English Final

meticulous

"1) Taking or showing extreme care about minute details; precise; thorough.2) Finicky; fussy" Those students who are meticulous in their studies make the best of their education. He had meticulous attention to detail Mary's meticulous attention to graphic design allowed her to excel in class.

resilient

"1)Able to recoil or spring back into shape after bending, stretching, or being compressed.2)Able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions." He was resilient in his search for a prom date despite numerous rejections. On the other hand, ecosystems aren't infinitely resilient. Being extremely resilient, Jhon Simon recovered quickly from his flu-like symptoms after one day. think of noble gases in chemistry, highly resilient

morose

"1)Gloomily or sullenly ill-humored, as a person or mood.2)Characterized by or expressing gloom."Then shortly after James ran away to sea without his parent's leave, so john rota became morose, and sadly did grieve. It is not fair to call him a morose person just because he was depressed when you met him. Sally came back to class with a morose look on her face after she had been caught in her 4th tardy sweep that week.

mitigate

"1)Make less severe, serious, or painful 2)Lessen the gravity of (an offense or mistake)" After Jane's attempt to mitigate her headache she went to the doctor. CEO Smith decided to mitigate work requirments on future employees so take it easier to get a job. The idea is that these options will mitigate privacy concerns. In legal TV shows, they always talk about "mitigating circumstances"

subterranean

": being, lying, or operating under the surface of the earth" A partly subterranean dome about 10 meters in diameter, similar to the hogan of the navajo, was the uniform shelter. subterranean lair to hide hidden horror within. subterranean labyrinth with even vaster tentacles stretching out over the surface of the earth. sub means under so subterranean means under the earth

avatar

"A manifestation of a deity in bodily form on earth.An incarnation, embodiment, or manifestation of a person or idea" Bill Gates has been regarded as an avatar of wealth and charity. In a recent movie, the protagonist becomes an avatar by embodying an artificially grown alien. Robert Lamboy is the last airbender alive to be an avatar of the earth, fire, and water bending powers.

predilection

"A preference or special liking for something; a bias in favor of something." Maya has a predilection for lychee flavored milk tea. Janice had a predilection for president obama, so she voted for him in the 2012 elections. The teacher's predilection towards the girl gave her an A in the class. Dilection sounds like delectible. Delectible refersto something good or something you like.

gratis

"Adjective, Given or done for nothing; free." The women offered me puppies gratis. Then the advice I've poured on you, So full of wisdom and of wit: All given gratis, though 'tis true I might have fairly charged for it - Sylvie and Bruno by Carroll, Lewis I was grateful for the samples given gratis at Costco. the action of showing gratitude (which sounds similar to the word gratis) is free.

soporific

"Anything causing or tending to cause sleep; drowsy Since the warm bath water had made Julie soporific, she decided to take a nap right afterwards. The soporific nature of the lawyer's argument ensured that his client would not win his case. The soporific lecture had most of the professors students asleep before he was halfway done with the lesson "Soporific has the word ""soap"" in it and to get off your soap box means to stop your lecture

industrious

"Diligent and hard-working.(adjective)" The industrious worker got a promotion because of his work ethics. Robert Lamboy's prolific research interests made him an equally industrious writer and editor. Among the more industrious insects, termites may build huge mounds of dirt or clay. Remember "industry". People in the industry work hard. Opposite of indolent.

vindictive

"Having or showing a strong or unreasoning desire for revenge." "She was incredibly vindictive in that vengeful thoughts flew across her mind whenever anyone crossed her. The vindictive woman planned to steal her co-worker's husband and leave him with nothing.

chicanery

"The use of sly language, reasoning etc. to trick or deceive The use of trickery to achieve a political, financial, or legal purpose." He wasn't above using chicanery to win votes. Robert Lamboy, as the current avatar, must always show honor and integrity--therefore, Robert Lamboy will never use chicanery to gain power. Many politicians are known for their use of chicanery; therefore, many people are often wary of trusting them and their claims.

enigma

"a puzzling or inexplicable occurrence; a baffling problem, situation or person, a mystery, somebody or something that is not easily explained or understood " His desire to be a better student is an enigma to me, since he's never even at school. When I read Nancy Drew stories I always find that there is an enigma until I reach the zenith of the story. The math problem remained an enigma as the math teacher was baffled by its complexity. -Elena

affinity

"natural liking for or attraction to a person, thing or idea; close connection" Turk feels an affinity with the dour playwright's style. Darwin's affinity for learning led him to being the father of genetics. There has always been an affinity between us. Affinity sounds similar to infinity. The concept of infinity is scary to many people: few have an affinity for the concept of infinity.

surreptitious

"obtained, done, made, etc., by stealth; secret or unauthorized; clandestine: a surreptitious glance. acting in a stealthy way"

precocious

(of a child) Having developed certain abilities or proclivities at an earlier age than usual. The magnolia tree usually has a precocious flowering; it's flowers blossom before it grows leaves. Felicia, the early bloomer, showed mature and precocious traits generally expressed in older teenagers. The precocious child gave an answer that was far beyond his years. pre= before, Ant Farm Olive

wanton

(of a cruel or violent action) Deliberate and unprovoked. He showed a wanton lack of concern for the suffering of others. The wanton destruction of their home by unruly teenagers left the old couple homeless. The drunken man attacked his female companion, later the officers described it as a wanton attack in the police report. Wanton synonyms are heedless, inconsiderate, dissolute, and immoral.

vignette

A brief evocative description, account, or episode. The signature is flanked by two engraved vignettes each apparently showing an instrument maker at work, surrounded by tools and products.

cognoscente

A connoisseur; a discerning expert. Someone told me that you need to have studied for 10,000 hours to become a cognoscente. My teacher was a cognoscente in her field of study. I wish I was a cognoscente at math because I truly love it. Sounds like connoisseur

recrimination

A counter charge against an accuser; An accusation in response to one from someone else Recriminations flew thick and fast between the feuding neighbours. One employee was so fed up with the constant recrimination between partners that he left the firm. His argument was met with animosity and recrimination.

incursion

A hostile entrance or breach of enemy territory The incursion of the U.N. force in North Korea made the Chinese nervous and resulted in a fierce Chinese counterattack. The United States Army planned an incursion on Iraq's front lines, seeking to end the war. As the ceaseless debate between the Romulans and the Klingons regarding trespassing reached a belligerous stalemate, a sole Vulcan stepped to the stands and unified the parties to peacefully pardon the incursion onto the Klingon Empire. Incursion into a foreign country

lethargy

A lack of energy; sleepiness; state of being dull, listless, drowsy or without energy IB is the spawning pool that festers and evolves lethargy by utilizing specific european formulas that maximize the amount of suffering a young student can endure. In my lethargy, I experience an adrenaline rush and an extreme inclination to make human contact in order to overcome my tiredness. The summer season is the time when the video game industry experiences extreme lethargy as blockbuster releases are pushed back until christmas season by greedy fat cats such as Gabe Newell. I had a friend in the arcade who would always pass out in the corner with the SNES games. His name was Hargy and everybody bothered him by throwing paper at him. So I would say "Let Hargy sleep!".

precedent

A legal decision or form of proceeding serving as an authoritative rule or pattern in future similar or analogous cases. He set a precedent by putting notorious criminals behind bars using a new interpretation of the law. The Supreme Court overturned a ruling previously used as a precedent. Someone who is sporting something they know is fake and is denying to be fake has already setup a precedent in their minds to lie. pre= before and cedent =to yeild ... must yeild to the previous legal decision or form.

propensity

A natural inclination or tendency; a bent; a leaning (noun); An inclination or natural tendency to behave in a particular way. Risk propensity variable indicates agent's inclination to carry out investments Natural propensity to war is the motive force in primitive societies only. This man has the propensity to be startled by loud noises because he grew up in a bad neighborhood.

xenophobe

A person who fears or hates foreigners, strange customs, etc. (noun) The xenophobic man trembled as the foreigners wondered across the boardwalk on which he was standing. In times of economic hardship, many people irrationally act as xenophobes, blaming foreigners and immigrants for their financial troubles or unemployment. Although James denied being a xenophobe, his contempt for all foreigners was obvious. "Xeno- different or foreigner.Phobe- irrational fear. Opposite of xenophile."

aficionado

A person who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about an activity, subject, or pastime. Like his father, he had always been a jazz aficionado, and had a collection of original recordings. Arnold Schwarzenegger is an aficionado of fine cigars. afictionado sounds like affection-ado so the person has a lot of affection for something

nirvana

A place/condition of great peace and bliss; the final beatitude (Hinduism, Buddhism), A transcendent state in which there is neither suffering, desire, nor sense of self, and the subject is released from the effects Juan pictures heaven as being a state of nirvana, free of any worries or hardships. Contentment, satisfaction, bliss, paradise - coffee nirvana is an exceptional range of premium Australian arabica coffee.

