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                 Vocabulary Semester 1

Week 1

 

1.    aberrant (adjective): unusual from accepted or expected norms – His aberrant behavior made him a pariah in the classroom.

2.    baleful (adjective): threatening, intending to intimidate or cause harm – The teacher’s baleful look warned the students to settle down.

3.    cacophony (noun): harsh and jarring disconnected sounds – The cacophony in the classroom made it impossible to work effectively.

4.    debunk (verb): to prove false – Some viewers claim Ghost Hunters International seek to debunk false claims of the paranormal.

5.    edacious (adjective): voracious, greedy and devouring – After months in isolation, the prisoners of war were edacious for news of the outside world.

6.    facetious (adjective): treating serious issues in a humorous manner; lighthearted in a way that may not be appropriate – The employees of the funeral home made facetious remarks when they were alone in order to stay detached from their work.

7.    gainsay (verb): to deny, contradict, or say something is false – She wanted to gainsay the accusations against her friend but she couldn’t because she suspected they were true.

8.    halcyon (adjective): idyllic, peaceful and calm – Many people look back to the summers of their childhoods and consider them halcyon days.

9.    idiosyncrasy (noun): a quirk specific to a certain person – One of her idiosyncrasies was that she liked to burn candles while she worked at her desk.

10.    jubilation (noun): extreme joy and happiness – He was usually reserved, but he couldn’t hide his jubilation at the news

he was going to be a father.

Week 2

 

1.    kith (noun): friends and close acquaintances – The young woman’s kith and kin arrived from all over the country to see her receive the award from the president.

2.    lachrymose (adjective): crying, weeping, excessively sad – The entire nation was lachrymose after 9/11.

3.    malevolent (adjective): characterized by having ill-will and a desire to harm others – The great villains in fiction have a malevolent streak in them that becomes focused more strongly on the hero.

4.    nascent (adjective): newly but not yet fully developed – Many items we take for granted today, such as personal computers and cell phones, were only nascent technologies as recently as the 1980’s.

5.    obdurate (adjective): stubborn and refusing to change – King Henry VIII was obdurate in his decision that his enemies be executed.

6.    paean (noun): a song or other expression of great joy and praise – His writings were practically a paean to fatherhood and the pleasures of childrearing.

7.    quandary (noun): a state of confusion or uncertainty about how to handle a difficult situation – He was in a quandary when offered an exciting new job at the same time his current company offered him a substantial raise.

8.    raconteur (noun): an excellent storyteller – He was such a gifted raconteur he managed to make even the most trivial events sound lively and interesting.

9.    salacious (adjective): having to do with lust or sexual desire – She preferred to work out at home so she didn’t have to deal with the salacious looks she received at the gym.

10.    tantamount (adjective):  being equal to in importance or seriousness, being as good as – For the young actor, the award

was tantamount to a vindication of his career choice.

Week 3

 

1.    undulate (verb): to move in a smooth, steady motion – The ocean waves caused the ship to undulate in a soothing manner.

2.    vagary (noun): an unexpected, unpredictable change – Her mother was constantly amazed by the vagaries of teenage fashion.

3.    wean (verb): to ease someone off of something they have become dependent on – The doctor said it was time to wean him off of the pain medication he’d been given after the surgery so that he wouldn’t become addicted.

4.    yen (noun): a longing or craving for something – The young man had always had a yen to visit the town in Ireland where his grandfather had grown up.

5.    zeitgeist (noun): the defining spirit of a time – Fizgerald captured the zeitgeist of the Roaring 20’s in his novel The Great Gatsby.

6.    abeyance (noun): a temporary halt to an activity – The presentataion was in abeyance until the technical problems could be resolved.

7.    banal (adjective): ordinary to the point of being boring – Although parents still hire them for children’s parties, most youngsters find clowns banal.

8.    calumny (noun): slander,  false statement made to damage another’s reputation – The calumny during the debate just made both candidates appear bad.

9.    decorum (noun): appropriate and proper behavior – In spite of his long hair and tattoos, he could act with surprising decorum when the situation demanded it.

10.    educe (verb): to coax, to bring out or draw out – her goal was to not only teach the material but to educe a sense of self-confidence in her students.

