Unit 3 First 10 Words Unit Last 10 Words

Acculturation

Commiserate

Expedited

Expiate

Inadvertent

Noncommittal

Peculate

Seditious

Vitriolic

Wheedle

Unit 3 VCB, Level F

Abominate

(v.) to have an intense dislike or hatred for

Synonyms: Despise, Detest

Ex: Abigail abominates Elizabeth Proctor.

Acculturation (n.) the modification of the social patterns, traits,

or structures of one group or society by contact with those of another; the resultant blend

Synonym: Adaptation

Ex: We experienced a smooth acculturation from middle school to high school.

Adventitious (adj.) resulting from chance rather than from an

inherent cause or character; accidental, not essential; (medicine) acquired, not congenital

Synonyms: Fortuitous, Incidental

Ex: It was an adventitious situation when I won at bingo!

Ascribe (v.) to assign or refer to (as a cause or source),

attribute

Synonyms: Impute, Credit

Ex: I ascribed the students to an evening of intense studying.

Circuitous (adj.) roundabout, not direct

Ex: The parent took the circuitous route to my friend’s house; my father wanted to spend time in the car lecturing me.

Commiserate

(v.) to sympathize with, have pity or sorrow for, share a feeling of distress

Synonym: sympathizing

Ex: The underclassmen commiserate with each other because they all must take the PSAT.

Enjoin (v.) to direct or order; to prescribe a course of

action in an authoritative way; to prohibit

Ex: The teacher enjoined the students to study their vocabulary!

Expedite

(v.) to make easy, cause to progress faster

Synonym: Accelerate

Ex: Some students want to

expedite their experience in high school by graduating earlier.

Expiate (v.) to make amends, make up for; to avert

Synonym: redeem/make peace

Ex: Guys tend to expiate conflicts with girls; they know they can’t win the argument.

Ferment (n.) a state of great excitement, agitation,

turbulence; (v.) to be in or work into such a state; to produce alcohol by chemical action

Ex: The students were in a wild state of ferment because it was the last day of school.

Inadvertent (adj.) resulting from or marked by lack of attention;

unintentional, accidental

Synonym: accidental

Ex: The inadvertent accident caused the teenager’s car insurance to increase.

Nominal (adj.) existing in name only, not real; too small to be

considered or taken seriously

Ex: The nominal gift still made the children smile.

Noncommittal (adj.) not decisive or definite

Synonym: uninformative

Ex: Parents are more noncommittal about allowing teenagers to be independent.

Peculate (v.) to steal something that has been given into one’s

trust; to take improperly for one’s own use

Synonyms: defraud/misappropriate

Ex:He peculated from the old women; the teenager said the money would go towards a needy family.

Proclivity (n.) a natural or habitual inclination or tendency

(especially of human character or behavior)

Ex: Teenagers have a proclivity for sleeping on weekends; they sleep ten hours.

Sangfroid (n.) composure or coolness, especially in trying

circumstances

Ex: 007 exhibits sangfroid; he is composed and always cool!

Seditious (adj.) resistant to lawful authority; having the

purpose of overthrowing an established government

Synonyms: mutinous, rebellious

Ex: The seditious killing of an American ambassador in Egypt caused the United States to evacuate the country.

Tenuous (adj.) thin, slender, not dense; lacking clarity or sharpness; of slight importance; lacking a sound

basis, poorly supported

Ex: The presidential debates consisted of tenuous arguments; their platforms were weakly supported.

Vitriolic (adj.) bitter, sarcastic; highly caustic or biting (like a strong acid)

Synonyms: withering, acerbic

Ex: Her vitriolic attitude created enemies everywhere; she never used polite language.

Wheedle (v.) to use coaxing or flattery to gain some desired

end

Synonyms: inveigle, sweet-talk

Ex: The teenager wheedled her way into the concert. Her parents let her stay out late.