Define:
incense
(in SENS)
v. to make very angry
Jeremy was incensed when I told him that even though he was stupid and loathsome, he would always be my best friend.
Define:
incessant
(in SES unt)
adj. unceasing
I will go deaf and lose my mind if your children don’t stop the incessant bickering.
Define:
incipient
(in SIP ee unt)
adj. beginning; emerging
Sitting in class, Henrietta detected an incipient tingle of boredom that told her she would soon be asleep.
Define:
incisive
(in SYE siv)
adj. cutting right to the heart of the matter
After hours of debate, Louis offered a few incisive comments that made it immediately clear to everyone how dumb the original idea had been.
Define:
incongruous
(in KAHN groo us)
adj. not harmonious; not consistent; not appropriate; not fitting in
The ultramodern kitchen seemed incongruous in the restored eighteenth-century farmhouse. It was an incongruity (in kun GROO uh tee).
Define:
incorrigible
(in KOR uh juh bul)
adj. incapable of being reformed
The convict was an incorrigible criminal; as soon as he got out of prison, he said, he was going to rob another doughnut store.
Define:
increment
(IN cruh munt)
n. an increase; one in a series of increases
Bernard received a small increment in his salary each year, even though he did less and less work with every day that passed.
Define:
indifferent
(in DIF ur unt)
adj. not caring one way or the other; apathetic; mediocre
Pedro was indifferent about politics; he didn’t care who was elected to office so long as no one passed a law against Monday night football.
Define:
indigenous
(in DIJ uh nus)
adj. native; originating in that area
Fast-food restaurants are indigenous to America, where they were invented.
Define:
indigent
(IN di junt)
adj. poor
The indigent family had little to eat, nothing to spend, and virtually nothing to wear.
Define:
indignant
(in DIG nunt)
adj. angry, especially as a result of something unjust or unworthy; insulted
Ted became indignant when the policewoman accused him of stealing the nuclear weapon.
Define:
indolent
(IN duh lunt)
adj. lazy
The indolent teenagers slept late, moped around, and never looked for summer jobs.
Define:
indulgent
(in DUL junt)
adj. lenient; yielding to desire
The nice mom was indulgent of her children, letting them have all the candy, cookies, and ice cream that they wanted, even for breakfast.
Define:
ineffable
(in EF uh bul)
adj. incapable of being expressed or described
The simple beauty of nature is often so ineffable that it brings tears to our eyes.
Define:
inept
(in EPT)
adj. clumsy; incompetent; gauche
Joshua is an inept dancer; he is as likely to stomp on his partner’s foot as he is to step on it.
Define:
inert
(in URT)
adj. inactive; sluggish; not reacting chemically
The baseball team seemed strangely inert; it was as though they had lost the will not only to win but also to play.
Define:
inexorable
(in EK sur uh bul)
adj. relentless; inevitable; unavoidable
The inexorable waves pounded the shore, as they have always pounded it and as they always will pound it.
Define:
infamous
(IN fuh mus)
adj. shamefully wicked; having an extremely bad reputation; disgraceful
Deep within the prison was the infamous torture chamber, where hooded guards tickled their prisoners with feathers until they confessed.
Define:
infatuated
(in FACH oo ay tid)
adj. foolish; foolishly passionate or attracted; made foolish; foolishly in love
I was so infatuated with Polly that I drooled and gurgled when ever she was near.
Define:
infer
(in FUR)
v. to conclude; to deduce
Raizel said she loved the brownies, but I inferred from the size of the piece left on her plate that she had actually despised them.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to make very angry
incense
(in SENS)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. unceasing
incessant
(in SES unt)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. beginning; emerging
incipient
(in SIP ee unt)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. cutting right to the heart of the matter
incisive
(in SYE siv)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. not harmonious; not consistent; not appropriate; not fitting in
incongruous
(in KAHN groo us)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. incapable of being reformed
incorrigible
(in KOR uh juh bul)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. an increase; one in a series of increases
increment
(IN cruh munt)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. not caring one way or the other; apathetic; mediocre
indifferent
(in DIF ur unt)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. native; originating in that area
indigenous
(in DIJ uh nus)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. poor
indigent
(IN di junt)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. angry, especially as a result of something unjust or unworthy; insulted
indignant
(in DIG nunt)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. lazy
indolent
(IN duh lunt)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. lenient; yielding to desire
indulgent
(in DUL junt)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. incapable of being expressed or described
ineffable
(in EF uh bul)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. clumsy; incompetent; gauche
inept
(in EPT)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. inactive; sluggish; not reacting chemically
inert
(in URT)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. relentless; inevitable; unavoidable
inexorable
(in EK sur uh bul)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. shamefully wicked; having an extremely bad reputation; disgraceful
infamous
(IN fuh mus)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. foolish; foolishly passionate or attracted; made foolish; foolishly in love
infatuated
(in FACH oo ay tid)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to conclude; to deduce
infer
(in FUR)
Define:
mendacious
(men DAY shus)
adj. lying; dishonest
The jury saw through the mendacious witness and convicted the defendant.
