JUNE - High frequency words

1. Mollify - To calm in temper or feeling; soothe; lessen in intensity; temper; reduce the rigidity of; soften; ease the anger or agitation of; cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of; make more temperate, acceptable, or suitable by adding something else; moderate
2. Aphorism - A brief statement of a principle; a tersely phrased statement of a truth or opinion; an adage
3. Pristine - Remaining in a pure state; uncorrupted by civilization. Remaining free from dirt or decay; clean
4. Blemish - To mar or impair by a flaw; imperfection that mars or impairs; a flaw or defect; spoil the soundness or perfection of; something that mars the appearance or causes inadequacy or failure; mark of discredit or disgrace; flaw, disfigure
5. Heinous - Grossly wicked or reprehensible; abominable: a heinous crime; horrifying, monstrous; very evil or wicked
6. Harangue - A long pompous speech, especially one delivered before a gathering; speech or piece of writing characterized by strong feeling or expression; a tirade; long, violent, or blustering speech, usually of censure or denunciation; speak in a loud, pompous, or prolonged manner; lecture; long passionate speech
7. Insipid - Lacking flavor or zest; not tasty; lacking qualities that excite, stimulate, or interest; dull
8. Inconspicuous - Not readily noticeable
9. Transience - The state or quality of being transient; temporariness; an impermanence that suggests the inevitability of ending or dying; the attribute of being brief or fleeting
10. Stoical - Indifference to pleasure or pain; impassiveness
11. Jubilation - The act of rejoicing; condition or feeling of being jubilant; celebration or other expression of joy; feeling of extreme joy; joyful occasion for special festivities to mark some happy event; utterance of sounds expressing great joy
12. Serpentine - Of or resembling a serpent, as in form or movement; sinuous; repeatedly curving in alternate directions; subtly sly and tempting; any of a group of greenish, brownish, or spotted minerals, Mg₃Si₂O₅(OH)₄, used as a source of magnesium and asbestos, and in architecture as a decorative stone
13. Impugn - To attack as false or questionable; challenge in argument; criticize, challenge
14. Allegory - The representation of abstract ideas or principles by characters, figures, or events in narrative, dramatic, or pictorial form; a story, picture, or play employing such representation; a symbolic representation
15. Sumptuous - Of a size or splendor suggesting great expense; lavish; luxurious, splendid; rich and superior in quality
16. Bumptious - Crudely or loudly assertive; pushy; self-assertive offensively self-assertive
17. Myriad - Constituting a very large, indefinite number; innumerable; composed of numerous diverse elements or facets
18. Wax - Any of various natural, oily or greasy heat-sensitive substances, consisting of hydrocarbons or esters of fatty acids that are insoluble in water but soluble in nonpolar organic solvents; resinous mixture used by shoemakers to rub on thread; phonograph record; to increase gradually in size, number, strength, or intensity; to show a progressively larger illuminated area, as the moon does in passing from new to full; to grow or become as specified
19. Castigate - To inflict severe punishment on; to criticize severely
20. Scant - Just sufficient; limit in quality or quantity; supply sparingly, with a meager allowance; work hastily or carelessly; deal with inadequately and superficially; less than the correct or legal or full amount often deliberately s
21. Euphoria - A feeling of great happiness or well-being; extreme happiness; high spirits
22. Heresy - A controversial or unorthodox opinion or doctrine, as in politics, philosophy, or science; adherence to such controversial or unorthodox opinion; unorthodoxy
23. Lethargic - Of, causing, or characterized by lethargy; lazy, sluggish; deficient in alertness or activity
24. Misanthrope - One who hates or mistrusts humankind; person who expects only the worst from people; person who hates others
25. Afflatus - A strong creative impulse, especially as a result of divine inspiration; divine guidance and motivation imparted directly; a creative impulse, an inspiration
