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Vocabulary Lists

Vocabulary 1

1. verbum = word – verbose: wordy

2. sonus = sound – sonic: related to what can be heard

3. mille = thousand – millipede: “thousand” footed insect

4. polis = city – metropolis: mother city around which other smaller cities are clustered

5. tropos = turning – phototropic: turning toward light (as some plants do)

6. hypnos = sleep – hypnotic: tending to induce sleep

7. petros = rock/stone – petrified: made into stone

8. pathos = feeling/suffering – apathy: lack of feeling

9. ignis = fire – ignite: to set on fire

10. caput/capitis = head – captain: head of a group of soldiers

Vocabulary 4

1. figo/fixum = fix/fasten/attach – affix: to attach an object to something else

2. phone = sound – symphony: sounds that go together

3. stella = star – constellation: group of stars

4. bios = life – autobiography: written story of one’s own life

5. unus = one – universe: star galaxy that turns/moves as one entity

6. techne = art/skill – technique: manner of applied skill

7. bonus = good – debonaire: of good disposition

8. cum = with/together – combat: to fight together with

9. plico/plicatum = fold – explicit: to make matters clear or unfold them

10. facio/factum = do/make – factory: place for making things

Vocabulary 2

1. scio/scitum = know – conscience: knowledge of right and wrong

2. frater/fratris = brother – fraternize: associate together on brotherly terms

3. pater/patris = father – patriarch: male leader of a family, tribe, or group

4. mater/matris = mother – matriarch: female leader of a family, tribe or group

5. arbor/arboris = tree – arboretum: public garden where trees are exhibited

6. tele = far away/distant – telescope: device for looking at distant objects

7. autos = self – autograph: one’s own name

8. biblos = book – bibliography: list of books on a particular subject

9. bracchium = arm – embrace: to take into one’s arms

10. pono/positum = lay/put/place – repose: lie back, pause, rest in place

Vocabulary 5

1. curro/cursum = run – recur: run into again, occurring multiple times

2. luna = moon – lunacy: madness caused by the moon

3. corpus/corporis = body – corporeal: pertaining to the body

4. discipulus = student – discipline: a field of study

5. urbs/urbis = city – urbane: polite, with city manners

6. chronos = time – synchronize: to do at the same time

7. sauros = lizard – dinosaur: terrible lizard

8. geo = earth – geology: study of the earth

9. annus = year – annual: yearly

10. dico/dictum = speak/say – predict: to say beforehand

Vocabulary 3

1. vivo/victum = life – vivid: lively

2. nomen/nominis = name – nominate: to suugest someone’s name for office

3. video/visum = see – advise: to tell what you see or how you see matters

4. inter = between/among/amid = interject: throw between

5. ad = to/toward/near/next to = adhere: to stick next to

6. amo/amatum = love – amateur: one who loves an activity without doing it professionally

7. jungo/junctum = join/unite/connect – conjugal: relating to the joining of man and woman in marriage

8. manus = hand – manufacture: to make by hand

9. pro = for/before/forward/in place of – prologue: word that come before a book or play

10. digitus = finger/toe/inch – prestidigitation: fast-fingered/sleight-of-hand performance of magic

Vocabulary 6

1. liber/libri = book – library: place where books are kept

2. ped/pedis = foot – pedestal: the foot of a column

3. zoon = animal – zoology: study of animals

4. helios = sun – heliotrope: a plant which turns toward the sun

5. phobos = fear – phobia: irrational fear

6. micros = small – microphone: device to transmit small sound over distance

7. lithos = stone – monolith: lone stone

8. graph = to write or draw – photograph: Picture drawn by light

9. megas = great/large/big = megalomania: person with delusions of greatness

10. photos = light – photophobia: fear of light

Vocabulary 7

1. vert/versum = turn – reverse: to turn back

2. skopeo = look at/inspect/examine – telescope: device for seeing distant objects

3. dens/dentis = teeth – dentate: having a toothed edge (like some leaves)

4. ars/artis = art/skill – artless: without skill

5. thesis = put/place/position – thesis: a position taken in an argument supported by a set of reasons

