Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4, Unit 5, Unit 6, Unit 7, Unit 8, Unit 9, Unit 10, Unit 11, Unit 12, Unit 13, Unit 14, Unit 15

acquisitive

(adj.) able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with acquiring wealth or property

imminent

(adj.) about to happen, threatening

reputed

(adj.) according to reputation or general belief; having widespread acceptance and good reputation; (part.) alleged

seraphic

(adj.) angelic, heavenly, celestial

felicitous

(adj.) appropriate, apt, well chosen; marked by well-being or good fortune, happy

suppliant

(adj.) asking humbly and earnestly; (n.) one who makes a request humbly and earnestly, a petitioner, suitor

cognizant

(adj.) aware, knowledgeable, informed; having jurisdiction

bestial

(adj.) beastlike; beastly, brutal; subhuman in intelligence and sensibility

mordant

(adj.) biting or caustic in thought, manner, or style; sharply or bitterly harsh

beatific

(adj.) blissful; rendering or making blessed

obtuse

(adj.) blunt, not coming to a point; slow or dull in understanding; measuring between 90 and 180 degrees; not causing a sharp impression

onerous

(adj.) burdensome; involving hardship or difficulty

tenable

(adj.) capable of being held or defended

indubitable

(adj.) certain, not to be doubted or denied

bucolic

(adj.) characteristic of the countryside, rural; relating to shepherds and cowherds, pastoral

manifest

(adj.) clear, evident to the eyes or mind; (v.) to show plainly, exhibit, evince; (n.) a list of cargo and/or passengers

rife

(adj.) common, prevalent, widespread, happening often; full, abounding; plentiful, abundant, replete

plenary

(adj.) complete in all aspects or essentials; absolute; attended by all qualified members

consummate

(adj.) complete or perfect in the highest degree; (v.) to bring to a state of completion or perfection

ambient

(adj.) completely surrounding, encompassing

overweening

(adj.) conceited, presumptuous; excessive, immoderate

laconic

(adj.) concise, using few words

pecuniary

(adj.) consisting of or measured in money; of or related to money

pusillanimous

(adj.) contemptibly cowardly or mean-spirited

sumptuous

(adj.) costly, rich, magnificent

murky

(adj.) dark and gloomy, obscure; lacking in clarity and precision

abject

(adj.) degraded; base, contemptible; cringing, servile; complete and unrelieved

incendiary

(adj.) deliberately setting or causing fires; designed to start fires; tending to stir up strife or rebellion; (n.) one who deliberately sets fires, arsonist; one who causes strife

delectable

(adj.) delightful, highly enjoyable; deliciously flavored, savory; (n.) an appealing or appetizing food or dish

avid

(adj.) desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager

primordial

(adj.) developed or created at the very beginning; going back to the most ancient times or earliest stage; fundamental, basic

epicurean

(adj.) devoted to the pursuit of pleasure; fond of good food, comfort, and ease; with discriminating tastes; (n.) a person with discriminating tastes

perfunctory

(adj.) done in a superficial or halfhearted manner; without interest or enthusiasm

furtive

(adj.) done slyly or stealthily, sneaky, secret, shifty; stolen

eclectic

(adj.) drawn from different sources; (n.) one whose beliefs are drawn from various sources

moribund

(adj.) dying, on the way out

mundane

(adj.) earthly, worldly, relating to practical and material affairs; concerned with what is ordinary

testy

(adj.) easily irritated; characterized by impatience and exasperation

luminous

(adj.) emitting or reflecting light, glowing; illuminating

tantamount

(adj.) equivalent, having the same meaning, value, or effect

captious

(adj.) excessively ready to find fault; given to petty criticism; intended to trap, confuse, or show up

