Level F
Vocabulary Unit
#2
Focus Words
bombastic
ingratiate
callow
occult
epitome
surmise
bombastic= negative
(adj) pompous; highsounding language
My teacher wants me to
write clear, direct
responses, not just fill up
lines with bombastic
blabber.
•pretentious
•inflated
bombastic

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bom
bastic
pretentioushttp://dictionary.reference.com/browse/prete
ntious
pompoushttp://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pomp
ous?s=t
Origins
Either from bombast (“padding,
stuffing”), or from middle name
of Paracelsus (Theophrastus
Bombastus), who often used
extremely arrogant speaking
style.
Other Forms
boasted bombastically- Adverb
bombastical politician- Adjective
callow=negative
(adj) without experience; •inexperience
immature; lacking
•green
sophistication and poise
Fans complained about
the bad calls made by
the callow NFL referees.
callow

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/call
ow?s=t
No
Feathers
Origins
Old English calu ‘bald’;
probably from
Latin calvus ‘bald.’ This was
extended to mean ‘unfledged,’
which led to the present sense
‘immature.’
Other Forms
comparative adjective: callower
without hair
without feathers
(especially of a young person)
inexperienced and immature
epitome=positive
(n) A condensed
account; an instance
that represents a larger
reality
The Queen of England
is the epitome of a
proper lady.
•model
•archetype
epitome

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/epit
ome?s=t

abstract or digest
Other Forms
plural noun: epitomes
Origin:
early 16th century: via Latin from
Greek epitomē, from epitemnein ‘abridge,’
from epi ‘in addition’ + temnein ‘to cut.’
ingratiate=negative
(v) To make oneself
agreeable to and
accepted by others
Betsy tried to ingratiate
herself to her new team
members by bringing
them cupcakes.
•
•
cozy up to
gain favor by others
(sometimes used in a
derogatory manner)
ingratiate

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ingr
atiate
Other Forms
Ingratiating adjective
Ingratiatingly adverb
Ingratiation noun
Ingratiatory adjective
ingratiated, ingratiating transitive verb
Origin:
early 17th century: from Latin in
gratiam ‘into favor,’ on the pattern of
obsolete Italian ingratiare, earlier form
of ingraziare.
occult=negative
(adj) mysterious,
magical
(verb) to hide or conceal
There were rumors that
the old woman had
occult powers.
•supernatural
•esoteric
occult

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/occu
lt

esoteric
http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/esoteric

abstruse -difficult to comprehend
Other Forms
oc·cult′ly- adverb
oc·cult′ness- noun
oc·cult·ed, oc·cult·ing, oc·cults- verb
Origin:
late 15th century (as a verb): from Latin occultare ‘secrete,’
frequentative of occulere ‘conceal,’ based on celare ‘to
hide’; the adjective and noun from occult- ‘covered over,’
from the verb occulere .
surmise=negative
(v) to guess without
support or proof
(n) Idea that lacks proof
After looking at the test
scores, I surmise that
some students did not
study.
•infer
•gather
surmise

http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/surmise
Other Forms
verb: surmise; 3rd person present: surmises; past
tense: surmised; past participle: surmised; gerund or present
participle: surmising
noun: surmise; plural noun: surmises
Origin:
late Middle English (in the senses ‘formal allegation’
and ‘allege formally’): from Anglo-Norman French and
Old French surmise, feminine past participle
of surmettre ‘accuse,’ from late
Latin supermittere ‘put in afterward,’ from super‘over’ + mittere ‘send.’
Your turn
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
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
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
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