6. demos = the people/the citizens – democracy: power of the people

7. para = beside/along with - parable: a story along with a moral lesson

8. thermos = heat – thermal: relating to heat

9. trans = across/over/beyond/through – transport: to carry across

10. terra = land – territory: land under control of a government or owner

Vocabulary 8

1. populus = people – populace: the common people

2. scribo/scriptum = to write – transcribe: to transfer speech into writing

3. sol = sun – parasol: a portable sun shade

4. dormio/dormitum = sleep - dormant: sleeping

5. aqua = water – aqueduct: a structure for carrying water

6. magnus = big/large/great – magnate: person of great rank or influence

7. philia = love/friendship – philosopher: one who loves wisdom

8. pyro = fire – pyre: bonfire for burning bodies at funerals

9. kinesis = movement – kinetic: relating to movement

10. prae = before/in front of – precursor: something that comes before something else

Vocabulary 9

1. astron = star – astronaut: star sailor

2. metron = measure – symmetry: measuring the same

3. hydros = water – dehydrate: to take water away from

4. syn = with/together – sympathy: to feel with someone

5. dia = through/between/across/apart – diabolical: shot through with the devil

6. tempus/temporis = time – temporal: pertaining to time

7. logos = word/study – logic: study to gain wisdom

8. centum = hundred – centurion: Roman military officer over 100 men

9. duo = two – duet: performance by two people

10. tres = three – tribe: early Rome was divided into three social groups called tribes

1. accolade – noun – any word, token, or prize given in appreciation, usually given formally – As nice as the accolade from the school was, his parents look of pride meant more to him.

2. bewilder – verb – to confuse or puzzle – By the end of the drive, the poor directions and winding roads had bewildered us.

3. catalyst – noun – something that causes an event or change without participating in the change itself – A free press has often been the catalyst that prompts people to change an ineffectual government.

4. deposition – noun – a statement or testimony under oath – She didn’t have to appear in court because the attorneys were satisfied with her deposition given earlier in the investigation.

5. empathy – noun – the ability to understand and share the feelings of another – A therapist who can balance empathy with objectivity is often better than one who takes a strictly clinical approach.

6. ferocity – noun – the state of being fierce or violent – The lion’s ferocity was more intimidating in the wild than it had been in the zoo.

7. glutton – noun – someone who eats an enormous amount – All-you-can-eat buffets are heaven to gluttons.

8. heterogeneous – adjective – consisting of many dissimilar parts – She loved living in the city because of its heterogeneous population and the varied cultures that such an atmosphere provides.

9. imminent – adjective – about to happen, immediate – The crowd knew the President’s arrival was imminent when the Secret Service began clearing a path.

10. levity – noun – humor or a joking manner – His attempt to inject some levity at the funeral was met with disapproval.

1. abet (verb): to assist another person, usually in an illegal sense – She was shocked to learn that by simply driving him to the airport, she had abetted a crime.

2. balm (noun): an ointment used for healing or soothing - Listening to country music was a balm for his broken heart.

3. cabal (noun): a secret group of conspirators – The Founding Fathers were just an articulate cabal with good connections.

4. dearth (noun): a lack or shortage of something – After the trip to the market, there was no longer a dearth of snack food in the house.

5. eccentric (adjective): straying from the norm – The star was better known for her eccentric lifestyle than for her talent.

6. facile (adjective): easy to accomplish – The facile solution presented by the school board solved the parking problems overnight.

7. gamut (noun): the whole or complete range of something – The demands of the job required the full gamut of his previous experience.

8. hardy (adjective): capable of living in almost any condition – Aloe plants are hardy, making them ideal for city apartments lacking sun and fresh air.

9. idolatrous (adjective): adoring a thing or person to the level of worship – Tabloids help create the idolatrous feelings society has for its stars.

10. jocular (adjective): humorous, given to joking – The old man’s jocular nature made him a favorite with the neighborhood children.

1. mercenary – adjective – solely interested in monetary gain, even at the expense of morals – he bought and sold companies with a mercenary indifference to the employees and their families.

2. mercenary - noun - a soldier interested only in the money offered, not the politics or ideals involved – Mercenaries do not fight with the same fervor as soldiers who are in the battle for love of country.

3. onus – noun – obligation or burden of proof – The onus was on the teacher to prove the two students had cheated on the exam.

