Vocabulary Unit 3 Level F

abominate (v.) to have an intense dislike or hatred for Synonyms: loathe, abhor, despise, detest Antonyms: relish, savor, cherish, esteem I abominate the actions of bullies!

acculturation (n.) the modification of the social patterns, traits, or structures of one group or society by contact with those of another; the resultant blend Synonyms: adaptation Thanks to our host family, our acculturation into Japanese society did not take as long as we expected.

adventitious Synonyms: extrinsic, incidental, fortuitous Antonyms: essential, intrinsic, inherent, congenital Redwood burls are large adventitious buds that form on the trunks of the trees. (adj.) resulting from chance rather than from an inherent cause or character; accidental, not essential; (medicine) acquired, not congenital

ascribe (v.) to assign or refer to (as a cause or source), attribute Synonyms: impute, credit, attribute We ascribed the hole in our window to our next door neighbor.

circuitous (adj.) roundabout, not direct Synonyms: indirect, meandering, winding Antonyms: straight, direct, as the crow flies John decided to take the circuitous approach in getting to know the new girl in class.

commiserate (v.) to sympathize with, have pity or sorrow for, share a feeling of distress Synonyms: feel sorry for, empathize Antonyms: feel no sympathy for The players commiserated with each other after the devastating loss.

enjoin (v.) to direct or order; to prescribe a course of action in an authoritative way; to prohibit Synonyms: bid, charge, command, adjure Antonyms: allow, permit In the old days, teachers would enjoin their students to behave or face the paddle!

expedite (v.) to make easy, cause to progress faster Synonyms: accelerate, facilitate, speed up Antonyms: hinder, hamper, impede, obstruct I was willing to pay extra in order to expedite delivery of my new dress.

expiate (v.) to make amends, make up for; to avert Synonyms: redeem, make amends for, atone, make reparation The boys were willing to expiate their bad behavior by serving detention.

ferment (n.) a state of great excitement, agitation, or turbulence; (v.) to be in or work into such a state; to produce alcohol by chemical action Synonyms: (n.) commotion, turmoil, unrest Antonyms: (n.) peace and quiet, tranquility, placidity The entire country of Egypt seems to be caught up in the ferment of protest.

inadvertent (adj.) resulting from or marked by lack of attention; unintentional, accidental Synonyms: accidental, unconsidered Antonyms: deliberate, intentional, premeditated I took an inadvertent wrong turn and ended up on the other side of town.

nominal (adj.) existing in name only, not real; too small to be considered or taken seriously Synonyms: titular, token trifling, inconsequential Antonyms: real, actual, exorbitant, excessive Because we wanted to attract a large audience, we only charged a nominal fee for the school play.

noncommittal (adj.) not decisive or definite; unwilling to take a clear position or to say yes or no Synonyms: cagey, uninformative, playing it safe, playing it close to the vest Antonyms: positive, definite, committed Many top high school recruits like to remain noncommittal until signing day.

peculate (v.) to steal something that has been given into one’s trust; to take improperly for one’s own use Synonyms: embezzle, defraud, misappropriate Those who are tempted to peculate from their companies soon find that crime does not pay.

proclivity (n.) a natural or habitual inclination or tendency (especially of human character or behavior) Synonyms: natural bent, penchant, propensity Antonyms: inability or incapacity Because of her proclivity toward animals, we were not surprised when she decided to pursue a career in veterinary medicine.

sangfroid (n.) composure or coolness, especially in trying circumstances Synonyms: poise, self-assurance, equanimity Antonyms: excitability, hysteria, flappability Good actors must possess an enormous amount of sangfroid in order to always appear in control.

seditious (adj.) resistant to lawful authority; having the purpose of overthrowing an established government Synonyms: mutinous, rebellious, subversive Antonyms: supportive, loyal, faithful, allegiant Dictators always try to silence seditious protesters.

tenuous (adj.) think, slender, not dense; lacking clarity or sharpness; of slight importance or significance; lacking a sound basis, poorly supported Synonyms: flimsy, insubstantial, vague, hazy Antonyms: strong, solid, substantial, valid My knowledge of diagramming was tenuous until I asked for help.

vitriolic (adj.) bitter, sarcastic; highly caustic or biting (like a strong acid) Synonyms: withering, acerbic, mordant Antonyms: bland, saccharine, honeyed, sugary Your vitriolic attitude will not help you to attract friends.

wheedle (v.) to use coaxing or flattery to gain some desired end Synonyms: cajole, inveigle, soft-soap, sweet-talk Antonyms: coerce, browbeat, intimidate, strong-arm Don’t try to wheedle your teacher into changing your grade!