plaintive

(adj.) expressive of sorrow or woe, melancholy

chary

(adj.) extremely cautious, hesitant, or slow (to); reserved, diffident

abtruse

(adj.) extremely difficult to understand

inordinate

(adj.) far too great, exceeding reasonable limits, excessive

impeccable

(adj.) faultless, beyond criticism or blame

convivial

(adj.) festive, sociable, having fun together, genial

febrile

(adj.) feverish; pertaining to or marked by fever; frenetic

utopian

(adj.) founded upon or involving a visionary view of an ideal world; impractical

redolent

(adj.) fragrant, smelling strongly; tending to arouse memories or create an aura

frenetic

(adj.) frenzied, highly agitated

fecund

(adj.) fruitful in offspring or vegetation; intellectually productive

fraught

(adj.) full of or loaded with; accompanied by

putative

(adj.) generally regarded as such; reputed; hypothesized, inferred

benign

(adj.) gentle, kind; forgiving, understanding; having a favorable or beneficial effect; not malignant

mendacious

(adj.) given to lying or deception; untrue

garish

(adj.) glaring; tastelessly showy or overdecorated in a vulgar or offensive way

verdant

(adj.) green in tint or color; immature in experience or judgment

macabre

(adj.) grisly, gruesome; horrible, distressing; having death as a subject

taciturn

(adj.) habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little

banal

(adj.) hackneyed, trite, commonplace

cacophonous

(adj.) harsh-sounding, raucous, discordant, dissonant

vituperative

(adj.) harshly abusive, severely scolding

viscous

(adj.) having a gelatinous or gluey quality, lacking in easy movement or fluidity

brackish

(adj.) having a salty taste and unpleasant to drink

impecunious

(adj.) having little or no money

peremptory

(adj.) having the nature of a command that leaves no opportunity for debate, denial, or refusal; offensively self-assured, dictatorial; determined, resolute

coherent

(adj.) holding or sticking together; making a logical whole; comprehensible, meaningful

jocular

(adj.) humorous, jesting, jolly, joking

irrefutable

(adj.) impossible to disprove; beyond argument

recumbent

(adj.) in a reclining position, lying down, in the posture of one sleeping or resting

irreparable

(adj.) incapable of being repaired or rectified

inexorable

(adj.) inflexible, beyond influence; relentless, unyielding

esoteric

(adj.) intended for or understood by only a select few, private, secret

nascent

(adj.) just beginning to exist or develop; having just come into existence

feckless

(adj.) lacking in spirit and strength; ineffective, weak; irresponsible, unreliable

lackadaisical

(adj.) lacking spirit or interest, halfhearted

ephemeral

(adj.) lasting only a short time, short-lived

ethereal

(adj.) light, airy, delicate; highly refined; suggesting what is heavenly (rather than earthbound)

flaccid

(adj.) limp, not firm; lacking vigor or effectiveness

gregarious

(adj.) living together in a herd or group; sociable, seeking the company of others

hapless

(adj.) marked by a persistent absence of good luck

depraved

(adj.) marked by evil and corruption, devoid of moral principles

obsequious

(adj.) marked by slavish attentiveness; excessively submissive, often for purely self-interested reasons

illusory

(adj.) misleading, deceptive; lacking in or not based on reality

innate

(adj.) natural, inborn, inherent; built-in

myopic

(adj.) nearsighted; lacking a broad, realistic view of a situation; lacking foresight or discernment

indigent

(adj.) needy, impoverished

defunct

(adj.) no longer in existence or functioning, dead

imperturbable

(adj.) not easily excited; emotionally steady

incongruous

(adj.) not in keeping, unsuitable, incompatible

visionary

(adj.) not practical, lacking in realism; having the nature of a fantasy or dream; (n.) one given to far fetched ideas; a dreamer or seer characterized by vision or foresight

unremitting

(adj.) not stopping, maintained steadily, never letting up, relentless

improvident

(adj.) not thrifty; failing to plan ahead

unwonted

(adj.) not usual or expected; not in character

incumbent

(adj.) obligatory, required; (n.) one who holds a specific office at the time spoken of

sporadic

(adj.) occurring at irregular intervals, having no set plan or order

saturnine

(adj.) of a gloomy or surly disposition; cold or sluggish in mood

picayune

(adj.) of little value or importance, paltry, measly; concerned with trifling matters, small-minded

