VOCABULARY 1-10 HONORS BRITISH LITERATUR E

WEEK 1 bigot- narrow-minded person counterfeit – fake; false enfranchise – give voting rights hamper – hinder; obstruct noxious – harmful; poisonous; lethal placid – peaceful; calm remuneration – payment for work done talisman – good luck charm laudatory- full of or giving praise bombastic- arrogant; pompous

WEEK 2 Abrasive- rough, coarse, harsh Bilk- cheat, defraud Covert- hidden; undercover Engender- to cause Knotty- complex; difficult to solve Nuance- something subtle; fine shade of meaning Renown- fame Tangent- going off the main subject Nostalgic- longing, yearning for past Contentious- assertive, quarrelsome

WEEK 3 abasement – humiliation; degradation billowing – swelling; fluttering; waving cower – recoil in fear or servility; shrink away from enhance – improve; make better or clearer labyrinth – a maze nullify – to counter; to make unimportant replete – full tangible – can be touched didactic – instructive; educational malicious – purposely hurtful

WEEK 4 abrogate – cancel; deny; repeal blasphemy – speech which offends religious sentiments enigma – puzzle; mystery harbingers – indicators; bringers of warnings labyrinthine – complicated; highly convoluted plaudit – statement giving strong praise reprehensible – shameful; very bad truculent – ready to fight; cruel sardonic – scornfully and bitterly sarcastic solemn - deeply earnest, tending toward sad reflection

WEEK 5 absolution – forgiveness; pardon; release blatant – obvious ensconce – establish firmly in a position hasten- hurry; accelerate; rush laceration – a cut obdurate – stubborn plausible – can be believed; reasonable reprieve – a respite; postponement of a sentence reverent – treating a subject with honor and respect optimistic - hopeful, cheerful

WEEK 6 blighted – damaged; destroyed; ruined credulous – gullible; ready to believe anything enshroud – to cover hegemony – control or domination over others lachrymose – tearful; sad obfuscate – deliberately make something hard to understand plethora – an excess repudiate – shun; eschew; to disown erudite - learned, polished, scholarly contemptuous - showing or feeling that something is worthless or lacks respect

WEEK 7 blithe – free-spirited; carefree crepuscular – active at dawn and dusk enunciation – clear pronunciation; accent; articulation headstrong – stubborn; willful lackluster – dull; monotonous; bland pliable – flexible; not stubborn rescind – retract; repeal temper – to moderate; soften objective – unbiased; not subjective reflective - illustrating innermost thoughts and emotions

WEEK 8 abstruse – difficult to understand; obscure cringe – recoil; flinch; shy away envenom – to cause bitterness and bad feeling hapless – unlucky laconic – using few words; brief; to the point oblique – indirect; slanting resignation – acceptance of fate temerity – audacity; recklessness derisive - ridiculing, mocking accusatory - charging of wrong doing

WEEK 9 accolade – tribute; honor; praise bolster – support; prop up cryptic – puzzling; enigmatic ebullient – extremely lively and enthusiastic garrulous – talkative; wordy lamentation – expression of regret or sorrow obliterate – destroy; demolish; eradicate plummet – fall suddenly and steeply critical - finding fault indignant - marked by anger aroused by injustice

WEEK 10 acquiesce – to agree to; to give in curtail – cut short epicure – someone who appreciates good food and drink heed – to listen to lampoon – ridicule; spoof oblivious – totally unaware resonant – echoing tenuous – flimsy; not solid contemplative - studying, thinking, reflecting on an issue pessimistic - seeing the worst side of things; no hope