26. Gibberish - Unintelligible or nonsensical talk or writing; nonsense talk
27. Hagiography - Biography of saints; worshipful or idealizing biography
28. Disconsolate - Seeming beyond consolation; extremely dejected; cheerless; gloomy; depressed, unhappy
29. Chimera - A fantastic, impracticable plan or desire; dream, fantasy
30. Yokel - An uneducated country person; clumsy, unsophisticated person; a rustic; a bumpkin
31. Countenance - Appearance, especially the expression of the face; face or facial features; look or expression indicative of encouragement or of moral support; give sanction or support to; tolerate or approve; disposition of the facial features that conveys meaning, feeling, or mood
32. Intermittent - Stopping and starting at intervals; alternately containing and empty of water; irregular, sporadic; happening or appearing now and then
33. Inkling - A slight hint or indication; a slight understanding or vague idea or notion; a subtle quality underlying or felt to underlie a situation, action, or person
34. Pulchritude - Great physical beauty and appeal; physical beauty (especially of a woman)
35. Gully - A deep ditch or channel cut in the earth by running water after a prolonged downpour; to wear a deep ditch or channel in; deep ditch cut by running water
36. Fustian - A coarse sturdy cloth made of cotton and flax; pretentious speech or writing; pompous language; pompous, bombastic, and ranting
37. Lubricant - A substance, such as grease or oil, that reduces friction when applied as a surface coating to moving parts; one that helps reduce difficulty or conflict; a substance capable of reducing friction by making surfaces smooth or slippery
38. Reify - To regard or treat (an abstraction) as if it had concrete or material existence; interpretation of an abstract idea or concept, such as the state, as real or concrete; consider an abstract concept to be real
39. Awry - In a position that is turned or twisted toward one side; askew; away from the correct course; amiss
40. Euphemism - The act or an example of substituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for one considered harsh, blunt, or offensive; use or an instance of equivocal language; polite term
41. Friction - A state of disagreement and disharmony; the resistance to movement as one object is moved across the other, usually creating heat; conflict or animosity caused by a clash of wills, temperaments, or opinions; the action of one surface or object rubbing against another
42. Prodigal - Rashly or wastefully extravagant; giving or given in abundance; lavish or profuse; wasteful; a recklessly extravagant consumer
43. Rescind - To make void; repeal or annul; declare void; take back or remove
44. Penurious - Unwilling to spend money; stingy; yielding little; barren; poverty-stricken; destitute; mean; poor; ungenerously or pettily reluctant to spend money
45. Altruism - Unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness; kindly, charitable interest in others; service to others without thinking of one's self
46. Spartan - Resolute in the face of pain or danger or adversity; unsparing and uncompromising in discipline or judgment; practicing great self-denial; austere; laconic; simple
47. Fragile - Easily broken, damaged, or destroyed; frail; lacking physical or emotional strength; delicate; tenuous or flimsy; breakable, dainty
48. Impeccable - Having no flaws; perfect; incapable of sin or wrongdoing; above suspicion; flawless; supremely excellent in quality or nature
49. Exude - To ooze forth; to discharge or emit (a liquid or gas, for example) gradually; to exhibit in abundance; to flow or leak out or emit something slowly; display, emit
50. Profuse - Plentiful; copious; given freely and abundantly; extravagant; abundant, excessive; produced or growing in extreme abundance
51. Rib - One of a series of long curved bones occurring in 12 pairs in humans and extending from the spine to or toward the sternum; tease or mock good-humoredly; any of the curved transverse pieces of metal or timber in a ship, extending up from the keel and forming part of the framework of the hull
52. Loquacious - Talkative; garrulous
