Vocabulary Workshop Level G (Units 1, 2, 3)
credence
(n.) belief, mental acceptance
distraught
(adj.) very much agitated or upset as a result of emotion or mental conflict
animadversion
(n.) a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval
eulogy
(n.) a formal statement of commendation; high praise
halcyon
(n.) a legendary bird identified with the kingfisher; (adj.) of or relating to the halcyon; calm, peaceful; happy, golden; prosperous, affluent
verbiage
(n.) language that is too wordy or inflated in proportion to the sense or content, wordiness; a manner or expression
celerity
(n.) swiftness, rapidity of motion or action
substantiate
(v.) to establish by evidence, prove; to give concrete or substantial form to
acquisitive
(adj.) able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with acquiring wealth or property
suppliant
(adj.) asking humbly and earnestly; (n.) one who makes a request humbly and earnestly, a petitioner, suitor
tenable
(adj.) capable of being held or defended
murky
(adj.) dark and gloomy, obscure; lacking in clarity and precision
feckless
(adj.) lacking in spirit and strength; ineffective, weak; irresponsible, unreliable
myopic
(adj.) nearsighted; lacking a broad, realistic view of a situation; lacking foresight or discernment
unwonted
(adj.) not usual or expected; not in character
invidious
(adj.) offensive, hateful; tending to cause bitterness and resentment
overt
(adj.) open, not hidden, expressed or revealed in a way that is easily recognized
histrionic
(adj.) pertaining to actors and their techniques; theatrical, artificial; melodramatic
intransigent
(adj.) refusing to compromise, irreconcilable
germane
(adj.) relevant, appropriate, apropos, fitting
insatiable
(adj.) so great or demanding as not to be satisfied
piquant
(adj.) stimulating to the taste or mind; spicy, pungent; appealingly provocative
devious
(adj.) straying or wandering from a straight or direct course; done or acting in a shifty or unhanded way
carping
(adj.) tending to find fault, especially in a petty, nasty, or hairsplitting way (n.) petty, nagging, criticism
pejorative
(adj.) tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement, derogatory, deprecatory, belittling
reconnaissance
(n.) a survey made for military purposes; any kind of preliminary inspection or examination
maelstrom
(n.) a whirlpool of great size and violence; a situation resembling a whirlpool in violence and destruction
talisman
(n.) an object that serves as a charm or is believed to confer magical powers, an amulet, fetish
largesse
(n.) generosity in giving; lavish or bountiful contributions
sacrilege
(n.) improper or disrespectful treatment of something held scared
dissemble
(v.) to disguise or conceal, deliberately give false impression
coherent
(adj.) holding or sticking together, making a logical whole; comprehensible, meaningful
nefarious
(adj.) wicked, depraved, devoid or moral standards
summarily
(adj.) without delay or formality; briefly, concisely
encomium
(n.) a formal expression of praise, a lavish tribute
gambit
(n.) in chess, an opening move that involves a risk or sacrifice of a minor piece in order to gain a later advantage; any opening move of this type
propinquity
(n.) nearness in place or time; kinship
propriety
(n.) the state of being proper, appropriateness; (pl.) standards of what is proper or socially acceptable
accost
(v.) to approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging or aggressive way
eschew
(v.) to avoid, shun ,keep away from
congeal
(v.) to change from liquid to solid; to make inflexible or rigid
arrogate
(v.) to claim or take without right
decry
(v.) to condemn, express strong disapproval; to oficially depreciate
evince
(v.) to display clearly, to make evident, to provoke
emulate
(v.) to imitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model
undulate
(v.) to move in waves or with a wavelike motion; to have a wavelike appearance or form
articulate
(v.) 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
(v.) to remove from a grave; to bring to light
cavort
(v.) to romp or prance around exuberantly; to make merry
temporize
(v.) to stall or act evasively in order to gain time, avoid a confrontation, or postpone a decision; to compromise
belabor
(v.) to work on excessively; to thrash soundly
incendiary
(adj.) deliberately setting or causing fires; designed to start fires; tending to stir up strife or rebellion; (n.) one who deliberately sets fires, arsonist; one hwo causes strife
avid
(adj.) desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager
primordial
(adj.) developed or created at the very beginning; going back to the most ancient times or earliest stage; fundamental, basic
utopian
(adj.) founded upon or involving a visionary view of an ideal world; impractical
verdant
(adj.) green in tint or color; immature in experience or judgement
taciturn
(adj.) habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little
banal
(adj.) hackneyed, trite, commonplace
viscous
(adj.) having a gelatinous or gluey quality, lacking in easy movement or fluidity
brackish
(adj.) having a salty taste and unpleasant to drink