Unit 10 Vocabulary Flashcards
Benign
(Adj.)gentle, kind; forgiving, understanding
- having a favorable or beneficial effect
- not malignant
Askance
(adv) with suspicion, distrust, or disapproval
Attenuate
(v. ) to make thin or slender
- to weaken or lessen in force, intensity or value
Cavil
- (v.) to find fault in a petty way, carp
- (n.) a trivial objection or criticism
Charlatan
- (n.) one who feigns knowledge or ability
- a pretender, impostor, or quack
Decimate
-(v.) to kill or destroy a large part of
Foible
-(n.) a weak point, failing, minor flaw
Forgo
-(v.) to do without, abstain from, give up
Fraught
-(adj.) full of or loaded with; accompanied by
Inure
- (v.) to toughen, harden
- to render used to something by long subjection or exposure
Luminous
- (adj.) emitting or reflecting light, glowing
- illuminating
Obsequious
- (adj.) marked by slavish attentiveness
- excessively submissive, often for purely self-interested reasons
Obtuse
- (adj.) blunt, not coming to a point
- slow or dull in understanding
- measuring between 90 degrees and 180 degrees
- not causing a sharp impression
Oscillate
- (v.) to swing back and forth with a steady rhythm
- to fluctuate or waiver
Penitent
- (adj.) regretful for one’s sins or mistakes
- (n.) one who is sorry for wrongdoing
Peremptory
- (adj.) having the nature of a command that leaves no opportunity for debate, denial, or refusal
- offensively self-assured, dictatorial; determined, resolute
Rebuff
- (v.) to snub; to repel, drive away
- (n.) a curt rejection, a check
Reconnoiter
- (v.) to engage in reconnaissance
- to make a preliminary inspection
Shambles
- (n.) a slaughterhouse
- a place of mass bloodshed
- a state of complete disorder and confusion, mess
Sporadic
-(adj.) occurring at irregular intervals, having no set plan or order