53. Ignominy - Great personal dishonor or humiliation; shameful or disgraceful action, conduct, or character; loss of or damage to one's reputation; shame
54. Detrimental - Causing damage or harm; injurious; damaging, disadvantageous
55. Proscribe - To denounce or condemn; to prohibit; forbid; banish or outlaw (a person); exclude
56. Trespass - Unlawful entry or possession of property; invasion, offense; infringe, offend; enter forcibly or illegally: break in; violate a moral or divine law
57. Lamentation - The passionate and demonstrative activity of expressing grief; a cry of sorrow and grief
58. Rapacious - Taking by force; plundering; greedy; ravenous; subsisting on live prey; grasping; having an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit
59. Tranquil - Free from disturbance or agitation; quiet, peaceful
60. Buoyant - Having the ability to float; light in weight; lighthearted; gay
61. Misdemeanor - A misdeed; breaking of the law that is less serious than a felony; minor crime, punishable by a fine or a light jail term
62. Exonerate - To free from blame; free from a responsibility, obligation, or task; excuse, clear of responsibility or blame
63. Preeminent - Superior to or notable above all others; outstanding; far beyond what is usual, normal, or customary; greatest in importance or degree or significance or achievement
64. Digression - The act of digressing; deviation; straying
65. Tendentious - Marked by a strong implicit point of view; partisan; having or marked by a strong tendency especially a controversial one; bias
66. Plethora - A superabundance; an excess; excess of blood in the circulatory system or in one organ or area; condition of going or being beyond what is needed, desired, or appropriate
67. Roil - To make (a liquid) muddy or cloudy by stirring up sediment; displease or disturb; vex; be in a state of turbulence or agitation; make turbid by stirring up the sediments of
68. Digress- To turn aside, especially from the main subject in writing or speaking; stray
69. Heretical - Of or relating to heresy or heretics; characterized by, revealing, or approaching departure from established beliefs or standards; unorthodox; characterized by departure from accepted beliefs or standards
70. Meld - To declare or display (a card or combination of cards in a hand) for inclusion in one's score in various card games, such as pinochle; a form of rummy using two decks and four jokers; jokers and deuces are wild; the object is to meld groups of seven of the same rank; announce for a score; of cards in a card game; lose its distinct outline or shape; blend gradually;mix together different elements; cause to merge; bring or come together into a united whole;
71. Fretwork - Ornamental work consisting of three-dimensional frets; geometric openwork; design of short bars or lines fitted together
72. Panegyric - A formal eulogistic composition intended as a public compliment. Elaborate praise or laudation; an encomium
73. Beguile - To deceive by guile; delude; take away from by or as if by guile; cheat; distract the attention of; divert; pass (time) pleasantly; amuse or charm; delight; charm; deceive; draw notice or interest by charm
74. Obloquy - Harsh, often insulting language; loss of or damage to one's reputation; vilification
75. Veneer - A thin surface layer, as of finely grained wood, glued to a base of inferior material; thin layer of costly material put over a common material; deceptive outward appearance; give a deceptively attractive appearance to; pretence, front; cover, overlay
76. Pertinacious - Holding tenaciously to a purpose, belief, opinion, or course of action; stubbornly or perversely persistent; determined; stubbornly unyielding or tenacious in purpose; persevering; difficult to alleviate or cure
77. Dabbler - One who engages in an activity superficially or without serious intent; one lacking professional skill and ease in a particular pursuit; amateur; an amateur who engages in an activity without serious intentions and who pretends to have knowledge; any of numerous shallow-water ducks that feed by upending and dabbling
78. Extant - Still in existence; not destroyed, lost, or extinct; standing out; projecting; in existence; occurring or existing in act or fact: actual

