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Junior English Vocabulary Lists

Terms

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Ornithologist
n. The branch of zoology that deals with the study of birds.
Antidote
–noun 1. a medicine or other remedy for counteracting the effects of poison, disease, etc.
2. something that prevents or counteracts injurious or unwanted effects: Good jobs are the best antidote to teenage crime.
–verb (used with object) 3. to counteract with an antidote: Medication was given to antidote the poison the child had swallowed.
Levity
–noun, plural -ties. 1. lightness of mind, character, or behavior; lack of appropriate seriousness or earnestness.
2. an instance or exhibition of this.
3. fickleness.
4. lightness in weight.
Prodigious
–adjective 1. extraordinary in size, amount, extent, degree, force, etc.: a prodigious research grant.
2. wonderful or marvelous: a prodigious feat.
3. abnormal; monstrous.
4. Obsolete. ominous.
Blithe
adjective, blith·er, blith·est. 1. joyous, merry, or gay in disposition; glad; cheerful: Everyone loved her for her blithe spirit.
2. without thought or regard; carefree; heedless: a blithe indifference to anyone's feelings.
Oblivious
–adjective 1. unmindful; unconscious; unaware (usually fol. by of or to): She was oblivious of his admiration.
2. forgetful; without remembrance or memory: oblivious of my former failure.
3. Archaic. inducing forgetfulness.
Plethora
–noun 1. overabundance; excess: a plethora of advice and a paucity of assistance.
2. Pathology Archaic. a morbid condition due to excess of red corpuscles in the blood or increase in the quantity of blood.
Parody
–noun 1. a humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of literature or writing: his hilarious parody of Hamlet's soliloquy.
2. the genre of literary composition represented by such imitations.
3. a burlesque imitation of a musical composition.
4. any humorous, satirical, or burlesque imitation, as of a person, event, etc.
5. the use in the 16th century of borrowed material in a musical setting of the Mass (parody Mass).
6. a poor or feeble imitation or semblance; travesty: His acting is a parody of his past greatness.
–verb (used with object) 7. to imitate (a composition, author, etc.) for purposes of ridicule or satire.
8. to imitate poorly or feebly; travesty.
Apogee
–noun 1. Astronomy. the point in the orbit of a heavenly body, esp. the moon, or of a man-made satellite at which it is farthest from the earth. Compare perigee.
2. the highest or most distant point; climax.
Callow
–adjective 1. immature or inexperienced: a callow youth.
2. (of a young bird) featherless; unfledged.
–noun 3. a recently hatched worker ant.
Intransitive
–adjective 1. noting or having the quality of an intransitive verb.
–noun 2. intransitive verb.
Volition
–noun 1. the act of willing, choosing, or resolving; exercise of willing: She left of her own volition.
2. a choice or decision made by the will.
3. the power of willing; will.
Jingo
–noun 1. a person who professes his or her patriotism loudly and excessively, favoring vigilant preparedness for war and an aggressive foreign policy; bellicose chauvinist.
2. English History. a Conservative supporter of Disraeli's policy in the Near East during the period 1877–78.
–adjective 3. of jingoes.
4. characterized by jingoism.
—Idiom5. by jingo! Informal. (an exclamation used to emphasize the truth or importance of a foregoing statement, or to express astonishment, approval, etc.): I know you can do it, by jingo!
Acquiescence
–noun 1. the act or condition of acquiescing or giving tacit assent; agreement or consent by silence or without objection; compliance (usually fol. by to or in): acquiescence to his boss's demands.
2. Law. such neglect to take legal proceedings for such a long time as to imply the abandonment of a right.
Reticence
–adjective 1. disposed to be silent or not to speak freely; reserved.
2. reluctant or restrained.
Flamboyant
–adjective 1. strikingly bold or brilliant; showy: flamboyant colors.
2. conspicuously dashing and colorful: the flamboyant idol of international society.
