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Composition for College – Vocabulary
Comp. for College: Vocab. Unit 1
1. Acquisitive-(adj.) able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with
acquiring wealth or property
In an acquisitive society, there is a great deal of emphasis on buying and selling.
SYNONYMS: greedy, avaricious, retentive
ANTONYM: altruistic
2. Arrogate-(v.) to claim or take without right
The ambitious noblemen will put the young kid under house arrest and arrogate royal privileges
to themselves.
SYNONYMS: expropriate, commandeer
ANTONYMS: renounce, abdicate, abandon
3. Banal-(adj.) hackneyed, trite, commonplace
The new play’s banal dialogue made it seem more like a soap opera than a serious drama.
SYNONYMS: stale, insipid
ANTONYMS: fresh, original, new
4. Belabor-(v.) to work on excessively; to thrash soundly
His tendency to belabor the small points often made him miss the big picture.
SYNONYM: overwork
5. Carping-(adj.) tending to find fault, especially in a petty, nasty, or hairsplitting way;
(n.) petty, nagging criticism
The trainee resigned after a week rather than put up with the carping complaints of the sales
manager.
Most artists choose to ignore the carping of critics and simply go on with their work.
SYNONYMS: (adj.) nit-picking, caviling
ANTONYMS: (adj.) approving, uncritical
6. Coherent-(adj.) holding or sticking together; making a logical whole;
comprehensible, meaningful
The physics teacher gave a surprisingly coherent description of quantum mechanics.
SYNONYMS: connected, unified, consistent, cohesive
ANTONYMS: muddled, chaotic, disjointed
7. Congeal-(v.) to change from liquid to solid, thicken; to make inflexible or rigid
If you do not wash your dishes right away, the food on them will congeal.
SYNONYMS: harden, jell, solidify
ANTONYM: liquefy
Vocab List Continued
8. Emulate-(v.) to imitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model
Most beginning writers try to emulate a great writer and later develop their own individual
styles.
SYNONYMS: copy, mimic, rival, match, measure up to
9. Encomium-(n.) a formal expression of praise, a lavish tribute
On Veterans Day, the President delivered a heartfelt encomium to those who died for their
country.
SYNONYMS: panegyric, eulogy
ANTONYMS: condemnation, castigation, criticism
10. Eschew-(v.) to avoid, shun, keep away from
The young athletes promised the coach that they would train vigorously and eschew bad habits.
SYNONYMS: abstain from, steer clear of, forgo
ANTONYMS: embrace, adopt
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Comp. for College: Vocab. Unit 2
1. Germane-(adj.) relevant, appropriate, apropos, fitting
Bringing up examples from the past is not germane to the present discussion.
SYNONYM: pertinent
ANTONYMS: irrelevant, extraneous, inappropriate
2. Insatiable-(adj.) so great or demanding as not to be satisfied
People with an insatiable appetite for gossip often do not have compelling stories of their own.
SYNONYMS: unquenchable, ravenous
3. Intransigent-(adj.) refusing to compromise, irreconcilable
Little will get accomplished if the legislators of both parties maintain their intransigent attitudes.
SYNONYMS: uncompromising, unyielding, obdurate
ANTONYMS: lukewarm, halfhearted, yielding
4. Invidious-(adj.) offensive, hateful; tending to cause bitterness and resentment
Bosses should avoid making invidious comparisons between their employees.
SYNONYMS: malicious, spiteful, prejudicial, pejorative
ANTONYMS: flattering, ameliorative
5. Largesse-(n.) generosity in giving; lavish or bountiful contributions
The university was the fortunate beneficiary of the largesse of many of its graduates.
SYNONYMS: liberality, bounty
ANTONYMS: stinginess, miserliness
6. Reconnaissance-(n.) a survey made for military purposes; any kind of preliminary
inspection or examination
The field officer required a thorough reconnaissance before ordering any troop movements.
SYNONYM: exploration
7. Substantiate-(v.) to establish by evidence, prove; to give concrete or substantial form
to
The prospector was unable to substantiate his claim to the land where the gold was found.
