vocab 4

• a curse, expression of ill-will
• he rival politicians repeatedly cast aspersions on each others’ integrity

• direct one's hopes or ambitions toward achieving something
• The young poet aspires to publish a book of verse someday.

A poem — especially one that rhymes — is called verse. The children's author Dr. Seuss wrote in verse, and the regular rhymes of "The Cat in the Hat" helped generations of children learn to read.

• to attack
• At dawn, the war planes assailed the boats in the harbor.

• to evaluate
• A crew arrived to assess the damage after the crash

• not typical, unusual
• Screaming and crying is atypical adult behavior.

• able to be heard
• The missing person’s shouts were unfortunately not audible

• shy, excessively timid
• Frankie’s mother told him not to be bashful when he refused to attend the birthday party

• 1.(n.) a device that supplies power
• 2. (n.)assault, beating
• Her husband was accused of assault and battery after he attacked a man on the sidewalk.

• something of tremendous power or size
• The new aircraft carrier is among several behemoths that the Air Force has added to its fleet

• devoid of, without
• His family was bereft of food and shelter following the tornado

• be deprived of a loved one through a profound absence, especially due to the loved one's death.
• take away possessions from someone through death

• to beg, plead, implore
• The servant beseeched the king for food to feed his starving family

• a tendency, inclination, prejudice
• The judge’s hidden bias against smokers led him to make an unfair decision

• to coax by using flattery
• Rachel’s assistant tried to blandish her into accepting the deal.

• 1. a plague, disease
• The potato blight destroyed the harvest and bankrupted many families.
• 2. something that destroys hope
• His bad morale is a blight upon this entire operation

• a gift or blessing
• The good weather has been a boon for many businesses located near the beach

• excessively bold, brash, shameless, unabashed
• Critics condemned the novelist’s brazen attempt to plagiarize Hemingway’s story

• (v.) to strike with force
• The strong winds buffeted the ships, threatening to capsize them

To capsize is to overturn, and it usually happens to boats. Don't rock the boat, baby, or you might just capsize.

• a rhythm, progression of sound
• The pianist used the foot pedal to emphasize the cadence of the sonata

• brotherhood, jovial unity, good friendship and loyalty
• Camaraderie among employees usually leads to success in business.

• 1. (n.) a piece of cloth on which an artist paints 
• Picasso liked to work on canvas rather than on bare cement.
• 2. (v.) to cover, inspect 
• We canvassed the neighborhood looking for clues

• to party, celebrate
• We caroused all night after getting married

• to annoy, pester
• The husband divorced his wife after listening to her carping voice for decades.

• jump, leap or dance around excitedly.
• The adults ate their dinners on the patio,while the children cavorted around the pool

• to feel or show affection toward something
• She continued to cherish her red plaid trousers, even though they had gone out of style and no longer fit her

a cloth having a crisscross design

• to voice disapproval
• Lucy chided Russell for his vulgar habits and sloppy appearance

Cleave, a verb, has two very different meanings. It can describe cutting or splitting something apart with a sharp instrument, or — oddly enough — it can describe sticking to something like glue.

• an involuntary spasm of ineffectual vomiting, feel like vomiting
• the sour taste made her retch

• disgust or sicken (someone) with an excess of sweetness, richness, or sentiment
• Though Ronald was physically attractive, Susan found his constant compliments and solicitous remarks cloying

• a person who makes or repairs shoes
• I had my neighborhood cobbler replace my worn-out leather soles with new ones.

The original colossus was an enormous statue that was supposed to have guarded the ancient Greek island and city of Rhodes. Now, though, we use the noun colossus for someone of huge importance, reputation, or influence.

• a notice of approval or recognition
• Jared received a commendation from Linda, his supervisor, for his stellar performance

The word commensurate has to do with things that are similar in size and therefore appropriate. Many people think the death penalty is a commensurate punishment for murder. In other words, the penalty fits the crime.

• roomy
• Holden invited the three women to join him in the back seat of the taxicab, assuring them that the car was quite commodious.

to accept as valid–usually in an unwilling way and often in the context of a competition, as in "At midnight, the candidate finally conceded defeat."

When you concoct something, you mix up different ingredients. If you want to become a mad scientist or a wizard, you'll have to learn how to concoct strange potions.

• an expression of sympathy in sorrow
• Brian lamely offered his condolences on the loss of his sister’s roommate’s cat

a person entrusted with secrets

• a person who conforms to accepted behavior or established practices
• traditionalist, conservative, stickler
• Julian was such a conformist that he had to wait and see if his friends would do something before he would commit.