3. florid; ornate; elaborately styled: flamboyant speeches.
4. Architecture. a. having the form of an ogee, as a bar of tracery.
b. noting or pertaining to French Gothic architecture of the late 15th and early and middle 16th centuries, characterized by the use of flamboyant tracery, intricacy of detailing, virtuosity of workmanship, attenuation of parts, and frequent complication of interior space.

–noun 5. royal poinciana.
Acclamation
–noun 1. a loud shout or other demonstration of welcome, goodwill, or approval.
2. act of acclaiming.
3. Liturgy. a brief responsive chant in antiphonal singing.
4. Ecclesiastical.
Despicable
–adjective deserving to be despised; contemptible: a mean, despicable man.
Demurred
–verb (used without object) 1. to make objection, esp. on the grounds of scruples; take exception; object: They wanted to make him the treasurer, but he demurred.
2. Law. to interpose a demurrer.
3. Archaic. to linger; hesitate.
–noun 4. the act of making objection.
5. an objection raised.
6. hesitation.
7. Law. Obsolete. a demurrer.
Reverie
–noun 1. a state of dreamy meditation or fanciful musing: lost in reverie.
2. a daydream.
3. a fantastic, visionary, or impractical idea: reveries that will never come to fruition.
4. Music. an instrumental composition of a vague and dreamy character.
Concise
expressing or covering much in few words; brief in form but comprehensive in scope; succinct; terse: a concise explanation of the company's retirement plan.
Arduous
–adjective 1. requiring great exertion; laborious; difficult: an arduous undertaking.
2. requiring or using much energy and vigor; strenuous: making an arduous effort.
3. hard to climb; steep: an arduous path up the hill.
4. hard to endure; full of hardships; severe: an arduous winter.
Malign
–verb (used with object) 1. to speak harmful untruths about; speak evil of; slander; defame: to malign an honorable man.
–adjective 2. evil in effect; pernicious; baleful; injurious: The gloomy house had a malign influence upon her usually good mood.
3. having or showing an evil disposition; malevolent; malicious.
Privation
–noun 1. lack of the usual comforts or necessaries of life: His life of privation began to affect his health.
2. an instance of this.
3. the act of depriving.
4. the state of being deprived.
Morose
–adjective 1. gloomily or sullenly ill-humored, as a person or mood.
2. characterized by or expressing gloom.
Cadre
–noun 1. Military. the key group of officers and enlisted personnel necessary to establish and train a new military unit.
2. a group of trained or otherwise qualified personnel capable of forming, training, or leading an expanded organization, as a religious or political faction, or a skilled work force: They hoped to form a cadre of veteran party members.
3. (esp. in Communist countries) a cell of trained and devoted workers.
4. a member of a cadre; a person qualified to serve in a cadre.
5. a framework, outline, or scheme.
Causation
–noun 1. the action of causing or producing.
2. the relation of cause to effect; causality.
3. anything that produces an effect; cause.
Catharsis
–noun, plural -ses /-siz/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[-seez] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation. 1. the purging of the emotions or relieving of emotional tensions, esp. through certain kinds of art, as tragedy or music.
2. Medicine/Medical. purgation.
3. Psychiatry. a. psychotherapy that encourages or permits the discharge of pent-up, socially unacceptable affects.
b. discharge of pent-up emotions so as to result in the alleviation of symptoms or the permanent relief of the condition.
Kilter
–noun 1. good condition; order: The engine was out of kilter.
2. Poker. skeet2.
Translucent
–adjective 1. permitting light to pass through but diffusing it so that persons, objects, etc., on the opposite side are not clearly visible: Frosted window glass is translucent but not transparent.
2. easily understandable; lucid: a translucent explication.
3. clear; transparent: translucent seawater.
Paradox
–noun 1. a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.
2. a self-contradictory and false proposition.
3. any person, thing, or situation exhibiting an apparently contradictory nature.
4. an opinion or statement contrary to commonly accepted opinion.
