Aberration 

1. The act of departing from the right, normal or usual course.
2. The act of deviating from the ordinary, usual or average type.
Sample Sentence: The first time something actually occurs, it's an aberration.

 

Abject

1. Utterly wretched or hopeless.

Sample Sentence: Because of the abysmal economy, many people live in abject poverty. 

 

Abstinence:

The act of refraining from pleasurable activity such as eating or drinking.

1. My friend believes in sexual abstinence until marriage.

 

Adept:

1. capable of something; proficient

The girl was very adept in memorizing the steps to the kickboxing class.

 

 Abstruse

  Being difficult to comprehend, not easily understood.

 Sample Sentence: Quantum Physics is an abstruse course to take in college.

 

Acute:

1. Sharp or severe in effect, intense

2. Extremely great or serious

Sample sentence: She felt an acute pain in her side that needed tending at the hospital

 

 Admonish

 1. to warn or caution about something.

 2. to scold in a mild, or good willed manner.

 Sample sentence: The young boy was trying to act polite so his mother would not admonish him

 

 Aghast:

1. Struck with overwhelming shock or amazement.

2.Filled with sudden fright or horror.  

The people inside the bank stood aghast as it was robbed.

 

  Anathema

 1. forbidden; taboo

   sample sentence: The practice of human sacrifice is seen as an anathema in most modernized nations.

 

  Arcane

 1. known or understood by few

 2. mysterious, obscure

 Sample sentence: The arcane remnants of the Ancient Sith were found well beyond the fringes of the Galaxy.*

 (*My brother is a huge fan of "The Knights of the Old Republic", so he wished to be credited for helping come up with the sentence.) :)

 

  Archaic

 1. of or related to an earlier time period; primitive; ancient; old

 Sample Sentence: The archaic texts were very delicate and therefore had to be handled with extreme care.

 

  Artisan

 1. A skilled worker

 Sample Sentence: The artisan was fortunate to have skilled materials for his workshop.

 

Asperity

1. Roughness of sound

2. Roughess of manner or of temper

Sample sentence: The teacher could not stand the asperity of most rock music

 

Banal

1. Boring, something that is not original.

Sample Sentence: She did not get the part for the play because she performed the lines of the script in a banal manner.  

 

 Bellwether

 1. The leader of a movement or activity or a leading indicator of future trends

 Sample Sentence: Lucretia Mott, Susan B. Anthony, and many more notable women should be considered the bellwethers of the feminist movement because of their contributions to women around the world.

 

  Bibliophile

 1. A lover of books or someone who especially loves reading

 

Biodegradable

1. Capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms.

The banana is biodegradable therefore it is not illegal to liter a banana.

 

  Bombard

 1. To relentlessly attack

 Sample Sentence: The Nazis bombarded Poland.

 

Bootylicious

1. sexually attractive, with a curvaceous buttocks

sample sentence: He said she looked bootylicious in the dress she was wearing.

 

Capriciousness:

bizzareness and unusualness

The capriciousness of the weather caught her off guard.

 

Censure

to find fault with

The critical teacher was quick to censure her students for even small mistakes. 

 

Chastise:
1.To harshly judge by finding fault in someone or something.
Sample Sentence: The new, tired student was chastised for devising an uncreative and poorly written sample sentence for his vocabulary word.

 

Charlatan

someone who pretends to know more than they really do

Sample sentence: The doctor rarely looked his patients in the eye nor did he prescribe any medication for sickness, so people began to wonder if he was a charlatan.

 

 Coherent:

 1.logical and consistent

 2.able to speak clearly and logically

A coherent essay gets points across clearly.

 

Commemorate

 1. to mark by ceremony

 Each year, the Franklins commemorate their anniversary by visiting the site of their first date.

 

  Competent

 1. Having the necessary ability, knowledge, or skill to do something successfully.

 The painter was competent enough to be hired for the job.

 

  Construe

1. To give the meaning or intention of.
2. To deduce by inference or interpretation.
3. To translate orally.
Sample Sentence: It is difficult to construe the meaning of your question without any form of context.

 

  Contrive

 1. to plan with ingenuity; devise; invent; to plot.

 The mad scientist contrived an ingenious plan to take over the world.

 

  Corrosive

  Harmful or destructive

 Sharply sarcastic

 Sample Sentence: People particularly socialists have always thought that inequality was socially corrosive.

 

Cuckold

1. A man whose wife is unfaithful

Sample sentence: A cuckold, like his brother, is very unfortunate: after losing his job, his wife left him miserably with two children to feed.

