Vocabulary Semester 1
Week 1
1. accentuate - verb - to single out as important or to stress
The realtor tried to accentuate the positive features of the home.
2. bamboozle - verb - to deceive by underhanded methods
The salesperson's efforts to bamboozle her into buying options she didn't need were unsuccessful.
3. camouflage - noun - a disguise designed to make people or things blend into surroundings
The mottled green and brown uniforms were perfect camouflage in the forest.
4. decorum - noun - propriety and good taste in manners and appearance
Count Dracula's impeccable decorum conceals his murderous nature.
5. eclectic - adjective - composed of elements drawn from a variety of sources
The eclectic mix of period furnishings included everything from Mid-Century Modern sofas to
Edwardian buffet tables.
6. fallacy - noun - a false or mistaken idea
An ad hominem fallacy is an argument that attacks a person rather than the person's
argument, like suggesting a candidates policies are bad because the candidate is obnoxious.
7. gargoyle - noun - an ornament consisting of a grotesquely carved figure
In ancient times gargoyles were thought to protect the buildings they decorated.
8. heritage - noun - that which is inherited
Her auburn hair was her only heritage from her mother.
9. immune - adjective - having a high degree of resistance to disease
Vaccinations can make one immune to some of the most dangerous diseases.
10. jaunty - adjective - having a lively, self-confident attitude and appearance
The jaunty way he approached her at the dance won her over.
Week 2
1. kilometer - noun - a metric unit of length equal to 1000 meters
The grueling forty-two kilometer race included many steep inclines .
2. labyrinth - noun - complex system of paths in which it is easy to get lost
The hay bales were stacked to create a complex labyrinth for the Halloween festival.
3. maneuver - noun - an armed forces training exercise
The US armed forces often practice maneuvers with military partners such as South Korea.
4. nebula - noun - an immense cloud of gas and dust in interstellar space
The nebula seen through the Hubble telescope had a kaleidoscope of brilliant colors.
5. omnivore - noun - an animal that feeds on both animal and vegetable substances
Bears are omnivores, and thrive on a varied diet of fish, small mammals, berries, and other plant
parts.
6. parasite - noun - an animal or plant that lives in or on a host
One can avoid most parasites by thoroughly cooking food and practicing good hygiene.
7. quandary - noun - a state of uncertainty when faced with different options
Lucy's three proposals in one day left her in a quandary until she realized her mother's favorite
was the one she loved the most.
8. rainforest - noun - a densely wooded tropical area with heavy precipitation
The Amazon rainforest in South America is the world's largest.
9. sacrifice - verb - to suffer loss of, give up, renounce, injure, or destroy especially for an ideal,
belief, or end
The sacrifice of one's life for his or her country is worthy of the greatest honor and respect.
10. tariff - noun - a government tax on imports or export
Many of the complaints about Trump's use of tariff's is based on the assumption that
the tariff's will remain in place rather than be used as negotiating tools.
Week 3
1. ultraviolet - adjective - having wavelengths shorter than light but longer than X-rays
The sun's ultraviolet rays can damage skin cells.
2. vaccine - noun - injection of weakened or dead microbes to create antibodies
The Covid vaccine remains controversial because of the new and relatively untested way
in which it was created.
3. wretched - adjective - deserving or inciting pity
Organizations like the Red cross and Samaritan's Purse work to relieve the suffering of
the wretched.
4. yacht - noun - an expensive water craft propelled by sail or power
The Russian oligarch was captured on his yacht by the US Navy.
5. antibody - noun - a protein that produces an immune response
Vaccines can help one's body produce antibodies that will protect against various diseases.
6. bizarre - adjective - conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual
There were many bizarre costumes at the staff Halloween party.
7. chronology - noun - an arrangement of events in time
Avoid pointless transitions that rely on chronology since readers already know events happen in
order.
8. deduction - noun - the deriving of a conclusion by reasoning
Sherlock Holmes is a literary character known for his skills of deduction.
9. embargo - noun - an order of a government prohibiting the departure of commercial ships from its
ports.
The embargo prevented the ship from delivering humanitarian supplies.
10. flourish - verb - to grow vigorously
These roses will flourish in the summer sun.
Week 4
1. guerilla - noun - a member of an irregular army that fights a stronger force
The guerilla barely made it out of the battle alive.
