Vocabulary Level F

1. Vocabulary Level F Units 1-3 Review

2. abominate • To have an intense dislike or hatred for • Verb • S: loathe, abhor, despise, detest • A: relish, savor, cherish, esteem

3. acculturation • The modification of the social patterns, traits, or structures of one group or society by contact with those of another; the resultant blend • Noun • S: adaptation

4. adventitious • Resulting from chance rather than from an inherent cause or character; accidental, not essential; (medicine) acquired, not congenital • Adjective • S: extrinsic, incidental, gratuitous • A: essential, intrinsic, inherent, congenital

5. approbation • The expression of favorable approval; praise; official approval • Noun • S: commendation, sanction • A: disapproval, condemnation, censure

6. ascribe • To assign or refer to (as a cause or source), attribute • Verb • S: impute, credit, attribute

7. assuage • To make easier or milder, relieve; to quiet, calm; to put an end to, appease, satisfy, quench • Verb • S: mitigate, alleviate, slake, allay • A: intensify, aggravate, exacerbate

8. callow • Without experience; immature, not fully developed; lacking sophistication and poise; without feathers • Adjective • S: green, raw, unfledged, inexperienced • A: mature, grown-up, polished, sophisticated

9. circuitous • roundabout, not direct • Adjective • S: indirect, meandering, winding • A: straight, direct, as the crow flies

10. coalition • A combination, union, or merger for some specific purpose • Noun • S: alliance, league, federation, combine • A: splinter group

11. commiserate • To sympathize with, have pity or sorrow for, share a feeling of distress • Verb • S: feel sorry for, empathize • A: to feel no sympathy for

12. decadence • Decline, decay, or deterioration; a condition or period of decline or decay; excessive self-indulgence • Noun • S: degeneration, corruption • A: rise, growth, development, maturation

13. drivel • (N.) saliva or mucus flowing from the mouth or nose; foolish, aimless talk or thinking; nonsense (V.) to let saliva flow from the mouth; to utter nonsense; to waste away foolishly • Noun and Verb • S: (N.) balderdash, hogwash, tommyrot; (V.) slaver

14. elicit • To draw forth, bring out from some source (such as another person) • Verb • S: Call forth, evoke, extract, educe • A: repress, quash, squelch, stifle

15. enjoin • To direct or order; to prescribe a course of action in an authoritative way; to prohibit • Verb • S: bid, charge, command, adjure • A: allow, permit

16. exhort • To urge strongly, advise earnestly • Verb • S: entreat, implore, adjure • A: discourage, advise against, depreciate

17. expiate • To make amends, make up for; to avert • Verb • S: redeem, make amends, atone, make reparation

18. expostulate • To attempt to dissuade someone from some course or decision by earnest reasoning • Verb • S: protest, remonstrate, complain

19. ferment or ferment • (Verb)—to be in or work into such a state; to produce alcohol by chemical action; (Noun)—a state of great excitement, agitation, or turbulence • Verb or Noun • S: (N.) commotion, turmoil, unrest • A: (N.) peace and quiet, tranquility, placidity

20. hackneyed • Used so often as to lack freshness or originality • Adjective • S: banal, trite, commonplace, corny • A: new, fresh, novel, original

21. inadvertent • Resulting from or marked by lack of attention; unintentional, accidental • Adjective • S: accidental, unconsidered • A: deliberate, intentional, premeditated

22. infringe • To violate, trespass, go beyond recognized boundaries • Verb • S: encroach, impinge, intrude, poach • A: stay in bounds

23. innuendo • A hint, indirect suggestion, or reference (often in a derogatory sense) • Noun • S: insinuation, intimation • A: direct statement

24. intercede • To plead on behalf of someone else; to serve as a third party or go-between in a disagreement • Verb • S: intervene, mediate

25. interloper • One who moves in where he or she is not wanted or has no right to be, an intruder • Noun • S: trespasser, meddler, buttinsky

26. inveigh • To make a violent attack in words, express strong disapproval • Verb • S: rail, harangue, fulminate, remonstrate • A: acclaim, glorify, extol

27. jaded • Wearied, worn-out, dulled (in the sense of being satiated by excessive indulgence) • Adjective • S: sated, surfeited, cloyed • A: unspoiled, uncloyed

