Vocabulary Workshop Level G Units 1-5

credence

a belief

talisman

a charm or talisman

animadversion

a comment indicated strong disapproval

figment

a fabrication of the mind

encomium

a lavish tribute

idiosyncrasy

a peculiarity that serves to distinguish or identify

stratagem

a scheme to outwit an opponent

concord

a state of agreement

penchant

a strong attraction or inclination

maelstrom

a whirlpool of great size or violence

acquisitive

able to get and retain info

reputed

according to reputation or general belief

fiat

an arbitrary order or decree

gambit

an opening move that involves risk

reconnaissance

any kind of preliminary inspection or examination

suppliant

asking humbly and earnestly

mordant

biting or caustic in thought, manner, or style

summarily

briefly

halcyon

calm, peaceful

tenable

capable of being held or defended

bastion

citadel, a fortified place

consummate

complete or perfect in the highest degree

overweening

conceited

sumptuous

costly, rich, magnificent

pusillanimous

cowardly or mean-spirited

murky

dark and gloomy, unclear

incendiary

deliberately setting or causing fires

primordial

developed or created at the very beginning

disarray

disorder

sacrilege

disrespectful treatment of something held sacred

devious

done or acting in a shifty or underhand way

mundane

earthly, relating to practical affairs, ordinary

flotsam

floating debris

frenetic

frantic, Avian

fecund

fruitful in offspring

largesse

generosity on giving

verdant

green in color, immature in experience

taciturn

habitually silent or quiet

brackish

having a salty taste

jocular

humorous

utopian

ideal view

esoteric

intended for or understood by only a select few

avid

intensely eager

feckless

irresponsible, unreliable

propinquity

kinship, proximity

verbiage

language that is too wordy

recumbent

lying down

coherent

making a logical whole

depraved

marked by evil and corruption

pecuniary

monetary

unwonted

not in character, not expected

invidious

offensive, hateful

incumbent

one who holds a specific office at the time spoken of; obligatory, required

overt

open, not hidden

ubiquitous

present or existing everywhere

myopic

realistic view of a situation nearsighted

sophistry

reasoning that seems plausible but is actually unsound

nuance

refinement

intransigent

refusing to compromise

germane

relevant, appropriate

ludicrous

ridiculous

ignominy

shame and disgrace

acuity

sharpness

insatiable

so great or demanding as to not be satisfied

propriety

state of being proper; appropriateNESS

viscous

sticky

piquant

stimulating to the taste or mind

celerity

swiftness

carping

tending to find petty faults

pejorative

tending to make worse

histrionic

theatrical

nettle

to annoy severely

eschew

to avoid

congeal

to change from liquid to solid

arrogate

to claim or take w/o right

glean

to collect

grouse

to complain or grumble

decry

to condemn

accost

to confront in an aggressive way

dissemble

to disguise or conceal

evince

to display clearly

substantiate

to establish by evidence, prove

garner

to gather and store away

emulate

to imitate w/ the intent of surpassing/equaling

incarcerate

to imprison

delineate

to portray

cavort

to prance around exuberantly

articulate

to pronounce distinctly

exhume

to remove from a grave

hallow

to set apart as holy, sanctify

temporize

to stall in order to gain time

atrophy

to waste away

enervate

to weaken the mental, moral, or physical vigor of

belabor

to work on excessively

eulogy

tribute

banal

trite, commonplace

exigency

urgency, pressure

distraught

very agitate or upset as a result of emotion or mental conflict

undulate

wavelike motion

nefarious

wicked