Vocabulary #5 – Pd. 5
1.
su·per·cil·i·ous
[soo-per-sil-ee-uh s]
–adjective
haughtily disdainful or contemptuous, as a person or a facial expression.
[Origin: 1520–30; < L
2. mendacity
men-das-i-tee]
noun,
1.untruthfulness; tendency to lie.
2. an instance of lying; falsehood.
Origin: 1640-50; < Late Latin
3.
bilious
bil-yuh s]
adjective
1.peevish; irritable; cranky.
2.extremely unpleasant or distasteful:
a long scarf of bright, bilious green.
Origin: 1535-45; < Latin
4.
extemporize
ik-stem-puh-rahyz]
verb
1.to sing, or play on an instrument, composing the music as one
proceeds; improvise.
2. to do or manage something in a makeshift way.
Origin: 1635-45
5.
Fervent
–adjective
[fur-vuh nt]
having or showing great warmth or intensity of spirit, feeling,
enthusiasm, etc.; ardent
6. fractious
[frak-shuh s]
adjective
1. refractory or unruly: a fractious animal that would not submit to the harness.
2. readily angered; peevish; irritable; quarrelsome: an incorrigibly fractious
young man
Origin: 1715–25
7.
feign [feyn]
verb
1. to represent fictitiously; put on an appearance of: to feign sickness.
2. to invent fictitiously or deceptively, as a story or an excuse.
3. to imitate deceptively: to feign another's voice.
Origin: 1250–1300; Middle English
8. languid [lang-gwid]
–adjective
1. lacking in vigor or vitality; slack or slow: a languid manner.
2. lacking in spirit or interest; listless; indifferent.
3. drooping or flagging from weakness or fatigue; faint.
Origin: 1590–1600; < L
9.peremptory [puh-remp-tuh-ree, per-uh mp-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee]
adjective
1. leaving no opportunity for denial or refusal; imperative: a
peremptory command.
2. imperious or dictatorial.
3. positive or assertive in speech, tone, manner, etc.
Origin: 1505–15; < L
10.
reticent
adjective
[ret-uh-suh nt]
Show IPA
1. disposed to be silent or not to speak freely; reserved.
2. reluctant or restrained.
Origin: 1825–35; < Latin