Fall Vocabulary

Fall Vocabulary: List 1

adumbrate - verb give to understand; describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or summary of

apotheosis - noun the elevation of a person (as to the status of a god); model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal

ascetic - adj. practicing great self-denial; pertaining to or characteristic of an ascetic or the practice of rigorous self-discipline; noun someone who practices self denial as a spiritual discipline

bauble - noun a mock scepter carried by a court jester; cheap showy jewelry or ornament on clothing

beguile - verb attract; cause to be enamored; influence by slyness

burgeon - verb grow and flourish

complement - noun something added to complete or make perfect;either of two parts that mutually complete each other

contumacious - adj. willfully obstinate; stubbornly disobedient

curmudgeon - noun a crusty irascible cantankerous old person full of stubborn ideas

didactic - adj. instructive (especially excessively)

disingenuous - adj. not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of frankness

exculpate - verb pronounce not guilty of criminal charges

faux pas – noun social blunder

fulminate - verb cause to explode violently and with loud noise; come on suddenly and intensely; criticize severely

fustian - noun a strong cotton and linen fabric with a slight nap; pompous or pretentious talk or writing

hauteur - noun overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner toward inferiors

inhibit - verb limit the range or extent of; to put down by force or authority

jeremiad - noun a long and mournful complaint

opportunist - adj. taking immediate advantage, often unethically, of any circumstance of possible benefit; noun a person who places expediency above principle

unconscionable - adj. greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation; lacking a conscience

Fall Vocabulary: List 2

accoutrements – noun personal clothing, accessories, ect. 

apogee - noun a final climactic stage

apropos - adj. of an appropriate or pertinent nature; adv. by the way; at an opportune time

bicker - noun a quarrel about petty points; verb argue over petty things

coalesce - verb fuse or cause to grow together; mix together different elements

contretemps - noun an awkward clash

convolution - noun the action of coiling or twisting or winding together; a convex fold or elevation in the surface of the brain

cull - noun the person or thing that is rejected or set aside as inferior in quality; verb remove something that has been rejected; look for and gather

disparate - adj. including markedly dissimilar elements;fundamentally different or distinct in quality or kind

dogmatic - adj. characterized by assertion of unproved or unprovable principles; relating to or involving dogma; of or pertaining to or characteristic of a doctrine or code of beliefs accepted as authoritative

licentious - adj. lacking moral discipline; especially sexually unrestrained

mete - noun a line that indicates a boundary

noxious - adj. injurious to physical or mental health

polemic - adj. of or involving dispute or controversy; noun a controversy (especially over a belief or dogma); a writer who argues in opposition to others (especially in theology)

populous - adj. densely populated

probity - noun complete and confirmed integrity; having strong moral principles

repartee - noun adroitness and cleverness in reply

supervene - verb take place as an additional or unexpected development

truncate - adj. terminating abruptly by having or as if having an end or point cut off; verb make shorter as if by cutting off; approximate by ignoring all terms beyond a chosen one;replace a corner by a plane

unimpeachable - adj. beyond doubt or reproach; completely acceptable; not open to exception or reproach; free of guilt; not subject to blame

Fall Vocabulary: List 3

accolade - noun a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction

acerbity - noun a sharp sour taste; a sharp bitterness; a rough and bitter manner

attrition - noun the act of rubbing together; wearing something down by friction; a wearing down to weaken or destroy; sorrow for sin arising from fear of damnation; the wearing down of rock particles by friction due to water or wind or ice; erosion by friction

bromide - noun any of the salts of hydrobromic acid; formerly used as a sedative but now generally replaced by safer drugs; a trite or obvious remark

chauvinist - noun an extreme bellicose nationalist; a person with a prejudiced belief in the superiority of his or her own kind

chronic - adj. being long-lasting and recurrent or characterized by long suffering

expound - verb add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing; state

factionalism – adj. self-interested; partisan

immaculate - adj. completely neat and clean; free from stain or blemish; without fault or error

imprecation - noun the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil (and usually serves as an insult); a slanderous accusation

ineluctable - adj. impossible to avoid or evade: "inescapable conclusion"

mercurial - adj. changeable; volatile; fickle; flighty; erratic

palliate - verb provide physical relief, as from pain; lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of

protocol - noun code of correct conduct; forms of ceremony and etiquette observed by diplomats and heads of state;

resplendent - adj. having great beauty and splendor

stigmatize - verb mark with a stigma or stigmata; to accuse or condemn or openly or formally or brand as disgraceful

sub rosa -  noun confidentially; secretly; privately

vainglory - noun outspoken conceit

vestige - noun an indication that something has been present

volition - noun the act of making a choice; the capability of conscious choice and decision and intention