4. partisan – adjective – devoted to a particular cause to the point of being biased against anything else – His partisan devotion to the democratic party made it difficult for him to negotiate between sides in the senate.

5. partisan – noun – an avid and devout follower of a group or political party – The partisans following the general were willing to risk their lives to bring him to power.

6. rarified – adjective - thin, less dense – The rarified air at high altitudes can cause pilots to lose consciousness.

7. savory – adjective – morally pure, uncorrupted – The judge’s less-than-savory past caused him to lose the election.

8. torrid – adjective – passionate or fiery – Their torrid love affair evolved into a marriage that lasted over 55 years.

9. verbose – adjective – using more words than necessary – The professor was known to be so verbose that his students often had a hard time following what he said.

10. adage – noun – a short saying or phrase that states an accepted truth – many adages currently in use were originally penned by Benjamin Franklin.

1. bleak – adjective – without hope, barren – Unless she started taking her classes seriously, her chances of graduating on time seemed bleak.

2. cataract – noun – a great, rushing waterfall – Although it was a beautiful place for a picnic, the roar of the cataract made talking impossible.

3. deterrent – noun – something that discourages or dissuades – For most college students, the threat of expulsion is an effective deterrent against cheating.

4. embezzle – verb – to steal money that has been entrusted to one’s care – The CEO had been embezzling from the payroll funds for years.

5. fervent – adjective – having great emotion or passion – the mother’s fervent pleas for an organ donor moved everyone who heard them.

6. imperative – absolutely necessary, urgent – He wore a medical alert bracelet because it was imperative that doctors knew about his penicillin allergy in the event of an emergency.

7. lenient – adjective – permissive and indulgent – While some children need strict discipline, others thrive under more lenient conditions in which they can make their own decisions.

8. mesmerize – adjective – to entrance or enthrall, to strongly attract – The young woman was mesmerized by the beauty of the ballet performance.

9. opportunist – noun – a person who takes advantage of a situation to attain his own goals, regardless of the consequences – She was accused of being an opportunist when she applied for the position before the vacancy was even made public.

10. penury – noun – extreme poverty – Few tourists to resort islands never see the penury in which the locals live their day-to-day lives.

1. reciprocal – adjective – exchanged, felt or performed by each side – Although the generals were on opposing sides of the war, they had developed a reciprocal appreciation for each other’s skill.

2. scanty – adjective – small in amount, less than is needed – Her scanty paycheck was not enough to cover her monthly expenses.

3. trifling – adjective – unimportant, not worth dealing with – He saved the trifling paperwork for the end of the day so he could devote tine to more important matters when he was at his most alert.

4. vexation – noun – frustration – He couldn’t hide his vexation with the woman who was holding up the grocery line with her enormous stack of coupons.

5. adulterate – verb – to lower the quality of something by adding another substance – her father could never understand why she chose to adulterate her coffee with cream and sugar.

6. blithe – adjective – happily unconcerned and oblivious to the point of being uncaring – Her blithe response to the plight of the custodial department made her coworkers wonder if she had a heart at all.

7. charlatan – noun – a con-artist or fraud – In the old days, charlatans traveled from town to town to find their next victim, but now they just use the internet.

8. deride – verb – to ridicule – Under school policy, no students was allowed to deride another.

9. emulate – verb – to imitate or copy in a flattering way – His goal as a poet was to emulate his idol Walt Whitman.

10. fidelity – noun – faithfulness and loyalty – She showed her fidelity to her alma mater with a generous check every year.

