Vocabulary Drill
Chapter Twelve
admonishing · scolding or yelling at
aggrieved · distressed
appalled · shocked or horrified
appraising · judging or evaluating
banned · barred
blustery · windy
brink · edge
candid · open or honest
charlatan · fraud or faker
chicanery · trickery or deception
chivalry · gentlemanly behavior
circumvented · dodged or sidestepped
civilian · ordinary citizen (as opposed to a soldier or policeman
comprehend · understand
compromise · middle ground
conciliated · made peace with
concoct · make up
constituted · amounted to
contradictory · conflicting
convoluted · complicated or difficult
culpable · guilty
cunning · slyness or sneakiness
debacle · incident
deteriorating · decaying or falling apart
disconcerting · upsetting or disturbing
dispensing · giving out
divert · distract
domestic · made in this country
droll · funny or entertaining
dwindle · decrease or diminish
eclipsed · overshadowed or overwhelmed
elaborate · complex or complicated
elucidated · made clear
embarked · began or started
emulate · imitate
enmeshed · trapped or tangled
entice · tempt
eradicated · wiped out
exemplify · embody or epitomize
frenzy · flurry or storm
frustrating · blocking or preventing
garbled · muddled or inaudible
garish · bright or gaudy
gibes · taunts or jokes
harass · bother or pester
hermit · loner
hidebound · narrow-minded
hoarding · saving or stockpiling
hors doeuvres · appetizers
hostage · prisoner
illusion · fantasy or daydream
immense · enormous
impound · seize
incidental · beside the point
incompetent · useless or bungling
inconsequential · unimportant or insignificant
inconstant · unreliable or unpredictable
indecision · uncertainty
inevitable · certain or unavoidable
inhibit · stop or discourage
iniquitous · evil or unfair
intensifying · increasing or deepening
intricate · elaborate or fancy
luminous · bright or brilliant
lurid · racy or explicit
mayhem · confusion or chaos
meekly · timidly or tamely
mellow · calm or laid-back
melodramatic · sensational or dramatic
mettle · nerve or guts
mollify · calm or pacify
mutual · common or shared
negotiating · discussing or bargaining
neurotic · irrational or obsessed
obstructed · blocked
pacify · calm
palliate · excuse or cover for by apologizing
parched · very thirsty
pontificate · preach
preconceived · existing beforehand
predecessor · person who held the job previously
prerogative · choice or right
quench · satisfy
radical · extreme or revolutionary
ranted · shouted or raged
rational · sensible or reasonable
reassure · encourage or give confidence
rectified · fixed or set right
rendezvous · meeting or date
resonating · echoing or booming
rival · competitor or challenger
roster · list
savoring · enjoying
soiree · evening party
superficial · shallow or insincere
unkempt · messy or scruffy
unremittingly · endlessly or relentlessly
urgency · insistence or need
vehemently · heatedly or intensely
volatile · unstable or explosive
winced · flinched or cringed