2. hieroglyphic - adjective - belonging to a system of writing mainly in pictorial characters
Ancient Egypt used a hieroglyphic alphabet.
3. impertinent - adjective - improperly forward or bold
The teacher found the student's impertinence irritating.
4. jovial - adjective - full of or showing high-spirited merriment
His jovial attitude helped to reduce the tension at the dinner table.
5. laconic - adjective - brief and to the point
Her laconic speech may have lacked style but it conveyed the message clearly.
6. marsupial - noun - a mammal the female of which has a pouch carrying the young
The Virginia Opossum is the only marsupial native to North America.
7. nocturnal - adjective - belonging to or active during the night
Most bats are nocturnal and prefer hunting at night.
8. ozone - noun - a colorless gas that is a screen for ultraviolet radiation
Due to various human efforts, the ozone layer is returning.
9. protagonist - noun - the principal character in a work of fiction
Ishmael is both narrator and protagonist in Melville's famous novel Moby Dick.
10. quarantine - verb - to isolate to prevent the spread of infectious disease
The governments of most nations quarantined all but essential workers during the Covid
epidemic.
Week 5
1. random - adjective - lacking any definite plan or order or purpose
The losing team's defense appeared utterly random.
2. silhouette - noun - a filled-in drawing of the outline of an object
Side view silhouettes of family members were popular in the late 1700's thorough the early 1800's.
3. tempo - noun - the speed at which a composition is to be played
The orchestra needs to speed up the tempo of that piece to prevent the audience from falling
asleep.
4. unanimous - adjective-being of one mind, universal agreement
Presidential votes are never unanimous due to the large numbers of diverse voters.
5. vacillate - verb - to waver in mind, will, or feeling : hesitate in choice of opinions or courses
I want to be a decisive person but I always seem to vacillate in every decision.
6. aspire - verb - to have an ambitious plan or a lofty goal
I aspire to be the CEO of the company I work for, and have a ten year plan to achieve my goal.
7. boisterous - adjective - marked by exuberance and high spirits
The crowd at the rally was the most boisterous I've ever seen, but the mayhem was all
good-spirited.
8. commemorate - verb - to call to remembrance
Our school had a ceremony to commemorate the first responders who died in 9/11.
9. deign - verb - to condescend reluctantly and with a strong sense of the affront to one's superiority;
to stoop.
Seniors don't usually deign to talk to freshmen.
10. exult - verb - to be extremely joyful, feel extreme happiness or elation
We exulted in the release of the hostages.
Week 6
1. formidable - adjective - causing fear, dread, or apprehension
The creatures in the film Alien were formidable with intelligence, strength, and acidic blood
that make them virtually indestructible.
2. hologram -noun - a three dimensional image
Holograms in some of the new VR platforms are amazingly realistic.
3. inference - noun - a conclusion or opinion that is formed because of known facts or evidence
The physician could infer from the test results that the patient had suffered a mild heart attack.
4. lichen - noun - a plant occurring in crusty patches on tree trunks or rocks
The lichen covered the granite with patches of pale green and gold.
5. mosaic - noun - a design made of small pieces of colored stone or glass
Some of the most beautiful mosaics in the world are in St. George's Church, in Topola, Serbia.
6. nuisance - noun - anything that disturbs, endangers life, or is offensive
The constant drag racing up and down the boulevard has become a nuisance to the entire city.
7. pulverize - verb - to make into a powder by breaking up or cause to become dust
The first step in making Terazzo tile is to pulverize marble, quartz, granite, glass, or shells.
8. quota - noun - a prescribed number
Though the goal of affirmative action was to provide opportunities to underrepresented
minorities, many accused the results of unfairly holding high performing minority members back.
9. recede - verb - to move back or away; withdraw
When the storm surge receded, the scope of the damage was clearly visible.
10. spectrum - noun - a broad range of related objects, values, or qualities
Autism is considered a spectrum disorder because the range of symptoms is so wide and varied.
Week 7
1. toxin - noun - a poisonous substance produced organically
Those who suggest anything natural is good for you are ignoring the wide variety of
toxins occurring naturally in the environment.
2. undulate - verb - to move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion
Sidewinders undulate their way across the ground.
3. vertebrate - noun - animals having a bony or cartilaginous skeleton
Humans are vertebrates; worms are not.