invidious

(adj.) offensive, hateful; tending to cause bitterness and resentment

moot

(adj.) open to discussion and debate, unresolved; (v.) to bring up for discussion; (n.) a hypothetical law case argued by students

mutable

(adj.) open to or capable of change, fickle

overt

(adj.) open, not hidden, expressed or revealed in a way that is easily recognized

ebullient

(adj.) overflowing with enthusiasm and excitement; boiling, bubbling

histrionic

(adj.) pertaining to actors and their techniques; theatrical, artificial; melodramatic

aesthetic

(adj.) pertaining to beauty; sensitive or responsive to beauty

sylvan

(adj.) pertaining to or characteristic of forests; living or located in a forest; wooded, woody

omnipresent

(adj.) present in all places at all times

ubiquitous

(adj.) present or existing everywhere

substantive

(adj.) real, having a solid basis; considerable in number or amount; meaningful and on topic

intransigent

(adj.) refusing to compromise, irreconcilable

penitent

(adj.) regretful for one's sins or mistakes. (n.) one who is sorry for wrongdoing

contrite

(adj.) regretful for some misdeed or sin; plagued by a sense of guilt; thoroughly penitent

germane

(adj.) relevant, appropriate, apropos, fitting

restive

(adj.) restless, hard to manage, balky

ghoulish

(adj.) revolting in an unnatural or morbid way; suggestive of someone who robs graves or otherwise preys on the dead

ludicrous

(adj.) ridiculous, laughable, absurd

inviolable

(adj.) sacred; of such a character that it must not be broken, injured, or profaned

refulgent

(adj.) shining, radiant, resplendent

inane

(adj.) silly, empty of meaning or value

insatiable

(adj.) so great or demanding as not to be satisfied

piquant

(adj.) stimulating to the taste or mind; spicy, pungent; appealingly provocative

intermitten

(adj.) stopping and beginning again, sporadic

devious

(adj.) straying or wandering from a straight or direct course; done or acting in a shifty or underhanded way

fatuous

(adj.) stupid or foolish in a self-satisfied way

carping

(adj.) tending to find fault, especially in a petty, nasty, or hairsplitting way; (n.) petty, nagging criticism

pejorative

(adj.) tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement, derogatory, deprecatory, belittling

arrant

(adj.) thoroughgoing, out-and-out; shameless, blatant

paltry

(adj.) trifling, insignificant; mean, despicable; inferior, trashy

loath

(adj.) unwilling, reluctant, disinclined

distraught

(adj.) very much agitated or upset as a result of emotion or mental conflict

pertinacious

(adj.) very persistent; holding firmly to a course of action or a set of beliefs; hard to get rid of, refusing to be put off or denied

decorous

(adj.) well behaved, dignified, socially proper

nefarious

(adj.) wicked, depraved, devoid of moral standards

wizened

(adj., part.) dry, shrunken, and wrinkled (often as the result of aging)

desiccated

(adj., part.) thoroughly dried out; divested of spirit or vitality; arid and uninteresting

askance

(adv.) with suspicion, distrust, or disapproval

summarily

(adv.) without delay or formality; briefly, concisely

propriety

(n) the state of being proper, appropriateness; (pl) standards of what is proper or socially acceptable

rudiments

(n. pl.) the parts of any subject or discipline that are learned first; the earliest stages of anything

tyro

(n.) a beginner, novice; one with little or no background or skill

diatribe

(n.) a bitter and prolonged verbal attack

coterie

(n.) a circle of acquaintances; a close-knit, often exclusive, group of people with a common interest

animadversion

(n.) a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval

machination

(n.) a crafty, scheming, or underhanded action designed to accomplish some (usually evil) end

behemoth

(n.) a creature of enormous size, power, or appearance

effigy

(n.) a crude image of a despised person

dilettante

(n.) a dabbler in the arts; one who engages in an activity in an amateurish, trifling way; (adj.) superficial

obeisance

(n.) a deep bow or other body movement indicating respect or submission; deference, homage