quarantine

A strict isolation in order to prevent the spread of disease; a period of 40 days of detention or isolation. Where contact has occurred animals should enter quarantine on return to the farm. The sick child was placed in quarantine so that other children wouldn't get sick. Cuarenta / Quarant means 40, which is the traditional length of a quarantine

ramification

A subdivision of a complex structure or process, A consequence of an action or event, esp. when complex or unwelcome The boy cheated on his homework without stopping to consider the ramifications. The judge had no idea of the ramifications of his actions when he ruled against the majority. One of the ramifications after my mom changed job was that she came home really late at night every day. The consequence of messing with a ram is being headbutted.

epiphany

A sudden, intuitive perception of or insight, A Christian festival When I saw my 1st grade teacher walk out to her car after one school day, I had the sudden epiphany that teachers don't actually live at school. The writer's epiphany allowed him to write in one day the words that had eluded him for a year. The incident was something of an epiphany; the young journalist was inspired by the way Fleet Street reported the case.

paradigm

A system of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality. Ever since the merger of the two companies, their marketing department has operated in a new paradigm in order to gain the approval of tbe general public. Most Christians agree that the ten commandments are a great paradigm for whoever would like to be closer to God. The economic paradigm of communism has not worked very well in practice, although it sounded terrific when Marx first presented it. Think of "para" in "paragraph" ; and how in an english paragraph of writing it is full of assumptions and concepts.

palpable

Able to be touched or felt. There was a palpable connection when the blade of the skates skidded across the ice. There was a palpable sense of panic when the explosions occurred in the background. The tension in the room was palpable as the husband was waiting for news of the baby's delivery. Palpable sounds like the palm of your hand, which you can use to touch.

extrasensory

Adjective, seemingly outside normal sensory channels The dog's extrasensory gifts helped its owner to find the ghost inside their house. The wizard was well known for his extrasensory powers! The psychic's extrasensory foretellings helped to guide Micheal towards choosing a different path. Extrasensory- an extra sense that normal people dont have compared to witches and psychichs etc.

interjection

An abrupt remark, made esp. as an aside or interruption. The toddler continued to make interjections throughout the dinner conversation. I made an immediate interjection at the sophomore's remark that IB classes are easy. Kanye West's controversial interjection at the MTV Video Music Awards was heavily offensive towards Taylor Swift. ugh! and wow! are both interjections

insurrection

An act of revolt against civil authority or an established government During the Mexican Revolution, the government had to deal with a major insurrection that lasted for many years. Previous insurrections in the neighborhood have caused many citizens to become skeptical. There was a report of a insurrection by the White House this morning due to the recent increase in tarriffs insurrect sounds like incorrect, and if something is incorrect, there must be change.

ambiance

An environment or its distinct atmosphere; a feeling or mood associated with a particular place, person or thing (noun) The wind chimes tinkling made soothing ambiance for relaxation. The gentle music, soft lighting and table candles created a very romantic ambience for the restaurant. Reclaimed furniture adds a unique charm to the ambiance of a home.

portend

Be a sign or warning that is likely to happen Sean's suicide attempt portended his actual suicide that occurred in May of 2002. George's lack of response portends his imminent death. The cloudy sky portends rain. por= forward ...a warning for the future or forward

ubiquitous

Being everywhere, esp. at the same time; omnipresent Caught between ubiquitous marketing and conflicting science, many consumers can't tell what to believe. Televisions have become ubiquitous in houses today. God is thought to be ubiquitous, answering the countless prayers of people. The word ubiquitous, meaning "being everywhere, especially at the same time", hails from the Latin word ubique, meaning everywhere.

nihilism

Belief that there is no basis for truth, and all existence is senseless (noun); The rejection of all religious and moral principles, often in the belief that life is meaningless. From the point of view of nihilism, any behavior is acceptable since no rules of ethics exist. Many people people believe in nihilism instead of following a religion because it make more sense to them that life is meaningless. The boy refused to accept any religious teaching and often displayed nihilism. denial, atheism, nonbelief

unctuous

Characteristic of a salve or ointment; oily; greasy; excessively suave or smug (adjective) ; 1.(of a person) Excessively or ingratiatingly flattering; oily: "anxious to please in an unctuous way" he seemed anxious to please but not in an unctuous way Lucy ate french fries with a fork because she did not like the unctuous texture of the fries The head cheerleader made an unctuous effort to get the geeks to give her their prom queen votes. unctous sounds like unconscience, kiss ups flatter others in a unconsciencely

rigorous

Characterized by rigid severity; precise; severely exact (adjective) " Equally schools must be equipped to deliver students who can benefit from anacademically rigorous system." The rigorous task of completing all the missing assignments for the student was just too much to handle that they ended up dropping the class. Most people can agree that the IB program offers many rigorous and challenging courses. Similar to "stringent" IB LYF3

alacrity

Cheerful willingness; eagerness, speediness In times of need, he was known for his alacrity in quickly offering assistance. The disinterested workers were sluggish in their efforts, displaying no alacrity whatsoever. The boy jumped up and down with alacrity as he inched closer to the candy store.

sanguine

Cheerfully optimistic, hopeful or confident; reddish; ruddy (adjective) The temperamental artist refused the color of her collection be called rusty red and instead insisted it be called sanguine. Sanguin rhymes with penguin. Penguins are cheerfully optimistic

querulous

Complaining like a child. A combination of being grouchy and irritated and exerting that on others. She became querulous with her tenants because they had failed to make last month's rent. The toddler started to become querulous when she did not get the toy she wanted. Ms. Gonzales became querulous and annoyed when I did not complete my homework. Querulous has first three letters as Queen -> queen who bosses people around

incessant

Continuing without interruption. The screech of the baby seemed incessant while i was trying to sleep. The incessant chatter of the teenage girls made Zac Efron want to punch a wall. The incessant noise of the school's construction impeded my attention to the Psychology test. "Cease" means to stop

fallacious

Deceptive; logically unsound; misleading Tales about werewolves, vampires or witches are fallacious stories that people believe in. I laugh at anyone who is suckered by the fallacious infomercial of the Neck Basket; it is clearly not an effective kitchen implement. The gravity of the problem has been masked over the years by a series of fallacious arguments. Sounds like "false".

deviate

Depart from an established course Don't deviate from your original idea of taking courses this semester. Owing to road construction, we had no choice but to deviate from our usual path. The fund may well deviate from the index in coming years — but for now, it's probably not worth what you're paying.

devious

Departing from the most direct way; circuitous; roundabout (adjective) In Pretty Little Liars, A is known for her devious plans. His devious plan to secretly achieve world domination was foiled by Wonder Woman. What she uncovers is a devious plot that involves greed and an intolerance of the homeless and the elderly.

arbitrary

Depending on choice or discretion rather than defined by law; based on opinion, preference or whim (adjective) The government had a tendency to remain arbitrary in its policies, not to mention corrupt. I don't know why I chose that one; it was a completely arbitrary decision. A constant topic in TOK is whether knowledge is concrete or arbitrary.

reprehensible

Deserving rebuke or censure; blameworthy Your behavior towards the other team was truly reprehensible, so you're being suspended from the next three games. The boy's reprehensible conduct at the lecture caused his teacher to send him outside. The manner in which they acted in the store was so reprehensible that they were baned. Is like "blameable", opposite of "praiseworthy"

vacuous

Empty; lacking in or showing a lack of ideas, content, substance or intelligence; purposeless (adjective) My mind was vacuous when I was asked to write a sentence using the word vacuous Whenever I drink, my mind would suddenly become vacuous The professor never lost patience with the many vacuous questions from his students.

assent

Express approval or agreement(Noun) The assent of the entire legislative body allowed the measure to pass. There was a murmur of assent among the crowd after the president gave his proposal. Giving her a thumbs up was his sign of assent for her to go to the ball. assent, agrement and apporval all start with the letter a with similair meanings.Synonym from list: concour

benevolent

Expressing goodwill or kind feelings to others (adjective) It was a benevolent stranger who found my lost purse and returned it with its contents intact. Although at times students may fail to realize it, Capuchino's staff is exceedingly benevolent towards its students and hopes to see them succeed. The same benevolent gentleman left a further sum of $1,000 to be divided among the poor. beneficent = nice, generous

penitent

Feeling or showing sorrow and regret for having done wrong; feeling or expressing pain (sorrow) for sin (misdeeds) and disposed to atonement Crying artificial tears, Michael kneeled before the altar and confessed his sins, although he wasn't really penitent. After robbing the bank, the thief felt penitent and returned everything he stole. The man felt penitent after not going to church on Sunday; however, he had done nothing to have the feeling of guilt go away. Penitent is another way of feeling guilty. Think of always borrowing someones "pen or pencil" and feeling guilty after forgetting to give it back.