Comprise
–verb (used with object), -prised, -pris·ing. 1. to include or contain: The Soviet Union comprised several socialist republics.
2. to consist of; be composed of: The advisory board comprises six members.
3. to form or constitute: Seminars and lectures comprised the day's activities.
—Idiom4. be comprised of, to consist of; be composed of: The sales network is comprised of independent outlets and chain stores.
Incongruous
–adjective 1. out of keeping or place; inappropriate; unbecoming: an incongruous effect; incongruous behavior.
2. not harmonious in character; inconsonant; lacking harmony of parts: an incongruous mixture of architectural styles.
3. inconsistent: actions that were incongruous with their professed principles.
Unwonted
–adjective 1. not customary or usual; rare: unwonted kindness.
2. Archaic. unaccustomed or unused.
Vituperation
–noun verbal abuse or castigation; violent denunciation or condemnation.
Tacit
–adjective 1. understood without being openly expressed; implied: tacit approval.
2. silent; saying nothing: a tacit partner.
3. unvoiced or unspoken: a tacit prayer.
Legacy
1. Law. a gift of property, esp. personal property, as money, by will; a bequest.
2. anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor: the legacy of ancient Rome.
3. an applicant to or student at a school that was attended by his or her parent.
4. Obsolete. the office, function, or commission of a legate.
–adjective 5. of or pertaining to old or outdated computer hardware, software, or data that, while still functional, does not work well with up-to-date systems.
Paltry
–adjective, -tri·er, -tri·est. 1. ridiculously or insultingly small: a paltry sum.
2. utterly worthless.
3. mean or contemptible: a paltry coward.
Ostentatious
–adjective 1. characterized by or given to pretentious or conspicuous show in an attempt to impress others: an ostentatious dresser.
2. (of actions, manner, qualities exhibited, etc.) intended to attract notice: Lady Bountiful's ostentatious charity.
Destitute
–adjective 1. without means of subsistence; lacking food, clothing, and shelter.
2. deprived of, devoid of, or lacking (often fol. by of): destitute of children.
–verb (used with object) 3. to leave destitute.
Congenital
–adjective 1. of or pertaining to a condition present at birth, whether inherited or caused by the environment, esp. the uterine environment.
2. having by nature a specified character: a congenital fool.
Trepidation
–noun 1. tremulous fear, alarm, or agitation; perturbation.
2. trembling or quivering movement; tremor.
Cardamom
–noun 1. the aromatic seed capsules of a tropical Asian plant, Elettaria cardamomum, of the ginger family, used as a spice or condiment and in medicine.
2. the plant itself.
3. a related plant, Amomum compactum, or its seeds, used as a substitute for true cardamom.
Tarpaulin
–noun 1. a protective covering of canvas or other material waterproofed with tar, paint, or wax.
2. a hat, esp. a sailor's, made of or covered with such material.
3. Rare. a sailor.
Metastasize
–verb (used without object), -sized, -siz·ing. 1. Pathology. (of malignant cells or disease-producing organisms) to spread to other parts of the body by way of the blood or lymphatic vessels or membranous surfaces.
2. to spread injuriously: Street gangs have metastasized in our city.
3. to transform, esp. into a dangerous form: The KGB metastasized after the fall of the Soviet Union. Truth metastasized into lurid fantasy
Sedentary
–adjective 1. characterized by or requiring a sitting posture: a sedentary occupation.
2. accustomed to sit or rest a great deal or to take little exercise.
3. Chiefly Zoology. a. abiding in one place; not migratory.
b. pertaining to animals that move about little or are permanently attached to something, as a barnacle.
Subside
–verb (used without object), -sid·ed, -sid·ing. 1. to sink to a low or lower level.
2. to become quiet, less active, or less violent; abate: The laughter subsided.
3. to sink or fall to the bottom; settle; precipitate: to cause coffee grounds to subside.
