S2 Vocab #1

Word / Definition
Burnish (v) / To make something shiny or glossy
Catharsis (n) / An experience that leaves a person with a feeling of release from emotional tension
Meticulous (adj) / Painstaking attention to detail
Immaculate (adj) / Impeccably clean or flawless
Purge (v) / To get rid of impurities
Quintessential (adj) / Purely and perfectly representative of itself
Meretricious (adj) / Attracting attention in a showy vulgar way
Innuendo (n) / To make a hint at or insinuation
Ingenue (n) / An innocent young woman
Travesty (n) / A grotesque parody or mockery of something

S2 Vocab #2

1.  arbitrary (adj.) based on factors that appear random

2.  defamatory (adj.) harmful toward another’s reputation

3.  hedonist (n.) one who believes pleasure should be the primary pursuit of humans

4.  fallacious (adj.) incorrect, misleading

5.  fortuitous (adj.) happening by chance, often lucky or fortunate

6.  laconic (adj.) terse in speech or writing

7.  staid (adj.) sedate, serious, self-restrained

8.  stoic (adj.) unaffected by passion or feeling

9.  prosaic (adj.) plain, lacking liveliness

10. surreptitious (adj.) stealthy

S2V3

1.  torpid (adj.) lethargic, dormant, lacking motion

2.  transgress (v.) to violate, go over a limit

3.  impervious (adj.) impenetrable, incapable of being affected

4.  verbose (adj.) wordy, impaired by wordiness

5.  nefarious (adj.) heinously villainous

6.  revel (v.) to enjoy intensely

7.  arbitrary (adj.) based on factors that appear random

8.  callous (adj.) harsh, cold, unfeeling

9.  trenchant (adj.) effective, articulate, clear-cut

10. travesty (n.) a grossly inferior imitation

S2V4

1.  Lugubrious (adj) gloomy or mournful

2.  Apathetic (adj) lacking interest or feeling

3.  Miasma (noun) poisonous atmosphere

4.  Dearth (noun) not enough of something

5.  Sepulcher (noun) grave or tomb

6.  Crapulous (adj) hungover

7.  Arcane (adj) understood by only a few or select group

8.  Vitriolic (adj) scathing or bitterly cruel

9.  Eclectic (adj) made up from a variety of sources

10.Fecund (adj) highly productive or very capable

S2V5

1.  Oligarchy governed by only a few

2.  Plutocracy governed by the rich and powerful

3.  Totalitarian complete control over nearly all facets of citizen lives

4.  Meritocracy power shared by those who deserve it, earn power

5.  Gerontocracy power retained by the elders in a society

6.  Nepotism favoritism shown to relatives of those in power

7.  Anarchy without a Ruler, absence of order or control

8.  Democracy governed by all

9.  Kakistocracy governed by the worst people

S2V6

1.  Redress (noun or verb) an improvement or remedy

2.  Germane (adj) relevant or related to topic at hand

3.  Amalgamation (noun) a combination

4.  Efficacy (noun) something capable of bringing about a desired effect, efficiency

5.  Amnesty (noun) a pardon, reprieve, for those guilty of offenses or crimes

6.  Elixer (noun) liquid or potion believed to cure illness

7.  Ancillary (adj) of secondary importance

8.  Hedonist (noun) a person devoted to having a good time

9.  Jocular (adj) tending to be joking in manner

10. Fete (noun) a party or celebration

S2V7

1.  Squalid (adj) dirty or wretched

2.  Torpid (adj) sluggish or slow

3.  Acrid (adj) having a bitter or sharp taste or smell

4.  Vapid (adj) dull, witless, boring

5.  Flaccid (adj) flabby

6.  Pernicious (adj) dangerous or destructive

7.  Auspicious (adj) favorable sign or omen

8.  Heretic (noun) one who vehemently disagrees with the common or majority belief, historically one who had different views than the church

9.  Garish (adj) loud, flashy, glaring

10. Nuptials (noun) wedding

S2V8

1.  Feral (adj) wild state, also describing human behavior that is savage

2.  Hirsute (adj) unusually hairy

3.  Lurid (adj) causing shock or horror, gruesome, unsavory sensationalism

4.  Aesthetic (adj) perception or appreciation of beauty

5.  Cryptic (adj) describing hidden or puzzling meaning

6.  Incarnation (n) giving of bodily form to something abstract

7.  Ecclesiastical (adj) of or relating to the church

8.  Esoteric (adj) only known to a few

9.  Prehensile (adj) describes something that is well adapted to grasping or holding on to

10. Veracity (n) known for telling the truth

S2V9

1.  Temporize (verb) to act evasively to gain time or avoid an argument

2.  Dissembling (adj) the ability to conceal truth via misleading behavior

3.  Subterfuge (noun) secret plan or strategy

4.  Double entendre (noun) a word or phrase that can be used in such a way as to have a double meaning

5.  Harrowing (adj) an experience that feels as though your insides are being ripped out.

6.  Dissonant (adj) varying opinions, or unharmonious opinions

7.  Raucous (adj) loud, rough, rowdy

8.  Ostracize (verb) to expell a person from a community

9.  Pariah (noun) a social outcast

10. Skeptic (noun) one who is unwilling to accept anything at face value, doubtful

S2V10

1.  Tawdry (adj) cheap or gaudy in appearance

2.  Specter (noun) ghost

3.  Caveat (noun) a warning or caution

4.  Vitiate (verb) corrupting someone's morals

5.  Expatiate (verb) to expand upon your knowledge, usually at incredible length

6.  Guile (noun) skillful cunning

7.  Askance (adj) a mistrustful or disapproving look

8.  Cloying (adj)overly sweet and rich that it tastes badly

9.  Debacle (noun) sudden or diastrous downfall or defeat

10. Winnow (verb) to rid of undesirable parts

S2V11

1.  vociferous (adj.) loud, boisterous

2.  vicarious (adj.) experiencing through another

3.  trepidation (n.) fear, apprehension

4.  truncate (v.) to shorten by cutting off

5.  somnolent (adj.) sleepy, drowsy

6.  sovereign (adj.) having absolute authority in a certain realm

7.  spurious (adj.) false but designed to seem plausible

8.  staid (adj.) sedate, serious, self-restrained

9.  intractable (adj.) difficult to manipulate, unmanageable

10.  intrepid (adj.) brave in the face of danger

S2 V12

1.  antithesis (n.) the absolute opposite

2.  behemoth (n.) something of tremendous power or size

3.  bequeath (v.) to pass on, give

4.  colossus (n.) a gigantic statue or thing

5.  debauch (v.) to corrupt by means of sensual pleasures

6.  commensurate (adj.) corresponding in size or amount

7.  decry (v.) to criticize openly

8.  berate (v.) to scold vehemently

9.  collusion (n.) secret agreement, conspiracy

10. debase (v.) to lower the quality or esteem of something

S2V13

1.  Fey (adj) little odd, or off but in an interesting way

2.  Coy (adj) flirty and teasing, usually a woman

3.  Yen (noun) a desire

4.  Ilk (noun) kind or sort of group

5.  Wan (adj) having fair skin and weakened

6.  Diurnal (adj) occurring in a twenty four hour period or daily

7.  Anachronism (noun) representing someone or something that exists out of chronological order. Ex: Obama having dinner with Shakespeare

8.  Precedent (noun) to go before, happened before that influences what happens later

9.  Interloper (noun) people who enter a region where they don't belong

10. Sojourn (noun) a temporary stay