Vocabulary Workshop Level G Units 1-9

felicitous

(adj.) appropriate, apt, well chosen; marked by well-being or good fortune, happy

bestial

(adj.) beastlike; beastly, brutal; subhuman in intelligence and sensibility

indubitable

(adj.) certain, not to be doubted or denied

bucolic

(adj.) characteristic of the countryside. rural; relating to shepherds and cowherds, pastoral

plenary

(adj.) complete in all aspects; absolute

moot

(adj.) debatable, questionable

abject

(adj.) degraded; base, contemptible; cringing, servile; complete and unrelieved

furtive

(adj.) done slyly or stealthily, sneaky, secret, shifty; stolen

testy

(adj.) easily irritated; characterized by impatience and exasperation

chary

(adj.) extremely cautious, hesitant or slow; reserved

inordinate

(adj.) far too great, exceeding reasonable limits, excessive

convivial

(adj.) festive, sociable, having fun together, genial

redolent

(adj.) fragrant, smelling strongly; tending to arouse memories or create an aura

garish

(adj.) glaring; tastelessly showy or overdecorated in a vulgar or offensive way

macabre

(adj.) grisly, gruesome; horrible, distressing; having death as a subject

vituperative

(adj.) harshly abusive, severely scolding

irrefutable

(adj.) impossible to disprove; beyond arguement

lackadaisical

(adj.) lacking spirit or interest; halfhearted

ephemeral

(adj.) lasting only a short time, short-lived

illusory

(adj.) misleading, decemptive; lacking in or not based on reality

indigent

(adj.) needy, impoverished

imperturbable

(adj.) not easily excited; emotionally steady

unremitting

(adj.) not stopping, maintained steadily, never letting up, relentless

saturnine

(adj.) of a gloomy or surly disposition; cold or sluggish in mood

picayune

(adj.) of little value or importance, paltry, measly; concerned with trifling matters, small-minded

arrant

(adj.) out-and-out, shameless, blatant

sylvan

(adj.) pertaining to or characteristic of forests

refulgent

(adj.) shining, radiant, resplendent

inane

(adj.) silly, empty of meaning or value

intermittent

(adj.) stopping and beginning again, sporadic

fatuous

(adj.) stupid or foolish in a self-satisfied way

paltry

(adj.) trifling, insignificant; mean, despicable; inferior, trashy

pertinacious

(adj.) very persistent; holding firmly to a course of action or a set of beliefs; hard to get rid of, refusing to be put off or denied

tyro

(n.) a beginner, novice; one with little or no background or skill

diatribe

(n.) a bitter and prolonged verbal attack

coterie

(n.) a circle of aquaitances; a close-knit, often exclusive, group of people with a common interest

effigy

(n.) a crude image of a despised person

dilettante

(n.) a dabbler in the arts; one who engages in an activity in an ameteurish, trifling way; (adj.) superficial

travesty

(n.) a grotesque or grossly inferior imitation

juggernaut

(n.) a massive and inescapable force or object that crushes whatever is in its path

counterpart

(n.) a person or thing closely resembling or corresponding to another; a complement

misanthrope

(n.) a person who hates or despises people

litany

(n.) a prayer consisting of short appeals to God recited by the leader alternating with responses from the congregation; any repetitive chant; a long list

pedantry

(n.) a pretentious display of knowledge; overly rigid attention to rules and details

motif

(n.) a principal idea, theme or element; a repeated or dominant figure in a design

acclamation

(n.) a shout of welcome; an overwhelming verbal vote of approval

paroxysm

(n.) a sudden outburst; a spasm, convulsion

shibboleth

(n.) a word, expression, or custom that distinguishes a particular group of persons from all others, a commonplace saying or truism

mandate

(n.) an authoritative command, formal order, authorization; (v.) to issue such an order

increment

(n.) an enlargement, increase, addition

paucity

(n.) an inadequate quantity, scarcity, dearth

neophyte

(n.) beginner, novice

surveillance

(n.) careful, close, and disciplined observation

raiment

(n.) clothing, garments

complicity

(n.) involvement in wrongdoing; the state of being an accomplice

perspicacity

(n.) keenness in observing and understanding

badinage

(n.) light and playful conversation

echelon

(n.) one of a series of grades in an organization or field of activity; an organized military unit; a steplike formation or arrangement

collusion

(n.) secret agreement or cooperation

effrontery

(n.) shameless boldness, impudence

derelict

(n.) someone or something that is abandoned or neglected; (adj.) left abandoned; neglectful of duty

indictment

(n.) the act of accusing, a formal accusation

peregrination

(n.) the act or traveling ; an excursion, especially on foot or to a foreign country

equity

(n.) the state or quality of being just or fair

agnostic

(n.)one who believes that nothnig can be known about god; a skeptic

allege

(v.) to assert without proof or confirmation

allay

(v.) to calm or pacify, set to rest; to lessen or relieve

countermand

(v.) to cancel or reverse one order or command with another that is contrary to the first

slough

(v.) to cast off, discard; to get rid of something objectionable or unnecessary; to plod through as if through mud; (n.) a mire; a state of depression

jettison

(v.) to cast overboard, get rid of as unnecessary or burdensome

embellish

(v.) to decorate, adorn, touch up; to improve by adding details

portend

(v.) to indicate beforehand that something is about to happen; to give advance warning of

exacerbate

(v.) to make more violent, severe, bitter, or painful

demur

(v.) to object or take exception to; (n.) an objection

concilliate

(v.) to overcome the distrust of, win over; to appease, pacify; to reconcile, make consistent

calumniate

(v.) to slander; to accuse falsely and maliciously

saturate

(v.) to soak thoroughly, fill to capacity; to satisfy fully

vacillate

(v.) to swing indecisively from one idea or course of action to another; to waver weakly in mind or will

raze

(v.) to tear down, destroy completely; to cut or scrape off or out

recant

(v.) to withdraw a statement or belief to which one has previously been committed, renounce, retract

acquisitive

adj, able to get and retain ideas or information; conserned with acquiring wealth or property

tenable

adj, capable of being held or defended

taciturn

adj, habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little

banal

adj, hackneyed, trite, commonplace

coherent

adj, holding or sticking together; making a logical whole; comprehensible, meaningful

invidious

adj, offensive, hateful; tending to cause bitterness and resentment

intransigent

adj, refusing to compromise, irreconcilable

germane

adj, relevant, appropriate, apropos, fitting

insatiable

adj, so great or demanding as not to be satisfied

carping

adj, tending to find fault, especially in a petty, nasty, or hairsplitting way; noun, petty, nagging criticism

reconnaissance

noun, a survery made for military purposes; any kind of preliminary inspection or examination

largesse

noun, generosity in giving; lavish or bountiful countributions

encomium

verb, a formal expression of praise, a lavish tribute

eschew

verb, to avoid, shun, keep away from

congeal

verb, to change from liquid to solid, thicken; to make inflexible or rigid

arrogate

verb, to claim or take without right

substantiate

verb, to establish by evidence, prove; to give concrete or substancial form to

emulate

verb, to immitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model

temporize

verb, to stall or act evasively in order to gain time, avoid a confrontation, or postpoe a decision; to compromise

belabor

verb, to work on excessively; to thrash around