Vocabulary Level F Units 1-8

intrinsic

(adj.) belonging to someone or something by its very nature, essential, inherent; originating in a bodily organ or part

salutary

(adj.) beneficial, helpful; healthful, wholesome

vitriolic

(adj.) bitter, sarcastic; highly caustic or biting (like a strong acid)

scathing

(adj.) bitterly severe, withering; causing great harm

lurid

(adj.) causing shock, horror, or revulsion; sensational; pale or sallow in color; terrible or passionate in intensity or lack of restraint

scurrilous

(adj.) coarsely abusive, vulgar or low (especially in language), foul-mouthed

affable

(adj.) courteous and pleasant, sociable, easy to speak to

vapid

(adj.) dull, uninteresting, tiresome; lacking in sharpness, flavor, liveliness, or force

unctuous

(adj.) excessively smooth or smug; trying too hard to give an impression of earnestness, sincerity, or piety; fatty, oily; pliable

nominal

(adj.) existing in name only, not real; too small to be considered or taken seriously

equitable

(adj.) fair, just, embodying principles of justice

hiatus

(n.) a gap, opening, break (in the sense of having an element missing)

amnesty

(n.) a general pardon for an offense against a government; in general, any act of forgiveness or absolution

innuendo

(n.) a hint, indirect suggestion, or reference (often in a derogatory sense)

propensity

(n.) a natural inclination or predilection toward

proclivity

(n.) a natural or habitual inclination or tendency (especially of human character or behavior)

millennium

(n.) a period of one thousand years; a period of great joy

ferment

(n.) a state of great excitement, agitation, or turbulence; (v.) to be in or work into such a state; to produce alcohol by chemical action

caveat

(n.) a warning or caution to prevent misunderstanding or discourage behavior

sangfroid

(n.) composure or coolness, especially in trying circumstances

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 or childish twaddle; to waste or fritter away foolishly

autonomy

(n.) self-government, political control

umbrage

(n.) shade cast by trees; foliage giving shade; and overshadowing influence or power; offense, resentment; a vague suspicion

aura

(n.) that which surrounds (as an atmosphere); a distinctive air or personal quality

acculturation

(n.) the modification of the social patterns, traits, or structures of one group or society by contact with those of another; the resultant blend

lassitude

(n.) weariness of body or mind, lack of energy

scourge

(v) to whip, punish severely; (n) a cause of affliction or suffering; a source of severe punishment or criticism

elicit

(v) to draw forth, bring out from some source (such as another person)

assuage

(v) to make easier, milder, relieve; to quiet, calm; to put an end to, appease, satisfy, quench

repudiate

(v.) to disown, reject, or deny the validity of

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

infer

(v.) to find out by reasoning; to arrive at a conclusion on the basis of thought; to hint, suggest, imply

extricate

(v.) to free from entanglements or difficulties; to remove with effort

abominate

(v.) to have an intense dislike or hatred for

ameliorate

(v.) to improve, make better, correct a flaw or shortcoming

aggrandize

(v.) to increase in greatness, power, or wealth; to build up or intensify; to make appear greater

simulate

(v.) to make a pretense of, imitate; to show the outer signs of

inveigh

(v.) to make a violent attack in words, express strong disapproval

expiate

(v.) to make amends, make up for; to avert

expedite

(v.) to make easy, cause to progress faster

ingratiate

(v.) to make oneself agreeable and thus gain favor or acceptance by others (sometimes used in a critical or derogatory sense)

intercede

(v.) to plead on behalf of someone else; to serve as a third party or go-between in a disagreement

reverberate

(v.) to re-echo, resound; to reflect or be reflected repeatedly

transcend

(v.) to rise above or beyond, exceed

permeate

(v.) to spread through, penetrate, soak through

peculate

(v.) to steal something that has been given into one's trust; to take improperly for one's own use

filch

(v.) to steal, especially in a sneaky way and in petty amounts

commiserate

(v.) to sympathize with, have pity or sorrow for, share a feeling of distress

surmise

(v.) to think or believe without certain supporting evidence; to conjecture or guess; (n.) likely idea that lacks definite proof

exhort

(v.) to urge strongly, advise earnestly

wheedle

(v.) to use coaxing or flattery to gain some desired end

infringe

(v.) to violate, trespass, go beyond recognized bounds

stringent

(adj.) strict, severe; rigorously or urgently binding or compelling; sharp or bitter to the taste

