VOCAB UNIT 12

APPRECIABLE

• Sufficient to be noticed or measured
• S: detectable, considerable
• A: slight, trivial, negligible
• Adjective

AUTOCRATIC

• Absolute in power or authority
• S: domineering, dictatorial, tyrannical, bossy
• A: democratic, lenient, permissive, egalitarian
• Adjective

BLANCH

• to remove color from; to parboil or turn pale
• S: bleach, drain, wash out
• A: infuse, blush, flush, color
• Verb

BLASPHEMY

• An act, utterance, or writing showing contempt
• S: curse, profanity, imprecation
• A: veneration, devotion, respect
• Noun

BRAWNY

• Strong, muscular
• S: strapping, burly
• A: slight, frail, puny
• Adjective

CONCERTED

• Planned or performed in cooperation with others
• S: combined, consolidated
• A: unilateral, diffused
• Adjective

CONTEND

• To fight, struggle; to compete; to argue
• S: battle, vie, assert
• A: yield, acquiesce, submit
• Verb

HUMANE

• Kind, merciful
• S: sympathetic, kind, compassionate,
• A: cruel, merciless, brutal
• Adjective

ILLUSTRIOUS

• very famous, distinguished
• S: eminent, renowned, prominent, celebrated
• A: unknown, obscure, nameless, anonymous
• Adjective

INTOLERABLE

• unbearable
• S: insufferable, outrageous
• A: pleasant, pleasing
• Adjective

IRREVERENT

• disrespectful
• S: profane, impious, sacrilegious
• A: awed, respectful, devout, pious, deferential
• Adjective

LABORIOUS

• Not easy, requiring hard work; hardworking
• S: arduous, difficult, strenuous, wearisome
• A: easy, effortless, facile
• Adjective

LITHE

• bending easily, limber
• S: flexible, pliant, lissome
• A: rigid, inflexible, taut
• Adjective

MALTREAT

• To abuse, use roughly or crudely
• S: misuse, mistreat, harm
• A: coddle, pamper, indulge
• Verb

PONDER

• to consider carefully, reflect
• S: ruminate, contemplate
• Verb

SUBVERSIVE

• Intended to undermine or overthrow; one who advocates
• S: traitorous; a revolution
• A: patriotic, loyal, true-blue
• Adjective, Noun

SYNTHETIC

• made or put together by people; something artificial
• S: ersatz
• A: natural, genuine
• Adjective, Noun

TEMPERATE

• mild, moderate
• S: composed, balanced, mellow, fair
• A: immoderate, extreme, excessive, harsh
• Adjective

VENEMOUS

• Poisonous; spiteful, mean
• S: nasty, malicious, virulent, malevolent, toxic
• A: harmless, innocuous, benign
• Adjective

WILY

• Sly, shrewd, cunning
• S: tricky, artful, foxy, cagey
• A: dull-witted, dense, straightforward
• Adjective