Vocabulary Unit 12
Level E
abjure
(v.) to renounce; to avoid, shun
This is a picture of
Christians choosing
death rather than
choosing to abjure
their faith.
acrid
(adj.) harsh in taste or odor
august
(adj.) majestic, inspiring admiration and
respect
Queen Elizabeth is
pictured here in
her august crown.
callous
(adj.) emotionally hardened, unfeeling
clandestine
(adj.) secret, concealed
a clandestine hiding spot;
a clandestine meeting
compunction
(n.) remorse, regret
conflagration
(n.) a large destructive fire
elated
(adj.) in high spirits, jubilant, ecstatic
indelible
(adj.) not able to be erased; memorable
an indelible
reminder of bike
week
indulgent
(adj.) yielding to the wishes or demands of others
Parents who are
over-indulgent will
suffer the throes of
spoiled children who
don’t value working
for what they want.
inveterate
(adj.) firmly established; habitual
Fidel Castro has been an
inveterate part of Cuba since
the late 1950’s.
irrelevant
(adj.) not to the point, not applicable
Maps quickly become irrelevant as the
world changes, countries divide, and
new discoveries are made.
nocturnal
(adj.) of or occurring in the night
platitude
(n.) a commonplace or stale remark
You should avoid
platitudes in your writing,
or Mrs. Felder will write
CLICHÉ on your paper.
quell
(v.) to subdue, put down forcibly
quiescent
(adj.) inactive; at rest
A dormant
volcano
remains
quiescent
until it
erupts again.
ruminate
(v.) to meditate, think about at length;
to chew the cud
tacit
(adj.) unspoken, silent; implied
a tacit agreement, a
tacit understanding
tangible
(adj.) capable of being touched; real
trenchant
(adj.) forceful, effective; clear-cut
The trenchant
concepts of
right versus
wrong