Week 5

 

1.    palatial (adjective): easily compared to a palace; large and impressive – The realtor knew the palatial estate would sell quickly.

2.    quell (verb): to put and end to (often by the use of threat or force) – The military was able to quell the rebels before the resistance could gain a foothold.

3.    ramify (verb): to cause complications – The steps the first group took to solve the problem only served to ramify the situation, so a second group was hired in hopes they would be more successful.

4.    salubrious (adjective): promoting health and well-being – The occasional weekend away form the demands of their jobs and their children had a salubrious effect on their relationship.

5.    temerity (noun): fearless self-confidence, bravery – her temerity allowed her to march in to the Dean’s office and present the proposal in person.

6.    untenable (adjective): unjustifiable – The entire group found his comments on women in the workplace to be untenable and sexist.

7.    valorous (adjective): marked by extreme bravery – The valorous teen saved his little sisters from a house fire.

8.    abjure (verb): to recant or publicly take back previously held opinions or statements – Thomas More’s refusal to abjure his Catholic beliefs eventually cost him his life.

9.    beatify (verb): to idolize above all – her friends wouldn’t let her beatify her ex and kept reminding her how unfair he had really been.

10.    candor (noun): sincere and honest expression of thought or opinion – Although some were put off by his candor, most appreciated knowing he would be completely honest with them.

Week 7

 

1.    obfuscate (verb): to intentionally make something unclear and confusing – The principal wasn’t sure if the young man was confused about the facts or trying to obfuscate the situation to protect his friends.

2.    panacea (noun): a cure or remedy for every ailment – In his grandmother’s opinion, a strong cup of tea was the panacea for every problem.

3.    quibble (verb): to find fault through nitpicking – The couple quibbled over everything and their friends placed bets on the duration of their marriage.

4.    rapacious (adjective): greedy in an aggressive way – The old man left everything to his favorite servant, being all too aware of the rapacious nature of his family.

5.    salutary (adjective): intending to be helpful – Taking a salutary soak in the hot springs can be helpful to those suffering from various aches and pains.

6.    timorous (adjective): nervous and hesitant – The young singer’s voice was timorous in front of the audience until she relaxed and began to enjoy the experience.

7.    untoward (adjective): inappropriate, socially uncomfortable – We tried to ignore his untoward behavior as he became increasingly drunk.

8.    variegated (adjective): having different colored streaks or spots – The variegated leaves in early September were the first sign of fall.

9.    abscond (verb): to leave secretly and in a hurry to avoid detection – The plan was to abscond with the money and retire to drink margaritas on the beach somewhere in the tropics.

10.    bedaub (verb): to smear (usually with something sticky) – The boys in Lord of the Flies bedaubed their faces with “dazzle paint”.

Week 9

 

1.    obstreperous (adjective): stubborn to the point of defiance – The students were obstreperous when the were together, but once the teacher separated them they settled down.

2.    palliate (verb): to alleviate fears, concerns, or suspicions – The babysitter tried to palliate the couple’s concerns about leaving their baby alone for the first time.

3.    quiescent (adjective): marked by inactivity, at rest – The lab would be quiescent for months at a time and then there would be a flurry of activity when a new breakthrough was discovered.

4.    rebuff (noun): a deliberately cold and abrupt rejection or refusal – Since subtlety didn’t work, eventually she had to rebuff his advances.

5.    sardonic (adjective): bitterly humorous, cynically ironic – her sardonic smile didn’t quite hide her disappointment at being cut from the competition.

6.    tentative (adjective): not completely set or agreed upon, subject to change – She was not sure what time the meeting would end, so they made tentative plans to conclude at 8:00.

7.    upbraid (verb): to scold, criticize – The boys looked so miserable and repentant that their mother couldn’t bring herself to upbraid them for disobeying.

8.    venal (adjective): corrupt, willing to take bribes – The new warden fired every guard with a venal reputation in order to restore order to the prison.

9.    abstruse (adjective): confusing, not easy to understand – The principal criticized the teacher’s style as unnecessarily abstruse.

10.   belie (verb) to reveal as false or  misrepresented – The state of the house belied her claim that she hadn’t thrown a party the weekend her parents were gone.