SYNONYMS: confirm, validate, authenticate
ANTONYMS: refute, disprove, invalidate
8. Taciturn-(adj.) habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little
Woodrow Wilson has the reputation of having a dour and taciturn personality.
SYNONYMS: tight-lipped, uncommunicative, laconic
ANTONYMS: garrulous, loquacious, prolix, verbose
Vocab List Continued
9. Temporize-(v.) to stall or act evasively in order to gain time, avoid a confrontation,
or postpone a decision; to compromise
For most of Shakespeare’s great tragedy, the protagonist Hamlet chooses to temporize rather
than act.
SYNONYMS: dillydally, procrastinate
10. Tenable-(adj.) capable of being held or defended
The researchers put forth a tenable theory, but their conclusions would be reviewed carefully by
others.
SYNONYMS: defensible, justifiable, maintainable
ANTONYMS: indefensible, unjustifiable
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Comp. for College: Vocab. Unit 3
1. Accost-(v.) to approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging or aggressive
way
The nobleman was accosted by beggars on his way to the castle.
SYNONYMS: buttonhole, approach
ANTONYMS: avoid, shun
2. Animadversion-(n.) a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval
The inexperienced filmmaker was disheartened by the animadversion of the film critic.
SYNONYMS: rebuke, reproof
ANTONYMS: praise, compliment
3. Avid-(adj.) desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager
Most writers are also avid readers who have loved books since childhood.
SYNONYMS: keen, enthusiastic, grasping
ANTONYMS: reluctant, indifferent, unenthusiastic
4. Brackish-(adj.) having a salty taste and unpleasant to drink
The shipwrecked passengers adrift on the lifeboat became ill after drinking brackish water.
SYNONYM: saline
ANTONYMS: clear, sweet
5. Celerity-(n.) swiftness, rapidity of motion or action
Although the heavy snowfall was not expected, the highway department responded with
surprising celerity.
SYNONYMS: promptness, speed
ANTONYMS: slowness, sluggishness, dilatoriness
6. Devious-(adj.) straying or wandering from a straight or direct course; done or acting
in a shifty or underhanded way
The interrogator used devious methods to try to get the suspect to incriminate himself.
SYNONYMS: roundabout, indirect, tricky, sly, artful
ANTONYMS: direct, straightforward, open, aboveboard
7. Gambit-(n.) in chess, an opening move that involves risk or sacrifice of a minor piece
in order to gain a later advantage; any opening move of this type
Asking an interesting stranger about his or her job is a popular party gambit.
SYNONYMS: ploy, ruse, maneuver
8. Halcyon-(n.) a legendary bird identified with the kingfisher; (adj.) of or relating to
the halcyon; calm, peaceful; happy, golden; prosperous, affluent
The teacher read the legend of the halcyon, a mythic bird that nested in a calm sea. The woman often spoke of the halcyon days of her childhood.
SYNONYMS: (adj.) tranquil, placid, palmy
Vocab List Continued
ANTONYMS: (adj.) turbulent, tumultuous
9. Histrionic-(adj.) pertaining to actors and their techniques; theatrical, artificial;
melodramatic
Upon receiving his award, the young actor gave a histrionic speech.
SYNONYMS: affected, stagy
ANTONYMS: muted, subdued
10. Incendiary-(adj.) deliberately setting or causing fires; designed to start fires; tending
to stir up strife or rebellion; (n.) one who deliberately sets fires, arsonist; one who
causes strife
The arsonist planted an incendiary device in the basement of the store. The radical incendiary was sentenced to life imprisonment.
SYNONYMS: (adj.) inflammatory, provocative; (n.) firebrand
ANTONYMS: (adj.) soothing, quieting; (n.) peacemaker
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Comp. for College: Vocab. Unit 4
1. Maelstrom-(n.) a whirlpool of great size and violence; a situation resembling a
whirlpool in violence and destruction
Many innocent people caught in the maelstrom of the revolution lost their lives and property.
SYNONYMS: chaos, turbulence, tumult
2. Myopic-(adj.) nearsighted; lacking a broad, realistic view of a situation; lacking
foresight or discernment
The myopic foreign policy of the last administration has led to serious problems with our allies.
