Vocabulary Workshop Level D Units 1-12

autocratic

(adj.) absolute in power or authority

irate

(adj.) angry

surly

(adj.) angry and bad-tempered; rude

mediocre

(adj.) average, ordinary, undistinguished

bleak

(adj.) bare, dreary, dismal

credible

(adj.) believable

lithe

(adj.) bending easily, limber

pliant

(adj.) bending readily; easily influenced

terse

(adj.) brief and to the point

lucrative

(adj.) bringing in money; profitable

circumspect

(adj.) careful, cautious

slapdash

(adj.) careless and hasty

grievous

(adj.) causing sorrow or pain; serious

paramount

(adj.) chief in importance, above all others

cumbersome

(adj.) clumsy, hard to handle; slow-moving

trite

(adj.) commonplace; overused, stale

intricate

(adj.) complicated; difficult to understand

heterogeneous

(adj.) composed of different kinds, diverse

perilous

(adj.) dangerous

staccato

(adj.) detached or disconnected in sound or style

fated

(adj.) determined in advance by destiny or fortune

illegible

(adj.) difficult or impossible to read

incredulous

(adj.) disbelieving, skeptical

irreverent

(adj.) disrespectful

languid

(adj.) drooping; without energy, sluggish

lucid

(adj.) easy to understand, clear; rational, sane

superfluous

(adj.) exceeding what is sufficient or required, excess

concise

(adj.) expressing much in a few words

bogus

(adj.) false, counterfeit

eminent

(adj.) famous, outstanding, distinguished; projecting

auspicious

(adj.) favorable, fortunate

biased

(adj.) favoring one side unduly; prejudiced

unflinching

(adj.) firm, showing no signs of fear, not drawing back

obtrusive

(adj.) forward; undesirably prominent; thrust out

candid

(adj.) frank, sincere; impartial; unposed

enlightened

(adj.) free from ignorance and false ideas; possessing sound understanding

ghastly

(adj.) frightful, horrible; deathly pale

rabid

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

sterling

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

militant

(adj.) given to fighting; active and aggressive in support of a cause; (n.) an activist

auxiliary

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

sardonic

(adj.) grimly or scornfully mocking, bitterly sarcastic

arduous

(adj.) hard to do, requiring much effort

diligent

(adj.) hardworking, industrious, not lazy

morose

(adj.) having a gloomy or sullen manner; not friendly or sociable

comely

(adj.) having a pleasing appearance

latent

(adj.) hidden, present but not realized

tenacious

(adj.) holding fast; holding together firmly; persistent

skeptical

(adj.) inclined to doubt; slow to accept something as true

erroneous

(adj.) incorrect, containing mistakes

subversive

(adj.) intended to undermine or overthrow; (n.) one who advocates or attempts to undermine a political system

humane

(adj.) kind, merciful

flippant

(adj.) lacking in seriousness; disrespectful, saucy

perennial

(adj.) lasting for a long time, persistent; (n.) a plant that lives for many years

sprightly

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

dissolute

(adj.) loose in one's morals or behavior

extemporaneous

(adj.) made or delivered on the spur of the moment

synthetic

(adj.) made or put together by people; (n.) something artificial

sparse

(adj.) meager, scant; scattered

temperate

(adj.) mild, moderate

incessant

(adj.) never stopping, going on all the time

obstreperous

(adj.) noisy; unruly, disorderly

incorrigible

(adj.) not able to be corrected; beyond control

invincible

(adj.) not able to be defeated, unbeatable

laborious

(adj.) not easy, requiring hard work; hardworking

spurious

(adj.) not genuine, not true, not valid

inanimate

(adj.) not having life; without energy or spirit

opaque

(adj.) not letting light through; not clear or lucid; dense, stupid

erratic

(adj.) not regular or consistent; different from what is ordinarily expected; undependable

stagnant

(adj.) not running or flowing; foul from standing still; inactive, sluggish, dull

posthumous

(adj.) occurring or published after death

shoddy

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

repugnant

(adj.) offensive, disagreeable, distasteful

prim

(adj.) overly neat, precise, proper, or formal; prudish

pompous

(adj.) overly self-important in speech and manner; excessively stately or ceremonious

