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September 12-16
aberration – (noun) the act of departing from the usual course
abstinence – (noun) self-restraint from an action
abstract – (adjective) apart from concrete realities; theoretical
acquiesce – (verb) to comply silently and without protest
admonish – (verb) to caution or advise against something
alienated – (adjective) removed or disassociated from friends, family ot home
alleviate – (verb) to ease a pain or a burden
alliance – (noun) a union or two or more groups
ambiguous – (adjective) open to more than one interpretation
ambivalent – (adjective) simultaneously having opposing feelings; uncertain
ample – (adjective) describing a large amount of something
apprehension – (noun) anxiety or fear abut the future
arbiter – (noun) a judge who decides a disputed issue
assertion – (noun) a declaration or statement
assiduous – (adjective) hard-working (pronounced uh-SID-yoo-us)
asylum – (noun) a place of retreat or security
assimiliate – (verb) to absorb; to make similar
astute – (adjective) shrewd; clever
auspicious – (adjective) favorable or promising
austere – (adjective) without decoration; strict

September 19-23
baleful – (adjective) destructive; harmful
balm – (noun) ointment for soothing pain; something that comforts or soothes
banal – (adjective) boring; common; ordinary; dull
baneful – (adjective) poisonous; harmful; destructive
beguile – (verb) to deceive by charm; to make time pass pleasantly
belie – (verb) to give a false idea; fail to fulfi ll a promise
belittle – (verb) to regard or portray as less impressive or important
belligerent – (adjective) quarrelsome; constantly fi ghting
benediction – (noun) good wishes; a blessing
benevolent – (adjective) favorable; promising
benign – (adjective) kind and gentle
bequeath – (verb) to hand down something by will; to pass on something
biased – (adjective) prejudiced
bizarre – (adjective) markedly unusual in appearance, style, or character
blithe – (adjective) joyous; merry; glad
blueprint – (noun) a detailed outline ot plan
bombastic – (adjective) high-sounding; infl ated; pretentious
brittle – (adjective) easily broken when subject to pressure
brusque – (adjective) rudely abrupt (pronounced brusk)
buff oon – (noun) a person given to coarse or undignifi ed joking

September 26-30
capricious – (adjective) impulsive; unpredictable
clandestine – (adjective) secretive
clarity – (noun) clearness in thought or expression
cogent – (adjective) convincing; reasonable
coherent – (adjective) logically connected
cohesive – (adjective) the condition of sticking together
compelling – (adjective) forceful; urgently demanding attention
comprehensive – (adjective) large in scope or content
conciliatory – (adjective) tending to soothe or pacify
condescending – (adjective) treating people as weak or inferior
condone – (verb) to forgive or overlook; to excuse
concensus – (noun) general agreement
contemptuous – (adjective) feeling hatred; scornful
convoluted – (adjective) intricate; complex
corroborate – (verb) to confi rm; to support with evidence or testimony
copious – (adjective) plentiful; having a large quantity
coup – (noun) a brilliantly executed plan
crass – (adjective) coarse; stupid; vulgar
criterion – (noun) a standard for judging; a test (plural: criteria)
cryptic – (adjective) diffi cult to comprehend

October 3-7
debunk – (verb) to expose the falseness
decorous – (adjective) proper; marked by good taste
deleterious – (adjective) having a harmful eff ect; injurious
deprecate – (verb) to express strong disapproval of; to belittle
derive – (verb) to copy or adapt from a source
derogatory – (adjective) degrading; belittling
despotic – (adjective) exercising absolute power; tyrannical
detrimental – (adjective) causing damage or harm
devious – (adjective) lying; roundabout; not straightforward
devoid – (adjective) completely lacking; entirely without
didactic – (adjective) intended to instruct
diff use – (verb) to scatter; to disseminate; to soften
dilatory – (adjective) habitually late
dilettante – (noun) one with amateurish or superfi cial understanding of a craft
discredit – (verb) to cause to be doubted
disdain – (noun) contempt or scorn; (verb) to look down; to regard or treat with
contempt or scorn
disingenuous – (adjective) not straightforward; crafty
disparity – (noun) inequality in age, rank, or degree; diff erence
dogmatic – (adjective) stubbornly adhering to insuffi ciently proved beliefs
dubious – (adjective) doubtful; of unlikely authenticity

