12th Grade Vocab Words - Unit 1

1. 12th Grade Vocab Words – UNIT 1 1. ACQUISITIVE - adj – able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with acquiring wealth or property. SYN – greedy, grasping, retentive ANT – altruistic, unretentive ex. An _____ society emphasizes a lot of buying and selling. 2. ARROGATE - v– to claim or take without right SYN. Expropriate, commandeer ANT. – relinquish, renounce, abandon ex. The usurpers _____(ed) royal privileges from the overthrown king. 3. BANAL- adj – hackneyed, trite, commonplace SYN – stale, insipid ANT – fresh, novel, original, new ex. ____ routine of filling out forms on the first day of school. 4. BELABOR - v – to work excessively; to thrash soundly SYN – overwork ex. Tendency to _____ the small points instead of seeing the big picture. 5. CARPING - adj – tending to find fault, especially in a petty, nasty way. N – petty nagging criticism. ex. Adj - ___ complaints n - ________ of critics

2. 12th Grade Vocab Words – UNIT 1 6. COHERENT - adj – holding or sticking together; making a logical whole; comprehensible, meaningful. SYN – connected, unified, cohesive ANT – muddled, chaotic, disjointed ex. The physics teacher gave a surprisingly ___ explanation of quantum mechanics. 7. CONGEAL- v – to change from liquid to solid, thicken; to make rigid or inflexible. SYN – harden, jell, coagulate ANT – melt, liquefy ex. The food on the dirty dishes ______ (ed) . 8. EMULATE - v – to imitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model. SYN – copy, mimic, match, measure up to ex. Beginning writers often ____ the styles of their favorite writers.9. ENCOMIUM- n – a formal expression or praise, a lavish tribute. Ex. A veteran’s Day speech that was a heartfelt ____ to the war heroes. 10. ESCHEW- v – to avoid, shun, keep away from ex. Athletes in training try to ___ bad habits like eating a lot of fast food.

3. 12th Grade Vocab Words – UNIT 1 11. GERMANE- adj – relevant, appropriate, apropos, fitting SYN – pertinent ANT- irrelevant, extraneous, inappropriate ex. examples from the past are not _____ to our present situation. 12. INSATIABLE adj – so great or demanding as to not be satisfied SYN – unquenchable, ravenous ex. ___ appetite for gossip13. INTRANSIGENT- adj – refusing to compromise, irreconcilable SYN – unyielding, uncompromising ANT – halfhearted, lukewarm ex. Legislators of both parties maintained _____ attitudes. 14. INVIDIOUS- adj – offensive, hateful; tending to cause bitterness and resentment SYN – malicious, spiteful ANT – flattering, complimentary ex. Spreading _____ rumors about other students15. LARGESSE- n – generosity in giving; lavish or bountiful contributions ANT – stinginess , miserliness ex. ___ of a generous benefactor.

4. 12th Grade Vocab Words – UNIT 1 16. RECONNAISSANCE- n. a survey made for military purposes; any kind of preliminary inspection or examination ex. A thorough ___ before ordering troop movements17. SUBSTANTIATE– v – to establish by evidence, prove; to give concrete form to. SYN – verify, confirm, authenticate, validate. ANT – refute, disprove ex. _____ the claims of the witness testimony with evidence18. TACITURN– adj. Habitually quiet or silent; inclined to talk very little. Ex. A dour and _____ personality. 19. TEMPORIZE– v. To stall or act evasively in order to gain time, avoid a confrontation, or postpone a decision; to compromise SYN – hedge, dillydally, procrastinate ex. Hamlet chooses to ____ rather than act. 20. TENABLE- adj. capable of being held or defended. SYN – defensible, justifiable Ex. A ___ scientific theory