Daily Vocabulary

Daily VocabularyAcademic English 11Week 11. austere (aw STEER) adj.stern

ex. Jills father was austere with her about having dates with boys he didnt know.

Week 12. lament (la MINT) v.to express sorrow or regret; to mourn

ex. The nation lamented the passing of the President while at the same time celebrated his achievements while in office.

Week 13. voracious (vo RAY shus) adj.having an insatiable appetite

ex. Teenage boys tend to be voracious eaters.Week 14. officious (uh FISH us) adj.offering unwanted services or advice

ex. The officious waitress would not go away even when Jennifer told her that she wanted only coffee.Week 15. candor (CAN dur) n.truthfulness, sincere honesty

ex. Without regard to feelings, our teacher said she would criticize our term papers with absolute candor.Week 21. impede (im PEED) v.to delay; to interfere with

ex. My uncle always told me not to let anyone impede my ambition to go to medical school.

Week 22. onerous (AHN ur us) adj.troublesome or oppressive; burdensome

ex. After our truck ran out of gas, we had the onerous task of pushing it two miles to the nearest gas station.Week 23. gregarious (gruh GAIR ee us) adj.sociable

ex. Paige was so gregarious that she hated to be alone.Week 24. pious (PI us) adj.devout or virtuous; holy

ex. Elizabeth was pious, saying her prayers every night before bed.Week 25. evade (ee VADE) v.to avoid by cunning; to flee from a pursuer

ex. Jane always managed to evade helping her sister wash the dinner dishes by claiming she had homework to do.

Week 31. attrition (ah TRISH un) n.a gradual reduction

ex. The war became a battle of attrition, each side wearing down the other.Week 32. edification (ED ih fih kay shun) n.enlightenment; instruction

ex. We would have been lost at the art show had not programs been provided for our edification.Week 33. writhe (ryth) v.to suffer acutely, as in pain or embarrassment

ex. Tina writhed when the class heard she failed chemistry for the third time.Week 34. carrion (KAIR ee un) n.dead and rotting flesh

ex. After mauling its prey, the lion left the carrion to the hyenas.Week 35. petulant (PET you lant) adj.ill humored, irritable, cranky

ex. The petulant teacher slammed down her book and stalked angrily from the classroom.Week 41. pinion (PIN yun) v.confine

ex. The handcuffs were used to pinion his hands.Week 42. incite (en SIGHT) v.to arouse to action

ex. Waving a stick at Jerrys dog only incites him and increases the chance he will bite you.

Week 43. ambivalence (am BIV ah lents) n.indecision; experiencing contradictory emotions

ex. Jebs ambivalence about which diet to choose made him disregard the whole idea of losing weight.Week 44. nullify (NUL ih fy) v.to make useless; cancel; undo

ex. The purchase contract could be nullified because it had never been signed by the buyer.Week 45. embroil (im BROYL) v.to involve in argument or hostile action

ex. Most of the civilized world was embroiled in conflict during World War II.Week 51. bludgeon (BLUD jun) v.to strike or knock down

ex. The police arrested the lumberjack on suspicion of bludgeoning a co-worker with an axe handle.

Week 52. abate (ah BAIT) v.to reduce

ex. Martas defeat in the tennis tournament did not abate her zeal for the game.Week 53. lithe (lythe) adj.bending easily and gracefully

ex. The lithe ballerina stretched her muscles before her performance.Week 54. askew (uh skew) adj.to one side; crooked

ex. After the flood receded, the bridge was found to be askew of the road which connected to it.

Week 55. aptitude (ap TUH tude) n.natural ability

ex. Chris has had a champions aptitude for tennis since she was four years old.

Week 61. travail (tre VAYL) n.strenuous physical or mental labor

ex. When he saw his flourishing crops, he realized his travail had been worth it.Week 62. intrepid (in TREP id) adj.fearless; bold

ex. The bullfighter was intrepid as he stood in the arena before the fierce bull.Week 63. atrophy (AT ruh fee) v.to wither away

ex. The authors interest in writing atrophied after he won the Pulitzer Prize for literature.

Week 64. muster (MUS tur) v.to collect or gather

ex. The Texans at the Alamo mustered all the troops available to defend against the invading Mexican army.

