Aestheticadjhaving to Do with Artistic Beauty; Artistic

1984 Vocabulary

aestheticadjhaving to do with artistic beauty; artistic

aptitudencapacity for learning; natural ability

assimilatevto take in; to absorb; to learn thoroughly

astuteadjshrewd; keen in judgment

augmentvto make bigger; to add to; to increase

cadencenrhythm; the rise and fall of sounds

compendiumna summary; an abridgement

complacentadjself-satisfied; overly pleased with oneself; contented to a fault

contriteadjadmitting guilt; especially feeling remorseful

dearthnlack; scarcity

deludevto deceive

deridevto ridicule; to laugh at contemptuously

didacticadjintended to each; morally instructive; pedantic

discreetadjprudent; judiciously reserved

endemicadjnative; restricted to a particular region or era; indigenous

exoneratevto free completely from blame; to exculpate

extraneousadjunnecessary; irrelevant; extra

extrapolatevto project or deduce from something known; to infer

gravitynseriousness

guilencunning; duplicity; artfulness

heresynany belief that is strongly opposed to established belief

heydayngolden age; prime

ignominyndeep disgrace

immutableadjunchangeable

introspectiveadjtending to think about oneself; examining one's feelings

languishvto become weak, listless, or depressed

laudvto praise; to applaud; to extol; to celebrate

malleableadjeasy to shape or bend

maverickna nonconformist; a rebel

nostalgiansentimental longing for the past; homesickness

oblivionntotal forgetfulness; the state of being forgotten

painstakingadjextremely careful; taking pains

palliatevto relieve to alleviate something without getting rid of the problem; to assuage; to mitigate

paradigmna model or example

paradoxna true statement or phenomenon that nonetheless seems to

contradict itself; an untrue statementor phenomenon that

nonetheless seems logical

pensiveadjthoughtful and sad

permeatevto spread or seep through; to penetrate

preceptna rule to live by; a principle establishing a certain kind of action or behavior; a maxim

premisenan assumption; the basis for a conclusion

prerogativena right or privilege connected exclusively with a position, a class, a

nation, or some other group or classification

professvto declare; to declare falsely or pretend

profoundadjdeep (in several senses)

prosaicadjdull; unimaginative; like prose (as opposed to poetry)

provincialadjlimited in outlook to one's own small corner of the world; narrow

rancornbitter, long-lasting ill will or resentment

rebukevto criticize sharply

relentlessadjcontinuous; unstoppable

relinquishvto release or let go of; to surrender; to stop doing

reprehensibleadjworthy of severe blame or censure

robustadjstrong and healthy; vigorous

rudimentaryadjbasic; crude; unformed or undeveloped

slandervto speak badly about someone publicly; to defame; to spread malicious rumor

squalornfilth; wretched, degraded, or repulsive living conditions

subjugatevto subdue and dominate; to enslave

sublimeadjawesome; extremely exalted; lofty; majestic

sycophantnone who sucks up to others

tacitadjimplied; not spoken

unconscionableadjnot controlled by conscience; unscrupulous

utopianan ideal society

vernacularneveryday speech; slang; idiom

virulentadjextremely poisonous; malignant; full of hate

volitionnwill; conscious choice