Ineptitude
–noun 1. quality or condition of being inept.
2. an inept act or remark.
Velocity
–noun, plural -ties. 1. rapidity of motion or operation; swiftness; speed: a high wind velocity.
2. Mechanics. the time rate of change of position of a body in a specified direction.
3. the rate of speed with which something happens; rapidity of action or reaction.
Predilection
–noun a tendency to think favorably of something in particular; partiality; preference: a predilection for Bach.
Harangue
–noun 1. a scolding or a long or intense verbal attack; diatribe.
2. a long, passionate, and vehement speech, esp. one delivered before a public gathering.
3. any long, pompous speech or writing of a tediously hortatory or didactic nature; sermonizing lecture or discourse.
–verb (used with object) 4. to address in a harangue.
–verb (used without object) 5. to deliver a harangue.
Derisive
–adjective characterized by or expressing derision; contemptuous; mocking: derisive heckling.
Protrudes
v. pro·trud·ed, pro·trud·ing, pro·trudes

v. tr.
To push or thrust outward.

v. intr.
To jut out; project. See Synonyms at bulge.
Precluded
–verb (used with object), -clud·ed, -clud·ing. 1. to prevent the presence, existence, or occurrence of; make impossible: The insufficiency of the evidence precludes a conviction.
2. to exclude or debar from something: His physical disability precludes an athletic career for him.
Parsimonious
–adjective characterized by or showing parsimony; frugal or stingy.
Haphazardly
–adverb in a haphazard manner; at random.
Calloused
adj.
Having calluses; toughened: callous skin on the elbow.
Emotionally hardened; unfeeling: a callous indifference to the suffering of others.
Paunchy
–adjective, paunch·i·er, paunch·i·est. having a large and protruding belly; potbellied: a paunchy middle-aged man.
Epiphany
–noun, plural -nies. 1. (initial capital letter) a Christian festival, observed on January 6, commemorating the manifestation of Christ to the gentiles in the persons of the Magi; Twelfth-day.
2. an appearance or manifestation, esp. of a deity.
3. a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.
4. a literary work or section of a work presenting, usually symbolically, such a moment of revelation and insight.
Teeming
–adjective 1. abounding or swarming with something, as with people: We elbowed our way through the teeming station.
2. prolific or fertile.
Irascibility
–adjective 1. easily provoked to anger; very irritable: an irascible old man.
2. characterized or produced by anger: an irascible response.
Bludgeoned
n. A short heavy club, usually of wood, that is thicker or loaded at one end.

tr.v. bludg·eoned, bludg·eon·ing, bludg·eons

To hit with or as if with a heavy club.
To overcome by or as if by using a heavy club. See Synonyms at intimidate.
Murky
–adjective, murk·i·er, murk·i·est. 1. dark, gloomy, and cheerless.
2. obscure or thick with mist, haze, etc., as the air.
3. vague; unclear; confused: a murky statement.
Incessant
–adjective continuing without interruption; ceaseless; unending: an incessant noise.
Alacrity
–noun 1. cheerful readiness, promptness, or willingness: We accepted the invitation with alacrity.
2. liveliness; briskness.
Caustic
–adjective 1. capable of burning, corroding, or destroying living tissue.
2. severely critical or sarcastic: a caustic remark.
–noun 3. a caustic substance.
4. Optics.
Sinuous
–adjective 1. having many curves, bends, or turns; winding: a sinuous path.
2. indirect; devious: sinuous questions.
3. characterized by a series of graceful curving motions: a sinuous dance.
4. Botany. sinuate, as a leaf.
Tirade
–noun 1. a prolonged outburst of bitter, outspoken denunciation: a tirade against smoking.
2. a long, vehement speech: a tirade in the Senate.
3. a passage dealing with a single theme or idea, as in poetry: the stately tirades of Corneille.
Ravenous
–adjective 1. extremely hungry; famished; voracious: feeling ravenous after a hard day's work.