4. boycott - verb - refusal to have commercial dealings with some organization, usually to express
disapproval or to force acceptance of certain conditions.
To boycott is a more reasonable and democratic way to push for change than "cancelling."
5. cower - verb - to shrink away or crouch for shelter from something that menaces.
The men of Herot cowered from the monster Grendel until the hero Beowulf arrived.
6. despondent - adjective - feeling or showing extreme discouragement, dejection, or depression;
without hope.
He was despondent when he got the news from the doctor that nothing more could be done.
7. hypocrisy - noun - a pretending to be what one is not or to believe what one does not; behavior
that contradicts what one claims to believe or feel.
Hypocrisy is visible in both political parties; both sides complain about the lies of the other side
while lying about what the other side has done.
8. introspection - noun - a reflective looking inward : an examination of one's own thoughts and
feelings.
Everyone who wants to improve themselves can benefit from some introspection.
9. mutation - noun - a change or alteration in form or qualities
New animal breeds are developed when a desirable mutation occurs and is then intentionally
replicated by breeders, for example, aqua eye color in Tonkinese cats.
10. renegade - noun - someone who rebels and becomes an outlaw
One group's renegade is often another group's hero.
Week 8
1. suffrage - a legal right to vote
Women's suffrage became national in 1920; though men of all races were legally given suffrage
50 years earlier than women (in 1870) , local laws continued to create difficulties for minority
voting until the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
2. tumult - noun - a disorderly agitation or milling about of a crowd usually with uproar and
confusion of voices; a commotion
When the sound of a car's backfiring was mistaken for gun shot, a tumult erupted in the crowd.
3. virtuoso - noun - someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
Though popular music far outsells the classics, one rarely if ever sees a real virtuoso in pop music
or in any of the types of bands heard on contemporary radio.
4. divulge - verb - make known to the public information previously kept secret
The FBI recently divulged some fascinating fight recordings of what used to be called
UFO's, more recently dubbed UAP's (for unidentified anomalous phenomena).
5. symbiosis - noun - the living together in more or less intimate association or close union of two
dissimilar organisms (as in parasitism or commensalism).
Sharks live in symbiosis with Remora, tiny fish that attach to the underside of sharks, living off of
the shark's scraps and cleaning destructive parasites from the shark's skin.
6. ambiguous - adjective - having more then one possible meaning
Nathanial Hawthorne is known for his ambiguous stories that make it hard to tell the hero
from the villain.
7. meticulous - adjective - marked by extreme care in treatment of details
People who are meticulous should consider careers in medicine or the sciences, since
details in these fields can make the difference between life and death.
8. discrepancy - noun - a difference between conflicting facts or claims or opinions
Discrepancies in research usually occur when one study was poorly designed or executed.
9. fleeting - adjective--happening for a very brief period of time
Anyone who has ever had a close brush with death understands the meaning of the phrase
"life is fleeting."
10. nonchalant - adjective - marked by blithe unconcern
For someone who was escorted to the principal's office in handcuffs by a police officer, he
seemed rather nonchalant about it.
Week 9
1. apprehensive - adjective - in fear or dread of possible evil or harm
She was suddenly apprehensive as she walked through the darkened parking lot to her car,
and wished she had called campus security for an escort.
2. proliferate - verb - to grow or increase rapidly
Nuclear proliferation is a threat to the entire planet.
3. astute - adjective--marked by a practical intelligence
Her astute analysis on the exam earned her the position with the CIA.
4. stringent - adjective - demanding strict attention to rules and procedures
Testing policies for the PSAT and SAT are stringent in efforts to provide a fair and accurate test
for all participants.
5. ponder - verb - reflect deeply on a subject
The sculpture "The Thinker" by Rodan suggests a man who is pondering the meaning of
existence.
6. exacerbate - verb - to make worse, or to irritate
Pouring water on an electrical fire can exacerbate the problem rather than correcting it.
7. cumbersome - adjective - difficult to handle or use, especially because of size or weight
Backpacks can be cumbersome on long hikes.
8. incendiary - adjective - arousing to action or rebellion
Many on the right, and even someone the left, have suggested the liberal media's
incendiary remarks about Trump have contributed to the three attempts on his life.
9. digress - verb - to lose clarity or turn aside from the main subject or course of argument in writing,
thinking, or speaking.
