Vocab Level G Unit 2
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20 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Accost | (v.) to approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging or aggressive way The nobleman was ACCOSTED by beggars on his way to the castle. Syn: buttonhole, approach Ant: evade, avoid, shun |
| Animadversion | (n.) a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval The inexperienced filmmaker was disheartened by the ANIMADVERSION of the film critic. Syn: rebuke, reproof Ant: praise, compliment |
| Avid | (adj.) desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager Most writers are also AVID readers who have loved books since childhood. Syn: keen, enthusiastic, grasping Ant: reluctant, indifferent, unenthusiastic |
| Brackish | (adj.) having a salty taste and unpleasant to drink The shipwrecked passengers adrift on the lifeboat became ill after drinking BRACKISH water. Syn: briny, saline Ant: fresh, clear, sweet |
| Celerity | (n.) swiftness, rapidity of motion or action Although the heavy snowfall was not expected, the highway department responded with surprising CELERITY. Syn: promptness, alacrity, speed Ant: slowness, sluggishness, dilatoriness |
| Devious | (adj.) straying or wandering from a straight or direct course; done or acting in a shifty or underhanded way The interrogator used DEVIOUS methods to try to get the suspect to incriminate himself. Syn: roundabout, indirect, tricky, sly, artful Ant: direct, straightforward, open, aboveboard |
| Gambit | (n.) in chess, an opening move that involves risk or sacrifice of a minor piece in order to gain a later advantage; any opening move of this type Asking an interesting stranger about his or her job is a popular party GAMBIT. Syn: ploy, stratagem, ruse, maneuver |
| Halcyon | (n.) a legendary bird identified with the kingfisher; (adj.) of or relating to the halcyon; calm, peaceful; happy, golden; prosperous, affluent The teacher read the legend of the HALCYON, a mythic bird that nested in a calm sea. The woman often spoke of the HALCYON days of her childhood. Syn: (adj.) tranquil, serene, placid, palmy Ant: (adj.) turbulent, chaotic, tumultuous |
| Histrionic | (adj.) pertaining to actors and their techniques; theatrical, artificial; melodramatic Upon receiving his award, the young actor gave a HISTRIONIC speech. Syn: affected, stagy Ant: low-keyed, muted, untheatrical, subdued |
| Incendiary | (adj.) deliberately setting or causing fires; designed to start fires; tending to stir up strife or rebellion; (n.) one who deliberately sets fires, arsonist; one who causes strife The arsonist planted an INCENDIARY device in the basement of the store. The radical INCENDIARY was sentenced to life imprisonment. Syn: (adj.) inflammatory, provocative, (n.) firebrand Ant: (adj.) soothing, quieting, (n.) peacemaker |
| Maelstrom | (n.) a whirlpool of great size and violence; a situation resembling a whirlpool in violence and destruction Many innocent people caught in the MAELSTROM of the revolution lost their lives and property. Syn: vortex, chaos, turbulence, tumult |
| Myopic | (adj.) nearsighted; lacking a broad, realistic view of a situation; lacking foresight or discernment The MYOPIC foreign policy of the last administration has led to serious problems with our allies. Syn: shortsighted Ant: farsighted |
| Overt | (adj.) open, not hidden, expressed or revealed in a way that is easily recognized In order for Congress to declare war, the President must demonstrate an OVERT threat. Syn: clear, obvious, manifest, patent Ant: secret, clandestine, covert, concealed |
| Pejorative | (adj.) tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement, derogatory, deprecatory, belittling The lawyer was accused of making a PEJORATIVE remark when referring to the defendant's background. Ant: complimentary, ameliorative |
| Propriety | (n.) the state of being proper, appropriateness; (pl.) standards of what is proper or socially acceptable The social worker questioned the PROPRIETY of the police's request to see confidential records. Syn: fitness, correctness, decorum Ant: unseemliness, inappropriateness |
| Sacrilege | (n.) improper or disrespectful treatment of something held sacred The anthropologist was accused of committing a SACRILEGE when she disturbed an ancient burial ground. Syn: desecration, profanation, defilement |
| Summarily | (adv.) without delay or formality; briefly, concisely As soon as there was evidence of criminal wrongdoing, the official was SUMMARILY ousted from his post. Syn: promptly, peremptorily, abruptly |
| Suppliant | (adj.) asking humbly and earnestly; (n.) one who makes a request humbly and earnestly, a petitioner, suitor He made a SUPPLIANT address to the parole board. Stranded in the deserted city of Moscow, Napoleon had to turn to the Czar not as a conqueror but as a SUPPLIANT. |
| Talisman | (n.) an object that serves as a charm or is believed to confer magical powers, an amulet, fetish Most people do not believe that rabbit's feet and other TALISMANs actually bring good luck. |
| Undulate | (v.) to move in waves or with a wavelike motion; to have a wavelike appearance or form The baseball fans began to UNDULATE as they cheered, so that they appeared to move in a wave. Syn: ripple, fluctuate, rise and fall |
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