Here are some helpful online vocabulary reference tools:
http://oaadonline.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/
Week 8
| Verbs | Meaning | Usage |
| ITINERANT | Traveling about; wandering | An itinerant salesman. Synonym: nomadic |
| JARGON | Confused, unintelligible, meaningless talk; special vocabulary used only by members of a group or trade | Variety, a newspaper written in theatrical jargon. Synonyms: gibberish, argot, cant |
| JAUNTY |
Having an air of easy carelessness or liveliness |
Walked with a jaunty step. Synonyms: sprightly, airy, gay, nonchalant, debonair Antonyms: somber, staid |
| JEOPARDY | Danger | His life was in jeopardy. Synonyms: hazard, peril |
| JETTISON | To throw overboard (as cargo); to throw off (as a burden or something in the way) | Jettisoned their old candidate as a political liability |
| JUDICIOUS | Wise; using or exhibiting good judgment | A well-chosen plan, termed judicious by all. Synonyms: discreet, politic, discerning |
| KALEIDOSCOPIC | Constantly changing or varying in pattern or scenes | Kaleidoscopic views of New York |
| KEN | Range of sight or understanding | Something beyond our ken. Synonym: insight |
| LABYRINTH | (adj.: LABYRINTHINE): A structure or intricate passage out of which it is difficult to find one's way (also applied to spiritual and intellectual complexities) | Confused by a labyrinth of intellectual discussions. Synonym: maze |
| LACHRYMOSE | Causing or given to shedding tears | A lachrymose tragedy |
| LACONIC | Saying much in few words | A laconic reply that spoke volumes. Synonyms: concise, pithy, terse, succinct, taciturn, reticent Antonyms: verbose, prolix, redundant, diffuse, tautological, turgid, garrulous, voluble |
| LARCENY | Theft | Indicted for grand larceny |
| LATENT | Hidden; present but not fully developed | Latent talent that time will reveal. Synonyms: dormant, quiescent, covert, potential Antonyms: apparent, patent |
| LAVISH | (1) Profuse or generous (2) Given to extravagance |
Lavish in praise. Synonyms: ample, superabundant a lavish spender. Synonyms: prodigal, munificent, magnanimous. Antonyms: parsimonious, niggardly, frugal, penurious |
| LETHAL | Deadly | A lethal weapon Synonyms: mortal, fatal |
| LONGEVITY | Prolonged duration of life | A country remarkable for the longevity of its inhabitants |
| LOW |
To bellow softly like cattle |
The lowing herd in the meadow. Synonym: moo |
| LUCID | Clear; transparent; easily understood | A lucid explanation of a difficult text. Synonyms: pellucid, perspicuous, intelligible, limpid, luminous, translucent Antonyms: abstruse, obscure |
| LUDICROUS | Ridiculous; producing laughter | A ludicrous remark that set them all to roaring. Synonyms: mirthful, droll, comical, absurd Antonyms: doleful, lugubrious, dismal |
| LUMINARY | An eminent person; a celestial body | The platform graced by a number of luminaries |
| MACHIAVELLIAN | Sacrificing moral principles in order to attain power; politically cunning; crafty | A machiavellian design, wickedly contrived. Synonym: unscrupulous |
| MALICIOUS | (noun: MALICE): Bearing, or acting with, deliberate ill-will or spite | Hurting with malicious intent. Synonyms: rancorous, malignant, malevolent, virulent, vindictive Antonym: benign |
| MASQUERADE | (verb): To assume a deceptive appearance or character (noun): A disguise; a group of people in disguise or fancy costumes |
- A thief masquerading as an honest man. Synonyms: dissemble, feign - A masquerade so perfect no one could guess his identity. |
| MAUDLIN | Sentimental to the point of tears | Turned maudlin at the mention of his lost dog. Synonym: mawkish, lachrymose |
| MEANDER | To walk about (or talk) aimlessly; to wind about (as a stream) | Meandered through the town, looking into shop windows. Synonym: ramble |
| MEDIOCRE | Average in quality | A mediocre performance, unworthy of his talents |
| MERCENARY | Acting solely from a consideration of reward or profit | Actuated by a mercenary motive. Synonym: venal |
| MERETRICIOUS | Attracting in a false, cheap, or showy manner | A meretricious beauty that is too flashy to be real. Synonyms: tawdry, specious |
| METICULOUS | Fussy about minute details | Took meticulous pains with his composition. Synonyms: fastidious, punctilious, over scrupulous, finical, methodical Antonyms: desultory, perfunctory, slovenly |
| METTLE | (adj.: METTLESOME: high-spirited ): Disposition; spirit; courage | His mettle was tried in battle. Idiom: to be on one's mettle (meaning, “ready to do one's best”) Synonyms: temperament, ardor |
| MICROCOSM | A little world, or a universe in miniature | This village amicrocosm of the great outside world. Antonym: macrocosm (world on a large scale) |
| MIMIC | To make fun of or copy by imitating | Mimicked the comedian's gestures |
| MISANTHROPIC |
(noun: MISANTHROPE): Hating or distrusting mankind |
Condemned for his misanthropic views. Antonyms: philanthropic, altruistic |
| MISNOMER | A name or term that describes wrongly | To call him a brave man is really a misnomer |
| MONOLOGUE | A speech by one person | The actor gave his views in a dramatic monologue. Synonym: soliloquy Antonyms: colloquy (adj. colloquial): conversation between two or more persons; dialogue: conversation between two persons |
| MOROSE | Gloomy; ill-humored |
Shunned because of his morose temper. Synonyms: sulky, crabbed, sullen, splenetic, saturnine Antonyms: blithe, genial |
| MOTLEY | Of various colors; of mixed ingredients | A motley costume; a motley crowd. Synonyms: checkered (referring to a varied career), piebald, variegated, diverse, heterogeneous Antonym: homogeneous |
| MOTTLED | Spotted or streaked with varied colors | A mottled pony. Synonyms: blotched, dappled |
| MUNDANE | Of, or pertaining to, the world, as contrasted with the spirit | Mundane affairs. Synonyms: earthly, terrestrial, secular, temporal |
| MURKY | Dark; cloudy | A murky cavern. Synonyms: dismal, tenebrous, fuliginous Antonyms: resplendent, glowing, lustrous, luminous, fulgent, coruscating |
| MUTABLE | Given to frequent change in nature, mood, or form | Mutable inmood as a spring wind. Synonyms: vacillating, fickle, inconstant, fitful, mercurial, wavering, capricious Antonyms: constant, steady |
| MYRIAD | Innumerable | The myriad stars in the heavens. |
| NAUTICAL | Pertaining to ships or navigation | A nautical career. Synonyms: marine, naval, maritime |
| NETTLE | To irritate or provoke | Nettled by his critics. Synonyms: vex, pique, goad |
| NOCTURNAL | Pertaining to, or occurring in, the night | Awakened by the sounds of a nocturnal prowler. Antonym: diurnal |
| NOISOME | Foul-smelling; harmful | The swamp gave off a noisome odor. Synonyms: malodorous, fetid, disgusting; noxious, deleterious Antonym: salubrious |