Advancing Vocabulary Skills

Chapter 1
Detriment – something that causes damage, harm, or loss
Dexterous – skillful in using the hands or body
Discretion – good judgement or tact in actions or speaking
Facetious – humorous; playfully joking
Gregarious – sociable; enjoying and seeking the company of others
Optimum – best possible; most favorable; most desirable
Ostentatious – meant to impress others; flashy
Scrupulous – careful about moral standards; conscientious
Sensory – having to do with seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, or smelling
Vicarious – experienced through the imagination; not experienced directly

Chapter 2
Collaborate – to work together on a project; cooperate in an effort
Despondent – downhearted; hopeless; overwhelmed with sadness
Instigate – to bring about by moving others to action; stir up
Resilient – able to recover quickly from harm, illness, or misfortune
Retrospect – reviewing the past; considering past events
Rudimentary – fundamental; necessary to learn first
Scoff – to make fun of; mock; refuse to take seriously
Squelch – to silence or suppress, crush
Venerate – to respect deeply, revere
Zealot – a person totally devoted to a purpose or cause
Chapter 3
Ambiguous – able to be interpreted in more than one way; not clear
Dissident – a person opposed to established ideas or beliefs, especially ideas or beliefs,
especially in politics or religion
Embellish – to decorate; beautify by adding details
Fritter – to spend or waste a little at a time
Inadvertent – unintentional; accidental
Inane – without sense or nothing; foolish
Juxtapose – to place close together, especially to compare or contrast
Lethargy – a great lack of energy; inactivity due to laziness; sluggishness
Sporadic – happening now and then; occasional
Subsidize – to support financially provide a grant or contribution

Chapter 4
Berate – to criticize or scold harshly
Estrange – to make unsympathetic or unfriendly; alienate
Euphoric – overjoyed; having an intense feeling of well-being
Impetuous – done or acting in a hurry, with little thought; impulsive
Infallible – not capable of error or failure; unable to make a mistake
Maudlin – tearfully sentimental; overly emotional
Regress – to return to an earlier, worse, condition or behavior
Relinquish – to surrender (something); give (something) up
Ubiquitous – existing or seeming to exist everywhere at the same time
Zenith – the highest point or condition; peak
Chapter 5
Equivocate – to be deliberately vague to mislead
Fortuitous – happening by chance, by accident, or at random; lucky
Impeccable – faultless; perfect
Liaison – a person who serves as a connection between individuals or groups, a go-between
Predisposed – tending toward or open to something beforehand
Propensity – a natural preference or tendency
Reprehensible – deserving of blame, criticism, or disapproval
Sham – a pretense or counterfeit; something meant to deceive
Solace – comfort in sorrow or misfortune; consolation
Solicitous – showing or expressing concern, care, or attention

Chapter 6
Attrition – a gradual natural decrease in number; becoming fewer in number
Circumvent – to avoid by going around or as if by getting around; to escape from; prevent, or
stop through cleverness
Cohesive – sticking or holding together; unified
Grievous – causing grief or pain; very serious or severe
Inundate – to cover, as by flooding; overwhelm with a large number or amount
Oblivious – unaware; failing to notice
Reticent – quiet or uncommunicative; reluctant to speak out
Robust – healthy and strong; vigorous
Sanction – to authorize, allow, or approve
Vociferous – noisy; expressing feelings loudly and intensely
Chapter 7
Bolster – to hold up; strengthen, or reinforce; support with a rigid object
Depreciate – to fall or decrease in value or price; to lower the value of
Indiscriminate – not shown carefully; not based on careful selection
Inquisitive – curious; eager to learn
Nebulous – vague; unclear
Relegate – to assign to a less important or less satisfying position, place, or condition
Replete – plentifully supplied; well-filled
Sedentary – marked by much sitting, requiring or taking little exercise
Tenet – a belief or principle held to be true by an individual or group
Terse – brief and clear; effectively concise