JUNE - High frequency words

JUNE THREAD - Updated regularly

Make sure to do all words from previous threads also...

1. Legerdemain - A show of skill or deceitful cleverness; the use of skillful tricks and deceptions to produce entertainingly baffling effects
2. Martinet - A strict disciplinarian, especially in the armed forces; one who demands absolute adherence to forms and rules
3. Pelf - Wealth or riches, especially when dishonestly acquired
4. Impecunious - Lacking money; penniless
5. Eulogy - A laudatory speech or written tribute, especially one praising someone who has died; high praise or commendation
6. Saga - Epic tale, long story; a long detailed report
7. Repugnant - Arousing disgust or aversion; offensive or repulsive; bad, obnoxious; hostile; offensive to the mind
8. Proffer - To offer for acceptance; tender; suggest, offer; to put before another for acceptance
9. Countenance - Appearance, especially the expression of the face; face or facial features; look or expression indicative of encouragement or of moral support; give sanction or support to; tolerate or approve; disposition of the facial features that conveys meaning, feeling, or mood
10. Placebo - A substance containing no medication and prescribed or given to reinforce a patient's expectation to get well; inactive substance or preparation used as a control in an experiment or test to determine the effectiveness of a medicinal drug; something of no intrinsic remedial value that is used to appease or reassure another; service or office of vespers for the dead
11. Excoriate - To tear or wear off the skin of; abrade; censure strongly; denounce; make (the skin) raw by or as if by friction; criticize harshly and devastatingly; criticize very severely
12. Burgeoning - To put forth new buds, leaves, or greenery; sprout; grow or develop rapidly; flourish
13. Inexplicable - Difficult or impossible to explain or account for; beyond comprehension, explanation; which cannot be explained or understood
14. Pedestrian - A person traveling on foot; a walker; lacking liveliness, charm, or surprise
15. Aggrievance - Oppression; hardship; injury; grievance; feeling distress or affliction; treated wrongly; offended; treated unjustly, as by denial of or infringement upon one's legal rights; very distressed; feeling burdened
16. Invigorating - Producing or stimulating physical, mental, or emotional vigor; stimulating; imparting strength and vitality
17. Panorama - An unbroken view of an entire surrounding area; comprehensive presentation; a survey; picture or series of pictures representing a continuous scene, often exhibited a part at a time by being unrolled and passed before the spectator; mental vision of a series of events; building containing an exhibit of an extended pictorial representation of landscape or some event of note; usually depicted of a large, wide area; clear and open view in all directions
18. Insalubrious - Not promoting health; unwholesome; not sustaining or promoting health; detrimental to health
19. Prate - To talk idly and at length; chatter; utter idly or to little purpose; empty, foolish, or trivial talk; talk long and foolishly; babble, blather; talk volubly, persistently, and usually inconsequentially
20. Dissolute - Lacking moral restraint; indulging in sensual pleasures or vices; immoral; Indulgent in vices
21. Sedulous - Persevering and constant in effort or application; assiduous; characterized by steady attention and effort; diligent
22. Agrarian - Relating to or concerning the land and its ownership, cultivation, and tenure; r to agricultural or rural matters; intended to further agricultural interests; person who favors equitable distribution of land
23. Affable - Easy and pleasant to speak to; approachable; g and gracious; friendly; c by kindness and warm, unaffected courtesy
24. Rant - To speak or write in an angry or violent manner; rave; utter or express with violence or extravagance; speak in a loud, pompous, or prolonged manner; pretentious, pompous speech or writing; yelling, raving; speech or piece of writing that incites anger or violence
25. Gregarious - Seeking and enjoying the company of others; sociable; polite, easygoing, and friendly
26. Pugnacious - Combative in nature; belligerent; having or showing an eagerness to fight
27. Pulchritude - Great physical beauty and appeal; physical beauty (especially of a woman)
28. Scission - The act of cutting or severing; division or fission; the act of dividing by cutting or splitting
29. Pulsatile - Undergoing pulsation; vibrating; characterized by a rhythmic pulsation
30. Arabesque - A ballet position in which the dancer bends forward while standing on one straight leg with the arm extended forward and the other arm and leg extended backward; complex, ornate design of intertwined floral, foliate, and geometric figures; ornate, whimsical composition especially for piano; intricate or elaborate pattern or design
31. Chip - A small broken or cut off piece, as of wood, stone, or glass; crack or flaw caused by the removal of a small piece; small disk or counter used in poker and other games to represent money
