Vocabulary Workshop Level G Units 1-4
propinquity
nearness in place or time; kinship
myopic
nearsighted; lacking a broad, realistic view of a situation; lacking foresight or discernment
unwonted
not usual or expected; not in character
incumbent
obligatory, required; (n.) one who holds a specific office at the time spoken of
invidious
offensive, hateful; tending to cause bitterness and resentment
overt
open, not hidden, expressed or revealed in a way that is easily recognized
histrionic
pertainig to actors and their techniques; theatrical, artificial; melodramatic
intransigent
refusing to compromise, irreconcilable
germane
relevant, appropriate, apropos, fitting
ludicrous
ridiculous, laughable, absurd
insatiable
so great or demanding as not to be satisfied
piquant
stimulating to the taste or mind; spicy, pungent; appealingly provocative
devious
straying or wandering form a straight or direct course; done or acting in a shifty or underhanded way
celerity
swiftness, rapidity of motion or action
carping
tending to find fault, especially in a petty, nasty, or hairsplitting way
pejorative
tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement, derogatory, deprecatory, belittling
propriety
the state of being proper, appropriateness; (pl) standards of what is proper or socially acceptable
atrophy
the wasting away of a body organ or tissue; any progressive decline or failure; (v.) to waste away
accost
to approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging or aggressive way
eschew
to avoid, shun, keep away from
congeal
to change from liquid to solid, thicken; to make inflexible or rigid
arrogate
to claim or take without right
decry
to condemn, express strong disapproval; to officially depreciate
dissemble
to disguise or conceal, deliberately give a false impression
evince
to display clearly, to make evident, to provoke
substantiate
to establish by evidence, prove; to give concrete or substantial form to
glean
to gather bit by bit; to gather small quantities of gran left in a field by the reapers
emulate
to imitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model
incarcerate
to imprison, confine, jail
articulate
to pronounce distinctly; to express well in words; to connect by a joint or joints; (adj) expressed clearly and forcefully; able to employ language clearly and forcefully; jointed
exhume
to remove from a grave; to bring to light
cavort
to romp or prance around exuberantly; to make merry
temporize
to stall or act evasively in order to gain time, avoid a confrontations, or postpone a decision; to compromise
belabor
to work on excessively; to thrash soundly
undulate
tomove in waves or with a wavelike motion; to have a wavelike appearance or form
exigency
urgency, pressure; urgent demand, pressing need; an emergency
distraught
very much agitated or upset as a result of emotion or mental conflict
nefarious
wicked, depraved, devoid of moral standards
summarily
without delay or formality; briefly, concisely
animadversion
a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval
encomium
a formal expression of praise, a lavish tribute
eulogy
a formal statement of commendation; high praise
bastion
a fortified place, stronghold
halcyon
a legendary bird identified with the king fisher; (adj) of or relating ot the halcyon; clam, peaceful; happy, golden; prosperous, affluent
nettle
a prickly or stinging plant; (v.) to arouse displeasure, impatience, or anger; to vex or irritate severely
stratagem
a scheme to outwit or deceive an opponent or to gain an end
concord
a state of agreement, harmony, unanimity; a treaty, pact, covenant
reconnaissance
a survey made for military purposes; any kind of preliminary inspection or examination
grouse
a type of game bird; a compliant; (v.) to complain, grumble
maelstrom
a whirlpool of great size and violence; a situation resembling a whirlpool in violence and destruction
acquisitive
able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with acquiring wealth or property
talisman
an object that serves as a charm or is believed to confer magical powers, an amulet, fetish
suppliant
asking humply and earnestly (n) one who makes a request humbly and earnestly, a petitioner, suitor
credence
belief, mental acceptance
mordant
biting or caustic in though, manner, or style; sharply or bitterly harsh
tenable
capable of being held or defended
consummate
complete or perfect in the highest degree; (v.) to bring to a state of completion or perfection
pecuniary
consisting of or measured in money; of or related to money
pusillanimous
contemptible cowardly or mean-spirited
murky
dark and gloomy, obscure; lacking in clarity and precision
incendiary
deliberatelky setting or causing fires; designed to start fires; tending to stir up strife or rebellion; (n) one who deliberately sets fires, arsonist; one who cause strife
avid
desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager
primordial
developed or created at the very beginning; going back to the most ancient times or earliest stage; fundamental, basic
disarray
disorder, confusion; (v.) to throw into disorder
flotsam
floating debris; homeless, impoverished people
utopian
founded upon or involving a visionary view of an ideal world; impractical
frenetic
frenzied, highly agitated
largesse
generosity in giving; lavish or bountiful contributions
verdant
green in tint or color; immature in experience or judgment
taciturn
habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little
banal
hackneyed, trite, commonplace
viscous
having a gelatinous or gluey quality, lacking in easy movement or fluidity
brackish
having a salty taste and unpleasant to drink
coherent
holding or sticking together; making a logical whole; comprehensible, meaningful
jocular
humorous, jesting, jolly, joking
sacrilege
improper or disrespectful treatment of something held sacred
recumbent
in a reclining position, lying down, in the posture of one sleeping or resting
gambit
in chess, an opening move that involves risk or sacrifice fo a minor piece in order to gain a later advantage; any opening move of this type
feckless
lacking in spirit and strength; ineffective, weak; irresponsible, unreliable
verbiage
language that is too wordy or inflated in proportion to the sense or content, wordiness; a manner of expressoin