resolute

Firmly set in purpose or opinion; determined; characterized by firmness; earnest (adjective) Make no mistake about it, our new CEO is resolute in his determination to turn this company around. The opponent was so resolute in winning the match, that they risked getting injured in the process. Resolute to be the best there ever was, Pokemon Master Banerjee challenged and defeated Gary Oak in a surprisingly volatile battle that lasted late into the warm summer night. resolute to solve a problem is the predecessor to a resolution

candid

Frank or outspoken; free from reservation or disguise He took this time to be very candid about his divorce from his wife. The teacher wasn't candid when she was explaining why the child was failing the class. It would have been better if she had told the complete and unvarnished truth. The photographer was well known for taking candid pictures of people doing everyday things.

rapacious

Given to plundering; taking by force; inordinately greedy; predatory (adjective); Aggressively greedy or grasping: "rapacious landlords". Insurance companies are rapacious and are not in the business of optimizing care. Rapacious characters can be seen in the upper class of the Great Gatsby. The rapacious Robert Lamboy chased the aging zebra for only a few minutes before the zebra became a delicious memory. Rapacious reminds me of raptor. Raptors are mean and greedy.

pendulous

Hanging down loosely The pendulous swing soothed the boy as he swung in the pasture . The pendulous flowers looked like they were dead. In the forest there are pendulous branches everywhere. Like a pendant

fortuitous

Happening by accident or chance rather than design; happening by a lucky chance; fortunate Finding a dollar in the street proved to be fortuitous because the woman realized at the bus stop she had forgotten her wallet. Long ago, Britney had a fortuitous meeting with a talent scout which helped her become a star. Sounds like "fortune", which indicates something happening by chance.

redolent

Having a pleasant odor; fragrant; odorous; Strongly smelling of something Regardless of the use of air freshener, the house was still redolent of onions. Since it was close to a chocolate factory, the neighborhood was always redolent of sweet smells of chocolate. "All gorse flowers have a rich perfume redolent of the coconut chips sweets of our childhood.

recalcitrant

Having an obstinately uncooperative attitude toward authority. "The recalcitrant student had to serve seven dean detentions for the way he was acting. " The recalcitrant villain wasn't going to explain why he killed all those people. Mules are known for being recalcitrant. The opposite of a calculator that would follow your commands.

cognizant

Having knowledge or being aware of I was cognizant of the effects that the IB programme was putting on me yet I continued in my classes. The man was cognizant of the shadowy figure behind him, yet continued on his waY home. I was cognizant of the baseball that was about to hit my face but since my reflexes were very slow, it hit me and I soon developed a brain injury.

disdain

Having or showing care and conscientiousness in one's work or duties. She expressed disdain at the adulation the industry gives to beauty over talent, blaming it on the influence of the academy awards. I hold much disdain towards the blatant oppression of women present in today's music. The mother showed disdain after finding out her son failed the sixth grade again.

diligent

Having or showing care and conscientiousness in one's work or duties. The employee was promoted because she had proven she was a diligent worker. The girl learned to be a diligent worker by watvhing her manager perform tasks. Unfortunately, not all his students are so diligent or so capable as their tutor Synonym:meticulous

erudite

Having or showing great knowledge or learning. They tend to opt for very erudite books which some of us find unreadable. It is dazzlingly and sometimes obscurely erudite yet with a clear and coherent argument that challenges our current commonsense views about communication. "Although experienced and erudite, the professor did not communicate well with his students. Erudite is derived from the Latin rudtus, "to instruct." Erudite is the opposite of untaught and unrefined. Erudite is a more sophisticated word for commenting on a person's intelligence.

unscrupulous

Having or showing no moral principles; not honest or fair. The unscrupulous realtor manipulated them into selling their home for practically nothing. The man didnt see what was wrong with drinking and driving because of his unscrupulous manner.

perceptive

Having or showing sensitive insight The teacher's perceptive gaze over the class caused them to stay attentive to the lesson. Ricardo is very perceptive when he is critiquing others' artwork. The perceptive author writes novels that shows many details of his life. If you percieve things in many different lights, then you may be perceptive;

plausible

Having the appearance of truth, reliability or reason The student had a plausible excuse for when he was late to class this morning. It's a plausible explanation for the demise of that prehistoric species. "While this is intuitively plausible, it has never actually been proven.from latin plausibilis - "worthy of applause." If someone is trustworthy/believable the things they say may seem plausible to you- you trust them enough to be the truth or sensible.

incorrigible

Incapable of being corrected or reformed, often used for minor infractions I tried to keep my dog from peeing in the house, but the habit turned out to be incorrigible. "You're incorrigible," said the teacher to the student who was late the fifth day in a row. I tried to stop biting my nails but it's an incorrigible habit. The prefix "in-" means not and "corrigible" sounds like correctable - not correctable.

deleterious

Injurious to health; having a harmful effect; Harmful, dangerous to one's health in a subtle or unexpected way. Pollution has deleterious effects on our environment. Smoking imposes harm to many avid users, but what are often least recognized are the deleterious effects of intaking second hand smoke. The CBA recognizes that chemicals in the environment can have an extremely deleterious effect on human health, habitats and wildlife. Is the opposite of innocuous

ostentatious

Intended to attract notice. Usually has a negative connotation, tacky or overly ornate or gaudy. Characterized by a pretentious show in order to impress Kim Kardashian has a reputation for ostentatious clothing choices because many believe she is an attention seeker. Jay Gatsby can be considered ostentatious due to his flashy parties. The ostentatious woman wore a golden necklace , a pair of diamond earrings, a pair high heels, and a giant fur coat on her way to the local grocery store. Latin root ostendere means "to display, to show"

insidious

Intended to entrap or beguile; enticing but harmful; seductive (adj.) The stalker was insidious in his attempts to reach his victim and outwit the police The spy began to set his insidious plan to action, waiting to trap the suspect The pack of wolves were insidious in their attempt to kill the hog. "insid-" trap inside

jocular

Jovial and playful; humorous; full of fun (adjective) The jocular student played a prank on one of his friends by switching his notebook with a magazine solely about Sarah Palin. The child had a very jocular nature, never being the type to whine or cry about anything, he always had a smile on his face and a joke on his tongue. The woman's friends always told her that her jocular nature would make her the prefect comedian The beginning of jocular contains "joke" and jocular is something that is characterized with joking or humor

tenuous

Lacking a sound basis; weak; flimsy Their tenuous relationship would not survive the trials of raising seven children in a two bedroom house The link between deodorant that contains aluminum and breast cancer is tenuous. After suffering a damaging blow to the head, the boy found his grip upon reality to be tenuous. You can say that most IB Diploma students have, at best, a tenuous grasp on their health and sanity.

hackneyed

Lacking significance through having been overused; made commonplace or trite; banal Bob was disappointed in the plot of the film because of the hackneyed storyline that had no surprises. The plot of the play was so hackneyed that the audience was able to predict the outcome of each event. The teacher didn't like the hackneyed use of the pretentious and cliched words the student was saying.

reclusive

Living in seclusion; shut off or apart from the world Our neighbor is so reclusive, we rarely see her empty the trash The old man in Up became reclusive after the death of his wife. The young man was reclusive during his high school days. "clu" is also in "include"; not included, away from others

emulate

Match or surpass (a person or achievement), typically by imitation. Some artists learn by emulating the style of their teachers. I was able to achieve my goals by emulating the mannerisms of my role model. The child struggled to emulate the actions of the dance instructor. copy cat ----> cause that what you call people that copy stuff you do

obscure

Not clear or plain; ambiguous, vague, or uncertain; hard to perceive; nebulous; meaning not clear or plain The radio station is known for playing music by obscure bands instead of big-name pop artists. I find the meaning behind modern art to be very obscure, taking a lot of analyzing in the field to really acquire an interpretation. Most years, because of their brief duration, moonlight or cloudy conditions obscure the show. Opaque means not clear, murky, which is a similar definition to obscure, and both of them start with an "o".

facetious

Not meant to be taken seriously or literally; concerned with something amusing or frivolous; treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant He was such a facetious person it was difficult to take him seriously. The couple facetiously discussed installing a GPS chip in their baby's heel. I was being facetious when I told you to keep that gun in case of a zombie invasion

reticent

Not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily Having been through a bad breakup that left her emotionally scarred, she was reticent in future encounters with men whom act friendly around her. The accused serial killer was reticent in revealing his true motives for the slaughter of many innocent pedestrians around the town park. Lacking in early exposure social environments, the toddler showed reticent qualities in everyday conversations. like a mix of reserved, hesitant and silent. Not many tips can be given for this word. SORRY

exposition

Noun, A comprehensive description and explanation of an idea or theory Before presenting his idea to the film maker he made an exposition of his story that he spent hours on. The professor gave his exposition on his theory about space. An exposition describing "isms" was very effective. Exposition is exposing the details of an event.

