1. Level G Vocabulary
Unit 1

2. acquisitive
Connotation
+ or -
Definition: (adj.) able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with acquiring wealth or property
Synonyms: greedy, grasping
Antonyms: altruistic
More information:
our increasingly competitive and acquisitive [=greedy] society

3. arrogate Definition: (v.) to claim or take without right
Connotation
+ or -
Definition: (v.) to claim or take without right
Synonyms: expropriate, surp
Antonyms: relinquish, abandon
More: to take or claim (something, such as a right or a privilege) in a way that is not fair or legal
She arrogated the
leadership role to herself.
Etymology:Latin arrogatus,
past participle of arrogare,
from ad- + rogare to ask

4. banal Definition: (adj.) hackneyed, trite, commonplace
Connotation
+ or -
Definition: (adj.) hackneyed, trite, commonplace
Synonyms: stale, insipid
Antonyms: fresh, novel, original, new
More information: boring or ordinary: not interesting ▪He made some
banal remarks about the weather.
▪ The writing was banal but
the story was good.
Etymology: French, from Middle French,
of compulsory feudal service, possessed
in common, commonplace, from ban

5. belabor
Connotation
+ or -
Definition: (v.) to work on excessively; to thrash soundly, to repeat over and over
Synonyms: overwork
More information: to talk
About (something) for too long:
to repeat or stress (something)
too much or too often ▪ Please don't belabor
the point.

6. carping
Connotation
+ or -
Definition: (adj.) tending to find fault, especially in a petty, nasty
Synonyms: nit-picking, critical
Antonyms: approving, uncritical
Has anyone ever
spoken to you in a
carping manner? How?

7. coherent
Connotation
+ or -
Definition: (adj.) holding or sticking together; making a logical whole; meaningful
Synonyms: unified, consistent
Antonyms: muddled, chaotic
More: logical and well-organized : easy to understand; co = together
a coherent argument/essay
The drunk man was not
coherent. [=understandable]
They are able to function
as a coherent group/team.

8. congeal
Connotation
+ or -
Definition: (v.) to change from liquid to solid, thicken, to make inflexible
Synonyms: harden, jell, coagulate
Antonyms: melt, liquefy
More: of a liquid: to become thick or
solid; co = together
The gravy began to congeal in the pan.
Congeal = jello
Etymology: Middle English
congelen, from Middle French
congeler, from Latin congelare,
from com- + gelare to freeze

9. emulate
Connotation
+ or -
Definition: (v.) to imitate (rhymes with emulate) with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model
Synonyms: copy, mimic,
measure up to
More information: to try to
be like (someone or something
you admire)
She grew up emulating her
sports heroes.
Etomology: Latin aemulatus,
from aemulus rivaling

10. encomium
Connotation
+ or -
Definition: (n.) a formal expression of praise, a lavish tribute
Synonyms: eulogy, commendation
Antonyms: castigation, criticism
More information: glowing and warmly enthusiastic praise
Etymology: Latin, from Greek
enkōmion, from en in + kōmos
revel, celebration
When might you give an
encomium?

11. eschew Definition: (v.) to avoid, shun, keep away from
Connotation
+ or -
Definition: (v.) to avoid, shun, keep away from
Synonyms: abstain from, forgo
Antonyms: embrace, adopt
More information: to avoid (something) especially because you do not think it is right, proper
They now eschew the
violence of their past.
Etymology: of Germanic
origin; akin to Old High German
sciuhen to frighten off

12. germane Definition: (adj.) relevant, appropriate, apropos, fitting
Connotation
+ or -
germane
Definition: (adj.) relevant, appropriate,
apropos, fitting
Synonyms: pertinent
Antonyms: irrelevant, extraneous
More: relating to a subject in an appropriate way : relevant Her comments were not germane
(to the discussion).
Etymology: Middle English
germain, literally, having the
same parents, from Anglo-French

13. insatiable Definition: (adj.) so great or
Connotation
+ or -
Definition: (adj.) so great or
demanding as not to be satisfied
Synonyms: unquenchable, ravenous
More: Her desire for knowledge
was insatiable.
Etymology: from Latin insatiabilis,
from in- + satiare to satisfy

14. intransigent Definition: (adj.) refusing to compromise, irreconcilable
Connotation
+ or -
Definition: (adj.) refusing to compromise, irreconcilable
Synonyms: uncompromising, unyielding
Antonyms: lukewarm, halfhearted
More: completely unwilling to change,
very stubborn Etymology: Spanish intransigente,
from in- + transigente, to compromise,
from Latin transigere to come to an
agreement

15. invidious
Connotation
+ or -
Definition: (adj.) offensive, hateful; tending to cause bitterness and resentment
Synonyms: malicious, spiteful
Antonyms: complimentary,
flattering
More: unpleasant and likely
to cause bad feelings in other
people
▪ invidious remarks ▪ an invidious comparison/choice
Etymology: Latin invidiosus envious, invidious, from invidia envy

16. largesse
Connotation
+ or -
Definition: (n.) generosity in giving; lavish or bountiful contributions
Synonyms: liberality, bounty
Antonyms: stinginess, miserliness
More: He relied on the largesse
of friends after he lost his job.
▪ a philanthropist known for his
largesse
Origin: Middle English largesse,
from Anglo-French, from large

17. Connotation
+ or -
reconnaissance
Definition: (n.) a survey made for military purposes, any kind of preliminary inspection or examination
Synonyms: scouting expedition
More: military activity in which soldiers,
airplanes, etc., are sent to find out
information about an enemy
▪ There are two helicopters available
for reconnaissance.
▪ reconnaissance missions/aircraft
▪ They did/conducted a reconnaissance
of the enemy's position.
Origin: French, literally, recognition, from Middle French reconoissance, from Old French reconoistre to recognize

18. substantiate
Connotation
+ or -
Definition: (v.) to establish by evidence, prove; to give concrete or substantial form to
Synonyms: verify, confirm,
validate
Antonyms: refute, disprove,
invalidate
More: to prove the truth of
(something) ▪ He offered no evidence to substantiate [=support] his claim.

19. taciturn
Connotation
+ or -
Definition: (adj.) habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little
Synonyms: tight-lipped, laconic
Antonyms: garrulous, loquacious,
verbose
More: tending to be quiet : not
speaking frequently ▪ a somewhat taciturn young man
Origin: French taciturne,
from Latin taciturnus,
from tacitus = silent

20. temporize
Connotation
+ or -
Definition: (v.) to stall or act evasively in order to gain time, avoid a confrontation, or postpone a decision
Synonyms: hedge, dillydally, procrastinate
More: to avoid making a decision or giving a definite answer in order to have more time
▪ Pressured by voters on both
sides of the issue, the
Congressmen temporized.
Origin: from Medieval Latin
temporizare to pass the time,
from Latin tempor-, tempus

21. tenable Definition: (adj.) capable of being held or defended
Connotation
+ or -
tenable
Definition: (adj.) capable of being held or defended
Synonyms: defensible, maintainable
Antonyms: indefensible, unjustifiable
More: ▪ The theory is no longer tenable. [=defensible] ▪ a tenable argument.
Origin: from Old French, from tenir to hold, from Latin tenēre