Honors Freshman Vocabulary

Week 1

Phot/phos- light

Phototropic-tending to grow or move towards light

Phosphorescent- giving off light without heat

Photogenic- attractive in pictures or photographs

Luc-light

Lucid- easy to understand; clear

Elucidate- to make clear by explaining

Translucent- allowing light to pass through

Spec/spect- to look at

Circumspect- careful; mindful of rules an consequences

Prospect- that which is expected

Specter- a ghost or phantom

Vid/vis- to see, to look

Invidious- hateful or spiteful

Providential- happening by good fortune

Improvise- to create without any forethought or preparation

Week 2

Hib/hab- to have, hold

Prohibit- to stop one from doing something; prevent

Inhibit- to get in the way of; hinder

Fus/found- to pour out

Suffuse- to fill up from within; to spread throughout

Confound- to confuse and frustrate

Infuse- to inject; to fill something or someone with Page 1 of 22

Ten/tain/tin- to hold

Sustain- to support for an extended period of time

Abstain- to not do something; refrain

Tenacious- stubbornly

Retinue- a group that attends an important person

Ple- to fill

Replete- filled up with

Implement- to put into action; execute

Deplete- to use up; waste

Week 3

Nunc/nounc- to announce

Enunciate-to pronounce or articulate

Renounce- to reject by declaration

Pronouncement- a declaration of opinion; judgment

Voc/vok- to call

Invoke- to call on for support

Provocative- causing disturbance or excitement

Revoke- to make invalid; deactivate

Fa- to speak

Ineffable- unutterable, indescribable

Infantile- childish; immature

Affable- easy to converse with; friendly

Dic/dict- to say, to tell

Edict- an official order

Indict- to charge with a crime; accuse

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Dictum- a formal or authoritative statement

Week 4

Form- to form, to establish

Misinformation- untrue or wrong information

Reform- to bring back to rightness, order or morality

Formative- occurring at the time of most influence

Apt/ept- to fit

Inept- unskilled; clumsy

Adept- skilled; expert at

Aptitude- skill or suitability for

Pos/pon- to put, place

Posit- to put forth; assert

Impose- to forcibly place upon

Disposition- attitude or mood

Fig- to shape

Figment- something invented or imaginary

Effigy- a figure constructed in mockery

Prefigure- to look like or predict a later thing or event

Week 5

Lega- to appoint, to send on a mission, to charge with

Legacy- body of ideas, achievements, and morals

Delegate- to divide up, especially responsibilities

Act/ag- to do, act

Agenda- plan of action; purpose

Proactive- seeking to solve a problem before it occurs

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Exacting- demanding perfection; strict