Week 11

 

1.    odium (noun): contempt and disgust for a person – The odium felt for telemarketers makes it hard for them to perform their job.

2.    panoply (noun): a large and impressive collection – The opening ceremony of the Olympics creates a striking panoply of colors and sounds as the nations of the world get together to celebrate and compete.

3.    reciprocity (noun): the practice of exchanging goods and services for mutual benefit – The two countries would never go to war because of the reciprocity they shared.

4.    satiate (verb): to completely satisfy, fill up – The enormous library held enough books to satiate even the most voracious reader.

5.    torpid (adjective): inactive, lazy – The oppressive heat made the lions torpid, and the sat on the ground panting, ignoring the zebra only a few yards away.

6.    veracious (adjective): consistently truthful – The veracious newspaper received praise on a national level for its unbiased reporting.

7.    accede (verb): to agree to a demand – The police recommended th family accede to the ransom demand.

8.    blandishment (noun): gentle flattery used to get someone to behave in a certain way – She knew better than to try blandishment on her father to get the car keys, because he would just laugh and hand her bus fare.

9.    capitulate (verb): to surrender or give up – The babysitter found it easier to capitulate to the child’s demands rather than listen to him cry.

10.    deplore (verb): to be strongly against, to condemn – While most people say they deplore poverty and injustice, few are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to eliminate these problems.

Week 13

 

1.    recondite (adjective): difficult to understand – The new York Times crossword puzzle is widely recognized as one of the most recondite of all word puzzles.

2.    savor (verb): to enjoy completely – The historian was determined to savor every sight on her trip to New England.

3.    torque (verb): to twist – The football player torqued his knee badly enough to leave the game.

4.    verbose (adjective): Using more words than necessary, or speech so flowery the meaning is obscured – The professor was so verbose it was hard for his students to know what should be remembered and what should be ignored.

5.    acclaim (noun): obvious praise and honor – The acclaim from the professional community made her a shoe in for the award nomination.

6.    blighted (adjective): diseased, run down – For years after the factor closed, the small town was blighted, with closed up shop windows and boarded up doors.

7.    carping (verb): complaining or nagging – Throughout the trip, the teenagers kept carping about how bored they were even though their parents attempted to entertain them.

8.    denounce (verb): to publicly declare something as evil or wrong – After much soul-searching, the senator denounced her own party’s stance on immigration.

9.    elicit (verb): to draw out a response from someone – The verdict of guilty elicited both cheers and cries of outrage from the crowd outside the courtroom.

10.     fervid (adjective): intensely enthusiastic – The fervid soccer audience broke through the fence and stormed the field at the end of the game.

Week 4

 

1.    facilitate (verb): to bring about, to make something easier to happen – The union’s acceptance of the contract facilitated a quick resolution to the strike.

2.    gesticulate (verb): to use gestures while speaking – The more passionate he was about a subject, the more he gesticulated when talking about it.

3.    harangue (noun): a long critical speech or lecture – He snuck up the back stairs to avoid what he knew would be a long harangue from his parents.

4.    ignoble (adjective): common, ordinary and plain – People love to watch stars performing ignoble activities like shopping at the supermarket.

5.    judicious (adverb): marked by good sense and sound judgment – Her judicious handling of the crisis caused the company to promote her to management.

6.    kowtow (verb): to act in a subservient manner to gain favor – The entire department was embarrassed by the director’s obvious kowtowing to the CEO.

7.    lackadaisical (adjective): carelessly lazy – Her parents were concerned about her lackadaisical approach to schoolwork.

8.    malleable (verb/adjective): able to change shape and form without breaking – Even the hardest steel becomes malleable when heated to the right temperature.

9.    nefarious (adjective): wicked or evil – The documentary focused on the nefarious crimes of serial killers.

10.    obviate (verb): to make unnecessary, to get rid of – Working at the day care center obviated his need for extra time at the gym.

Week 6

 

1.    deleterious (adjective): harmful or damaging – He studied for every class because he knew that even one low grade could keep him out of Harvard.

2.    effete (adjective): worn out, out of date – The teaching style of rote memorization was proven effete and replaced.

3.    factious (adjective): internal strife or dissatisfaction – The complaints of the three members created a factious feeling among the entire board.