Week 65. incessant (in SES unt) adj.continuing without interruption; nonstop

ex. The incessant rain flooded the front yard.Week 71. scrutinize (SKROOT uh nyze) v.to look very carefully; to examine

ex. Newspaper proofreaders scrutinize an entire newspaper each day.

Week 72. eloquent (EL oh kwent) adj.extremely expressive in speech, writing, or movement

ex. Stan gave a moving, eloquent speech.Week 73. eminent (EM ih nent) adj.standing out; distinguished; prominent

ex. Michael Jordan is considered one of the most eminent basketball players of the 20th century.Week 74. prudent (PROOD ent) adj.cautious; exercising good judgment

ex. Michele decided it would be prudent to ignore the insult and walk away from such a hateful girl.Week 75. idyllic (eye DIL ik) adj.charming in a rustic way; naturally peaceful

ex. Chuck and Cathy bought an idyllic cabin in the Smoky Mountains.Week 81. choleric (KAHL ur ik) adj.hot-tempered; quick to anger

ex. When my dad gets in one of his choleric moods, everyone stays clear.Week 82. aspire (as PIRE) v.to hope to achieve a goal

ex. Tim aspired to be the valedictorian of his class at graduation and studied hard to reach that goal.

Week 83. consensus (kun SEN sus) n.general agreement

ex. The consensus of the faculty was that no more chili dogs were to be served at the school lunch.

Week 84. defunct (dee FUNGKT) adj.dead or inactive

ex. Latin is a defunct language.Week 85. callow (KAL oh) adj.immature and inexperienced

ex. The callow boater did not have a life preserver or a radio onboard his sailboat.

Week 91. palpable (PAL pah bul) adj.capable of being touched or felt

ex. The palpable imagery helps make the poem more realistic.Week 92. adroit (ah DROIT) adj.skillful

ex. Many fourth graders are more adroit on the computer than their parents.Week 93. resurgent (re sur jent) adj.possessing the ability to rise after defeat

ex. The resurgent little boy was determined to ride his bike without training wheels.

Week 94. gird (gyrd) v.to encircle

ex. Jack hoped he could stop the invasion of weeds from his neighbors yard by girding his lawn with a pre-emergent herbicide.

Week 95. fathom (fa THUM) v.to understand fully

ex. The jury found it hard to fathom how the defendant could commit such a terrible crime.

Week 101. sedentary (SED en ter ee) adj.characterized by or requiring much sitting; accustomed to little exercise

ex. Because of a stroke, the normally active woman was forced to lead a more sedentary life.Week 102. entice (in TICE) v.to lure, to attract

ex. The delicious aroma of a hamburger stand often entices the passerby to stop for a snack.

Week 103. languish (LANG gwish) v.to become weak

ex. Because of the extreme heat on the soccer field, Charlotte began to languish.

Week 104. remorse (re MORSE) n.a strong feeling of sadness or guilt for having done something wrong

ex. The remorse we feel for hurting those we love is the beginning of being able to say were sorry.

Week 105. adherent (ad HEER unt) n.a follower of a leader; supporter

ex. The political candidate praised his adherents for their support.

Week 111. corpulent (KOR pew lent) adj.obese

ex. Some football players look corpulent but are actually very muscular.Week 112. devoid (di VOID) adj.entirely without; lacking

ex. The island was devoid of drinking water.Week 113. replete (re PLEET) adj.full or supplied to the utmost

ex. The buffet was replete with many tantalizing dishes.Week 114. baleful (BAYL ful) adj.threatening; hurtful; malignant; ominous

ex. Gertrude cast a baleful glance at her boyfriend when he said she had gained a lot of weight.Week 115. callous (KAL uss) adj.unfeeling, insensitive

ex. A callous remark about someone is a statement that does not take into consideration the feelings of another.

Week 121. dearth (durth) n.scarcity; lack

ex. A dearth of rain last summer led to many failed crops, especially corn in the valley.

Week 122. maladroit (mal uh DROYT) adj.clumsy; inept

ex. The maladroit painter spilled a can of paint on our new carpet.

