aghast

Unit 5

filled with amazement, disgust, fear (adj)

People were aghast at the senseless brutality of the crime.

ample

Unit 5

more than enough; large;spacious (adj)

Thanks to the wet spring weather, birds and other animals will have an ample supply of food for the rest of the year.

apparition

Unit 5

a ghost or ghostly figure; an unexplained/unusual appearance (noun)

The vivid apparition in the abandoned house seemed so real.

assert

Unit 5

to declare or state as truth; maintain/defend; put forward forcefully (verb)

Throughout the trial, the defendant firmly asserts her innocence.

cower

Unit 5

to crouch or shrink away from in fear or shame (verb)

The tiny kittens cowered in the corner, frightened by the dog.

disdain

Unit 5

to look upon with scorn (verb)

a feeling of contempt/reject (noun)

I emphatically disdain their cowardly behavior.

Fair-minded people have disdain for racism.

epitaph

Unit 5

a brief statement written on a tomb/gravestone (noun)

Did Ben Jonson write the epitaph that is engrave on William Shakespeare's tombstone?

ethical

Unit 5

having to do with morals, values; right and wrong (adj)

New developements in medicine often lead to discussions of importan ethical questions.

facetious

Unit 5

humorous; not meant seriously

We had to laugh at her facetious remarks.

inaudible

Unit 5

not able to be heard (adj)

Some high-frequency sounds are inaudible to even the keenest human ear.

indiscriminate

Unit 5

without restraint or control; unselective; random

The indiscriminate slaughter of whales brought that species to the brink of extinction.

intrigue

Unit 5

crafty dealings, underhanded plotting (noun)

to form and carry out plots; to puzzle/excite curiosity (verb)

Investigators uncovered a shocking network of lies and international intrigue.

The old album full of old family  pictures from exotic places intrigued me.

jurisdiction

Unit 5

an area of authority/control (noun)

Cases involving robbery and assault are tried under the jurisdiction of the state courts.

plausible

Unit 5

appearing true, reasonable or fair (adj)

Their story didn't sound plausible to me.

plebeian

Unit 5

common, vulgar; belonging to the lower class (adj)

a common person, member of the lower class (noun)

Despite the couple's wealth, their tast in cars is surprisingly plebeian.

At one time, the plebeian of ancient Rome were excluded from holding public office.

prodigal

Unit 5

wastefully extravagant; lavishly, abundant (adj)

one who is wasteful/self-indulgent (noun)

We have a tight budget, but we make an exception for prodigal celebrations.

The elderly man told us that he greatly regretted the years he spent living the life of a prodigal.

proximity

Unit 5

nearness, closeness (noun)

People with children often choose a house because of its proximity to schools.

pulverize

Unit 5

to grind or pound to a powder or dust; to destroy (verb)

At many old mills in Vermont, granite stones were used to pulverize the grain.

sequel

Unit 5

that which follows, a result; literary work/film continuing the story of one made/written earlier (noun)

Readers are eagerly awaiting a sequel to the author's best selling novel. 

volatile

Unit 5

highly changeable, fickle; tending to become violent/explosive; changing readily from the liquid to gaseous state (adj)

For the moment, the crowd was quiet, but we knew that it was to volatile that it might become dangerous at any time.