Wordly Wise Book 9 Lesson 1-5

callow

(adj.) inexperienced New to the police force, the callow detective was not prepared for his first case.

indolent

(adj.) lazy. Jackson lost his job because he was an indolent employee who did nothing but sleep at his desk all day.

voracious

(adj.) ravenous. In the jungle, there are many voracious animals that will eat anything they can catch.

cynical

(adj.) skeptical. After being dumped by his girlfriend, Jack was cynical about dating other women.

sagacious

(adj.) wise. Wise and full of insight, the sagacious leader would live on to better the world.

secular

(adj.) worldly Since Bill was not a spiritual man, he went out of his way to attend a university with a secular focus.

despot

(n.) A ruler with absolute power The young prince killed everyone who challenged his authority and became the despot of his country.

strife

(n.) conflict. If the two countries do not put their strife to rest, they will cause the deaths of thousands of citizens.

contemporary

(n.) existing or occurring at the same time. While young people tend to prefer contemporary music, the older generation prefers music from the 1970's and the 1980's.

impediment

(n.) obstacle.

wane

(n.) to get smaller or dimmer If Colin is not winning a game, his interest will wane to the point he no longer wants to play.

speculate

(n.) to make guesses. Since I do not know Jim and Karen, I cannot speculate on the reasons behind their divorce.

impoverish

(n.) to make poor. When my parents lost their jobs and became impoverished, the bank foreclosed on our home.

venerate

(n.) to show respect Many people attend religious services to venerate God.

enunciate

(v.) to pronounce clearly. When Will was intoxicated, he was hard to understand because he did not enunciate his statements.

pomp

a showy or dignified display

ubiquitous

adj. Appearing in large numbers or in many different places; very common

Flamboyant

adj. Excessively showy; unrestrained

fraught (with) "Life is fraught with opportunities to keep your mouth shut." Winston Churchill

adj. Full of or accompanied by

inexplicable

adj. Hard to explain or impossible to understand

incontrovertible

adj. Impossible to dispute; unquestionable

Insuperable

adj. Incapable of being overcome or defeated

torrid

adj. Intensely hot and dry; burning with passion

ingenious

adj. Marked by imagination, resourcefulness, or cleverness

haphazard

adj. Marked by lack of plan, order, or direction

Intermittent

adj. Not continuous; happening at intervals

Obligatory

adj. Required or demanded

Destitute

adj. Without resources or possessions, especially the necessities of life

stilted

artificially stiff or formal in manner

feckless

careless, irresponsible

pensive

deep in thought; dreamily thoughtful

Impetus

n. A driving force; anything that causes an action

Visage

n. A face, especially one that expresses feelings

Maxim

n. A general truth or rule of conduct; a short saying

array

n. A large group of people or things; and orderly arrangement or display v. To place in order; to dress up

Vagabond

n. A person who wanders from place to place

laggard

n. One who falls behind others because of moving slowly; a straggler

alacrity

n. Promptness in responding; eagerness

sustenance

n. Something that provides nourishment; food needed to live

zenith

n. The highest point, the peak; the point in the sky directly above the observer

monetary

of or relating to money or currency

Adage

An old saying that has come to be accepted as true; a proverb

Camaraderie

Good will and warm feelings among friends

Odoriferous

Having or giving off a smell

Spartan

Marked by simplicity and lack of luxury

Hubbub

Noisy confusion; uproar

Extreneous

Not necessary; irrelevant

Paraphernalia

Personal Belongings

Temporal

Relating to the everyday world as opposed to that which is spiritual or eternal

Regale

To entertain or delight

Meander

To follow a winding course

subjugate

to bring under control' to conquer

lament

to feel or express grief

allude

to refer to in an inderiect way

disseminate

to scatter or spread widely

dote

to show excessive fondness for

implicate

to show to be involved with something, especially something dishonest or illegal

exhort

to urge strongly; to warn or appeal

Wheedle

v. To coax by sly persuasion

deduce

v. To draw a conclusion from given facts

Bewail

v. To express deep regret or sorrow over. "He bewailed that his heart trouble had slowed him down."

Plumb

v. To measure the depth of water; to reach the deepest part of; to solve

traverse

v. To pass over, across, or through

Extol

v. To praise highly

Emancipate

v. To set free from slavery; to liberate

Detract

v. To take away, especially from the value, beauty, or importance of

encumber

v. To weigh down or burden (n. encumbrance)

trauma

1. a severe bodily injury; 2. emotional shock

wanton

1. ignoring what is right; 2. excessive or unrestrained; 3. playful or frolicsome

consecrate

1. to set apart as holy 2. to dedicate to a cause; to devote

Punctilious

Careful of and attentive to details, especially ones relating to good manners and behaivior

Sedentary

Doing or requiring a lot a sitting

Recuperate

To regain health or stregnth

Contend

To struggle with

Wry

Turned or bent to one side in distaste or humor OR Amusing on a quiet but sharp way