Vocabulary 3
Miscreant-Adj. Evil, an Evil Person , Villian . Her miscreant actions shocked and surprised her family. The
miscreant thought nothing of taking others’ money and belongings
Chafe-To annoy, to irritate, to wear away or make sore by rubbing. His constant teasing chafed her. He
doesn’t wear pure wool sweaters because they usually chafe his skin.
Duress- Imprisonment, the use of threats. His duress was supposed to last 10-15 years. The
policewoman put the man under duress in order to get a confession.
Goad- Noun – A driving impulse , V. to put into action. His goad urged him to pursue the object of his
affection. Thinking about money will goad him into getting a job.
Ideology-Noun-speculation, representative way of thinking. His ideology proved to be faulty. The
ideology of business can be found in the new book.
Salient-Adj- Projecting, noticeable. His most salient feature is his nose. His salient bruise will alert his
mother to the altercation.
Recluse- Adj, Noun,-Solitary, a person who lives in seclusion .The prisoner lived a reclusive life in his tiny
cell. The writer lived alone in the country as a recluse, free from the distractions of the city.
Censure- noun-a strong expression of disapproval. The censure given by the critic prevented the movie
from winning an Oscar.
Servile- A slave like manner. The servile nurse did everything the doctor told her to do.
Burlesque-V or N, To imitate in a non-serious manner, a comical imitation. His stump speeches were so
hackneyed; he seemed to be burlesquing his role as congressman. George Burns was considered one of
the great practitioners of burlesque.
Visionary- Adj.- Not realistic; impractical .His visionary ideas would never ne realized.
Waive- Verb- To give up, to put off until later. I will waive my rights to have a lawyer present because I
don’t think I need one. As hard as he tried, he could only waive his responsibility for so long.
Prattle-N, V, Childish Babble , to babble while speaking .I’ve listened to his prattle for far too long. The
toddler does more prattling than talking.
Auspicious- Adj- Of good omen, successful. After an auspicious start, the football team could not sustain
it’s lead and lost in overtime. The campaign had an auspicious start, foreshadowing the candidate’s win.
Fathom- v or n, to understand, a nautical unit of depth equal to 6 feet.It was difficult to fathom the
reason for closing the institution. The submarine cruised at 17 fathoms below the surface.
Vocabulary 4
1. Ken-v, n, To know; One’s understanding. It was difficult to ken exactly what she had in mind.
My ken of the situation proved to be incorrect.
2. Covetous –Adj. Greedy, Eagerly desirous. The child was very covetous of his toys and would
never share them. Lonnie, covetous of education, went to almost every lecture at the
university.
3. Malign: Adj, V, Having an evil disposition toward others (opposite ,benign); to speak evil of.
Many children were afraid to go near the home of the malign man. It is easy to malign
someone you dislike.
4. Pensive:Adj, Engaged in deep thought; expressing thoughtfulness with some sadness. My
hours alone are often more pensive than the time I spend with friends.
5. Tether-Noun: The range or limit of one’s abilities; rope or chain used to keep a boat from
drifting or an animal from wandering .My tether of playing basketball is shooting at balls. The
bulldog was tethered to his doghouse.
6. Ulterior- Adj. Regarding the future, undisclosed My ulterior concerns are more important than
my immediate ones. The man’s ulterior motive was to spy on the lab.
7. Wanton-Adj. Unmanageable, unjustifiably malicious. My wanton hunger must be satiated.
With wanton aggression, the army attacked the defenseless village.
8. Odium- N, Hatred; The disgrace from a hateful action. Shunned by the community, her odium
made her an outcast.
9. Superfluous-Adj. Excessive, Unnecessary. Only the first sentence is necessary ; all of these
details are superfluous. After they finished their seven course meal, a large dessert seemed
superfluous.
10. Accrue-V, To come to a person or thing by way of gain or increment, to increase through
natural growth. Over the course of her college career, she managed to accrue a great deal of
knowledge. Regular deposits enabled her to accrue a sizeable savings.