Fall Vocabulary: List 4

apposite - adj. being of striking appropriateness and pertinence

augur - noun (ancient Rome) a religious official who interpreted omens to guide public policy; verb predict from an omen; indicate by signs

bilk - verb evade payment to; cheat somebody out of what is due, especially money; escape, either physically or mentally;hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of

charisma - noun a personal attractiveness or interestingness that enables you to influence others

debilitate - verb make weak

execrable - adj. deserving a curse; unequivocally detestable;of very poor quality or condition

impinge - verb impinge or infringe upon; advance beyond the usual limit

labyrinth - noun maze

narcissism - noun an exceptional interest in and admiration for yourself

niggardly - adj. petty or reluctant in giving or spending

pastiche - noun a work of art that imitates the style of some previous work; a musical composition consisting of a series of songs or other musical pieces from various sources

precarious - adj. affording no ease or reassurance; not secure; beset with difficulties; dangerously insecure; fraught with danger

rapport - noun a relationship of mutual understanding or trust and agreement between people

utilitarian - adj. having a useful function; having utility often to the exclusion of values; noun someone who believes that the value of a thing depends on its utility

vacuous - adj. devoid of matter; void of expression; devoid of significance or point; devoid of intelligence

vagary - noun an unexpected and inexplicable change in something (in a situation or a person's behavior, etc.)

viable - adj. capable of life or normal growth and development;capable of being done with means at hand and circumstances as they are

xenophobia - noun an irrational fear of foreigners or strangers

zany - adj. like a clown; ludicrous, foolish; noun a buffoon in one of the old comedies; imitates others for ludicrous effect;a man who is a stupid incompetent fool

zealot - noun an excessively zealous person; fanatic

Fall Vocabulary: List 5

apostate - adj. not faithful to religion or party or cause;noun a disloyal person who betrays or deserts his cause or religion or political party or friend etc.

bravado - noun a swaggering show of courage

consensus - noun agreement in the judgment or opinion reached by a group as a whole

constrict - verb become tight or as if tight; squeeze or press together

dichotomy - noun being twofold; a classification into two opposed parts or subclasses

effusive - adj. extravagantly demonstrative; uttered with unrestrained enthusiasm

euphoria - noun a feeling of great (usually exaggerated) elation

gothic - adj. characterized by gloom and mystery and the grotesque

impasse - noun a situation in which no progress can be made or no advancement is possible

lugubrious - adj. excessively mournful

metamorphosis - noun a complete change of physical form or substance; a striking change in appearance or character or circumstances

mystique - noun an aura of heightened value or interest or meaning surrounding a person or thing

non sequitur – noun a statement containing an illogical conclusion.

parlous - adj. fraught with danger

punctilio - noun strict observance of formalities; a fine point of etiquette or petty formality

quagmire - noun a soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfoot; a difficult situation to escape.

quixotic - adj. not sensible about practical matters; unrealistic

raconteur - noun a person skilled in telling anecdotes

sine qua non – noun an indispensable condition, element, or factor; something essential.

vendetta - noun a feud in which members of the opposing parties murder each other

Fall Vocabulary: List 6

acumen - noun a tapering point; shrewdness shown by keen insight

adjudicate - verb bring to an end; settle conclusively; put on trial or hear a case and sit as the judge at the trial of

anachronism - noun an artifact that belongs to another time; a person who seems to be displaced in time; who belongs to another age; something located at a time when it could not have existed or occurred

apocryphal - adj. being of questionable authenticity; of or belonging to the Apocrypha

disparity - noun inequality or difference in some respect

dissimulate - verb hide (feelings) from other people

empirical - adj. derived from experiment and observation rather than theory; relying on medical quackery

flamboyant - adj. richly and brilliantly colorful; elaborately or excessively ornamented

fulsome - adj. unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating in manner or speech

immolate - verb offer as a sacrifice by killing or by giving up to destruction

imperceptible - adj. impossible or difficult to perceive by the mind or senses

lackey - noun a male servant (especially a footman); a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage

liaison - noun a channel for communication between groups; a usually secretive or illicit sexual relationship

monolithic - adj. characterized by massiveness and rigidity and total uniformity; imposing in size or bulk or solidity

mot juste.-  the exact, appropriate word

nihilism - noun complete denial of all established authority and institutions; the delusion that things (or everything, including the self) do not exist; a sense that everything is unreal

patrician - adj. belonging to or characteristic of the nobility or aristocracy; noun a person of refined upbringing and manners; a member of the aristocracy

propitiate - verb make peace with

sic - adv. intentionally so written (used after a printed word or phrase); verb urge a dog to attack someone

sublimate - adj. made pure; noun the product of vaporization of a solid; verb direct energy or urges into useful activities