Define:
mendicant
(MEN di kunt)
n. a beggar
The presence of thousands of mendicants in every urban area is a sad commentary on our national priorities.
Define:
mentor
(MEN tur)
n. a teacher, tutor, counselor, or coach; especially in business, an experienced person who shows an inexperienced person the ropes
Chris’s mentor in the pole vault was a former track star who used to hang out by the gym and give the students pointers.
Define:
mercenary
(MUR suh ner ee)
n. a hired soldier; some one who will do anything for money
Our business contains a few dedicated workers and many, many mercenaries, who want to make a quick buck and then get out.
Define:
mercurial
(mur KYOOR ee ul)
adj. emotionally unpredictable; rapidly changing in mood
Mercurial Helen was crying one minute, laughing the next.
Define:
metamorphosis
(met uh MOR fuh sis)
n. a magical change in form; a striking or sudden change
When the magician passed his wand over Eileen’s head, she underwent a bizarre metamorphosis: She turned into a hamster.
Define:
microcosm
(MYE kruh kahz um)
n. the world in miniature
Our community, which holds so many different communities, institutions, businesses, and types of people, is a microcosm of the larger world.
Define:
milieu
(mil YOO)
n. environment; surroundings
A caring and involved community is the proper milieu for raising a family.
Define:
minuscule
(MIN uh skyool)
adj. very tiny
Hank’s salary was minuscule, but the benefits were pretty good: He got to sit next to the refrigerator and eat all day long.
Define:
misanthropic
(mis un THRAHP ik)
adj. hating mankind
A misogynist (mis AH juh nist) hates women. A misanthropic person doesn’t make distinctions; he or she hates everyone. The opposite of a misanthrope (MIS un throhp) is a philanthropist (fuh LAN thruh pist). Curiously, there is no word for someone who hates men only.
Define:
mitigate
(MIT uh gayt)
v. to moderate the effect of something
The sense of imminent disaster was mitigated by the guide’s calm behavior and easy smile.
Define:
mollify
(MAHL uh fye)
v. to soften; to soothe; to pacify
Lucy mollified the angry police officer by kissing his hand.
Define:
monolithic
(mah nuh LITH ik)
adj. massive, solid, uniform, and unyielding
A monolith is a huge stone shaft or column. Many other things can be said to be monolithic. A huge corporation is often said to be monolithic, especially if it is enormous and powerful and all its parts are dedicated to the same purpose.
Define:
moribund
(MOR uh bund)
adj. dying
The steel industry in this country was moribund a few years ago, but now it seems to be reviving somewhat.
Define:
morose
(muh ROHS)
adj. gloomy; sullen
Louise was always so morose about everything that she was never any fun to be with.
Define:
mortify
(MOR tuh fye)
adj. to humiliate
I was mortified when my father asked my girlfriend whether she thought I was a dumb, pathetic wimp.
Define:
mundane
(mun DAYN)
adj. ordinary; pretty boring; not heavenly and eternal
My day was filled with mundane chores: I mowed the lawn, did the laundry, and fed the dog.
Define:
munificent
(myoo NIF uh sunt)
adj. very generous; lavish
The munificent millionaire gave lots of money to any charity that came to him with a request.
Define:
myopia
(mye OH pee uh)
adj. nearsightedness; lack of foresight
The president suffered from economic myopia; he was unable to see the consequences of his fiscal policies.