SYNONYM: shortsighted
ANTONYM: farsighted
3. Overt-(adj.) open, not hidden, expressed or revealed in a way that is easily
recognized
In order for Congress to declare war, the president must demonstrate an overt threat.
SYNONYMS: clear, obvious, manifest, patent
ANTONYMS: clandestine, covert, concealed
4. Pejorative-(adj.) tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement,
derogatory, deprecatory, belittling
The lawyer was accused of making a pejorative remark when referring to the defendant’s
background.
ANTONYMS: complimentary, ameliorative
5. Propriety-(n.) the state of being proper, appropriateness; (pl.) standards of what is
proper or socially acceptable
The social worker questioned the propriety of the police’s request to see confidential records.
SYNONYMS: fitness, correctness
ANTONYMS: unseemliness, inappropriateness
6. Sacrilege-(n.) improper or disrespectful treatment of something held sacred
The anthropologist was accused of committing a sacrilege when she disturbed a burial ground.
SYNONYMS: desecration, profanation, defilement
7. Summarily-(adv.) without delay or formality; briefly, concisely
As soon as there was evidence of criminal wrongdoing, the official was summarily ousted from
his post.
SYNONYMS: promptly, peremptorily
8. Suppliant-(adj.) asking humbly and earnestly; (n.) one who makes a request humbly
and earnestly, a petitioner, suitor
He made a suppliant address to the parole board.
Stranded in the deserted city of Moscow, Napoleon had to turn to the Czar not as a conqueror
but as a suppliant.
Vocab List Continued
9. Talisman-(n.) an object that serves as a charm or is believed to confer magical
powers, an amulet, fetish
Most people do not believe that rabbit’s feet and other talisman actually bring good luck.
10. Undulate-(v.) to move in waves or with a wavelike motion; to have a wavelike
appearance or form
The baseball fans began to undulate as they cheered, so that they appeared to move in a wave.
SYNONYMS: fluctuate, rise and fall
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Comp. for College: Vocab. Unit 5
1. Cavort-(v.) to romp or prance around exuberantly; to make merry
The actors in the musical cavort on stage.
SYNONYM: gambol
2. Credence-(n.) belief, mental acceptance
The government and the public failed to give credence to the reports of an impending water
shortage.
SYNONYMS: credit, trust, confidence
ANTONYMS: disbelief, skepticism, incredulity
3. Decry-(v.) to condemn, express strong disapproval; to officially depreciate
Every arm of government and every educational institution should decry bigotry in all its forms.
SYNONYMS: denounce, censure, devalue
ANTONYMS: tout, commend, extol, laud, praise
4. Dissemble-(v.) to disguise or conceal, deliberately give a false impression
The young man was able to dissemble his feelings and admitted to having committed the crime.
SYNONYMS: dissimulate, mask, feign
5. Distraught-(adj.) very much agitated or upset as a result of emotion or mental
conflict
The workforce became distraught in the wake of the 1929 stock market crash.
SYNONYM: distracted
ANTONYMS: collected, composed
6. Eulogy-(n.) a formal statement of commendation; high praise
The best friend and longtime law partner of the deceased delivered the eulogy at the funeral.
SYNONYMS: panegyric, encomium, tribute
ANTONYMS: philippic, invective
7. Evince-(v.) to display clearly, to make evident, to provoke
The crowd did not evince any signs of panic but moved in an orderly fashion to the nearest exits.
SYNONYMS: exhibit, manifest, occasion
8. Exhume-(v.) to remove from a grave; to bring to light
Suspecting foul play, the coroner issued an order to exhume the body immediately.
SYNONYMS: disinter, unearth, uncover
ANTONYMS: bury, inter
9. Feckless-(adj.) lacking in spirit and strength; ineffective, weak; irresponsible,
unreliable
Although a feckless youth, he eventually matured into a hard-working and responsible citizen.