concerted

(adj.) planned or performed in cooperation with others

venomous

(adj.) poisonous; spiteful, mean

impoverished

(adj.) poor, in a state of poverty; depleted

pugnacious

(adj.) quarrelsome, fond of fighting

cherubic

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

preposterous

(adj.) ridiculous, senseless

rugged

(adj.) rough, irregular; severe, stern; strong; stormy

doleful

(adj.) sad; dreary

brazen

(adj.) shameless, impudent; made of brass

wily

(adj.) sly, shrewd, cunning

diminutive

(adj.) small, smaller than most others of the same type

demure

(adj.) sober or serious in manner, modest

brawny

(adj.) strong, muscular

opinionated

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

spasmodic

(adj.) sudden and violent but brief; fitful, intermittent

appreciable

(adj.) sufficient to be noticed or measured

adept

(adj.) thoroughly skilled; (n.) an expert

pensive

(adj.) thoughtful; melancholy

intolerable

(adj.) unbearable

unbridled

(adj.) uncontrolled, lacking in restraint

arbitrary

(adj.) unreasonable; based on one's wishes or whims without regard for reason or fairness

exorbitant

(adj.) unreasonably high; excessive

slipshod

(adj.) untidy in dress, personal habits, etc.; careless, sloppy

relentless

(adj.) unyielding, harsh, without pity

intrepid

(adj.) very brave, fearless, unshakable

illustrious

(adj.) very famous, distinguished

momentous

(adj.) very important

rasping

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

despicable

(adj.) worthy of scorn, contemptible

adieu

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

brigand

(n.) a bandit, robber, outlaw, highwayman

alien

(n.) a citizen of another country; (adj.) foreign, strange

liability

(n.) a debt; something disadvantageous

feint

(n.) a deliberately deceptive movement; a pretense; (v.) to make a deceptive movement; to make a pretense of

dilemma

(n.) a difficult or perplexing situation or problem

adherent

(n.) a follower, supporter; (adj.) attached, sticking to

prognosis

(n.) a forecast of the probable course and outcome of a disease or situation

realm

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

anarchy

(n.) a lack of government and law; confusion

metropolis

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

exodus

(n.) a large-scale departure or flight

statute

(n.) a law

depreciation

(n.) a lessening in value; a belittling

semblance

(n.) a likeness; an outward appearance; an apparition

tirade

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

expedient

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

flair

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

accomplice

(n.) a person who takes part in a crime

assurance

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

marauder

(n.) a raider, plunderer

envoy

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

venture

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

cubicle

(n.) a small room or compartment

rivulet

(n.) a small stream

monologue

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

rift

(n.) a split, break, breach

deadlock

(n.) a standstill resulting from the opposition of two equal forces or factions; (v.) to bring to such a standstill

catalyst

(n.) a substance that causes or hastens a chemical reaction; any agent that causes change

reprieve

(n.) a temporary relief or delay; (v.) to grant a postponement

horde

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

precipice

(n.) a very steep cliff; the brink or edge of disaster

blasphemy

(n.) an act, utterance, or writing showing contempt for something sacred

altercation

(n.) an angry argument

advent

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

pauper

(n.) an extremely poor person

vagrant

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

asylum

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

preamble

(n.) an introduction to a speech or piece of writing

breach

(n.) an opening, gap, rupture, rift; a violation or infraction; (v.) to create an opening, break through

reek

(n.) an unpleasant smell; (v.) to give off unpleasant smells; to give a strong impression

access

(n.) approach or admittance to places, persons, things; an increase; (v.) to get at, obtain