Define:
myriad
(MIR ee ud)
n. a huge number
A country sky on a clear night is filled with a myriad of stars.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. lying; dishonest
mendacious
(men DAY shus)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a beggar
mendicant
(MEN di kunt)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a teacher, tutor, counselor, or coach; especially in business, an experienced person who shows an inexperienced person the ropes
mentor
(MEN tur)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a hired soldier; some one who will do anything for money
mercenary
(MUR suh ner ee)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. emotionally unpredictable; rapidly changing in mood
mercurial
(mur KYOOR ee ul)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a magical change in form; a striking or sudden change
metamorphosis
(met uh MOR fuh sis)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. the world in miniature
microcosm
(MYE kruh kahz um)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. environment; surroundings
milieu
(mil YOO)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. very tiny
minuscule
(MIN uh skyool)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. hating mankind
misanthropic
(mis un THRAHP ik)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to moderate the effect of something
mitigate
(MIT uh gayt)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to soften; to soothe; to pacify
mollify
(MAHL uh fye)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. massive, solid, uniform, and unyielding
monolithic
(mah nuh LITH ik)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. dying
moribund
(MOR uh bund)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. gloomy; sullen
morose
(muh ROHS)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. to humiliate
mortify
(MOR tuh fye)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. ordinary; pretty boring; not heavenly and eternal
mundane
(mun DAYN)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. very generous; lavish
munificent
(myoo NIF uh sunt)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. nearsightedness; lack of foresight
myopia
(mye OH pee uh)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a huge number
myriad
(MIR ee ud)
Define:
pernicious
(pur NISH us)
adj. deadly; extremely evil
The drug dealers conducted their pernicious business on every street corner in the city.
Define:
perquisite
(PUR kwuh zit)
n. a privilege that goes along with a job; a “perk”
Free access to a photocopier is a perquisite of most office jobs.
Define:
pertinent
(PUR tuh nunt)
adj. relevant; dealing with the matter at hand
The suspect said that he was just borrowing the jewelry for a costume ball. The cop said he did not think that was pertinent.
Define:
perturb
(pur TURB)
v. to disturb greatly
Ivan’s mother was perturbed by his aberrant behavior at the dinner table. Ivan’s father was not bothered. Nothing bothered Ivan, Sr. He was imperturbable.
Define:
peruse
(puh ROOZ)
v. to read carefully
The lawyer perused the contract for many hours, looking for a loophole that would enable his client to back out of the deal.
Define:
pervade
(pur VAYD)
v. to spread throughout
A terrible smell pervaded the apartment building after the sewer main exploded.
Define:
petulant
(PECH uh lunt)
adj. rude; cranky; ill-tempered
Gloria became petulant when we suggested that she leave her pet cheetah at home when she came to spend the weekend; she said that we had insulted her cheetah and that an insult to her cheetah was an insult to her.
Define:
philanthropy
(fi LAN thruh pee)
n. love of mankind, especially by doing good deeds
His gift of one billion dollars to the local orphanage was the finest act of philanthropy I’ve ever seen.
Define:
philistine
(FIL i steen)
n. a smugly ignorant person with no appreciation of intellectual or artistic matters
The novelist dismissed his critics as philistines, saying they wouldn’t recognize a good book if it crawled up and bit them on the nose; the critics, in reply, dismissed the novelist as a philistine who wouldn’t recognize a good book if it crawled up and rolled itself into his typewriter.
Define:
pious
(PYE us)
adj. reverent or devout; outwardly (and sometimes falsely) reverent or devout; hypocritical
The adulterous minister’s sermon on marital fidelity was filled with pious disregard for his own sins.
Define:
pivotal
(PIV uh tul)
adj. crucial
Sofia’s contribution was pivotal; without it, we would have failed.
Define:
placate
(PLAY kayt)
v. to pacify; to appease; to soothe
The tribe placated the angry volcano by tossing a few teenagers into the raging crater.
Define:
plaintive
(PLAYN tiv)
adj. expressing sadness or sorrow
The lead singer’s plaintive love song expressed his sorrow at being abandoned by his girlfriend for the lead guitarist.
Define:
platitude
(PLAT uh tood)
n. a dull or trite remark; a cliché
The principal thinks he is a great orator, but his loud, boring speech was full of platitudes.
Define:
plebeian
(pluh BEE un)
adj. common; vulgar; low-class
Sarah refused to eat frozen dinners, saying they were too plebeian for her discriminating palate. Plebeian is the opposite of aristocratic.
