REA 0002REA 0002VocabularyVocabularyChapters 1 and 2Chapters 1 and 2

facetious• Funny• Humorous• Playful• Joking

• He was being facetious when he said he loved me!

gregarious• Outgoing• Sociable• Enjoying the company of other

• Jerry is a very gregarious person.

detriment• Disadvantage• Something that can cause harm or damage• Damage or loss• Damaging

• Smoking can be a detriment to your health.

vicarious• Experienced indirectly• Experienced through the imagination• Not experienced directly

• Reading about a place can give you a vicarious experience.

optimum• Ideal• Best possible• Most favorable or desirable

• Getting 8 hours of sleep a night is optimum.

dexterous• Skilled in using the hands or body• skillful

• Amy was very dexterous when it came to using chopsticks to eat.

sensory• Of the senses• Having to do with seeing, hearing,

tasting, feeling, smelling

• Entering the bakery had become a sensory experience.

ostentatious• Showy• Meant to impress others• Flashy

• The 10 carat diamond was very ostentatious.

discretion• Good sense• Good judgment or tact in actions

or speaking

• Mary didn’t use much discretion when she blurted out her comment about Sandy’s hair.

scrupulous• Ethical• Careful about moral standards• Conscientious

• Sarah was very scrupulous about the way she dealt with the customers.

collaborate• To team up• To work together on a project• Cooperate on a project

• I wanted the students to collaborate on their assignments.

retrospect• Looking back• Reviewing the past• Considering past events

• In retrospect I could see the errors of my ways.

zealot• An extremist• A person totally devoted to a

purpose or cause

• Jane was a zealot when it came to eating properly.

rudimentary• Basic• Fundamental• Necessary to learn first• Elementary

• Learning the letter sounds is a rudimentary part of learning to read.

despondent• Depressed• Downhearted• Hopeless• Overwhelmed with sadness

• He was despondent after his best friend died.

venerate• To honor• To respect deeply• Revere

• We should venerate our elders.

scoff• To ridicule• To make fun of• Mock• Refuse to take seriously

• Why would I scoff at your good ideas?

instigate• To cause• To bring about by moving others

to action• Stir up…into action

• He wanted to instigate a response to the political situation.

squelch• To hold back• To silence or suppress• Crush

• It is hard to squelch a sneeze.

resilient• Quick to recover• Able to recover quickly from harm,

illness, or misfortune.

• After the hurricane, the area seemed to be very resilent.