SYNONYMS: feeble, incompetent, ineffectual
Vocab List Continued
ANTONYMS: competent, capable, effective
10. Murky-(adj.) dark and gloomy, obscure; lacking in clarity and precision
Many visitors have claimed to see a mysterious creature in the murky waters of Loch Ness in
Scotland.
SYNONYMS: dim, cloudy
ANTONYMS: clear, transparent, lucid, limpid
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Comp. for College: Vocab. Unit 6
1. Nefarious-(adj.) wicked, depraved, devoid of moral standards
Brutus and Cassius hatched a nefarious plot to assassinate Julius Caesar on the steps of the
Roman Senate.
SYNONYMS: iniquitous, reprehensible
ANTONYMS: virtuous, honorable, praiseworthy, meritorious
2. Piquant-(adj.) stimulating to the taste or mind; spicy, pungent; appealingly
provocative
The chef was an expert in making those piquant dishes that are characteristic of south Indian
cooking.
SYNONYMS: zestful, tangy
ANTONYMS: bland, insipid, tasteless, mild
3. Primordial-(adj.) developed or created at the very beginning; going back to the most
ancient times or earliest stage; fundamental, basic
The primordial stages of most civilizations are founded on common needs met by common
goals.
SYNONYMS: original, primal
4. Propinquity-(n.) nearness in place or time; kinship
The propinquity of the two cities has created a greater metropolitan area that in effect is one
city.
SYNONYM: similarity
ANTONYMS: remoteness, distance
5. Substantive-(adj.) real, having a solid basis; considerable in number or amount;
meaningful and on topic
The candidate dismissed the silly questions but took the time to answer the most substantive
ones.
SYNONYMS: firm, substantial, meaty
ANTONYMS: imaginary, unreal, meaningless
6. Unwonted-(adj.) not usual or expected; not in character
The listless student answered with unwonted spirit when the subject of military tactics was
raised.
SYNONYMS: unusual, uncommon, unexpected, atypical
ANTONYMS: usual, customary, typical
7. Utopian-(adj.) founded upon or involving a visionary view of an ideal world;
impractical
A number of American religious groups like the Shakers have built separate communities based
on utopian Schemes.
SYNONYM: idealistic
Vocab List Continued
ANTONYMS: realistic, pragmatic
8. Verbiage-(n.) language that is too wordy or inflated in proportion to the sense or
content, wordiness; a manner of expression
The contract was full of meaningless verbiage that seems designed to confuse the lay person.
SYNONYMS: prolixity, diction, jargon
9. Verdant-(adj.) green in tint or color; immature in experience or judgment
The tourists on safari traveled over the verdant grasslands of Kenya in search of native wildlife.
SYNONYMS: artless, naive
ANTONYMS: scorched, sere, barren
10. Viscous-(adj.) having a gelatinous or gluey quality, lacking in easy movement or
fluidity
The varnish left a viscous residue on the wood that was hard to remove.
SYNONYMS: sticky, thick
ANTONYMS: watery, aqueous
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Comp. for College: Vocab. Unit 7
1. Atrophy-(n.) the wasting away of a body organ tissue; any progressive decline or
failure; (v.) to waste away
The atrophy of the downtown business district began when two huge malls opened.
SYNONYMS: (n.) degeneration, deterioration; (v.) wither
ANTONYMS: (n.) growth; (v.) mature
2. Bastion-(n.) a fortified place, stronghold
Contrary to popular belief, the military is not always a bastion of political conservatism.
SYNONYMS: citadel, rampart, parapet
3. Concord-(n.) a state of agreement, harmony, unanimity; a treaty, pact, covenant
A spirit of concord as restored when the company compensated its employees.
ANTONYMS: disagreement, strife, discord
4. Consummate-(adj.) complete or perfect in the highest degree; (v.) to bring to a state
of completion or perfection
Michelangelo’s paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine chapel in the Vatican are works of
consummate artistry.
The lawyers could not consummate the settlement until the two parties met face to face.
SYNONYMS: (adj.) masterful; (v.) clinch, conclude
ANTONYMS: (v.) launch, initiate, begin, kick off
5. Disarray-(n.) disorder, confusion; (v.) to throw into disorder
The burgled home was in a state of disarray.
