1st Semester Vocab

admonish (v)

to caution or advise against something; to scold mildly; to remind of a duty

breach (n)

an opening, gap, rupture, rift; a violation or infraction

breach (v)

to create an opening, break through

brigand (n)

a bandit, robber, outlaw, highwayman

circumspect (adj)

careful, cautious

commandeer (v)

to seize for military or official use

cumbersome (adj)

clumsy, hard to handle; slow-moving

deadlock (n)

a standstill resulting from the opposition of two equal forces or factions;

deadlock (v)

to bring to such a standstill

debris

scattered fragments, wreckage

diffuse (v)

to spread or scatter freely or widely;

diffuse (adj)

wordy, long-winded, or unfocused; scattered or widely spread

dilemma

a difficult or perplexing situation or problem

efface

to wipe out; to keep oneself from being noticed

muddle (v)

to make a mess of; muddle through: to get by;

muddle (n)

a hopeless mess

opinionated

stubborn and often unreasonable in holding to one's own ideas, having a closed mind

perennial (adj)

lasting for a long time, persistent;

perennial (n)

a plant that lives for many years

predispose

to incline to beforehand

relinquish

to let go, give up

salvage (v)

to save from fire or shipwreck;

salvage (n)

property thus saved

spasmodic

sudden and violent but brief; fitful; intermittent

spurious

not genuine, not true, not valid

unbridled

lacking in restraint

adjourn

(v.) to stop proceedings temporarily; move to another place

alien (n)

a citizen of another country

alien (adj)

foreign, strange

comely

having a pleasing appearance

compensate

to make up for; to repay for services

dissolute

loose in one's morals or behavior

erratic

not even or regular in pattern or movement; unpredictable

expulsion

the process of driving or forcing out

feint (n)

a deliberately deceptive movement

feint (v)

to make a deceptive movement; to make a pretense of

fodder

food for horses or cattle; raw material for a designated purpose

fortify

to strengthen, build up

illegible

difficult or impossible to read

jeer (v)

to make fun of rudely or unkindly

jeer (n)

a rude remark of derision

lucrative

bringing in money; profitable

mediocre

average, ordinary, undistinguished

proliferate

to reproduce, increase, or spread rapidly

subjugate

to conquer by force, bring under complete control

sully

to soil, stain, tarnish, defile, besmirch

tantalize

to tease, torment by teasing

terse

brief and to the point

unflinching

firm, showing no signs of fear, not drawing back

abridge

to make shorter

adherent (n)

a follower, supporter

adherent (adj)

attached, sticking to

altercation

an angry argument

cherubic

resembling an angel portrayed as a little child with a beautiful, round, or chubby face; sweet and innocent

condone

to pardon or overlook

dissent (v)

to disagree

dissent (n)

disagreement

eminent

famous, outstanding, distinguished; projecting

exorcise

to drive out by magic; to dispose of something troublesome, menacing, or oppressive

fabricate

to make, manufacture; to make up, invent

gluttony

engaging in extreme eating or drinking; greedy overindulgence

irate

angry

marauder

a raider, plunderer

pauper

an extremely poor person

pilfer

to steal in small quantities

rift

a split, break, breach

semblance

a likeness; an outward appearance; an apparition

surmount

to overcome, rise above

terminate

to bring to an end

trite

commonplace; overused, stale

usurp

to seize and hold a position by force or without right

abscond

to run off and hide

access (n)

approach or admittance to places, persons, things; an increase

access (v)

To get at, obtain

anarchy

a lack of government and law; confusion

arduous

hard to do, requiring much effort

auspicious

favorable; fortunate

daunt

to overcome with fear, intimidate; to dishearten, discourage

disentangle

to free from tangles or complications

fated

determined in advance by destiny or fortune

hoodwink

to mislead by a trick, swindle

inanimate

not having life; without energy or spirit

incinerate

to burn to ashes

intrepid

very brave, fearless, unshakable

larceny

theft

pliant

bending readily; easily influenced

pompous

overly self-important in speech and manner; excessively stately or ceremonious

precipice

a very steep cliff; the brink or edge of disaster

prototype

an original model on which later versions are patterned

rectify

to make right, correct

reprieve (n)

a temporary relief or delay

reprieve (v)

to grant a postponement

revile

to attack with words, call bad names

accomplice

a person who takes part in a crime

annihilate

to destroy completely

arbitrary

unreasonable; based on one's own wishes or whims without regard for reason or fairness

brazen

shameless, impudent; made of brass

catalyst

a substance that causes or hastens a chemical reaction; any agent that causes change

exodus

a large-scale departure or flight

facilitate

to make easier; to assist

incorrigible

not able to be corrected; beyond control

latent

hidden, present but not realized

militant (adj)

given to fighting; active and aggressive in support of a cause

militant (n)

an activist

morose

having a gloomy or sullen manner; not friendly or sociable

opaque

not letting light through; not clear or lucid; dense

paramount

chief in importance, above all others

prattle (v)

