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