vocab units 1-8
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Created by:
whitesel33 on January 3, 2011
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80 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 adage | (n.) a proverb, wise saying |
| bonanza | (n.) a rich mass of ore in a mine; something very valuable, profitable, or rewarding; a source of wealth or prosperity; a very large amount; sudden profit or gain |
| churlish | (adj.) lacking politeness or good manners; lacking sensitivity; difficult to work with or deal with; rude |
| collaborate | (v.) to work with, work together |
| discordant | (adj.) disagreeable in sound, jarring; lacking in harmony, conflicting |
| excerpt | (n.) a passage taken from a book, article, etc.; (v.) to take such a passage; to quote |
| laggard | (n.) a person who moves slowly or falls behind; (adj.) falling behind, slow to move, act, or respond |
| plaudits | (n. pl.) applause; enthusiastic praise or approval |
| revert | (v.) to return, go back |
| servile | (adj.) of or relating to a slave; behaving like or suitable for a slave or a servant, menial; lacking spirit or independence, abjectly submissive |
| antics | (n. pl.) ridiculous and unpredictable behavior or actions |
| avowed | (adj., part.) declared openly and without shame, acknowledged |
| detriment | (n.) harm or loss; injury, damage; a disadvantage; a cause of harm, injury, loss, or damage |
| durable | (adj.) sturdy, not easily worn out or destroyed; lasting for a long time; (n. pl.) consumer goods used repeatedly over a series of years |
| enterprising | (adj.) energetic, willing and able to start something new; showing boldness and imagination |
| frugal | (adj.) economical, avoiding waste and luxury; scanty, poor, meager |
| incognito | (adj., adv.) in a disguised state, under an assumed name or identity; (n.) the state of being disguised; a person in disguise |
| legendary | (adj.) described in well-known stories (legends) rather than in real life |
| oblique | (adj.) slanting or sloping; not straightforward or direct |
| venerate | (v.) to regard with reverence, look up to with great respect |
| allot | (v.) to assign or distribute in shares or portions |
| amass | (v.) to bring together, collect, gather, especially for oneself; to come together, assemble |
| elite | (n.) the choice part of a group of people or things; (adj.) superior |
| myriad | (adj.) in very great numbers; (n.) a very great number |
| perturb | (v.) to trouble, make uneasy; to disturb greatly; to throw into confusion |
| prodigious | (adj.) immense; extraordinary in bulk, size, or degree |
| relevant | (adj.) connected with or related to the matter at hand |
| unison | (v.) a sounding together; agreement or accord |
| vie | (v.) to compete; to strive for victory or superiority |
| willful | (adj.) stubbornly self-willed; done on purpose, deliberate |
| blasé | (adj.) indifferent, bored as a result of having enjoyed many pleasures; apathetic |
| deplore | (v.) to feel or express regret or disapproval |
| muster | (v.) to bring together for service or battle; to gather or summon; to amount to, comprise, include; (n.) a list of men for military service; a gathering, accumulation |
| nonentity | (n.) a person or thing of no importance |
| oust | (v.) to remove, drive out of a position or place |
| porous | (adj.) full of tiny holes; able to be penetrated by air or water |
| qualm | (n.) a pang of conscience, uneasiness, misgiving, or doubt; a feeling of faintness or nausea |
| residue | (n.) a remainder, that which remains when a part has been used up or removed |
| solicitous | (adj.) showing concern or care; fearful or anxious about someone or something |
| staid | (adj.) serious and dignified; quiet or subdued in character or conduct |
| aghast | (adj.) filled with amazement, disgust, fear, or terror |
| apparition | (n.) a ghost or ghostly figure; an unexplained or unusual appearance |
| cower | (v.) to crouch or shrink away from in fear or shame |
| epitaph | (n.) a brief statement written on a tomb or gravestone |
| facetious | (adj.) humorous, not meant seriously |
| indiscriminate | (adj.) without restraint or control; unselective |
| plausible | (adj.) appearing true, reasonable, or fair |
| prodigal | (adj.) wastefully extravagant; lavishly or generously abundant; (n.) one who is wasteful and self-indulgent |
| proximity | (n.) nearness, closeness |
| volatile | (adj.) highly changeable, fickle; tending to become violent or explosive; changing readily from the liquid to the gaseous state |
| abashed | (adj., part.) embarrassed, ashamed, or nonplussed |
| anguish | (n.) great mental suffering, distress, or pain; (v.) to be deeply tormented by pain or sorrow |
| articulate | (v.) to pronounce distinctly; to express well in words; to fit together into a system; (adj.) able to use language effectively; expressed clearly and forcefully |
| finesse | (n.) delicate skill; tact and cleverness; (v.) to accomplish something by cleverness, good judgment, or skillful evasion |
| instill | (v.) to add gradually; to introduce or cause to be taken in |
| ostracize | (v.) to exclude from a group, banish, send away |
| pseudonym | (n.) a pen name, name assumed by a writer |
| repercussion | (n.) an effect or consequence of some action or event, result; an echo or reverberation |
| resolute | (adj.) bold, determined; firm |
| retentive | (adj.) able to hold, keep, or recall; retaining knowledge easily |
| acme | (n.) the highest point |
| attribute | (n.) a quality or characteristic belonging to or associated with someone or something; (v.) to assign to, credit with; to regard as caused by or resulting from |
| belittle | (v.) to make something appear smaller than it is; to refer to in a way that suggests lack of importance or value |
| doctrine | (n.) a belief, principle, or teaching; a system of such beliefs or principles; a formulation of such beliefs or principles |
| haggard | (adj.) thin, pale, and careworn as a result of worry or suffering; wild-looking |
| jaunty | (adj.) lively, easy, and carefree in manner; smart or trim in appearance |
| predatory | (adj.) preying on, plundering, or piratical |
| stance | (n.) a way of holding the body; an attitude or position on an issue |
| tawdry | (adj.) showy and flashy but lacking in good taste |
| unassuming | (adj.) not putting on airs, unpretentious; modest |
| attire | (n.) clothes, apparel, garb; (v.) to dress, adorn, or bedeck |
| crony | (n.) a very close friend, pal, chum, buddy |
| enmity | (n.) hatred, ill-will |
| gaunt | (adj.) thin and bony, starved looking; bare, barren |
| perceptible | (adj.) capable of being grasped by the sense or mind |
| plummet | (v.) to plunge straight down; (n.) a weight fastened to a line |
| proxy | (n.) an agent, substitute; a written permission allowing one person to act in another's place |
| rankle | (v.) to cause anger, irritation, or bitterness (with the suggestion that the pain grows worse with time) |
| stoical | (adj.) self-controlled; not showing feeling in response to pleasure or pain |
| fervent | (v.) tireless, continuing with vigor, characterized by intense emotion |
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