to talk in an aimless, foolish, or simple way; to babble

prattle (n)

baby talk; babble

rebut

to offer arguments or evidence that contradict an assertion; to refute

reprimand (v)

to scold; find fault with

reprimand (n)

a rebuke

servitude

slavery, forced labor

slapdash

careless and hasty

stagnant

not running or flowing; foul from standing still; inactive

succumb

to give way to superior force, yield

atone

to make up for

bondage

slavery; any state of being bound or held down

credible

believable

defray

to pay for

diligent

hardworking, industrious, not lazy

doleful

sad; dreary

ghastly

frightful, horrible; deathly pale

hamper

to hold back

hew

to shape or cut down with an ax; to hold to

impoverished

poor, in a state of poverty; depleted

incessant

never stopping, going on all the time

intricate

complicated; difficult to understand

lucid

easy to understand, clear; rational, sane

posthumous

occurring or published after death

prim

overly neat, precise, proper, or formal; prudish

sardonic

grimly or scornfully mocking, bitterly sarcastic

superfluous

exceeding what is sufficient or required, excess

supplant

to take the place of, supersede

tanut (v)

To jeer at, mock

taunt (n)

an insulting or mocking remark

tenacious

Holding fast; holding together firmly; persistent

Adieu

(int.) "Farewell!"; (n.) a farewell

Advent

(n.) an arrival; a coming into place or view

Apex

(n.) the highest point, tip

Assimilate

(v.) to absorb fully or make one's own; to adopt as one's own; to adapt fully

Bogus

false, counterfeit

exorbitant

(adj.) unreasonably high; excessive

interim

(n.) the time between; (adj.) temporary, coming between two points in time

inundate

(v.) to flood, overflow; to overwhelm by numbers or size

malign

(v.) to speak evil of, slander; (adj.) evil

meander

(v.) to wander about, wind about; (n.) a sharp turn or twist

metropolis

(n.) a large city; the chief city of an area

momentous

very important

obsterperous

noisy; unruly, disorderly

pensive

(adj.) thoughtful; melancholy

perilous

dangerous

shoddy

(adj.) of poor quality; characterized by inferior workmanship

sprightly

(adj.) lively, full of life; spicy, flavorful

surly

(adj.) angry and bad-tempered; rude

tirade

(n.) a long, angry speech, usually very critical

vagrant

(n.) an idle wanderer, tramp; (adj.) wandering aimlessly

assurance

(n.) a pledge; freedom from doubt, self-confidence

asylum

(n.) an institution for the care of children, elderly people, etc.; a place of safety

console

(v.) to comfort; (n.) the keyboard of an organ; a control panel for an electrical or mechanical device

dilate

(v.) to make or become larger or wider; to expand upon

dross

refuse, waste products

dwindle

to lessen, diminish

flippant

(adj.) lacking in seriousness; disrespectful, saucy

immunity

(n.) resistance to disease; freedom from some charge or obligation

institute

(v.) to establish, set up; (n.) an organization for the promotion of learning

liability

(n.) a debt; something disadvantageous

preposterous

ridiculous, senseless

pugnacious

quarrelsome, fond of fighting

rabid

(adj.) furious, violently intense, unreasonably extreme; mad; infected with rabies

realm

(n.) a kingdom; a region or field of study

rejuvenate

(v.) to make young again; to make like new

remunerate

to reward, pay, reimburse

sparse

(adj.) meager, scant; scattered

sterling

(adj.) genuine, excellent; made of silver of standard fineness

venture

(n.) a risky or daring undertaking; (v.) to expose to danger; to dare

warp

(v.) to twist out of shape; (n.) an abnormality

auxiliary

(adj.) giving assistance or support; (n.) a helper, aid

candid

(adj.) frank, sincere; impartial; unposed

cubicle

a small room or compartment

drudgery

work that is hard and tiresome

envoy

(n.) a representative or messenger (as of a government)

escalate

(v.) to elevate; to increase in intensity

expedient

(n.) a means to an end; (adj.) advantageous, useful

feign

to pretend

flair

(n.) a natural quality, talent, or skill; a distinctive style

grievous

(adj.) causing sorrow or pain; serious

heterogeneous

(adj.) composed of different kinds, diverse

horde

(n.) a vast number (as of people); a throng

impel

to force, drive forward

incredulous

disbelieving, skeptical

inscribe

(v.) to write or engrave; to enter a name on a list

Monologue

(n.) a speech by one actor; a long talk by one person

prognosis

a forecast of the probable course and outcome of a disease or situation

rasping

(adj.) with a harsh, grating sound; (n.) a harsh sound

repugnant

(adj.) offensive, disagreeable, distasteful

scuttle

(v.) to sink a ship by cutting holes in it; to get rid of something in a decisive way; to run hastily, scurry; (n.) a pail