 

Dubious

 1. Doubtful; marked by or occasioning doubt.

 2. Uncertain of outcome.

 The teacher was dubious of the student's perfect exam score.

 

Ebullient

1. extremely lively, enthusiastic

The little girl became ebullient upon going to Chuck E. Cheese.

 

  Elegiac

 1. Expressing sorrow or lamentation.

 The girl read her eulogy in an elegiac tone.

 

Epistolary

Contained or carried on in letters

The shoebox filled with letters was the only remains of Jessica's epistolary friendship with Emily.

 

  Etheral:

1.heavenly

2.Light/airy

Sample Sentence: The odor that came from the freshly made pie was nothing short of etheral.

 

Facetious:

 1. Having a deliberate humor over serious matters

 Sample sentence: Terry Silveira was being facetious when it came to the poorly done music concert.

 

  Finicky:

 1. extremely or excessively particular, exacting or meticulous in taste or standards.

 2. requiring much care, precision, or attentive effort.

 Sample Sentence: Pamela's mom finds it challenging to come up with ideas for healthy meals that her daughter would enjoy.

 

  Flabbergasted:

 To overwhelm with shock, surprise, or wonder.

 Sample sentence: She was flabbergasted by how much homework there was.

 

Flagrant

Noticeably offensive

The executive was fired for his flagrant abuse of the company expense account.

 

Forlorn:

1.abandoned or foresaken

The weak infantry men were forlorn hope in the next battle as they were expected to not return.

 

Hiatus

A break; a pause.

Sample sentence: He took a brief hiatus after studying 4 hours in the library.

 

Impenitent

Lacking remorse

The impenitent criminal received a harsh penalty, but his remorseful accomplice was released. 

 

Inauspicious

Not favorable

Gary believed the black foreboding sky was an inauspicious sign.

 

Infidel

1. One who rejects religion.

The infidel raised a group of protests around the church regarding his views on organized religion.

Indignation

Anger that is a result of something that is unfair or mean.

After the teacher said the last statement, Alva was full of indignation.

 

Jeremiad:

A literary work or speech that expresses a anger or a prophecy of doom.

The jeremiad made the villain even more scary and angry than ever before and made the people quiver in fear as they listened.

- Ariel Blandford

 

 Juxtapose 

1. to place side by side

Sample sentence: The art museum sets a display that juxtaposes modern art with classical art.

 

Ludacris

1. Absurd to the pint of causing laughter.

sample sentence: It seems ludacris that he would perform such a stunt

 

Lucid:

 1. suffused with light

 2. having use of one's mental faculties; sane

 3. clear to the understanding

 Sample sentence: In a rare, lucid moment, the patient recognized his sister at his bedside.

 

Lummox

a clumsy, stupid person

After hours of preparing the solution for the lab, George had to start over again because his lummox partner dropped the beaker spilling the solution on the laboratory floor. 

 

Meddle:

To put oneself in a situation without permission.

Don't meddle in my business!

Sample sentence: The old man liked to meddle in the affairs of his grandson.

 

Mettle

 1. Strength of spirit or temperament

 2. Quality of temperament or control

Sample sentence: The car battery proved its mettle, lasting for four years, but now it was time to buy a new one.

 

Narcissism

  

1. Extreme selfishness, with a grandiose view of one's own talents and a craving for admiration, as characterizing a personality type. 

2. Self-centeredness arising from failure to distinguish the self from external objects, either in very young babies or as a feature of mental disorder.

Sample sentence: The fallen hero's downfall was the result of his narcissism and lack of emotion for his partners.

 

   Notoriety:

 1. State of being unfavorably known.

 Sample sentence: Take down wanted posters of yourself to lessen your notoriety.

 

Omnipotent

1. Possessed of unlimited and universal power. 

Thinking he was omnipotent, my friend jumped over the cliff. 

 

Paleolithic

 1. Of, relating to, or denoting the early phase of the Stone Age.

 Sample sentence: Crossfitters and nutritionists both believe the paleolithic diet is ideal for the human body, because it consists of non-processed foods and was the way our fit cavemen ancestors stayed healthy.

 

Peccant 

1. Guilty  

Sarah began feeling peccant after telling her friends about Julie’s secret

 

 Placard:

1. A notice posted in a public place

2. A poster

Sample sentence: The placard on the wall says that there will be a Halloween party on Monday.

 

pleonasm

1. The use of more words than are necessary to express an idea

Ex. He ran over to the field on his own feet.

