Euphemism (n)- acceptable phrase for one
Nemesis (n)- unbeatable rival
Gamut (n)- range, series
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”