implement – verb – to put plans or ideas into practice – The CEO decided to implement new ideas in order to keep the company state of the art.
libel – noun – any publication, be it written word or picture, that is false and damaging to a person’s reputation – Tabloid magazines can be sued for libel if they print rumors that are untrue.
libel – verb – to write or publish lies or false information about a person – The bloggers didn’t care if they were libeling the candidate or not as long as they contributed to her losing the election.
mettle – noun – courage, the ability to rise to an occasion – The runner showed her true mettle when she managed to qualify for the competition even though she tripped during the trials.
ornate – adjective – highly decorated, showy, flashy, or intricate – The ornate gold picture frame displayed in the window looked out of place in the junk shop.
perennial – adjective – lasting for a long period of time, reoccurring year after year – Eating properly and exercising are two known keys to perennial health and longevity.
redress – verb – to remedy or make right, to make amends for – The company promised to redress the customer’s complaints by offering him a year’s free samples of a new, improved product.
sedentary – adjective – inactive – characterized by sitting and getting little exercise – He started gaining weight after taking a sedentary computer job.
turbid – adjective – muddy and unclear (literally or figuratively) – She knew she would never find the ring she had dropped in the turbid river.
vilify – verb - to insult cruelly, to speak or write harshly and usually incorrectly about someone – She took the high road and refused to vilify her ex-husband to the press.

acumen – noun – the ability to make wise decisions in a particular area or profession – He was well respected for his business acumen.
bolster – verb – to shore up, to build up, to increase support – The candidate needed to bolster his support in the Midwest if he was going to win the election.
clarity – noun – clearness in speech or thought – The lecturer explained the concepts with such clarity that the audience was able to understand even the most difficult concepts.
derivative – adjective – originating from another source, copied or adapted from something else – A paragraph in her essay was so obviously derivative that the teacher knew it was plagiarized.
detached – adjective – disconnected emotionally – Doctors and other health professional need to remain detached from their patients in order to remain objective I their treatment and diagnoses.
endorse – verb – to give or declare public approval – The candidate hoped her stance on fair employment practices would cause the trade unions to endorse her.
finesse – noun – grace and skill – It took all the finesse the building manager had to juggle the egos among the artists performing at the benefit.
implicate – verb – to show a close connection between two things – usually in an incriminating, negative way – She took the proof of illegal hazing to the dean even though she knew it would implicate her sorority.
linger – verb – to stay in place longer than necessary – The young man smiled when he realized his girlfriend’s perfume was lingering in his car even after he had dropped her at home.

10. mien – noun – bearing or conduct – The dean’s austere mien prevented most students from wanting to deal with him directly.

permeate – verb – to fill a space, to spread throughout – The excitement leading up to graduation permeated the whole school, and even the staff seemed more upbeat and enthusiastic.
refute – verb – to prove false or incorrect – The adventures he claimed to have always took place when he was alone, so as incredible as they seemed, no one could refute them.
shard – noun – a piece of small breakable object, usually with sharp edges – The shards of broken glass scattered across the kitchen floor.
turmoil – noun – a great state of confusion or agitation – The country was thrown into turmoil after the assassination of the prime minister.
viscous – adjective – having a thick, gooey texture that does not flow easily – The students knew the lab experiment had gone wrong when the material, which was supposed to be a runny liquid, turned into a viscous ooze.
adversity – noun – trouble, misfortune – She considered herself lucky to have had an easy life rather than one of adversity and hardship.
braggart – noun – one who boasts or brags unnecessarily -His reputation as a braggart kept people from admiring the true quality of his work.
cogitate – verb – to think over carefully – The state representative had to cogitate on whether he wanted to run for national office because he refused to make snap decisions.
devious – adjective – sneaky, underhanded – Her little brother could be devious when it came to getting her in trouble and looking like an angel himself.

10. enigma – noun – a puzzle or mystery (usually refers to a person), someone who is difficult to understand – It is said the women are enigmas to men and vice versa.

affable – adjective – friendly, easy to get along with – His affable nature meant he made friends all over campus.
breach – verb – to break through, to violate – Anyone who has seen water breach a levee will never forget the sight of the damage it caused.
coherent – adjective – able to make sense, be consistently logical – She rarely drank because she was a lightweight drinker and became incoherent after only one glass of wine.
deign – verb – to do something below one’s station or dignity – Some of the more stuck up seniors wouldn’t deign to talk to the freshmen.
entreat – verb – to ask earnestly, to plead – The police entreated anyone who had information about the crime to come forward.
fitful – adjective – irregular, not steady – Her sleep was always fitful during exams because she suffered from test anxiety.
gullible – adjective – easily made to belive something false, easy to fool – Con artists count on people being gullible enough to fall for the various scams.
hoodwink – verb – to trick or deceive, to fool – Her attempts to hoodwink her parents failed when they discovered she had sneaked out after midnight.
impervious – adjective – impossible to affect, immune to reaction – Having grown up in new England, she was impervious to southern winters.