Chapter 8
Clandestine – done in secret; kept hidden
Contingency – a possible future event that must be prepared for or guarded against; possibility
Egocentric – self-centered; seeing everything in terms of oneself
Exonerate – to clear of an accusation or charge; prove innocent
Incongruous – out of place; having parts that are not in harmony or that are inconsistent
Indigenous – living, growing, or produced naturally in a particular place; native
Liability – something that acts as a disadvantage, a drawback
Prolific – producing many works, results, or offspring; fertile
Reinstate – to restore to a previous position or condition; bring back into being or use
Superfluous – beyond what is needed, wanted, or useful; extra
Chapter 9
Austere – without decoration or luxury; severely simple
Esoteric – intended for or understood by only a certain group, beyond the understanding of most
people
Facsimile – an exact copy or reproduction
Grotesque – distorted or strikingly inconsistent in shape, appearance, or manner
Mesmerize – to hypnotize or fascinate; hold spellbound
Metamorphosis – a great or complete change; transformation
Notorious – known widely but unfavorably; having a bad reputation
Perfunctory – done only as a routine, with little care or interest; performed with no interest or
enthusiasm
Provocative – tending to arouse interest or curiosity
Travesty – a crude, exaggerated, or ridiculous representation, mockery

Chapter 10
Connoisseur – an expert in fine art or in matters of taste
Conspiracy – a secret plot by two or more people, especially for a harmful or illegal purpose
Contrite – truly sorry for having done wrong; repentant
Distraught – very troubled; distressed
Germane – having to do with the issue at hand; relevant
Lucid – clearly expressed; easily understood
Plight – a situation marked by difficulty, hardship, or misfortune
Superficially – in an on-the surface manner; not thoroughly
Symmetrical – well proportioned; balanced; the same on both sides
Verbose – using or containing too many words
Chapter 11
Adept – highly skilled; expert
Encompass – to include contain
Entrepreneur – a person who organizes, manages, and takes the risk of a business undertaking
Eradicate – to get rid of altogether; wipe out
Homogenous – made up of similar or identical parts; unvarying throughout
Presumptuous – too bold; overly confident
Sordid – indecent; morally low; corrupt
Standardize – to make consistent; cause to conform to a model
Stint – a specific period of work or service; amount of time spent
Stringent – strictly controlled or enforced; strict; severe

Chapter 12
Exhort – to urge with argument or strong advice; plead earnestly
Flamboyant – very showy; strikingly bold
Foible – a minor weakness or character flaw; a minor fault in behavior
Innocuous – harmless; inoffensive
Magnanimous – noble in mind and spirit; especially generous in forgiving
Masochist – a person who gains satisfaction from suffering physical or psychological pain
Meticulous – extremely careful and exact; showing great attention to details
Rancor – intense hatred or ill will; long-lasting resentment
Recrimination – an accusation made in response to an accuser, countercharge
Repugnant – offensive; distasteful; repulsive
Chapter 13
Atrophy – to wear down, lose strength, or become weak, as from disuse, disease, or injury (said
or a body part); to wither away
Deplore – to feel or express disapproval of
Deprivation – lack or shortage of one of more basic necessities
Exacerbate – to aggravate (a situation or condition); make more severe
Imperative – necessary; urgent
Mitigate – to make less severe or less intense; relieve
Objective – not influenced by emotion or personal prejudice; based only on what can be
observed
Panacea – something supposed to cure all diseases, evils, or difficulties; cure-all
Unprecedented – being the first instance of something; never having occurred before
Utilitarian – made or intended for practical use; stressing usefulness over beauty of other
considerations