2. extremely rapacious: a ravenous jungle beast.
3. intensely eager for gratification or satisfaction.
Supercilious
–adjective haughtily disdainful or contemptuous, as a person or a facial expression.
Prodigality
–noun, plural -ties for 2, 3. 1. the quality or fact of being prodigal; wasteful extravagance in spending.
2. an instance of it.
3. lavish abundance.
Denizen
–noun 1. an inhabitant; resident.
2. a person who regularly frequents a place; habitué: the denizens of a local bar.
3. British. an alien admitted to residence and to certain rights of citizenship in a country.
4. anything adapted to a new place, condition, etc., as an animal or plant not indigenous to a place but successfully naturalized.
–verb (used with object) 5. to make a denizen of.
Punctilious
–adjective extremely attentive to punctilios; strict or exact in the observance of the formalities or amenities of conduct or actions.
Somnambulate
–verb (used without object), -lat·ed, -lat·ing. to walk during sleep; sleepwalk.
Dexterity
–noun 1. skill or adroitness in using the hands or body; agility.
2. mental adroitness or skill; cleverness.
Consternation
–noun a sudden, alarming amazement or dread that results in utter confusion; dismay.
Restive
–adjective 1. impatient of control, restraint, or delay, as persons; restless; uneasy.
2. refractory; stubborn.
3. refusing to go forward; balky: a restive horse
Torpid
–adjective 1. inactive or sluggish.
2. slow; dull; apathetic; lethargic.
3. dormant, as a hibernating or estivating animal.
Impartial
–adjective not partial or biased; fair; just: an impartial judge.
Tantalizing
–verb (used with object), -lized, -liz·ing. to torment with, or as if with, the sight of something desired but out of reach; tease by arousing expectations that are repeatedly disappointed.
Trite
–adjective, trit·er, trit·est. 1. lacking in freshness or effectiveness because of constant use or excessive repetition; hackneyed; stale: the trite phrases in his letter.
2. characterized by hackneyed expressions, ideas, etc.: The commencement address was trite and endlessly long.
3. Archaic. rubbed or worn by use.
Impetuous
–adjective 1. of, pertaining to, or characterized by sudden or rash action, emotion, etc.; impulsive: an impetuous decision; an impetuous person.
2. having great impetus; moving with great force; violent: the impetuous winds.
Tentative
–adjective 1. of the nature of or made or done as a trial, experiment, or attempt; experimental: a tentative report on her findings.
2. unsure; uncertain; not definite or positive; hesitant: a tentative smile on his face.
Defunct
–adjective 1. no longer in effect or use; not operating or functioning: a defunct law; a defunct organization.
2. no longer in existence; dead; extinct: a defunct person; a defunct tribe of Indians.
–noun 3. the defunct, the dead person referred to: the survivors of the defunct.
Laudable
–adjective 1. deserving praise; praiseworthy; commendable: Reorganizing the files was a laudable idea.
2. Medicine/Medical Obsolete. healthy; wholesome; not noxious.
Boisterously
–adjective 1. rough and noisy; noisily jolly or rowdy; clamorous; unrestrained: the sound of boisterous laughter.
2. (of waves, weather, wind, etc.) rough and stormy.
3. Obsolete. rough and massive.
Garrulous
–adjective 1. excessively talkative in a rambling, roundabout manner, esp. about trivial matters.
2. wordy or diffuse: a garrulous and boring speech.
Aesthetic
–adjective 1. pertaining to a sense of the beautiful or to the science of aesthetics.
2. having a sense of the beautiful; characterized by a love of beauty.
3. pertaining to, involving, or concerned with pure emotion and sensation as opposed to pure intellectuality.
–noun 4. a philosophical theory or idea of what is aesthetically valid at a given time and place: the clean lines, bare surfaces, and sense of space that bespeak the machine-age aesthetic.
5. aesthetics.
6. Archaic. the study of the nature of sensation.

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