Define:
plethora
(PLETH ur uh)
n. an excess
We ate a plethora of candy on Halloween and a plethora of turkey on Thanksgiving.
Define:
poignant
(POYN yunt)
adj. painfully emotional; extremely moving; sharp or astute
All the reporters stopped taking notes as they watched the old woman’s poignant reunion with her daughter, whom she hadn’t seen in forty-five years.
Define:
polarize
(POH luh ryze)
v. to break up into opposing factions or groupings
The issue of what kind of sand to put in the sandbox polarized the nursery school class; some students would accept nothing but wet, while others wanted only dry.
Define:
polemic
(puh LEM ik)
n. a powerful argument often made to attack or refute a controversial issue
The book was a convincing polemic that revealed the fraud at the heart of the large corporation.
Define:
ponderous
(PAHN dur us)
adj. so large as to be clumsy; massive; dull
The wedding cake was a ponderous blob of icing and jelly beans.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. deadly; extremely evil
pernicious
(pur NISH us)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a privilege that goes along with a job; a “perk”
perquisite
(PUR kwuh zit)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. relevant; dealing with the matter at hand
pertinent
(PUR tuh nunt)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to disturb greatly
perturb
(pur TURB)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to read carefully
peruse
(puh ROOZ)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to spread throughout
pervade
(pur VAYD)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. rude; cranky; ill-tempered
petulant
(PECH uh lunt)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. love of mankind, especially by doing good deeds
philanthropy
(fi LAN thruh pee)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a smugly ignorant person with no appreciation of intellectual or artistic matters
philistine
(FIL i steen)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. reverent or devout; outwardly (and sometimes falsely) reverent or devout; hypocritical
pious
(PYE us)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. crucial
pivotal
(PIV uh tul)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to pacify; to appease; to soothe
placate
(PLAY kayt)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. expressing sadness or sorrow
plaintive
(PLAYN tiv)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a dull or trite remark; a cliché
platitude
(PLAT uh tood)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. common; vulgar; low-class
plebeian
(pluh BEE un)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. an excess
plethora
(PLETH ur uh)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. painfully emotional; extremely moving; sharp or astute
poignant
(POYN yunt)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to break up into opposing factions or groupings
polarize
(POH luh ryze)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a powerful argument often made to attack or refute a controversial issue
polemic
(puh LEM ik)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. so large as to be clumsy; massive; dull
ponderous
(PAHN dur us)
Define:
relentless
(ri LENT lis)
adj. continuous; unstoppable
The insatiable rabbit was relentless; it ate and ate until nothing was left in the botanical garden.
Define:
relinquish
(ri LING kwish)
v. to release or let go of; to surrender; to stop doing
The hungry dog refused to relinquish the enormous beef bone that he had stolen from the butcher’s shop.
Define:
remonstrate
(ri MAHN strayt)
v. to argue against; to protest; to raise objections
My boss remonstrated with me for telling all the secretaries they could take off the rest of the week.
Define:
renaissance
(REN uh sahns)
n. a rebirth or revival
The declining neighborhood underwent a renaissance when a group of investors bought several crumbling tenements and turned them into attractive apartment buildings.
Define:
renounce
(ri NOWNSE)
v. to give up formally or resign; to disown; to have nothing to do with anymore
Despite the pleadings and protestations of her parents, Deborah refused to renounce her love for the leader of the motorcycle gang.
Define:
reparation
(rep uh RAY shun)
n. paying back; making amends; compensation
The defeated country demanded reparations for the destruction it had suffered at the hands of the victorious army.
Define:
repercussion
(ree pur KUSH un)
n. a consequence; an indirect effect
One repercussion of the new tax law was that accountants found themselves with a lot of new business.
Define:
replenish
(ri PLEN ish)
v. to fill again; to resupply; to restore
The manager of the hardware store needed to replenish his stock; quite a few of the shelves were empty.
Define:
replete
(ri PLEET)
adj. completely filled; abounding
The once-polluted stream was now replete with fish of every description.
Define:
reprehensible
(rep ri HEN suh bul)
adj. worthy of severe blame or censure
He put the cat in the laundry chute, tied the dog to the chimney, and committed several other reprehensible acts.
