Unit 11A Vocabulary Words
Allude(uh-lude)(verb): to refer to casually or indirectly, to hint at
In his speech, the candidate alluded to his opponent’s lack of military experience.
Clairvoyant(clair-voy-int)(adj): having psychic powers (noun) someone who possesses or claims to possess psychic powers.
The police sometimes use clairvoyants to help them solve difficult missing-persons cases.
Conclusive(cun-clue-siv)(adj): having a conclusion; serving to prove or settle an issue; final
We have conclusive evidence to prove his innocence.
Disreputable(diss-rep-you-tuh-bull)(adj): not respectable, not esteemed; having a poor reputation
Supermarket tabloids frequently publish stories about the disreputable behavior of celebrities.
Endemic(in-dem-ick)(adj): regularly found among particular people or in a certain area; typical
Scientists have yet to identify many plant and aminal species endemic to the rain forests.
Exemplary(ex-emp-luh-ree)(adj): worthy of imitation, commendable; serving as a prime model
The Medal of Freedom is awarded to U.S. civilians for exemplary achievements.
Fathom(fa-thum)(verb): to understand, get to the bottom of
It is sometimes difficult to fathom the motives behind another person’s actions.
Guile(guy-uhl)(noun): insidious cunning in attaining a goal; crafty or artful deception; duplicity.
It takes guile to be able to do some of the terrible things that criminals do.
Integrity(in-teg-rit-ee)(noun): honesty, high moral standards
It often takes integrity to do the right thing.
Itinerary(eye-tin-er-air-ee)(noun): a detailed plan for a journey; a guidebook
Tour companies provide potential customers with detailed itineraries of trips they offer.
Misconstrue(verb): to interpret wrongly, to misunderstand the meaning of something
Young children sometimes misconstrue their parents’ motives.
Obnoxious(adj): highly offensive, annoying, extremely unpleasant
The entire class was disrupted by his obnoxious behavior.
Placate (play-cate)(verb): to make someone less angry and hostile; to soothe, pacify
We amended some of the game’s rules in order to placate those who didn’t agree with them.
Placid(adj): calm, peaceful
There was no wind to disturb the placid surface of the lake.
Plagiarism(noun): passing off or using someone else’s writing as one’s own
Stealing an author’s ideas is far more difficult to prove in court than word-for-word plagiarism.
Potent(adj): powerful; highly affective
Our military is a potent force against enemy insurgents.
Pretext(noun): a false reason, deceptive excuses
I sought some pretext for excusing myself from the weekly staff meeting that I did not want to
attend.
Protrude(verb): to stick out
Dentists use braces to correct the alignment of teeth that are crooked or that protrude from the
gums.
Stark(adj): harsh, extreme, desolate, incredibly difficult
Many young idealists find it difficult to accept the stark realities of life.
Superficial(adj): on or near the surface; shallow
A superficial analysis of a complex problem is not likely to produce a viable or long-lasting
solution.