Vocabulary List #10

English 2 Vocab List 10

1. aggrandizement; noun - to increase in rank or wealth; growth in power. I attributed Paul’s aggressiveness to his need for aggrandizement.

2. caustic; adjective – stinging, biting. Caustic substances should be kept out of the reach of children.

3. derogatory; adjective- tending to lower in estimation; degrading. In a sharp denunciation, filled with derogatory criticism, the dean attacked the faculty rebels.

4. emulate; verb - to try to equal or surpass. When they were in high school, Dudley’s kid brothers always tried to emulate him.

5. fortuitous; adjective – happening by chance. My fortuitous discovery of the cache of valuable stamps enabled me to buy a motorcycle.

6. incipient; adjective - in an early stage. The rookie’s flagrant error spelled doom for his incipient career.

7. listless; adjective - indifferent; marked by a lack of energy or enthusiasm. We had expected him to be full of enthusiasm and were surprised by his listless attitude.

8. peripheral; adjective – external; incidental; tangential. Stick to the facts and don’t waste time on peripheral issues.

9. refurbish; verb – to freshen or polish again; to make like new. The agent promised to refurbish the apartment and put it in move- in condition within one month.

10. savory; adjective – pleasing to the taste or smell; pleasant; morally attractive. Mother could concoct a most savory dish out of the simplest ingredients.

11. tangential; adjective - diverging or digressing; merely touching a subject, not dealing with it at all. The matter of Eleanor’s failure was mentioned at the dinner table only in a tangential way, but it hurt her deeply.

12. unequivocal; adjective – plain; very clear in meaning. Mandy was unequivocal in refusing to join the snobbish sorority.

13. venerate; verb – to regard with respect and reverence; to honor. One way to venerate our parents is to emulate their deeds.

14. whet; verb – to sharpen; to make stronger; to stimulate. Drinking soda in the summer tends to whet my thirst but fails to cool me off.

15. zany; adjective – clownish; foolish; funny; absurd. In hindsight, Karen admitted her zany antics had no place in the classroom.