-English Honors- Vocab Lesson 1

Front 1

admonish

Back 1

1. To reprove gently but earnestly.
2. To counsel (another) against something to be avoided; caution.
3. To remind of something forgotten or disregarded, as an obligation or a responsibility.

Front 2

alleviate

Back 2

To make (pain, for example) more bearable: a drug that alleviates cold symptoms. See Synonyms at relieve.

Front 3

aberration

Back 3

1. A deviation from the proper or expected course. See Synonyms at deviation.
2. A departure from the normal or typical: events that were aberrations from the norm.
3. Psychology. A disorder or abnormal alteration in one's mental state.

Front 4

dogmatic

Back 4

1. Relating to, characteristic of, or resulting from dogma.
2. Characterized by an authoritative, arrogant assertion of unproved or unprovable principles.

Front 5

affinity

Back 5

1. A natural attraction, liking, or feeling of kinship.
2. Relationship by marriage.
3. An inherent similarity between persons or things. See Synonyms at likeness.

Front 6

clemency

Back 6

1. A disposition to show mercy, especially toward an offender or enemy. See Synonyms at mercy.
2. A merciful, kind, or lenient act.
3. Mildness, especially of weather.

Front 7

autonomy

Back 7

1. The condition or quality of being autonomous; independence.
2.
a. Self-government or the right of self-government; self-determination.
b. Self-government with respect to local or internal affairs: granted autonomy to a national minority.
3. A self-governing state, community, or group.

Front 8

capricious

Back 8

Characterized by or subject to whim; impulsive and unpredictable.

Front 9

colloquial

Back 9

1. Characteristic of or appropriate to the spoken language or to writing that seeks the effect of speech; informal.
2. Relating to conversation; conversational.

Front 10

debilitate

Back 10

To sap the strength or energy of; enervate.

Front 11

assuage

Back 11

1. To make (something burdensome or painful) less intense or severe: assuage her grief. See Synonyms at relieve.
2. To satisfy or appease (hunger or thirst, for example).
3. To pacify or calm: assuage their chronic insecurity.

Front 12

didactic

Back 12

1. Intended to instruct.
2. Morally instructive.
3. Inclined to teach or moralize excessively.

Front 13

acquiesce

Back 13

1. To rest satisfied, or apparently satisfied, or to rest without opposition and discontent (usually implying previous opposition or discontent); to accept or consent by silence or by omitting to object; -- followed by in, formerly also by with and to.

They were compelled to acquiesce in a government which they did not regard as just. --De Quincey.

2. To concur upon conviction; as, to acquiesce in an opinion; to assent to; usually, to concur, not heartily but so far as to forbear opposition.

Front 14

diatribe

Back 14

A bitter, abusive denunciation.

Front 15

desecrate

Back 15

To violate the sacredness of; profane.