Vocabulary Drill

Chapter Eight

abased · humiliated

accosted · confronted or attacked

adroit · skillful

adulation · admiration

aggression · anger or violence

assailed · beat or attacked

assumed · taken on

baffled · puzzled

balked · blocked

befuddled · confused

bemoaning · complaining about

betraying · being disloyal or treacherous to

brittle · fragile or dry

calamity · disaster

charitable · generous

circumspect · cautious or guarded

clamoring · shouting or crying out

clandestine · secret

coddle · overprotect or fuss over

confidant · someone to talk to

conspicuous · noticeable

construed · interpreted

contagion · virus

corroding · crumbling or decaying

covetous · jealous

crass · rude or insensitive

crucial · essential or important

culprits · criminals

daze · fog or haze

decipher · figure out

defer · postpone

deflated · lessened in size

deft · nimble or quick

deity · god

deliberate · think or ponder

desolate · unhappy or depressed

despise · hate

devastating · damaging

dialogue · conversation

disperse · scatter

extracting · pulling out

exultant · thrilled or overjoyed

fabricate · make up

fidgeting · playing with nervously

folly · foolishness

foresee · predict

frail · fragile

frenzied · wild or furious

gluttons · people who overeat or eat greedily

gratified · satisfied

gulf · gap

gullible · easy to fool

harbored · hid or guarded

hostile · unfriendly or resentful

impending · coming up soon

implore · plead

inadvertently · by accident

inaugural · first

incensed · angry or furious

incoherent · jumbled or garbled

infantility · immaturity or childishness

intervene · get involved

laceration · cut or gash

lackluster · lifeless or mediocre

largesse · generosity

linchpin · key player

loathed · hated

mendacious · dishonest or misleading

mused · thought

nadir · low point

neophyte · beginner

nimble · quick or agile

ominous · threatening

oscillating · moving back and forth

pall · gloom

pejorative · negative or uncomplimentary

penultimate · second-to-last

perpetrating · committing

perpetuate · keep up

persecute · bully or harass

pinnacle · height or peak

preposterous · ridiculous or unbelievable

profound · intense or overwhelming

reciprocating · returning

recoiled · shrank away

relented · gave in

repugnant · disgusting

rescinded · taken back

resounding · echoing or booming

retaliated · struck back

scenario · situation

shunning · rejecting

sober · serious or dreary

superb · wonderful

unfathomable · unbelievable or unthinkable

unprecedented · first-time or extraordinary

unscrupulous · immoral or wicked

whetted · awakened or aroused

withering · sneering or hateful