vocabulary workshop level d units 1-4

pompous

"preppy", manner excessively

rift

a break, a split

dilema

a difficult situation

dissent

a disagreement

adherent

a follower, supporter

anarchy

a lack of government and law

semblance

a likeness, an appearance

marauder

a raider, a pirate

deadlock

a standstill resulting from the opposition of two equal forces or fractions to bring to a standstill

reprieve

a temporary relief

precipice

a very steep cliff, edge of disaster

access

admittance to places, persons, things to get at

altercation

an angry argument

breach

an opening, a gap to create an opening

irate

angry

terse

brief and to the point

lucrative

bringing in money, moneymaking

fortify

build up

circumspect

careful, cautious

cumbersome

clumsy, slow moving

trite

commonplace, overused

fated

determine in advance by destiny

exorcise

dispose of something troublesome, expel

pliant

easily influenced

obesity

excessive fatness

pauper

extremely poor person

eminent

famous, outstanding

auspicious

favorable, fortunate

fodder

food for horses or cattle, raw material

expulsion

forcing out

disentangle

free from tangles or complications

arduous

hard to do, requires much effort

illegible

impossible to read

perennial

lasting for a long time a plant that lives for many years

dissolute

loose in one's morals or behavior

erratic

not regular or consistent, different

spurious

not true, not valid

mediocre

ordinary, normal, average

comely

pleasing appearance

biased

prejudiced, favoring one side over the other

cherubic

resembling an angel portrayed as a little child with a perfect face,

brigand

robber, highwayman

abscond

run off and hide

debris

scattered fragments, wreckage

unflinching

showing no signs of fear

larceny

stealing, theft

alien

strange, foreign

opinionated

stubborn, having a closed mind

spasmodic

sudden and violent but brief

feint

to "fake" something, to trick

revile

to attack with words

terminate

to bring to an end

incinerate

to burn to ashes

admonish

to caution or advice against something

subjugate

to conquer by force, to bring under complete control

relinquish

to give up

predispose

to incline to beforehand

muddle

to make a mess of

jeer

to make fun of

rectify

to make right, correct

abridge

to make shorter

fabricate

to make, manufacture

adjourn

to move from one place to another

surmount

to overcome

daunt

to overcome with fear

condone

to pardon or overlook

compensate

to repay for services

salvage

to save from a fire or shipwreck

usurp

to seize and hold position by force without right

commandeer

to seize for military or official use

sully

to soil, to stain

diffuse

to spread

proliferate

to spread rapidly, to reproduce

pilfer

to steal in small quantities

hoodwink

to trick, to mislead

efface

to wipe out, keep yourself from being noticed

tantalize

torment by teasing

unbridled

uncontrolled, unrestrained

intrepid

very brave

inanimate

without energy or spirit, lifeless