 

 Plethora:

 1. Overabundance, excess

 Sample sentence: He was given a plethora of scholarship offers due to his skill in basketball.

 

Pogonophobia

1. Fear of beards

Those who have pogonophobia only fear what they do not have.

 

Precarious:

1. Dangerously lacking in security or stability.

Sample Sentence: The lamp was so precarious that it looked like it was about to fall off the table.

- Ariel Blandford

 

Predicament:

A dilemma or a dangerous situation.

The camper found himself in a tough predicament as he spotted a towering grizzly bear right outside his tent. 

 

Pro Bono

 1. For the public good

 The housing projects were strictly pro bono.

  

Quid Pro Quo:

 1. Something that is given or received in exchange for something else

 Sample sentence: Many school districts have experienced budget cuts without any quid pro quo, and these cuts flabbergasted many faculty members, parents, and students.

 

Regale

To amuse

My clever sister Marta regaled the dinner guests with tales of her adventures.

 

  Sanguine:

 1. Cheerfully optomistic, hopeful or confident

 2. reddish

 3. blood red

 Sample sentence: She had a sanguine disposition as she waited for her date to show up at her house to pick her up.

 

Sapid:

Having a strong, pleasant flavor.
Sample Sentence: As the man bit into the fruit, the sapid juices dribbled down his chin.

 

Sloth:

1. Reluctance to work or make an effort; laziness.

Sample Sentence:  The sloth does not strive to become better in life instead he is content to stay where he is currently at.

 

  Splenetic:

 1. Irritable; peevish; spiteful.

 2. Archaic: Affected with, characterized by, or tending to produce melancholy.

 Sample Sentence: The newspaper publisher's editorials often struck fear towards the local politicians.

 

Stupendous:

 1. astonishing, marvelous, amazing

Sample sentence: His stupendous piano-playing skill makes his name world-wide known.

 

Sufficient

1) Enough, adequate

Sample Sentence: She had sufficient funds to pay for the item.

 

Sumptuous:

 1. A size that expresses great expense.

 She loved food, so he made her a sumptuous meal.

 -Ariel Blandford

 

Trajectory

1. The path described by a projectile moving under given forces. 

According to my calculations, the trajectory of the moving asteroid is heading right towards Earth!

 

Undermine

1. To subvert in an underhand way.

The student attempted to undermine his teacher by not listening to her.

 

  Usurp:

 1. To hold office possession by force or without right

 2. To take or make use of without right

 Sample Sentence: the ungrateful prince was charged for attempting to usurp the throne

 

Zephyr 

1. A gentle, mild breeze.

When my teacher asked me where my homework was, I said a zephyr blew it away. 

 

Heebie-Jeebies

Nervous jitters

Before performing on stage I got the heebie-jeebies.

 

Godspeed

Success or fortune

He wished our dad godspeed before going on a business trip.

 

Grotto:

1. Cave

The old lady who lives in a grotto-like shack won a lottery and donated all the money for a good cause.

 

Pathogenic:

1. Capable of causing disease.

People were becoming sick with disease from the water, because it was infested with pathogenic bacteria.

- Ariel Blandford

 

Throng

Definition: A large gathering of people

Sample Sentence: A traditional wedding usuallyconsists of a throng of people.

 

Cumbersome:

1. Bulky; Heavy

The couch was to cumbersome for only one person to move.

 

Emblem:

1. a picture with a motto or set of verses intended as a moral lesson.

The flag is one of the emblems of our nation.

 

Gargantuan:

of immensize size, volume, or capacity

 

Autonomous:

Not in control by outside forces, independent.

Sample Sentence: An autonomous friendship was formed outside of the circle of trust.

-Ariel Blandford 

 

Baroque:

disgusting, art or ornament that is grotesque or exaggerated in form

Sample Sentence: The art by the novice painter seemed baroque in all of its creative aspects.   

 

Martyr:

One who willingly suffers death than revoking one's religion or belief.
Sample Sentence: Joan of Arc is perhaps one of the most well known martyrs in history.

 

Muster

Definition: Gather or bring together

Sample sentence: Unfortunately for families who are not so close, funerals are the only occasion where loved ones are mustered.

 

Ricochet

The motion of an object or projectile in rebounding or deflecting

Sample Sentence: The basketball ricocheted off the basketball hoop and he missed the shot.

 

Zealot:

1.) A person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals.

The religious zealot read the Bible everyday. 

 

Amorous:  

1. Being in love.

2. Associated with love.

The man was very amorous towards his wife.

