Vocabulary 14B

Laud (v.) to praise S: hail, extol, glorify, exalt A: criticize, censure, belittle, disparage At the assembly the principal lauded both students and teachers for the schoolwide improvement in reading scores.

Loll (v.) to act in a lazy manner; to lunge; to recline, droop S: load, loiter, sag, dangle There is nothing I would rather do on a hot, humid summer afternoon than loll in a hammock under a tree.

loquacious (adj.) talkative, wordy; fond of talking S: gossipy, voluble, garrulous, long-winded A: silent, reticent, closemouthed, terse, taciturn My dinner companion was so loquacious that our conversation quickly turned into a monologue.

magnanimous (adj.) generous in forgiving, above small meanness S: unselfish, charitable, noble, bighearted A: petty, selfish, unforgiving, spiteful The general’s victory was so decisive that he could afford to be magnanimous toward his former enemies.

mandatory (adj.) required, obligatory S: compulsory, requisite, imperative A: optional, voluntary, discretionary A union contract may stipulate that members are to receive a mandatory annual cost-of-living increase.

nondescript (adj.) ordinary, not outstanding; not easily classified S: plain, unremarkable, unimpressive A: distinctive, remarkable, vivid, prepossessing Fashion critics judges the designer’s fall clothing line to be disappointingly nondescript.

phlegmatic (adj.) slow moving, sluggish; unemotional S: lethargic, indolent, torpid, stolid, impassive A: emotional, sensitive, thin-skinned, excitable Sloths are such phlegmatic creatures that they have earned the reputation of being the slowest animals on Earth.

rescind (v.) to repeal, cancel S: withdraw, revoke, retract, annul, abrogate A: affirm, endorse, uphold, ratify A sitting Congress sometimes rescinds statutes passed by its predecessors

vivacious (adj.) lively, sprightly, full of energy S: spirited, animated, ebullient A: dull, spiritless, listless, indolent, languid A vivacious individual will certainly never lack for companions.

whet (v.) to sharpen, put an edge on; to make keen or eager S: hone, excite, stimulate A: dull, blunt, deaden, stifle, dampen In most mystery novels, the first chapter is designed to whet your curiosity to find out “who done it.”