pillory

(n.) a device for publicly punishing offenders; a means for exposing one to public contempt or ridicule; (v.) to expose to public contempt or ridicule

dissidence

(n.) a difference of opinion; discontent

figment

(n.) a fabrication of the mind; an arbitrary notion

canard

(n.) a false rumor, fabricated story

encomium

(n.) a formal expression of praise, a lavish tribute

eulogy

(n.) a formal statement of commendation; high praise

bastion

(n.) a fortified place, stronghold

travesty

(n.) a grotesque or grossly inferior imitation; a disguise, especially the clothing of the opposite sex; (v.) to ridicule by imitating in a broad or burlesque fashion

coup

(n.) a highly successful stroke, masterstroke, tour de force, act, plan, or stratagem; a sudden takeover of power or leadership

halcyon

(n.) a legendary bird identified with the kingfisher; (adj.) of or relating to the halcyon; calm, peaceful; happy, golden; prosperous, affluent

juggernaut

(n.) a massive and inescapable force or object that crushes whatever is in its path

euphemism

(n.) a mild or inoffensive expression used in place of a harsh or unpleasant one; a substitute

neophyte

(n.) a new convert, beginner, novice

idiosyncrasy

(n.) a peculiarity that serves to distinguish or identify

counterpart

(n.) a person or thing closely resembling or corresponding to another; a complement

misanthrope

(n.) a person who hates or despises people

litany

(n.) a prayer consisting of short appeals to God recited by the leader alternating with responses from the congregation; any repetitive chant; a long list

pedantry

(n.) a pretentious display of knowledge; overly rigid attention to rules and details

nettle

(n.) a prickly or stinging plant; (v.) to arouse displeasure, impatience, or anger; to vex or irritate severely

motif

(n.) a principal idea, feature, theme, or element; a repeated or dominant figure in a design

stratagem

(n.) a scheme to outwit or deceive an opponent or to gain an end

acclamation

(n.) a shout of welcome; an overwhelming verbal vote of approval

shambles

(n.) a slaughterhouse; a place of mass bloodshed; a state of complete disorder and confusion, mess

cabal

(n.) a small group working in secret

concord

(n.) a state of agreement, harmony, unanimity; a treaty, pact, covenant

penchant

(n.) a strong attraction or inclination

nuance

(n.) a subtle or slight variation (as in color, meaning, quality), delicate gradation or shade of difference

paroxysm

(n.) a sudden outburst; a spasm, convulsion

reconnaissance

(n.) a survey made for military purposes; any kind of preliminary inspection or examination

moratorium

(n.) a suspension of activity; an official waiting period; an authorized period of delay

grouse

(n.) a type of game bird; a complaint; (v.) to complain, grumble

surveillance

(n.) a watch kept over a person; careful, close, and disciplined observation

foible

(n.) a weak point, failing, minor flaw

maelstrom

(n.) a whirlpool of great size and violence; a situation resembling a whirlpool in violence and destruction

pittance

(n.) a woefully meager allowance, wage, or portion

shibboleth

(n.) a word, expression, or custom that distinguishes a particular group of persons from all others; a commonplace saying or truism

nostrum

(n.) an alleged cure-all; a remedy or scheme of questionable effectiveness

fiat

(n.) an arbitrary order or decree; a command or act of will or consciousness

mandate

(n.) an authoritative command, formal order, authorization; (v.) to issue such an order

increment

(n.) an enlargement, increase, addition

paucity

(n.) an inadequate quantity, scarcity, dearth

fetish

(n.) an object believed to have magical powers; an object of unreasoning devotion or reverence

talisman

(n.) an object that serves as a charm or is believed to confer magical powers, an amulet, fetish

affront

(n.) an open or intentional insult; a slight; (v.) to insult to one's face; to face in defiance , confront