The essay had a strong thesis, but the paper digressed so severely in the
body paragraphs that by the conclusion, there was little in the paper related to what was
supposedly the main point.
10. haphazard - adjective - marked by great carelessness
The essay's argument was haphazard at best.
Academic Vocabulary
Nouns and Verbs
Academic Language-Literary Terms-Critical Nouns
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Alliteration: Words in a row with the same initial consonant sound
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Analogy: A comparison between 2 things typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification
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Argument: A reason or set of reasons that something is true
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Central Idea: Most important point the author makes
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Conclusions: Summing up of an argument or text; OR a judgment or takeaway reached by reasoning
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Connections: Relating what you read to something else you know
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Connotative Language: The association that a word brings to mind
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Evidence: Knowledge on which to base a belief; quotations and paraphrases; statements that support a claim
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Figurative Language: Figures of speech used to make meaning clearer (for example, numbers 10-13).
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Metaphor: An indirect comparison
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Allegory: A story or poem that can be used to reveal a hidden meaning–usually moral or political.
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Simile: A direct comparison using like, as, or than
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Symbol: Ideas/objects that represent other things
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Mood: The way an author makes the reader feel
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Tone: The author’s attitude or outlook
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Purpose: The author’s intention or goal. I.e. to inform, persuade, etc.
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Interaction: Communication or direct involvement with someone or something. I.e. between/among characters
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Point of View: The vantage point from which a story is told (1st, 2nd, 3rd person, omniscient).
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Stanza: A section of a poem
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Structure: Organization of a text
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Motif: An idea that recurs in a work of literature (word or phrase)
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Theme: The message(s)/lesson(s) that the author is trying to convey. It should be stated as a sentence.
Academic Language-Critical Verbs
1. Analyze: Break something down into its parts
2. Articulate: Express clearly
3. Cite: giving credit to a source
4. Compare: Find likenesses
5. Comprehend: Understand; find meaning
6. Contrast: Find differences
7. Delineate: Describe precisely/ line by line
8. Demonstrate: Show clearly
9. Describe: Tell the facts, details
10. Determine: Decide
11. Develop: Elaborate or expand
12. Distinguish: Set apart from other like things
13. Draw: bring out by way of response; as in a conclusion
14. Evaluate: Find value; judge
15. Explain: Make plain or define
16. Identify: point out/recognize
17. Infer: Deduce; conclude
18. Integrate: Put together
19. Interpret: Explain the meaning of
20. Locate: Find
21. Organize: Arrange; classify
22. Paraphrase: Put in different words
23. Refer: look at again; mention briefly
24. Suggest: Put forth; to say
25. Summarize: Condense something larger into something smaller/concise
26. Support: use evidence; strengthen/reinforce claims
27. Synthesize: Combine to form a more complex product
28. Trace: Follow the course of step by step
Vocabulary Semester 2
Week 1
1. favorable - adjective - characterized by approval or support -
The principal had a generally favorable view of his goth students and viewed them as creative and well-read.
2. precise - adjective - definitely or strictly stated, defined, or fixed - The teacher's instructions were so precise there was no possibility of misunderstanding.
3. abundant - adjective - present in great quantity - Cake options were abundant at the wedding fair, ranging from the standard chocolate and vanilla to the exotic mango and starfruit confections.
4. correlate - verb - bear a reciprocal or mutual relation - Do incidences of piracy really correlate to climate change?
5. differentiate - verb - become distinct and acquire a different character - The high school student's background in applied physics differentiated him from the rest of his classmates.
6. ambiguous - adjective - having more than one possible meaning - Nathaniel Hawthorne's writings are known for being intentionally ambiguous.
7. anomaly - noun - deviation from the normal or common order or form or rule - His grass green Mohawk made him an anomaly
amongst his preppie Academic Decathalon teammates.
8. meticulous - adjective - marked by precise accordance with details - People who struggle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder are often so meticulous about everyday things that they have difficulty moving from one task to the next.
9. discrepancy - noun - a difference between conflicting facts or claims or opinions - He tensed as the teacher told him there seemed to be a discrepancy between his story and his teammate's.
10. fleeting - adjective - lasting for a markedly brief time - Their romance was fleeting because she had to return to her country of origin.
Week 2
1. spontaneous - adjective - said or done without having been planned in advance - He had promised a spontaneous trip, and so made her pull a destination from a handful of folded papers in a cup, told her not to pack, drove her to the airport, bought the first tickets to Thailand that were available and they boarded the same day.