Week 123. prowess (PROW is) n.exceptional skill or bravery

ex. Although Tim brags of his golf prowess, his friends say he is just a hacker.

Week 124. edifice (ED uh fis) n.a building, especially one of imposing appearance or size

ex. The construction of one edifice led to another, and New York City became a skyline of enormous skyscrapers.

Week 125. malice (MAL is) n.a desire or intention to harm others or see them suffer

ex. The prisoner was not granted parole because his malice was still obvious.

Week 131. appease (ah PEEZ) v.to soothe; to relieve by giving into

ex. To appease his mother, Zachary always walked the dog before dinner.

Week 132. boon (boon) n.a timely benefit; a blessing

ex. The week-long rain was a boon to the farmers whose crops were withering from drought.

Week 133. conundrum (kuh NUN drum) n.a dilemma; any problem or puzzle

ex. Justins conundrum after high school was whether he should go find a job or go to college first.

Week 134. covert (KOH vert) adj.secret; hidden; concealed

ex. Sam carried out covert missions for the CIA in China during the Korean War.

Week 135. muse (myooz) v.to ponder; to think about at length

ex. Though the odds of winning the lottery are very low, it is fun to muse about what you would do if you actually won.

Week 141. fray (fray) n.fight or scuffle; brawl

ex. A fray occurred in the cafeteria when Kirk spilled his tray on Jody.

Week 142. commodious (kuh MOD dee us) adj.spacious, roomy

ex. The rooms in the castle were so commodious that they were as large as the average home.Week 143. abhor (ab HOR) v.to hate very much

ex. Most people abhor the thought of public speaking.Week 144. plight (plyte) n.a distressing situation

ex. Determined to rescue the fifty hostages from their plight, the police rushed the aircraft before the terrorists could cause further harm.Week 145. bucolic (byoo KAHL ik) adj.country-like

ex. There is nothing bucolic about big city life.Week 151. alleviate (uh LEE vee ayt) v.to relieve, to lessen

ex. Aspirin alleviates painful headaches most of the time.Week 152. lax (lax) adj.careless, negligent

ex. When the bank security became lax, it was then that the bank robbers planned to rob the bank.Week 153. abut (UH but) v.to border upon; to adjoin

ex. Texas abuts Mexico on its southern border.Week 154. panache (pa NASH) n.dashing elegance of manner or style

ex. Eric entered the room with panache, wearing his new tux, Rolex watch, and $500 shoes.Week 155. relinquish (ri LING kwish) v.to surrender, give in

ex. After playing in the minor leagues for 10 years, Rodney finally relinquished his dream of making it to the major leagues.Week 161. tyro (TY row) n.a beginner

ex. People never suspected that this was Henrys first marathon race; he ran the course like a veteran instead of a tyro.Week 162. throng (throng) n.a large group of people gathered closely together

ex. A throng of revelers gathers at Times Square in New York City on New Years Eve.Week 163. emulate (IM u late) v.to attempt to equal through imitation

ex. Tiger Woods has a golf swing that many golfers try to emulate.Week 164. torpid (TOR pid) adj.dormant; inactive; lethargic

ex. Volcanoes may be torpid for centuries and one day suddenly erupt.Week 165. torrid(TOR id) adj.intensely hot; burning; passionate

ex. The torrid heat and wind are what led to the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Week 171. cajole (kuh JOHL) v.to persuade someone to do something

ex. Jeannie always sweet-talked and cajoled her parents into letting her have her way.Week 172. prattle (PRAT l) v.to babble; to talk meaninglessly

ex. The three year old prattled for hours although no one understood what she was saying.Week 173. assail (ah SAIL) v.to attack violently

ex. While the defendant claims he did not assail the claimant, he did have bruises to prove otherwise.Week 174. slake (slayk) v.to quench; to satisfy a craving

ex. During halftime, the quarterback tried to slake his thirst by drinking Gatorade.

