Vocabulary Workshop

Level G Unit 5

acuity• (n.) sharpness (particularly of the mind or senses)

• Synonyms: keenness, acuteness

• The acuity of most people’s hearing diminishes as they grow older.

delineate• (v.) to portray, sketch, or describe in accurate and

vivid detail

• Synonyms: depict, picture, render

• The architects will delineate the main features of their plan at the next client meeting.

depraved• (adj.) marked by evil and corruption, devoid of

moral principles

• Synonyms: perverted, degenerate, vicious

• Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of Dorian Grey is about a depraved man whose portrait reveals his wickedness.

enervate• (v.) to weaken or lessen the mental, moral, or

physical vigor of; enfeeble, hamstring.

• Synonyms: impair, cripple, paralyze

• Unfortunately, the great musician’s mind was enervated by disease in the last decade of her life.

esoteric• (adj.) intended for or understood by only a select

few, private, secret

• Synonyms: occult, cryptic, arcane, recondite

• The fraternity developed a set of esoteric rites that had to be performed by anyone seeking membership.

fecund• (n.) fruitful in offspring or vegetation;

intellectually productive

• Synonyms: fertile, teeming, prolific

• The remarkably fecund mind of Albert Einstein produced theories that revolutionized the science of physics.

fiat• (n.) an arbitrary order or decree; a command or

act of will or consciousness.

• Synonyms: edict, dictum, ukase

• The ruler instituted several new fiats.

figment• (n.) a fabrication of the mink; an arbitrary notion

• Synonyms: creation, invention, fancy

• The silhouette of a man on the porch was a mere figment of your overactive imagination.

garner• (v.) to acquire as a result of effort; to gather and

store away, as for future use.

• Synonyms: collect, accumulate, accrue

• Over the years, the writer was able to garner some wisdom that she passed on to others in her books.

hallow• (v.) to set apart as holy or sacred, sanctify,

consecrate; to honor greatly, revere

• Synonyms: venerate, bless

• In the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln hallowed the battlefield on which Union soldiers fought and died.

idiosyncrasy• (n.)a peculiarity that serves to distinguish or

identify

• Synonyms: eccentricity, quirk, mannerism

• One of his little idiosyncrasies was always preferring to be in the car first

ignominy• (n.) shame and disgrace.

• Synonyms: dishonor, humiliation, disrepute

• He went from glory to ignomy.

mundane• (adj.) .earthly, worldly, relating to practice and

material affairs; concerned with what is ordinary.

• Synonyms: prosaic, humdrum, routine,

• She completed the mundane daily household chores.

nuance• (n.) a subtle or slight variation (as in color,

meaning, quality), delicate gradation or shade of difference

• Synonyms: shade, refinement

• In his writing, the poet paid close attention to every nuance of meaning in the words he chose.

overweening• (adj.) conceited, presumptuous; excessive,

immoderate.

• Synonyms: arrogant, unbridled, inflated

• It was the overweening confidence of the candidate that prevented her from acknowledging her weaknesses.

penchant• (n.) a strong attraction or inclination.

• Synonyms: proclivity, propensity, predilection

• A teacher with a penchant for belaboring the obvious is bound to be boring.

reputed• (adj.) according to reputation or general belief;

having widespread acceptance and good reputation

• Synonyms: supposed

• Although he is the reputed head of a crime syndicate, he has never spent time in jail.

sophistry • (n.) reasoning that seems plausible but is actually

unsound; a fallacy

• Synonyms: specious reasoning

• The couple was beguiled into beguiled a bigger into buying a bigger house than they needed by the clever sophistry of the real estate agent.

sumptuous• (adj.) costly, rich magnificent.

• Synonym: lavish, opulent, splendid

• The sumptuous feast honoring the king’s birthday was followed by musical entertainment.

ubiquitous• (adj.) present or existing everywhere.

• Synonyms: omnipresent, pervasive, universal.

• The ubiquitous eye of security and mobile phone cameras threatens to rob citizens of any sense of privacy.