4.    gourmand (noun): a person who loves good food – The newspaper’s food critic was well-suited to the job because she was such a gourmand.

5.    hedonist (noun): a person who believes in the pursuit of pleasure – Catherine the Great had a reputation as a hedonist because of her many affairs.

6.    illusory (adjective): not real, based on illusion – The safety the women had felt on campus proved illusory when several women were attacked late at night.

7.    junta (noun): a group (usually military) that takes control of a government by force in order to rule – The weak government of the small island was easy prey for the general and his junta.

8.    lascivious (adjective): feeling or showing inappropriate lust or sexual desire – The lascivious looks they recived at the bar made them decide to get their drinks elsewhere.

9.    manifest (adjective): plainly and clearly obvious – The glaring error in the headline was so manifest to everyone, the editor knew someone would be fired for letting it slip by and getting into print.

10.    noisome (adjective): offensive and foul – His behavior at the Mardi Gras was so noisome he was never able to live it down.

Week 8

 

1.    canon (noun): the general principles or rules by which something is judged – Societal canon requires a certain code of conduct in public.

2.    deluge (noun): a great flood or fall of water, or anything that overwhelms like a great flood – The hotel received a deluge of calls when the star was sighted outside.

3.    efficacy (noun): effectiveness – The efficacy of the drug was called into question when only half of the test patients responded well to the treatment.

4.    feasible (adjective): possible to do or accomplish – If she saved her money, a week’s vacation at the beach was feasible.

5.    grandiloquence (noun): a pompous and pretentious way of speaking – The speaker’s grandiloquence impressed a few, but merely put off most of the audience.

6.    hegemony (noun): leadership or dominance (usually with regard to relations between nations) – When a nation is wealthy, it’s important that it not abuse its state of hegemony in the global arena.

7.    imbroglio (noun): a complicated and embarrassing situation – The Clinton-Lewinski imbroglio may have cost Hilary support as well as the negative impact on her husband’s career.

8.    lassitude (noun): the state of being overly tired and drained – A feeling of lassitude filled the locker room after the team’s heartbreaking defeat.

9.    maudlin (adjective): excessively sentimental – No one enjoyed her company after her third drink because she became maudlin talking about her years as a young dancer and what might have been.

10.    nostrum (noun): any medication with unknown ingredients and results – Boot camps for troubled teens are a nostrum for juvenile delinquency but their long-term effectiveness is still unknown.

Week 10

 

1.    capacious (adjective): roomy, spacious – Although her capacious purse looked more like a suitcase, it conveniently carried everything she needed for the baby and herself.

2.    denouement (noun): the final part of a story or movie in which all of the loose ends are tied up and all questions answered – The denouement of most mysteries occurs when the detective reveals who the murderer is.

3.    effulgence (adjective): bright and radiant, glowing – The effulgence of her personality lit up every room she entered.

4.    feint (verb): to make a misleading move with the intention of drawing attention away form the real action – The boxer had studied his opponent and was ready when the man tried to feint with his left while punching with his right.

5.    gratify (verb): to please or satisfy – The teacher was always gratified when her students were accepted into college.

6.    heresy (noun): a belief or statement that goes against mainstream religious doctrine – In ancient times, heresy was a crime punishable by torture or execution.

7.    immutable (adjective): set and stable, not subject to change – It is an immutable fact that most teens will find a way to rebel against their parents and societal expectations.

8.    latent (adjective): in existence but hidden, undiscovered potential – It only took a few days of the class for her to discover a latent talent for interior design.

9.    mawkish (adjective): sentimental in a sappy, offensive way – He found it difficult to buy a Mother’s day card because most of the mawkish cards didn’t fit his mother’s straightforward personality.

10.    notoriety (adjective): being known for an undesirable reason – Monica Lewinski took advantage of her notoriety after the presidential scandal by accepting many advertising and television offers.

Week 12

 

1.    egress (noun): the exit, the path out – Their egress from the building was blocked after the fire started, so they unfortunately burned to a crisp.

2.    fell (verb): to topple, knock down – The hurricane felled trees and ripped roofs from houses.

3.    gravity (adjective): seriousness, importance – The drunken teen’s parents called the police to reinforce the gravity of the situation.