28. lassitude • Weariness of body or mind, lack of energy • Noun • S: fatigue, lethargy, torpor, languor • A: energy, vitality, animation, liveliness

29. lurid • Causing shock, horror, or revulsion; sensational, pale or sallow in color; terrible or passionate in intensity or lack of restraint • Adjective • S: gruesome, gory, grisly, baleful, ghastly • A: pleasant, attractive, appealing, wholesome

30. meritorious • Worthy, deserving recognition and praise • Adjective • S: praiseworthy, laudable, commendable • A: blameworthy, reprehensible, discreditable

31. millennium • A period of one thousand years; a period of great joy • Noun • S: chiliad, golden age, prosperity, peace • A: doomsday, day of judgment

32. nominal • Existing in name only, not real; too small to be considered or taken seriously • Adjective • S: titular, token, trifling, inconsequential • A: real, actual, exorbitant, excessive

33. noncommittal • Not decisive or definite; unwilling to take a clear position or to say yes or no • Adjective • S: cagey, uninformative, playing it safe, playing it close to the vest • A: positive, definite, committed

34. occult • (Adj.) mysterious, magical, supernatural; secret, hidden from view; not detectable by ordinary means; (V.) to hide, conceal, eclipse; (N.) matters involving the supernatural • Adjective, Verb, and Noun • S: (Adj.) supernatural, esoteric, abstruse, arcane • A: (Adj.) mundane, common, public, exoteric

35. peculate • to steal something that has been given into one’s trust; to take improperly for one’s own use • Verb • S: embezzle, defraud, misappropriate

36. permeate •  to spread through, penetrate, soak through • Verb

37. petulant • Peevish, annoyed by trifles, easily irritated and upset • Adjective • S: irritable, testy, waspish • A: even-tempered, placid, serene, amiable

38. precipitate • (V.) to fall as moisture; to cause or bring about suddenly; to hurl down from a great height; to give distinct form to; (Adj.) characterized by excessive haste; (N.) moisture; the product of an action or process • Verb, Adjective, and Noun • S: (V.) provoke, produce; (Adj.) reckless, impetuous • A: (Adj.) wary, cautious, circumspect

39. prerogative • A special right or privilege; a special quality showing excellence • Noun • S: prerequisite, perk

40. proclivity • A natural or habitual inclination or tendency (especially of human character or behavior) • Noun • S: natural bent, penchant, propensity • A: inability, incapacity

41. provincial • Pertaining to an outlying area; local; narrow in mind or outlook, countrified • Someone who possesses these qualities • Adjective OR Noun • S: narrow-minded, parochial, insular, naïve • A: cosmopolitan, catholic, broad-minded

42. sangfroid • Composure or coolness, especially in trying circumstances • Noun • S: poise, self-assurance, equanimity • A: excitability, flappability, hysteria

43. seditious •  resistant to lawful authority; having the purpose of overthrowing an established government • Adjective • S: mutinous, rebellious, subversive • A: supportive, loyal, faithful, allegiant

44. simulate • To make a pretense of, imitate; to show the outer signs of • Verb • S: feign, pretend, affect

45. stringent • Strict, severe; rigorously or urgently binding or compelling; sharp or bitter to the taste • Adjective • S: Stern, rigorous, tough, urgent, imperative • A: Lenient, mild, lax, permissive

46. surmise • (V.) to think or believe without certain supporting evidence; to conjecture or guess; (N.) likely idea that lacks definite proof • Verb and Noun • S: (V.) infer, gather; (N.) inference, presumption

47. tenuous • Thin, slender, not dense; lacking clarity or sharpness; of slight importance or significance; lacking a sound basis, poorly supported • Adjective • S: flimsy, insubstantial, vague, hazy • A: strong, solid, substantial, valid

48. umbrage • Shade cast by trees; foliage giving shade; an overshadowing influence or power; offense, resentment; a vague suspicion • Noun • S: irritation, pique, annoyance • A: pleasure, delight, satisfaction

49. vitriolic • Bitter, sarcastic; highly caustic or biting (like a strong acid) • Adjective • S: withering, acerbic, mordant • A: bland, saccharine, honeyed, sugary

50. wheedle • To use coaxing or flattery to gain some desired end • Verb • S: cajole, inveigle, a soft-soap, sweet talk • A: coerce, browbeat, intimidate, strong-arm