Week 175. infamous (in fa mus) adj.having an evil reputation

ex. The great white shark has been made infamous by the movie Jaws.Week 181. fleece (fleece) v.to swindle

ex. The housewives on our street were fleeced by a con man selling bogus magazine subscriptions.Week 182. manifest (MAN ih fest) adj.clearly apparent to the sight or understanding; obvious

ex. Rebeccas flu symptoms were manifest, yet the doctor could do nothing.

ex. There is manifest danger of lighting a match near a gas pump.Week 183. ostracize (AHS truh syze) v.to exclude from a group; to shun

ex. Andre felt ostracized by the members of the club, but the truth was they couldnt understand his accent.Week 184. fickle (FIK uhl) adj.often changing for no reason; not consistent

ex. The fickle girl is one whose boyfriend is the one she is holding hands with at the moment.Week 185. serene (se REEN) adj.clear; calm; tranquil

ex. The family goes to the beach for its serene setting.Week 191. emit (EE mit) v.to send or give out

ex. David told the mechanic that the car emitted a strange sound when he started the engine.Week 192. enmity (EN mi tee) n.hostility; deep-seated hatred

ex. The enmity between the teams was apparent to the spectators.

Week 193. rivet (RIV it) v.to hold the attention of

ex. The kids are always riveted to the television on Saturday mornings.Week 194. abridge (uh BRIJ) v.to shorten; to condense (a speech, movie, book, or other text)

ex. Many movies are abridged for television.Week 195. surmise (sur MIZE) v.to guess

ex. Detective Culleton was able to surmise the identity of the murderer by the clues left behind.

Week 201. chide (chide) v.to scold

ex. When Bobby threw his toys against the wall, his father chided him for his bad temper.Week 202. spurn (spurn) v.to reject with disdain

ex. When Jimmy won the tennis match and offered to shake hands with his opponent, the loser spurned Jimmys hand and walked off.Week 203. depravity (di PRAV ih tee) n.extreme wickedness

ex. Eds mother attributed his depravity to violent movies and video games.

Week 204. gravity (GRAV ity) n.seriousness or importance

ex. Young children dont understand the gravity of playing with matches.

Week 205. feign (fayn) v.to pretend; to give a false appearance

ex. Elizabeth feigned illness in order to stay home from school.Week 211. accrue (ah CROO) v.to accumulate over time

ex. Bryans unpaid parking tickets accrued to the point they would have paid for his college tuition.

Week 212. debacle (di BAHK ul) n.a sudden failure

ex. It was an absolute debacle for the Flyers as they lost the game after taking a 3-0 lead.Week 213. entreat (en TREET) v.to implore, plead, beg

ex. Our entire family entreated our father to take us on a summer vacation to Europe.Week 214. tenacious (teh NAY shus) adj.tough; stubborn

ex. The weeds in our lawn are so tenacious we can never get rid of them.Week 215. cache (kash) n.a hiding place, or the objects hidden in a hiding place

ex. Treasure hunters have searched for Blackbeards treasure in Bahamian caves, but no one has yet found his cache.Week 221. terse (turs) adj.brief and to the point; concise

ex. Rich could tell he had annoyed his teacher when she gave him a terse reply.Week 222. pristine (PRIS teen) adj.extremely pure; untouched

ex. Those who know about the island keep it a secret because they want to continue to enjoy its pristine beaches.Week 223. capitulate (kah PICH uh layt) v.to surrender under certain conditions; to give in

ex. After sending a rose everyday for three weeks, Betty finally capitulated and married Ed.Week 224. inundate (IN un dayt) v.to overwhelm with abundance or excess; flood

ex. During final exams, we are so inundated with school work that we have no time for fun.Week 225. crux (KRUKS) n.main point

ex. After Harry rambled on for hours, it was difficult to understand the crux of his speech.Week 231. aloof (uh LOOF) adj.distant, reserved in manner; uninvolved

ex. At the wedding reception, the brides relatives were very aloof, hardly speaking to the grooms guests and family.Week 232. exodus (EK suh dus) n.a mass departure

ex. The forest fire created an exodus of animals.Week 233. influx (IN fluks) n.a mass arrival

ex. South Florida has an influx of northern tourists every winter.Week 234. cerebral (suh REE brul) adj.intellectual

ex. Cerebral for a football player, the wily Kansas quarterback rarely called a play that wasnt well planned and thought out.Week 235. connoisseur (kahn uh SUR) n.an expert, particularly in matters of art and taste