Puls/pel- to push

Repulsion- desire to avoid; disgust

Dispel- to scatter about, break up

Propel- to cause to move towards; push

Lat- brought, carried

Relative- dependent upon

Superlative- excellent; above all others

Dilate- to widen

Week 6

Cant/chant- to sing, to call

Recant- to formally withdraw

Incantation- ritual chant; spell

Disenchanted- losing fondness for; disillusioned

Aud- to hear

Inaudible- so quiet as to be impossible to hear

Auditory- having to do with the sense of hearing

Audit- a thorough review

Son- to sound

Dissonance- unpleasant or unharmonious sound

Assonance- similarity of word sound

Resonant- having an effect; powerful

Log- to speak, to reason

Analogous- comparable to; like

Dialogue- communication between two or more people

Prologue- a speech, passage or event coming before the main speech or event

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Week 7

Bell- war

Bellicose- warlike in nature

Antebellum- occurring before a war

Belligerence- warlike mood or attitude

Am- love

Enamored- fond of; feeling love towards

Amiable- good-natured; cheerful

Amicable- not bitter or hostile; friendly

Agon- contest, struggle

Antagonize- to act hostile towards; provoke

Protagonist- the central character in a work of literature

Antagonist- one who is hostile towards; one who opposes

Phil- love

Philosophical- calm and wise; reasonable

Philanthropy- charitable donation to public causes

Bibliophile- one who loves books

Week 8

Ped- foot

Impediment- something that gets in the way; obstacle

Expedient- practical; prudent

Pedestrian- lacking excitement; ordinary and dull

Ped- child

Pedant- one possessing abundant knowledge of minor, often uninteresting, things

Pedagogue- a teacher, especially one who is dull and narrow-minded

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Vest- clothing

Travesty- a bad imitation of; a perversion of

Vested- significant to one’s own profit or well-being

Vestment- clothing worn to symbolize religious or political authority

Divest- to strip or remove a title or position of authority

Corpor/corpu- body

Corporeal- having to do with the body

Corpulent- extremely fat; obese

Incorporate- to bring together features, ideas or elements

Week 9

Uni- one

Uniform- the same all the way through; consistent

Unison- one voice

Unanimous- showing complete agreement

Mono- one

Monologue- a speech made by a single person

Monopolize- to use or take so as to prevent others from using or taking

Monogamy- marriage to only one person at a time

Monolithic- exactly the same throughout; lacking any diversity

Homo- the same

Homonym- a word spelled exactly like another word, but having a different meaning

Homogenized- forced to be exactly the same

Equi- equal, even

Equitable- fair; just

Equilibrium- balance; steadiness

Iniquity- injustice; wrong or wicked action or situation

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Week 10

Ben- well, good

Benevolent- kindly; favorable towards

Benefactor- a person who gives friendly aid

Benign- causing no harm

Cord- heart

Accord- sameness of opinion; agreement

Discord- lack of agreement; disharmony

Cordial- warmly friendly and polite

Anim- spirit

Animosity- anger or hostility

Equanimity- evenness of mind or spirit; calm

Magnanimous- generous in spirit

Mal- bad

Dismal- causing great sadness or pessimism

Malevolent- wishing harm towards; hostile

Malicious- intended to hurt or harm

Week 11

Jur- to swear, to vow

Perjury- breaking of a legal oath

Abjure- to swear off; renounce

Conjure- to bring forth, especially through words

Domin- to rule, to dominate

Predominant- being most evident or apparent

Domineering- forcing others to obey

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Indomitable- unbeatable; resilient

Crat/crac- to rule

Aristocracy- group of the most wealthy and privileged

Theocracy- government by a religious leader or figure

Bureaucrat- a minor official

Leg- law

Legitimize- to give credit or recognition to

Privileged- available only to a special few; entitled to something special

Legislative- having to do with the law

Week 12

Rap- to snatch

Rapacious- (adj) seizing everything; greedy

Rapt- (adj) giving total attention to; captivated

Surreptitious- (adj) hidden or secret; done without notice

Cep- seize, take

Perceptible- (adj) able to be noticed or felt

Susceptible- (adj) able to be influenced

Precept- (n) an idea important to a system of beliefs

Vor- to eat

Voracious- devouring everything

Omnivorous – feeding on both animals and plants

Herbivorous- eating only plants

Cad/cas- to fall

Decadent- overly luxurious and lacking moral discipline; excessive

Cadence- rhythmic rise and fall

Casualty- something or someone injured, killed or eliminated

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Week 13

Flu- to flow

Affluent- (adj.) wealthy and privileged; well-to-do

Superfluous- (adj.) additional to what is necessary; extra

Mellifluous- (adj.) sweetly flowing or sounding

Lev- light

Leaven- (v.) to make less heavy or serious

Levity- (n.)lack of seriousness; jolly or joking manner

Alleviate- (v.)to make less painful or dangerous

Laps- slip, slide

Elapse- to slip away; go by

Collapse- complete failure and ruin

Relapse- a falling back into an old illness or bad habit

Ced- to move along, to go

Recede- to move back or away from

Concession- something given up or yielded

Cede- to surrender

Week 14

Sequi/sec- to follow

Inconsequential- having no effect or importance

Consecutive- following in order

Execution- the way something is done

Cur/cour- to run

Courier- one who carries and delivers

Incur- to bring about

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Recurrent- happening repeatedly