October 10-14
ebullience – (noun) intense enthusiasm
eclectic – (adjective) made up of a variety of sources or styles
eff usive – (adjective) emotionally unrestrained; gushy
egregious – (adjective) conspicuously bad or off ensive
eloquence – (noun) the ability to speak eloquently or persuasively
elusive – (adjective) diffi cult to capture, as in something fl eeting
embellish – (verb) to make beautiful by ornamenting; to decorate
embroil – (verb) to engage in quarrel; to involve in an argument
emigrate – (verb) to leave one country or region to settle in another
emollient – (adjective) softening or soothing; (noun) something that softens or
smooths
emulate – (verb) to try to equal or surpass through imitation
endure – (verb) to put up with; to survive a hardship
enervate – (verb) to weaken; the lessen the strength of
enigma – (noun) a puzzle, or a person who is puzzling
enlightening – (adjective) informative; contributing to one’s awareness
ephemeral – (adjective) lasting for only a short time; living for only a day
equanimity – (noun) the quality of being calm or even-tempered; composure
equivocate – (verb) to avoid making a defi nitive statement
excerpt – (noun) a selected part of a passage or scene
exculpate – (verb) to free from guilt or blame

No word list for October 17-21
End of the 1st nine-weeks
No word list for October 24-28

October 31 - November 4
fabricated – (adjective) made; concocted in order to deceive
facile – (adjective) done or achieved with little eff ort; easy
fastidious – (adjective) possessing careful attention to detail; diffi cult to please
feral – (adjective) savage; untamed
fl agrant – (adjective) extremely or deliberately shocking or noticeable
fl orid – (adjective) [this word] describes fl owery or elaborate speech
fl uid – (adjective) easily fl owing
frenetic – (adjective) wildly excited or active
fractious – (adjective) quarrelsome; unruly
fundamental – (adjective) basic; essential (noun) a basic tenet of something
furtive – (adjective) done quickly and with stealth to avoid notice
futile – (adjective) having no useful purpose; pointless
galvanize – (verb) to startle; to spur to action
garbled – (adjective) confused; mixed up
garner – (verb) to gather; to store away
genre – (noun) describing a category of artistic endeavor
ghastly – (adjective) shockingly frightful
gratuitous – (adjective) given freely; unearned; unwarranted
guile – (noun) crafty deceit; treacherous cunning
gullible – (adjective) easily deceived 

November 7-11
hackneyed – (adjective) worn our from overuse, particular in language
haphazard – (adjective) not planned; thrown together
harbinger – (noun) something that indicates what is to come; a forerunner
haughty – (adjective) arrogant; vainly proud
heinous – (adjective) hatefully evil; abominable [pronounced HAY nus]
hierarchy – (noun) a group organized by rank
hypocrisy – (noun) the practice of pretending to be something one is not
hypothetical – (adjective) supposed; assumed
iconoclast – (noun) a person who seeks to overthrow accepted ideas
immaterial – (adjective) insignifi cant; unimportant
imminent – (adjective) about to occur; impending
impartial – (adjective) not in favor of one side or the other; unbiased
impede – (verb) to slow the progress of
imperious – (adjective) domineering; oppressively overbearing
implication – (noun) the act of suggesting or hinting
incontrovertible – (adjective) indisputable; not open to questioning
indiff erent – (adjective) not caring one way or another
indolent – (adjective) lazy
insipid – (adjective) uninteresting; unchallenging
integrity – (noun) trustworthiness; completeness

November 14-18
idealize – (verb) to consider perfect
inconsequential – (adjective) unimportant
intrepid – (adjective) courageous or fearless
incumbent – (adjective) imposed as a duty; obligatory; (noun) a politician already
in offi ce
inevitable – (adjective) certain to happen; unavoidable
impression – (noun) a feeling or understanding resulting from an experience
intuition – (noun) the power of knowing things without thinking; sharp insight
inherent – (adjective) inborn; built-in
innate – (adjective) possessed at birth; inborn
inveterate – (adjective) long established; deeply rooted; habitual
impinge – (verb) hinder; interfere with
incorrigible – (adjective) inable to be reformed
ingrate – (noun) ungrateful person
insolent – (adjective) insulting in manner or speech
innovative – (adjective) introducing something new
irrefutable – (adjective) unable to be disproven; incontrovertible
irrelevant – (adjective) unrelated to the matter at hand
irreligious – (adjective) not practicing a religion or feeling no religious impulses
irreparable – (adjective) unable to fi xed or repaired
irresistable – (adjective) incapable of being resisted

Thanksgiving Holiday, November 21-25

November 28 - December 2
jargon – (noun) words used by people in a particular fi eld of work
jaundiced – (adjective) having yellowish skin due to increased pigment in the
blood
jaunty – (adjective) carefree; jolly
jeopardy – (noun) danger of harm
jettison – (verb) throwing goods overboard to lighten a ship during a storm
jocular – (adjective) humorous; fond of joking
jubilant – (adjective) joyful
judicious – (adjective) showing good judgment; wise
juncture – (noun) the point at which two things join or connect
junta – (noun) a council that deliberates in secret upon the aff airs of government
juridical – (adjective) assumed by law to exist
jurisprudence – (noun) the philosophy or science of law
juxtapose – (noun) to place close together or side by side
kindle – (verb) to light up a fi re
kinetic – (adjective) in motion; moving
kinesis – (noun) the movement of an organism in response to a stimulus
kindling – (noun) material easily ignited to start a fi re
knavery – (noun) deceitfulness in dealing.
knead – (verb) to mix and work into a mass, especially with the hands.
knickknack – (noun) a small article, more for ornament that use.

