English 11 Honours - Vocabulary Unit Two

Front 1

ameliorate

Back 1

verb
to improve, make better, correct a flaw or shortcoming
s: amend, better
a: worsen, aggravate, exacerbate

Front 2

aplomb

Back 2

noun
poise, assurance, great self-confidence; perpendicularity
s: composure, self-posession, levelheadedness
a: confusion, embarassment, abashment

Front 3

bombastic

Back 3

adjective
pompous or overblown in language; full of high-sounding words intended to conceal a lack of ideas
s: inflated, highfalutin, high-flown, pretentious
a: unaborned, simple, plain, austere

Front 4

callow

Back 4

adjective
without experiece; immature, not fully developed; lacking sophistication and poise; without feathers
s: green, raw, unfledged, inexperienced
a: mature, grown-up, polished, sophisticated

Front 5

drivel

Back 5

noun
saliva or mucus flowing from the mouth or nose; foolish, aimless talk or thinking; nonsense
verb
to let saliva flow from the mouth; to utter nonsense or childish twaddle; to waste or fritter away foolishly
s: (noun) balderdash, hogwash, tommyrot, slaver

Front 6

epitome

Back 6

noun
a summary, condensed account; an instance that represents a larger reality
s: abstract, digest, model, archetype

Front 7

exhort

Back 7

verb
to urge strongly, advise earnestly
s: entreat, implore, adjure
a: discourage, advise against, deprecate

Front 8

ex officio

Back 8

adjective, adverb
by virtue of holding a certain office

Front 9

infringe

Back 9

verb
to violate, trespass, go beyond recognized bounds
s: enroach, impinge, inrude, poach
a: stay in bounds

Front 10

ingratiate

Back 10

verb
to make oneself agreeable and thus gain favor or acceptance by others (sometimes used in a critical or derogatory sense)
s: cozy up to, curry favor with
a: alienate, humiliate onself, mortify oneself

Front 11

interloper

Back 11

noun
one who moves in where he or she is not wanted or has no right to be, an intruder
s: trespasser, meddler, buttinsky

Front 12

intrinsic

Back 12

adjective
belonging to someone or something by its very nature, essential, inherent; originating in a bodily organ or part
s: immanent, organic
a: extrinsic, external, outward

Front 13

inveigh

Back 13

verb
to make a violent attack in words, express strong disapproval
s: rail, harangue, fulminate, remonstrate
a: acclaim, glorify, extol

Front 14

lassitude

Back 14

noun
weariness of body or mind, lack of energy
s: fatigue, lethargy, torpor, languor
a: energy, vitality, animation, liveliness

Front 15

millennium
(pl: millennia)

Back 15

noun
a period of one thousand years; a period of great joy
s: chiliad, golden age, prosperity, peace
a: doomsday, day of judgement

Front 16

occult

Back 16

adjective
mysterious, magicla, supernatural; secret, hidden from view; not detectale by ordinary means
verb
to hide, conceal; eclipse
noun
matters involving the supernatural
s: (adj) supernatural, esoteric, absture, arcane
a: (adj) mundane, common, public, exoteric

Front 17

permeate

Back 17

verb
to spread through, penetrate, soak through

Front 18

precipitate

Back 18

verb
to fall as moisture; to cause or bring about suddenly; to hurl down from a great height; to give distinct form to
adjective
characterized by excessive haste
noun
moisture; the product of an action or process
s: (v) provoke, produce; (adj) reckless, impetuous
a: (adj) wary, cautious, circumspect

Front 19

stringent

Back 19

adjective
strict, severe; rigorously or urgently binding or compelling; sharp or bitter to the taste
s: stern, rigorous, tough, urgent, imperative
a: lenient, mild, lax, permissive

Front 20

surmise

Back 20

verb
to think or believe without certain supporting evidence; to conjecture or guess
noun
likely idea that lacks definite proof
s: (v) infer, gather; (n) inference, presumption