Grad- to step

Gradualism- a policy which involves taking slow, measured actions

Regress- to go back to a less mature or less positive state

Digress- to move away from the topic at hand; ramble

Ambl/ambul- to walk

Amble- to casually walk; stroll

Ambulatory- able to walk

Preamble- a passage or speech which introduces another longer passage or speech

Week 15

Junct- to join, yoke

Enjoin- (v.) to command; to urge; to forbid

Injunction- (n.) an order which legally prevents something

Rejoinder- (n.) an answer; a reply

Part- part

Impartial- (adj.) having no bias or favor

Partisan- (adj.) believing and acting on the ideas of a political party or group

Impart- (v.) to give away; share

Clus/clud- to close

Inclusive- containing all; not keeping any out

Inconclusive- providing no clear answer or solution

Preclude- prevent from happening

Cis- to cut

Precise- accurate; definite

Indecisive- unable to make choices

Incision- a cut made in order to get inside something

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Week 16 meta- after, changed, beyond

Metabolism- the process through which an organism changes food into energy

Metamorphosis- change in form; transformation

Metaphorical- symbolic rather than literal

Al- other, another

Inalienable- not able to be taken away

Alienate- to make hostile

Alias- a name that is not one’s true name

Alter- other

Alteration- a change or modification

Alternate- to go back and forth; change from one thing to another

Altercation- a fight or dispute

Simul- to imitate, to pretend, to appear to be

Simulate- to mimic; imitate

Dissemble- to conceal the truth; to deceive

Semblance- rough likeness

Week 17

Mort- death

Immortalize- to preserve in memory forever

Morbid- taking an unhealthy interest in unpleasant things

Mortify- to cause extreme embarrassment to

Moribund- in a dying or deathlike state

Nec/nox/nic- to hurt, kill

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Noxious- harmful to physical or moral health

Pernicious- causing damage; harmful

Bio- life

Biodegradable- able to be broken down naturally

Symbiotic- mutually beneficial; supporting one another’s life

Antibiotic- causing the death of living organisms, especially harmful ones

Viv- to live

Vivacious- cheerful and full of life

Vivid- making a strong impression on the senses; clear and sharp

Revival- the act or process of bringing back to life

Week 18

Vinc/vict-to conquer

Invincible-unable to be conquered

Provincial-limited in knowledge of the world; narrow minded

Evince- to establish; to reflect the truth of

Duc/duct- to lead

Conducive-supportive; encouraging; helping to bring about

Induce- to lead toward some action

Deduce- to draw a conclusion from fact; to inter

Tract-to drag

Protracted- extended in time; prolonged

Intractable-stubborn; hard to move forward

Retract-to draw back; withdraw

Peto-to seek aggressively, to assail, to rush

Petulant-irritable or short-tempered

Impetuous- acting passionately and without forethought

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Impetus- that which drives one; momentum

Week 19

Fract/fring/frang- to break

Fractious- tending to argue or cause discord

Infraction- minor violation of a rule or law

Infringe- to intrude on an area belonging to another; to trespass

Cis -cut, kill

Excise- to cut out of; remove

Incisive- sharply cutting; direct and powerful

Concise- brief and straightforward

Tom- to cut

Tome- a large and serious book

Epitome- the best or most typical example

Dichotomy- two opposite parts of one whole

Anatomy- the structure or parts, taken as a whole

Punct- to sting, pierce

Compunction- feeling of regret or remorse

Punctilious- paying strict attention to detail; extremely careful

Pungent- stinging or biting

Week 20

Pel/puls- to push, to drive

Compel- to force or strongly persuade; coerce

Impulse- a sudden, involuntary urge to do something

Expel- to send out or away

Jac/Ject- to throw, to cast

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Conjecture- a guess, often one based on inadequate or faulty evidence

