LA 8 Vocabulary
Unit 7
acme:
(n.) the highest point
Example: The empire was at the acme of it’s power.
attribute:
(n.) a quality or characteristic belonging to or associated with someone or something
(v.) to assign to, credit with
Examples: (v) She attributed his bad mood to the fact that his dog just died.
(n) Sensitivity is one of his attributes.
belittle:
(v.) to refer to in a way that suggests lack of importance or value
Example: He belittles my abilities…
convey:
(v.) to transmit; to communicate
Example: We tried to convey our best wishes by sending a “Get Well Soon” card.
doctrine:
(n.) a belief, principle, or teaching; a system of such beliefs or principles
Example: The doctrine of the Catholic Church states…
excise:
(v.) to remove by cutting;
(n.) an indirect tax on the manufacture, sale, or distribution of a commodity or service
Example: (v) We should excise this paragraph from your essay.
(n) They placed an excise on the goods we sent to Europe.
exotic:
(adj.) foreign; charmingly unfamiliar or strikingly unusual
Example: What a cool pet bird; it’s so rare and exotic!
haggard:
(adj.) thin, pale, and worn-out as a result of worry or suffering
Example: We were startled by the haggard appearance of the homeless people downtown.
jaunty:
(adj.) lively, easy, and carefree in manner
Example: She got an “A” on the test and walked with a jaunty step for the rest of the day.
juncture:
(n.) a joining together; the point at which two things are joined; any important point in time
Example: Place the corner shelf at the juncture of the two walls.
menial:
(adj.) lowly, humble, lacking importance or dignity
(n.) a servant who does the humble and unpleasant tasks
Example: (adj.) She finds no task too menial; she will do any job to pay the bills.
(n) There was almost no work available, so the found jobs as menial workers.
parry:
(v.) to ward off, evade, avoid
(n.) a defensive movement in fencing and other sports
Example: (v) The president parried all questions after the scandal.
(n) She used a parry during the fencing match.
predatory:
(adj.) preying on, plundering, or piratical
Example: Hawks and other predatory birds…
ravage:
(v.) to destroy, lay waste, ruin
(n.) ruinous damage, destruction
Example: (n) The ravages of war…
(v) The floods ravaged the town.
stance:
(n.) a way of holding the body; an attitude or position on an issue
Example: The politician changed his stance on immigration.
tawdry:
(adj.) showy and flashy but lacking in good taste
Example: She hated the tawdry costume her grandma made for her for Halloween.
turncoat:
(n.) a person who switches to an opposing side or party
Example: The agent was actually a turncoat, and had started giving information to the other side.
unassuming:
(adj.) humble, modest
Example: She doesn’t like to get praise, she has a very unassuming personality
wallow:
(v.) to roll about in a lazy, clumsy, or helpless way; to overindulge
(n.) a wet, muddy, or dusty area used by animals as a sort of bath
Example: (v) Scrooge wallows in his money.
(n) The pigs love relaxing in their wallow on a hot day.
waver:
(v.) to move to and fro, become unsteady; to show lack of firmness or decision
Example: She always wavers when it comes to making a big decision.