4.    hirsute (adjective): covered in hair – Hirsute caerpillars didn’t bother him but bare worms made him cringe.

5.    imbue (verb): influence deeply, pervade – her discussions were imbued with ideas first taught by some of the great philosophers.

6.    laudable (adjective): deserving of praise – Although the quarterback’s performance was laudable, it couldn’t make up for the defense’s poor showing.

7.    maverick (noun): a free-thinking, slightly rebellious person – People who want to make their mark on the world cannot be afraid to be labeled mavericks and troublemakers.

8.    nugatory (adjective): insignificant, having little importance – The world ignored Hitler’s earliest writings as nugatory but soon realized this had been a mammoth mistake.

9.    officious (adjective): overly eager to offer advice – She went to her advisor for counseling, but found him to be an officious know-it-all who knew less about the situation than she did.

10.    pariah (noun): a social outcast – many whistleblowers discover they have become pariahs in the same communities in which they formerly held sterling reputations.

Week 14

 

1.    grievous (adjective): devastating – Only time will tell if New Orleans will completely recover from the grievous losses it sustained during Hurricane Katrina.

2.    hubris (noun): arrogant and overwhelming pride – In many Greek myths, mortal’s hubris causes them to believe they can successfully challenge the Gods, but the humans always lost in the end.

3.    impecunious (adjective): poor – Although his family was in an impecunious situation after the layoffs, he still managed to get Christmas presents for his children.

4.    lenient (adjective): permissive and indulgent – While some children need strict discipline, others thrive in a more lenient situation in which they can make their own decisions.

5.    meander (verb): to flow in a random path – The young couple chose to meander through the gardens rather than head straight back to the dorms.

6.    ominous (adjective): hinting at something evil or dangerous – The tree-lined shortcut was perfectly safe during the day but always felt ominous at night.

7.    paroxysm (noun): a sudden an unexpected display of emotion- His story was so funny his friends were in paroxysms of laughter by the time it was over.

8.    recant (verb): to take back a statement – In the 1600’s and 1700’s, many scientists were forced by the church to recant their findings or suffer imprisonment or even death.

9.    scabbard (noun): the sheath or holder for a knife or sword – In the original legends about Excalibur, it was actually the scabbard the protected the bearer, not the sword itself.

10.    torrid (adjective): scorching hot, passionate or fiery – Their torrid love affair evolved into a marriage that lasted over fifty years.

Vocabulary Semester 2

Week 1

 

1. acrimony – noun – bitterness usually held mutually – The bride’s parents decided to put aside their feelings of acrimony in order to keep their daughter’s wedding peaceful.

2. bucolic – idealized characterization of country life – The bucolic paintings of the farm made her want to move there, but she realized the reality was that she would miss city living too much.

3. certitude – noun – the absolute certainty that something is true – The four-year-old knew with certitude that Santa Claus had been on his roof top on Christmas eve.

4. desuetude – noun – disuse, inactivity – Rules of etiquette have fallen into desuetude as society has become more relaxed about gender and class roles.

5. encomium – noun – a formal speech in praise of someone – The dean fought back tears while reading the encomium for the professor’s retirement celebration.

6. filibuster – noun – delaying tactics usually in the form of long speeches used to prevent action from being taken (usually in a political context) – The senator was three hours into his filibuster and showed no signs of yielding the floor to let the vote take place.

7. impetus – noun – the motivation or stimulus behind movement or change – The sleeveless bridesmaid’s dress was the impetus she needed to lose the final ten pounds that had been plaguing her.

8. licentious – adjective – having little or no concern for morals or rules in regard to sexual behavior – A tongue-in-cheek song written by Tom Lehrer about pornography quips “smut…I love it; books lurid, licentious, and vile…make me smile!”

9. mellifluous – adjective – pleasant and musical sounding – The late night DJ’s mellifluous voice helped many restless listeners get to sleep.

10. ossify –verb – to become set in one’s ways, rigid and unwilling to change – The mans’ attitudes had begun to ossify in his fifties, so that by the time he was sixty, he refused to even listen to other ideas or arguments.