genealogy

Noun, A line of descent traced continuously from an ancestor As the girl was looking through her genealogy, she found out that she was distant cousins with her best friend. Ricky was fascinated in the genealogy of his family tree. The poor lady wanted to look at her whole genealogy to see if she could get any inheritance. Sounds like "genes", which you get from your parents(ancestors)

expulsion

Noun, The action of depriving someone of membership in an organization My friend's constant truancies were the reasons that lead to her expulsion. The student repetitively cheated on her math tests which resulted in her expulsion. If a teenager is defiant with the attendance policies, it will lead to their expulsion. Expulsion, has "puls" in it, a pulse involves moving something out.

genesis

Noun, The origin or mode of formation of something Scientists are currently studying the genesis of Neanderthals. The genesis of man is a highly controversial topic. The genesis of my high school life was scary because I was a confused freshman. Genesis is the first book in the bible in which explains the formation/creation of the world.

esprit

Noun, The quality of being lively, vivacious, or witty My mother's esprit influenced me to travel the world and enjoy life. My friend's esprit was perfect for helping him get the role in the play he auditioned for. The young teenager lived freely and was full of esprit. esprit - extra spirit (lively)

gratification

Noun, state of being gratified or satisfied I felt gratification as I received an award for my charity work. The gratification he received for helping those orphans was unparalleled to any he had gained from making his fortune. Students do not receive gratification for putting little effort into work.

embryonic

Of an organism prior to birth or hatching But without agreement, further development and then commercial mass software production, the concept remains embryonic. As of 2013,the plan is still in a very embryonic stage, but I hope it will grow. The imprinting phenotype a generally involve early embryonic, fetal or neonatal lethality, and alterations in fetal and placental growth. Think of embryo which is in the womb or embryonic stem cells which come from premature fetus

impetuous

Of great energy and impatience; characterized by sudden or rash action or emotion (adjective); marked by impulsive vehemence or passion I impetuously shoved the man who had been impeding the flow of the line. The impetuous student ran around and screamed frantically until the teacher posted the grades of the report. The impetuous girls jumped into the lake before reading the "Hazard" sign. "impulsive" is a synonym of impetuous, which means to do something without thought.

rudimentary

Of or pertaining to the beginning or first principles; undeveloped; primitive Though she had read several books on quantum physics, she still had only a rudimentary grasp on the subject. I am in IB Spanish even though my speaking skills are rudimentary. His rudimentary knowledge of how to run a company did not prevent him from attempting to take over as CEO, albeit a clumsy one. Rudimentary rhymes with elementary.

precipitous

Of the nature of a situation of great peril; extremely steep (adjective) ; dangerously high or steep There was a precipitous rise in the number of people on swim team after they heard how well the team was doing last season. The precipitous rise in unemployment signified that the economy would soon be in ruins. There has been a precipitous decline in home sales recently.

mundane

Of this world or earth; not heavenly; secular (adjective); Of, relating to, or typical of this world; secular. Grandma's deep faith and appreciation of life help her to approach even the most mundane tasks with a happy heart. Although I did not have time for this assignment, I had to keep my mundane routine of getting things done in Ms. Horton's class People were annoyed because the girl often made a big deal of her mundane problems.

precursor

One that precedes and indicates, suggests, or announces someone or something to come The permit test was a precursor to the horrible and intimidating driving license exam. The chorus served as a precursor to the upcoming acts to control the pace of the play. The flowers are blooming, a precursor of spring. omen or a sign a fortune teller

indigenous

Originating in and characteristic of a particular region or country; native (adjective) The plants are indigenous are to Canada. As the scientists studied the asteroid that had recently hit the Earth, the found that it was indigenous of the moon. The indigenous people of Brazil rioted against the government tearing down the Amazon Forest areas of which they've lived for as long as they've remembered. Indigenous peoples are those that lived in the nation before everyone, which is where there origins are.

spontaneous

Performed or occurring without premeditation or external stimulus This will not be an entirely spontaneous occasion: a program will be compiled about a week ahead. There was a spontaneous applause in the middle of the play that made no sense to the director, tech crew, or the cast. "Spontaneous applause breaks out at the end of several of his appeals."

aesthetic

Pertaining to a sense of beauty in nature and art (adjective) There are practical as well as aesthetic reasons for planting trees. The aesthetics of the Apparatus appealed solely to the Officer and his evil/good twin Dick Cheney. Teenagers chose clothes based on their aesthetic principles, which often differ from those of their parents. Aesthetic sounds like pathetic, but is very different: Aesthetic objects look pleasing, unlike pathetic ugly ones.

refutable

Proving to be false or erroneous (opinion or charge); questionable They had him arrested for suspicion and took him to jail since his argument that he was innocent was refutable. By focusing on the suspect's motive, Columbo always discovered eventually that the suspect's alibi was refutable. refute means to rebut, which is to prove something

inquisitive

Questioning; eager to learn; given to examination (adjective) The inquisitive child was a delight to teach. The teacher could see inquisitive faces looking outside at the five police cars that zoomed down the street He went to the library to study more on the topic of ancient Rome, for he was feeling quite inquisitive. Opposite of indifferent.

conciliatory

Regaining goodwill or favor; tending to placate The conciliatory tone of his voice showed that he was ready to end our disagreement. After fighting with his girlfriend, he sent her a conciliatory bouquet of flowers. Rather than further irritating the angry customer, the waitress made a conciliatory offer to provide a free dessert. synonyms: yielding, appeasing, civil

pertinent

Relevant; relating directly and significantly to the matter at hand He impressed the jury with his concise, pertinent answers to the attorney's questions. The student's use of pertinent examples in his essay scored him a high grade. He'd sifted through the entire file cabinet to find evidence or records for the murder, but after hours of search found nothing pertinent to the case. Latin root -tent, maening "hold"; something that "holds" to the matter at hand.

compulsory

Required by law or a rule; obligatory. If we make the meeting compulsory, there is no way i can be excused for being absent. School has continued to be compulsory, despite the fact that these last few weeks have been pointless. It is not compulsory for citizens to register to vote, but it is highly encouraged. synonyms: obligatory, mandatory, compulsive, forced, coercive

analogous

Resembling; similar in biological function but different in structure and origin; showing a likeness permitting one to draw an inference (adjective) Such funds, although legally constituted as trusts, were generally regarded as analogous to guarantee funds rather than trust funds. On-line learning is sometimes considered to be analogous to classroom learning, but there are differences. "sounds like analogy:Hand is to finger as foot is to toe."

complacent

Self-satisfied; unconcerned; content to a fault; Showing smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements The strong economy has made people complacent about the struggles of the poor. It is unethical for Americans to remain complacent with the current meat industry's disregarding of the treatment of animals in their facilities. Picky eaters are never complacent about their food, they always have comments or criticisms. synonyms: pleased, satisfied, unconcerned

diverse

Showing a great deal of variety Indeed, the more microscopic biology gets, the more diverse it becomes. Larger cities, such as San Francisco, have a much more diverse population then out in the country California has a culturally diverse population.

obsequious

Showing servile complaisance or deference; fawning; sycophantic (adjective); Obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree One minute he is noisy and arrogant, the next he is obsequious and sly. The staff is charming and superb, being attentive without being obsequious. His sales pitch was so obsequious, I was turned off, and I went across the street and bought it from another store. Similar to "unctuous" as it is often seen as "sucking up"

terse

Sparing in the use of words; abrupt:; abrupt, brief and unfriendly, often conveying annoyance The waitress was very terse with the patrons after repeated requests for additional service. Ms. Horton's instructions were very terse after the class' disruptive behavior. Mr. Darcy's terseness at various social gatherings did not help him further his relationship with Elizabeth. Without the aid of tone and facial expression, many messages sent online or through text can unintentionally come off as terse and unwelcoming.

ostensible

Stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so. The ostensible reason for the cancellation of the party was the weather, but in reality, it was because the host ran out of money. Her ostensible purpose was borrowing sugar, but she really wanted to see the new furniture. The ostensible reason why Ahab did not go on board of the whaler we had spoken was this: the wind and sea betokened storms. Latin: "ostens" - to stretch in view of

intermittent

Stopping or ceasing for a time The thunderstorm went through a brief intermittent in which the sun was finally seen. The intermittent noise was more irritating than a constant barrage of sound would have been. During the summer, there are intermittent dust storms in the desert. *inter*mittent, *inter*vals

capricious

Subject to changing one's mind without much thought; erratic; whimsical , Given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior The capricious student would one week do his homework diligently and the next week pretend it didn't exist. Alaska weather is capricious, ranging from rainy and cold to sunny and hot ― sometimes all in the same day. The capricious dog could not decide whether to stay inside or not.

