LESSON 8—ACQUIESCE
TO ZEAL
Acquiesce--verb


To give in; to comply
No matter how much the Egyptians revolted, the
leader refused to acquiesce to their demands.
Affinity--noun


a likeness, a natural relationship, a kinship
She had an affinity for chocolate ice cream.
Blasphemous--adj


Irreverent; profane (disrespectful)
The show South Park can be incredibly
blasphemous when parodying religion s.
Buttress--noun


A support or prop—as a verb---to prop up
The Victorian era was characterized by elaborate
architecture with flying buttresses.
Circumspect--adjective
careful to consider consequences, cautious, prudent
Always be circumspect when using a blow dryer in the
bathroom.

Corroboration--noun


Confirmation ---to corroborate (verb)
She needed corroboration from her friends before
believing his story.
Deplete--verb

to use up gradually, to lessen in amount or value
The food reserves were depleted on the
first day of the rescue mission.
Despotic--adj


ruling oppressively and absolutely; tyrannical
The despotic ruler surrounded himself with armed
guards and sentenced to death anyone who
disagreed with him.
Emaciated--adj


very thin (usually as a result of starvation), wasting
away
It breaks my heart to see this emaciated dog whose
owner was so abusive.
Empirical--adj


based on observation or experiment and not on
theory
I can only trust studies with empirical proof.
Extraneous--adj


not essential or vital
Try not to get bogged down by the extraneous
details, and just concentrate on the important parts.
Fallow--adj


inactive, plowed but not sowed
Although the farm land was fallow , and the
building was abandoned, the property was worth
millions.
Homogeneous--adj


of the same kind; similar in nature
In a decade, the school’s population changed from
being culturally homogenous to highly diverse.
Hyperbole--noun


obvious exaggeration
She was so dramatic, she often peppered her
conversations with hyperboles and flowery
language.
Incontrovertible--adj


Indisputable
The winner of the debate was incontrovertible, yet
the loser was determined to win the sympathy of
the audience.
Irascible--adj


irritable, easily angered, cranky, cross
Don’t bother Mom when she gets home from work;
she is usually quite contentious and irascible.
Laconic--adj


using a minimum of words; concise to the point of
seeming rude
I hate laconic replies to text messages…like “ha ha
ha” or “LOL.”
Magnanimity--n


having a lofty, generous, and courageous spirit
Beowulf was known for the magnanimity he showed
Hrothgar.
Obsequious--adj


overly attentive, like a sycophant, servile
The student was obsequious toward her teacher in
an attempt to persuade him to give her an A.
Proliferation—noun
(to proliferate-verb)


an increase in number, multiplication
The proliferation of assault weapons in our country is
alarming to those who want gun control legislation.
Scrupulous--adj


very principled, very careful and conscientious
Before submitting her college application, she
scrupulously looked over every item.
Sublime--adj
Exalted, noble, uplifting,
transcendent, awe-inspiring
 The ocean front setting of their
vacation was absolutely sublime.

Surreptitious--adj


Secret; clandestine; stealthy
His efforts to be surreptitious confused us; we
thought he was up to something bad.
Veracity-noun


Devotion to the truth
We questioned the politician’s veracity; it seems
people will say anything these days to get elected.
ZEAL
--noun
Enthusiasm; fervor
 Everyday, Mrs. Fossum wakes up with
zeal---just ready to start the day.

Test Yourself




T/F ---If I have an affinity for chocolate, I abhor it.
T/F---A person who has trepidation about climbing
will not be circumspect.
This week’s vocabulary word closest in meaning to
superfluous is ____________.
A sycophant is likely to be ____________.