2. antagonize - verb - provoke the hostility of - The bully antagonized her the entire period.
3. incremental - adjective - increasing gradually by regular degrees or additions - Though stock values rise and fall, they tend to show incremental gains over time.
4. feign - verb - make believe with the intent to deceive - She feigned interest in his exotic doll collection to gain access to his apartment and the safe she knew was behind a hidden wall in his closet.
5. apprehensive - adjective - in fear or dread of possible evil or harm - Though it was Halloween, something about the way he wore the hockey mask made her apprehensive.
6. relegate - verb - assign to a lower position - He was relegated to second chair when the new hire--a master on the saxophone-- joined the orchestra.
7. profound - adjective - showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth - His analysis of gender roles in Dracula was profound.
8. proliferate - verb - to grow rapidly - The cells in the petri dish proliferated overnight.
9. relevant - adjective - having a bearing on or connection with the subject at issue - To avoid waste of research time, it;s important to use good keywords in your searches to limit your findings to what's relevant.
10. assessment - noun - the act of judging or assessing a person or situation or event - The FBI's assessment of the attack in New Orleans is that is was motivated by Isis connections.
Week 3
1. skeptical - adjective - marked by doubt - You may be skeptical, but what I told you is true nonetheless.
2. astute - adjective - marked by practical hardheaded intelligence - Homer's character Odysseus was known for his astute cunning.
3. attribute - verb - explain or regard as resulting from a particular cause - The quote was attributed to Shakespeare, but was really said by Oscar Wilde.
4. befall - verb - happen or be the case in the course of events or by chance - He promised that no harm would befall her.
5. nonchalant - adjective - marked by casual unconcern or indifference - He appeared nonchalant and not too concerned about the outcome.
6. bolster - verb - to support and strengthen - No matter how horrible a day at work, her dog always bolstered her mood when she made it home.
7. coherent - adjective - marked by an orderly and consistent relation of parts - The teacher's remarks on his paper indicated that though his writing style was superior, his argument was not coherent.
8. potent - adjective - having great influence - Elizabeth I was a potent ruler following her defeat of the Spanish Armada.
9. precede - verb - to be earlier in time - The Middle Ages preceded the Renaissance.
10. consecutive - adjective - one after the other - The team played three consecutive rounds, with only 30 minutes break between each.
Week 4
1. critical - adjective - characterized by careful evaluation and judgment - A critical analysis of Melville's novel Moby Dick reveals ongoing concerns with Calvinism.
2. trivial - adjective - of little substance or significance - Much of popular music today will be considered artistically trivial in 100 years.
3. cumbersome - adjective - difficult to handle or use, especially because of size or weight - Though the weight of the couch was manageable, it's size made it cumbersome to get up the staircase and through the narrow door.
4. deficit - noun - an amount that is less than expected or required - Though she'd originally saved enough for the rent, emergency repairs to her car left her account in a deficit.
5. stringent - adjective - demanding strict attention to rules and procedures - Though the headmaster of the school seemed lenient, the dormitory supervisor was a stringent taskmaster.
6. deplore - verb - express strong disapproval of - The lack of security in New Orleans prior to New Years was deplored by the entire country.
7. digress -verb - turn aside from the main subject of attention - The main road was well maintained, but I couldn't help digress onto a side road that cut through an enormous field of wildflowers.
8. inconceivable - adjective - totally unlikely - It was inconceivable that she would fail given how well-prepared she had made herself.
9. dynamic - adjective - characterized by action or forcefulness of personality - A union head must be dynamic in order to stand up for workers against management.
10. eclipse - verb - to be greater in significance than - many university dramatists were outraged that Shakespeare eclipsed them despite a lack of formal education.
Week 5
1. abhor - verb - to find repugnant - She abhorred cats.
2. ambiguous - adjective--having more than one possible
meaning - frustrated by ambiguous instructions, the parents
were unable to assemble the toy.
3. appalled - adjective - struck with fear, dread, or consternation -
She was appalled when she learned her little sister had posted
deeply personal information on social media.
4. besiege - verb - surround so as to force to give up - The press
photographers besieged the movie star
5. comprehensive - adjective - including all or everything
6. conviction - noun - an unshakable belief in something without
need for proof or evidence - The United States was founded on
many convictions, such as the belief in free speech and
separation of church and state.