inception

The beginning of something, such as an undertaking; a commencement. The inception of the wedding was beautiful. Leonardo DiCaprio opposed the opening of the Titanic Museum at its inception. The IB dancers slowly twirled on stage at the inception of the dance show. The synonym for inception is beginning

reparation

The making of amends for a wrong one has done, by paying money to or otherwise helping those who have been wronged. Time to make reparation for the damage we made. The government give houses to the people who lost their homes in a fire as a reparation. The judge ordered the defendant to pay a reparation to the victim for his crime. reparation --> repar --> sounds like "repair" and repair means to fix something that is not working right or has gone wrong.

alchemy

The medieval forerunner of chemistry, based on the supposed transformation of matter, esp. that of base metals into gold. These impure materials could be transmuted by alchemy into the perfection of gold. Early experimenters with alchemy were able to create chemical compounds by trial and error. Through a process of legal alchemy known as double billing, lawyers can make two into four. (metaphorical use) Al*chem*y >> *chem*istry

abstract

Thought of apart from concrete realities, specific objects or actual instances (adjective) Jackson Pollack's painting symbolized deeper meaning through abstract splatters of paint. Jackson Pollack is famous for his abstract splash style art in which he literally takes his brush and flicks it at the canvas. Even though I was thrilled to be invited to the art gallery, all those ABSTRACT paintings were so unrealistic that I was confused by the lack of definite imagery.

impound

To confine or seize (a vehicle, stray animal, etc.) Vehicles parked on non parking areas will be impounded and fined $5,000. When the man refused to pay his traffic tickets his car was impounded. A new policy at Capuchino allows for the administration to impound any electronic devices suspected of unlawful actions. The synonym for impound is seize. Meaning to stop something.

ingratiate

To deliberately gain favor or gratification by personal effort. Usually has a negative "kissing up" connotation The arrogant student desired to ingratiate herself with the teacher by showering her with presents in order to gain an A in the class. Robert Lamboy tried to ingratiate himself with his father so that he could go running at 3 A.M. The student tried to ingratiate himself with his teacher over all his other classmates by working hard, staying quiet, paying attention, and buying her expensive bracelets. One of several words that relate to "sucking up" such as "unctuous" and "obsequious"

exonerate

To free from a charge; to declare blameless (verb) In the judgment, all participants were totally exonerated except the BBC, which was at fault in the phone hacking scandal. Pontius Pilate wanted to exonerate Jesus Christ from cruxification, but the people refused. During denazification trials after World War II, individuals not committed to Nazi ideologies or Jewish extermination but who followed with no resistance, known as Mitläufer, were unable to be exonerated and found de facto guilty. excuse (of guilt)/exonerate

remonstrate

To reason or plead in protest, objection or complaint ; Make a forcefully reproachful protest Although he continued to remonstrate against the unfairness of the hearing, the committee ruled against him. The students will remonstrate the Principal's decision to cancel the Senior prom night. The coach remonstraded with the referee because the boy recieved a yellow card. remonstrate sounds like "demonstrate" and a protest is sometimes called a "demonstation"

expedite

To speed up the progress of; accelerate; perform promptly To expedite the approval process, you can apply online. Instead of proofreading my work, I used the grammar and spell check tools on Word to expedite the process. The company will expedite shipment of the replacement part to all affected users. "PED" refers to feet and it follows after it, it reminds me of the phrase, "floor it!" which means to accelerate

squander

To spend or use extravagantly, lavishly or wastefully (verb) Robert Lamboysquandered his life savings on fast cars and women. The old man squandered all his money on an infomercial advesrtising an potion that would make anyone live forever.

oscillate

To swing backward and forward like a pendulum. To vary between opposing beliefs, feelings, or theories A fan oscillates to blow air throughout the whole room The metronome pendulum's oscillations were hypnotic. The jury's opinion seemed to oscillate daily. "Oscillate" rhymes with "fluctuate"

inevitable

Unable to be avoided, evaded or escaped; certain (adjective) When our son gets married, it is INEVITABLE that the wedding party and guests will be overjoyed to celebrate the romantic occasion. Although they had been avoiding each other at school, the confrontation between Robert Lamboy and Nathan Villavicencio was inevitable. Though the people of the village took precautionary measures the storm's destruction of the church was inevitable remember "evade", "in" = not

integrity

Uncompromising adherence to moral and ethical principles. Those who tell the truth and have morals have a strong sense of integrity. An individual's integrity can be greatly tested by the possible obstacles and temptations that challenge it in a difficult situation. Jonny's integrity was never in question when asked to tell the truth. Integrity comes from the Greek words 'integritas' and 'integra' meaning whole

eccentric

Unconventional; deviating from accepted practice (adjective); A person of unconventional and slightly strange views or behavior. Its delightfully eccentric design will appeal to unconventional people who enjoy the unusual. My next door neighbor, an eccentric old man, believes he is a superhero and occasionally spends his afternoons running through the city in a cape. Perhaps most eccentric of all, a professor in our math department taught his dog the essentials of calculus. synonyms: bizarre, unusual

abject

Utterly hopeless, miserable, or humiliating (adj.) Gatsby's attempt to win Daisy was ultimately an abject failure. A feeling of abject despair hit him when he realized that he no longer had any pencil lead. To salvage his grade would be an abject goal. Syn: Futile Ant: Palpable

extricate

Verb. To free or release from entaglement; disengage To extricate someone from a dangerous situation Several survivors were extricated from the wreckage. They extricated the tractor from the mud. Think of the extratory system: getting rid of waste, excreting out of the body, removal.

pandemonium

Wild disorder or confusion. There was absolute pandemonium when the fire alrams rang. Stores during Black Friday endure the crazy pandemonium of customers in a mad rush for goods. Yelling out "fire!" in an unecessary situation will create a mass pandemonium that can end up with people getting injured. Think of pandemic. Negative connotation.

incognito

With one's identity hidden, disguised or unknown (adjective) The celebrity signed into the motel under an alias, as it was necessary that he arrive incognito. Sherlock Holmes had a talent for manufacturing brilliant costumes that would allow him to investigate incognito. The NY Stock broker was incognito as a fur trader from Brazil. Incognito and recognize both ave "cogni" and they both refer to identification. The prefix "in-" means not.

destitute

Without having the basic necessities of life/not having When she was left destitute by her husband's death, she took up juggling as a profession The workhouse was a last resort for destitute families. A iron-bound door led into an adjoining cell, wholy destitute of light. Destitute sounds like "death". Therefore, not having life.

indifferent

Without interest or concern; not caring; neutral (adjective) The worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that's the essence of inhumanity. He sounded utterly indifferent to the arguments presented against him. "She sat without a word, seemingly indifferent to my presence.This does NOT mean "not different"

superficial

a : concerned only with the obvious or apparent : shallow b : seen on the surface : external c : presenting only an appearance without substance or significance They had a superficial knowledge of the topic. The burns on his hand were superficial and soon healed.

novice

a beginner; person who is new to a work place or situation An example of a novice is a student teacher. The new senator was a novice in politics; it's hard to see how she got elected. I had attempted to make the table myself but, being a novice carpenter, I required help. New and novice both start with "n".

projectile

a body projected or impelled forward, as through the air The wind was so strong that it changed the projectile of the arrows during the archery competition. In the midst of war, the enemies fired a projectile that penetrated our fortress. the rock was a projectile that eventually hit its target Magic Missile is a classic RPG spell that is a magic based projectile.

malaise

a condition of general bodily weakness or discomfort, often marking the onset of a disease. "Mal" means badly in French and Spanish

progeny

a descendant or offspring, as a child, plant, or animal. My progeny will take over the throne once I die. Yao Ming's progeny will most likely be extremely tall. Her progeny is likely to inherit her big blue eyes.

remission

a diminution of the seriousness or intensity of disease or pain; temporary recovery Her cancer went into remission, leading to a more healthy young woman. In some patients the cancer treatment can induce long-term remission. After years of chemotherapy and multiple surgeries, she was told by her doctors that she is now is remission. remission sounds similar to reminisce. Reminisce = thinking of past events. Past events were normal/healthy.

