English Vocabulary Words Page 1

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Scullion

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n. a kitchen servant who does menial work; a low or contemptible person
While the affluent aristocrats wasted much of their dinner in blasé ignorance, a scullion looked on from the kitchen and resented that even though he had worked so hard to prepare their meal, he would not be privileged enough to indulge as they did.

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Ossified

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adj. hardened like or into bone
Henry removed the ossified cookies from the tray; they had been sitting out for so long they had begun to gather dust.

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Contingent

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adj. likely but not certain to happen, possible; not logically necessary; especially: empirical; dependent on or conditioned by something else.
n. something contingent; a representative group, delegation, detachment
The payment is contingent on fulfillment of certain conditions.

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Languor

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n. weakness or weariness of body or mind; listless indolence or inertia, lethargy
Leslie ambled around the house with such languor one could have mistaken her for sleepwalking.

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Sentient

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adj. responsive to or conscious of sense impressions; aware, finely sensitive in perception or feeling
While we had our eyes closed, we were intensely sentient beings, aware of absolutely everything around us.

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Fractious

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adj. tending to be troublesome, unruly; quarrelsome, irritable
After the controversial referee call at a football game, everyone knew there would be fractious crowds.

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Solicitude

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n. the state of being concerned and anxious; attentive care and protectiveness; an attitude of earnest concern or attention
At the age of one hundred and eleven, Ronald expressed great solicitude for his health.

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Demure

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adj. reserved, modest; affectedly modest, reserved, or serious; coy
The young girl demurely declined all of her special talents and features.

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Scythe

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n. an implement used for mowing (as grass) and composed of a long curving blade fastened at an angle to a long handle
v. to use a scythe; to cut with or as if with a scythe
The farmer was outside relieving his anger by scything cornstalks, which was productive in multiple ways.

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Desultory

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dj. marked by lack of definite plan, regularity, or purpose; not connected with the main subject; disappointing in progress, performance, or quality
My wife forced me to accompany her on a dragged-out ordeal of desultory shopping.

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Jaded

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Jaded – adj. worn out by overwork or abuse, tired or dull through repetition or excess
I met a girl named Jade, but she never seemed jaded in the least bit, though she did work quite a lot.

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Lascivious

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adj. inclined to lustfulness; wanton, lewd; arousing sexual desire
The lascivious old man stared openly at the woman's chest and whistled at her as she was walking across the room.

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Coquette

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n. a woman who flirts lightheartedly with men to win their admiration and affection; flirt
v. to try to attract the attention and admiration of men for mere self-gratification; to deal with something playfully rather than seriously
As the blonde threw back her head and laughed at the man’s horrible joke, two gossiping women confirmed that she was indeed a coquette.

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Propensity

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n. an often intense natural inclination or preference
All of the attendees of the Alcoholics Anonymous meeting had a propensity to drink too much.

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Sonorous

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adj. giving out or capable of giving out a sound; a deep, resonant sound, as a thing or place; rich and full in sound, as language or verse, grandiloquent
The sonorous cavern echoed the sound of bats screeching and flying as the tourists walked below.

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Befurbelowed

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adj/v. to decorate with a ruffle or flounce
The lady’s skirt was befurbelowed with a lavish ruffle.

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Insidious

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adj. intended to entrap or beguile; stealthily treacherous or deceitful; operating or proceeding in a seemingly harmless way but actually with grave effect
The disease was insidious in that it didn’t cause any pain initially, but then when you were least expecting it, you were dead.

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Efface

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v. to eliminate or make indistinct by or as if by wearing away a surface; to cause to vanish; to make (oneself) modestly or shyly inconspicuous
As we watched the sky change, the daylight effaced the stars.

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Encumbrance

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n. something burdensome, useless, or superfluous; burden; hindrance; a dependent person, esp. a child
Poverty was a lifelong encumbrance that burdened Frank’s family every day.

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Peignoir

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n. a woman's dressing gown
After I got out of bed, I donned my peignoir casually until I had to change into proper dining clothes.

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Reproach

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n. an expression of rebuke or disapproval; the act or action of disapproving, discredit, disgrace
v. to express disappointment in or displeasure with (a person) for conduct that is blameworthy or in need of amendment
After being expelled four times from school, Johnny was beyond reproach when he committed his fifth crime.

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Atavistic

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adj. of, pertaining to, or characterized by reversion to an earlier type; reverting to or suggesting the characteristics of a remote ancestor or primitive type
The novelist’s last book expressed atavistic themes that reminded readers of his earlier works.

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Apocalyptic

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adj. of or like an apocalypse; affording a revelation or prophecy; forecasting the ultimate destiny of the world, prophetic; foreboding imminent disaster or final doom, terrible
The death of the man named I. M. World seemed to be an apocalyptic sign and people were nervous for an imminent disaster.

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Suppurated

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adj. to have produced or discharge pus, as a wound, maturated
After his surgery, the suppurated incisions indicated a possible infection.

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Beatific

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adj. of, possessing, or imparting a state of utmost bliss; having a blissful appearance
On every woman’s wedding day, she hopes to have a beatific smile that emanates her bliss.

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Remonstrance

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n. an earnest presentation of reasons for opposition or grievance, especially a document formally stating such points; an act or instance of resenting and urging reasons in opposition
The judge disregarded the remonstrance presented in opposition of the case.

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Chagrin

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n. disquietude or distress of mind caused by humiliation, disappointment, or failure
v. to vex or unsettle by disappointing or humiliating
The already humiliated man was further chagrined to learn that his help was not needed.

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Voracious

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adj. having a huge appetite, ravenous; excessively eager, insatiable
All voracious readers should have breezed through enough books to have built up an astounding vocabulary by now.

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Demur

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to make objection, esp. on the grounds of scruples; take exception; object.

They wanted to make him the treasurer, but he demurred.