Vocab Unit III

Abominate

• (v.) to have an intense dislike or hatred for • SYN: loathe, abhor, despise, detest

I hate that Abominable Snowman!

Acculturation

• (n.) the modification of the social patterns, traits, or structures of one group or society by contact with those of another

• SYN: adaptation

“Culture” is right in the word “acculturation”

Adventitious

• (adj.) resulting from chance rather than from an inherent cause or character; accidental, not essential

• SYN: extrinsic, incidental, fortuitous

Adventitious

Take a chance and go on an adventure!

Ascribe

• (v.) to assign or refer to (as a cause or source) attribute

• SYN: impute, credit

AscribeThe judge ascribed the task to a scribe, the court stenographer.

Circuitous

• (adj.) roundabout, not direct• SYN: indirect, meandering, winding

Circuitous

A circuit is a roundabout connection

Commiserate

• (v.) to sympathize with, have pity or sorrow for, share a feeling or distress

• SYN: feel sorry for, empathize

Commiserate

Co-misery, share a feeling of distress

Enjoin

• (v.) to direct or order; to prescribe a course of action in an authoritative way; to prohibit

• SYN: bid, charge, adjure

Enjoin

I want YOU to (en)join the military

Expedite

• (v.) to make easy, cause to progress faster• SYN: accelerate, facilitate, speed up

Expedite

Expedia.com makes things easier

Expiate

• (v.) to make amends, make up for; to avert• SYN: redeem, make amends, make reparation

Expiate

Ex Pirate makes amends for his former lifestyle

Ferment

• (n.) a state of great excitement, agitation, or turbulence

• (v.) to be in or work into such a state; to produce alcohol by chemical action

• SYN: (n.) commotion, turmoil, unrest

Inadvertent

• (adj.) resulting from or marked by lack of attention; unintentional, accidental

• SYN: accidental

Inadvertent

• Inadvertent in an

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Nominal

• (adj.) existing in name only, not real; too small to be considered or taken seriously

• SYN: titular, inconsequential

Noncommittal

• (adj.) not decisive or definite; unwilling to take a clear position

• SYN: cagey, uninformative, playing it safe, playing it close to the vest

Noncommital

•No commitment

Peculate

• (v.) to steal something that has been given into one’s trust; to take improperly for one’s own use

• SYN: defraud, misappropriate

Proclivity

• (n.) a natural or habitual inclination or tendency (especially of human character or behavior)

• SYN: penchant, propensity

Sangfroid

• (n.) composure or coolness, especially in trying circumstances

• SYN: poise, self-assurance, equanimity

Sangfroid

Siegfriend & Roy

It takes great composure and coolness to sit next to a lion

Seditious

• (adj.) resistant to lawful authority; having the purpose

• SYN: mutinous, rebellious, subversive

Tenuous

• (adj.) thin, slender, not dense; lacking clarity or sharpness

• SYN: flimsy, insubstantial, vague, hazy

Tenuous

You must be thin and slender to play tennis…

Or do you?

Vitriolic

• (adj.) bitter, sarcastic; highly caustic or biting (like a strong acid)

• SYN: withering, acerbic, mordant

VitriolicVit-Bitter

Wheedle

• (v.) to use coaxing or flattery to gain some desired end

• SYN: inveigle, soft-soap, sweet-talk

(Mascot’s name is Wheedle)

The owners of the Seattle Supersonics were sweet-talked into relocating to Oklahoma City