32. Crutch - A means or device that keeps something erect, stable, or secure; a support used under the arm by an injured person to help in walking; a staff or support used by the physically injured or disabled as an aid in walking, usually designed to fit under the armpit and often used in pairs
33. Debauchee - A person who habitually indulges in debauchery or dissipation; a libertine; a dissolute person; usually a man who is morally unrestrained
34. Puckish - Mischievous; impish; naughtily or annoyingly playful
35. Abrogate - To abolish, do away with, or annul, especially by authority; formally put an end to
36. Laconic - Using or marked by the use of few words; terse or concise; short, to the point
37. Taciturn - Disinclined to speak. or inclined to silence; untalkative
38. Flounder - To make clumsy attempts to move or regain one's balance
39. Resilience - The ability to recover quickly from illness, change, or misfortune; buoyancy; property of a material that enables it to resume its original shape or position after being bent, stretched, or compressed; elasticity; flexibility; strength of character
40. Erudition - Deep, extensive learning; higher education; known facts, ideas, and skill that have been imparted; extensive knowledge of literature, history and language
41. Hoary - Gray or white with or as if with age; covered with grayish hair or pubescence; old as to inspire veneration; ancient; elderly; trite
42. Iniquity - Gross immorality or injustice; wickedness; grossly immoral act; a sin; evil
43. Ponderous - Having great weight; unwieldy from weight or bulk; lacking grace or fluency; labored and dull; dreary, tedious; heavy, cumbersome
44. Extant - Still in existence; not destroyed, lost, or extinct; standing out; projecting; in existence; occurring or existing in act or fact: actual
45. Transient - Temporary, fleeting, or passing phenomenon. A transient condition is of brief duration; lasting or existing only for a short time; an individual awaiting orders, transport, etc., at a post or station to which he or she is not attached or assigned
46. Cession - A ceding or surrendering, as of territory to another country by treaty; something, such as territory, that is ceded; surrender of possessions or rights to others
47. Ambivalence - The coexistence of opposing attitudes or feelings, such as love and hate, toward a person, object, or idea; uncertainty or indecisiveness as to which course to follow; the state of having conflicting feelings
48. Pinnacle - A small turret or spire on a roof or buttress; tall pointed formation, such as a mountain peak; highest point; the culmination; top, crest
49. Abjectness - The state of being abject; abasement; meanness; servility
50. Recalcitrant - Marked by stubborn resistance to and defiance of authority or guidance; disobedient, uncontrollable; stubbornly defiant of authority; unruly
51. Rile - To stir to anger; to stir up (liquid); roil; to trouble the nerves or peace of mind of, especially by repeated vexations; anger, upset; cause annoyance in; disturb, esp. by minor irritations; make turbid by stirring up the sediments of
52. Addendum - Something added or to be added, especially a supplement to a book; something included at a later date
53. Glimmer - A dim or intermittent flicker or flash of light; faint manifestation or indication; a trace; emit a dim or intermittent light; appear faintly or indistinctly
54. Omnipotent - Having unlimited or universal power, authority, or force; all-powerful; one having unlimited power or authority; all-powerful
55. Irk - To be irritating, wearisome, or vexing to
56. Waffle - To speak, write, or act evasively about; light crisp battercake baked between two heated surfaces
57. Roil - To make (a liquid) muddy or cloudy by stirring up sediment; displease or disturb; vex; be in a state of turbulence or agitation; make turbid by stirring up the sediments of
58. Prevaricator - A sham dealer; one who colludes with a defendant in a sham prosecution; one who betrays or abuses a trust; person who has lied or who lies repeatedly
59. Exalt - To raise in rank, character, or status; elevate; glorify, praise, or honor; increase the effect or intensity of; heighten; fill with sublime emotion; elate; promote, praise
60. Vicissitude - A change or variation. The quality of being changeable; mutability
61. Philanthropist - One who practices philanthropy; one who loves mankind, and seeks to promote the good of others; rich (and usually bald) old gentleman who has trained himself to grin while his conscience is picking his pocket
62. Paean - A song of joyful praise or exultation; fervent expression of joy or praise; ancient Greek hymn of thanksgiving or invocation, especially to Apollo; song of triumph, praise, or joy
63. Puissant - Having or able to exert great power; having great physical strength; (archaic) powerful
64. Cacophonous - Having a harsh, unpleasant sound; discordant; characterized by unpleasant discordance of sound; harsh sounding
65. Downpour - A heavy fall of rain; abundant, usually overwhelming flow or fall, as of a river or rain: alluvion, cataclysm; tremendous pouring of rain