trepidation

a feeling of fear or agitation about something that may happen The woman's paranoid trepidation led to her being institutionalized. Shaking with trepidation, I stepped into the old abandoned house. A feeling of trepidation overcame him as he agreed to the lifechanging business deal. TREpidation=TREmble with fear, as if nervous about something

reverence

a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe The small child showed reverence to his wise grandfather. After single-handedly winning the game by destroying the nexus of the enemy team's power, Alec Tablante was shown great reverence from his peers. The students gathered around the war memorial with a sense of awe and reverence the word 'revere' means to give respect. *rever(e)*ance

juggernaut

a massive inexorable force, campaign, movement, or object that crushes whatever is in its path The corporate juggernaut absorbed all of the companies attempting to compete. There was no escaping the juggernaut of hype for the studio's biggest summer blockbuster. "The army was unstoppable, a juggernaut; nothing could halt its advance."

bourgeois

a member of the middle class The early 19th century bourgeois fear of the ' dangerous classes ' now returned as the fear of the growing ' underclass.' The bourgeois ideologies was only an effect of the power of the media.

raconteur

a person skilled in telling stories Comedians are raconteurs who love to entertain people and make them laugh until they start crying. My cousin is an eloquent raconteur who can entertain my cousins for hours by telling stories. Listening to the raconteur's words, I began to picture a vivid image of that scene with ease. raconteur may sound similar to rack on telling stories

proponent

a person who advocates a theory, proposal, or project Charles Darwin is the main proponent of the theory of natural selection. The former teacher was a proponent of the idea that a sound education would help people to achieve a better life. The former teacher was a proponent of the idea that a sound education would help people to achieve a better life. Pro- po-nent: Being a "pro" making theories.

virtuoso

a person who has special knowledge or skill in a field; a person who has a cultivated appreciation of artistic excellence, as a connoisseur or collector of objects of art,antiques, etc The virtuoso performing Beethoven's ninth symphony had no musical errors and flowed gracefully along with the strings and winds sections of the orchestra. Julian was one of the most talented classical keyboard virtuosos of his generation. "Hawthorne—like Poe—became a kind of virtuoso in the fiction of the inner life: the only novelist from New England as subtle as Emerson and Dickinson.virtue - goodness & ose/oso- having quality of

connoisseur

a person who is especially competent to pass critical judgments in an art, particularly one of the fine arts, or in matters of taste

dilettante

a person who takes up an art, activity, or subject merely for amusement, especially in a desultory or superficial way; dabbler. The man said he was an expert in painting, but he was clearly a dilettante The dillettante's casual view of drawing angered his friend, who was a professional artist The dilettante technician failed to fix his TV, as he wasn't trained "Similar to dilettare, which is Italian for delight"

emissary

a representative sent on a mission or errand I was the official emissary in the family who was always required to go out and get some toilet paper whenever we ran out. Han Solo sent Chewbacca as an emissary to the supermarket so he could buy some cookies and lactose free milk for their sleepover. The emissary was sent to negotiate the treaty between the two countries. spies --> the go on missions

sacrilege

a violation of anything holy; a profanation;blasphemy Charles Darwin committed sacrilege when he first presented his theory of natural selection. The idea of having marriage between two people of the same sex was considered sacrilege to the conservation person Robert Lamboy's many divorce requests to the pope was considered a sacrilege, attributing to his excommunication from the Catholic Church.

apathy

absence or suppression of passion, emotion or excitement; indifference The scientist showed apathy for the assigned project, so little progress was made. Adults sometimes call us the generation of apathy because of our seeming indifference and lack of interest in history. More and more people are suffering today from feelings of extreme despondency, apathy and complete disinterest. the root 'path' means feeling and the prefix 'a' means devoid of

affluence

abundant wealth Gatsby's affluence was apparent with his lavish lifestyle. The affluence of the British people coupled with the strong pound and booming property prices have boosted the market for overseas buying. Affluence - affluent --> fluent --> the money is fluent if you are affluent $$

provocative

acting as a stimulus or incitement, esp to anger or sexual desire The young girl's grandmother told her to go change because she was dressed provocatively. The slideshow was meant to be provocative in order to incite a reaction from the audience. Although her provocative statements occasionally provoke anger, more often than not they lead to stimulating debate. To provoke means to disturb: Provo + active = actively provoking

homogeneous

adj. composed of parts or elements that are all of the same kind; not heterogeneous: a homogeneous population. The girl was apart of a close-knit homogeneous group, in that they all dressed alike, listened to same music, and enjoyed the same television shows/movies. I love Capuchino because the student body isn't homogeneous; the students come from different ethnic and socio-economic groups. The homogeneous incorrect responses from both students puts them under suspicion for cheating on the test. the opposite of diverse

prerogative

an exclusive right, privilege, etc., exercised by virtue of rank,office, or the like; a power, immunity, or the like restricted to a sovereigngovernment or its representative The prerogative to attend Jay Gatsby's party is an extreme honor. She had a very high prerogative in that she had the exclusive backstage pass to meet One Direction His prerogative as the CO of facebook was no excuse for his snooty attitude http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cDLZqe735k

xenophile

an individual who is attracted to foreign peoples, manners, or cultures. The xenophile employee moved to South America because he loved the foreign workers. Idi Amin, dictator of Uganda in the 1970's may be considered a xenophile in his obsession with the British empire, even dubbing himself "King of Scotland". Everytime the teenage girl noticed foreigners she would approach them and initiate a conversation, she was called a xenophile because of her interest of foreign people. Xeno-meaning different or foreign. Phile-lover of or enthusiast of.

conjecture

an opinion or theory so formed or expressed; speculation I have never counted the number of posts in classics in japan but less than ten chairs, i conjecture. They, weren't, of course, and they surely only conjectured that it had been lifted and thrown heavily. I suspect that you are looking for homework help is more than conjecture. synoyms: hypothesis, guess

acrimonious

angry and bitter, Bitter and ill-natured in language and tone (adjective) He went through an acrimonious divorce. I felt acrimonious towards the teacher who continuously gave me detention. Betrayed by his bestfriends, his future relationships were acrimonuos, so much that he dicided to become a hermit within his own home never to seen again by his peers or neighbors. "acri means bitter a+crim+onious=A CRIMe or an ONION both are BITTER

ludicrous

causing laughter because of absurdity; provoking or deserving derision; ridiculous; laughable The student found her score on the test ludicrous due to the amount of studying she had done the previous night. It is a somewhat ludicrous undertaking, with many pitfalls the danger of treachery and the risk of ultimate failure in the quest. Prior to 1969, it was commonly believed that a man on the moon was an utterly ludicrous idea.

quiescent

causing no trouble; quiet or still; inactive or motionless During most of its history the earth has been fairly quiescent The irritating child became quiescent once she started eating her ice cream. The library's quiescent atmosphere makes it a preferable place to study. First four letters of quiescent are the same for the word quiet.

sedentary

characterized by a sitting position posture, inactivity and lack of exercise ; involving sitting: involving a lot of sitting and correspondingly little exercise "Some of my friends have very active occupations, such as police officers and firefighters, others have sedentary jobs which keep them sitting at a desk most of the time.Classes such as English and math are rather sedentary, especially compared to P.E. Although most students live sedentary lives in class, students find relief in afterschool sports. "Sedentary sounds like ""sand."" When looking at a beach, the sand is still compared to the fluid water.

redundant

characterized by unnecessary repetition in expressing ideas; wordy The content seems to become redundant near the end of the first third of the book. The teacher read so many papers containing pointless, redundant phrases that she could have screamed. "The rookie's article was redundant; he told readers that the ball park was in San Bruno at least 7 times. Remember that redundant is repetition because there are two "d's" in redundant

futile

completely ineffective; serving no useful purpose After a mile or so, they realized their attempt to outrun the police car was futile. My efforts to convince the stubborn teacher to change my grade was futile. Pam watered the seedlings, but her efforts to save the sprouts were futile as they withered and died Futile, like fruitless, indicating a useless effort or result

trajectory

course, curve or path described by a moving particle or body From the angle of the trajectory the scientists predicted the estimated height and air time. As we continue in the current recession, stock rates have followed a downward trajectory, leaving little hope for financial success in present time. The downward trajectory of his grades led him to hire a tutor.

demise

death or termination The demise of dinosaurs was a result of evolution. Johann's obsession with Star Wars led to the demise of his only friendship. The Joker led Batman to what he thought was his demise, not knowing that Robin was waiting in the shadows to save him. Demise has the words "mise" in it. You would be miserable if you were terminated.

lugubrious

depressed or upset; looking or sounding sad and dismal The widow was very lugubrious at her rich dead husband's funeral. Gregor was lugubrious when the ib teachers decided to have the midterms on the same day. Taylor Swifts music is lugubrious about her past relationships.