Define:
reprisal
(ri PRYE zul)
n. a military action undertaken in revenge for another; an act of taking “an eye for an eye”
The raid on the Iranian oil-drilling platform was a reprisal for the Iranians’ earlier attack on the American tanker.
Define:
reproach
(ri PROHCH)
v. to scold, usually in disappointment; to blame; to disgrace
The police officer reproached me for leaving my car parked overnight in a no-standing zone.
Define:
reprove
(ri PROOV)
v. to criticize mildly
Aunt May reproved us for eating too much, but we could tell she was actually thrilled that we had enjoyed the meal.
Define:
repudiate
(ri PYOO dee ayt)
v. to reject; to renounce; to disown; to have nothing to do with
Hoping to receive a lighter sentence, the convicted gangster repudiated his former connection with the mob.
Define:
requisite
(REK wuh zit)
adj. required; necessary
Howard bought a hunting rifle and the requisite ammunition.
Define:
resolute
(REZ uh loot)
adj. determined; firm; unwavering
Uncle Ted was resolute in his decision not to have a good time at our Christmas party; he stood alone in the corner and muttered to himself all night long.
Define:
respite
(RES pit)
n. a period of rest or relief
We worked without respite from five in the morning until five in the afternoon.
Define:
reticent
(RET uh sint)
adj. quiet; restrained; reluctant to speak, especially about oneself
Luther’s natural reticence made him an ideal speaker: His speeches never lasted more than a few minutes.
Define:
revere
(ri VEER)
v. to respect highly; to honor
Einstein was a preeminent scientist who was revered by everyone, even his rivals. Einstein enjoyed nearly universal reverence (REV uh rins).
Define:
rhetoric
(RET ur ik)
n. the art of formal speaking or writing; inflated discourse
A political candidate’s speech that was long on drama and promises but short on genuine substance might be dismissed as “mere rhetoric.”
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. continuous; unstoppable
relentless
(ri LENT lis)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to release or let go of; to surrender; to stop doing
relinquish
(ri LING kwish)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to argue against; to protest; to raise objections
remonstrate
(ri MAHN strayt)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a rebirth or revival
renaissance
(REN uh sahns)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to give up formally or resign; to disown; to have nothing to do with anymore
renounce
(ri NOWNSE)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. paying back; making amends; compensation
reparation
(rep uh RAY shun)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a consequence; an indirect effect
repercussion
(ree pur KUSH un)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to fill again; to resupply; to restore
replenish
(ri PLEN ish)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. completely filled; abounding
replete
(ri PLEET)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. worthy of severe blame or censure
reprehensible
(rep ri HEN suh bul)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a military action undertaken in revenge for another; an act of taking “an eye for an eye”
reprisal
(ri PRYE zul)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to scold, usually in disappointment; to blame; to disgrace
reproach
(ri PROHCH)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to criticize mildly
reprove
(ri PROOV)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to reject; to renounce; to disown; to have nothing to do with
repudiate
(ri PYOO dee ayt)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. required; necessary
requisite
(REK wuh zit)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. determined; firm; unwavering
resolute
(REZ uh loot)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. a period of rest or relief
respite
(RES pit)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. quiet; restrained; reluctant to speak, especially about oneself
reticent
(RET uh sint)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to respect highly; to honor
revere
(ri VEER)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. the art of formal speaking or writing; inflated discourse
rhetoric
(RET ur ik)
Define:
singular
(SING gyuh lur)
adj. unique; superior; exceptional; strange
Darren had the singular ability to stand on one big toe for several hours at a time.
Define:
sinister
(SIN ih stur)
adj. evil, wicked; foreshadowing evil, trouble, or wickedness
The house on the hill is pretty by day, but at night it casts sinister shadows and emits frightening moans.
Define:
slander
(SLAN dur)
v. to speak badly about someone publicy; to defame; to spread malicious rumor
Jonathan slandered Mr. Perriwinkle by telling everyone in school that the principal was a thief; Mr. Perriwinkle resented this slander. Since he was the principal, he expelled the slanderous student.
Define:
sloth
(slawth)
n. laziness; sluggishness
Yusuke’s weekends were devoted to sloth. He never arose before noon, and he seldom left the house before Monday morning.
Define:
sobriety
(suh BRYE uh tee)
n. the state of being sober; seriousness
Sobriety was such an unfamiliar condition that the reforming alcoholic didn’t recognize it at first.