Week 3

 

1.    dilatory – adjective – meant to cause delay or postpone – Students often use dilatory questions as a means of delaying quizzes or work.

2.    ennui – noun – boredom – Although the students had looked forward to summer vacation, relaxation quickly turned into ennui as the allure of having nothing to do dwindled.

3.    finesse – noun – grace, refinement and skill – It took all the finesse the building manager had to juggle the needs and egos of the performers scheduled to play at the benefit concert.

4.    impiety – noun – lack of respect, especially toward God – Although teenagers often speak with impiety, studies show religion is important to many of them.

5.    lithe – adjective – graceful, limber, willowy – Her lithe movements and constant poise marked her as a dancer even when she was off stage.

6.    mendacity – noun – lies, dishonesty – She was often amazed at the mendacity that came from her brother’s mouth, and at the gullibility of her parents who believed him.

7.    pellucid – adjective – see-through, plain and obvious , easy to understand – The author’s pellucid style won her many readers, but critics found her work sparse and cold.

8.    refractory – adjective – stubbornly resistant to authority or control – In the 60’s and 70’s, anytime a large group formed to listen to a public speaker, there was always a concern on the part of authorities that the peaceful gathering would change to a refractory mob.

9.    severance – noun – the separation of parties or parts – The severance of the smaller movie studio from it’s larger parent company was a shock to all in the industry.

10.    turpitude – noun – wicked or immoral behavior – He lived a life of turpitude before cleaning up his act.

Week 5

 

  1. ostracize – verb – to banish or exclude from a group, community, or society – Many countries around the world still ostracize people with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities.

  2. peregrination – noun – a trip taken by foot – Instead of a whirlwind tour of Europe, the friends decided on a slower but more in-depth peregrination of the French countryside.

  3. refulgent – adjective – shining brightly, as if lit by the sun – The young mother had a refulgent glow that lasted throughout her pregnancy.

  4. somniferous – adjective – bringing on sleep or tiredness – Hot cocoa always had a somniferous effect on her, so it was her favorite late night drink when she couldn’t sleep.

  5. transitory – adjective – temporary,, short-lived – The transitory stress of meeting deadlines was worth the fun she had on her job on a day-to-day basis.

  6. virago – noun – a woman of uncommon strength, courage, and vigor; or a women considered noisy, violent, and demanding – nearly every ma who helped settle the American West had a virago by his side, willing to take every risk along with him.

  7. amicable – adjective – friendly, nice, without serious disagreement – The landlord hoped to fill the vacancy with someone who was amicable, quiet, and tidy.

  8. cogent – adjective – clear, concise, and convincing (usually referring to an argument or point of view) – Instead of becoming emotional, she presented a cogent argument for getting a new car as a graduation present, and her parents agreed.

  9. disabuse – verb – to convince someone or persuade someone and idea or belief is false – She hated to disabuse him of his fantasy, but she knew his screenplay would never be optioned.

  10. ephemeral – adjective – short-lived or temporary – passingaway quickly – Although he knew it was ephemeral, he enjoyed the quiet between the time when his son left for work and his daughter came home from band rehearsal.

Week 7

 

  1. buttress – verb – to support or reinforce – He had plenty of documentation to buttress his claims in the debate.

  2. captious – adjective – tending to nitpick or find fault – The students knew their papers had to be perfect because the professor was a captious grader.

  3. dilettante – noun – an amateur or uneducated follower of a field of interest, usually in the arts – His artwork was mediocre and would only appeal to the dilettantes at the show.

  4. encumbrance – noun – a burden – At first the thought of babysitting her little sister for a weekend seemed an encumbrance, but she quickly came to enjoy the time they shared.

  5. fortuitous – adjective – occurring by lucky chance – It was fortuitous that they were both walking in the park at the same time; otherwise they would never have met.

  6. implacable – adjective – impossible to appease – The professor had a reputation for being implacable because of her high and unflinching standards.

  7. luminary – noun – a person who inspires others, one who lights the way – Many political leaders of the 21st century will be luminaries to future generations

  8. miscreant – noun – someone who behaves badly – Dean in On the Road is a typical miscreant, causing trouble wherever he goes.

  9. perfidy – noun – treason or treachery – As Benedict Arnold learned, one act of perfidy is enough to wipe away years of loyal service.