iridescent

displaying a play of lustrous colors like those of the rainbow. The glass was extremely thin and light and slightly iridescent from decay. The soap bubbles briefly shimmered with iridescent swirls, and then popped. Her shimmery dress was iridescent and caught the light every time she moved. Part of the word iridescent comes from the Greek word "iris", which means "rainbow." Percy Jackson fans, you know this.

susceptible

easily affected emotionally; having a sensitive nature or feelings Without vaccinations, a person is susceptible to disease. A year after his mother passed away, the young boy was susceptible to crying whenever he saw pictures of his mother. Premature babies are generally more susceptible to contracting diseases, and must be kept under constant monitoring. Susceptible has the same meaning as sensitive, and they sound vaguely similar as well.

conspicuous

easily seen or noticed; readily visible or observable She wouldn't have seemed so conspicuous if she hadn't worn all those bright clothes The parrot's conspicuous feathers were all a shade brighter than the rest of the other parrots. Her tattoo was still conspicuous even though she tried her best to cover it up with her sleeve.

sprightly

full of energy and spirit; acting like an elf, fairy, or goblin The sprightly ballerina danced and twirled on stage. The sprightly male cheerleader shouted at the top of his lungs in order to rally the audience for the basketball quad. I felt surprisingly sprightly on Monday knowing that I didn't have to go to school and could do as I pleased.

consensus

general agreement or majority of opinion After a tumultuous court case about a toddler who had been kidnapped the jury came to the consensus that the kidnapper was guilty. The Jedi Masters had to come to a consensus on which light saber color is better; they came to the conclusion that the sparkly pink one was the prettiest. After debating for several minutes, the group finally reached a consensus about who should lead the class.

gratuitous

given, done, bestowed, or obtained without charge or payment; free; voluntary. Often has a negative connotation, as an unnecessary, unwelcome comment The movie was loaded with pointless, gratuitous violence that added nothing to the plot. The homeless shelter buys some of their food, but they often gratuitously receive perishable food from Bruce Wayne. From the gratuitous critical comment made during the school's talent show, Robert became uneasy. the action of showing gratitude (which sounds similar to the word gratuitous) is free.

cursory

going quickly over something without noticing details I took a cursory glance at "Metamorphosis" before reminding myself that I had better things to do. Anakin kept taking cursory glances at the wrinkles on Yoda's forehead during their weekly tea party. The teacher took a cursory glance about the room, skimming over the students' faces and failing to notice two of them speaking in the back of the class.

indolent

having a disposition to avoid exertion The sloth was indolent since it was literally just hanging on a branch. The indolent teacher simply showed powerpoints to the entire class rather than actually teach. The teacher had reprimanded the indolent student for not doing any of his homework. Indolent sounds like "dull" and someone that is dull is lazy and avoids exertion.

clairvoyant

having the paranormal power to see objects/actions not perceived by the senses Although the girl accurately predicted numerous things, her clairvoyance was still doubted by her peers. Avatar Robert Lamboy is clairvoyant: he can communicate with the spirit world and predict things that are about to happen. The woman in the tent was said to be a clairvoyant, but she didn't get much business because the public was too doubtful of her claim. Think of a psychic or palm reader

zenith

highest point, climax of something In my reading of the Great Gatsby I was finally able to reach the zenith when Gatsby is killed. "The mountain's zenith was the highest in the world.Roosevelt reached the zenith of his popularity before the court-packing ordeal. -Elena Zenith synonyms include crown, apex, climax, and pinnacle.

aspiration

hope or ambition of achieving something (noun) His greatest aspiration was to visit every country of the world at least once. The aspirations of an entire society were being funneled into the space program. Her aspirations of being an astronaut were shut down because of her disability. aspiration sounds like aspiring, which hope or aim for

impeccable

in accordance with the highest standards of propriety; faultless It was impeccable timing when a doctor had stepped into the room just when the man had a heart attack. The gymnast executed an impeccable routine. Thus, she received a perfect score from the judges. These exquisite works of art were created with such an impeccable style. Im*pec*cable, I picture a man with a baywatch body running on the beach with perfect pecs.

insatiable

incapable of being satisfied fully (as a person or an appetite) , not able to satisfy craving, unquenchable After four years of cell phone use, Sheila realized her obsession with texting had become insatiable. Georgia's insatiable appetite for learning resulted in her securing a place at leeds college of music. Even after eating at Hometown buffett, John's hunger was still insatiable due to his humongous stomach size. in- not, satiable- satisfiable: not satisfiable

acumen

keenness and depth of perception The soldier's combat acumen was rewarded with a service medal and captain's honors. Her political acumen helped her win the election. I needed to gain more design acumen before becoming a jeweler. Acumen sounds similar to acute.

virulent

marked by a rapid, severe, and destructive course The country seemed to be returning to the virulent nationalism of its past. The virulent nature of the HIV strain stems from its ability to self mutate its RNA, hence debilitating our efforts in creating a successful vaccine. Even in the countryside, where caste prejudice is still virulent, there is surprising change. virus - poisonous

unobtrusive

not obtrusive; inconspicuous, unassertive, or reticent The sign on the bathroom stall that read "Out of Order" was so unobtrusive I almost walked in.

impervious

not permitting penetration or passage; impenetrable The house was seemingly impervious due to its state of the art security system and vicious attack dogs. Elizabeth, whose heart seemed impervious throughout most of the novel, eventually consented to marry Darcy. Ms. Horton's room was impervious during the secure the building drill A synonym would be impassable, which is spelled reletively similar

imbroglio

noun. a misunderstanding or disagreement of a complicated or bitter nature as between persons or nature "The current crisis in Iraq and the surrounding countries is an imbroglio for American troops I see, from the mutual blackened eyes and bloody noses, that you two gentlemen were involved in an imbroglio. There was, for example, the imbroglio involving a student who complained about an odor emanating from her roommate's closet.

kinetic

of or relating to the motion of material bodies and the forces and energy associated therewith, active, lively The pure kinetic energy of Goku's fists connecting on Majin Buu displayed the raw power of the Super Saiyan Level 3 . Kinetic missiles are projectiles propelled at high speeds intended to hit larger missiles to detonate them, surprisingly these missiles are not equipped with any explosives as their name implies. At times, the kinetic pacing and cutting of fight scenes in the Bourne movies become indistinguishable and hard to see. The Xbox 360 Kinect is one of the worst tragedies that mankind has ever faced. We can not forget the day when everything changed, the day when we were made to put down our controllers and dance around our televisions like idiots.

dogmatic

portraying opinions acted in manner of dictatorship. The old professor was dogmatic in his views and would not admit error even when his mistakes were clear. The stressed lady was dogmatic in her belief that no one could help her. She, thus, continued to repel those who tried to help her. They are increasingly arrogant dogmatic and seemingly cannot relate to real people. synonym: dictating

antecedent

proceeding event (noun) The antecedent to the hurricane ravaging the East Coast were the warming of the Atlantic waters. In Battle Royale, the economic strife in Japan was an antecedent to the Program. The sinking of the Lusitania was an antecedent of World War I. "ante" means before, like anticipate

innocuous

producing no injury, harmless, not likely to give offense or to arouse strong feelings or hostility Chemical waste disposal comes within environmental protection legislation so appropriate steps must be taken to render waste innocuous before disposal. By creating an innocuous statement, the bewildered storekeeper appeased both sides of the fighting party. innocuous sounds like innocent.

rectify

purify or refine The teacher sent the student back to rectify the incorrect answer on his test. Please rectify these shortcomings in your work. Mrs. Horton made me rectify my IB essay because it contradicted itself. If you are rectifying, you want to re-do it.

requisite

required, necessary To be a successful baker its a requisite to know how to use an oven. The homework was a prerequisite for the test. A sense of humor is a requisite to be a teacher. "prerequisites" are the the things you NEED to have before you do somthing

stringent

rigorously binding or exacting; strict; severe; compelling, constraining, or urgent

eclectic

selecting or choosing from various sources The university offered an eclectic curriculum that attracted a broad range of students. The eclectic cast included a circus performer, a pilot, and a shoe cobbler. She has an eclectic music taste, listening to everything from rock to country to dubstep. choosing from an assortment

repellent

serving or tending to ward off or drive away. Garlics are used as a repellent against vampires. The repellent sight of the homeless man drove away the tourists. I could not go on a date with him because of his repellent smell. "repel" means to keep away

succinct

showing verbal brevity; expressed in a few words; expressed in few words; concise; terse. Please be succinct in the information you provide and keep the submission as brief as possible. We went 3 minutes over on our TOK presentation so Allyn and Amanda had to wrap up the presentation with a succinct conclusion. After you've said what you needed to say, cap the letter off with a succinct and sincere salutation.