 

Crescendo:

A passage played with a increase in volume or intensity. 

The character's monologue climbed in sound, he used crescendo to emphasize his point. 

- Ariel Blandford

 

Dorsal:

Situated on the back

Sample Sentence: Dolphins and sharks have dorsal fins that look similar to each other.

 

Insipid

 1. Lacking qualities that excite, stimulate, or interest; dull.

The cognitive science lecture was rather insipid.

 

Lackadaisical

Without enthusiasm

Throughout the first semester I had a lackadaisical attitude toward biology. 

 

Talisman:

An inscribed amulet or charm

sample sentence: In "Jackie Chan Adventures" the ancient talismans were the source of the power to destroy the evil baddies. 

 

Ubiquitous: 

1. existing or being everywhere at the same time

2. widespread

Sample sentence: Smart phones have become ubiquitous in the twenty-first century.

 

Abrogate

To abolish

The group’s peaceful demonstrations demanded that government abrogate capital punishment.

 

Condescending

1. Acting in a way that betrays a feeling of patronizing superiority.

Sample Sentence: The older brother always speaks in a condescending tone with his younger siblings.

 

Eccentric

1. irregular; not normal; out of the ordinary.

The boy was nothing but eccentric to those around him. 

 

Mesmerize:

1. To spellbind or fascinate.
Cirque Du Soleil seems to have very mesmerizing performances, although I myself have never been to one.

 

Mire

1. deep mud or slush

Sample Sentence: The troops marched down the muck and the mire. 

 

Palpable

1. Capable of being handled, touched, or felt, like tangible.

 The tension was palpable in the stands.  

 

Apocrypha:
1. Various religious writings of uncertain origin regarded by some as inspired, but rejected by most authorities.

The apocrypha appealed to many of the villagers due to their often grotesque humor.

Eschew

To avoid or shun

She eschewed Julia because she had the same prom dress as her.  

 

Lurid

1. causing horror or revulsion

Sample sentence: the lightning cast a lurid glow at night.

 

Milquetoast

1. an unassertive person; easily dominated or intimidated

He is such a milquetoast, he won't even look at the boss in the eye when talking to him.

 

Nyctophobia:
1. fear of night or dark.
He is too much of a nyctophobe to get rid of his nightlight, even when he is a grown man.

 

Pensive

1. deep in thought; revealing thoughtfulness

Everyone thought that something was bothering the girl but she was just in a pensive mood. 

 

Dishearten

1.To depress the hope, courage, spirit of; discourage

His dishearten personality, made everyone sad.

 

Servile

Abjectly submissive; slavish.

Sample Sentence: Her servilechores, like cleaning the muck from the barn floors, made her seem like she was a slave to the estate.

-Ariel Blandford

 

archipelago

1 : an expanse of water with many scattered islands

2 : a group of islands

They arrived at the archipelago to do their research. 

 

Foible

1. A weakness

Sample Sentence: Being disorganized is Sam’s foible.

 

Rankle

1.To cause keen irritation or bitter resentment in.

2. To continue to cause keen irritation or bitter resentment within the mind, fester, be painful.

Jackson did not let his wife's scornful expression to rankle him.

 

Transmute

to change from one nature, substance, form, or condition, into another; transform

 

Zeal:
1. Fervor for a person, cause, or object; eager desire or endeavor; enthusiastic diligence; ardor
Many hard-core Christians are viewed as over-zealous.

 

Retrograde:

Moving backward.

Sample Sentence: The day was so retrograde that I ended up more behind than I was yesterday.

-Ariel Blandford

 

Enigmatic

1. Mysterious

Sample Sentence: It was an enigmatic discovery of a fossil of a giant dragonfly from the Permian period.

 

Sesquipedalian

A user of big words

Sample Sentence: Wine makers often use sesquipedalian language while describing wines.

-Ariel Blandford

 

 

week 14 

Immoderate

1. Beyond usual or proper limits

Bob's immoderate appetite shocked the guests as the wedding banquet.

 

Incongruous

1. Not harmonious, incompatible

Sadie's cowboy hat was incongruous with her black cocktail dress. 

Mitigate:

1. to lessen in force or intensity

The kind principal mitigated the student's punishment, knowing that the student would never make the same mistake again.

 

salvo

an excuse or quibbiling evasion

 

Perorate

To speak with grandeur for a great length of time.

Sample Sentence: The professor perorates during his lecture, talking with high intelligence and in a grandiloquent manner for two long hours.

- Ariel Blandford