Dejected- downcast or sad; depressed

Abject- lowly, miserable and wretched

Mit/mis- send

Emissary- an agent sent on a mission

Dismissive – showing little regard; scornful

Remiss- failing to fulfill one’s duty; negligent

Mot/mov- to move

Motive- cause for action

Motif- a recurring theme, subject or idea

Emote- to dramatically express emotions

Week 21

Via- road, way

Viaduct- a bridge that carries a road or railroad over a valley

Impervious- unable to be affected

Deviate- to depart, especially from a path or plan

Obviate- to make unnecessary; to avoid

Port- to carry, to bring

Comportment- manner in which one acts or behaves

Purported- claimed as true but probably false

Fer- to carry, to bring

Defer-to put aside until later, to yield respectfully

Deference- act or practice of yielding to another’s authority

Confer- to discuss something with someone else; consult

Inference- a conclusion not directly provided by evidence

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Proffer- to present or offer

Proliferate- to increase greatly in number; multiply

Week 22

Vid/vis- to see

Envisage-to imagine; to conceive of

Visage-face; facial expression

Spec- to look

Perspicacious- wise; insightful; acutely intelligent

Retrospective- looking backward over a period of time

Aspect- a part that can be considered or viewed

Introspective- contemplating one’s own thoughts and feelings

Pari- be visible, appear

apparition – an unreal figure; a ghost

Phan- to appear, to show

Phenomenon- a fact or event which can be observed and/or documented

Diaphanous- lightweight and transparent

Epiphany- a moment of great insight; revelation

Sycophant- a person who flatters; a yes-man

Week 23

Her/hes- to attach, be fixed

Adherent- a follower of a person or idea

Incoherent- not able to be understood; nonsensical

Inherent- existing as a natural part

Fus- to pour out

Diffuse- not concentrated or focused; wordy

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Effusive- overflowing with words or feelings

Profuse- plentiful; abundant

Solu/solv- to loosen, to solve

Resolute- determined; steadfast

Dissolute- devoted to sensual pleasure; lacking moral restraint

Insoluble- impossible to solve or fix

Leg- to select, to choose, to gather

Diligent- hardworking and careful

Recollect- to remember; to recall

Sacrilege- an act against a holy person or place

Week 24

Fac/fact/fic- to make, do

Proficient- skilled at; highly knowledgeable of

Factotum- an assistant who does a variety of jobs

Facsimile- a copy or imitation

Facile- too simplistic or easy

Pon/pound- to put, to place, to arrange

Expound- to explain or discuss in detail

Proponent- one who argues in favor of; supporter

Struct/strue- to build

Infrastructure- the basic framework of a building or a system

Construe- to interpret or analyze something in particular way

Constructive- having a positive effect; helpful

Stit/stat- to stand

Destitute- having no money; poor

Restitution- payment for an injury; compensation

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Stature- level of achievement or authority; standing

Week 25

Plac- to please

Complacent- satisfied with a situation that should be changed or improved

Placebo- something which has a positive mental effect, but no physical effect

Placid- calm; undisturbed

Grat- pleasing, earning thanks or thankful

Gratuitous- unnecessary or unwanted

Ingratiate- to gain another’s favor by flattery or false friendliness

Ingrate- one who is not properly thankful

Doc/doct- to teach

Docile- easily taught; submissive to instruction

Indoctrinate- to teach a certain point of view to

Doctrine- that which is taught; body of beliefs or ideas

Temper- to temper, make less severe

Temper- to decrease the strength of

Temperance- restraint or moderation

Intemperate- lacking moderation; severe or extreme

Week 26

Tort/torq- to twist

Tortuous- not direct or straightforward

Retort- to respond critically or sarcastically

Extort- to wrongly or illegally force someone to comply with a demand

Volv/volu- to roll, to turn

Voluble- talkative; given to rapid, abundant speech

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Convoluted- having too many twists and turns; overly complicated

Evolve- to unfold; to develop or change gradually

Crimin- crime, charge of crime

Decriminalize- to do away with legal penalties for a previously criminal act

Incriminate- to reveal guilt or make (someone) appear guilty

Recrimination- an accusation made in reply; a countercharge

Culp- to blame

Culpable- deserving blame

Culprit- one responsible for a crime

Mea culpa- interjection statement uttered to show personal responsibility for a wrong doing

