1. Vocabulary
Unit 3
Level F

2. 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!

3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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!

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. 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.

21. 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!