nemesis

something that a person cannot conquer, achieve, etc.: The performance test proved to be my nemesis; an opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome; agent or act of retribution or punishment. The nemesis of the super hero was always conquered and proved wrong thanks to the help of his sidekick. Memorizing over a 100 vocabulary words the night before the test proved to be a nemesis to the stressed student. His teacher turned out to be the nemesis for not passing him in the class and not allowing him to graduate. enemy, foe, punishment

discernible

something that can be seen or understood (adjective) It took a while for more than the outline of the building to become discernible through the fog. They were not able to predict the next earthquake because they did not pick up on any discernible patterns. He moves quickly, though with a discernible limp.

dissension

strong disagreement The dissension between the teacher and student caused a huge ruckus in class and became a major distraction for the students working. There was dissension on whether Darth Vadar's son was Luke Skywalker or Yoda. There was dissension within the group as they fought over which path to take into the forest.

loquacious

talking or tending to talk too much or freely Ash was very loquacious throughout the horror movie Evil Dead 2, even though he faced the deadites who continued to bombard him psychologically and physically he continued to spew classic one-liners. When the fire nation attacked, the Air Nation was not loquacious because they were all dead. I love Jonathan Nievera because his loquaciousness is unmatched even by the most wise philosophers whom strain themselves tirelessly to understand and refute the deep meanings within his speech.

regressive

tending to revert or go back; reverting to an earlier or less advanced state or form; Becoming less advanced; returning to a former or less developed state A lack of reliable electricity has had a regressive impact on the use of technology in the Third World The organization resorted to using the money made from donations due to lack of funds, creating a regressive impact on their mission to raise money for the hurricane victims. The public sector borrows money to afford it, which means more regressive printing tax is levied on the poor.

compulsive

the act of something because of an urge Compulsive behavior can stem from a traumatic event. He had a compulsive desire to shovel goldfish into his mouth for hours on end; it went right to his thighs. Her compulsive behavior is caused by her OCD. synomyms: passionate, obsessive

electorate

the body of persons entitled to vote in an election The electorate was finally able to vote once they reached the age of 18. The electorate of the United States was taken over by a better body of Ewoks. The Electoral College officially elects the president, using electors who are elected by popular vote on a state-by-state basis. Thus, the electorate of the US does not directly elect the President. Elect orate. The word elect is in the word

regalia

the distinctive clothing worn and ornaments carried occasions as an indication of status The bright regalia of the queen showed her authority over the peasants while she worked them to their deaths. The king's traditional regalia assured his citizens that he was superior to them. The women's regalia made other people assume she was snobby because she was obviously upper class. regalia represents richness in clothing

indefatigable

tireless, not able to become tired Usain Bolt seemed indefatigable as he ran the last 200 meter stretch. Students who complain of being sleep deprived should not be decribed as indefatigable. The new puppy was so indefatigable that it did not sleep for weeks. not able to be fatigued

concur

to agree The jury had to concur on a verdict, but there were many conflicts during the decision process. The 113th United States Congress unanimously concurred on the bill allowing them to be a group of uncompromising twelve year olds with incredibly high salaries. The members of both parties concurred that the amendment should be ratified. synoyms: approve, come together

impending

to be imminent; about to happen Pie(3.14) brought an umbrella with her when she saw the impending storm. The family closed all their windows and prepared flashlights to prepare for the impending storm. The impending storm brought terror amongst the local villagers. Pending means happening so impending means to happen, sounds like incoming

impel

to drive or urge forward; press on; incite or constrain to action The boy's love for animals impelled him to become a veterinarian Robert's interest in psychology impelled him to take AP psych. I was impelled to finish the series because the last episode ended with an abrupt cliffhanger. I think of impel as pedal, as in pedal forward.

scrutinize

to examine minutely; to conduct a searching inquiry The administrators at Jake's school scrutinized his essay because it looked plagiarized from the internet. Jeff tends to scrutinize all bills to assure himself that the charges are accurate I began to scrutinize my finances, hoping that I was eligible for a tax refund

relegate

to exile or banish; dismiss to an inferior position He relegates the less pleasant tasks to his assistant. The guards relegated the prisoners to menial tasks around the town. After his poor performance, he was relegated to bench warmer.

emancipate

to free from restraint After the 1863 all slaves from the southern states were emancipated. He felt like the only way to emapncipate himself was to move away from his parents. The Emancipation Proclamation freed all the slaves in the North as well as the Southern states who were on the side of the North. Emancipate has the word man in it. So think of a man being set free

repose

to lie or be at rest, as from work, activity, etc Langdon is old, and is trying hard to withdraw from business and seek repose. The infant took repose in her crib after having been on the bench press the entire day, softly sleep talking, "Do you even lift?" She had to be pulled out of her sport for the season for her broken leg required her to repose. when a person is posing, they are standing still

replenish

to make full or complete again, as by supplying what is lacking, used up, etc. I'm going to the grocery store to replenish the food in the pantry. The boy had to replenish his supply of candy after his mom threw away his old supply from Halloween. I needed to replenish my energy after that marathon re means again, plenish sounds like plenty. to make plenty again

transpired

to occur, happen, or take place; to emit or give off through the surface The Giant's winning of the World championship transpired due to the players' hard work and talent. The tragic events that transpired caused the woman great emotional turmoil. The argument that transpired between Hannah and Mary caused the end of their friendship.

repudiate

to reject with disapproval, condemnation or denial Although I know the truth, my sister still repudiates my knowledge of the 3 missing essays she has neglected to complete for English class. Despite his claims of innocence, he did very little to repudiate the allegations made against him. He repudiated the accusation that he stole from the cash register. "repudiate" sounds like "reject"

relinquish

to renounce or surrender; voluntarily cease to keep or claim Russia finally relinquished control of the nuclear reactor facilities in September 1995. The court ordered him to relinquish custody of his child. The dictator was forced to relinquish control of the country to the masses after a revolt.

disseminate

to scatter or spread widely, as though sowing seed; promulgate extensively; broadcast; disperse

truncate

to shorten by cutting off a part; cut short To reduce the number of hits retrieved, you may want to truncate on a longer string. The editor had spent 3 hours looking at the footage to truncate the movie. The author decided that he must truncate his story because readers would get bored. TRUNcate=Trunk, like a tree trunk that was cut

prevaricate

to speak falsely or misleadingly; deliberately misstate or create an incorrect impression; lie. Government officials prevaricated about the real costs of the project. The villain prevaricated about the release of the hostages in his lair, whom he had actually kept after the ransom he received. Anyone who thinks that America needs yet more opportunities for politicians to posture and prevaricate needs his head examined. related to "fallacious"

disparage

to speak of or treat slightingly; depreciate; belittle (verb)

kindle

to start a fire; to cause (a flame or blaze) to begin burning What started out as a crush will soon be crushiNG my lungs as I find it hard to breath around the one I yearn for as she had kindled my flame ever so subtley while she continued to neglect my advances. Seeing the new remake of Star Trek has kindled my interest in returning to the original series that I had grown up watching, conversely, my faith in the good of mankind was extinguished by the announcement of Michael Bay's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. Within my black heart a tiny ember started to glow, it was kindled by the cute dog I had passed by on the street and consequently I kindled my grill afterwards. This word may be hard to remember because nobody except for your grandmother with too much retirement money has bought a kindle, but we cannot forget the usefulness and utility of books. Books can provide us warmth and are easy to kindle.

secede

to withdraw formally from membership in, or association with, a group, organization, etc. especially a political group In the Civil War, the Southerners called themselves the Confederates and seceded from the Union. Following the rise of Agustin I in Mexico, several countries, including Honduras, decided to secede from Mexico and form the Federal Republic of Central America. Even though South Carolina officially chose to secede in 1860, Abraham Lincoln never acknowledged their separation from the union during his presidency. "Secede sounds like it has the word ""seed."" Seeds are often carried away from their current spot and carried away by the wind. The seed is withdrawed from its previous spot.

recant

to withdraw or disavow (a statement, opinion etc.), esp. formally; retract; Say that one no longer holds an opinion or belief, esp. one considered heretical During the news conference, Joe decided it was best to recant his explanation of where he was on Saturday night, since the weight of the deceit had been weighing on his conscience. The newspaper was forced to recant their articles because they were supported with false information. Galileo was forced to recant his assertion that the earth orbited the sun. root "cant" means sing/song "cantar, canson", which is like saying (you do not hold a certain belief anymore); also "cant" is like "can't/cannot" - you cannot believe something anymore

judicious

using or showing judgment as to action or practical expediency; discreet, prudent, or politic We tell our patients with high blood pressure to be judicious when deciding how much salt to put on their food. It was not very judicious to introduce the Euro without binding fiscal regulations and checks right from the start. When signing a contract, one must be judicious and read the small print. Judges need to be judicious; they really need to assess the case under consideration and have to come to a just conclusion