Word List 08

Group 1

Atheist
person who does not believe in God

Colloquial
local and informal (used of language)

Dotard
foolish old man

Furrow
groove

Instigator
troublemaker; person who entices others to do something

Misnomer
wrong name

Percipient
perceptive; insightful

Quaff
drink down quickly

Staunch
loyal; faithful; dependable

Vilification
blackening someone's name

Group 2

Atrophy
waste away from lack of use

Collusion
plotting and planning

Drawl
speak slowly with words running together

Furtive
hidden and secret

Insurgent
a rebel

Misogynist
hater of women

Perdition
damnation

Quagmire
marsh; bog

Stereotype
fixed image

Vindicate
prove right; remove blame

Group 3

Attenuate
weaken

Commandeer
take possession of

Drivel
nonsense

Futile
useless; hopeless

Interminable
never-ending

Misrepresentation
deliberately deceiving

Peremptory
in a commanding manner

Quaint
picturesque

Stevedore
dockworker

Virtuoso
an accomplished musician

Group 4

Augment
increase; make bigger

Complacent
self-satisfied; smug

Droll
dryly amusing

Galleon
ancient type of sailing ship

Intermittent
sporadic; irregular

Mitigate
lessen; make less severe

Perfidy
treachery

Quandary
dilemma; puzzle

Stifle
suppress

Virulent
dangerous; harmful

Group 5

Auspicious
favorable; promising to turn out well

Compliant
easy to control; submissive

Drone
1. monotonous noise (n); 2. to speak with no emotion (v); 3.male bee

Gambol
frolic; leap; bound

Intransigence
stubbornness

Modicum
small amount

Perfunctory
superficial; cursory

Quarantine
isolation to prevent the spread of disease

Stoic
known for fortitude; indifferent to pleasure or pain

Vital
essential; alive; important

Group 6

Austere
severely plain

Concatenate
link together

Dubious
doubtful

Garble
distort; confuse; muddle

Intransigent
stubborn; unyielding

Momentous
very important

Peripatetic
nomadic; moving from place to place

Quarry
1. something that is hunted; 2. mine for stone

Stoke
add fuel to; strengthen

Vitriolic
corrosive; strongly attacking

Group 7

Aversion
a dislike of

Concatenation
linking into chains

Dupe
to fool someone

Garish
gaudy

Intrepid
brave

Monotonous
dull; unvarying

Peripheral
on the edge; not important

Querulous
always complaining

Stolid
impassive; dull; indifferent

Vivacity
liveliness; animation

Group 8

Balk
hinder and prevent; hesitate over

Conciliate
to bring together; end a dispute

Dynamic
lively; vibrant; energetic

Garner
gather; collect

Inveterate
habitual

Moratorium
temporary prohibition or halt to activity

Perjury
telling lies under oath

Quirk
oddity

Stratagem
plot; plan; trick

Vivify
enliven

Group 9

Banal
common; dull

Concise
stated in few words

Ebullient
very lively; cheerful; jovial; happy

Garrulous
talkative

Invidious
arousing envy

Moribund
on the point of death

Pernicious
destructive; harmful

Ramble
wander aimlessly

Strident
loud and harsh

Vociferous
noisy; loud in speech

Group 10

Banality
ordinariness; dullness

Condescend
talk down to

Eccentric
unusual; quirky; odd

Gaunt
emaciated; bony and angular

Inviolable
cannot be invaded

Morose
gloomy; bad tempered

Persnickety
fastidious; fussy

Ramifications
branches; subdivisions of a complex system; outcomes

Stringent
strict or severe

Volatile
dangerously unstable; evaporates easily