Vocabulary 15

Sophomore Honors

Test April 20 – Define – Review Unit 13

Test April 27 – Usage – Review Unit 14

  1. adamant – (adj)firm in purpose or opinion, unyielding, obdurate, implacable, inflexible (n) an extremely hard substance
  1. brouhaha – (n) a confused hodgepodge of sounds, hubbub; an uproar or commotion that goes far beyond what is justified

synonyms: furor; hullabaloo, tumult, pandemonium

  1. bulwark – (n) a strong defense or protection, a solid wall-like structure for defense (v) to provide such defense or protection

synonyms: a stronghold, a bastion, a rampart

  1. choleric – (adj) easily made angry, bad-tempered

synonyms: irascible, bilious

  1. cloy – (v) to spoil or destroy an appetite by too much indulgence, especially in sweet or rich things; to satiate

synonyms: to stimulate, to whet

  1. curtail – (v) to cut short, to bring to a halt or end sooner than expected; to reduce

synonyms: to limit, to abbreviate, to abridge

  1. deference – courteous yielding to the wishes and ideas of another person; great respect marked by submission, as to a superior

synonyms: respect, consideration, courtesy

  1. definitive – (adj) conclusive, final, representing the limit of what can be done

synonyms: exhaustive, authoritative

  1. demeanor – (n) the way a person behaves, overall impression made by comportment, manner, etc.; facial appearance

synonyms: conduct, behavior, bearing, carriage

  1. enigmatic – (adj) puzzling, perplexing, inexplicable, not easily understood

synonyms: baffling, mysterious, inexplicable

  1. impromptu – (adj) without preparation, offhand, suddenly or hastily done (n) an extemporaneous composition or remark; a minimal piece suggestive of improvisation

synonym: spontaneous, unrehearsed

  1. mawkish – (adj) excessively and objectionably sentimental; having a mildly sickening flavor

synonyms: sentimentalized, maudlin, mushy, nauseating

  1. mollify – (v) to soften, to make gentle, to pacify; to calm, to assuage, to appease, to place; to reduce in intensity
  1. onus – (n) something that is heavy or burdensome (especially an unwelcome responsibility; a stigma; blame

synonyms: burden, obligation, duty, stigma

  1. presentiment – (n) a vague sense of approaching misfortune

synonyms: a foreboding, a premonition, a hunch

  1. profligate – (adj) given over to dissipation and self-indulgence, immoral; recklessly extravagant (n) a person given over to self-indulgent and wild spending

synonyms: (adj) prodigal, improvident (n) a spendthrift

  1. remit – (v) to send or hand in (as money); to cancel (as in penalty or punishment0, to pardon; to lessen, to diminish; to put off, to postpone, to defer

synonyms: to pay, to absolve, to subside, to abate

  1. requisite – (adj) needed, necessary, regarded as essential or indispensable

synonyms: required, obligatory, incumbent

  1. sartorial – (adj) of or pertaining to a tailor or his work; having to do with clothes or dress (especially men’s)
  1. thwart – (v) to oppose successfully; to prevent, to frustrate

synonyms: to foil, to baffle