A congenial person is easy to get along with. If you're trying to decide which of your friends to take on a road trip, choose the most congenial one; easygoing

• a gathering of people, especially for religious services
• The priest told the congregation that he would be retiring

• the quality of being in agreement
• Bill and Veronica achieved a perfect congruity of opinion

• To connive is to plan or plot to do something illegal or wrong. Conniving is considered dishonest and cowardly
• She connived to get me to give up my future plans

• an agreement of opinion
• The jury was able to reach a consensus only after days of deliberation

• to give something over to another’s care
• Unwillingly, he consigned his mother to a nursing home

• in harmony
• The singers’ consonant voices were beautiful

• an essential part
• The most important constituent of her perfume is something called ambergris.

• Impiety is a disrespect for the sacred
• Irreverence toward God.

Incapable of being pacified.

persistent, especially to the point of annoyance or intrusion.

importune is to beg, but use it only when you're talking about going beyond mere begging into more urgent territory

• Lacking foresight or thrift.
• improvident and undisciplined behavior

To impugn means to call into question or attack as wrong

• an unpleasant hint or suggestion of something bad
• I've done nothing to deserve all your vicious insinuations

Vicious is an adjective that means intentionally harmful or nasty.

represent (something, especially something undesirable) as being done, caused, or possessed by someone; attribute

silly; stupid; senseless

Incipient

To teach by frequent repetitions. useful technique for vocabulary study

Vague

Impossible to avoid

To instill, introduce, or inculcate, as principles or qualities.

Candid, frank, or open in character or quality.

To be inimical is to be harmful, antagonistic, or opposed to — like smoking two packs a day is to healthy lungs; Adverse

without one's mental faculties, typically a result of violence or intoxication; unconscious

To imply; suggest or hint  in an indirect way.

showing a casual lack of concern; indifferent.

The state of being in active resistance to authority.

• Authoritative act of prohibition.
•  If your parents find out you're planning a party for a time when they're away , they will interdict it.

Time between acts or periods

• unwilling or refusing to change one's views or to agree about something
• uncompromising, inflexible, unbending

• overwhelm (someone) with things or people to be dealt with. 
• To fill with an overflowing abundance; flood

To harden or toughen by use, exercise, or exposure

To utter vehement censure or invective.

having a particular habit, activity, or interest that is long-established and unlikely to change.

• Not to be conquered, subdued, or overcome
• too powerful to be defeated or overcome

• an extremely small amount.
• A small or insignificant mark or part

• On the anger scale, first comes annoyed, then cross, then furious, then irate. When cartoon characters are irate smoke comes out of their ears. Use this word only when someone is so mad they scare you.
• Moved to anger.

a military or political group that rules a country after taking power by force

lacking in spirit or liveliness; Listless

Use lascivious to describe a person's behavior that is driven by thoughts of sex. If someone gives you a lascivious smile, they've got only one thing in mind; Lustful

(of speech or writing) expressing praise and commendation.

• A bequest, inheritance, heritage
• an amount of money or property left to someone in a will.

A levee is an embankment, like a dam, constructed to prevent the overflow of a body of water.

• Someone who is licentious behaves or speaks inappropriately, usually in regards to sex.
• wanton, dissolute, dissipated, debauched, degenerate, immoral

• having or characterized by many transient sexual relationships
• she's a wild, promiscuous girl

• Inattentive
• (of a person or their manner) lacking energy or enthusiasm

• bending and moving easily and gracefully; flexible
• her supple fingers
• lithe, limber, lissome, willowy, flexible

• Funerals are lugubrious. So are rainy days and Mondays. Anything that makes you sad, gloomy, or mournful can be called lugubrious.
• sorrowful

• In shampoo commercials, the hair you see swinging is lustrous. It is brilliant, in the shiny sense.
• Shining

• A condition of uneasiness or ill-being
• unhappiness, uneasiness, unease, discomfort

One who is dissatisfied with the existing state of affairs.

The unnecessary and indiscriminate killing of human beings.

• sentimental in a feeble or sickly way
• sentimental, over sentimental, maudlin

(of a voice or words) sweet or smoothly flowing; pleasant to hear.

A beggar.

• apparently attractive but having in reality no value or integrity
• Alluring by false or gaudy show.
• cheap, tawdry, trashy