  10. remonstrate – verb – to forcefully argue against – The hippies remonstrated the universities decision to stop the rally.

Week 9

 

  1. bellicose – adjective - war-like, aggressive – The bellicose hockey player spent more time fighting than playing.

  2. consummate – adjective - supremely good, complete – He plays the piano with consummate skill.

  3. elusive – adjective - hard to pin down – The giant squid is one of the ocean’s most elusive inhabitants.

  4. gregarious – adjective - sociable, outgoing – She was so gregarious, her nomination as prom queen was not a surprise.

  5. jaundiced – adjective - adjective - cynical, pessimistic – She has a jaundiced view of politicians.

  6. nettle – verb – annoy – The child seems to enjoy nettling his teacher.

  7. phenomenon – noun - an event or happening – The phenomenon of the aurora borealis appears approximately 200 days of the year in latitudes north of Fairbanks, Alaska

  8. recuperate – verb - to recover after an illness – He will return to school as soon as he recuperates from his surgery.

  9. superlative – adjective - extremely good, the best – The new England town meeting is a superlative example of grassroots democracy.

   10. whet – verb – sharpen – He whet the

         knife on a stone until it was sharp

         enough to split hairs.

Week 2

 

1.    panegyric – noun – a formal statement of praise, usually made in a speech or in a published work – The actor took out a full page ad as a panegyric to his co-star and how much he’d enjoyed working with her on their last movie.

2.    panegyric – adjective – praising, highly complimentary – The panegyric introduction of her son made her swell with pride.

3.    quotidian – adjective – everyday, ordinary, common place – After being away from home for so long, she took pleasure in even the most quotidian activities of family life.

4.    recrudescent – to start up again, to reoccur after a period of being dormant – The brief truce hadn’t made the recrudescent hostilities any less violent.

5.    sedulous – adjective – characterized by constant care and concern – Her sedulous attention to her pets seemed obsessive to all but the most ardent animal rights activists.

6.    truculence – noun – the state of being willing to fight over trivial issues – The truculence he had been known for in high school had mellowed in college to the point where his friends barely recognized him.

7.    vicissitude – noun – regular and methodical changes taking place over a long period of time – The two women, now old and grey, had known each other through all the vicissitudes of life.

8.    acquiesce – verb – to accept reluctantly but without complaint, to give in – The hostage negotiator acquiesced to the criminal’s smaller demands in order to gain his trust.

9.    bumptious – adjective – loud and self-serving to the point of being obnoxious – Instead of charming and witty, the candidate just came off as bumptious whenever he spoke without a script.

10.    coeval – adjective – being of the same time period or era – It is hard to believe that a man as clean-cut as Elliot Ness was coeval with a man as dangerous as Al Capone.

Week 4

 

1.    vilify – verb – to insult cruelly – She took the high road and refused to vilify her ex-husband to the press.

2.    adumbrate – verb – to explain briefly, outline the main points – The outline was supposed to adumbrate the research paper, but it proved to be longer than the completed research paper was supposed to be.

3.    camaraderie – noun – group trust, powerful emotional bonding between people – The camaraderie formed between sorority sisters is more valuable than the status gained by pledging.

4.    diffuse – adjective – spread without specific direction – The diffuse light cast a lovely glow over the evening horizon.

5.    diffuse – verb – to scatter or spread out – The mediator knew he had to diffuse the anger between the couple if he wanted to get them to the point of an equitable resolution.

6.    emend – verb – to alter or edit with the intent to improve – The teacher asked for rough drafts so she could emend any glaring mistakes that would cause significant grade reductions in the students’ papers.

7.    flout – verb – to openly disregard or show contempt for – She dyed her hair purple as a safe way to flout the school’s dress code.

8.    implausible – adjective – unbelievable – As the school year progressed, her excuses for not doing her homework became more and more implausible.

9.    loquacious – adjective – talkative – The professor was so loquacious it was difficult for students to separate the facts from the fluff.

10.    mendicant – noun – one who asks for alms or charity in order to live (often one from a religious order) – The mendicant traveled from town to town, stopping to preach wherever he could get a little food and money.

Week 6

 

  1. 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.