Fall Vocabulary: List 7

beatitude - noun one of the eight sayings of Jesus at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount; in Latin each saying begins with `beatus' (blessed); a state of supreme happiness

bete noire – noun a person or thing especially disliked or dreaded; bane; bugbear

bode - verb indicate by signs

dank - adj. unpleasantly cool and humid

ecumenical - adj. of worldwide scope or applicability

fervid - adj. extremely hot; characterized by intense emotion

fetid - adj. offensively malodorous

gargantuan - adj. of great mass; huge and bulky

heyday - noun the period of greatest prosperity or productivity

incubus - noun a male demon believed to lie on sleeping persons and to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; someone who depresses or worries others; a situation resembling a terrifying dream

infrastructure - noun the basic structure or features of a system or organization

inveigle - verb influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering

kudos - noun an expression of approval and commendation

lagniappe - noun a small gift (especially one given by a merchant to a customer who makes a purchase)

prolix - adj. tediously prolonged or tending to speak or write at great length

protégé - noun a person who receives support and protection from an influential patron who furthers the protege's career

prototype - noun a standard or typical example

sycophant - noun a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage

tautology - noun useless repetition; (logic) a statement that is necessarily true

truckle - noun a low bed to be slid under a higher bed; verbyield to out of weakness; try to gain favor by cringing or flattering

Fall Vocabulary: List 8

aberration - noun an optical phenomenon resulting from the failure of a lens or mirror to produce a good image; a disorder in one's mental state; a state or condition markedly different from the norm

ad hoc -  adj. concerned or dealing with a specific subject, purpose, or end

bane - noun something causes misery or death

bathos - noun triteness or triviality of style; a change from a serious subject to a disappointing one; insincere pathos

cantankerous - adj. having a difficult and contrary disposition; stubbornly obstructive and unwilling to cooperate

casuistry - noun moral philosophy based on the application of general ethical principles to resolve moral dilemmas;argumentation that is specious or excessively subtle and intended to be misleading

de facto – noun in fact; in reality

depredation - noun an act of plundering and pillaging and marauding; (usually plural) a destructive action

empathy - noun understanding and entering into another's feelings

harbinger - noun an indication of the approach of something or someone; verb foreshadow or presage

hedonism - noun the pursuit of pleasure as a matter of ethical principle

lackluster - adj. lacking luster or shine; lacking brilliance or vitality

malcontent - adj. discontented as toward authority; noun a person who is discontented or disgusted

mellifluous - adj. pleasing to the ear

nepotism - noun favoritism shown to relatives or close friends by those in power (as by giving them jobs)

pander - noun someone who procures customers for whores (in England they call a pimp a ponce); verb arrange for sexual partners for others; yield (to); give satisfaction to

peccadillo - noun a petty misdeed

piece de resistance – the most noteworthy or prized feature; aspect; ect.  

remand - noun the act of sending an accused person back into custody to await trial; verb lock up or confine, in or as in a jail

syndrome - noun a complex of concurrent things; a pattern of symptoms indicative of some disease

Fall Vocabulary: List 9

abeyance - noun temporary cessation or suspension

ambivalent - adj. uncertain or unable to decide about what course to follow

beleaguer - verb surround so as to force to give up; annoy persistently

carte blanche – noun unconditional authority; full discretionary power

cataclysm - noun an event resulting in great loss and misfortune; a sudden violent change in the earth's surface

debauch - noun a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity; verb corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality

éclat - noun brilliant or conspicuous success or effect;ceremonial elegance and splendor; enthusiastic approval

fastidious - adj. giving careful attention to detail; hard to please; excessively concerned with cleanliness; having complicated nutritional requirements; especially growing only in special artificial cultures

gambol - verb play boisterously

imbue - verb suffuse with color; fill, soak, or imbue totally;spread or diffuse through

inchoate - adj. only partly in existence; imperfectly formed

lampoon - noun a composition that imitates somebody's style in a humorous way; verb ridicule with satire

malleable - adj. capable of being shaped or bent or drawn out;easily influenced

nemesis - noun something causes misery or death

opt - verb select as an alternative; choose instead; prefer as an alternative

philistine - noun a person who is uninterested in intellectual pursuits

picaresque - adj. involving clever rogues or adventurers especially as in a type of fiction

queasy - adj. causing or fraught with or showing anxiety;feeling nausea; feeling about to vomit; causing or able to cause nausea

refractory - adj. temporarily unresponsive or not fully responsive to nervous or sexual stimuli; not responding to treatment; stubbornly resistant to authority or control

savoir-faire - noun social skill

Fall Vocabulary: List 10

abortive - adj. failing to accomplish an intended result

bruit - verb tell or spread rumors

contumelious - adj. arrogantly insolent

dictum - noun an authoritative declaration; an opinion voiced by a judge on a point of law not directly bearing on the case in question and therefore not binding

ensconce - verb fix firmly

iconoclastic - adj. destructive of images used in religious worship; said of religions, such as Islam, in which the representation of living things is prohibited; characterized by attack on established beliefs or institutions

in medias res – in the middle

internecine - adj. characterized by bloodshed and carnage for both sides; (of conflict) within a group or organization

maladroit - adj. unskillful; awkward

maudlin - adj. effusively or insincerely emotional

modulate - verb vary the frequency, amplitude, phase, or other characteristic of; vary the pitch of one's speech

portentous - adj. of momentous or ominous significance; puffed up with vanity; ominously prophetic

prescience - noun the power to foresee the future

quid pro quo – noun one thing in return for another

salubrious - adj. favorable to health of mind or body;promoting health; healthful

saturnalia – unrestrained revelry; orgy

touchstone - noun a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated

traumatic - adj. psychologically painful

vitiate - verb make imperfect; corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality

waggish - adj. witty or joking

Fall Vocabulary: List 11

aficionado - noun a serious devotee of some particular music genre or musical performer; a fan of bull fighting

browbeat - verb discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner; intimidate; be bossy towards

commensurate - adj. corresponding in size or degree or extent

diaphanous - adj. so thin as to transmit light

emolument - noun compensation received by virtue of holding an office or having employment (usually in the form of wages or fees)

foray - noun an initial attempt; a sudden short attack; verbbriefly enter enemy territory; steal goods; take as spoils

genre - noun a class of art

homily - noun a sermon on a moral or religious topic

immure - verb lock up or confine, in or as in a jail

insouciant - adj. marked by blithe unconcern

matrix - noun an enclosure within which something originates or develops (from the Latin for womb)

obsequies – noun funeral rite or ceremony

panache - noun distinctive and stylish elegance

persona - noun a personal facade that one presents to the world

philippic - noun a speech of violent denunciation

prurient - adj. characterized by lust

sacrosanct - adj. must be kept sacred

systemic - adj. affecting an entire system

tendentious - adj. having or marked by a strong tendency especially a controversial one

vicissitude - noun a change or variation occurring in the course of something

Fall Vocabulary: List 12

affinity - noun a natural attraction or feeling of kinship

bilious - adj. relating to or containing bile; irritable as if suffering from indigestion

cognate - adj. having the same ancestral language; related in nature; noun a word is cognate with another if both derive from the same word in an ancestral language

corollary - noun (logic) an inference that follows directly from the proof of another proposition; a practical consequence that follows naturally

cul de sac - noun a street with only one way in or out; a passage with access only at one end

derring-do - noun brave and heroic deeds

divination - noun a prediction uttered under divine inspiration

elixir - noun a substance believed to cure all ills

folderol - noun nonsensical talk or writing

gamut - noun a complete extent or range

hoi polloi – the common people; the masses

ineffable - adj. too sacred to be uttered; defying expression or description

lucubration - noun laborious cogitation

mnemonic - noun a device used to aid recall

obloquy - noun blame, or abusive language aimed at a person or thing

parameter - noun limits or boundaries; guidelines

pundit - noun a learned person, expert, or authority

risible - adj. arousing or provoking laughter

symptomatic - adj. relating to or according to or affecting a symptom or symptoms; characteristic or indicative of e.g. a disease

volte-face - noun a major change in attitude or principle or point of view