1. Grade 1o Honors Vocab Units 1-3
Abate – Vindicate
60 WORDS

2. Word: Abate
Definition: to subside, to lessen Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: After three weeks of intense reading, writing, and studying, the amount of work in the class finally abated.

3. Word: Abject
Definition: extremely bad, unpleasant Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: The concentration camp prisoners of WWII were forced to endure abject conditions at the hands of the Nazis.

4. Word: Absolute
Definition: total, unlimited Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: Napoleon Bonaparte was an absolute ruler who had total control of France at the time.

5. Word: Ambiguous
Definition: unclear, open to multiple interpretations Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: Whether the graphic shows a vase or two faces is ambiguous because both interpretations are valid.

6. Word: Amenity
Definition: a desirable or useful feature Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: Hotels often have many amenities such as pools, fitness centers, restaurants, etc.

7. Word: Amorous
Definition: romantic, lustful Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: The amorous couple walking down the street were holding hands and whispering to one another.

8. Word: Atheist
Definition: a person who lacks belief in the existence of higher beings Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: Lisa identifies herself as an atheist because she does not believe in the existences of a God or gods.

9. Word: Auspicious
Definition: favorable Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: The sunny and 75 degree weather created auspicious conditions for the outdoor event.

10. Word: Avarice
Definition: greed Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: Bob’s avarice for money corrupted him to do sketchy business transactions just to make more cash.

11. Word: Bona fide
Definition: genuine, real Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: Only bona fide, official documents are permissible in court as evidence. Only bona fide executives of the company are given access to confidential documents.

12. Word: Capricious
Definition: unpredictable Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: The weather during the summer is often capricious; one moment the sun is out and the next a thunderstorm occurs.

13. Word: Categorical
Definition: absolute, definite Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: The mother gave the child the categorical answer that she could not go to her friend’s birthday party in the city no matter how many times she asked. My niece Layla is, in my opinion, the categorically cutest owl ever.

14. Word: Celibacy
Definition: abstinence Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: After a number of failed relationships, Susie decided to take a vow of celibacy and not become involved with anyone for awhile.

15. Word: Concord
Definition: harmony, agreement Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: After some debate, the company’s executives reached a state of concord about the best way to proceed.

16. Word: Conducive
Definition: tending to produce, helpful Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: Sufficient sunlight and water are two conditions conducive to growing plants.

17. Word: Congregate
Definition: to come together Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: The school congregated in the auditorium for the assembly.

18. Word: Contempt
Definition: scorn, disdain, disrespect Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: Simon Cowell, the reality show judge, could not hide his contempt for the contestant who lacked singing skills; he thought the contestant wasted his time.

19. Word: Deference
Definition: respect Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: The people of England show their deference to the queen by bowing in greeting to her; I expect the same deference.

20. Word: Déjà vu
Definition: a feeling of having already experienced something Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: I got a strange feeling of déjà vu while watching the movie; I felt like I had watched a movie with a similar storyline previously.

21. Word: Derogatory
Definition: showing a critical or disrespectful attitude Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: George got in trouble for make derogatory signals to the new student and referring to him as a loser.

22. Word: Delineate
Definition: to describe Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: The teacher clearly delineated the expectations and guidelines for the project.

23. Word: Emulate
Definition: to imitate Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: I spent most of my life emulating my older sister; she even worked at KP as an English teacher!

24. Word: Encroach
Definition: to trespass Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: The Germans slowly encroached on Ally territory until they had taken over much of it.

25. Word: Engender
Definition: to create/cause Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: Puppies usually engender a sense of warmth and happiness within people.

26. Word: Fidelity
Definition: loyalty Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: Jack’s fidelity to his college was evident; he attended the sporting events and donated to the school years after he graduated.

27. Word: Fickle
Definition: frequently changing one’s mind (loyalties, interests, or affections) Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: Jenny’s friends accuse her of being fickle; she changes her interests and the way she acts depending upon the people she is with at the moment.

28. Word: Flout
Definition: to disrespect Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: George flouted the no smoking rule by smoking a cigarette inside a building.

29. Word: Forego
Definition: to go without Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: Bob decided to forego attending college in order to start working after high school. Missy tried to forego meat for her boyfriend who was a vegetarian, but she found herself sneaking steak when he wasn’t around.

30. Word: Impugn
Definition: to attack Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: The professor impugned the student’s integrity when he accused her of cheating.

31. Word: Incense
Definition: to make angry Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: The student’s rude behavior incensed the teacher.