aperture

(n.) an opening, gap, hole; orifice

credence

(n.) belief, mental acceptance

raiment

(n.) clothing, garments

progeny

(n.) descendants, offspring, children, followers, disciples

opprobrium

(n.) disgrace arising from shameful conduct; contempt, reproach

disarray

(n.) disorder, confusion; (v.) to throw into disorder

flotsam

(n.) floating debris; homeless, impoverished people

panegyric

(n.) formal or elaborate praise; a tribute

largesse

(n.) generosity in giving; lavish or bountiful contributions

sacrilege

(n.) improper or disrespectful treatment of something held sacred

gambit

(n.) in chess, an opening move that involves risk or sacrifice of a minor piece in order to gain a later advantage; any opening move of this type

complicity

(n.) involvement in wrongdoing; the state of being an accomplice

perspicacity

(n.) keenness in observing and understanding

verbiage

(n.) language that is too wordy or inflated in proportion to the sense or content, wordiness; a manner of expression

badinage

(n.) light and playful conversation

detritus

(n.) loose bits and pieces of material resulting from disintegration or wearing away; fragments that result from any destruction

propinquity

(n.) nearness in place or time; kinship

echelon

(n.) one of a series of grades in an organization or field of activity; an organized military unit; a steplike formation or arrangement

agnostic

(n.) one who believes that nothing can be known about God; a skeptic; (adj.) without faith, skeptical

necromancer

(n.) one who claims to reveal or influence the future through magic, especially communication with the dead; in general, a magician or wizard

charlatan

(n.) one who feigns knowledge or ability; a pretender, impostor, or quack

pariah

(n.) one who is rejected by a social group or organization

sophistry

(n.) reasoning that seems plausible but is actually unsound; a fallacy

asperity

(n.) roughness, severity; bitterness or tartness

collusion

(n.) secret agreement or cooperation

ignominy

(n.) shame and disgrace

effrontery

(n.) shameless boldness, impudence

acuity

(n.) sharpness (particularly of the mind or senses)

derelict

(n.) someone or something that is abandoned or neglected; (adj.) left abandoned; neglectful of duty

celerity

(n.) swiftness, rapidity of motion or action

amenity

(n.) that which is pleasant or agreeable; (pl.) attractive features, customs, etc

indictment

(n.) the act of accusing; a formal accusation

peregrination

(n.) the act of traveling; an excursion, especially on foot or to a foreign country

cynosure

(n.) the center of attraction, attention, or interest; something that serves to guide or direct

facade

(n.) the front or face of a building; a surface appearance (as opposed to what may lie behind)

nadir

(n.) the lowest point

efficacy

(n.) the power to produce a desired result

equity

(n.) the state or quality of being just, fair, or impartial; fair and equal treatment; something that is fair; the money value of a property above and beyond any mortgage or other claim

atrophy

(n.) the wasting away of a body organ or tissue; any progressive decline or failure; (v.) to waste away

rectitude

(n.) uprightness, righteousness; correctness

iniquity

(n.) wickedness, sin; a grossly immoral act

blandishment

(n., often pl.) anything designed to flatter or coax; sweet talk, apple-polishing

exigency

(n., often pl.) urgency, pressure; urgent demand, pressing need; an emergency

minutiae

(pl. n.) small or trivial details, trifling matters

arrogate

(v.) To claim or take without right

garner

(v.) to acquire as the result of effort; to gather and store away, as for future use

accost

(v.) to approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging or aggressive way

allege

(v.) to assert without proof or confirmation

eschew

(v.) to avoid, shun, keep away from

languish

(v.) to become weak, feeble, or dull; to droop; to be depressed or dispirited; to suffer neglect

engender

(v.) to bring into existence, give rise to, produce; to come into existence, assume form

allay

(v.) to calm or pacify, set to rest; to lessen or relieve

countermand

(v.) to cancel or reverse one order or command with another that is contrary to the first

slough

(v.) to cast off, discard; to get rid of something objectionable or unnecessary; to plod through as if through mud; (n.) a mire; a state of depression