If you leave the window open, a breeze may disarray the papers on the desktop.
SYNONYMS: (n.) disorganization; (v.) dishevel, mess up
ANTONYMS: (n.) organization, order, tidiness
6. Exigency-(n. often pl.) urgency, pressure; urgent demand, pressing need; an
emergency
He emphasized the exigency of the situation by requesting the immediate dispatch of rescue
teams.
SYNONYMS: requirement, crisis
7. Flotsam-(n.) floating debris; homeless, impoverished people
After the two ships collided, the survivors clung to various pieces of flotsam and hoped for
rescue.
SYNONYMS: floating wreckage
Vocab List Continued
8. Frenetic-(adj.) frenzied, highly agitated
When a court order was issued, the social services department made a frenetic search for the
missing report.
SYNONYMS: frantic, overwrought
ANTONYMS: calm, controlled, relaxed, leisurely
9. Glean-(v.) to gather bit by bit; to gather small quantities of grain left in a field by the
reapers
By means of painstaking investigation, the detectives will eventually glean the truth.
SYNONYMS: cull, pick up
10. Grouse-(n.) a type of game bird; a complaint; (v.) to complain, grumble
The patient’s latest grouse was that he did not get any dessert with his dinner the night before
SYNONYMS: (v.) kvetch, bellyache
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Comp. for College: Vocab. Unit 8
1. Incarcerate-(v.) to imprison, confine, jail
They will incarcerate the convicted felon at the state penitentiary.
SYNONYMS: intern
ANTONYMS: liberate, free
2. Incumbent-(adj.) obligatory, required; (n.) one who holds a specific office at the time
spoken of
Voting on Election Day is a duty incumbent on all Americans who value a democratic
government.
The incumbent has the advantage when standing for reelection but does not have a guarantee
of victory.
SYNONYMS: (adj.) mandatory, necessary
ANTONYMS: (adj.) optional, unnecessary
3. Jocular-(adj.) humorous, jesting, jolly, joking
After receiving the news that she was ahead in the polls, the candidate was in a delightfully
jocular mood.
SYNONYMS: waggish, facetious, droll
ANTONYMS: solemn, grave, earnest grim
4. Ludicrous-(adj.) ridiculous, laughable, absurd
Her comment was so ludicrous that we finally understood that she was joking.
SYNONYMS: risible, preposterous
ANTONYMS: heartrending, poignant, pathetic
5. Mordant-(adj.) biting or caustic in thought, manner, or style; sharply or bitterly
harsh
The actor was upset by the mordant criticism of the gossip columnist who seemed out to ruin
his reputation.
SYNONYMS: acrimonious, acidulous, sardonic, scathing
ANTONYMS: bland, mild, gentle, soothing
6. Nettle-(n.) a prickly or stinging plant; (v.) to arouse displeasure, impatience, or
anger; to vex or irritate severely
If you are pricked by a nettle, aloe cream will soothe and educe the sting.
The principal was nettled by the student’s disrespectful behavior.
SYNONYMS: (v.) peeve, annoy, incense, gall
ANTONYMS: (v.) please, delight, soothe, pacify
7. Pecuniary-(adj.) consisting of or measured in money; of or related to money
The couple was forced by pecuniary considerations to sell their large home and buy a smaller
one.
Vocab List Continued
SYNONYMS: monetary
ANTONYMS: clear, transparent, lucid, limpid
8. Pusillanimous-(adj.) contemptibly cowardly or mean-spirited
It is often said that bullies, when tested, are the most pusillanimous people of all.
SYNONYMS: lily-livered
ANTONYMS: stouthearted, courageous
9. Recumbent-(adj.) in a reclining position, lying down
The tired toddlers were recumbent on the couch after playing all afternoon in the yard.
SYNONYMS: prone, supine, inactive
ANTONYMS: erect, energetic, dynamic
10. Stratagem-(n.) a scheme to outwit or deceive an opponent or to gain an end
The defense attorney used a clever stratagem to curry sympathy for her client.
SYNONYMS: trick, ploy, subterfuge