32. Word: Incongruous
Definition: not consistent Part of Speech: adj Example Sentence: The bright purple house with the pink flamingoes on the lawn seemed incongruous on a street where every other house was white with black shutters.

33. Word: Laud
Definition: to praise/applaud Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: The principal lauded the valedictorian’s accomplishments at the graduation ceremony.

34. Word: Lampoon
Definition: to satirize, to mock Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: Many comedians lampoon well-known public figures on late night TV shows.

35. Word: Libel
Definition: written/published falsehood that damages a reputation Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: The celebrity sued the gossip magazine for libel after it printed false, negative statements about her.

36. Word: Morose
Definition: gloomy, sullen Part of Speech: adj Example Sentence: Katrina’s constantly morose attitude makes it hard to hang out with her because she’s never happy or excited about anything.

37. Word: Myopia
Definition: nearsightedness, lack of foresight or imagination Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: My friend’s myopic view that she can slack off in school and still get a good job will catch up with her one day.

38. Word: Nefarious
Definition: wicked, evil Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: The CIA intercepted the terrorist’s nefarious plot to wreak havoc on the country.

39. Word: Patronize
Definition: to treat as inferior Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: The professor is not well-respected because he patronizes his students and acts egotistically smart instead of helping them learn.

40. Word: Pensive
Definition: thoughtful and sad Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: Laura looked like she was in a pensive mood as she stared thoughtfully out the window.

41. Word: Prodigy
Definition: an extremely talented child Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: Yo Yo Ma was deemed a prodigy on both the violin and cello at the mere age of 6-years-old.

42. Word: Pedestrian
Definition: unimaginative, common Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: Mary’s poem was very pedestrian. Anyone could have written it.

43. Word: Preempt
Definition: to take action to prevent something from happening Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: Tom preempted his firing by quitting before his boss could tell him to pack up his things.

44. Word: Prevail
Definition: to overcome Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: Despite a broken foot at the beginning of the year, the runner prevailed to run a marathon 6 months later.

45. Word: Quixotic
Definition: idealistic to a foolish degree Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: The Northeastern hockey team had quixotic hopes that they would beat BC to win the Beanpot. BC handily beat them in the finals.

46. Word: Rancor
Definition: bitter, long-lasting resentment Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: Jane harbored an intense rancor toward Jill for stealing her boyfriend.

47. Word: Rebuke
Definition: to criticize Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: The media constantly rebukes Miley Cyrus for her controversial actions.

48. Word: Rendezvous
Definition: a meeting at an agreed time and place Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: George and Jane planned a secret rendezvous at 4 pm at the GPL.

49. Word: Sanguine
Definition: cheerful, optimistic Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: Karen has a sanguine personality. She always finds the positive of every situation.

50. Word: Scrutinize
Definition: to examine carefully Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: The detective scrutinized the crime scene in great detail for any possible evidence.

51. Word: Sensory
Definition: having to do with the senses Part of Speech: adj Example Sentence: The sensory description of the meal made readers feel like they could smell and taste it.

52. Word: Subversive
Definition: seeking to disrupt an established system, troublemaking Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: The anti-government group posted subversive comments on the Internet with the purpose of trying to start a rebellion.

53. Word: Superficial
Definition: occurring only at the surface level, shallow Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: The scrape Jill got from falling off her bike was only a superficial wound. Although it looked like it was bleeding a lot, it did not go very deep. The essay was superficial. It did not go into depth about the topic.

54. Word: Surrogate
Definition: substitute Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: A former teacher served as a surrogate while our real teacher was out for a few weeks.

55. Word: Ubiquitous
Definition: being everywhere at the same time Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: Cell phones were once a luxury for the rich; however, now they are ubiquitous and present in everyone’s back pocket.

56. Word: Uniform
Definition: consistent Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: MCAS is administered in a uniform manner in all schools in the state of Massachusetts each year.

57. Word: Transgress
Definition: to violate Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: The criminal transgressed the law by stealing.

58. Word: Unremitting
Definition: relentless, constant Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: Tom Brady’s unremitting attitude about the value of hard work and winning has led him to win many championships.

59. Word: Verisimilitude
Definition: looking like the real thing/appearance of the truth Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: The verisimilitude between the computer generated background of New York City on the movie set in California and the actual skyline of NYC was remarkable.

60. Word: Viable
Definition: workable Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: After listening to a number of ridiculous ideas for hours, the boss finally heard a viable idea to save the company.

61. Word: Vindicate
Definition: to justify, to clear from blame Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: The lawyer vindicated his client who had been accused of stealing.