7. demeanor - noun - (behavioral attributes) the way a person
behaves toward other people - Since the way you present
yourself often affects how others make judgments about you
and therefore, you might want your demeanor to reflect the
situation you're in.
8. diligent - adjective - quietly and steadily persevering especially
in detail or exactness - Diligent workers often move quickly up
the ladder of success.
9. elude - verb - escape, either physically or mentally - The finer
points of quantum physics eluded him until he found a tutor.
10. exacerbate - verb - to make worse - The drought will
exacerbate the country's food shortage.
Week 7
1. monotony - noun - wearisome uniformity or lack of variety, as in occupation or scenery - The monotony of the entertainment onscreen was at odds with the chaotic events happening outside the stadium.
2. immense - adjective - vast - At their base in Tapa, we found immense, echoey hangars rammed with armoured vehicles.
3. consistency - noun - a uniform degree of density, firmness, viscosity, etc. - That’s the sort of consistency the Bruins will need from their guards the rest of this month.
4.indispensable - adjective - absolutely necessary, essential, or requisite - Good tech skills can also make you more indispensable to your current employer and provide greater career stability, even in uncertain times.
5. hindrance - noun - an impeding, stopping, preventing, or the like - The player's introversion is certainly no longer a hindrance to his performances.
6. endeavor - verb (used without object) - to exert oneself to do or effect something - The governor’s latest endeavor is a show coddling right-wing provocateurs.
7. inquiry - noun - a seeking or request for truth, information, or knowledge - Police said there were no reported injuries in either incident and "extensive inquiries" were being carried out.
8. vicarious - adjective - performed, exercised, received, or suffered in place of another - That vicarious thrill that audiences once gleaned from stories of the rich and powerful takes on different meanings in series about them today.
9. unanimous - adjective - characterized by or showing complete agreement - Republican politicians, to be fair, aren’t unanimous about calling for strings to be attached to disaster relief for California.
10. incidental - adjective - happening or likely to happen in an unplanned or subordinate conjunction with something else - The patients receiving treatment for obesity have reported incidental improvements in their chronic inflammatory diseases.
Week 6
1. aspire - verb - direct one's hopes or ambitions towards achieving something."We never thought that we might aspire to those heights."
2. boisterous - adjective - noisy, energetic, and cheerful; rowdy.
"The boisterous tavern was filled with laughter and music."
3. cower - verb - crouch down in fear. "They cowered in terror as the thieves shone torches in their eyes."
4. despondent - adjective - in low spirits from loss of hope or courage. "She grew more and more despondent."
5. impertinent - adjective - not showing proper respect; rude.
"The teacher was angry at the student's impertinent remarks."
6. laconic - adjective - using very few words.
"His laconic reply suggested a lack of interest in the topic."
7. nuisance - noun - a person, thing, or circumstance causing inconvenience or annoyance. "I hope you're not going to make a nuisance of yourself."
8. repose - noun - a state of rest, sleep, or tranquility.
"In repose her face looked relaxed."
9. suffrage - noun -the right to vote in political elections.
"Suffrage for black men was achieved before suffrage of white women in the US."
10. tumult - noun - a loud, confused noise, especially one caused by a large mass of people."A tumult of shouting and screaming broke out."
Week 8
1. augment - verb - to make larger, increase - She sought to augment her income through selling old items on ebay.
2. bereft - adjective - deprived of, made unhappy because of a loss - He was bereft when his hunting dog, his companion for 17 years, passed away.
3. deploy - verb - to position or arrange - The general deployed the troops for battle.
4. dour - adjective - stern and unyielding, gloomy - The principal had a dour expression on her face.
5. fortitude - noun - courage in facing difficulties - The fortitude she displayed during the pandemic was extraordinary.
6. gape - verb - to stare with open mouth - He gaped at the incredible news.
7. gibe - verb - to utter taunting words or an expression of scorn - His gibe about her poor performance cut her to the bone.
8. guise - noun - an external appearance. cover or mask - He came in the guise of a friend, but that turned out to be a ruse.
9. insidious - adjective - intended to deceive or entrap - Their scheme was insidious and would result in their enemy's demise.
10. intimation - noun - a hint or suggestion - She gave the students an intimation that there would be an exam the following day.