Vocabulary Workshop Level D Units 10-12

autocratic

(adj.) absolute in power or authority

bleak

(adj.) bare, dreary, dismal

lithe

(adj.) bending easily, limber

staccato

(adj.) detached or disconnected in sound or style

irreverent

(adj.) disrespectful

languid

(adj.) drooping; without energy, sluggish

concise

(adj.) expressing much in a few words

obtrusive

(adj.) forward; undesirably prominent; thrust out

enlightened

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

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

extemporaneous

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

synthetic

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

temperate

(adj.) mild, moderate

invincible

(adj.) not able to be defeated, unbeatable

laborious

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

concerted

(adj.) planned or performed in cooperation with others

venomous

(adj.) poisonous; spiteful, mean

rugged

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

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

appreciable

(adj.) sufficient to be noticed or measured

adept

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

intolerable

(adj.) unbearable

slipshod

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

relentless

(adj.) unyielding, harsh, without pity

illustrious

(adj.) very famous, distinguished

despicable

(adj.) worthy of scorn, contemptible

statute

(n.) a law

depreciation

(n.) a lessening in value; a belittling

rivulet

(n.) a small stream

blasphemy

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

preamble

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

reek

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

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

brevity

(n.) shortness

maltreat

(v.) to abuse, use roughly or crudely

chide

(v.) to blame; scold

render

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

comport

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

ponder

(v.) to consider carefully, reflect on

garble

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

contend

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

emancipate

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

aspire

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

deteriorate

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

impair

(v.) to make imperfect, damage, harm

recoup

(v.) to make up for, regain

exploit

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

forestall

(v.) to prevent by acting first

blanch

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

quaver

(v.) to shake, tremble; to trill

squander

(v.) to spend foolishly, waste

recoil

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

divulge

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