Chapter 14
Decorum – correctness in behavior and manners; standards or conventions or socially
acceptable behavior
Espouse – to support, argue for, or adopt (an idea of cause)
Exhilaration – cheerfulness; high spirits
Exorbitant – excessive; especially in amount, cost, or price; beyond what is reasonable or
appropriate
Extricate – to free from a tangled situation or a difficulty
Facilitate – to make easier to do or to get
Orthodox – following established, traditional rules or benefits, especially in religion; following
what is customary or commonly accepted
Rejuvenate – to make (someone) feel or seem young again; to make (something) seem fresh or
new again
Synchronize – to cause to occur at exactly the same time; to cause (clocks and watches) to
agree in time
Tenuous – having little substance or basis; weak; poorly supported
Chapter 15
Analogy – a comparison between two things in order to clarify or dramatize a point
Annihilate – to destroy completely; reduce to nothingless
Criterion – a standard by which something is or can be judged
Emanate – to flow or come out from a source; come forth
Holistic – emphasizing the whole and the interdependence of its parts; rather than the parts
separately
Placebo – a substance which contains no medicine, but which the receiver believes is a
medicine
Proficient – skilled; highly competent
Staunch – firm; loyal; strong in support
Subversive – acting or intending to undermine or overthrow something established
Vindicate – to clear from blame or suspicion; justify or prove right

Chapter 16
Disparity – an inequality of difference, as in ages or amounts
Forestall – to prevent to hinder by taking action beforehand
Insidious – working or spreading harmfully but in a manner hard to notice; more harmful than is
evident at first
Insinuate – to suggest slyly
Interrogate – to question formally and systemically
Obsequious – overly willing to serve, obey, or flatter in order to gain favor
Omnipotent – all-powerful; having unlimited power or authority
Opportune – suitable (said of time); well-timed
Permeate – to flow or spread throughout (something)
Retribution – something given or done or as repayment, reward, or (usually) punishment
Chapter 17
Complement – to add (to something or someone) what is lacking or needed; round out; bring to
perfection
Discreet – wise in keeping silent about secrets and other information of a delicate nature;
prudent; tactful
Fastidious – extremely attentive to details; fussy
Flout – to treat with scorn or contempt; defy insultingly
Heinous – extremely evil; outrageous
Implement – to carry out; put into practice
Impromptu – performed or spoken without practice or preparation
Inference – a conclusion drawn from evidence; an assumption
Intuition – instinctive knowledge; hutch
Obtrusive – undesirably noticeable

Chapter 18
Auspicious – being a good sign; favorable; encouraging
Expedite – to speed up or ease the progress of; make easier
Extenuating – serving to make (a fault, an offense, or guilt) less serious or seem less serious
through some reasons
Fraudulent – characterized by trickery; cheating; or lies
Innuendo – an indirect remark or gesture, usually suggesting something belittling to improper;
an insinuation; a hint
Rebuke – to scold sharply; express blame or disapproval
Redeem – to restore (oneself) to favor by making up for offensive conduct; make amends
Subordinate – under the authority of power of another; inferior or below another in rank; power,
or importance
Transgress – to sin or commit an offense; break a law or command
Vehement – intense; forceful
Chapter 19
Deride – to make fun of; ridicule
Derogatory – expressing a low opinion; belittling
Fabricate – to make up (a story, information) in order to deceive; invent (a lie)
Impending – about to happen; imminent
Macabre – suggestive of death and decay; frightful; causing horror and disgust
Misconstrue – to misinterpret; misunderstand the meaning or significant of
Paramount – of greatest concern or importance; foremost; chief in rank or authority
Quandary – a state of uncertainly or confusion about what to do; predicament
Turbulent – full of wind disorder or wildly irregular motion; violently disturbed
Validate – to show to be true; prove; confirm

Chapter 20
Abrasive – able to cause a wearing away by rubbing or scraping; rough; irritating
Admonish – to scold gently but seriously; caution; give a warning
Antithesis – the exact opposite
Culmination – the highest point or degree of a series of actions or events; the climax
Docile – tending to give in to the control of power of others without resisting; easy to handle or
discipline; willingly led
Emulate – to try to equal or surpass; especially by imitation; imitate
Hierarchy – an organization of people in a series of levels, according to importance or authority
Incapacitate – to make unable or unfit; especially for normal activities; disable
Prognosis – a prediction of the course; outcome, or fate of something, especially a disease or
injury
Tumult – the noisy disorder of a crowd; a commotion