December 5-9
lackluster – (adjective) lacking brightness; dull
laconic – brief; using few words
lament – (verb) express grief for; mourn
lamentation – (noun) an expression of sorrow or deep regret
lampoon – (noun) a sharp satire (verb) to make fun of
lassitude – (noun) a state or feeling of being tired or listless
latent – (adjective) present but invisible or inactive
laudable – (adjective) worthy of praise
laudatory – (adjective) giving praise
leeway – (adjective) a margin or freedom of variation
lethargic – (adjective) sluggish; dull; drowsy
levity – (adjective) lightness; lacking seriousness
linguistics – (noun) the study of the nature and structure of human speech
listless – (adjective) lacking energy
lofty – (adjective) having great height or a stately manner
lucid – (adjective) intelligible; clear-minded
lucrative – (adjective) producing wealth; profi table
luminous – (adjective) emitting light
lurch – (verb) to stagger
lurid – (adjective) gruesome; melodramatic; shocking

No word list for December 12-16
Winter Holidays, December 19 - January 3
No word list for January 4-6
No word list for January 9-13
No word list for January 16-21: Exam week

January 23-27
magnate – (noun) a person of great infl uence in a particular fi eld
majestic – (adjective) having a lofty dignity
malicious – (adjective) spiteful; intentionally harmful
marred – (noun) impaired the perfection of
meager – (adjective) lack in amount or quality; poor
meander – (verb) rambling; wandering aimlessly (pronounced mee-ander)
mediocrity – (noun) ordinariness; lack of distinction
meritorious – (adjective) deserving praise
methodical – (adjective) orderly; having a set system
meticulous – (adjective) very careful; attentive to details
migrate – (verb) to move to another country or region
miser – (noun) one who saves greedily
mitigate – (verb) to make less severe
mobility – (noun) the ability to move or be moved\
mock – (verb) to attack with ridicule; (adjective) false
monarch – (noun) a single ruler: king, queen or emperor
monotonous – (adjective) boring; unvarying in tone or content
morose – (adjective) gloomy; ill-tempered
mosaic – (noun) a picture made of small pieces of stone or glass
mundane – (adjective) ordinary; commonplace

January 30 - February 3
negate – (verb) to destroy the validity of something
nonchalance – (noun) carelessness; lack of concern
novel – (adjective) original, new and diff erent
novice – (noun) a person who is new at something
nullify – (verb) to make invalid or worthless
obliterate – (verb) to wipe out or remove all traces
obscure – (adjective) not known; diffi cult to understand
obsessive – (adjective) overly preoccupied
objective – (adjective) not aff ected by personal feelings
obsolete – (adjective) outdated
offi cious – (adjective) marked by excessive eagerness to off er unwanted help
ominous – (noun) signaling something evil is about to happen
omniscient – (adjective) having complete knowledge
opaque – (adjective) not transparent; hard to understand
opportunist – (noun) one who takes advantage of an opportunity without regard
for any moral principles
parochial – (adjective) having a narrow scope
parsimonious – (adjective) stingy; excessively frugal or sparing
pariah – (noun) a social outcast
pastiche – (noun) a piece of music, writing, or art combining several sources or styles
patent – (adjective) obvious; readily visible

February 6-10
paucity – (noun) a small amount or number
penchant – (noun) a strong taste or liking
persecution – (noun) tormenting a person because of his or her beliefs
phenomena – (noun) occurrences, facts, or observable circumstances
philanthropist – (noun) someone who gives to worthy causes
phonetics – (noun) the study of sounds in a language
pioneer – (noun) a leader in a fi eld (verb) to lead the way in a fi eld
pious – (adjective) having reverence for a god
plagiarist – (noun) a person who presents someone else’s work as his or her own
precarious – (adjective) unstable; insecure
preclude – (verb) to make impossible
predecessor – (noun) a person who comes before another in an offi ce or job
premonition – (noun) a feeing that something is about to happen
presumptuous – (adjective) bold to point of rudeness
prodigal – (adjective) wasteful
quarry – (noun) a large open pit from which stone is cut
query – (noun) a question or an inquiry
quibble – (noun) a small objection (verb) to make a minor objection
raconteur – (noun) a skilled storyteller
rebuttal – (noun) a reply to a criticism or challene