English 2 Vocabulary – Week 6 (VQ6)

Pre-AP Eng 2 – VQ6 abashed (adj) –embarrassed, disconcerted or ashamed luminary (n) – bright object; celebrity; source of inspiration luminous (adj) – bright; brilliant; glowing luxuriance (n) – elegance; lavishness maelstrom (n) – turmoil; agitated state of mind malady (n) – illness; disease; disorder malefactor (n) – evil-doer; culprit; perpetrator missive (n) – note or letter mitigate (tv) – to soften or make (something) milder or less intense mnemonic (adj) – relating to memory; designed to assist memory naïve (adj) – foolishly simple; childlike nebulous (adj) – unclear; vague; indefinite

abashed (adj) abashed (adj) – embarrassed, disconcerted or ashamed Ex. Abashed by his father’s intolerance toward people who were different, my guest excused himself from the table. Synonym: flustered Antonym: pacified Related: unabashed (adj); abash (tv)

luminary (n) luminary (n) – bright object; celebrity; source of inspiration Ex. Mark Twain, an author and a luminary, stirred up controversy as well as critical thought. Synonym: dignitary Antonym: unknown (n) Related: illuminate (tv)

luminous (adj) luminous (adj) – bright; brilliant; glowing Ex. A luminous, full moon drizzled pale light upon the ripples of the pond. Synonym: lustrous Antonym: obscure Related: illumination (n)

luxuriance (n) luxuriance (n) – elegance; lavishness Ex. Vivid colors in the detailed architecture contribute to the luxuriance of Madrid’s Catedral Santa Maria. Synonym: opulence Antonym: lack Related: luxury (n); luxuriate (v)

maelstrom (n) maelstrom (n) – turmoil; agitated state of mind Ex. “A merciless fate threw me into this maelstrom. I wanted much…but the gale of the world carried away me and my work.” – Draza Mihajlovic, Yugoslavian soldier (1946) Synonym: turbulence Antonym: harmony Related: (none)

malady (n) malady (n) – illness; disease; affliction Ex. Jan Steen’s 1665 painting, “Sick Woman”, portrays a woman who has succumbed to a mysterious malady. Synonym: disorder Antonym: health Related: maladies, malaise (n)

malefactor (n) malefactor (n) – evil-doer; culprit; perpetrator Ex. In ancient times, accused or convicted malefactors were subjected to torture. Synonym: rascal Antonym: benefactor Related: maleficent (adj)

missive (n) missive (n) – note or letter Ex. Once upon a time, missives were contemplative, handwritten and sealed with wax; now our messages are limited to 140 characters. #lostArt Synonym: communique Antonym: silence Related: (none)

mitigate (tv) mitigate (tv) – to soften or make (something) milder or less intense Ex. New designs in car seats mitigate the shock and potential injuries caused in accidents. Synonym: assuage Antonym: intensify Related: mitigation (n)

mnemonic (adj) mnemonic (adj) – relating to memory; designed to assist memory Ex. Effective mnemonic pegging like “Roy G. Biv” allows us to remember long sequences of words. Synonym: implicative Antonym: (none) Related: mnemonic (n)

naïve (adj) naïve (adj) – foolishly simple; childlike Ex. (see quote) Synonym: innocent Antonym: sophisticated Related: naiveté (n)

nebulous (adj) nebulous (adj) – unclear; vague; indefinite Ex. (see quote) Synonym: imprecise Antonym: distinct Related: nebula (n)