Approbation - Vociferous 11 Vocabulary Unit 9 Approbation - Vociferous

Approbation Definition: Approval Part of Speech: Noun Sample Sentence: The teacher showed his approbation for the group’s exceptional presentation by giving them a 100.

Benign Definition: not harmful, kind/gentle Part of Speech: Adjective Sample Sentence: The eco-friendly company will only use materials that have a benign effect on the environment.

Bourgeois Definition: middle class, suburban (in an economic sense) Part of speech: adjective Sample Sentence: The small, simple town was both bourgeois and utterly boring.

Clique Definition: An exclusive group bound together by some shared quality or interest Part of Speech: noun Sample Sentence: The high school newspaper staff was a real clique; they all hung out together and wouldn’t talk to anyone else.

Contentious Definition: Argumentative; quarrelsome Part of Speech: adjective Sample Sentence: The student was particularly contentious and argued anything the teachers said even when it was clear the teacher was right.

Delude Definition: to deceive/trick Part of speech: verb Sample sentence: The con man deluded us into thinking that he would make us rich; instead, he tricked us into giving him several hundred dollars.

Drone Definition: to talk on and on in a dull way Part of Speech: verb Sample Sentence: What Ellen hoped would be a quick conversation lasted for twenty minutes because the sales clerk droned on and on.

Exhort Definition: to urge strongly; to give a serious warning to Part of Speech: verb Sample Sentence: The coach used his bullhorn to exhort us to try harder.

Frivolous Definition: Not having any serious purpose or value, pointless Part of speech: adjective Sample Sentence: Karen criticized her daughter for her frivolous purchases of clothes that she did not need.

Impetuous Definition: Impulsive; extremely impatient Part of speech: adjective Sample Sentence: Jane made the impetuous decision to quit her job which she later regretted when she found herself unable to pay her bills.

Irascible Definition: Easily angered or provoked; irritable Part of speech: adjective Sample sentence: Oscar the Grouch is an irascible character.

Mendicant Definition: A beggar Part of speech: noun Sample Sentence: The mendicant hoped pedestrians would drop money in his bucket.

Palliate Definition: To relieve something without getting rid of the problem Part of Speech: verb Sample Sentence: Jane took advil to palliate the pounding headache she got from being dehydrated.

Portent Definition: An omen, a sign of something coming in the future Part of Speech: Noun Sample Sentence: The distant rumbling we heard this morning was a portent of the thunderstorm that hit our area this afternoon.

Resignation Definition: Reluctant acceptance of a bad situation Part of Speech: noun Sample Sentence: The farmer accepted the coming floods with sad resignation.

Spawn Definition: To cause; to produce a large number Part of speech: verb Sample Sentence: The hit movie spawned a number of sequels.

Status Quo Definition: The existing state/circumstances, the way things are Part of Speech: Noun Sample Sentence: The new company president has plans to change the status quo and turn the business into a new organization.

Tout Definition: to praise Part of speech: verb Sample sentence: The advertisement touted the benefits of the product while ignoring it’s negative aspects.

Vociferous Definition: loud, noisy Part of speech: adjective Sample sentence: The fans were so vociferous that they cheered their underdog team to victory.

Voluminous Definition: Very large; spacious (this word has nothing to do with sound) Part of speech: adjective Sample Sentence: Dave could not bring the voluminous couch into his apartment because it would not fit through the doorway.