Listing of words used in the vocabulary contest |
Vocabulary list for September 2010 Platelets – a minute colorless anucleate disklike body that assists in blood clotting Succinct – expressed in few words; concise; terse Prognostication – a forecast or prediction Popinjay – a person given to vain, pretentious displays and empty chatter; coxcomb Voluptuous – full of indulgence in luxury, pleasure, and sensuous enjoyment Mitigate – to lessen in force or intensity, as wrath, grief, harshness, or pain; moderate Onerous – burdensome, oppressive, or troublesome; causing hardship Caterwaul – to utter long wailing cries, as cats in rutting time. Ubiquitous -- existing or being everywhere, esp. at the same time; omnipresent Fallacious – containing a fallacy; logically unsound Vocabulary list for October 2010 Vociferous – crying out noisily; clamorous Chock – a wedge or block of wood, metal, or the like, holding an object steady, etc. Abate – to reduce in amount, degree, intensity, etc.; lessen; diminish Platitude – a flat, dull, or trite remark Innocuous – not interesting, stimulating, or significant; pallid; insipid; not likely to irritate or offend; inoffensive Palatial – befitting or suitable for a palace; stately; magnificent Inane – lacking sense, significance, or ideas; silly;empty;void Ostentatious – characterized by or given to pretentious or conspicuous show in an attempt to impress others Extraneous – not pertinent; irrelevant Sidle –to move sideways or obliquely Vocabulary list for November 2010 Alacrity - cheerful readiness, promptness, or willingness Callous - insensitive, indifferent, unsympathetic, to make hard; A thickened skin area Extol - to praise highly; laud Fractious - Unruly;refractory;peevish;readily angered Haughty - disdainfully proud; snobbish; scornfully arrogant; supercilious Knell - the sound made by a bell rung slowly, announcing the death of a person or the end; any mournful sound Refurbish - renovate; brighten or restore Venerable - commanding respect because of great age or impressive dignity; worthy of veneration or reverence; elderly Zenith - a highest point or state on a celestial sphere; culmination Staid - of settled or sedate character; not flighty or capricious; fixed, settled, or permanent. Vocabulary list for December 2010 Adhere - to stay attached; stick fast; cling; to be a devoted follower in support or allegiance Nucleus - a central part about which other parts are grouped or gathered; core Uxorious - doting upon, foolishly fond of, or affectionately submissive toward one's wife Lambaste - to reprimand or berate harshly; censure; to beat or whip severely Pontificate - to speak in a pompous or dogmatic manner; to serve as a bishop Harrowing - extremely disturbing or distressing; grievous Protracted - to draw out or lengthen, especially in time; extend the duration of; prolong Juxtaposition - an act or instance of placing close together or side by side, especially for comparison or contrast Antithesis - opposition; contrast; the direct opposite of Pristine - having its original purity; uncorrupted or unsullied; of or pertaining to the earliest period or state; primitive Vocabulary list for January 2011 Neuter - an animal made sterile by castration or spaying; neutral; siding with no one Pander - a person who caters to or profits from the weaknesses or vices of others; procurer; pimp Escalate - to increase in intensity, magnitude, etc. Pithy - brief, forceful, and meaningful in expression; full of vigor, substance, or meaning; terse; forcible Monolith - a single block of stone of considerable size; something having a uniform, massive, redoubtable, or inflexible quality Debate - to engage in argument or discussion Algorithm - a set of rules for solving a problem in a finite number of steps, as for finding the greatest common divisor Obtuse - not quick or alert in perception, feeling, or intellect; not sensitive or observant; dull Rote - routine; a fixed, habitual, or mechanical course of procedure: by rote, from memory in a mechanical way Adaptation - the act or process of adapting or the state of being adapted; adjustment to surroundings Vocabulary list for February 2011 Moot - of little or no practical value or meaning; purely academic Inalienable - not transferable to another Apathy - absence or suppression of passion or emotion; lack of interest in that others find moving Jimjams - extreme nervousness; jitters Misnomer - a misapplied or inappropriate name Pusillanimous - lacking courage or resolution; cowardly or fearful Rugose - having wrinkles; ridged Clement - mild or merciful in disposition; lenient; compassionate Culpable - deserving blame Unequivocal - clear; having only one possible meaning or interpretation Vocabulary list for March 2011 Hamish - Cozy or homey Catatonic - appearing to be in a daze or stupor; unresponsive; in a state of rigidity of muscles and mentality Churlish - boorish; rude: difficult to work or deal with, as soil Lychnobite - one who labors at night and sleeps in the day Nosology - the systematic classification of diseases; knowledge of a disease Pyknic - having a fat, rounded build or body structure Interpolate - to introduce between other things; interject; to alter by insertion of matter Onomatopoeia - the formation of a word by imitation of the sound (such as meow) Purport - to present deliberately; to convey to the mind as the meaning Coeval - of the same age, date, or duration; equally old Vocabulary list for April 2011 Comely - Pleasing in appearance; attractive Idyllic - Charmingly simple or rustic Consolidate - to bring together in a single unified whole Frugal - Not wasteful; sparing use of resources Sublime - Elevated or lofty thought; complete or absolute Blasphemy - Impious utterance or action concerning God Surreptitious - obtained by stealth; acting in a secretive manner Egregious - extraordinarily bad in some manner; flagrant Calamity - a great misfortune or disaster Penchant - a strong inclination or liking for something Vocabulary list for May 2011 Precipitous - Impassibly steep Winsome - Sweetly or innocently charming or engaging Pretentious - Outwardly show of exaggerated importance Explicit - Clearly and fully expressed Exiguous - scanty; meager; small; slender Shiv - make-shift knife Obstinate - Stubbornly adhering to one's position Cleave - To cling to; to cut in half Placid - Pleasantly calm or serene; peaceful Disparage - To speak of slightly; demean or belittle Vocabulary list for June 2011 Soliloquy - an utterance or discourse by a person who is talking to himself or herself Irascible - easily provoked to anger; characterized by anger Witzelsucht - especially facetiousness and inappropriate or pointless humor Vacillate - to waver in mind or opinion, to be indecisive Virago - A shrew Ignoble - Of low character or grade; inferior Copious - Abundant; plentiful amounts Adjunct - Something added to another thing, but not essential; a person of less rank or authority Defenestrate - the act of throwing out a window Groak - Look or stare at longingly Vocabulary list for July 2011 Dank - Unpleasantly moist or humid; damp Tautology - Needless repetition without imparting any more clearness Paradigm - Pattern, Standard, or Ideal (often used to describe a mindset) Decry - To speak disparagingly of; Denounce as worthless Furtive - An action done in secrecy Harangue - Scold; A long and intense verbal attack Rigmarole - Foolish talk, confuse, to go through a meaningless process Bellicose - Inclined to fight Supercilious - Haughty disdain or contempt Abdicate - To give up power such as from a throne or right Vocabulary list for August 2011 Dearth - An inadequate supply or scarcity Lax - Loose or not strict; careless; not precise Wizened - shriveled Undulating - To move in a wave-like motion Sordid - morally ignoble; self-seeking; dirty Beset - to surround and attack on all sides; gems set in jewelry Relegate - to send to an inferior place or position; banish Maudlin - tearfully or weak emotionally; foolishly sentimental Requite - to make repayment for a wrong; avenge Pensive - expressing wistful thought often marked by sadness Vocabulary list for September 2011 Bemoan - To regard with regret; express grief Aperture - An opening as in a slit, gap, crack; the opening allowing light into a camera Demur - To make an objection based on moral grounds Digress - to deviate from the main topic Insipid - without distinct interesting characteristics; bland Discombobulate - to frustrate or confuse Fecund - capable of producing fruit or offspring Bailiwick - a person's area of skill or area of expertise; a district of authority Penultimate - Next to the last Ostensibly - apparent or outwardly appearing as such; evident Vocabulary list for October 2011 Morose - having a gloomy or sullen manner; not friendly or sociable Coerce - to cause to do through pressure, by physical, moral or intellectual means Prolific - highly inventive or productive Axiom - self-evident truth requiring no proof Avow - admit openly and bluntly Avarice - extreme greed for material wealth Austere - of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor Deluge - An overwhelming amount Gist - The main idea or topic Malinger - To fake an illness to avoid work Vocabulary list for November 2011 Eschew - to abstain or keep away from; shun; avoid Vivacious - animated and lively Parochial - narrowly restricted in scope or outlook; provincial Malleable - capable of being shaped or formed, as by hammering or pressure Recondite - dealing with very profound, difficult, or abstruse subject matter; beyond ordinary knowledge;obscure Machination - the act of devising plots or schemes to accomplish a sinister end Allegory - a representation of an abstract or spiritual meaning through concrete or material forms; a parable or fable Virtuoso - a person who has special knowledge or skill in a field such as music. Puttee - a strip of cloth worn wound around the legs from the ankle to the knee, as part of a military uniform Inured - to accustom to hardship, difficulty, pain, etc.; toughen or harden; habituate Vocabulary list for December 2011 Kvetch - to chronically complain Perdition - a state of final spiritual ruin; hell; utter destruction or ruin Dour - sullen; gloomy; severe; stern Expostulate - to reason earnestly with someone against something that person intends to do or has done; remonstrate Peevish - cross, querulous, or fretful; showing annoyance, irritation, or bad mood Vagary - an unpredictable or erratic action, occurrence, course, or instance; a whimsical, wild, or unusual idea, desire, or action Interminable - incapable of being terminated; unending; monotonously or annoyingly protracted or continued Mosaic - a picture or decoration made of small, usually colored pieces of inlaid stone, glass, etc. Quibble - petty or carping criticism; a minor objection Subterfuge - an artifice or expedient used to evade a rule, escape a consequence, hide something, etc. Vocabulary list for January 2012 Insular - of or pertaining to an island or islands Shamble - walk awkwardly Effigy - a representation or image, especially sculptured, as on a monument or a crude representation of someone disliked Inexorable - unyielding; unalterable; not to be persuaded, moved, or affected Mollify - to soften in feeling or temper, as a person; pacify; appease Quadrennial - occurring every or lasting for four years Insatiable - incapable of being satisfied or appeased Proclivity - natural or habitual inclination or tendency; propensity; predisposition Acquiesce - to assent tacitly; submit or comply silently or without protest; agree; consent Temerity - reckless boldness; rashness Vocabulary list for February 2012 Captious - apt to notice and make much of trivial faults; faultfinding; difficult to please Lethargy - the state of being drowsy and dull, listless and unenergetic, or indifferent and lazy Devout - devoted to divine worship or service; pious; earnest or sincere Persnickety - overparticular; fussy; snobbish Alate - Having wings Bricolage - A construction made of whatever materials are at hand En masse - together; as a group or whole Evince - to show clearly; make evident; prove Mimetic - characterized by imitation; mimic Turgid - swollen; distended; inflated; bombastic Vocabulary list for March 2012 Carom - a shot where the cue ball hits two balls in succession; any strike and rebound as a ball striking a wall and glancing off Peremptory - leaving no opportunity for denial or refusal; dictatorial; assertive in speech, tone, manner Supine - lying on the back, face or front upward; Inactive, passive or inert, especially from indifference; Palm upward. Verisimilitude - the appearance or semblance of truth; likelihood; probability Sojourn - a temporary stay Pecuniary - of or pertaining to money Loquacious - tending to talk excessively Ineluctable - incapable of being evaded; inescapable Apogee - the point in an orbit which is farthest from the Earth; the highest or most distant point Aberrant - departing from the right, normal, or usual course Vocabulary list for April 2012 Ambisinister - clumsy or unskillful with both hands. Elide - to suppress; omit; ignore; pass over. Eclat - brilliance of success, reputation, etc. Effluvium - a slight or invisible exhalation or vapor, esp. one that is disagreeable. Verdant - green. Desideratum - something desired. Philomath - a lover of learning; a scholar. Daedal - skillful; artistic; ingenious. Imbroglio - a complicated and embarrassing state of things. Risible - exciting or provoking laughter. Vocabulary list for May 2012 Procacity - Forwardness; pertness; petulance Recuse - to withdraw from a position of judging so as to avoid any semblance of partiality or bias Retrograde - moving backward; having a backward motion or direction; retiring or retreating Vulpine - of or resembling a fox; cunning or crafty Runic - consisting of or set down in runes: runic inscriptions; having some secret or mysterious meaning Mundify - to cleanse; deterge: to mundify a wound; to purge or purify Billet - lodging for a soldier, student, etc., as in a private home or nonmilitary public building; an official order, written or verbal, directing the person to whom it is addressed to provide such lodging; a place assigned, as a bunk, berth, or the like, to a member of a ship's crew Jobbery - the conduct of public or official business for the sake of improper private gain Mussitate - to mutter; mumble Funambulist - a tightrope walker Vocabulary list for June 2012 Arbitrage - the simultaneous buy and sell of an item to take advantage of a temp difference in price Convoluted - twisted; coiled; unusually difficult or complicated Erudite - characterized by great knowledge Flamboyant - strikingly bold or brilliant; conspicuously ornate; elaborately styled Pontificate - to speak in a pompous or dogmatic manner; to serve as a pontiff or bishop Ebb - a flowing backward or away; decline or decay Polyglot - able to speak or write several languages; multilingual Labyrinth - a maze of paths or passages designed to confuse one's exit Ersatz - serving as a substitute; synthetic; artificial Dour - sullen; gloomy; severe; stern Vocabulary list for July 2012 Beguile - to influence by trickery, flattery, etc.; mislead; delude; to take away from by cheating or deceiving Malapropism - an act or habit of misusing words ridiculously, especially by the confusion of words that are similar in sound. Bulwark - a wall of earth or other material built for defense; rampart; a person or thing used as support in time of need Foolhardy - recklessly or thoughtlessly bold; foolishly rash or venturesome Mettle - courage and fortitude: a man of mettle; disposition or temperament of a person Precocious - prematurely developed, as the mind, faculties, etc. Didactic - intended for instruction; instructive Incontrovertible - not open to question or dispute; indisputable; an absolute Assail - to attack or assault Conjecture - the formation or expression of an opinion or theory without sufficient evidence for proof; a guess; speculation Vocabulary list for August 2012 Abjure - to swear off something once believed or experienced, such as a religion, marriage, or alcohol for example Quotidian - the daily activities of life Moiety - one of two equal parts Jejune - something that is uninteresting or insignificant Hubris - displaying excessive confidence Homogeneous - all alike or similar in some fashion Gauche - when you want to call something tacky, graceless, tactless, rude, boorish, or awkward and foolish Wrought - shaped, manufactured, or molded (a wrought-iron fence); to cause damage (destruction that the storm wrought) Winnow - to separate (blowing away the chafe to have the grain remain); remove excess to have what is desired remain Nomenclature - a system of naming things in working environment (when starting a new job you may have difficulty with your peer's nomenclature) Vocabulary list for September 2012 Malady - sickness, disease, illness, disorder Predilection - preexisting preference, desire towards something Ameliorate - to make better Sanguine - cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident OR reddish; ruddy Astute - of keen penetration or discernment; sagacious;clever; cunning; ingenious; shrewd Allusion - a passing or casual reference; an incidental mention of something, either directly or by implication Evoke - to call up or produce (memories, feelings, etc.): to elicit or draw forth; summon Consecrate - to make or declare sacred; set apart or dedicate to the service of a deity; to make (something) an object of honor or veneration; hallow: a custom consecrated by time; to devote or dedicate to some purpose Embody - to give a concrete form to; express, personify, or exemplify in concrete form:to provide with a body; incarnate; make corporeal Suffice - to be enough or adequate, as for needs, purposes, etc. Vocabulary list for October 2012 Sodden - soaked with liquid or moisture; saturated Piteous - evoking or deserving pity; pathetic Waif - a person, especially a child, who has no home or friends; a stray animal, whose owner is not known; a stray item or article Opaque - not transparent or translucent; impenetrable to light; not allowing light to pass through; dull, stupid, or unintelligent Nonchalant - coolly unconcerned, indifferent, or unexcited; casual Mnemonic - assisting or intended to assist the memory Impecunious - having little or no money; penniless; poor Brandish - to shake or wave, as a weapon; flourish Cull - to choose; select; pick; to gather the choice things or parts from; pluck Emancipate - to free from restraint, influence; to free from bondage. |