obesity

(n.) excessive fatness

fodder

(n.) food for horses or cattle; raw material for a designated purpose

mire

(n.) mud; wet, swampy ground; a tough situation; (v.) to get stuck

proponent

(n.) one who puts forward a proposal; one who supports a cause or belief

dross

(n.) refuse, waste products

immunity

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

debris

(n.) scattered fragments, wreckage

brevity

(n.) shortness

servitude

(n.) slavery, forced labor

bondage

(n.) slavery; any state of being bound or held down

apex

(n.) the highest point, tip

expulsion

(n.) the process of driving or forcing out

interim

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

larceny

(n.) theft

impel

(n.) to force, drive forward

drudgery

(n.) work that is hard and tiresome

assimilate

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

maltreat

(v.) to abuse, use roughly or crudely

revile

(v.) to attack with words, call bad names

chide

(v.) to blame; scold

terminate

(v.) to bring to an end

incinerate

(v.) to burn to ashes

render

(v.) to cause to become; to perform; to deliver officially; to process, extract

admonish

(v.) to caution or advise against something; to scold mildly; to remind of a duty

console

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

comport

(v.) to conduct or bear oneself, behave; to be in agreement

subjugate

(v.) to conquer by force, bring under complete control

ponder

(v.) to consider carefully, reflect on

annihilate

(v.) to destroy completely

dissent

(v.) to disagree; (n.) disagreement

garble

(v.) to distort in such a way as to make unintelligible

exorcise

(v.) to drive out by magic; to dispose of something troublesome, menacing, or oppressive

escalate

(v.) to elevate; to increase in intensity

institute

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

contend

(v.) to fight, struggle; to compete; to argue

inundate

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

emancipate

(v.) to free from slavery; to release or liberate

disentangle

(v.) to free from tangles or complications

succumb

(v.) to give way to superior force, yield

aspire

(v.) to have ambitious hopes or plans, strive toward a higher goal, desire earnestly; to ascend

hamper

(v.) to hold back

predispose

(v.) to incline to beforehand

taunt

(v.) to jeer at, mock; (n.) an insulting or mocking remark

dwindle

(v.) to lessen, diminish

relinquish

(v.) to let go, give up

deteriorate

(v.) to lower in quality or value; to wear away

muddle

(v.) to make a mess of; muddle through: to get by; (n.) a hopeless mess

facilitate

(v.) to make easier; to assist

jeer

(v.) to make fun of rudely or unkindly; (n.) a rude remark of derision

impair

(v.) to make imperfect, damage, harm

dilate

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

rectify

(v.) to make right, correct

abridge

(v.) to make shorter

atone

(v.) to make up for

recoup

(v.) to make up for, regain

compensate

(v.) to make up for; to repay for services

exploit

(v.) to make use of, develop; to make improper use of for personal profit; (n.) a feat, deed

rejuvenate

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

fabricate

(v.) to make, manufacture; to make up, invent

hoodwink

(v.) to mislead by a trick, deceive

rebut

(v.) to offer arguments or evidence that contradicts an assertion; to refute

daunt

(v.) to overcome with fear, intimidate; to dishearten, discourage

surmount

(v.) to overcome, rise above

condone

(v.) to pardon or overlook

defray

(v.) to pay for

feign

(v.) to pretend

forestall

(v.) to prevent by acting first

blanch

(v.) to remove the color from; to make or turn pale; to parboil

proliferate

(v.) to reproduce, increase, or spread rapidly

remunerate

(v.) to reward, pay, reimburse

abscond

(v.) to run off and hide

salvage

(v.) to save from fire or shipwreck; (n.) property thus saved

reprimand

(v.) to scold; find fault with; (n.) a rebuke

usurp

(v.) to seize and hold a position by force or without right

commandeer

(v.) to seize for military or official use

quaver

(v.) to shake, tremble; to trill

hew

(v.) to shape or cut down with an ax; to hold to

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

sully

(v.) to soil, stain, tarnish, defile, besmirch

malign

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

squander

(v.) to spend foolishly, waste

diffuse

(v.) to spread or scatter freely or widely; (adj.) wordy, long-winded, or unfocused; scattered or widely spread

recoil

(v.) to spring back, shrink; (n.) the act of springing back

pilfer

(v.) to steal in small quantities

adjourn

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

fortify

(v.) to strengthen, build up

supplant

(v.) to take the place of, supersede

prattle

(v.) to talk in an aimless, foolish, or simple way; to babble; (n.) baby talk; babble

tantalize

(v.) to tease, torment by teasing

divulge

(v.) to tell, reveal; to make public

warp

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

meander

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

efface

(v.) to wipe out; to keep oneself from being noticed

inscribe

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