Unit 9 VCB, Level F
Unit 9, First Ten Words Unit 9, Second Ten Words Anathema Egregious Equivocated Evanescent Irresolute Nebulous Recapitulate Resuscitate Slovenly Torpid
Abate (V.) To make less in amount, degree, etc,; to subside, become less, to nullify; to deduct, omit Interest in the author’s home abated as her novels waned in popularity. SYN: diminish; decrease
Adulation (n.) Praise or flattery that is excessive The baby bunny enjoyed the excessive adulation from his mother. SYN: adoration; idolization
Anathema (n.) An object of intense dislike; a curse or strong denunciation (often used adjectivally without the article) My parents possess an immense anathema to the idea of me receiving a failing mark. SYN: malediction; abomination
Astute (adj.) Shrewd, crafty, showing practical wisdom Many consider Alex to be an astute observer of the current political scene due to his vast array of knowledge. SYN: acute; sagacious
Avarice (n.) A greedy desire, particularly for wealth It seems that many corporations only care about avarice and the thirst for power. SYN: cupidity; rapacity
Culpable (adj.) Deserving blame, worthy of condemnation According to my parents, I’m more culpable than my younger brother because I should know better. SYN: guilty; blameworthy
Dilatory (adj.) Tending to delay or procrastinate; not prompt; intended to delay or postpone If one is dilatory in her daily duties, the coursework will soon pile up to the point where it will be difficult to catch up. SYN: stalling; tardy
Egregious (adj.) Conspicuous, standing out from the mass (used particularly in an unfavorable sense) Many of my brother’s egregious actions cause others to act annoyed around him. SYN: glaring; blatant
Equivocate (v.) To speak, or act in a way that allows for more than one interpretation; to be deliberately vague or ambiguous When referring to his opinion on healthcare, the politician equivocated, “Everyone should practice a healthy lifestyle.” He didn’t give the audience a straight answer. SYN: hedge; waffle
Evanescent (adj.) Vanishing, soon passing away; light and airy I enjoy watching the evanescent autumn leaves fall to the ground since the gorgeous colors only occur once a year. SYN: ephemeral; transitory
Irresolute (adj.) Unable to make up one’s mind; hesitating When I questioned Becky about her favorite restaurant, she seemed very irresolute in her decision between Thai and Japanese food. SYN: indecisive; wavering
Nebulous (adj.) Cloudlike, resembling a cloud; cloud in color, not transparent; vague, confused, indistinct If one enjoys stargazing and researching various nebulous structures, then one should study Astronomy. SYN: hazy; opaque
Novice (n.) One who is just a beginner at some activity requiring skill and experience (also used adjectivally) Alice acted like a novice on the ice due to the fact that it was her first time. SYN: trainee; neophyte
Penury (n.) Extreme poverty; barrenness, insufficiency Many people these days live in a state of penury due to the bad economy and rise in living expenses. SYN: destitution; indigence
Pretentious (adj.) Done for show, striving a make a big impression; claiming merit or position unjustifiably; ambitious The baby’s actions of eating a watermelon slice bigger than he was appeared a bit pretentious. SYN: ostentatious; inflated
Recapitulate (v.) To review a series of facts; to sum up To recapitulate from earlier, we’ll watch a movie on the information presented and answer some review questions. SYN: review; summarize
Resuscitate (v.) To revive, bring back to consciousness or existence The patient stopped breathing, but the doctors were able to resuscitate him in time. SYN: revitalize; restore
Slovenly (adj.) Untidy, dirty, careless If one wants to achieve a good impression for a job interview, please refrain from dressing in a slovenly fashion. SYN: unkempt; lax
Supposition (n.) Something that is assumed or taken for granted without conclusive evidence. The government officials’ supposition on the man did not reflect the true nature of his being. SYN: assumption; hypothesis
Torpid (adj.) Inactive, sluggish, dull The kindergarten kids witnessed a torpid sloth when they visited the zoo yesterday. SYN: lethargic; languid