jettison

(v.) to cast overboard, get rid of as unnecessary or burdensome

congeal

(v.) to change from liquid to solid, thicken; to make inflexible or rigid

decry

(v.) to condemn, express strong disapproval; to officially depreciate

embellish

(v.) to decorate, adorn, touch up; to improve by adding details

gainsay

(v.) to deny, contradict, controvert; to dispute, oppose

dissemble

(v.) to disguise or conceal, deliberately give a false impression

evince

(v.) to display clearly, to make evident, to provoke

forgo

(v.) to do without, abstain from, give up

reconnoiter

(v.) to engage in reconnaissance; to make a preliminary inspection

substantiate

(v.) to establish by evidence, prove; to give concrete or substantial form to

deprecate

(v.) to express mild disapproval; to belittle

cavil

(v.) to find fault in a petty way, carp; (n.) a trivial objection or criticism

presage

(v.) to foreshadow or point to a future event; to predict; (n.) a warning or indication of the future

discomfit

(v.) to frustrate, thwart, or defeat; to confuse, perplex, or embarrass

glean

(v.) to gather bit by bit; to gather small quantities of grain left in a field by the reapers

winnow

(v.) to get rid of something unwanted, delete; to sift through to obtain what is desirable; to remove the chaff from the wheat by blowing air on it; to blow on, fan

consign

(v.) to give over to another's care, charge, or control; to entrust, deliver; to set apart for a special use

subsist

(v.) to have existence; to remain alive, manage to make a living or maintain life; to persist or continue

mesmerize

(v.) to hypnotize, entrance; to fascinate, enthrall, bewitch

emulate

(v.) to imitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model

incarcerate

(v.) to imprison, confine, jail

portend

(v.) to indicate beforehand that something is about to happen; to give advance warning of

interpolate

(v.) to insert between other parts or things; to present as an addition or correction

decimate

(v.) to kill or destroy a large part of

exacerbate

(v.) to make more violent, severe, bitter, or painful

burnish

(v.) to make smooth or glossy by rubbing, polish; (n.) gloss, brightness, luster

requite

(v.) to make suitable repayment, as for a kindness, service, or favor; to make retaliation, as for an injury or wrong; to reciprocate

attenuate

(v.) to make thin or slender; to weaken or lessen in force, intensity, or value

undulate

(v.) to move in waves or with a wavelike motion; to have a wavelike appearance or form

demur

(v.) to object or take exception to; (n.) an objection

conciliate

(v.) to overcome the distrust of, win over; to appease, pacify; to reconcile, make consistent

delineate

(v.) to portray, sketch, or describe in accurate and vivid detail; to represent pictorially

promulgate

(v.) to proclaim or issue officially; to make known far and wide

exhume

(v.) to remove from a grave; to bring to light

abrogate

(v.) to repeal, cancel, declare null and void

cavort

(v.) to romp or prance around exuberantly; to make merry

hallow

(v.) to set apart as holy or sacred, sanctify, consecrate; to honor greatly, revere

sequester

(v.) to set apart, separate for a special purpose; to take possession of and hold in custody

calumniate

(v.) to slander; to accuse falsely and maliciously

rebuff

(v.) to snub; to repel, drive away; (n.) a curt rejection, a check

saturate

(v.) to soak thoroughly, fill to capacity; to satisfy fully

temporize

(v.) to stall or act evasively in order to gain time, avoid a confrontation, or postpone a decision; to compromise

oscillate

(v.) to swing back and forth with a steady rhythm; to fluctuate or waver

vacillate

(v.) to swing indecisively from one idea or course of action to another; to waver weakly in mind or will

espouse

(v.) to take up and support; to become attached to, adopt; to marry

raze

(v.) to tear down, destroy completely; to cut or scrape off or out

deign

(v.) to think it appropriate or suitable to one's dignity to do something; to condescend

inure

(v.) to toughen, harden; to render used to something by long subjection or exposure

importune

(v.) to trouble with demands; to beg for insistently

enervate

(v.) to weaken or lessen the mental, moral, or physical vigor of; enfeeble, hamstring

recant

(v.) to withdraw a statement or belief to which one has previously been committed, renounce, retract

belabor

(v.) to work on excessively; to thrash soundly

chicanery

trickery, deceptive practices or tactics, double-dealing