Vocab List 1 Unit 2

Cowering (v) Crouching as in fear or shame Syn: cringing, recoiling The children were cowering as the monster roared. Cower (v)

Vigilance (n) The state of being alert, careful Syn: attention, watchfulness His vigilance while on watch was incredible; nothing would get by him. Vigilant (adj) Vigilantly (adv)

Vague (adj) Not definite or clear Syn: ambiguous, imprecise The directions were very vague, so the students were confused by the assignment. Vaguely (adv) Vagueness (n)

Hindrance (n) Something that prevents or stops something Syn: impediment, obstruction The cast on my foot was a hindrance to my dancing; I just couldn’t do it. Hinder (v)

Consternation (n) A sudden, alarming feeling that results in utter confusion Syn: dismay, bewilderment As the sirens went off, I had a strong consternation that made my head feel fuzzy.

Impediment (n) A physical defect that affects normal or easy speech Syn: encumbrance, obstacle After the accident, he had a speech impediment that caused him to stutter. Impede (v)

Hideous (adj) Horrible or frightful to the senses Syn: repulsive, ugly The monster in the movie was so hideous that I had nightmares for a week. Hideously (adv)

Luminous (adj) Radiating or reflecting light Syn: radiant, brilliant The candle, while luminous, was not bright enough to help me to read. Luminously (adv) Luminosity (n)

Winced (v) Drew back or tensed the body as in pain Syn: flinched, shrank I winced in pain as the nurse gave me the shot.

Calibrated (v) Determined or checked in order to quantify measures Syn: tested, planned We calibrated our scoring rubrics so that we all were grading in a similar way. Calibrate (v) Calibration (n)