  2. imperturbable – adjective – calm and collected at all times – Part of what made him an effective teacher was that he was imperturbable, no matter what stunts they pulled.

  3. lucid – adjective – clear and easy to understand, well-explained or thought out – The defendant’s explaanation of his alibi was lucid but strangely emotionless.

  4. mavin – noun – an expert – He was a Shakespeare mavin, capable of identifying any quote given to him, down to the very scene.

  5. peremptory – adjective – refusing to allow debate, characterized by being a command and not a request – Even more than his rank, the drill sergeant’s peremptory tone made the recruits fall into line.

  6. relegate – verb – to pass off responsibility for – One of the joys of being CEO was that she could relegate the more minor tasks she loathed.

  7. sophistry – noun – an intentionally misleading argument – Most people in the office were accustomed to his sophistry, so he had a hard time getting the assignments he wanted.

  8. travesty – noun – an over the top exaggeration of the truth, a distorted version – The news article accusing the star of being drunk was a travesty; the truth was she had poor balance because of a disease.

  9. vitiate – verb – to decrease the value of – The counselors were afraid that the rules put in place to protect the program would in fact vitiate it and hamper the student’s success.

10. analogous – adjective – easily

      comparable, alike in core ways –

     although their backgrounds were

     analogous, they found to their surprise

     that they disagreed on many issues.

Week 8

 

  1. adulation – noun – excessive flattery, deep love and affection – Some public figures become so accustomed to the adulation of their fans that retirement is difficult.

  2. burgeon – verb – to increase rapidly, to flourish and grow – The artists were surprised at the burgeoning popularity of their online cartoon.

  3. cognizant – adjective – aware of, having knowledge about – Youth today are far less cognizant of the hardships that come with adulthood than previous generations.

  4. disallow – verb – to state something is false, to refute – The defendant disallowed the charge that he’d been drinking before the accident.

  5. equivocate – verb – to intentionally use language to deceive, or language that is open to more than one interpretation – She knew she could no longer trust him when he began to equivocate instead of giving straight answers.

  6. florid – adjective – flushed with reddish color – His florid complexion let his mother know he hadn’t only been studying math with his tutor.

  7. improvident – adjective – showing little forethought or planning – Her shopping spree was improvident in light of her tuition bill that was due the next day.

  8. luxuriant – adjective – thick and healthy growth, lush, characterized as decadent and delightful – The woman’s new cashmere robe was luxuriant.

  9. misnomer –noun – an unsuitable or misleading name for an object – Considering the length of the wait at many drive-throughs, “fast food” is quickly becoming a misnomer.

  10. perfunctory -  adjective – managed or

        handled without care or thought, done

        with indifference – The bored clerk gave

        a perfunctory glance at the paperwork

        before automatically forwarding it to the

        next department.

Week 10

 

1.    acerbic (adjective): blunt, bitter and

       sarcastic – Underneath her grandfather’s

       acerbic exterior beat the heart of a teddy

       bear.

2.    bolster (verb): to shore up, to make

       stronger – Her encouraging words

       bolstered his courage.

3.    castigation (noun): harsh scolding – The

       students knew they deserved the

       castigation given to them by the

       principal.

4.    deprave (verb): to make wicked, to

       corrupt – the parents tried to ensure the

       influences of the inner city would not

       deprave their children.

5.    elusive (adjective): difficult to find or

       capture – Some people believe the Loch

       Ness Monster to be a hoax, while others

       believe it to be a crafty and elusive

       creature.

6.    fervor (noun): intense and passionate

       emotion – The fervor in Boston when the

       Red Sox finally won the World Series

       cannot be described in words.

7.    gullible (adjective): easily made to

       believe something false – Con artists

       count on people being gullible enough

       to believe their scams.

8.    hypothetical (adjective): based on an

       unproven supposition – It is easier to

       make decisions in hypothetical situations

       because there are no real consequences.

9.    impede (verb): to delay or prevent

       something from occurring – The United

       Nations refused to let the threat of

       violence impede the election process.

10.    levee (noun): a structure built to act as a

         barricade against a body of water; a

         dam – When the levees collapsed in

         2005, the city of New Orleans was

         devastated by floods.

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