1. Unit 9 VCB, Level F

2. Unit 9, First Ten Words
Unit 9, Second Ten Words
Anathema
Egregious
Equivocated
Evanescent
Irresolute
Nebulous
Recapitulate
Resuscitate
Slovenly
Torpid

3. Abate (V.)
To make less in amount, degree, etc,; to subside, become less, to nullify; to deduct, omit
Interest in the author’s home abated as her
novels waned in popularity.
SYN: diminish; decrease

4. Adulation (n.) Praise or flattery that is excessive
The baby bunny enjoyed the excessive adulation
from his mother.
SYN: adoration; idolization

5. Anathema (n.)
An object of intense dislike; a curse or strong denunciation (often used adjectivally without the article)
My parents possess an immense anathema to
the idea of me receiving a failing mark.
SYN: malediction; abomination

6. Astute (adj.) Shrewd, crafty, showing practical wisdom
Many consider Alex to be an astute observer
of the current political scene due to his
vast array of knowledge.
SYN: acute; sagacious

7. Avarice (n.) A greedy desire, particularly for wealth
It seems that many corporations only care about
avarice and the thirst for power.
SYN: cupidity; rapacity

8. Culpable (adj.) Deserving blame, worthy of condemnation
According to my parents, I’m more culpable than my younger brother because I should know better.
SYN: guilty; blameworthy

9. Dilatory (adj.)
Tending to delay or procrastinate; not prompt; intended to delay or postpone
If one is dilatory in her daily duties, the
coursework will soon pile up to the point where
it will be difficult to catch up.
SYN: stalling; tardy

10. Egregious (adj.)
Conspicuous, standing out from the mass (used particularly in an unfavorable sense)
Many of my brother’s egregious actions cause
others to act annoyed around him.
SYN: glaring; blatant

11. Equivocate (v.)
To speak, or act in a way that allows for more than one interpretation; to be deliberately vague or ambiguous
When referring to his opinion on healthcare, the
politician equivocated, “Everyone should practice a healthy lifestyle.” He didn’t give the audience a straight answer.
SYN: hedge; waffle

12. Evanescent (adj.) Vanishing, soon passing away; light and airy
I enjoy watching the evanescent autumn leaves
fall to the ground since the gorgeous colors only
occur once a year.
SYN: ephemeral; transitory

13. Irresolute (adj.) Unable to make up one’s mind; hesitating
When I questioned Becky about her favorite
restaurant, she seemed very irresolute
in her decision between Thai and
Japanese food.
SYN: indecisive; wavering

14. Nebulous (adj.)
Cloudlike, resembling a cloud; cloud in color, not transparent; vague, confused, indistinct
If one enjoys stargazing and researching various
nebulous structures, then one should study
Astronomy.
SYN: hazy; opaque

15. Novice (n.)
One who is just a beginner at some activity requiring skill and experience (also used adjectivally)
Alice acted like a novice on the ice
due to the fact that it was her first
time.
SYN: trainee; neophyte

16. Penury (n.) Extreme poverty; barrenness, insufficiency
Many people these days live in a state of penury
due to the bad economy and rise in living
expenses.
SYN: destitution; indigence

17. Pretentious (adj.)
Done for show, striving a make a big impression; claiming merit or position unjustifiably; ambitious
The baby’s actions of eating a watermelon slice
bigger than he was appeared
a bit pretentious.
SYN: ostentatious; inflated

18. Recapitulate (v.) To review a series of facts; to sum up
To recapitulate from earlier, we’ll watch a movie
on the information presented and answer some
review questions.
SYN: review; summarize

19. Resuscitate (v.) To revive, bring back to consciousness or existence
The patient stopped breathing, but the
doctors were able to
resuscitate him in time.
SYN: revitalize; restore

20. Slovenly (adj.) Untidy, dirty, careless
If one wants to achieve a good impression for
a job interview, please refrain from dressing in a slovenly fashion.
SYN: unkempt; lax

21. Supposition (n.)
Something that is assumed or taken for granted without conclusive evidence.
The government officials’ supposition on the
man did not reflect the true nature of his
being.
SYN: assumption; hypothesis

22. Torpid (adj.) Inactive, sluggish, dull
The kindergarten kids witnessed a torpid sloth
when they visited the zoo yesterday.
SYN: lethargic; languid