ex. When it came to coins, Jerry proclaimed he was a connoisseur, because he had collected them all his life.Week 241. cacophony (kuh KAFH uh nee) n.harsh sound

ex. Gene thinks all rock music is a cacophony to be avoided whenever possible.Week 242. expunge (ex PUNGE) v.to remove; to delete; to erase

ex. The judge ordered the clerk to expunge the lawyers statement from the record.Week 243. frank (frangk) adj.straightforward

ex. The doctor was frank about Lisas prognosis.Week 244. beleaguer (be LEE gur) v.to harass

ex. In the midst of important negotiations, the union official asked his staff not to beleaguer him with insignificant details.Week 245. emphatic (em FAT ik) adj.forcibly expressive

ex. My mom was emphatic when she told me to be home by midnight.Week 251. milieu (mill you) n.environment or surroundings

ex. After a long sea journey, a sailor on land for the first few days feels out of his milieu.Week 252. histrionic (his tree AHN ik) adj.overly dramatic, theatrical

ex. As soon as you would mention the word wrinkle, the middle-aged actress would fall into a state of histrionic tears.Week 253. arduous (AHR joo us) adj.hard, difficult, tiresome

ex. The assignment given to the recruits was arduous, twenty miles with full packs in the hot sun.Week 254. harrowing (HARE roe ing) adj.disturbing or frightening

ex. After the harrowing experience when Eddies main parachute didnt open, and his emergency chute saved him only at the last minute, he vowed never to jump again.Week 255. tawdry (TAW dree) adj.cheap in appearance or nature

ex. Scott gave Rhonda a tawdry engagement ring and could tell by her face that she didnt like it.Week 261. circumvent (sur kum VENT) v.to bypass

ex. We were able to circumvent the heavy traffic by taking a short-cut.Week 262. ambiance (AM bee uns) n.mood, feeling; general atmosphere

ex. The ambiance of the locker room after the team lost the championship was depressing.Week 263. atone (ah TONE) v.to make amends

ex. Rachel atoned for skipping school by getting straight As on her next report card.Week 26 4. sage (sayj) n.a person of wisdom

ex. In our family we consider the grandparents the sages of the family.Week 265. augment (awg ment) v.to make or become greater

ex. The king attempted to augment his army by going into villages and drafting men into service.Week 271. queue (Q) v.to form or to wait in line

ex. During the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, fans queue outside the gates the day before and spend the night waiting for the gates to open the following morning.Week 272. myriad (MIR ee ud) n.an extremely large number

ex. George was a hypochondriac, weighted down by a myriad of concerns about his health.Week 273. noxious (KNOCKS ee us) adj.physically or mentally destructive; harmful to human beings

ex. The noxious pollutants discharged into the bay by the paper mill killed all the marine life.Week 274. curtail (ker TALE) v.to lessen, usually by cutting away from

ex. Sheriff McDougall curtailed all further night patrols east of the river until bullet-proof windows were installed in his patrol cars.Week 275. facilitate (fuh SILL uh tate) v.to make easier, to help bring about

ex. Jacks tools facilitated the repair of the sink.Week 281. obtuse (ob tuse) adj.block-headed, slow in comprehension

ex. Hazel was so obtuse she thought a watched pot of water never boils.Week 282. congenial (kun JEAN ee ul) adj.pleasant to be around

ex. Dr. Armstrong was very congenial, always a smile and a kind word for his patients.Week 283. doldrums (DOHL drums) n.a period or condition of depression or inactivity

ex. Ever since Jacks dog died, the little fellow has not touched his toys, moping around day after day in the doldrums.Week 284. archaic (ahr KAY ik) adj.belonging to an earlier time, ancient; outdated

ex. Small countries that depend on agriculture for their economy will never raise their standard of living as long as they use archaic farm tools.