sleazy

(adj.) thin or flimsy in texture; cheap; shoddy or inferior in quality or character; ethically low, mean, or disreputable

gossamer

(adj.) thin, light, delicate, insubstantial; (n.) a very thin, light cloth

coalition

(n) a combination, union, or merger for some specific purpose

approbation

(n) the expression of approval or favorable opinion, praise, official approval

precept

(n.) a rule of conduct or action

prerogative

(n.) a special right or privilege; a special quality showing excellence

epitome

(n.) a summary, condensed account; an instance that represents a larger reality

contraband

(n.) illegal traffic, smuggled goods; (adj.) illegal, prohibited

interloper

(n.) one who moves in where he or she in not wanted or has no right to be, an intruder

aplomb

(n.) poise, assurance, great self-confidence; perpendicularity

decadence

(v.) decline, decay, or deterioration; a condition or period of decline or decay; excessive self-indulgence

blazon

(v.) to adorn or embellish; to display conspicuously; to publish or proclaim widely

remonstrate

(v.) to argue or plead with someone against something, protest against, object to

ascribe

(v.) to assign or refer to (as a cause or source), attribute

expostulate

(v.) to attempt to dissuade someone from some course of decision by earnest reasoning

enjoin

(v.) to direct or order; to prescribe a course of action in an authoritative way; to prohibit

flout

(v.) to mock, treat with contempt

straitlaced

(adj.) extremely strict in regard to moral standards and conduct; prudish, puritanical

sepulchral

(adj.) funereal, typical of the tomb; extremely gloomy or dismal

irrevocable

(adj.) incapable of being changed or called back

inscrutable

(adj.) incapable of being understood; impossible to see through physically

transient

(adj.) lasting only a short time, fleeting; (n.) one who stays only a short time

occult

(adj.) mysterious, magical, supernatural; secret, hidden from view; not detectable by ordinary means; (v.) to hide, conceal; eclipse; (n.) matters involving the supernatural

noncommittal

(adj.) not decisive or definite; unwilling to take a clear position or to say yes or no

unwieldy

(adj.) not easily carried, handled, or managed because of size or complexity

resilient

(adj.) able to return to an original shape or form; able to recover quickly

erudite

(adj.) scholarly, learned, bookish, pedantic

axiomatic

(adj.) self-evident, expressing a universally accepted principle or rule

amorphous

(adj.) shapeless, without definite form; of no particular type or character; without organization, unity, or cohesion

fractious

(adj.) tending to be troublesome; unruly, quarrelsome, contrary; unpredictable

soporific

(adj.) tending to cause sleep, relating to sleepiness or lethargy; (n.) something that induces sleep

tenuous

(adj.) thin, slender, not dense; lacking clarity or sharpness; of slight importance or significance; lacking a sound basis, poorly supported

hackneyed

(adj.) used so often as to lack freshness or originality

jaded

(adj.) wearied, worn-out, dulled (in the sense of being satiated by excessive indulgence)

callow

(adj.) without experience; immature, not fully developed; lacking sophistication and poise; without feathers

meritorious

(adj.) worthy, deserving recognition and praise

ex officio

(adj., adv.) by virtue of holding a certain office

petulant

(adj.) peevish, annoyed by trifles, easily irritated and upset

querulous

(adj.) peevish, complaining, fretful

sedulous

(adj.) persistent, showing industry and determination

provincial

(adj.) pertaining to an outlying area; local; narrow in mind or outlook, countrified in the sense of being limited and backward; of a simple, plain design that originated in the countryside; (n.) a person with a narrow point of view; a person from an outlying area; a soldier from a province or colony

bombastic

(adj.) pompous or overblown in language; full of high-sounding words intended to conceal a lack of ideas

insular

(adj.) relating to, characteristic of, or situated on an island; narrow or isolated in outlook or experience

seditious

(adj.) resistant to lawful authority; having the purpose of overthrowing an established government

adventitious

(adj.) resulting from chance rather than from an inherent cause or character; accidental, not essential; (medicine) acquired, not congenital

inadvertent

(adj.) resulting from or marked by lack of attention; unintentional, accidental

circuitous

(adj.) roundabout, not direct