Week 27

Flex/flect- to bend

Inflexible- too unchangeable in character or purpose

Deflect- to cause to turn aside or away

Inflection- change in pitch or tone of the voice

Vert/vers- to turn

Adverse- not helpful; harmful

Revert- to fall back into an old condition

Subvert- to undermine; to corrupt

Onus/oner- burden

Onus- burden or obligation

Onerous- unpleasant and burdensome

Exonerate- to prove not guilty

Prob/prov- prove good, approve

Approbation- praise or approval

Reprobate- a dishonest or immoral person; a scoundrel

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Reprove- to scold or criticize

Week 28

Fid- to trust, believe

Diffident- shy; not assertive

Fidelity- faithfulness; loyalty

Confide- to trust (another) with information or a secret

Fall- to deceive

Fallacy- a misleading or mistaken idea

Fallacious- misleading or deceptive

Fallible- capable of being mistaken; imperfect

Cred- to trust, believe

Credible- (adj.) able to be trusted in or believed

Credence- (n.) trust or belief

Credulity- (n.) tendency to believe things too quickly or easily

Incredulous- (adj.) unable to believe something; amazed

Dub- doubtful

Dubious- (adj.) uncertain; doubtful

Indubitable- (adj.) certain beyond doubt or question

Redoubtable- (adj.) worthy of fear or respect; mighty

Week 29

Ultima-surpassing all others; definitive

Ultimate- (adj.) surpassing all others; definitive

Penultimate- (adj.) just before the final; next to last

Ultimatum- (n.) a demand or threat that is final

Fin- end, border, limit

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Infinite- (adj.) without beginning or end

Definitive- (adj.) defining for all others; standard

Infinitesimal- (adj.) extremely small; incalculably or immeasurably small

Nov- new

Novel- (adj.) new and different

Novice- (n.) an inexperienced person; amateur

Innovative- (adj.) showing creativity and originality

Prim- first

Primal- (adj.) original; dating from the beginning of existence

Primeval- (adj.) extremely ancient; of earliest time

Primacy- (n.) condition of being first in time or importance

Week 30

Err- to wander

Aberrant –(adj.) deviating from a pattern or rule

Erroneous-(adj.) wrong or inaccurate

Errant-(adj.) wandering or straying

Grad/gress- to go forth, to proceed

Degrade- (v.) to lower in dignity or esteem; insult

Congress- (n.) a coming together

Egress- (n.) act of going out; exit

Ven/vent- to come

Convene- to call together, to assemble

Covenant- a mutual or legal agreement

Circumvent- to avoid by going around; bypass

Cur/curs- to run

Cursory- hasty and superficial

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Precursor- that which comes before; forerunner

Recourse- help for a problem; solution

Incursion- an attack on another’s territory; a raid

Week 31

Vir- man

Virile- (adj.) masculine; manly

Virtue- (n.) right action; moral goodness

Virtuoso- (n.) someone extraordinarily skilled in a particular art

Dem- people

Demagogue- (n.) a leader who appeals to people’s emotions to gain power

Demographic- (adj.) having certain characteristics in common

Pandemic- (adj.) having an effect on a large area or region

Polit- city

Cosmopolitan-worldly or sophisticated

Politicize- to give a political character to something

Apolitical- having no interest in politics; not political

Civis- citizen

Civility- politeness; courteousness

Civic- having to do with the business of a town or community

Civilize- to make more cultured or refined

Week 32

Dic/dict- to say, to order

Dictate- to speak aloud in order that one’s words may be copied or recorded

Malediction- a recital of words intended to harm; a curse

Benediction- a blessing

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Loc/loqu- to speak

Locution- style or action of speaking

Eloquent- powerful and expressive

Colloquial- of or related to informal speech; conversational

Voca- to call

Evocative- calling forth a vivid image or impression

Equivocate- to use misleading or confusing language

Advocate- to argue in favor of

Clam/claim- to shout or call

Exclamatory- having a forceful, excited, or emotional tone

Declaim- to speak loudly and with feeling

Clamorous- characterized by a loud noise or outcry

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