Week 285. draconian (dray KOH nee un) adj.hard, severe, cruel

ex. Judge McNamara handed down a draconian sentence to the defendant, sixty days for littering.Week 291. precarious (pruh KA REE us) adj.unsafe, unsteady, unstable

ex. It was a precarious moment; we were out of town without any money and without any gas.Week 292. torque (tork) n.a turning or twisting force

ex. The wrench handle was too short to generate the torque required to loosen the bolt.Week 293. docile (DAHS ul) adj.easily taught or controlled; obedient, easy to handle

ex. A desirable quality of basset hounds is that they are docile, and that is why they are sought as house pets.Week 294. hovel (HUV ul) n.a small, miserable dwelling; an open, low shed

ex. The hovels where the homeless live are neglected structures.Week 295. countenance (KOWNT uh nanz) n.a persons face, especially the expression

ex. The submarine commanders calm countenance hid his true feelings of anxiety and fear.Week 301. wane (wain) v.to decrease gradually

ex. When the air began to wane in his air tank, the diver knew he had to return to the surface.Week 302. aggrandize (uh GRAN dyze) v.to exaggerate

ex. Fishermen tend to aggrandize the size of the fish they catch.Week 303. cloister (KLOY stur) n.a tranquil, secluded place

ex. Mary regarded her sewing room as a cloister where she could withdraw from the hectic life of a mother of six and enjoy moments of privacy.Week 304. forsake (for SAYK) v.to abandon, to give up

ex. All the generals troops had forsaken him, and he had no choice but to follow them and return to safe ground.

Week 305. revere (ri VEER) v.to regard with great devotion or respect, to honor

ex. Mother Teresa was greatly revered by all who knew of her humanitarian work in Africa.

Week 311. surreptitious (sur ep TISH us) adj.acting in a secret manner

ex. The magician was so surreptitious during his magic trick that the audience was completely fooled.Week 312. mawkish (MAW kish) adj.excessively and objectionably sentimental

ex. Elizabeth is so mawkish that she cries at every wedding.Week 313. abash (ah BASH) v.to make ashamed or uneasy

ex. Caught listening to her sisters conversation, Jen was abashed and quickly put down the receiver.Week 314. peccadillo (pek ah DIL oh) n.a minor offense

ex. Being ticketed for running a red light is a mere peccadillo compared to driving while intoxicated.Week 315. raffish(RAF ish) adj.cheaply vulgar in appearance or nature; disreputable

ex. The raffish character had been seen at the murder and was taken in for questioning.Week 321. bauble (BAW bul) n.a small, inexpensive trinket

ex. Never one for baubles, Diane always wore real diamonds.Week 322. skullduggery (skul DUG uh ree) n.trickery; underhandedness

ex. In order to capture ships at sea, pirates would practice all types of skullduggery to gain an advantage over their prey.Week 323. chasm (KAZ um) n.a deep opening in the earths surface; a gorge

ex. The Grand Canyon is one big chasm.

Week 324. pecuniary (pi KYOO nee er ee) adj.consisting of or relating to money

ex. Tom wanted to take Ann to the prom but didnt ask her because of his pecuniary problems.Week 325. presentiment (pre ZEN tih ment) n.a sense that something is about to occur; a premonition

ex. Ray had a presentiment that he would hear from Tony before the end of the day.Week 331. sundry (SUN dree) adj.various, several, miscellaneous

ex. There were sundry animals at the zoo.

Week 332. ethereal (i THEER ee ul) adj.very light; airy; delicate; heavenly

ex. An ethereal mist covered the hill in the morning.

Week 333. diatribe (DYE uh tryb) n.a bitter verbal attack

ex. Coach Johnsons diatribe was futile because the referee refused to reverse his decision.

Week 334. eschew (ES choo) v.to avoid or shun

ex. We were advised to eschew riding the subway at night.Week 335. winnow (WIN oh) v.to rid of undesirable parts

ex. The military attempts to winnow out those who are not officer material.Week 341. prodigious (pra dij us) adj.enormous in size, quantity, degree

ex. The construction of the Panama Canal was a prodigious undertaking.Week 342. boor (buur) n.someone who is unrefined

ex. He was seen as a boor when he started slurping soup and eating salad with his fingers.Week 343. agog (ah gog) adj.highly excited by eagerness

ex. Betty and Laura are always agog on Christmas morning.Week 344. nettle (NET l) v.to irritate

ex. My little brother always seems to nettle me.Week 345. bequest (bi KWEST) n.something left to someone in a will

ex. Henriettas jewelry was a bequest from her mother.