ANALOGIES:

1. saga:poem
2. date:calender
3. crutch:walk
4. exculpate:absolve
5. chip:stone
6. glimmer:light
7. addendum:document
8. downpour:flood
9. chip:stone
10. hoary:old
11. convoluted:complexity
12. mine:ore
13. chatter:speaking
14. cacophonous: harmony



ISSUE TOPICS:

1. Creating an appealing image has become more important in contemporary society than is the reality or truth behind that image
2. In order to improve the quality of instruction at the college and university level, all faculty should be required to spend time working outside the academic world in professions relevant to the courses they teach
3. High-speed electronic communications media, such as electronic mail and television, tend to prevent meaningful and thoughtful communication
4. In this age of intensive media coverage, it is no longer possible for a society to regard any woman or man as a hero. The reputation of anyone who is subjected to media scrutiny will eventually be diminished
5. Facts are stubborn things. They cannot be altered by our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions
6. Colleges and universities should offer more courses on popular music, film, advertising, and television because contemporary culture has much greater relevance for students than do arts and literature of the past
7. People who are the most deeply committed to an idea or policy are the most critical of it
8. People have been so encouraged by society to focus on apparent differences that they fail to see meaningful similarities among ideas, individuals, and groups
9. Humanity has made little real progress over the past century or so. Technological innovations have taken place, but the overall condition of humanity is no better. War, violence, and poverty are still with us. Technology cannot change the condition of humanity
10. No matter what the situation, it is more harmful to compromise one's beliefs than to adhere to them
11. Students should memorize facts only after they have studied the ideas, trends, and concepts that help explain those facts. Students who have learned only facts have learned very little
12. The primary goal of technological advancement should be to increase people's efficiency so that everyone has more leisure time
13. Humanity has made little real progress over the past century or so. Technological innovations have taken place, but the overall condition of humanity is no better. War, violence, and poverty are still with us. Technology cannot change the condition of humanity
14. Technologies not only influence but actually determine social customs and ethics



ARGUMENT TOPICS:

1. The following appeared in a proposal from the economic minister of the country of Paraterra.

"In order to strengthen its lagging economy, last year the government of the nearby country of Bellegea began an advertising campaign to promote ecologically sound tourism (ecotourism). This year, the number of foreign visitors arriving at Bellegea's main airport doubled, and per capita income in Bellegea increased by ten percent. To provide more income for the population of Paraterra and also preserve the natural environment of our tiny country, we too should begin to promote ecotourism. To ensure that our advertising campaign is successful, we should hire the current director of Bellegea's National Tourism Office as a consultant for the campaign."

2. The following appeared in the editorial section of a health and fitness magazine.

"In a study of the effects of exercise on longevity, medical researchers tracked 500 middle-aged men over a 20-year period. The subjects represented a variety of occupations in several different parts of the country and responded to an annual survey in which they were asked: How often and how strenuously do you exercise? Of those who responded, the men who reported that they engaged in vigorous outdoor exercise nearly every day lived longer than the men who reported that they exercised mildly only once or twice a week. Given the clear link that this study establishes between longevity and exercise, doctors should not recommend moderate exercise to their patients but should instead encourage vigorous outdoor exercise on a daily basis."

3. The following appeared in a medical newsletter.

"Doctors have long suspected that secondary infections may keep some patients from healing quickly after severe muscle strain. This hypothesis has now been proved by preliminary results of a study of two groups of patients. The first group of patients, all being treated for muscle injuries by Dr. Newland, a doctor who specializes in sports medicine, took antibiotics regularly throughout their treatment. Their recuperation time was, on average, 40 percent quicker than typically expected. Patients in the second group, all being treated by Dr. Alton, a general physician, were given sugar pills, although the patients believed they were taking antibiotics. Their average recuperation time was not significantly reduced. Therefore, all patients who are diagnosed with muscle strain would be well advised to take antibiotics as part of their treatment. "

4. The following appeared in a newsletter about health published in the country of Sauria.

"According to Sauria's leading nutritional experts, a diet high in complex carbohydrates, and low in fat is optimal for good health and longevity. Because this was the diet of the people who lived in ancient Sauria, one would expect them to have had long and healthy lives. Yet the mummified remains of Sauria's ruling classes from two to three thousand years ago show the existence of many medical problems among the ancient Saurians, including dental problems, elevated blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, and early mortality. Clearly, the diet of the ancient Saurians was responsible for these problems. The high incidence of high blood pressure, obesity, and heart disease in Sauria today even among those who have tried low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets further proves that Sauria's leading nutritional experts are wrong."