Define:
solicitous
(suh LIS uh tus)
adj. eager and attentive, often to the point of hovering; anxiously caring or attentive
Every time we turned around, we seemed to step on the foot of the solicitous salesman, who appeared to feel that if he left us alone for more than a few seconds, we would decide to leave the store.
Define:
solvent
(SAHL vunt)
adj. not broke or bankrupt; able to pay one’s bills
Jerry didn’t hope to become a millionaire; all he wanted to do was remain solvent.
Define:
soporific
(sahp uh RIF ik)
adj. sleep inducing; boring; sleepy
The doctor calmed his hysterical patient by injecting him with some sort of soporific medication.
Define:
sordid
(SOR did)
adj. vile; filthy; squalid
The college roommates led a sordid existence, surrounded by dirty laundry, rotting garbage, and body odor.
Define:
spawn
(spawn)
v. to bring forth; to produce a large number
A best-selling book or blockbuster movie will spawn dozens of imitators.
Define:
specious
(SPEE shus)
adj. deceptively plausible or attractive
The charlatan’s specious theories about curing baldness with used tea bags charmed the studio audience but did not con vince the experts, who believed that fresh tea bags were more effective.
Define:
sporadic
(spuh RAD ik)
adj. stopping and starting; scattered; occurring in bursts every once in a while
Kyle’s attention to his schoolwork was sporadic at best; he tend ed to lose his concentration after a few minutes of effort.
Define:
spurious
(SPYOOR ee us)
adj. false; fake
The political candidate attributed his loss to numerous spurious rumors that had hounded him throughout his campaign.
Define:
squalor
(SKWAHL ur)
n. filth; wretched, degraded, or repulsive living conditions
If people live in squalor for too long, the ruling elite can count on an insurgency.
Define:
squander
(SKWAHN dur)
v. to waste
Jerry failed to husband his inheritance; instead, he squandered it on stuffed toys.
Define:
stagnation
(stag NAY shun)
n. motionlessness; inactivity
The company grew quickly for several years, then fell into stagnation.
Define:
static
(STAT ik)
adj. stationary; not changing or moving
Sales of the new book soared for a few weeks then became static.
Define:
staunch
(stawnch)
adj. firmly committed; firmly in favor of; steadfast
A staunch Republican is someone who always votes for Republican candidates.
Define:
steadfast
(STED fast)
adj. loyal; faithful
Steadfast love is love that never wavers. To be steadfast in a relationship is to be faithfully committed.
Define:
stigmatize
(STIG muh tyze)
v. to brand with disgrace; to set a mark of disgrace upon
Steve’s jeans were Lee’s instead of Levi’s, and this mistake stigmatized him for the rest of his high school career.
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. unique; superior; exceptional; strange
singular
(SING gyuh lur)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. evil, wicked; foreshadowing evil, trouble, or wickedness
sinister
(SIN ih stur)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to speak badly about someone publicy; to defame; to spread malicious rumor
slander
(SLAN dur)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. laziness; sluggishness
sloth
(slawth)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. the state of being sober; seriousness
sobriety
(suh BRYE uh tee)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. eager and attentive, often to the point of hovering; anxiously caring or attentive
solicitous
(suh LIS uh tus)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. not broke or bankrupt; able to pay one’s bills
solvent
(SAHL vunt)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. sleep inducing; boring; sleepy
soporific
(sahp uh RIF ik)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. vile; filthy; squalid
sordid
(SOR did)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to bring forth; to produce a large number
spawn
(spawn)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. deceptively plausible or attractive
specious
(SPEE shus)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. stopping and starting; scattered; occurring in bursts every once in a while
sporadic
(spuh RAD ik)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. false; fake
spurious
(SPYOOR ee us)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. filth; wretched, degraded, or repulsive living conditions
squalor
(SKWAHL ur)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to waste
squander
(SKWAHN dur)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
n. motionlessness; inactivity
stagnation
(stag NAY shun)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. stationary; not changing or moving
static
(STAT ik)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. firmly committed; firmly in favor of; steadfast
staunch
(stawnch)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
adj. loyal; faithful
steadfast
(STED fast)
Which of your vocabulary words means the following?
v. to brand with disgrace; to set a mark of disgrace upon
stigmatize
(STIG muh tyze)