Senior Vocabulary Words
Lesson #9
halcyon (adj.) calm, pleasant
hallow (verb) to make holy; (adj.) holy
harbinger (noun) an omen or sign
harlequin (noun) a clown
hector (verb) to bully; to pester
hedonism (noun) pursuit of pleasure,
especially of the senses
hegira (noun) flight, escape
hermetic (adj.) tightly sealed
heterogeneous (adj.) different; dissimilar
hiatus (noun) a pause or gap
hoi polloi (noun) common people; the masses
hospice (noun) a shelter
hubris (noun) excessive pride or selfconfidence
hybrid (noun) anything of mixed origin; (adj.)
mixed, assorted
idiosyncrasy (noun) a peculiar personality
trait
Lesson #10
idolatry (noun) excessive or blind adoration; worship
of an object
ignoble (adj.) dishonorable, shameful
imminent (adj.) likely to happen; threatening
immolate (verb) to kill someone as a sacrificial victim,
usually by fire
immutable (adj.) unchangeable, fixed
impair (verb) to weaken; to cause to become worse
impale (verb) to pierce with a sharp stake through the
body
impalpable (adj.) cannot be felt
impecunious (adj.) without money; penniless
impediment (noun) a barrier; obstruction
imperative (adj.) extremely necessary; vitally
important
imperious (adj.) domineering; haughty
impinge (verb) to strike; to encroach
impious (adj.) disrespectful towards God
importune (verb) to persistently ask; to beg
Lesson#11
impotent (adj.) powerless; lacking strength
imprecation (noun) a curse
jocular (adj.) humorous, lighthearted
juxtapose (verb) to place side by side for comparison
kinetic (adj.) pertaining to motion
kismet (noun) destiny, fate, fortune (one's lot in life)
knell (noun) a sound made by a bell rung slowly for a
death or funeral
labyrinth (noun) a complicated network of wilding
passages; a maze
lachrymose (adj.) tearful, weepy
laconic (adj.) using few words; short, concise
lambent (adj.) softly bright or radiant; running or
moving lightly over a surface
languid (adj.) sluggish; drooping from weakness
lascivious (adj.) lustful or lewd; inciting sexual desire
legerdemain (noun) sleight of hand; deception
libertine (noun) one who leads an immortal life
Lesson#12
machination (noun) an evil design or plan
macroscopic (adj.) visible to the naked eye
maelstrom (noun) whirlpool, turbulence; agitated
state of mind
malapropism (noun) a word humorously misused
malleable (adj.) capable of being changed; easily
shaped
martinet (noun) a strict disciplinarian; taskmaster
masochist (noun) one who enjoys his or her own
pain and suffering
mendacious (adj.) lying; false, deceitful
meretricious (adj.) attractive in a cheap, flashy
way
milieu (noun) environment, setting
miscreant (noun) a vicious person
nebulous (adj.) hazy, vague, uncertain
necromancy (noun) magic, especially that
practiced by a witch
neologism (noun) use a new word; making up a
new word or definition
nihilism (noun) a total rejection of established laws
Lesson#13
nirvana (noun) a place of great peace or happiness
nonentity (noun) a person of thing or little importance
non sequitur (noun) something that does not logically
follow
nubile (adj.) a female suitable for marriage in regard to
age and physical development
obdurate (adj.) stubborn, hardhearted
obfuscate (verb) to confuse; to bewilder
obloquy (noun) strong disapproval; a bad reputation
resulting from public
obsequious (adj.) excessively submissive or overly
attentive
obviate (verb) to prevent; to get around
offal (noun) garbage; waste parts
olfactory (adj.) pertaining to smell
onerous (adj.) burdensome; heavy; hard to endure
onus (noun) a burden, responsibility, obligation
optimum (noun) the best, the most favorable, the ideal
opulent (adj.) rich, luxurious; the trappings of great
wealth
Lesson#14
orifice (noun) mouth; opening
orthography (noun) correct spelling
paleontology (noun) a science dealing with
prehistoric life through study of fossils
palliate (verb) to ease, to lessen, to soothe
panache (noun) self-confidence; a showy manner
pandemic (adj.) general; widespread
panegyric (noun) an expression of praise
paradigm (noun) a model, an example
parochial (adj.) local; narrow; limited
parody (noun) a work which imitates another in a
ridiculous manner
paroxysm (noun) a sudden outburst; a fit
patent (adj.) evident or obvious
peccadillo (noun) a minor offense, a misdeed
pecuniary (adj.) pertaining to money; financial
pedantic (adj.) tending to show off one's learning
Lesson#15
pedestrian (adj.) a person or thing said to be ordinary
or dull
pejorative (adj.) having a negative effect; insulting
perdition (noun) damnation; ruin; hell
perfunctory (adj.) done without care; on a routine
fashion
perspicacity (noun) keenness of judgment
peruse (verb) to read carefully; scrutinize
quagmire (noun) a swamp; a difficult or inextricable
situation
quandary (noun) a puzzling situation; a dilemma
quasi- (adj.) resembling; seeming; half
querulous (adj.) complaining; grumbling
quiddity (noun) an essential quality
raiment (noun) clothing; garments
rakish (adj.) carefree; dashing, jaunty
ratiocinate (verb) to reason; to think
rationalize (verb) to make an excuse for
Lesson#16
rebuke (verb) to scold; to blame
recant (verb) to withdraw or disavow a statement or
opinion
recapitulate (verb) to summarize; to repeat briefly
recoil (verb) to retreat; to draw back
recondite (adj.) difficult to understand; profound
recreant (noun) a coward, a traitor
rectify (verb) to correct; to make right
redolent (adj.) having a pleasant odor; suggestive or
evocative
redundant (adj.) repetitious; using more words than
needed
regale (verb) to delight with something pleasing or
amusing
regress (verb) to move in a backward direction
sacrosanct (adj.) extremely holy
sadistic (adj.) deriving pleasure from inflicting pain on
others
sagacious (adj.) wise; having keen perception and sound
judgment
salacious (adj.) obscene; lusty
Lesson #17
salient (adj.) significant, conspicuous; standing out
from the rest
salutary (adj.) healthful; wholesome
sangfroid (noun) calmness; composure or cool selfpossession
sanguine (adj.) cheerful; optimistic
sapient (adj.) wise; full of knowledge
saturnine (adj.) gloomy; sluggish
savant (noun) a person of extensive learning; an
eminent scholar
scintillate (verb) to sparkle; to twinkle; to sparkle
intellectually
scurrilous (adj.) coarsely abusive; vulgar
sedition (noun) rebellion or resistance against the
government
sedulous (adj.) hard working; diligent
sentient (adj.) conscious; capable of feeling perception
shard (noun) a fragment
shibboleth (noun) a slogan; a password
sibilant (adj.) a hissing sound