Comprehensive Vocab. List for Test on 12/13

Vocabulary Review for Semester Test – Lessons 1-7
Ms. Evans – English II-A – 1st Semester

From Quack Lesson 1:
Nefarious: extreme wickedness (“I’m so nefarious, that means I’m evil…”)
Vernacular: everyday speech; slang (“Could you use the vernacular, dude?”)
Brawn: muscular strength (“I am strong – I’ve got brawn.”)
Hinder: to slow or impede the progress of (Don’t hinder your own chances of succeeding – study!)
Efface: to erase; to rub out (“Arnold Schwartzenegger is The Effacer.”)
Glutton: someone who consumes too much food or drink (Thanksgiving – time to be a glutton?)
Querulous: grumpy; grumbling (“Don’t be a querulous smurf, smurf-face!”)
Quell: to calm; pacify (“Look, I quelled the baby.”)
Obscure: hard to understand; dark; unknown (“Dennis Miller is so obscure. Does anyone get him?”)
Kindle: ignite; arouse; to start a fire (Boy, her attitude sure kindled a problem with her mom!)

From Quack Lesson 2:
Amorous: feeling loving, especially in a sexual sense (Does he feel amorous about her or are they just friends?)
Expedite: to speed the progress of (Uh, could you expedite that pizza order? I’m hungry!)
Juxtapose: to place side by side
Incandescent: brilliant; giving off heat or light
Exasperate: to annoy thoroughly (Please, quit exasperating your sister!)
Volatile: explosive; highly unstable
Vacuous: lacking ideas or intelligence
Deride: to ridicule
Benevolent: generous; kind
Histrionic: overly dramatic

From Quack Lesson 3:
Gullible: easily deceived
Fabricate: to lie
Gesticulate: to make gestures, especially when speaking
Induce: to cause to happen
Strident: shrill; high-pitched
Reiterate: to repeat; to say again
Nonchalant: not showing any concern or worry
Pretentious: making ridiculous claims
Laud: to praise; to applaud
Conflagration: a huge fire; inferno

From Quack Lesson 4:
Lethary: sluggishness; laziness
Conspicuous: standing out; obvious
Archaic: ancient; outdated
Predator: one that preys or destroys
Exalt: to glorify
Extraneous: irrelevant; unnecessary
Assiduous: hardworking; busy
Avarice: greed; excessive desire for riches
Squander: to waste
Penurious: stingy, relating to great poverty

From Quack Lesson 5:
Diverse: different; various
Loquacious: talking a lot or too much
Farcical: absurd; ludicrous
Vibrant: lively; full of vitality
Enigma: a mystery
Lucid: easy to understand; clear
Superficial: relating to the surface; shallow
Mellifluous: sweetly flowing
Contrite: admitting feeling of guilt
Incessant: unceasing; neverending

From Quack Lesson 6:
Foible: weakness; flaw; shortcoming in character
Lacerate: to rip, maul, tear, mutilate, mangle
Exact: to demand from
Abash: to embarrass
Tact: skill in dealing with people in difficult situations
Phobia: a persistent illogical fear
Apex: tip; peak; summit, highest point
Nadir: absolute lowest point
Citadel: fortress overlooking a city; a stronghold
Atrophy: to wither away

From Quack Lesson 7:
Ornate: excessively decorated
Austere: stern, as in manner without excess
Cacophony: harsh sounds
Concurrent: at the same time
Evade: to elude or avoid by cunning
Askew: to one side
Queue: to form or wait in line
Accolade: award or honor
Torrid: parched by the sun; hot; burning
Wane: to decrease gradually

From Book Lessons 1-2:
Dogmatic: arrogant or stubborn about one’s (often unproven) beliefs
Insipid: lacking flavor; dull; flat
Meticulous: extremely, sometimes excessively careful about small details; precise
Abet: to assist or encourage, especially in wrongdoing
Divulge: to tell; to reveal (as a secret)
Heresy: the crime of holding a belief that goes against established doctrine
Docile: easy to teach or manage
Anathema: a hated, repellant person or thing; a formal curse
Castigate: to criticize or punish severely
Ignominy: public shame, disgrace, or dishonor

From Book Lessons 3-4:
Furtive: stealthy; secretive
Irascible: irritable; easily angered
Copious: numerous; large in quantity
Extradite: deport; to turn over to the legal jurisdiction of another authority
Jettison: to cast overboard; to discard
Expunge: to erase or eliminate
Argot: special words used by a specific group of people
Augment: to enlarge; to increase in amount or intensity
Jingoism: extreme, chauvinistic patriotism, often favoring an aggressive, warlike policy
Appease: to calm; to make satisfied

From Book Lessons 5-6:
Rancor: extreme hatred or ill will
Inexorable: certain; unavoidable; unrelenting
Diffident: shy; lacking self-confidence
Opus: creative work, especially a numbered composition
Disparity: difference; inequality
Condone: pardon; to forgive or overlook an offense
Enigma: a mystery; a riddle
Apathy: lack of interest; state of not caring
Officious: excessively eager to give unasked-for help or advice
Credence: belief or trust

From Book Lesson 7:
Ambivalent: having opposing attitudes or feelings toward something; unable to decide
Demagogue: a leader who appeals to citizens’ emotions to obtain power
Demure: quiet and modest; reserved
Intrepid: brave; without fear
Erudite: scholarly; learned; educated
Cynical: skeptical; doubtful or distrustful of the goodness of human motives
Destitute: extremely poor; lacking necessities like food and shelter
Dilemma: a choice between two unpleasant options
Culmination: the highest point of attainment; the apex
Concur: to agree with; support