10. listless - adjective – having no energy or enthusiasm, uncaring and disinterested – He was listless for weeks after the breakup until friends took him out for a night on the town.

1. callow (adjective): inexperienced, immature, emotionally young – Teenagers from small towns tend to be more callow than those from big cities.

2. defer (verb): to put off or postpone until a later time – She decided to defer college for a year in order to travel through Europe with her friends.

3. efface (verb): to erase or rub out – Nothing would ever efface the memories she had of her honeymoon.

4. falter (verb): to hesitate or be unsteady (usually from fear) – he felt his courage falter as they passed him the microphone, but he rose to the occasion admirably and delivered a stunning speech.

5. glacial (adjective): extremely cold either in demeanor, attitude, or temperature – Her glacial smile let him know he was still in disfavor.

6. haughty (adjective): arrogant, condescending – The beauty contestant’s haughty manner caused her to lose personality points.

7. immaculate (adjective): perfectly clean, spotless – Though they hadn’t expected their son’s dorm room to be immaculate, they were shocked at how messy it was.

8. lampoon (verb): to make fun of something, to satirize – He knew he was in trouble when the teacher he was lampooning caught him in the act.

9. mar (verb): to damage or deface – The accident had marred his appearance, but he refuse to let the fact change his life for the worse.

10. nominal (adjective): insignificant, trifling, or token – The student’s nominal effort was reflected in his poor grades.

1. kohl (adjective): black coloring – The kohl eyeshadow was the favorite of the local Goths.

2. labyrinth (noun): a complicated or difficult path, a maze – The favorite Halloween destination was the haunted labyrinth set up by the town each year.

3. malcontent (noun): a person who is discontent or unhappy – The protestors spoke calmly and rationally in order to be taken seriously and not just seen as a group of malcontents.

4. nadir (noun ): the lowest possible point – Running out of gas and having to walk three miles in her dress shoes in the rain was the nadir of a very bad night.

5. obtrude (verb): to become noticeable in an unpleasant, annoying way – My room-mate’s differing lifestyle threatened to obtrude upon my peace and quiet until we came up with an arrangement that respected everyone’s feelings

6. palate (noun): an appreciation for, a taste or liking for – His refined palate developed from eating at only the finest restaurants in Paris.

7. quaff (verb): to drink deeply – Oktoberfest is a traditional time to find friends partying and quaffing ale.

8. rancor (noun) long-standing anger, bitterness – None of her friends understood why she still had such rancor over and event that had happened while they were back in school.

9. sage (adjective): wise – The therapist’s sage advice helped the couple overcome their disagreements.

10. taciturn (adjective) : quiet or uncommunicative – His taciturn manner often made people feel her wasn’t interested in them, even though nothing was further from the truth.

1. ulterior (adjective): hidden beyond what is acknowledged or admitted to – because she knew she didn’t deserve the promotion, she wondered if her boss had ulterior motives for giving her the new position.

2. vapid (adjective): uninteresting and unchallenging – His parents knew he was maturing when he brought home and intelligent woman rather than the vapid girls he usually dated.

3. wary (adjective): cautiously alert and on guard – A smart woman is wary but unafraid when she is out after dark.

4. yearling (noun): a creature that is one year old – The yearlings in the petting zoo were popular attractions with the children.

5. zealot (noun): a person who believes so strongly in an idea or cause that it becomes more important than anything else - The group was afraid the zealot would give them a bad reputation by association.

6. abridge (verb): to shorten a text without changing the meaning – Reader’s Digest has produced many abridged versions of classic novels over the years.

7. bask (verb): to relax and enjoy warmth, either literally or figuratively – After the long, cold winter, all they anted to do was bask in the Caribbean sun.

8. cajole (verb): to persuade someone to do something through flattery or repeat requests – She hoped to cajole her parents into letting her attend the party.

9. decimate (verb): to utterly destroy or ruin – The football team’s strategy decimated the opposition.

10. eclectic (adjective): combining elements from many different cultures or situations – He preferred an eclectic mix of furniture rather than the uniform adherence to one particular style.