Vocab tip sheet – week 8
1. Allege – I’m fine with this definition and I further believe that you’ve all watched enough TV to know
what the “alleged thief” means.
2. Arrant – try this definition: being notoriously without moderation – add that to the list of synonyms
VW gives you as the definition and it should work for you – also, consider the example sentence – Iago
is (arguably) the very most evil of all Shakespeare’s characters
3. Badinage – I love this definition - it’s on the money – you engage in badinage frequently with your
friends
4. Conciliate – I think their definition is fine – it’s basically what you do when you’re trying to get back on
someone’s “good side” (I’m assuming you know what that means)
5. Countermand – excellent definition on VW’s part =)
6. Echelon—if you read The Right Stuff you can think of this in terms of the ziggurat (or pyramid) – as the
pilots did more and more courageous things, they moved into/onto the upper echelons of the ziggurat
– if you DIDN’T read TRS think of it as moving up the proverbial ladder
7. Exacerbate – to make worse in anyway – for example – if you’re already in trouble for not cleaning up
your room, but your parents let you go over to a friend’s house with the stipulation you’re home by a
certain time and you’re late – you’ve exacerbated the situation…
8. Fatuous – this is a good definition – keep in mind that only people can be fatuous –
9. Irrefutable – this definition is pretty straight forward, I think
10. Juggernaut – the definition makes it seem like it HAS to be physical – (good luck getting through the
juggernaut in the Skylight before school starts) BUT, it can also be more figurative, too
11. Lackadaisical – LOVE this word  the definition is fine – and, my advice to you? Don’t be a
lackadaisical learner!
12. Litany – the second part of this definition is MUCH better for our purposes –
13. Macabre – what about this instead of synonyms – involving death or violence in a way that is strange
or unpleasant – Also, VERY commonly mispronounced by you guys – check that out…
14. Paucity – good definition – it can be lack of anything
15. Portend – good definition – you all read Macbeth last year – this is what the witches do when they tell
Macbeth that he’ll be king…
16. Raze – people, places and things can be razed – it can be literally or metaphorically destroyed (“my
parents razed my hopes of getting a car for graduation” is just as correct as “they razed the old barn to
make way for the new construction”)
17. Recant – to retract your believe – change your mind – the most famous example might be Benedict
Arnold – he recanted his allegiance to America during the Civil War)
18. Saturate – I think you guys know this word….
19. Saturnine- I like this definition – it generally applies to people – maybe pets, but never places or things
20. Slough – I hate this word… - I like the verb definition much better … there will be enough context clues
anywhere you encounter the noun version to figure it out, anyway…